“I called this meeting to make a motion. In many cases, when one of our leaders is found to have worked against the public interest to the extent that Demosthenes has, it would be enough to simply banish them. In fact, it wasn’t until I considered the full extent to which he has harmed Athens that I realized that banishment would not be sufficient. I move that Demosthenes be imprisoned as a traitor to Athens!”
The Forum erupted in startled discussion. Nobody had expected Diophrastus to go this far. In fact, there was virtually no legal precedent for the polis to imprison a General unless he had been found to have committed a crime.
“I yield the floor,” Diophrastus said.
“Since action has been moved against you, Demosthenes, you have the floor,” said Milias.
Demosthenes stood and looked at the crowd. He had been able to persuade this crowd of many things on numerous occasions in the past. He had to admit that he had never had to try to refute the words of their patron god, however.
“My friends, many times have I stood before you and sought to address the issues that faced our fair polis. Many times have we banded together to solve the problems that faced each and every one of us. Many times have we faced these challenges together. As you’ve seen time and time again, I’ve always worked honestly toward the betterment of our polis. I’ve always worked –” he paused to emphasize the next words – “for you! For the people of Athens! Not for my own selfish gain.”
He walked to stand directly in front of Diophrastus. “This man wants you to believe that it is my fault that Athena is angry with the polis. He wants to take what Athena describes as the failings that started over a hundred years ago, and place them at my feet. I admit that I don’t know the mind of a god, and I assure you that if she had come to me in person and told me that we should begin a war with Sparta, I would have started that war without question.
“But now you’re being asked not only to find me criminally responsible for the failings of my predecessors, but also for the course we have all worked out together, as well as for the heroic actions of my nephew, Heliodas. There are certain specific details that Diophrastus left out of the story, however. First, Heliodas did not leave Alexander’s army without leave. The communication I received from Alexander himself stated that my nephew was discharged to escort what everybody assumed was the legitimate messenger from Cyme to our polis. He also entrusted Heliodas to give us an update of their progress in old Ionia.
“It would seem that Alexander’s armies met the Persian armies at the River Granicus. In what was described as an easier battle than expected, the Persians were routed from Western Ionia. The cities of the former Ionian League have been freed from Persian tyranny.
“Another point Diophrastus quickly glossed over is that while it is true that Heliodas was the one who escorted the kin of Medusa to Athens, it was also he who warned us that we were in danger. It is also the very same person that Athena said could become this polis’ champion.
“Ultimately, while it is true that Athena broke her silence yesterday and delivered some scathing criticism about her polis, it is only a rhetorical move made by my long-time political rival to try and lay this criticism at my feet. This is the fault of nobody currently alive. Our present state is something that we can recover from! I urge you to vote against the measure against me.”
Demosthenes sat down, and then waited for the inevitable debate to begin. Naturally, Diophrastus had prepared his sympathizers to speak in support of his motion. Predictably, Demosthenes’ actions against Diophrastus at the agora were brought up and used to show that he bore the orator ill-will. By suggesting that their rivalry had become personal, it was added as weight against his character. Once debate had finished, Demosthenes was asked if he wanted to take the floor to refute the arguments made against him after his last speech. Despite everything, he still had faith in the people of Athens. He still believed that they would remember his service to them and not simply buy into all of the baseless accusations leveled against him.
Once debate was finished, every citizen in attendance was given two rocks, a white one and a black one. They would vote by giving the color of rock that matched their answer. The white rock indicated a positive response, and if the majority were white, the motion would carry. If the black rocks outnumbered the white ones, the motion would fail. Demosthenes would not be given a vote in this matter because he was the one accused.
After everyone had been given their stone, the vote was called. Several officials walked through the amphitheater with clay pots and collected the stones. This process normally took no more than a quarter of an hour, but because of the number of people in attendance, it took twice as long on this evening.
Demosthenes sat nervously, awaiting the results of the vote. He did realize that Diophrastus had made one mistake. He had moved to imprison him, but he had not made the motion to strip him of his rank as General. Since the vote was already called, it was too late to amend the motion to add that as a condition. It would therefore be possible for Demosthenes to be both a prisoner as well as the standing General of Athens. That would be of small consolation, however, since Demosthenes had no intention to use the military to escape the punishment they would hand down to him.
While the votes were being counted, Demosthenes approached Diophrastus. “It saddens me that you would stoop to such a level to win political power. It speaks poorly of your character,” he said.
“I would expect such sentiment from you,” Diophrastus replied. “To you, this is a game about maintaining political power. To me, this is about what is best for Athens. I will not sacrifice the polis I love because it has been following your leadership.”
“My so-called leadership has always been granted by the people. It is how Democracy works. If it’s the will of the people, then I will lose that power tonight and you will finally see me unseated. It is how our system works. You’ve never respected that process, but only manipulated it to your advantage when it suited you.”
Diophrastus was about to comment, but Milias banged his gavel, indicating that the vote had been counted. Demosthenes took his seat and waited, his fists clenched under the marble table.
