deepwater books

Why I Don't Recommend My Own Audio Book

2018-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

While I don't have a magnificent voice, sometimes it's easier to listen to a story than to read one. And an audio book is as close as I can get to a movie with a cast of one. So it seemed like a good idea. I had just produced an audio version of Bummer and Lazarus, and it worked out well enough. Amazon (that is, ACX) automatically has it priced at $5.95, free with Audible membership. Such a deal!

Onward to Enemy of the Gods: The Legend of Nicholas. I spent the time and trouble to produce an audio version, not giving much attention to the mysteries of Amazon's automatic pricing. When at last it came out, I was hit with sticker shock: Seventeen dollars! They say they price it based on play time.

True, it's still free with Audible membership, but my goal had been to keep the price barrier low so more people could enjoy it. I sure wouldn't shovel out $17 on it. How could I ask anyone else to?

Then, in writing this post I made a discovery: The price has come down to a more modest $13.08. That's still way too much, but it's shifting in the right direction. So don't buy my audio book... yet. Wait a while. Let Amazon decide that this is not the next New York Times bestseller and let the price settle down to a more reasonable level. Then maybe you might want to give it a listen. In the meantime, you can still read it for 99 cents on Kindle, or for free here on this site.

Coming Soon: Enemy of the Gods on Audio

2018-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Christmas in July? But I thought St. Nicholas was a Christmas story." Most likely Nicholas never celebrated Christmas, so why wait until Christmas? Soon Enemy of the Gods: The Legend of Nicholas will be released as an audio book, narrated by the best voice I could afford, mine. And there's cool music and sound effects too. Check back for release details.

Bummer & Lazarus Preview Video

2018-01-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video preview of the Bummer & Lazarus audio book. It will give you a feel of old San Francisco. But watch out! You may learn something.

Bummer And Lazarus

Bummer & Lazarus Audio Book

2018-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Bummer and Lazarus is now out as an audio book, complete with music and sound effects. You might feel like you're standing right there, kicking up dust in the street with the peculiar people of San Francisco in 1861. You can find it on Amazon.com and iTunes. You can enjoy it chapter by chapter and get a full 2 hours and 52 minutes of entertaining history.

And if you're wondering, the two reporters who chased after this pair of dogs were real people. Albert Evans even has his own Wikipedia page. So also, Emperor Norton, George Washington Coombs, the King of Pain and all the other eccentrics were real people.

If you buy it (audio or ebook), please post a review where you bought it it so others can find out about it. Thanks.

Bummer & Lazarus

2017-11-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Pass on the word! Bummer & Lazarus is now available for pre-order as an ebook. The release date is December 1. If you have Kindle Unlimited, the book is free. Otherwise, it's just 99 cents. Soon the audio book will come available. Here's the description from Amazon:

This is the true story of a plucky pair of dogs and the peculiar people who made them famous.

South Carolina secedes from the Union in 1861, but the sleepy city of San Francisco cares more about its war on rats. Bummer, a stray dog, has earned fame for his many rat kills. When one night he jumps in to save another stray (Lazarus) from the attack of a vicious dog, the new pair catch the attention of two rival reporters: Albert Evans with the Alta California, and Frank Gross with the Bulletin. This historical comedy traces the personal and professional competition that drove these two newsmen to serve as the personal biographers of two stray dogs, and how these animals captured the hearts of a city with their loyalty and kindness.

Coming Soon: Famous Dog Duo

2017-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm in the finishing stages of an audio drama on the two most famous dogs of the old West, Bummer and Lazarus. The true adventures of these stray dogs are funny and fascinating, but even more funny in light of how they drove two real-life reporters into a crazy competition to capture their stories. I'm posting a small section in anticipation of the release. The introduction states simply: "This is the true story of a plucky pair of dogs and the peculiar people who made them famous."

Here, we meet one of those peculiar people:

The newsboys and the one schoolboy turned to the voice and saw a man they all recognized. He had just stepped out of the office of the Alta California, a newspaper many of the boys worked for. He wore a stiff British tweed suit, the kind that looked gray from a distance, but when you got closer, you could see it was made of little bands of dark and light woven together in zig-zag fashion. His beard bushed left and right with a part down the middle and mostly covered his tie. A waxed mustache jutted out straight at the sides like two sharp pencils. The newsboys recognized him as Mister Evans, a reporter for the Alta California. You and I will call him Albert.

As there was no other Peter in the group, the newsboys turned to the schoolboy. Tommy said, “Is that your pop?”

Peter said, “Uhh... Yep.” The boys let out a snicker.

Albert called, “Peter, come here.” Peter dragged over to him as the newsboys drifted up the street. Albert asked, “What were you doin’ with those newsboys?”

“Nothin’,” said Peter.

Albert said, “Well, I don’t see any reason for you to run with that sort of crowd.”

Peter said, “What if I want to be a newsboy?”

