Trying to orient himself as Claudius wet his robe in fear, Sanchez discovered he was in Jerusalem. A prophet from Nazareth had been put to death a few days earlier. Always one to seize any opportunity to enrich himself, Claudius Malachi, bastard son of a Jewish woman and a Roman soldier, took advantage of the resulting chaos to go on a crime spree. When he had pawned a bauble taken from the soldier, he had given himself away. Now the Romans and their Jewish lackeys were searching the city for him.
H is only hope was to escape into the surrounding countryside.
Cautiously poking a small hole to the surface of his odorous hiding place, Claudius took deep breaths of fresh air. It was still quite light outside his dung cave. H e decided to lie as he was and make his escape over the city wall after it was good dark. Darkness came to the city hours later. Sanchez marveled at the physical power of Claudius.