“It was a close vote,” Milias said. “But the motion carries. Demosthenes is to be imprisoned as a traitor to Athens.”
Demosthenes’ shoulders slumped as he waited for his own guards to arrest him. He was out of rhetorical moves. His fate was sealed.
Chapter 24
The Road to Delphi
We should take a break,” Pelephon said to Heliodas as they rode their horses at the head of their group.
“Why?” Heliodas asked.
“Ever since we left Athens, I’ve been noticing fresh hoofprints… a lot of them. It looks as though they took a break here. I’d like to have a look around to see if I can get some idea of who they might be.”
Heliodas signaled to the three behind him to stay back.
Pelephon dismounted and began searching the markings on the ground.
They had left Athens early in the morning, and they expected their journey to Delphi to take no more than a day and a half. Like most of Greece, the terrain here was rugged and mostly free of trees. Foliage consisted mainly of grasses, bushes, and brush. The ground would only grow more rugged and rocky as their journey neared its end since Delphi was built on one of the lower terraces of Mount Parnassus.
Pelephon easily spotted the hoof prints of too many horses to count in the grass and dust. “Sandal tracks,” Pelephon commented, noting that the hoof prints could not belong to a wild group of horses.
“It could be anything,” Heliodas said, “a merchant caravan, a traveler and their guards, or a number of any other possibilities.”
“It could be,” Pelephon agreed, “But from the size of the sandal prints I’m seeing, they were likely large men.”
“Soldiers?” Heliodas asked.
“Hard to tell,” Pelephon replied, “but it’s looking like a possibility. I’m still look
ing for other things that might give me an idea.”
As expected, he found several damp spots that smelled of human waste just off the trail. He avoided those. He followed the sand prints up the trail a short distance farther and discovered a telling impression in the loose dirt. It was large and shaped like the front torso of a muscular man. “Come look at this,” he said, calling Heliodas over.
Heliodas dismounted and walked to the impression Pelephon knelt over. “A cuirass,” Heliodas said. “Soldiers indeed.”
“Do you not find it odd that soldiers are riding to the north a day ahead of us?” Pelephon asked.
“I’m certain that troop movements have to be ordered by Demosthenes, and that he wouldn’t have ordered them out of League territory like this,” Heliodas said.
“Then they are not Athenian soldiers,” Pelephon said. “Nevertheless, they seem to have been traveling in the same direction.”
“It isn’t much of a stretch to imagine that we would need the help of the Oracle to fulfill Athena’s quest,” Heliodas said. “And all of Athens knows what transpired yesterday.”
“I doubt they’re here to help you,” Pelephon said.
Heliodas motioned for the rest of his comrades to join them. Thermiandra, Archetus, and Telarchos moved up the trail to their side.
“What have you found?” Thermiandra asked.
“Soldiers passed through here, probably a day ago,” Heliodas said. “I don’t think they were under orders from Athens.”
“They were likely sent to ensure that we don’t find Perseus’ sword,” Thermiandra said.
“That thought had occurred to me,” Heliodas said.
“Why would they do that?” Telarchos asked.
“I suspect political motivations,” Heliodas replied.
“Who would want to stop you?” Telarchos asked.
Pelephon looked to the Theban and noticed that his eyes were averted as he asked the question.
“My uncle has enemies in Athens,” Heliodas replied. “It will be politically inconvenient for them if I’m successful.”
“I’ll watch the tracks and scout ahead,” Pelephon said. “They could be lying in wait for us.”
“I’ll go with you,” Telarchos volunteered.
“It isn’t necessary,” Pelephon said. Since leaving Athens, Telarchos had been quiet and his eyes had been continually scanning the horizon. Pelephon felt that the Theban seemed overly nervous for what should prove to be little more than a quick trip through the countryside.
“It’s alright. I can help you spot signs of trouble,” he said. Pelephon sighed. He had to admit that it was possible that the Theban was simply high strung. He’d known several soldiers who behaved similarly, and they had made excellent scouts since they were constantly alert for danger. They tended to investigate every shadow on the horizon and follow every hoof print until they were convinced that there was no imminent danger.
“Very well,” Pelephon said, “come on.”
They rode ahead and crested a grassy hill that overlooked an empty valley. Pelephon could clearly see that the tracks continued along the road without veering off. “They’re nowhere in sight,” Pelephon commented.
“We should ride further ahead to make sure that they aren’t nearby,” Telarchos said.
“None of these tracks are more than a day old. I’m guessing that they’re well ahead of us.”
“They might have stopped.”
“And they could have also ridden well ahead of us and ended up at a different destination,” Pelephon said. “But you’re right. We should check ahead just to be safe.” He kicked his horse forward and it broke into a gallop.
Telarchos followed suit and pulled alongside the Macedonian. “Tell me more of Heliodas,” he said. “Is it true that he’s the son of Zeus?”
“Since I met him, he’s always either been skeptical or denied it completely. Why do you ask?”
Telarchos smiled, though Pelephon noticed that the smile didn’t reach his eyes… a telltale signs of insincerity. “If I am to chronicle this historic task, I’d like to know as much about him as possible.”
