Give and Take

Macky and the Masked Rebel rescue some slaves from certain death in the arena, and, as the frightened slaves hide from their pursuers, Absolom reassures them by telling how Elijah was fed by ravens and then by the poor widow. Later, an angry Marcus orders Aemelia jailed. He tells Babatunji that the only way she’ll be freed is if Babatunji agrees to help trap the Masked Rebel. Using Babatunji as bait, Marcus smokes out the Masked Rebel, but the Rebel smells a trap and the rescue goes awry. The Masked Rebel and Macky escape, while a dazed Babatunji – and an unconscious Toadie – are taken to a rebel safe house. Recuperating from his injury, Babatunji hears the Friends of Jesus tell the tale of the shepherd who placed so much importance on a single lost sheep. Soon, Antonius arrives to help Babatunji, and Babatunji finds himself unable to betray him. Instead, he tells him that Marcus is holding Aemelia hostage, and now, there seems to be no way of getting her back. Undeterred, Antonius devises a daring prisoner swap, one that takes full advantage of the still-unconscious Toadie. Once Aemelia is free, Babatunji begins to tell her the story of the shepherd and the sheep.