Moment of Glory

Demas could hear the rats scurrying about in a corner of the cell, and he thought, wryly, that Antonia was not particularly noted for its accommodations or pleasant company. He sat on a straw mat, his head against the cool stone wall, and listened to the regular breathing of Gestas. Amazing how a man could sleep so soundly only a few hours before he was to be executed! Was he completely fearless, or simply a fool? Demas didn't know which; he only knew that he, Demas the Greek, was very much afraid of what the morning light would bring. He had seen these Roman executions before and knew how slow and painful they could be.