“Balderdash!” Albert blurted. “You can aspire to better thin’s than sellin’ newspapers.”

At ten years old, Peter hadn’t yet realized not to say aloud anything that came to mind, and so he observed, “That’s what you do.”

Albert protested, “I write news. I do not sell papers. Now go home and do some school work or somethin’. I’m sure you can find somethin’ better to do.”

Peter shuffled off down the street. Albert shook his head and set out the opposite way. He did not notice Bummer trailing behind.

More Free Curriculum

2017-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Once again, you can't beat the price. This overview of the New Testament is the second in a series of easy Bible curriculum I developed for families teaching their children at home. The fill-in-the-blank outlines are geared to make it easy for students to dig into the Bible for themselves by looking up most things on their own. Even if you're not teaching, don't let that hold you back from checking it out. It's a great introduction to the most influential book in history. Try not to peek at the answers and see how much you know. It's now available at my website here as a PDF.

Can you guess what body of water that is on the cover? See if you can figure it out without reading the cover caption.

Free Curriculum

2017-04-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

You can't beat the price. This overview of the Old Testament is the first in a series of easy Bible curriculum I developed for families teaching their children at home. The fill-in-the-blank outlines are geared to make it easy for students to dig into the Bible for themselves by looking up most things on their own. Even if you're not teaching, don't let that hold you back from checking it out. It's a great introduction to the most influential book in history. Try not to peek at the answers and see how much you know. It's now available at my website here as a PDF.

By the way, can you guess what mountain that is on the cover? See if you can guess without reading the cover caption.

Enemy of the Gods on Amazon

2017-02-02T20:22:00.004-08:00

Many of you have read Enemy of the Gods: The Legend of Nicholas on the deepwater books website. Thanks for your feedback and words of encouragement. Now it's available as an ebook on Amazon, making it a bit easier to read. Feel free to pass on the word to those who might be interested in Nicholas and his era, or an easy-to-read historical adventure.

The book is available for pre-orders on Amazon, scheduled for release on March 1, 2017:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3ADSLQ?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660

The book is priced as low as you can get on Amazon, 99 cents, but if you're on Kindle Unlimited, you should be able to check it out for free.

Easier to Read on a Phone

2016-11-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

For some of you, the dark background of the site was making it difficult for you to read Enemy of the Gods on your phone. I've adjusted the phone layout and it should be much easier now. If you were having trouble before, it's a good time to start reading. And as we approach the commemoration of Nicholas on Dec. 6, it's a good time pass it on to others. The link below will take you to Chapter 1, and you can click on "Newer Post" to read through the entire book.

Click here to read Enemy of the Gods

Enemy of the Gods 84

2016-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Nicholas turned to face Silvanus. He swallowed hard and greeted him, “Proconsul...”

“I sent him,” said Silvanus. “I thought you would want to know right away.”

“Yes...” said Nicholas in a guarded voice. “It seems we will be neighbors once again.”

“Not for long though, I’m afraid. My term expires with the end of the year and I hope to leave for Nicomedia before then. You’ve probably heard of the outcome of the battle in the west.”

Nicholas shook his head. Silvanus explained, “Constantine and Licinius have taken Italy from Maxentius. And with that, they threaten the position of Maximinus here in the east. I need to make sure I’m near the winning side in this.”

There was a long pause. Nicholas didn’t know what to say.

Silvanus gestured to the decree, “They issued an edict of full religious toleration in the west. I hear they’ve actually begun to favor your god. Maximinus could see the winds of change, and so there you have it... I kept your house safe from looters. You never know who might try to take advantage of a situation, you know.”

“Yes...”

Silvanus added, “I trust you found my soldiers helpful during your time of exile.”

“Helpful?”

“Yes,” said Silvanus. “I feared that you and your people might suffer at the hands of some unruly mob, so I stationed a guard there to protect you.”

At this point Nicholas could not help letting irritation sound in his voice. “‘Protect?’ Like you protected me those seven years?”

Silvanus snapped, “Of course! If I hadn’t kept you out of the hands of the magistrates, you wouldn’t be alive today.”

Nicholas hesitated. In a way, the man was right. Perhaps God had used Silvanus to spare his life, but clearly Silvanus did not intend it. Nicholas said, “A kindness I can never repay... I pray that my God will grant you just payment.” He meant it sincerely, but could not help but slightly emphasize “just.” He yearned for justice on Silvanus and all those who had tormented the followers of Christus.

Silvanus nervously muttered, “You uh, owe me nothing, really.” Then he excused himself with the traditional Greek greeting, “Grace to you,” and turned away to speak with others.

As Nicholas left the hall of magistrates and headed back to the camp, he felt his cheeks burn. He had forgiven his tormentor, but facing him again, lying and calling evil kindness, it stirred his anger. He wandered back through the city, passing here and there wide-eyed Christiani venturing into the city for the first time in months. Finally, as he came to the city gate, he murmured a prayer to Christus, “Grace to him... As you gave grace to me.” As he said it, he felt a calmness rise like a tide within him, washing away the anger.

