Fatal Obligation

by J. Clifton Slater

  Fearing for Zoon’s safety, Alerio stood. Zoon followed the Legionary’s lead.

  “You, Latian. Keep your idiot pet silent,” threatened the muscular man. “Or I’ll come over there and pound you both into the floorboards.”

  Alerio was good with leaving and dipped his head acknowledging the warning. He started to turn when Zoon added his voice to the argument.

  “No. Pound. Floorboards. You,” Zoon said softly almost as if countering the man’s threat.

  Alerio looked for an exit but it was too late. The large singer kicked away a chair, tossed over a table, and was on him. Going down to the floor, the Legionary blocked and punched while his fists were blocked and punched.

  In all situations where wine, song, and hard-working men gathered, someone else threw a punch and another person threw a mug. Before long, fights broke out in every corner of the pub.

  Finding an opening, Alerio dropped his elbow into the big man’s groin. Climbing off his gasping assailant, the Legionary searched for Zoon. Surprisingly, the half mute stood where he was when the fights began. With his cone to an ear, he scanned the melee. Then someone brought a right cross around and slammed it into the side of Zoon’s chin.

  “By the Gods,” swore the man seeing his target still standing. Not just standing but rotating the cone around as if the punch was merely a way to get his attention.

  Alerio jumped to his feet and stepped between the man and Zoon. Then he had an idea.

  “Step back. If you value your life, step back, quickly,” the Legionary cried at the top of his lungs. “Do you not recognize a beloved of Poseidon?”

  Everyone in the pub except the owner and servers were sailors. At the mention of the Sea God’s name, they ceased brawling and stared at Alerio.

  “Explain yourself,” the puncher demanded.

  “This man was once a common sailor. Until he fell into the sea,” Alerio described. “Down he went into the depths. So deep in fact that he came face to face with Poseidon.”

  The room gasped at the implication. Alerio let the story sink in before continuing.

  “The ocean swirled, fish were slung to the bottom and to the surface. And while Poseidon raged, Zoon floated, waiting his turn to speak with the God.”

  “How do we know this is true?” demanded a sailor.

  Alerio pulled the man who punched Zoon out of the crowd.

  “Tell me, friend, what effect did your mighty blow have on Zoon?”

  “It was like slugging a marble statue,” exclaimed the man. Then he looked at the dull-witted sailor and pleaded. “I beg you, Zoon of the Sea, not to punch me back.”

  Alerio liked the sound of the title so he used it.

  “What man has the strength and will to wait out a God’s wrath for just a few words? I know the men who pulled Zoon of the Sea from the water. They thought him dead. And why wouldn’t they? For who that has spoken to Poseidon could understand the babble of men?”

  Suddenly sailors rushed forward asking Zoon to bless their foreheads.

  “Zoon of the Sea requires wine to quench his thirst,” Alerio announced.

  The table filled with mugs of wine. While Alerio sat and drank, Zoon happily reached out and placed his palm on the faces of the sailors lining up for a blessing.

  ***

  Curled up in their blankets, Peri Crypto and the cousins slept peacefully. Then rowdy voices in the distance woke them. Rolling out of his bedroll, the Captain came to his feet and peered towards Igoumenitsa. A staggered line of moving torches outlined a section of the road.

  “Seems like the sailors from the trireme had a grand evening,” Eidos commented as he joined his captain.

  “Stand by to repel anyone who wants to cause trouble,” ordered Peri. “Just what I need a bunch of drunken soldiers.”

  “What are they saying,” Neos inquired.

  The three lounged on the steering platform listening and waiting to see if the sailor/soldiers would pass by or decide to harass the merchant boat. As the torches and singing grew nearer, they made out the words.

  At another harbor

  We heard him blubber

  As the sails filled with wind

  By chance we lean in

  To hear his refrain

  Trinity, my love

  I will be back again

  Trinity waiting at home for me

  While I am at sea are you faithful to me

  The ship I am rowing

  From port to port going

  Further from Trinity

  My heart goes out to thee

  Dear sweet Trinity

  Then a single voice cried out in the momentary silence, “Calliope. Calliope. Home. Me. Sea.”

