School's Out

When Macky refuses to kill another trainee during practice, Aemelia decides to send him to the arena the next day. Because he won’t kill, he will almost certainly be killed. Hearing about this, Portia goes to Senator Antonius, who has spoken out on behalf of the Friends of Jesus in the Senate. But Antonius seems unwilling to help. Meanwhile, the other trainees, all sympathetic to Macky – are planning a mass escape. But Absolom takes Macky aside and tells him the story of David’s lieutenants, who risked their lives just to bring him water. Absolom’s point is that all the trainees shouldn’t risk their lives just for Macky. Macky agrees to go it alone, but when the other trainees hear that Macky has left them behind, they betray him. At the same time, Portia has learned something about Senator Antonius: his late wife was a Friend of Jesus. Confronted with this, Antonius tells Portia how Jesus refused to perform miracles in Nazareth, and that he can’t go out on a limb to help one person for fear of jeopardizing the work he does for many people. But Portia persists, asking what his wife would have thought of his reluctance. Moments before Macky is scheduled to be executed, Portia and Antonius arrive at the gladiator school with good news: Macky won’t be executed, but he’s not free, either. He’s been purchased by Antonius and will now be his slave.