Soon, he felt a sharp coolness on his cheeks and forehead. He wiped away the wetness and looked up. Rain was just beginning to fall. He had been so focused on the new decree and Silvanus that he hadn’t noticed the sky. Thick storm clouds had rolled in. Soon, the water pelted down in torrents, drenching him to the skin. Nicholas continued on his way, laughing as he went, and everyone he passed laughed with him. It was a laugh that echoed for centuries.

The End

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 83

2016-10-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

The soldiers then surrounded them. The decanus looked Nicholas in the eye. He pointed to the gold. “So this is your gold that you kept from the proconsul all these years?”

“What remains of it...” said Nicholas. “But it is no longer mine. It belongs to this captain.”

“Is it stolen money?” asked the captain.

The decanus replied, “No.” Then he said to Nicholas, “You have bought wheat to give to the starving?”

“Yes.”

The decanus nodded. “Always the benefactor... You know I must report this to Silvanus...” Nicholas nodded. The decanus added, “I will make sure he knows your gold is gone.” He ordered his soldiers, “Withdraw.” As they marched down the gangway, the decanus turned back and said to Nicholas in Greek, “The anchor holds firm.”

Lucas looked to Nicholas for an explanation. Nicholas himself had a puzzled frown. They were expecting some sort of fight, but the decanus not only walked away, but assured him that Silvanus would know there was nothing left for him. Then the meaning of the decanus’ words came to him: “En kurios,” He said quietly to Lucas. “‘In the Lord’—the anchor of our soul.” He and Lucas both raised a brow at this unexpected ally.

The brothers offloaded the wheat, and that evening the smell of freshly baked bread filled the drifter camp. Nicholas carried a loaf to the edge of camp for the soldier on watch, but no one was there.

A few weeks later, near mid-November, a centurion and a group of soldiers came early in the morning to Nicholas’ hut. The centurion said to him, “You are Nicholas, the leader of these people?”

Nicholas replied, “If you mean a prince or a praetor, I am neither. I am the slave of all.”

The centurion said, “Nevertheless, you can pass the word on: Christiani are no longer forbidden from the city.”

“On whose order?” asked Nicholas.

“Emperor Maximinus. He has issued a letter stating that all are free to follow their own religion.”

Nicholas asked, “Does that mean we are allowed to hold assemblies?”

The centurion said, “I do not know. I was merely sent to inform you that you are now free to enter the city.”

Nicholas thanked the centurion and set off straightaway for the city. He marched past a group of soldiers at the city gate removing the bronze plate that read, “Christiani forbidden,” then continued on to the hall of magistrates. There he found the official copy of the emperor’s letter and read it. As he studied the words, a familiar voice behind him sent a shiver down his spine: “I see the centurion delivered the message.”

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 82

2016-10-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

Demetrius took the pouch to the captain and pointed out Nicholas. The captain opened the pouch and found inside three gold coins. The captain grumbled, “Another hoarder... Desperate enough to pay me in advance.”

Demetrius said, “No sir, he is not like the others. You have heard me tell of the secret benefactor of Myra. That is the man. He gave me my freedom.”

The captain stared at the coins. He said, “Bring him to me.”

Demetrius marched down the gangway into the crowds and ushered Nicholas back before the captain. The captain said, “Demetrius has told me many stories of your great generosity.” He reached out to return the pouch to Nicholas and asked, “What do you want?”

Nicholas waved it off. “I ask that you allow me a portion of your grain to feed the starving of Myra.”

“You may be a benefactor, but the owner of my fleet is not. This will not even buy you two modia.”

“I have more,” said Nicholas. “I believe enough to buy 400 modia.” It was a small amount in comparison to the 10,000 modia on board each ship, but it would be enough to keep a thousand people alive for 20 days.

“What do you offer?”

“A thousand and thirty-two aurei. In addition to the gift you now have.”

The captain thought about it a moment. He said, “I already have buyers in Rome. I can get much better prices there.”

“I offer a fair price. It’s all I have... And in selling, you’ll be counted a friend of my master.”

“You are a slave?” asked the captain.

“Yes, a slave of Christus Iesus, and he will reward you if you even offer a cup of water in his name.”

The captain hemmed, “I... do not worship Christus.”

Nicholas said, “One day, perhaps you will. But today, if you agree to sell, know that you will be rewarded with more than gold.”

The captain paused for some time. Finally, he said, “Where’s your money?”

Nicholas waved to the brothers in the crowd and said, “On its way now.”

When Lucas and the brothers saw him wave, they converged on the amphora jar where Marinus had spent the night. Lucas and Caius lifted it up by its two handles and carried it toward the ship while the others cleared the way.

As they carried it to the gangway, Nicholas said to the captain, “There it is.”