  Laughter reached the transport before the next verse started.

  As the beach faded

  We all just waited

  Our ship outward bound

  With a wholehearted sound

  He didn’t let us down

  Alexie, my flower

  I’ll be back around

  Alexie waiting at home for me

  While I am at sea are you faithful to me

  The ship I am rowing

  From port to port going

  Further from Alexie

  My heart goes out to thee

  Dear sweet Alexie

  And the lone voice shouted, “Calliope. Calliope. Home. Me. Sea.”

  Which brought more laughter from the shadowy crowd of moving men.

  The first line of soldiers reached the beach, tracked to the right, and shuffled in the direction of the warship. From the center of the pack, two men broke free and approached the merchant ship. Behind them, the soldiers continued singing.

  And the young sailor wept

  As the wind swept

  His ship away from shore

  As we dipped our oars

  We heard him implore

  Calliope, my heart

  My love forevermore

  The rest of the soldiers filed onto the beach and shuffled in the direction of the warship paying no attention to the merchant vessel. On the boards, the two men who separated walked to the Thalássio Klouví

  Calliope waiting at home for me

  While I’m at sea are you faithful to me

  “Captain Crypto,” Alerio said as he and Zoon staggered up the boat ramp. “We need to talk.”

  “I think you and Zoon need to sleep,” suggested Peri.

  Then to the puzzlement of Peri, Eidos, and Neos, the once-mute sailor opened his mouth and bellowed, “Calliope. Calliope. Home. Me. Sea.”

  Down the beach, chuckles followed the outburst before the singing resumed from near the trireme.

  The ship I am rowing

  From port to port going

  Further from Calliope

  My heart goes out to thee

  Dear sweet Calliope

  “Let’s all try to get some sleep,” ordered Peri.

  “I realize you didn’t want to row out in the dark, again,” Alerio informed the Captain. “But I suggest we do.”

  “Do what? Row out before dawn?”

  “In the morning, every sailor and fishermen in the port of Igoumenitsa will come to your ship,” Alerio warned. “You’ll be mobbed and they won’t let you leave the harbor.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “To get a blessing from Zoon of the Sea.”

  “From who?”

  “Poseidon. Words. Me,” Zoon said before he laid down and began snoring.

  Chapter 27 - Peri Crypto’s Secret

  Rowing out early put the Thalássio Klouví in the vicinity of the Acheron River long before midday. Prior to rolling the sails, Alerio entertained the crew by putting drops of vinegar into Zoon’s ears. During the treatment, he attempted to explain the physician’s reasoning.

  “So, we should all eat out of square bowls and use lots of vinegar?” Neos questioned.

  “I’ve used square dishes and eaten food with lots of vinegar,” Eidos added. “It didn’t make any diff
erence.”

  “No, no. You don’t understand,” Neos declared. “You need to pour it into your ears. Or in your nose, if you want to smell better.”

  Eidos sniffed in his cousin’s direction.

  “Right now, I’d be thankful for a stuffy nose,” he commented. “When did you bathed last and washed your shirt?”

  “The same as you. And you’re not exactly a flower either.”

  Interrupting the cousins, Peri instructed,” Roll the sails.”

  Eidos, Neos, and Alerio moved to the masts but Zoon stood facing Peri with the cone to his ear.

  “Zoon. Roll the mainsail,” Peri said slowly.

  “Yes. Sail,” Zoon responded.

  “I think I liked it better when he only followed Neos’ lead,” the Captain offered.

  They rowed the transport between green barrier islands and into a deep cove with a wide expanse of beach. Farmland, boarding the Acheron River, stretched inland for seven miles then, the land rose to high rocky hills. The boat ground onto the beach and the crew dropped a ramp over the rails.

  Fully half the citizens of Ammoudia came from the small number of huts to meet the boat. They were fishermen and farmers with few craftsmen among the citizens. This was noticeable by the baskets of smoked fish, fresh onions, garlic, and dried tomatoes they brought to the beach for trade. There were no manufactured products.

