Magus

Yes, I remember the journey well. Messengers from their king got to Nisa before we did, and the Shah was not happy with us. And if it weren't for Jaspar's silver tongue the college would have thrown us out too. He was wonderful that way. When we were stopped at Tiberias, he talked us out of trouble--told the decurion his horoscope, blamed the miscommunication on a thieving courier--Jaspar lied like a Greek! The horsemen were looking for a baby, so the family must have gotten away too.

Jaspar died eight years ago. He didn't remember me, but at the end he opened his eyes and saw me and said, "He smiled at us."

For over forty years people have come to me to learn what the stars tell them, but the stars don't whisper to me anymore. I look up the positions and the meanings and assemble the oracle--and sometimes include wisdom from the Hebrew prophets as well. My customers find them exotic, and like those oracles better. It seems wrong, but the oracles seem so empty otherwise.

The rest of the time I comb rumors for news, and wait.

I have to keep a fire going day and night to keep warm, so I'll not be traveling anymore. My last trip into Rome was sixteen years ago to Damascus. That was a good trip. I bought a dozen manuscripts and even met Gamaliel. He didn't want to talk about prophecies or kings, just Torah family applications and a youngster he had met in his temple.

The stars never lie, and the prophets don't either, but we misunderstand sometimes. But not this time. For 29 years there's been no word, but there must be. There can't not be.

And it shouldn't matter--babies smile sometimes--but he smiled at us, and the stars didn't matter anymore.