And he came to himself, and went through the same arch, and there he saw the other one dragging a cross, and he followed him down the street. Barabbas himself did not know why he had followed him. And why he stood for hours and looked at the long torments of death, because he did not care about him.

Well, and those who crowded to the cross itself, for what need did they come here? Apparently, from his hunting. No one forced them to come here, to accumulate infection. I must think they are close friends and relatives. Strangely, they did not seem to be afraid of infection at all.

That woman over there, apparently, is his mother. Although it doesn't look like it at all. But who is like him? Her face was peasant, stern, coarse, and she kept wiping her lips and nose with her hand, because her nose was dripping, she was holding back tears. But she did not cry. She grieved differently from others, looked at the crucified not like others. Yes, of course, it was his mother. Perhaps she felt sorry for him more than everyone else, but it was as if she were offended by him for hanging here, for the fact that it came to crucifixion. Perhaps he had done something to be crucified, pure and innocent, and she had condemned him for it. She knew that he was innocent of anything, and that was what his mother was for. No matter what he did, she still knew it.

Barabbas himself did not have a mother. And neither did his father, he had never heard of any father. And there were no relatives, he did not know any relatives. So, if Barabbas happened to hang on the cross, not many tears would have been shed. Not that because of this. How they beat their breasts, as if there had never been more terrible grief, how they sobbed, how they howled, horror.

He knew the one crucified on the right cross as a peeled one. If he had noticed Barabbas, he would have thought he had come here for him, to see how he got what he deserved. And Barabbas did not come for him at all. Although he was not averse to admiring his torment. If anyone deserved to die, then first of all this scoundrel. But not for what he was convicted for, for something completely different.

But why should Barabbas look at him, at him, and not at the one who hung in the middle, because he came for him, and he hung here instead of him, Barabbas. It was he who made Barabbas come here, he had such power over him, such power. Strength? If anyone is powerless, then he is. It was a pity that he could not sag on the cross, the other two looked much better, suffered, it seemed, much less. Apparently, they were stronger. And this one could not even hold his head, it was completely hanging to the side.

So he lifted it, licked her parched lips, a heavy sigh stuck in her skinny, hairless chest. He whispered something, I think, "I'm thirsty." The soldiers were lying on the grass down the slope, waiting boredly for the three to finally die, playing dice and hearing nothing. Then one of their relatives approached them. One of the soldiers reluctantly got up, dipped a sponge in a jug and, putting it on a cane, handed it to the crucified man, but when he tasted the muddy slurry, he did not drink, and the scoundrel giggled, went to his friends, and they rolled with laughter. Rascals!

His relatives, or whatever they were, looked at the crucified man in anguish, and he was suffocating, suffocating, it was clear that he was about to give up his spirit. And the end would come soon, thought Barabbas, he would suffer sooner. I wish it would be over soon! As soon as this is over, you can run away and never think about it again!

But suddenly darkness enveloped the mountain, as if the sun had gone out, black darkness, and in this darkness on the top of the mountain the crucified man cried out in a loud voice:

"My God! My god! Why did you leave me?

A terrible scream. What did he want to say? And why did it suddenly become dark? In broad daylight? Completely incomprehensible. Three crosses were barely visible in the darkness. Creepy. Something terrible is about to happen. The soldiers jumped up, grabbed their weapons, and they were barely grasping for their weapons. With spears in their hands, they surrounded the crosses, stood there and whispered — Barabbas heard. Now they are frightened! They weren't giggling now! Superstitious, apparently.

Barabbas himself was frightened. And I was glad when it began to get lighter and everything became almost as usual again. It was getting lighter slowly, like dawn in the morning. The day spread over the hill, over the olive trees around, and again the hushed birds chirped. Just like in the morning.

Relatives stood at the cross without moving. They no longer sighed, did not howl. They stood and looked at the crucified man. And the soldiers too. Everything was quiet, quiet.

You could safely take and leave. After all, it's all over. And the sun was shining again, and everything was again as usual. It just got dark for a while, because he died.