bites, puff-eyed, unrecognisable. Forcing open his eyelids, Ha-Notsri looked down. His usually clear eyes were now dim and glazed. 'Ha-Notsri!' said the executioner. Ha-Notsri moved his swollen lips and answered in a hoarse croak: 'What do you want? Why have you come? ' 'Drink! ' said the executioner and a water-soaked sponge was raised to Yeshua's lips on the point of a lance. Joy lit up his eyes, he put his mouth to the sponge and greedily sucked its moisture. From the next gibbet came the voice of Dismas : 'It's unjust! He's as much a crook as me! ' Dismas strained ineffectually, his arms being lashed to the cross-bar in three places. He arched his stomach, clawed the end of the crossbeam with his nails and tried to turn his eyes, full of envy and hatred, towards Yeshua's cross. 'Silence on the second gibbet! ' Dismas was silent. Yeshua turned aside from the sponge. He tried to make his voice sound kind and persuasive, but failed and could only croak huskily : 'Give him a drink too.' It was growing darker. The cloud now filled half the sky as it tmpkqhq moipmp kqmq pp qpoqq qn q ouiqs qfns sdjksdfsdfsdlgkj sdflkjsdf lksdjfsdfsdf