by Glyn Iliffe
Neither Eperitus nor Odysseus told them about the supernatural events of the previous night. All they revealed on their return was that Damastor had shown himself to be a traitor by attempting to kill Odysseus, for which he had paid with his life. If Odysseus spoke with Penelope about it he did not tell Eperitus, and for his own part Eperitus did not share with Odysseus the fact that Clytaemnestra had warned him about Damastor.
Even between themselves, they had exchanged few words about the incident. Eperitus had thanked Odysseus in the straightforward manner of a soldier, and Odysseus had accepted his words of gratitude with a simple nod. The fact that he had sacrificed his best hope of regaining his homeland was not mentioned by either man, and they now turned their minds to the challenge that lay ahead. But both men knew that the bond between them had deepened. Each had saved the life of the other, and warriors do not forget such matters, even if they do not talk about them.
Rough seas and heavy rain made the passage difficult. They sailed all day and night, battling high winds and squalls with the Ithacans busy helping the ships’ crews in their struggle against the elements. Eperitus sat in a corner and was ill throughout the whole of the journey, an experience made much worse by the sensibility of his restored body. The only consolation was that the Spartan soldiers shared his agony, gazing emptily out from their own wretched corners of the deck, their faces pale and their half-lidded eyes filled with despair. Not one of them managed any sleep, and when the next morning there were shouts from the Ithacans that their destination was in sight, they were incapable of sharing in their jubilation. Only Penelope seemed unconcerned by the constant buffeting of the waves, and joined her husband at the prow to stare at the low silhouette of her new home.
Thick grey clouds meant they did not see the face of the sun that morning, although they sensed the sunrise in the east. The sea had calmed sufficiently for the merchant ships to anchor by a rocky cove off the south-eastern tip of the island – the only place on that rugged coast where they could disembark their human cargo with any degree of safety. Odysseus knew the spot well and had directed the ships’ captains here deliberately. To have landed anywhere else would have risked their being spotted, and the prince was keen to retain the element of surprise.
As soon as the last group of passengers had been rowed to the small pebble beach, Odysseus paid the remainder of the agreed fare and the ships hauled up their anchor stones once more. The crews waved to them and wished them well before setting sail again and drifting back out to sea.
The Ithacans spent a few silent moments looking about themselves and listening to the sounds of the breakers hitting the rocks and the wind whistling across the rugged cliff-face before them. Odysseus stamped his feet on the shingle, as if to convince himself it was real, then put his fists on his hips and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the air of his home. The men felt no need for ceremony or pompous words to mark their return, and when Odysseus started up the narrow, ill-defined track that climbed awkwardly to the top of the cliff, they followed.
After considerable difficulty they assembled again on its rocky summit, where great black birds circled and cried into the wind. Penelope stood to one side and looked out at the sombre, white-tipped waves below. Eperitus watched her and wondered in that lonely moment whether she was thinking of the home she had left behind. Perhaps she was already missing Sparta’s sun-baked plains, the security and comforts of its palace, and even the familiar faces of her family. She turned and looked at him, the breeze tearing at her clothes and hair. For a moment he saw doubt in her eyes. Then she smiled and the strength of her character returned. For better or worse, she had committed herself to her husband and his beloved island, and now she was determined to make Ithaca her home too.
‘Thank the gods we’re back,’ Antiphus said, standing at Eperitus’s side. ‘We’ve only been away for half a year, and yet it feels like twenty.’
‘And the hardest part is still to come,’ Eperitus said.
‘Still, it’s better to die here than on foreign soil.’
Halitherses cuffed the archer round the ear. ‘Don’t plan on getting killed just yet, Antiphus. We have a battle to fight before I accept your resignation from the guard, and there’ll be no dying without my say-so. Now stop your daydreaming and come with me. Odysseus wants some of us to do a bit of nosing about before we start chasing Taphians all over the island. You too, Eperitus.’