“You already know that we met while serving in Alexander’s army in Ionia,” Pelephon said.
“Did you see many battles together?” Telarchos asked.
“Many,” Pelephon lied.
“How did Heliodas fare against the Persian soldiers?” he asked.
“Never have I seen a finer soldier,” Pelephon said. “He fights like you’d expect from the son of Zeus. He killed at least five hundred Persians.”
“Five hundred?” Telarchos asked, raising his eyebrows.
“At least,” Pelephon emphasized.
Thermiandra, Archetus, and Heliodas rode at a relatively slow pace as they waited for Pelephon and Telarchos to return. Thermiandra pulled her horse alongside Heliodas’, making sure that Archetus was far enough behind that he would be out of earshot. This was as good a time as any to ask Heliodas the question that had been at the forefront of her mind since he had spoken to Athena.
“Will you be able to forgive me?” she asked.
Heliodas was silent for a moment. “There isn’t anything easy about this situation.”
“It was only a few days ago that you confessed your love for me,” she said. “Do you still feel the same?”
Heliodas sighed and shook his head slightly. Thermiandra expected this reaction, or worse. He said, “I’m still considering recent events. The entire reason you gave me for coming to Athens was a lie. You planned to use your curse to kill some of the people in Athens who mean the most to me… the very people I joined Alexander’s army to protect.”
“That was never my intention,” Thermiandra said. “I didn’t know who Athena wanted me to use my curse against. I didn’t even know if it would work. Prior to the battle at Apollo’s temple, I had never been able to even make use of it.”
“You also abandoned me in the labyrinth in an attempt to keep me from interfering with your plan.”
“You still haven’t told me how you escaped,” Thermiandra said, hoping to get him to open up.
“I very nearly wasn’t able to escape in time. I wandered the labyrinth for hours after I awoke. I couldn’t find my way out. I eventually realized that it wasn’t possible to escape and still have time to stop you. In that moment, I decided to reconsider my parentage. I did something I’d never done before. I prayed to Zeus.”
“So you’ve accepted that you’re his son?” Thermiandra asked.
Heliodas nodded. “Yes. And as soon as I realized it, I began walking the labyrinth again, but this time I made no mistakes in finding my way out.”
Thermiandra smiled, but said nothing. She knew that it must have been a difficult thing for him to do.
“My thoughts are not all focused on the negative,” he said. “You saved my life after I fell in battle, although it’s impossible to deny that you did so because you were compelled to by a god. On the other hand, you did follow through with your promise to tell me what was happening, even if your plan was to leave me powerless to stop you.”
“You deserved to know,” Thermiandra said.
“I remember that you called me your beloved before I fell asleep in the labyrinth,” Heliodas said. “Do you truly feel that way about me?”
“We’ve faced death together and made it through. When I was held by Syrpax, you could have abandoned me but you didn’t. You tolerated my secrecy despite obvious misgivings. You won me over with your bravery and your sincerity. I do feel that way,” Thermiandra said. “I think about you when I wake up in the morning, and you are the last thing I think about before going to sleep at night. It was so hard keeping the truth from you.”
Heliodas was silent for a moment. “I forgive you. How could I not? But that doesn’t change anything,” he said. “Until your curse is lifted, your love is lethal.”
Thermiandra laughed. “You do realize that I’m a virgin, don’t you?”
“I do,” Heliodas said. �
��I don’t hold it against you.”
“Then you should know that virgins are usually cautious about their first time,” she said. “Your assumption that we would have sex immediately after the curse is lifted might not be correct, regardless of how I feel about you.”
Heliodas frowned, but said nothing in response.
“We may not be able to do that one particular thing, at least not yet, but perhaps we could commit to one another anyway, at least until circumstances change,” she said.
Heliodas sighed. “As I said before, this isn’t an easy thing for me. My heart says yes while my mind tells me that it would be a mistake. I do love you, but I don’t know where that can take us, at least at present.”
His decision brought sorrow, but it was hardly unexpected, nor could she blame him for it. He could have firmly rejected her in light of everything but he hadn’t. She was about to continue the conversation when Pelephon and Telarchos returned.
“Did you find anything?” Heliodas asked.
“We continued ahead for a couple miles and I saw nothing to suggest that the soldiers slowed their pace. I should continue riding ahead to ensure that they’re not preparing an ambush, but it looks to me as though they were in a hurry as they rode through,” he said.
“Do you have any idea how many of them there are?” Heliodas asked.
“It’s hard to judge. I know that there are more than ten and fewer than thirty.”
“Then it will be more difficult for them to hide their numbers.”
“The ground is dry and the terrain is open. We don’t have to stick to the road.”
“That would slow us down and be harder on the horses. I think it would be best to keep riding.”
“Couldn’t we backtrack and take different roads?” Thermiandra asked.
“Not easily,” Heliodas said. “There are small roads crisscrossing all of Greece, but it would be easy to get lost.”
Echoes of Olympus (The Atheniad Book 1) Page 27