“Let them through!” called the captain. His men parted and Lucas and Caius set the amphora down at his feet. Nicholas could see the decanus and his soldiers pressing their way through the crowds.

“Bring me my counting bench,” the captain ordered, and a sailor rushed in with a short, square table. Lucas and Caius poured the gold out on deck and the captain set himself to counting.

With each clink of the coin, the footsteps of the soldiers drew nearer. The sailors at the gangway stood their ground before the soldiers, asking their business. The decanus said, “Orders of the proconsul. Make way.”

The sailors parted to them and they marched aboard as the captain said to Nicholas, “All there. The wheat is yours.”

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 81

2016-10-06T07:00:00.001-07:00

Lucas and Marinus caught up with the others. Marinus greeted Nicholas, and in his handshake, he transferred a small pouch into his hand. Nicholas slid it into his belt without saying a word. Marinus then directed them to the ships, though they were not hard to find. Already word had gotten out, and many people from Myra were pressing in to buy even a portion of their loads. The captain of the lead ship waved them off, saying, “These ships are bound for Rome. I’m only putting in for fresh water and supplies. I’m selling no wheat.”

Two muscled sailors stood before the captain at the end of the gangway to keep the crowds at bay. Most of the buyers wore fine robes. They were wealthy patricians who otherwise would never have lowered themselves to the common work of buying food—such was the work of their slaves. But many of their slaves were now dead, and those that survived, the masters didn’t trust to bring the food back. Even some of the leading women of the city were pushing their way through the crowd, forgetting all dignity to bid for a basket of grain. The desperate buyers shouted out their prices for all to hear, but the captain ignored their pleas.

Nicholas said to his companions, “I’ll try to speak with the captain. You keep our friends guessing.” They split up and drifted about the crowd, each keeping an eye on Nicholas.

Nicholas pressed in toward the ship but could get nowhere near the gangway in all the crowds. The two soldiers stayed at the fringes to keep watch over Nicholas and his shifting group. He looked along the ship and recognized Demetrius, one of his former sailors among the crew on deck. He made his way along the harbor beyond the thick of the crowds and came to the bow of the ship where Demetrius swabbed the deck. Nicholas waited for him to look up, but Demetrius avoided the eyes of the crowds. At last, Nicholas called out, “Demetrius!”

Demetrius looked up and recognized Nicholas with a smile. Nicholas held up the small leather pouch given him by Marinus. He said, “If you would, please give this to your captain.” Demetrius nodded and Nicholas tossed him the pouch.

The two soldiers reacted at the sight of the pouch. One took off running back toward the city. Nicholas knew others would be coming soon.

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 80

2016-10-05T07:00:00.001-07:00

Nicholas and Lucas sat up by the glowing embers of the fire, keeping watch for the return of the others. Just as they were about to nod off to sleep, three of the other brothers rushed in. One of them, named Caius, said, “Overseer Nicholas! There are guards about the camp. They searched us as we came in.”

Nicholas nodded. He asked, “Did they see where you went?”

Caius said, “No. It’s safe with Marinus for the night. And we each counted the...” Here he hushed himself. “We counted it before we set out.”

“And?” prompted Nicholas.

“A thousand and 35.”

Nicholas and Lucas both looked at each other with surprise and chuckled. Caius asked, “Is it not what you were expecting?”

“It is not,” said Nicholas with a grin.

“I don’t understand. We each counted it and came up with the same number. I am certain none of us kept nothing for himself.”

“As am I,” said Nicholas. “You found one more than I counted.”

The men sighed with relief and joined Nicholas in his laughter.

The next morning the five of them rose when the sun was just a sliver in the east. They came to the edge of the camp and the soldiers stopped them to pat their robes for hidden bags. The officer in charge, a decanus, remarked to Nicholas, “Silvanus will not give up until he has your gold.”

Nicholas replied, “He would do better to give his attention more to bread than gold.”

“Yes,” said the decanus. “But a man cannot live on bread alone.” Nicholas could not tell if the decanus meant it sarcastically or if he believed in these words of Christus. Before he could ask, the decanus pointed to two soldiers and said, “You two are on the watch.” The soldiers nodded and fell in behind Nicholas and his companions as they set out.

The group headed southwest along the road to the harbor and reached it as the disk of the sun cleared the horizon. Scores of waist-high amphora jars lined the port, most of them empty. One of the brothers, Marinus, was squatted down against one with a blanket around him and his head resting on his knees. As the others passed him by, Lucas gently prodded him with his foot. He rose and folded up his blanket, saying to Lucas, “Four ships from Alexandria, just over there. They came in late yesterday. All full of wheat.”

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 79

2016-10-04T07:00:00.001-07:00

That night Lucas and four other brothers gathered in Nicholas’ hut. To each, Nicholas gave a leather vest covered in small pockets, telling them, “This should be enough to carry what remains. Keep it under your tunic. No one will suspect you carry anything.” He scrawled a number on a scrap of parchment and handed it to Lucas, saying, “This is how much I believe there should be. Confirm it with the others as witnesses before you set out. I do not wish anyone to be tempted to keep a single coin for himself. Nor do I wish anyone to accuse you of it.”

