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〃He's one of them that didn't have a name。〃
〃Not Ben？〃
〃Not him。〃
Miranda cut in。 〃But now he has a name。〃
〃Yes； ma'am。 He told me。 Jesus Christ。 He said it to my face。〃
〃To your face？ You spoke to him？〃
Ross didn't answer。 Beside him； Joe gave a bull snort。 〃I couldn't stop him in time。 Littlependejo。〃
〃You went in his cell？〃 Miranda demanded。
Ross's eyes dodged away。
Joe said； 〃That's what he did。〃
They sat for a minute。 Nathan Lee looked out the window。 The crowd was swelling down there。
〃So you went into the man's cell；〃 Miranda said to Ross。 〃What did you say？〃
〃I asked him if his name is Jesus。〃
〃You asked him？〃 Miranda closed the book。 〃And what does that tell you？〃
Ross's jaw set。 〃That he's Jesus Christ。〃
〃Ipso facto；〃Miranda expelled。
Nathan Lee watched the fancy Latin close Ross down； and out。 His awe was still there； but it excluded them。
〃You know that's not possible；〃 Miranda said after a minute。
〃But it's written；〃 Ross replied。
Nathan Lee felt a tightening in his gut。 He'd figured this was a midnight prank； but Ross was in earnest； and the crowd was multiplying beneath the parking lot lights。
Miranda patted the Bible。 〃For a minute； let's forget what's written； okay？ Think about it。 These clones e from a Roman landfill。 Even if Jesus ever existed； do you know the odds against us finding his remains？〃
Now was Ross's turn to pity their limitations。 〃He existed all right。 Because otherwise there wouldn't be the Word。 And your odds don't matter； not if He wanted us to find him。 This is how He chose to e to us。 And I was there。〃
Miranda said； 〃Then let's talk about the remains。 If Christ rose into heaven； he wouldn't have left any remains。 And he did rise； right？ It's written in the Word。〃
Years ago； Nathan Lee had listened to Ochs use this very argument to disarm detractors of the Year Zero project。 The problem now was that Ross was not a detractor。 〃He didn't leave bones；〃 Ross said。 〃Just blood。 Smeared all over。 It's right there。 Written fact。〃
Miranda flipped the Bible back and forth； as if looking for a hole in one side or the other。 〃I've only read it once；〃 she said； 〃but I don't recall that version。〃
〃Not in there；〃 said Ross。 He pointed at the Captain's desktop。 〃There。〃
Nathan Lee had seen the manila folder when he entered。 It was his own handiwork； one of the bios he'd amassed on each clone。 He reached for the folder with that rock in his gut。 Ross was easy to dismiss as a gullible cracker。 But he hadn't neglected to challenge his belief。 And to buttress it。 Obviously he'd gone straight to the Necro Archives and rooted for some further proof。 Nathan Lee flipped the folder open； and it was there in black and white。
Clone 2YZ…87 had been born thirteen months ago； the second in a batch of nine identical others。 His DNA had been processed from the 87th Year Zero specimen； a sliver of wood impregnated with blood。 A blood relic； not one of the Golgotha bones。 His genetic archaeology report was unexceptional。 There were two methods for dating genetic samples。 The most reliable method used mitochondrial DNA； or mtDNA； which was passed down only through the maternal line。 According to that； the clone's mother had been born fifteen to thirty years before the first millenium。 That placed his birth； logically； around the year zero。 His blood phenotype was classic Levantine。 He had a predisposition to Tay…Sachs and other genetic diseases that afflicted Semitic populations。 None of his nine brothers had survived the labs of South Sector。
〃Miranda；〃 said Nathan Lee。 He handed her the folder。 She barely glanced at it。
〃That doesn't prove your claim；〃 Nathan Lee said to Ross。 Unfortunately； it didn't disprove it either； which left Ross more latitude than them。 〃We've got a man who was born in the first century； just like three dozen other clones sitting down in the basement。 And none of the others is saying he's the son of God。〃
〃That's exactly right；〃 said Ross。
Izzy arrived just then； bleary eyed； hair spiky。 〃Sorry。 Got here fast as I could。 Looks like a rock concert out there。 What's up？〃
When they told him； Izzy said； 〃Oh； that's rich。〃
Ross's jaw grew another inch。
Nathan Lee hitched up a chair and got down at eye level with Ross。 The man was a little stubborn； that was all。 〃Let's walk through this again；〃 he said。 All they needed was to have Ross impeach himself； and it would be over。 It would be embarrassing for the guard； but he'd brought it on himself。 〃You asked the man if his name is Jesus Christ。〃
〃No；〃 Ross was specific。
〃But you just told us you did。〃
〃I asked him； I said； Jesus？ That's all。〃
〃And what did he say？〃
〃JesusChrist。〃
〃Christ？〃 asked Izzy from the side。 〃You're sure about that？〃
〃That's what he said；〃 said Ross。
〃Anything else？〃
〃A whole string of stuff。 I didn't understand a word of it。〃
〃There it is then；〃 Izzy announced。 〃Stone soup。〃 He looked around at them triumphantly。
〃Stone soup；〃 Miranda slowly repeated。
〃You know the old story。 A penniless soldier goes into a village。 He promises everybody a feast with his magic stone。 Puts a rock in a kettle and gets every house to add some vegetables and meat and spices。 Before long； he's got a feast！〃
They stared at him； waiting。
〃A little of this； a little of that；〃 Izzy expanded。 〃Our clone hears some of the Christian lads in the yard telling tales； puts it together； and Ross here baptizes him Jesus Christ。〃
〃I only said Jesus；〃 Ross reminded them。
〃Well somebody handed him the wordChrist。 Because it didn't exist back then。〃
Ross narrowed his eyes at Izzy。
〃Jesus was a mon name back then； like Bob or John today；〃 Izzy went on。 〃But the honorificChrist didn't exist； see。 It's an Old English abbreviation forChristus； which is Latin forChristos； which is Greek for the Hebrewmeshiah。 The annointed one。Christos wasn't used until the New Testament started to be written。。。decades after the crucifixion。 The short formChrist didn't arrive for centuries。 The historical Jesus would never have had the vocabulary to call himself Christ。 To say nothing of the fact that there's no place in the Bible where he ever called himself Messiah。 Do you see？ If he calls himself Christ then he's not Christ。 It's simple。 The clone's an impostor。 Someone set him up。 He's not real。〃
〃Why would someone do that？〃 said Miranda。
〃I don't know。 A prank？〃
〃Who could have gotten to him； though？〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃We've been so careful。〃
〃Not that careful。 Somebody got into the yard and left that crucifix in the tree； remember？ For all we know it could be the same merry prankster。 Somebody with access to the place。 Somebody inside。〃
They looked at Ross again。 〃What about it；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃Did you put the cross in the tree？ Did you put the clone up to this？〃
〃No； sir；〃 Ross swore。 Then he added； 〃Not that I see the harm。〃
〃Why is that； Ross？〃
Ross looked at Nathan Lee like he was a little slow。 〃They are Christians。〃
Nathan Lee slapped his knees。 〃Right；〃 he said。
〃What I want to know is who leaked this nonsense？〃 said Miranda。 〃Look at that crowd out there。〃
Ross fell silent。 Joe provided。〃Pe