by Hilary Green
Alectryon came up. ‘The ship is ready to sail and we should be on our way. Is Cresphontes ready to leave?’
‘I will fetch him.’ Xouthos was off again at a run.
Alectryon said casually, ‘I hope you enjoyed yourself last night.’
I told him I had, but I was glad to see Cresphontes approaching with most of the village at his heels to put an end to the conversation.
Shortly we were all embarked, and, suitable sacrifices having been performed, the ship slid into the water and the sailors took their places at the oars. I looked back to salute the men on the shore but I noticed that Cresphontes did not turn his head. He seemed fascinated by everything that went on and as soon as we were safely into deep water and Kerkios had set the course he called him over and said, ‘Kerkios, I am no seaman, so I hope you will forgive my curiosity and let me ask you a few questions.’
There was no subject Kerkios was more ready to talk about and soon he and Cresphontes were deep in conversation.
The last few days had been eventful enough even for me and for once I was glad to stretch out under the awning on the after-deck and drowsily listen to the rhythmic creak and splash of the oars as the mountains of the Dorians home-land fell behind us and we rounded the coast of Corcyra and headed for the open sea.
Abruptly Cresphontes looked up. ‘What about those warships of your escort?’
Alectryon looked across and raised an eyebrow quizzically. ‘What warships?’
For a moment Cresphontes stared at him, unable to speak for the conflicting emotions that chased each other across his face. Then he lifted his head and shouted with laughter, and we all joined in
The gods favoured us and we had calm weather for the crossing. Thereafter we sailed south, passing the first night at the Pylian settlement of which I had spoken to Xouthos, where we were received with great hospitality, and on the second camping by the ship. The days of enforced idleness benefited all of us, but particularly Alectryon. Both he and Cresphontes developed rainbow-hued bruises, but with time I saw that movement caused him less pain. I was relieved, too, to see him recover his spirits and return to his usual even-tempered self.
One evening we found ourselves skirting the coast of Sicania. It was clear that we could not reach any Achaean town before dark, so we were watching the shore for a suitable place to beach the ship when we rounded a promontory and came in sight of a deep bay with a shelving beach and above it, on a little hill, a small town. The houses looked well built and the land about them was cultivated and gave promise of good crops. I could see a flock of heavy-coated sheep being driven towards the town, while down by the water’s edge a group of men had just beached three or four little fishing boats and were unloading their catch.
I looked at Kerkios. 'That looks a good anchorage. Do you know the place?'
He shook his head. 'It's a Sicel town, I should guess, my lord.'
Cresphontes said, 'They look as if they should have enough to spare for a few hungry travellers.'
'I agree,' I returned. 'Kerkios, let us put in there and ask for their hospitality.'
This being agreed upon the steersman turned the ship's prow towards the shore. I saw one of the fishermen run up the hill towards the town and guessed he was going to inform someone in authority of our arrival. I grinned at Alectryon. ‘I hope he's gone to tell them to slaughter one of those fat sheep and start cooking it. I could eat one all to myself!’
He was watching the shore with narrowed eyes. I followed his gaze. The men were standing in a little group, staring towards us, and I noticed that they had short spears in their hands, probably, I thought, used for spearing fish. The messenger, meanwhile, had disappeared among the first houses.
Alectryon said, 'Kerkios, I don't like it. Be ready to put about in a hurry.'
I began to say, 'But surely they wouldn’t ...’ when I saw the men on the beach raise their spears. Alectryon shouted a warning and sprang for his bow and quiver. Kerkios gave a sharp order and the rowers backed water vigorously as a shower of spears and stones fell around the bow. The lookout tumbled back into the bottom of the ship, struck on the head by a flying rock, but no one else was hurt. Without Alectryon’s warning and Kerkios's quick response we should have sailed straight into a rain of missiles.
The crew flung themselves into action to take the ship out of range, while the five of us on the after-deck returned a shower of arrows at our attackers. A few more weapons were thrown, until Dexeus hit the man who appeared to be the leader in the shoulder and the rest scattered behind the shelter of their boats. Meanwhile, a crowd of men had issued from the town, some armed with spears and swords and others with a variety of agricultural implements, and the whole lot swarmed down towards the beach.
When we were out of range Alectryon cupped his hand to his mouth and yelled, 'You monsters! Have you never heard of the laws of hospitality? May the punishment of the gods who protect travellers fall upon you!’
Kerkios said, ‘It is useless to strain your voice, Count. These men do not speak our language. Clearly they are so used to pirates in this area that they assume every vessel must have come to attack them.’
‘Well,’ said Alectryon warmly, ‘if they cannot tell the difference between a pirate and a peaceful traveller, and will not wait to find out, they deserve no better.’
'I quite agree,' put in Cresphontes. ‘They should be taught a lesson. Besides, it is obviously a town of some wealth. Since they will not spend some of it by way of hospitality I think they should be forced to share it. What do you say?’
We looked at each other and fire glanced from eye to eye. Alectryon opened his mouth to speak, then stopped and turned to me.
I said, 'Very well. We will talk of it and if it seems possible we will undertake it. But not now. Tonight they will be on the watch, knowing we cannot be far away. We will complete our journey to the Holy Islands and on the way back we will attempt to show these barbarians the foolishness of receiving their guests in such a hostile fashion.'
It was agreed and we found a place to camp some distance further along the coast and spent the evening discussing the best method of attack.
The following day we sighted the Holy Islands. They rose steeply from the sea and as we sailed under the coast of the larger one I saw on the high plateau above the cliffs what I took at first to be two huge mounds of earth. As we drew closer I realised that they were in fact vast buildings, whose mighty walls were half hidden by the earth which had been heaped against them, so that they appeared to be a part of the land upon which they stood.