With a prayer, the brothers scattered into the darkness. Nicholas himself hiked out to the edge of the camp where the spy usually kept watch at night. He moved slowly—just walking had become a chore. Lucas and the others would have the same difficulty going without food, but tomorrow, if all went well, the camp would have bread. He would draw the spy’s attention while the others retrieved what was left of his gold. But when he got to the edge of the camp, the spy was not there. The small campfire burned brightly, but the spy had left. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized the spy now had a new target. He said, “Lord Christus, it’s your men and your gold. Please protect them from the enemy.”

Two hours later, Lucas returned alone. “What happened?” asked Nicholas.

Lucas caught his breath, then said, “As soon as I left the camp I noticed your spy was following me. Instead of heading to the place, I led him off to the west. I left him wandering in the woods.”

“And the others?” asked Nicholas.

“I’m not sure. But I don’t think they were followed.”

“What of the count?”

“They will do it.”

Nicholas frowned. “But if they come up short... Who can say whether they found it that way, or they took it for themselves?”

“They are trustworthy,” said Lucas, “And only you and I know what the number should be.” Lucas held out the parchment. On it was written “MXXXIV,” 1,034.

Nicholas sighed. “Let’s hope that is what truly remains.”

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 78

2016-10-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

In the assembly, many of the brothers wondered what good it did to pray. One man said to Nicholas, “We pray for freedom, and he sends us famine.”

Nicholas said, “Yes, but your prayers are never wasted. In fact, I believe he has given what we asked. Because of the famine, they have no strength to pursue us. We have greater freedom here than we do in the city.”

As the weeks went by, Nicholas could see even the spies were growing thin. One day, he set a covered basket at the edge of the camp where the spy would often sit. He called out to the spy standing far off, “I know you are not to talk to me, but I can talk to you... It’s smoked fish. Share it with your comrades. It’s a gift in the name of Christus.”

Later, when the spy had finished his shift and another had taken his place, the basket was gone. Each week, Nicholas would leave another basket marked, “in the name of Christus,” and it would disappear. The spies said nothing, but he continued the practice. Then one morning, he stepped out of his hut to find a 17-pound sack of grain, a full modius of wheat. On it was a note that read, “From your silent companions.” The sack bore the official marking S.P.Q.R.—“Senate and People of Rome”—that marked rations of the Roman army. The spies had given some of their food in return.

As summer turned to fall with no more rain, wheat came to be valued in gold. Most of the ships pulling into the harbor with grain from Alexandria didn’t even bother to offload their cargo because it was more profitable to sail on directly to Nicomedia or Rome and sell it there. The people of Myra now came directly to the ships to plead for a portion of the load.

The Christiani began running out of money. Nicholas could see people in the camp were growing weak with hunger and he could begin to see the bones in his own arms. Many would die if food did not come soon. He found Lucas and told him, “It’s time.”

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 77

2016-09-30T07:00:00.001-07:00

By summer, the situation around Myra had grown desperate. The dry spell affected most of the east, and wheat became more valuable than the gray denarius coins that Rome called silver. The two capitals of the empire—Rome in the west, and Nicomedia in the east—bought up most of the grain that made it out of Alexandria. What remained, never made it to sale in Myra’s merchant stalls as people hurried out to meet the carts heading in from the port, calling out their bids along the way until the whole load was auctioned off along the way.

The Christiani took what money they had and pooled it together to buy some of the cartloads of grain. With it, they managed to feed one another and offer aid to the near-skeletons who staggered out of the city begging for a meal. The rich in the city had stopped giving to the poor for fear that they too would run out of food. Every day, carts would carry more dead out to be buried.

The drifter camp soon became known as the Christiani camp. The believers who lived there helped each other find whatever food they could, and they had few deaths there except those who came to them from the city. The people in Myra did not dare venture out to the Christiani unless they were on the verge of death because they risked being counted as one of them. So while the people in the city fought each other for food, the Christiani were left to care for the dying and the dead.

Most days Nicholas had funerals to attend to, and he would always take the time to offer a word from the writings of the apostles and prophets over whomever they laid to rest. Each day, he could spot a spy from Silvanus, a Roman soldier dressed in plain clothes. He might be sitting on a boulder at the edge of the camp or standing by the wayside to keep watch over his comings and goings. By this, he knew that Silvanus remained alive and eager to snatch away what remained of the treasury of Christus. Though the law forbid Christianus assemblies in cemeteries, the spies never stood in the way of the burial parties. They had little interest in enforcing the law since the Christiani were doing the city the favor of disposing their dead.

Lucas would bring fish to the camp from his work on the ships. He privately said to Nicholas, “We could buy much more food if the Lord supplied us from his treasury.”

