Achbor was excited.  Like hundreds of other urchins who prowled the narrow streets and alleyways within the walls of the city, begging food from those who would be generous; stealing from those who would be miserly, he was attuned to the pulse of the place.  On this morning, the pulse was racing,

Word had spread through the market as Achbor was scrounging dates and bits of bread for his morning meal that the Romans would be executing three criminals at Go Goatha.  Like others who inhabited the crowded lanes of the public market, Achbor always went to watch the condemned wheeze out the last breaths upon the rough wooden crosses that were the favored method of execution of the soldiers from the west who ruled over the city and surrounding land.

Achbor tucked the small chunk of bread and handful of withered dates into the pocket of his tattered tunic and joined the crowd that was shuffling toward the gate at the northwest corner of the city, not too far from the king’s palace.  Like the mouse for which he was named, Achbor deftly inserted his small body into the teeming, undulating mass, unnoticed except when his unwashed body brushed against someone, such as the fat merchant, in his gleaming white robe, who immediately recoiled as if he’d been struck.

“Here, you filthy urchin,” the merchant growled. “You’ll get my robe dirty.  Keep to yourself.”

Achbor shrank back, throwing his tiny hands up in a gesture that was both defensive – should the merchant decide to hit him – and supplicative.  “Apologies, worthy master,” he said.  “I did not mean to bump into you.  The crowd is so great, I was pushed.  Where is everyone going?”

Satisfied that the urchin was not intent upon picking his pockets, the merchant softened his scowl, although, he kept his distance.  “Three criminals are to be executed this day, young one,” he said.  “Two thieves and a revolutionary.  They will be put upon crosses at the place of execution.”

The mention of the word ‘thieves’ caused Achbor to shudder inwardly, for he knew where the crowd was going and why, and he also knew the penalty for theft; his goal was to worm his way among the gathering of those gawking at the execution and do just that.  He had been plying such trade for most of his twelve years, and had thus far managed to elude detection; his swift hands able to separate the wealthy from their bags of gold coins without notice.