“And for Jews, a corpse is unclean,” I added. I tried but was unable to read Yaltha’s expression. She must have thought my idea was elaborately strange. “I believe it is the very boldness of the notion that will cause it to work,” I continued. “Do you think differently, Aunt?”
She said, “I think the idea of you riding away in Theano’s coffin is absurd, but it’s also ingenious, Little Thunder.”
My eyes rounded—no one had ever called me Little Thunder but Jesus. I received the name from her like a charge. Go, be boiling clouds and lightning spears and sky-splitting roars.
“Now,” she said. “Let’s imagine how you will accomplish this insane act.”
All of us turned pointedly to Skepsis, who was studying the trails of blue on the back of her hands. None of this could be done without her. I was proposing we confiscate Theano’s coffin, requiring another one to be swiftly constructed for him. Furthermore, if Skepsis entered into the deception, she would deceive the whole community.
“Lucian is our biggest concern,” she said. “If he suspects it’s not Theano in the coffin, he’ll convey his suspicions to the soldiers, and Ana is certain to be discovered.” She fell quiet, mulling further. When she lifted her face, her eyes were doing their owlish dance. “Theano’s wish was to be buried here on our grounds, but I’ll put out word that he wished to be buried in his family’s tomb in Alexandria. This is quite typical for our wealthier members. Of course, Theano’s family is not rich, but they would have enough for a mud-brick tomb, I’m sure. I’ll tell everyone that the servant who delivered the letter—what was her name?”
“Pamphile,” I answered, amazed at the intricacies she was working out. Until this moment, Lucian had not received a thought from me.
“I’ll explain that Pamphile was sent from Theano’s family to bring his body to Alexandria. This should resolve the matter.”
“It should also put an end to the outpost of soldiers at our gate,” said Yaltha. “If Ana is no longer here, there will be no need for the soldiers.”
“What about you?” said Diodora, looking at Yaltha. “Haran would still wish to arrest you.”
Skepsis lifted a finger. I knew this to be a good sign. “When Ana is well away, I’ll address the community, stating she has returned to her husband in Galilee and Yaltha has taken the vows to remain part of the Therapeutae for life. It will not take Lucian long to put this news in Haran’s ear. I think Haran will be relieved to have a legitimate reason to put an end to all this.”
“My brother will at least be thrilled to no longer pay the soldiers from his own money bags. The only reason he has kept the outpost going this long is so not to be perceived as backing down.”
I admired the scheme that had just come into being and feared in equal measure that it would fail.
Diodora said, “What will we do with poor Theano during all of this?”
“That will be easy. We’ll keep him concealed in his house until Ana is gone,” Skepsis said. “Then we three, along with Gaius, our carpenter, will give him a proper burial without Lucian’s knowledge.”
It sounded anything but easy.
“And Gaius is trustworthy?” Yaltha asked.
“Gaius? Most certainly. When I leave here, I’ll ask him to begin work this very night on a second coffin and to create two small holes in one of them for breathing.”
That detail sent a shudder through me. I imagined the tight, airless space and wondered for the first time if I could go through with this.
“The community has been notified to gather at the first hour tomorrow to say the prayers for the dead for Theano,” Skepsis said. “You should be among us, Ana.”
“When will she be placed in the coffin?” Diodora asked. Her eyes were wide and worried, and I thought she was feeling the tight, airless space, too.
“After the prayers, Ana, you slip away to the woodworking shop, where Gaius will lightly nail you inside the coffin. Four short nails, no more. I’ll instruct