“We could,” said Nicholas. “And don’t think I haven’t considered it. But now is not the time. Once his treasury is known, there will be no closing it again. Desperation and greed will snatch away what remains. We must wait and use it only when absolutely necessary.”

Lucas nodded and said no more.

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 76

2016-09-29T07:00:00.001-07:00

312 AD

Early April one day Nicholas set out for the the place along the road where they were holding their assemblies. A steady drizzle was coming down, enough to make mud stick to the sandals from the dirty pavement stones—a welcome rain after a dry winter, but not enough to make much of a difference to the crops in the field. As Nicholas filed out the main gate of Myra he noticed some soldiers were fastening a bronze plaque to the outside of the gateway. It read, “Christiani forbidden.” Nicholas felt the pit of his stomach drop. For some moments, he stared at the sign saying nothing, then he continued on his way out of the city.

When he arrived at the gathering place by the road, many had already arrived and were murmuring about the sign. He waited until the assembly had gathered, then addressed them and said, “‘Fear not.’ How often we have heard those words in the writings of the apostles and prophets. Now we must take them to heart. The leading men of the city have banished us. They threaten us with death if we stay on in our homes, so we must leave.

“But we must return one last time. They cannot round us up all in a day. It is true that they watch us now from the gate so that any of us who returns by the way he came will be arrested, but they will not know us from the other crowds entering from the north. Go around the city and enter that way. Take all the food and necessary things you can carry from your homes and gather with us at the drifter camp. We have been serving among them, now we will live among them. And as we do, pray that our Lord will bring an end to this renewed war on his name.”

The believers did as he said, scattering into the nearby hills and setting out on foot around to the north of the city. There, the few soldiers who guarded the gate seemed completely disinterested in sorting out Christiani from the crowds. Nicholas trailed behind because he had the spy behind him and did not want to endanger the others.

As he came to the gate, he paused and looked back at the spy. The off-duty soldier merely stared back and said nothing. Nicholas judged him more interested in discovering his hidden gold than enforcing the city ordinance. Nicholas headed in through the gate and the spy silently carried on behind him. With the help of some of the brothers, he retrieved the books of the apostles from his home, along with blankets, food and a few small pouches of gray denarius coins.

As the Christiani flooded out of the city again through the southern gate, the drifter camp soon grew into a ragged city in its own right.

That was the last day it rained that spring.

Click here to go to beginning of the book

Enemy of the Gods 75

2016-09-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

A soldier said, “Orders from Emperor Maximinus. Christiani are not to hold gatherings in a place of burial.”

One of the believers behind Nicholas protested, “For what reason?”

The soldier said, “Talk to the magistrates. It’s not our job to explain the law, just enforce it.”

Nicholas asked the soldier, “Are there any other places we are forbidden from meeting?”

The soldier shook his head. “You can meet in the middle of the road for all I care.”

“Thank you,” said Nicholas. Then, turning to the believers, he said, “Follow me.” He hiked back up the road to the main gate of Myra. There by the side of the road he told the others, “Let us begin.” A brother came forward and led the believers in a song of praise to Christus. Amid the noise and dust of the main road, the Christiani offered up their songs and Nicholas declared the good news of Christus to all who would listen. Many passing by stopped to listen to the spectacle, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. And when it was over, many of them were believers.

They carried on this way for months. In the meantime, Nicholas heard the magistrates had appointed a high priest of Zeus who would preside over all the worship of the gods in the city. From the reports he heard, the high priest offered daily sacrifices to Zeus with songs and ceremonies modeled after the Christiani. The magistrates had given him authority to set up religious courts to investigate people who showed disrespect to the gods. Many believers came to Nicholas urging him to go and see how the high priest was stealing away believers with his lies, but Nicholas said, “A teacher of truth has nothing to learn from a liar.”

One day walking through the forum Nicholas saw a man passing by dressed in the white robe and red trim of an overseer. Taking him to be a visitor from out of town, Nicholas approached him. Then he noticed the brooch on his shoulder bore the image of Zeus. Too late, he realized it was the high priest of Zeus, dressed in a robe mimicking a Christian overseer. The priest seemed just as surprised, taking the white robe of Nicholas for that of a priest of Zeus. He blurted out, “You enemy of the gods! We will crush your superstitions in the dust.”

Nicholas recalled his former tutor, Anicetus, and what he said that so often troubled him. Nicholas looked the priest in the eye and quietly said, “Impossible.” Then he continued on his way.

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Enemy of the Gods 74

2016-09-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

The spy just stared at him.

“Yes, I’m talking to you,” said Nicholas.

The spy frowned and stood his ground. Nicholas let out a sigh and said, “I suppose you have your orders... But if you must know of my treasure, I would tell you of it.” The spy gave him no reaction. Nicholas couldn’t tell if the man suspected his treasure was not the one Silvanus wished to know about, or if he couldn’t see this fitting with his orders.

Nicholas continued on his way and the spy followed.

