J: The Dark Man

The Dark Man

The man kept turning and looking at the position of the sun, shielding
his eyes with a dusty hand. The others noticed but didn't question him.
He didn't look them directly in the eye, which disturbed them.The
closeness of the men had been bound a long time ago. Mountains ago.
Lives ago.

It was sometime in the late afternoon. It was hot, yes, but the profuse
sweating from the tall man with the dark beard was out of place. The
others thought he was ill.

"Do you have water?"

The dark man nodded and glanced over his shoulder to see the position
of the sun.

"Are you ill?"

The man shook his head, wiped his brow, and then looked somewhere just
past the man to whom he spoke. His slender fingers fidgeted.

"I am well. Thank you. I will be gone for a while today. I'll see all
of you at dinner tonight," he said. " Will he be there?"

The others looked at each other. Of course he would be there.

"Yes."

The dark man turned and walked away from the men, glancing briefly at
the sun. Little clouds of dust rose from each footfall.

"I wonder where Judas is going?"