  “How does Peri make a profit from fish and fruit?” questioned Alerio as he and Eidos pulled up the cargo planks. “There’s no way to trade up to make this stop profitable.”

  “You’ll have to ask Peri,” Eidos advised.

  The Captain called up to the deck for an amphora of olive oil and two of wine. The crewmen hoisted the order to the deck and hauled the containers to the beach. After the exchange, they carried wrapped fruit and fish onto the transport.

  When all the fish and fruit were off the beach and in the ship’s hole, three women came from a hut. Each holding a little grass basket. Captain Crypto met them on the bank at the top of the beach. He bowed to the women as if they were royalty. Then Peri peered into each basket, spoke to them for a moment, and turned to face the boat.

  Surprisingly, Peri called for a number of metal tools, wool and cotton cloth, and thread. Alerio was confused by the high-cost items the Captain was willing to trade for the three small hand-woven baskets.

  The entire trading venture had taken only a short while. With the sun indicating midday, Peri ordered the Thalássio Klouví shoved off the beach and the oars manned.

  ***

  Under sail and with Neos handling the rear oar, Alerio strolled to where Peri sat watching the sky.

  “I’m curious, Captain Crypto. You traded valuable merchandise for those baskets,” Alerio stated. “How can you make a profit bartering like that?”

  Peri closed his eyes and Alerio assumed Crypto was embarrassed by the question. Then the Captain opened his eyes, fixed them on the Legionary, and smiled.

  “Can I trust you, Sisera?”

  “I’ve bled twice and killed to protect your ship,” Alerio replied. “I think that proves my loyalty.”

  “It’s because of those actions, we are having this conversation,” Peri informed him. “But, can you keep a secret?”

  “Yes.”

  Peri untied a pouch from his side, cradled it in his palm, and loosened the top. With two fingers, he reached in and extracted a ball of fine threads. Resembling lamb’s wool before brushing, the threads were delicate and glowed bronze to blonde in the sunlight.

  “It looks like silk,” observed Alerio.

  “It’s called byssus. A little is harvested by diving to individual noble pen shell clams, making it rare. Fishermen have to dive down two, four, and more body lengths to the seabed to collect just a few strands,” Peri explained. “They say a garment made from sea silk is light and airy, with almost no weight.”

  “I bet the cloth is beautiful,” Alerio ventured indicating the colors running through the ball of thread.

  “I wouldn’t know,” admitted Crypto. “Only Kings have the finances to commission the weaving of sea silk. Or the audacity to wear the cloth. I hear the King of Macedonia has a collection of sea silk robes.”

  “Doesn’t everyone trade for byssus?”

  “Most merchants prefer big ports where they can collect fees for their entire cargo. And get new loads for the next port,” Peri offered. “When I started merchant trading, I discovered the small fishing communities weren’t being served. Imagine my surprise when I learned they harvested sea silk as an oddity.”

  “You’ll collect a little from each stop along the way,” Alerio guessed. “By the end of the voyage, you’ll have a fortune in byssus.”

  “Not a fortune but certainly a load worth more than turning over the cargo in my hold by making only three or four ports,” Peri exclaimed. “Besides, we provide a service to out of the way fishing villages. And deliver food to cities near the end of our travels.”

  Alerio reached out and poked the soft byssus. The ball indented then sprang back reflecting light from each thin thread.

  ***

  Late in the afternoon, the Thalássio Klouví swung away from the mainland, navigated around the Island of Lefkada, and sailed south along the coast. At a hook of rock that captured sand, they rolled sails and rowed into Agios Nikitas.

  The white beach rested between rocky shores and Alerio wondered how or why people would choose to live in isolation. Then he noticed the relaxed manner of the fishermen as they carried fish to the beach.

  As before, Peri traded but only one amphora of wine and a few small items were offloaded. Then, a woman with three grass baskets arrived. Her containers of byssus brought more goods to the community than all the fish combined.

  The crew spent the night, and during the evening, Alerio asked Peri about the woman.