When Nicholas entered the house where the overseers met, the eyes of all turned to him. He said, “I beg your leave for being so late.”

One of the overseers said, “In your absence, we have already chosen a head overseer.”

Nicholas said, “Very well, but I think you should know how I feel about it.”

“Before you speak,” said another. “You should know whom we have chosen... We have all agreed it should be you.”

Nicholas shook his head. “You are very kind. But I’m not convinced that we even need a head overseer. Each of us must answer directly to Christus, not to a mere man. And if one of us should cease to listen to his voice, all the others ought to call him to account for it.”

The oldest overseer replied, “All the more reason that we should choose you. We trust you will listen to his voice and to wise counsel from us when we have it to offer.”

“And if I do not accept?” asked Nicholas.

“Then I suppose we must choose another.”

Nicholas stood in silence for some time. Finally, he said, “Christus told us whoever would be first, must be last. Whoever would be great among us must be the slave of all. So, if that is what you are calling me to, I accept.” And with that, Nicholas became the head overseer of Myra.

Soon after this, one day Nicholas came to the field of the confessors and found the crowds of believers stopping at the road. Some were turning back. Soldiers stood in front of the field, barring them from entry. Nicholas asked, “What is this about?”

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Enemy of the Gods 73

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The Christiani continued meeting outside the city at the burial ground of the confessors, and Nicholas took turns with the other overseers in leading the gatherings. The brothers kept trying to find places to meet in the city, but always something stood in the way. The owner of a building would agree to rent it, only to back out at the last minute. The brothers would make plans to build, but the city magistrates would find some objection. Either it was too close to a temple or there were not enough temples in the neighborhood. In the meantime, the believers set up tents in the field of the confessors, and some made plans to build an assembly hall there in the spring.

Nicholas and the other overseers served together for some time without any one of them serving as head overseer, but eventually the oldest overseer spoke up: “Since brother John’s death, we have been without a head overseer. We’ve been working well together so far, but most other cities have head overseers, and this tradition has been well established now for over a century. So, it could make things difficult in communicating with other assemblies if we do not have a head overseer to represent us. While I am too old and too weak to take this on this role, I suggest we gather together in prayer and select one of us who can.”

The others thought it a good idea and agreed that in two days they should meet to pray and select a successor to Overseer John who had died during the war on the Christiani. When the day came, Nicholas was with Lucas, helping hand out food in the drifter camp outside of town. Lucas knew of the meeting, and when he saw that Nicholas stayed on, he said, “Cousin, the meeting! What are you still doing here? You should be with the overseers now.”

Nicholas sighed. He said, “Yes, I suppose I should, but I don’t see the importance of it.”

Lucas said, “What do you mean? They are choosing who will be the head of the assembly!”

Nicholas said, “No... The head is already chosen, and that is Christus. The rest of us are only shepherds under him.”

“But they are choosing a leader and you are not with them,” said Lucas. “We can take care of things here.”

“Very well,” said Nicholas. He made his way back into the city with the usual spy from Silvanus following at fifty paces behind. He knew this man assigned to the afternoon watch as one of the lictors who had beaten him in prison some years before. He held no resentment for the man—he rather pitied him serving under Silvanus and having no hope beyond this life—but he had grown used to the wall of silence that stood between them. This afternoon though, it struck him just how much they remained separated from each other. He stopped. The spy stopped too. Nicholas turned and called back to him, “If you are to accompany me, perhaps we can walk together.”

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Enemy of the Gods 72

2016-09-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

As the sounds of conversation dwindled to the whispered breath of sleep, Nicholas gingerly picked his way along the maze of blankets in the hallway. At the front door, he came across one of the men who was taking turns keeping watch for him in case he might try to slip away to his gold. As usual, the man offered to go with him; and as usual, Nicholas declined but the man insisted. So off he went with the brother in tow. The soldiers keeping watch outside fell in behind them, and the ones on the rooftops scrambled down and joined the trailing parade.

The brother said to Nicholas, “If you need me to go anywhere beyond the eyes of the soldiers, just say the word. You can count on me.”

Nicholas said, “No, I prefer the company... Tell me, if you were Caesar, and you had all the gold of Nicomedia, what would you do with it?”

The brother answered without hesitation, “I would do what you've done, help the poor.”

Nicholas nodded. It was obviously designed to gain favor. He asked, “What else?”

The brother had to think it over a bit, then he said, “I would build a great meeting house for Christus that would make the temples of Rome and Nicomedia pale in significance.”

It seemed Christus would have to share the house with this brother. Nicholas asked, “Do you think our Lord needs a great temple?”

“Well, uh, not that he needs it, but, uh...” The man stammered on as Nicholas led him wandering the streets of Myra.

