A New York Lawyer in the Court of Pericles

by David Schenck

  “How much do you want to spend on this?”

  “As much as it takes.”

  “Yes Sir Boss!”

  I found Megakreon supervising the loading of a shipment bound for Asia Minor.

  “Megakreon! Can I talk to you for a moment?”

  “Certainly! Megakreon always has time for you!”

  “Megakreon, I’m going to make you a wealthy man.”

  “You’ve already made me a wealthy man! Not that I was poor before, but nothing like this!”

  “Well, I’m going to make you richer. When we first met, I promised you access to a fabulous new type of cloth. And I never delivered. But now I’m ready to find you the best fabric in the world.”

  “Megakreon is ready to buy it!”

  “I know, you’re always ready to make a trade! First I need some linen. The finest you can get.”

  “The best linen comes from Egypt. How much do you need?”

  “I’m not sure, better to have too much than too little. Get me about enough to make 1000 robes.”

  “A thousand?!”

  “You’re right, better make it enough for 2000. You never know.”

  “I’m happy to help, but that’s not going to make me rich. I’ll only charge you my costs, plus a few carrying charges.”

  “Carrying charges, eh? Well, that, hopefully, won’t make you rich. However, I also want some silk.”

  “I don’t know this silk. If it a fabric?”

  “Yes. It’s a very special and expensive fabric. It’s made in China, but maybe we can get some in India.”

  “You’re talking nonsense. I don’t understand any of these words. Silk, china, india? What are you talking about?”

  “Silk is a fabric. Very fine and very strong. It takes and holds dyes wonderfully and has an incredible shine.”

  “I want it!”

  “It’s made in China. China is a country far to the east.”

  “Is it part of the Persian empire?”

  “No, I don’t think so. If I remember correctly, Alexander conquered Persia, and then continued on into India and never reached China. So, I’ll guess that both India and China are independent.”

  He just smiled and waited, as they all did, while I mused my nonsensical thoughts out loud.

  “OK, anyway. Send some men, well-guarded and loaded with money through the Persian Empire. To the east of Persia, is India. It’s very big! They might be able to buy silk in India. If not, they’ll need to keep going east to China. Your men will know it when they see it, because it’s not like any other fabric they’ve ever seen. They can stop when they find the fabric that is worth the trip.”

  “You talk like an oracle. A trip to unknown lands in the east to find the fabric that is worth the trip! Ok! Yes Sir Boss! I’ll find some experienced cloth merchants and send them to their deaths in Chena!”

  Then I tracked down Tros. He was in charge of all our sales operations, but I needed someone I could trust implicitly.

  “How many men do we have in the compound not working directly in the distillery?”

  “Isodemos will know for sure, but probably about 75 men if you don’t count the old or the young.”

  “Ok. Now that we are all citizens, I want you to hire a military instructor. And provide arms and training for anyone who wants it.”

  “Are we going to invade someone? 75 men, assuming they’re all interested, isn’t very much.” I could see him hoping I was planning a rescue mission.

  “No. We aren’t going to invade anyone. I just want us to be prepared for any eventuality. Get the best trainer. And I want all the men paid. Make sure they understand that this is a job. They are going to be soldiers now.”

  “Ok. Yes Sir Boss!”

  I hated when they said that.

  Atomic Theory:

  “OK Class, today is introduction to Atomic Theory.

  All matter is made up of atoms. As you know, the word means ‘un-cutable’, they actually can be cut (but that’s a subject for another class). Atoms are the smallest particle of an element that has the chemical properties of that element.

  Not everything is an element. Some things are compounds. For example. Copper is an element and you can’t apply any chemical process to copper to make it not be copper anymore. Bronze is a compound. It’s made up of the element copper and the element tin…

  I was teaching one of my classes (on the nature of stars), when Philon ran in breathless. “Tros said you’re needed in the conference room ASAP!”(I’d taught him that acronym and he loved it.)

  “Can it wait until I finish class?”

  “Tros specifically said it couldn’t wait for anything! There are messengers from Athens!”

  “Ok, Class dismissed.”

  We took off at a run. I entered the conference room breathing hard to find Tros pacing anxiously and two men seated. As soon as I entered, one of the men, wordlessly handed me a papyrus scroll.

  I read it twice to be sure I understood it.

  “It’s from Aspasia!” I told him.

  “I know! What does she say?!”

  “She wants to make a trade. If we give her the secret of how to make vodka, she’ll give us Eleni and Cilo!”

  I could see the hope drain from his face.

  “Ok. We’ll keep hoping she’ll become more reasonable.” He said. Dejected.

  “What? Of course we’ll do it! No price is too high. I promised you I would do anything to free your family. I’m just glad that there is finally a price we can pay.”

  He broke into a huge smile and hugged me hard.

  “Ok. Ok! Don’t break me!”

  He let me go. Then a worried look crossed his face. “How can we trust her? What if we give her the secret and she doesn’t let them go?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll think if something.”

  At this, one of the messengers, who had watched in silence, spoke up. “Aspasia has already thought of this. She will free one of the slaves before you deliver the secret and the other after she has produced her first batch of vodka.”