Intrigued by the prospect of a scouting mission, Eperitus followed the old warrior to where Odysseus was waiting for them with Mentor and Diocles the Spartan.
‘Take off your armour and leave it here with your spears and shields,’ Odysseus ordered. ‘My father has a pig farm just over the crest of that ridge and the herdsmen there are loyal to him. Before we make any plans for recapturing the palace I want to ask them a few questions, but I don’t want to panic them by arriving in full war gear. Keep your swords handy – and you can bring your bow, Antiphus – but nothing more. Mentor, I want you to take charge whilst we’re gone. Set a guard and make sure everybody gets a rest and something to eat. Don’t be afraid to use up the provisions we have, as there’ll be ample food at the farm. And there’s plenty of water at Arethusa’s spring, just north of here.’
‘I know it,’ Mentor said, before running to give orders to the others.
Back out amongst the choppy seas, far away from the eyes of any who might have been watching, one of the merchant ships turned its sail to catch the southerly wind. The canvas flapped noisily as it bellied out and drew the vessel slowly away from its companion, slicing through the waves to claw its way steadily north and into the channel between Ithaca and Samos.
Before they even reached the crest of the ridge Eperitus could hear the grunting and snuffling of pigs, mixed with the occasional shouts of men. He felt a moment of nervous anticipation in the pit of his stomach and then they were on the hill and looking down over fields of mud. Fat hogs and sows wallowed in the filth, honking with satisfaction as their little pink offspring tottered around them in play-filled happiness. Two young men were ankle-deep in the sludge, carrying sacks over their shoulders filled with acorns and cornel berries, with which they were feeding their charges.
They saw the newcomers, but instead of shouting a greeting dropped their sacks and ran back to a large walled enclosure in the middle of the muddy pastures. Moments later they emerged from a stone hut with two companions, all four of them armed with staves and in no mood to welcome strangers. They had a number of dogs with them that began a vicious barking the moment they set eyes upon the party of warriors. One of the youths walked to the wall and shut the gate, as much to keep the dogs in as the unwelcome visitors out.
‘Who are you and what do you want?’ he called.
‘Isn’t that Eumaeus?’ said Halitherses, squinting. ‘He always used to be friendly to strangers.’
‘Things have changed on Ithaca since we left,’ Odysseus reminded him. ‘And he won’t be expecting our return.’
He stepped forward and held out the palm of his hand in a sign of peace.
‘Put down your weapons. We come as friends, loyal to the king.’
The men made no sign of lowering their staves, whilst their black dogs barked even more furiously.
‘Which king?’ Eumaeus called back. ‘Polytherses or Laertes?’
The returning soldiers looked at each other in quiet astonishment. The implication that Eupeithes had been overthrown by the infinitely more brutal and ruthless Polytherses did not come as good news.
‘We honour the lord Laertes, true master of these islands. And our swords will speak against any who deny him.’
Eumaeus opened the gate and ordered the dogs back into the farm. ‘Then you’re welcome here, friends,’ he said, as his comrades lowered their weapons. ‘Come and eat with us, so we can learn your names and your purpose here.’
‘You know both already,’ Odysseus replied as he walked down the hill and along the low causeway that led to the farm. Eu
maeus gasped and fell to his knees with tears of happiness in his eyes. The others followed his example, murmuring Odysseus’s name to each other in disbelief.
‘You’ve returned, my lord!’ Eumaeus said. ‘May the gods bless this day, and may you forgive us our lack of welcome, but terrible things have happened since you left. Eupeithes took advantage of your absence to overthrow Laertes and put himself on the throne, then Polytherses replaced him and now rules with a fist of bronze. Any show of open disloyalty is punished with death. And we’ve had no news of you, my lord, though we’ve prayed every day for your return.’
Odysseus took his slave by the hand and lifted him to his feet, signalling for the others to rise also. ‘I’ve heard about Eupeithes – Mentor escaped and found us in the Peloponnese. But I didn’t know about Polytherses. It’s a traitor’s reward to be betrayed, and Eupeithes knows all about that now, but I fear Polytherses will prove a more difficult opponent if I’m to win back Ithaca.’