Back at the house, the front door lay unwatched. Lucas easily slipped outside and made his way to Mount Taurus. There he found the tomb just as Nicholas had described it. He lit the lamp and dimmed it under the bowl, then shuffled over to the urns along the wall. Curiosity drove his hand to reach into an urn and pull out a handful of gold coins. Never had he held so much money in his life. Nicholas would never know if he merely put a few in his pocket. It made Lucas think of the great trust Nicholas had placed in him.

Lucas set the coins back in the urn, saying, “For the honor of Christus.” He reached behind the urns and retrieved the bundle of books. The tightly bound cloak was covered in dust, but otherwise intact. He wiped it off, then strapped it on his back and headed back to the city.

Many wondered where Nicholas had found these copies of the memoirs of the apostles. He would only say, “The Lord Christus kept them safe.” As the weeks passed and Nicholas gave no gifts of gold, the people keeping watch over him soon lost interest, but the soldiers of Silvanus remained ever on the watch.

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Enemy of the Gods 71

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Nicholas longed to slip away to his tomb, not because of the gold, but because of the scriptures hidden there. No matter how hard he tried, he could not leave without being seen. A number of the men living with him would take turns by the doorway and one or another would keep him company or follow at a distance wherever he went. They were usually very friendly, but he knew they were more interested in his gold than his God. And then there were the spies of Silvanus. At night, he slipped away onto the rooftop and from there he could see soldiers stationed in the streets around the house. A pair had even perched on opposite rooftops.

Nicholas noticed young Lucas never asked for gifts. In fact, most often his question was, “What can I do?” Nicholas ran out of tasks for him to do about the house and found him work with his former fishing captains to whom he had handed over the fishing business. Every few days Lucas would return bearing a basket of fish to share with the household.

One day Nicholas walked Lucas to the harbor. As usual, one of the believers followed at a distance, and a soldier as well, but the spies were far enough away that they could speak privately. Nicholas said, “Remember when I used to buy you dates?”

Lucas chuckled, “You would get mother so mad.”

“Not so mad that she would stop me,” said Nicholas. Then he added, “You of all people would have some idea what wealth I once had. Never have you asked about it.”

“I assumed it was gone.”

“What if it wasn’t? What if I gave it all to you? What would you do with it?”

Lucas thought about it for a few moments. He said, “I would have to ask the Lord what he wanted me to do with it.”

Nicholas nodded. “Well said... How are you at acrobatics?”

Lucas said, “I’m not very good on the wooden horse, but I can run and I can climb.”

Nicholas smiled and said, “I could use your help with something.”

“What can I do?”

With sunset, the people living in the house of Nicholas would all drift to their corners and settle in for the night. Though many had gone on to find more permanent homes, many more were still arriving fresh from the mines or prisons. Nicholas welcomed them all, as much as he had room for.

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Enemy of the Gods 70

2016-09-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

Nicholas said, “I’m pleased to hear that you’re familiar with the emperor’s edict and that you represent his judgment in these matters. You speak rightly in saying that I am free, with the same rights as any citizen. The question of who has defied the ancient institutes and public order of Rome is not the question before the court. The emperor himself charges us with this in his edict. But he has also granted the right of redress and the restoration of property. What remains in question is whether you sit to enforce the word of the emperor or to defy it.”

The chief magistrate replied with a sneer, “Perhaps you have not heard, Galerius is dead. Maximinus Daza has succeeded him in the east, and he never placed his seal on the edict.”

The news caught Nicholas by surprise. He didn’t realize Galerius had been so close to death. If he had died only a few days earlier, there would have been no edict. But these things were in the hands of Christus. The edict had been enacted. Nicholas said, “Nevertheless, it remains a law of Rome until there is a new edict. Do you intend to defy the public order of Rome?”

The magistrate reluctantly put his seal to the petitions. After this, Nicholas became a frequent visitor at the court as many Christiani looked to him to reclaim their freedom and property.

At the next gathering of the believers, a young man of 17 came to him. He grinned and said, “Cousin Nicholas, it is good to see you.” His face was vaguely familiar. The young man could see Nicholas’ confused look and explained, “It’s your cousin Lucas.”

“Ah yes!” said Nicholas, recognizing the son of his cousin Crysanthe. He asked, “Are your mother and father well?”

Lucas shrugged. “They are with our Lord, so yes, they are doing well.”

Nicholas said, “I am sorry. You must miss them much... Where do you live?”

Lucas shook his head, “I was living with my master until he released me.”

“You will live with me,” said Nicholas.

Nicholas soon found his home overflowing with people, much as Gordian’s house, and among them were many begging him for gifts of gold. Everyone knew him as the great benefactor of Myra, and few could keep from asking for a little something. Nicholas told them all, “My home is open to you, and my heart as well. But my treasure remains in the hands of Christus, my Lord.”

Some young ladies of the families who stayed with him would give him kind attention, and their fathers would approach him to speak of their readiness for marriage, but Nicholas expressed no interest. They were all very beautiful and kind, but he could not be sure whether they were drawn to him or his wealth. And he couldn’t help but compare them all with Eudora.

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