  I nodded my agreement to Tros and he said. “I want Cilo freed first.”

  The messenger shook his head. “No. Aspasia will free the slave Eleni first and then the child. A man may stop loving his wife, especially after a long separation, but not his child.”

  His frustration was visible.

  I said, “OK. Send us Eleni and we’ll give Aspasia a tour of the operation and show her everything.”

  He shook his head again. “Aspasia is too smart to come here herself. You are to show me and I’ll report back to her.”

  “Ok. Tell her it’s a deal. When you return with Eleni, we’ll show you everything.”

  He nodded to his companion. “My partner will return with her before dark.”

  I was surprised. They were so confident we would agree that they brought Eleni with them!

  And sure enough a short time later the messenger returned with Eleni. She was tied with a rope around her neck. Tros ran to her and began to untie her. The messenger resisted and a fight broke out between them. The other messenger and I ran to break it up. And then they untied her and she fell sobbing into Tros’ arms.

  I’d sent someone to find Fotis earlier and he was with us now.

  “Fotis, take him and show him everything.”

  “What everything? What will the god say?”

  “Yes everything. The god understands. Family and friends are more important than maintaining secrecy.”

  He didn’t like it, but he nodded in compliance

  “Right now? It’s almost dark!” complained Aspasia’s man.

  “Yes, right now. We operate all day and night, so you can see everything and I don’t want you here a minute longer than necessary.”

  Fotis and Aspasia’s man went off together, neither very happy.

  Eleni separated from Tros and came over to me. “I’m so sorry!” She was crying. “I never wanted her to use us against you!”

  “Don
’t be silly. I would trade a hundred secrets just as valuable to reunite you and Tros and Cilo. There is nothing I won’t do to free Cilo.”

  And then suddenly Melite was between us, hugging Eleni and laughing.

  Fotis showed Aspasia’s man everything. The stills, exactly how long to make the exhaust tubes, how to fit the top hole with a pitch soaked rag to avoid explosions, how to manage the fermentation vats, how to control the heat levels, everything. Everything we had learned by trial and error, they got for free. Well, for Eleni and Cilo. And it was well worth the price.

  We celebrated that night, like never before. Finally our goal was within reach!

  Eleni was happy to be free and together with Tros, but she had never been apart from Cilo and she was worried.

  She told us that Aspasia hadn’t mistreated Cilo, and she wouldn’t say anything more about her time with Aspasia.

  Time began to pass very slowly. We were all so anxious to finally have Cilo rejoin us.

  As each day passed we became more eager. Tros and Eleni were so nervous and excited that they hardly ate or slept.

  Chapter 15

  Electricity can be generated by passing metal through a magnetic field. A magnetic field can be created by passing an electric current through metal. These two facts allow for the creation of electricity generators and rotating motors powered by electricity.

  Book of Questionable Facts – 402

  About a month passed and we were sure that Aspasia should be close to having a working still, so when a messenger arrived at the compound, we all assumed he was from Aspasia. In a way he was.

  The messenger was from Megara.

  “Robert, the Megara council summons you to meet as soon as possible.”

  “Why? What do they want?”

  “Athens has issued a decree banning all Megarian products from the markets in Athens and all their allied cities. This will ruin us! The council wants to talk strategy with you and your men.”

  “Ok. We’ll come right now. Tros, get the cart ready, I want you and Isodemos to come with me.”

  We were a worried group as we rode the short way to Megara. It seemed clear that this was Aspasia’s doing. She must be trying to drive a wedge between us and Megara, perhaps hoping they would expel us from the city or even kill us, leaving her in complete control of the market for vodka.

  Tros suddenly let out a cry. “Oh no! She’s not going to free Cilo!”

  He was right of course, she never would have moved against us if she intended to free Cilo. Now she needed Cilo to make sure we wouldn’t retaliate.

  The atmosphere in the Megarian council was tense. They explained to us that even though Megara was a Spartan ally, more than half their trade was with Athens and Athenian allies. We already knew this, since our trade numbers were about the same. Athens was rich and it would be hard to be cut off from their market and they had over 200 allied cities!

  We had been cut off from the legal Athenian market for a long time now, but our product was different. We had no competition. But merchants selling grain or leather or pottery would be ruined.

  But if Aspasia’s plan had been to make the Megarians drive us away, she failed. They were not angry with us, but with Athens. The council decided to send a delegation to Sparta and request assistance.

  The distillery agreed to provide money to cover the expenses of the delegation.

  We left the council chamber in a grim mood. Our host city was suffering on our account and Cilo wouldn’t be free anytime soon.

  On the road back to the distillery, we encountered a troop of men. 50 strong and armed. The distillery army had heard about our summons and fearing we would be arrested had marched to our rescue!

  Their loyalty touched me, although I had to have Tros discipline them. We couldn’t have our forces just marching out on their own decision.

  And so we waited. The delegation sent word back that the Spartan assembly couldn’t hear their petition for help immediately and they were waiting for an audience with one of the Spartan kings (oddly they had two kings).

