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Euric,” Arias said, amused. “Always be kind to others. Your rewards come not from those you help but from heaven. If you fail to help others – even to show them kindness when they’re not present – then you forfeit heaven’s rewards. Love is the way. Never forget that.”

      “Yes, Arias,” Euric said.

      “But what did he want?” Barnabas repeated.

      “To demand that I preach the Divine Trinity instead of The Way, and to make threats of what will happen to me if I don’t,” Arias replied as he led his acolytes to his chamber.

      “The same as the last time he was here?” Andrew asked.

      Arias nodded. “And the time before that, and the time before that.”

      “And what will you do?” Euric asked.

      “I’ll be a faithful Follower of The Way,” Arias replied, sitting down and gesturing for his three acolytes to sit on the bench facing his desk.

      Arias spent the next two hours teaching his acolytes in The Way, emphasizing the healing ministry of Jesus and the Apostles. Botherik entered the chamber once the acolytes had left. He removed the remnants of the food that he had brought in earlier, and when he saw Arias take fresh scrolls from the cupboard, he lit several candles to provide extra light.

      Late that afternoon, as the sunset filled the chamber with shades of red and orange, Arias sat at his desk, busy writing letters to the Bishops who still faithfully followed The Way and stood with Arias against the attempts to revise the gospels. Athanasius is right. There’s more going on here than a simple disagreement over theology. Alexander has never been tolerant of my views, but he’s never threatened me before. Perhaps the others have heard something. We need to be watchful. For over two hundred years, we were hunted down by the Romans. In the 20 years since the Edict of Milan allowed us to worship openly, the doctrine of the churches has been altered, leading us away from the true faith. If The Way is going to survive, we need to know who’s behind these alterations and why it’s happening.

      He finished the last letter and tied the scroll closed. He looked at the small stack of scrolls on the edge of his desk. The names of the other recipients were visible on the outside of each scroll: Zphyrius, Dathes, Secundus of Ptolemais, Theonus of Marmarica, Eusebius of Nicomedia, Maris of Chalcedon, Theognus of Nicaea, Paulinus of Tyrus, Actius of Lydda, and Menophantus of Ephesus.

      Arias wrote the name of the recipient on the outside of the last scroll – Hosius of Hispania – and placed the scroll on top of the other scrolls.

      I’ll have Euric take these letters to the harbor and arrange for messengers to deliver them. He’s a resourceful lad; I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a way to have Hosius’ letter carried by Imperial Courier. Hopefully I’ll hear from Hosius before the next epistle from Alexander arrives. He’s always given good advice about how to deal with Alexander. I don’t know what I’d do without his support and friendship.

      Arias summoned Euric and gave him the letters and money to pay for the messengers. After Euric had left the chamber with his instructions, Arias sat down, blew out the candle on his desk, and looked out the window facing the courtyard, watching the colors of the sky change as the sun set in the west.

      The sun sat low on the horizon by the time Athanasius was finally escorted into Alexander’s chamber. It was a short distance from the church of Baucalis to Alexandria, and Athanasius had returned with Arias’ reply several hours earlier. But Alexander had been tied up in meetings all afternoon and couldn’t be disturbed. Athanasius waited outside Alexander’s chamber until the bishop was ready to receive him.

      Once inside, Athanasius handed Alexander the scroll from Arias. “Arias’ reply, sir.”

      Alexander looked up at Athanasius. “Were you received well?”

      “Yes, but I don’t think that your letter was.”

      Alexander snorted in disgust and untied the scroll. The bishop was a robust man who was several years older than Arias and Athanasius, but his skin was pale and burned easily in the sun. He read the letter while Athanasius waited motionless on the other side of the desk.

      After he finished reading Arias’ letter, Alexander slammed the scroll onto his desk. “What arrogance! What defiance! Does he alone think he’s the final word on the truth? I give him instructions, and he digs his heels in even deeper. He presumes to lecture me on theology when I’m his superior, a bishop, and one of the five Patriarchs of the churches! Who does he think he is?”

      Alexander’s pale face grew red with anger. After a few moments, he calmed down. “Do you still have a copy of the original letter that I sent to Arias?” he asked.

      Athanasius nodded. He walked over to a cupboard against the wall, pulled out a scroll from one of the slots, and brought it back to Alexander.

      “Good,” Alexander said, taking the scroll from Athanasius. “I need to send it and this reply to Hosius in Hispania. I need his counsel on how to handle this situation. Go arrange for a messenger while I write a quick letter to Hosius. I want this on its way before morning.”

      “Allow me to take the messages to Hosius,” Athanasius offered.

      “You have other duties,” Alexander reminded his chief priest.

      “I know, but do you want to entrust something this important to a simple messenger? Besides, I can give Hosius a first-hand account of my conversation with Arias.

      Alexander stared at Athanasius, thinking about the young man’s suggestion.

      “And what if Hosius isn’t at his church in Córdoba?” Athanasius continued. “A simple messenger would either wait for Hosius to return, or he’d come back here with the messages undelivered. I could go and find Hosius; I know where to look.”

      Alexander nodded. “Very well. Gather what supplies and clothing you’ll need, and be back here quickly.”

      “Yes, sir,” Athanasius said happily as he left the chamber.

      Alexander wrote a quick note to Hosius. He then put the note, the copy of the letter he had sent to Arias, and Arias’ reply, into a leather pouch. He looped a piece of leather through the opening of the pouch and knotted it to keep the pouch sealed until it reached Hosius.

      Athanasius returned a few moments later. Alexander handed the pouch to Athanasius, along with payment and money to cover expenses for the journey from Alexandria to Hispania. “Find Hosius, and return as soon as you’re able.” Alexander instructed.

      Athanasius bowed and left the chamber, closing the door behind him.

      Alexander stared at the empty dish on his desk. What am I going to do about Arias? I hope Hosius can guide me through this. Arias and his followers are few in numbers but strong in their faith. The last thing we need is for a mere priest to become a beacon for the discontented. We need unity if the churches are going to grow and take their rightful place in the world. This disagreement is doing nothing but giving our enemies fuel to pour on our funeral pyre. It must end.

      Alexander shook his head. Don’t Arias and his followers understand that their heresy will condemn them in the afterlife? By denying that Jesus is God, they condemn themselves to damnation. Is that what they want?

      Alexander stood and walked across the room to the window. He looked out over the city as the torches cast their light along the streets under the starlit sky above. Hosius will know what to do. He always does.

      Chapter 2

      Emperor Constantine was now the undisputed ruler of the entire Roman Empire. His legions had defeated the superior forces of Licinius, the last remaining challenger to the Imperial Throne, and had broken the defenses around Byzantium. Unlike the other challengers to the Imperial Throne – Galerius, Maximinus, and Maxentius – Licinius had surrendered his legions, and Constantine spared the life of his former rival. Then the Emperor and his legions

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