Under my strict enforcement of the Law, Joseph would not have let such a man as Stephan into my house, but this dark-haired, desert-burned youth displayed an unusual amount of determination and persuasiveness. He overwhelmed my old servant’s objections. He stood before me now, this Stephan, and in his arms he cradled the bloodied cloak before he handed it to me as though it were my brother.
“He wished you, his brother, to have the last of his worldly possessions.”
The youth bowed to leave, giving a blasphemous blessing on this house. Impudence, but the Law prevents any hostility to a guest and curiosity made me ask, “Have you journeyed far?”
“Yes, hundreds of miles from a land called India to Edessa. I came here from Edessa after his burial. Thomas had wanted to visit the places where h