Eumaeus nodded. ‘It’s true. Mentor will have told you about the Taphians, no doubt, but he couldn’t have known there are a full hundred garrisoned here now. It’ll be a difficult task, unless you’ve brought an army with you.’
As he said the words he looked up with a sudden glimmer of hope in his eye, but Odysseus shook his head.
‘We have forty Spartans on loan from King Tyndareus – they’re resting on the other side of the ridge – but there are fewer than sixty of us all told. What about Taphians on the other islands?’
‘Zacynthos, Samos and Dulichium are ruled by those who supported the rebellion. If there are ever any signs of trouble Polytherses sends a shipload of Taphians over for a day or two until things are quiet again, but mostly they remain here. Polytherses is no fool; he has always feared you’d one day come to claim your inheritance, so concentrates his forces here for your return.’
‘And my family?’ Odysseus finally asked, though this was the question that had been burning at the forefront of his mind all the time.
‘Your mother and sister are kept at the palace, whilst Laertes is a prisoner in the former home of Eupeithes, under the guard of Koronos. Eupeithes was much too afraid to have him killed, but the rumour from the palace is that the new king intends to execute him.’
‘Then we’ve arrived just in time,’ Odysseus declared with a determined look. ‘Tell me, are you or your men taking any of these pigs up to the city today?’
‘Yes, two of us were planning to go at noon.’
‘Good. Now listen to me, I want you to question the most loyal men in the city. Tell them I’ve returned and find out who’s prepared to fight with me against Polytherses. Those who are must be ready to join us at any time. Find one who’ll let you stay with him overnight, so when I call on you you can gather a force as quickly as possible. And be prepared – I may need you sooner than you expect.’
‘I’ll see to it, my lord,’ Eumaeus said.
Half a dozen swine were killed and the carcasses dressed for roasting, whilst Antiphus was sent to bring the rest of their party to the farm. By the time they had arrived and had eaten it was mid-morning, so Eumaeus and the other swineherds hurriedly gathered together a dozen pigs to drive down to the city. They whistled for their dogs and with their long staves began to shepherd the pigs into a group, ready to move. As they were taking their leave, Odysseus put his hands on Eumaeus’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
‘Penelope and her slave will stay here,’ he said. ‘I’m leaving a couple of her uncle’s men to protect her, but if we don’t return you must see they get a ship back to the mainland. Do you understand?’
Eumaeus was about to answer when he caught a quelling glance from his master’s new bride. She had been talking with Actoris, but on overhearing the words of her husband she walked over and stood before him.
‘You’ve misjudged me, Odysseus, if you think I’ll allow myself to be left in the care of others. If you go then I will follow.’
‘A battle is no place for a woman,’ her husband replied, his voice even but commanding. ‘If we’re defeated the Taphians will show no mercy to their prisoners. For a woman, death would be a blessing compared to what they’ll do to you. No, I must believe you’re safe, Penelope, and know that if I die you’ll be taken back to your home.’
She met his stern look with defiance, her royal breeding there for all to see. ‘Ithaca is my home now,’ she said. ‘I live here or I die here. I’ll not go back to Sparta to spend the rest of my days in widow’s rags. My place is to be at your side and share your fate, whatever that may be.’
They stood facing each other. The shadows of their inevitable parting settled around them, bringing sudden uncertainty and fear as they realized they might not meet again. She looked at the rough features of the man she had once convinced herself she hated, and found the thought of being apart from him unbearable. He met her gaze and realized she was the foundation of the rest of his life. In her he would find the wholeness he had lacked as a young prince.
Tentatively, tenderly, he reached out and stroked her arm with his knuckles. As he felt her soft flesh he remembered the words of the Pythoness and took heart. Here, already, was the Spartan princess of whom the priestess had spoken. And had she not also said it was his fate to reign as king? He smiled encouragingly at his wife.
