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t。Sicarri； another term。 Like Judas Iscariot。 Judas the Sicarri。 A Zealot。〃
〃Watch it；〃 breathed Nathan Lee。 〃Don't give him more names。 He's creating himself out of our mistakes。〃
〃I didn't；〃 said Izzy。 〃He came up with the name Judas himself。〃
The clone saw Nathan Lee hesitate。 A look of satisfaction came over his face。
〃Oh； boy；〃 Nathan Lee muttered。 Eesho； if that was his name； knew more of the story than he'd feared。
For the next two hours； they worked through the logical questions。 Where were you born？ Who were your family members？ Name your neighbors。 Who was the governor？ Who were your teachers？ Describe your travels。 Did you ever visit Jerusalem？ How many times？ Why？
The clone answered dutifully； even mechanically。 He had been born in Bethlehem； he claimed。 In a cave。 His father was a carpenter； descended from King David who was descended from Abraham。 To prove it； he delivered a long list of names from memory； linking his father generation by generation to the great prophets。 The names echoed off the stainless steel walls。
〃Are you the son of David； then；〃 Nathan Lee asked； 〃or the son of God？〃
〃I am the Nazarene；〃 the clone declared simply。 He was perfectly at ease。 Any contradictions were his interrogator's to unravel。
〃But you said you were born in Bethlehem；〃 he said。
Eesho answered。 〃The Lord spoke through the prophet Hosea。 He said；'Out of Egypt I called my Son。'〃
There；thought Nathan Lee。 The Egypt reference again。 〃Clever；〃 he said to Izzy。 〃He's been setting us up from the start。〃
〃How do you mean？〃 said Izzy。
〃He prophesied his own ing。 He called this place Egypt that first day in the yard。 The Son was called from Egypt。 Therefore； he's the Son。〃
〃But who gave him the Bible references？〃
〃Keep digging；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃We'll catch him out。〃
Eesho said he'd had four brothers named James； Joset； Simon； and Jude； and three sisters whom he didn't bother naming。 His teachers had included John the Baptist。 He'd spent years wandering the banks of the Dead Sea。 He once meditated in the desert。 Yes； it was true； he had attacked the merchants and money changers in the Temple。 〃After that； I was a marked man；〃 said Eesho。 〃They executed me。〃
〃Who executed you？〃
Eesho recited the Passion Narrative perfectly。 It was identical to the Gospel accounts； filled with evil Jews； treachery； and cowardice。 Judas； the Zealot； had betrayed him。 He was arrested and brought before the Temple intelligentsia； where his captors spit on him and slapped him and called him a blasphemer； then turned him over to Pontius Pilate who condemned him。 Just like in the Bible； Pilate had washed his hands of the verdict。
With extraordinary dispassion； Eesho went on to describe his whipping； the crown of thorns； the soldiers' mockery； and his passage through the narrow streets and out the west gate to Golgotha。 He was nailed to the wood。 His cross was erected between two others。 A thief hung on either side of him。
〃And then I died；〃 he said without emotion。
Nathan Lee looked at Eesho's wrist； and the tracery of veins was blue under the smooth olive skin。 A nail had driven through that bone and meat。 Yet he was oblivious。 Or else a liar。
〃You died；〃 repeated Nathan Lee。 〃What do you remember after that？〃
〃Everything that there is to remember。〃
All in all； from cradle to cross； it was a sterling performance； straight out of the Gospels。 〃Someone scripted him；〃 said Nathan Lee。 They were back to that again。
〃But who？ Why bother？〃
〃Someone with lots of time。 It must have taken weeks； or months； to school this guy。 He's got the story down cold。 And all the quotes are in Aramaic。 Whoever it was had a good mand of Aramaic。 That rules out Ross and the other guards。 Maybe it wasn't an insider。 A visitor； maybe？ From the outside。〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Izzy。 〃Someone might be able to override the security system once or twice。 But not for weeks at a time。〃
〃Maybe he wasn't prepped here。〃 Nathan Lee began flipping through 2YZ…87's file again。 〃He was warehoused in South Sector for half a year before getting transferred here。 It's possible someone wired him with this Christ stuff while he was down there。〃
Izzy shook his head。 〃You make him sound like an act of sabotage。 A car bomb。 You're saying someone rehearsed him for his Jesus role； then planted him in our midst； and then waited all these months to trigger the mischief？ That's just so intricate。 So premeditated。〃
〃The best forgeries usually are；〃 said Nathan Lee。 But he was merely keeping up his end of the wild theory。 Izzy was right。 It was farfetched。
〃Why set him off now？〃 asked Izzy。
〃I don't know。〃
〃Why have you waited to reveal yourself？〃 Izzy asked the clone。 〃Why tonight？〃
Eesho's face relaxed。 Easy question。 He raised a finger。 〃The Apocalypse has arrived。〃 He reminded Nathan Lee of that Frenchman in Kathmandu； calmly certain。
〃People have been predicting apocalypses since the beginning of time；〃 Nathan Lee responded。 〃Tell him； every time the sun goes down at night； someone preaches doom。 Which apocalypse does he mean？〃
Eesho replied at length。 〃He said he sees the plague in our eyes；〃 Izzy translated。 〃He said； the Lord God has brought an extraordinary plague upon us； a great and lengthy plague； a deadly illness。 All the diseases of Egypt； plus diseases that we've never heard about； so that all of us will be destroyed。 This is because we haven't obeyed the Word。 Now our tribes will wither。 They'll lose all memory of themselves； and that's the worst kind of death。 It is the end of time。〃 He finished；〃That apocalypse。〃
〃Okay； who told him about the plague？〃
〃Maybe he's just blowing smoke；〃 said Izzy。 〃He does have an attitude。〃
〃No； he knows。 Someone got to him。 Might as well ask him who。〃
Eesho answered； 〃The voice of God。〃 He pointed upward； and for an instant Nathan Lee was sure he was pointing at the speaker mounted flat in the ceiling。
〃But you cried out that God has forsaken you。 Why？〃
〃I cried out because I am upon my cross；〃 Eesho replied mildly； 〃and I am in my misery。〃
Nathan Lee gave him a hard look。 〃What is it you want？〃
It was a stupid question； really。 The man was a prisoner。 He would want what any prisoner wants。 Freedom。
Abruptly Eesho squeezed his eyes shut。 He held out his opened palms and began rocking forward in quick bounds； mumbling prayers。 Nathan Lee had seen it before； elsewhere； from the Wailing Wall to Rongbuk。 It was the kind of rapid…fire chanting that ascetics around the world used to erase demons from a busy mind。 Nathan Lee was； to him； nothing more than background noise。
IT WAS JUST AFTER DAWNwhen Nathan Lee emerged from the basements of Alpha Lab。 He went to the rooftop； and sunlight was creasing the edges of the mesa。 A crowd of several thousand was gathered on the street。
They stood quietly on the road； very civil； no jostling。 Here and there people were chatting across the yellow Crime Scene tape with the Pro Force troops in black uniforms。 A lady was handing Styrofoam cups of coffee across the tape。 They were all on the same side out there。 They were neighbors。
Miranda came up behind him。 〃It's posted all over the Net。