  “She has four sons. When not fishing, they enjoy competing on who can dive deepest,” Crypto related. “Without those lads, Agios Nikitas wouldn’t be worth the stop.”

  At sunrise, they shoved off heading south. By the afternoon, the Thalássio Klouví crossed to the Island of Kefalonia and they rowed into the small harbor of Fiskardo.

  “Finally, some meat,” Eidos declared.

  “Why meat and why here?” Alerio asked.

  “Kefalonia has wild boar and other game animals,” the sailor said. “Hunting is so good the Athenians pay the locals for the opportunity to hunt here. They gave the Islanders a plaque thanking them for giving permission.”

  The bartering went as usual. Once the local produce was exchanged for goods, women came to the beach with little woven baskets.

  “Peri. I noticed all the byssus threads come in tiny grass baskets,” Alerio commented.

  “That Sisera, is because I taught them how to make the packages for the sea silk,” Crypto stated. “After collecting a hand full, they weave the bed and cover it. Even if a competitor comes ashore here, they wouldn’t recognize what’s in the baskets.”

  ***

  Five stops at small fishing villages and six days later, the transport rowed westward across an arm of the sea to a port on the mainland. After it beached at Kalogria, Peri called Alerio to the steering platform.

  “We’re going to miss you, Sisera,” Peri informed the Legionary.

  “Is this Sicyon?”

  “No, but I’m picking up another crewman here. Tomorrow, we sail into the Gulf of Corinth and become a regular trading vessel again. You’ll be a passenger for the next two ports. As such, I’ll ask you to stay out of the way of my sailors.”

  “Of course, Captain Crypto. But I don’t understand.”

  Peri handed him a stack of coins.

  “This is your share of the sea silk business and a way to keep you silent about that part of my business,” Crypto explained. “I also wanted to thank you for taking care of Zoon.”

  “I owe him my life.”

  “And it’s been paid in full. His language skills have grown and improved every
day.”

  Feet running on the deck alerted them to the approach of the cousins. Both jumped on Alerio and pounded him on the back.

  “Come on Sisera. There’s a pub right off the beach,” Neos declared. “We can eat and drink.”

  “And crawl back to the ship afterward,” Eidos added. “Zoon. Are you coming?”

  “Anchor first,” the sailor replied.

  It was almost a full sentence, which brought another round of congratulatory slaps on Alerio’s back. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

  Chapter 28 – Last Ports Before Sicyon

  “Shove us off,” Peri ordered.

  Alerio tossed back the blanket intending to man an oar. But another sailor occupied his position. The stranger, for some reason, stared angrily at the Legionary. In the stern, Zoon pulled up the anchor while at the bow, Neos climbed over the rail. Neither of them even looked in Alerio’s direction.

  “Port side, walk us around,” Peri directed.

  The transport turned to face the open water and Crypto called to the sea God.

  “Poseidon, God of the sea. We beseech you for mercy during our travels over your domain,” the Captain prayed. “Keep the seas calm, the monsters in their depths, and the birds flying along our route. For a safe voyage from sheltered harbor to sheltered harbor, we give you thanks.”

  “Poseidon, God of the sea,” Zoon said.

  “Keep the blasphemy off your lips, moros,” the new crewman scolded.

  Eidos jerked at the man’s insinuation that Zoon was dull of wit and mocking the god. With his lips pressed firmly together, Eidos seemed as if he was about to unleash a tirade on the new crewman.

  “Stand by rowers,” Peri shouted a lot louder than was necessary. “Walk us out. Together, stroke.”

  The Thalássio Klouví left the harbor and turned north. When the crew could see a tip of land in the distance, Peri ordered the sails unrolled. Under wind power, the transport passed the point of land, tracked eastward, and entered the Gulf of Corinth.

  No one engaged Alerio in conversation or acknowledged his presence. As Peri had explained, Alerio was only a passenger with instructions to stay out of the crew’s way.

  They sailed out of sight of land and, as Alerio had seen him do in the days they traveled together, the Captain watched the sun’s location. By midday, mountains appeared off the port side. Peri adjusted the rear oar and guided the transport along the coast.