  The good news was that, after months of searching, Isodemos had finally found what I was looking for.

  I moved my lab into production mode and drafted 10 of my best students for my most secret project.

  The linen had arrived from Egypt and I set a group to sewing and preparing it to my specifications.

  I asked Fotis and his workshop to build several odd implements to my designs. Each time he asked me what they were, I just showed him my toothy smile. Just like in the old days. He understood that I wasn’t going to tell him, but it was something good.

  The last thing I asked him to build was a kind of upside-down cart. A wheeled item about 5 feet high and 15 feet long with a peaked roof covered in heavy plate bronze. He asked, but I just smiled and told him to make me two.

  The tension in the compound was thick. All these former slaves expected Megara and Sparta to take the easy solution, revoke their citizenship and re-enslave them. Tros’ men took to posting guards and patrolling the nearby roads and woods.

  So, when a messenger finally arrived with news from Sparta, he was delayed for about half an hour as the guards sought authorization to let him pass.

  Tros, Melite (now starting to show her pregnancy) and I met him in the conference room.

  “The Megara council and assembly send greetings. The delegation to Sparta has sent word.”

  As it turned out, Sparta decided to support their ally Megara fully. A declaration of war was issued. Sparta and their allies were preparing an army to invade Attica and lay siege to Athens.

  We were stunned. We had expected diplomatic support. We had hoped that Sparta would pressure Athens to rescind their decree and open their markets again. Not war!

  We thanked the messenger and sent him on his way with a few jars of special brandy that we made just for internal and ceremonial use.

  Then I called a meeting. Tros, Isodemos, Melite, Eleni. Megakreon and Fotis.

  “You’ve all heard the news by now. Sparta is preparing for war against Athens. Does anyone have any thoughts on how this war will end?”

  Isodemos spoke up. “Athens is almost invincible. Their walls encircle the whole city and extend to the port. Athens has complete control of the seas. They can survive an indefinite siege, since they can always resupply from the sea. The most Sparta can do is burn farms and hope to taunt Athens into engaging on land. But I doubt they will. Athens always prefers to fight on the sea. Sparta on land. So, it’s hard to see how either side can really win.”

  I asked if Sparta could possibly breach the walls, but everyone assured me that it was impossible.

  “Ok. Here is what I think. We have to stop this war. I won’t have people dying over us. I have a plan, but we’ll have to move fast. It’s not completely safe, so I won’t force anyone to participate.”

  Everyone immediately volunteered. They were a great team!

  “Ok, Tros, I want you to arm every willing man. Women too if they want. They don’t need to know how to fight. If my plan works, there won’t be any fighting. But we need to look like a credible force.

  “Fotis, I need all those things I asked you to make as soon as possible, except for that twirly thing. That can wait. Work in shifts, all day and night.

  “Eleni, I need you to find some people with basket weaving experience. Hire them from Megara if we don’t have them here. I need a really big basket.”

  “How big?”

  “Big enough for a large pig or a small cow. And strong enough too. And with three strong handles.”

  “We don’t have a large pig or a small cow.”

  “We’ll then…” I looked around. “Big enough for Fotis. And strong enough to hold 2 Fotis’.”

  “Ok.”

  “We need all this stuff yesterday. Go!”

  “What about me?” Asked Melite.

  “You’re pregnant. I need you to take care of yourself.”

  “I won’t be left behind! If
you are going to do something dangerous, I’m going with you! Just try to stop me!”

  I smiled at her. “Ok. Talk with Dikaiopolis in my lab. You’ll have to give the password ‘Al Capone’ (bootlegger’s humor) or they won’t let you in. He can tell you what kinds of containers he is going to need. Don’t let the potters sleep!”

  She mouthed the unfamiliar words, but she smiled and left with the others to get to work.

  10 days later we were ready. I asked Tros to assemble our troops. In total we had 210 men and women under arms.

  “Thank you for volunteering for this task. I know that most of you aren’t trained in fighting and I’m hoping that you won’t have to. Still, you need to know that there is real danger. If something goes wrong, we all may find ourselves facing a real army of trained warriors. It’s not too late to change your mind. There is no shame. We leave tomorrow morning. If you don’t want to come, just stay home. The distillery needs you too.

  “My plan is to stop the coming war between Sparta and Athens. If you help me, there will be no spoils of war, there will be no war. There will be no heroics. There will, however, be glory! The glory of preventing, perhaps, thousands of deaths! They may not sing songs about us, but we will be the true heroes!”

  They shouted just like a real army! And I was proud of them.

  That night as I lay in bed with Melite, I asked her to stay home again.

  “And what would my life be like if you go and get yourself killed?” she responded.

  “Well, you could live the life of a rich widow. I hear it’s not so bad.”

  “If I want to live the life of a rich widow, I don’t need the help of the Athenians.” She squeezed me warningly.

  “Ok! Ok! You can come, but promise me you’ll stay back with Isodemos and the horses so you’ll be able to get away if something goes wrong.”

  “I go where you go. If you want to keep me safe, keep yourself safe. If you get killed, you kill me too, and the baby. That’s the deal.”