‘You’ll not become a widow yet, Penelope,’ he told her. ‘Unless the gods have deceived me, I can’t die until I’ve first become king of these islands. So have courage and do as I ask. If you’ve learned anything about me, you’ll already know I won’t permit you to refuse me.’
She stared at him for a moment, then nodded and lowered her eyes. Odysseus immediately turned to Diocles, who was close by. ‘Assign two of your best men to remain here with my wife and her slave. The rest of you make ready. We’ll march to Mount Neriton now and see what preparations Polytherses has made for our arrival.’
With a nod the prince signalled for Eumaeus to be on his way, while the rest of them began pulling on their armour and preparing for the battle that they sensed would soon be upon them. Without a final word or glance at her husband, Penelope turned and went into the stone hut.
From the slopes of the hill to the south of the city they saw all that they needed to know of Polytherses’s defences. His full strength was based inside the palace walls, with only an occasional patrol leaving the gates to roam the streets of Ithaca. Even with a hundred armed soldiers, though, the high palace walls, the thick wooden gates and the open killing ground before them presented enough of an obstacle to deter even the most numerous and well-armed enemy.
During the long march from Eumaeus’s farm speculation was rife amongst the men, most believing they would attack upon arrival. But even with the element of surprise and support from the men of the city, the sight of the heavily defended palace made them realize that an assault by daylight was impossible. This did not deter Odysseus, however, who remained full of confidence, energy and purpose. He ordered the remaining Spartans to make camp whilst the Ithacans, who knew the island intimately, were split into two groups to scout each flank of the town. Their primary task was to ensure there were no Taphian outposts to warn of their attack, but Odysseus also told them to watch for weaknesses and gather intelligence about the defences.
‘Our best hope is to kill Polytherses,’ Eperitus suggested. ‘I can climb over the wall after dark, while they’re eating, and find my way to his room. When he goes to his bed he’ll be unprotected, and that’s when I’ll kill him.’
Mentor disagreed. ‘Even if you knew which room is his, you’d never get into the palace without detection. There isn’t a ruler in Greece who doesn’t fear assassination, and I guarantee that someone as hated as Polytherses will have a personal guard of his best men close to hand. Our best hope is an attack just before dawn – ladders against the walls and into the palace whilst most of them are still sleeping.’
‘I don’t plan to do either,’ Odysseus countered. ‘I’ve been discussing the matter with
Halitherses and we’re agreed the best way is to draw the Taphians out.’
He briefly explained his plan to have the townsfolk murder one of the Taphian patrols, then flee to prepared positions on Mount Neriton. Polytherses would not fear a group of peasants without armour or proper weapons, of course, but neither could he allow their dissent to go unpunished. So he would send out a significant part of his force to overthrow the rebellion – and straight into an ambush of nearly sixty fully armed soldiers. The storming of the undermanned palace would then be a bloody but brief formality.
He smiled confidently, then led Mentor and the rest of his party away through the trees to skirt the harbour and the western edge of the town. Eperitus set off with Halitherses in the opposite direction, accompanied by Antiphus and five others. They moved in a cautious file, using the rocks, bushes and trees to keep them hidden from the city below as they descended slowly towards it. All around them birds sang freely and the wind sighed in the leaves, whilst the warm air was thick with the strong smell of the sea. Since his life had been restored by the goddess, Eperitus’s senses had improved greatly, to give him a richer awareness of his surroundings: not only could he see better by day or in darkness, but his hearing and sense of smell were also much sharper and more far-ranging. But the new life he had been given had not only improved his physical senses. Now he was aware of things beyond the world of sight, sound and smell. Suddenly he would know if someone was about to speak to him, and would turn to them before they had opened their mouth. Similarly, he would instinctively anticipate movement an instant before it happened, enabling him to react faster and move with a speed that unnerved others. Initially his new abilities were disorientating, but he was fast growing used to them.
