26-27 (Spanish Boot)

Chapter 26 made me think about the true identity of Aphranius from Secret Service and Banga, the dog. Simply put, Aphranius seems like the Devil. Couple weeks ago when we were discussing Chapter 2, I suggested that "a certain man in a room shaded against the sun with dark hangings" was the devil, because his face was "half-concealed by his hood," which adds to the notion of asymmetry, and he was not affected by the rays of the sun. That certain man, which turned out to be Aphranius, shows devilish characteristics once again. When he reports to Pilate of Yehudah's death, he says "I do not have to see a corpse to know that a man was killed." Of course, if he was the devil, he would know about every murder and sin where ever he is. Plus, this reminded me of Woland's globe that showed all the wars going on in the world. Furthermore, Pilate admits that he is "dealing with a man who never makes mistakes," referring to Aphranius. When Pilate says, "I have to speak to this Matthu Levi...” Aphranius says right away, "He is here, Procurator." Aphranius seems omnipotent, just like Woland in this novel. The limits of his powers overlap with that of God, and even though he works for Pilate, he seems to be in charge of everything. And when he leaves the room, the moonlight that had been bothering Pilate withdraws itself into the garden, "as though Aphranius had led it away with him."

Now the dog. Banga seems to be something more than just a dog. Banga "lay next to him, head to head, and the Procurator, putting his hand on the dog's neck, closed his eyes at last. Only then did the dog fall asleep as well." I feel like he is more like Pilate's lover. I am yet to find compelling evidence for the dog's relation to Pilate, but it is worth paying attention to.