'Is that the dwelling of the ruler?' I asked Kerkios.
He shook his head, his eyes grave. 'No. The people of the islands build no great houses for their rulers or for themselves. Many live in caves in the hills, the rest in rude huts. What you see there are two of the great sanctuaries of the Goddess. There are many others in the islands. No one knows who built them, or how long ago. The men and the rulers who were responsible have vanished from memory. But these people carry on Her worship. They have no other purpose in life than to serve Her.'
We sailed into a deep inlet, where the land rose in steep cliffs on either side and found a safe anchorage. As we beached our ship we were met by a little group of men, simply and poorly dressed by our standards but with an air of grave dignity that impressed us all.
Strangely enough I had given little thought to what awaited me at the end of the voyage. There had been enough distractions to allow me to push it to the back of my mind. Now that it was upon me I was possessed again by a faint, sick fear. Purification had seemed a simple thing at home in Pylos, after the terror of penetrating into the very presence of the Goddess. But now that I was here, among these strangers whose very language was unknown to me, I found myself wondering what painful rites I might have to undergo and how long a period of penance I might be expected to undertake.
Kerkios was known in the island, though he had only been there once or twice, and he had a little knowledge of t
he language, while one of the men who had come to meet us spoke a few words of ours. When my request was explained to him he did not seem unduly surprised, but conveyed to me that I should be conducted to one of their temples that evening. They led us to one of a cluster of huts that stood at the top of the cliffs and took care courteously of our needs, but I paid little attention to my surroundings. In the evening the men returned and led me to one of the great temples I had seen as we approached. The great curved facade was built of blocks of stone that it must have needed a hundred men to move. My guides placed me in the care of two priests, who led me through a succession of great oval chambers until we reached a central court. At the entrance I checked my steps, possessed by the same fear that had gripped me when I entered the holy place in the Sacred Cave at home. Painted on the doorposts were spiral designs like eyes that seemed to warn me to keep back, but the priests indicated that I should go on and I stepped forward into the echoing, shadowy space. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light I became aware of a sight that made me weak with terror. I stood before a huge female figure, seated on a stool with one hand raised to her breast, so vast that the men and women sheltering under her skirts appeared like toys. After the first shock it took me a moment or two to realise that the figure was carved in stone but I knew nonetheless that I stood once again before the Goddess.
The only light came from a small fire burning in the middle of the floor in front of the image. As I watched, a priestess came forward leading a white kid, while another stood waiting with an ancient flint knife. When the sacrifice had been performed and the appropriate parts burnt in the altar flames the priests and priestesses withdrew and I found myself alone.
What followed was so fearful that my knees buckled under me and I fell to the ground before the Goddess. A voice, speaking from nowhere and seeming to belong to neither man nor woman, boomed around the chamber. It was a few minutes before the sense of the words penetrated my mind and I realised that they were in my own language and were demanding of me the reason for my visit. Falteringly I explained what had happened at the Festival, concealing nothing. Then the voice spoke again.
'Tomorrow morning be ready. Men will come at dawn to conduct you to the place of your purification. Place yourself in their hands, do as they bid you, and the Goddess will be gracious to you.'
Summoning all my courage I asked, 'How long shall I be away? I must tell my friends how long they will have to wait for me.'
The voice answered, 'If your friends are loyal they will wait. Those who journey into the realms of the Goddess must abide Her time.'
Then the priests returned and led me back to the temple entrance, where my guides were waiting. I reached the hut cast down and full of fear and asked Alectryon to come and walk with me. We found a spot away from habitations, over-looking the sea and watched the moon come up.
He said gently, 'Courage! It is almost over now.
I shook my head. 'No. It is only just beginning.'
'The Goddess intends you no harm. Surely that is clear?'
I looked at him. 'But how long will she keep me, Alectryon? I cannot help remembering that there was no word of my returning to Pylos in the order I received from Her.'
He reached out and put his arm round my shoulders. 'Of course you will return.' Then he added softly, 'I do not believe She will keep you long, but no matter how long it may be you will find me waiting here for you. You can be certain of that, if it is any comfort to you.'
The following day I descended into the realm of the dead.
At the core of my being is the memory, powerful yet confused, of the three days I spent among the rock cut chambers beneath the hillside of the Holy Island. Here the dead lie in tombs leading off vaulted halls whose walls and roof are smooth and curved and painted womb-red. Here, in the innermost, enfolding chamber I fasted and slept while the voice of the Goddess spoke to me in strange dreams. Yet in the heart of this darkness I found kindness. On the third day I was summoned into the presence of an ancient priestess who sat upon a stool before the sacred fire. Her face was as shrivelled as a raisin and her hands were curled into claws but her voice was gentle as she bade me welcome.
'Approach, Prince of the Achaeans. Let me see your face.'
I went forward and knelt before her and she took my face between her hands. Looking deep into my eyes she murmured, 'Yes. You have suffered much. The Goddess understands this.'
Emboldened I asked, 'What further penance does the Mistress demand of me?'
The old eyes glazed and for a moment she rocked to and fro as if in pain. Then her eyes cleared again. 'It is the journey that matters, not the arrival. You have travelled far, and will travel farther. For now the Lady permits you to return to your own land in peace. But She has not done with you yet. She has marked you for Her own and will not be satisfied until you have planted Her altars among people who know her not.'
'When must I do this?' I asked.
'She will show you the time and the manner. You must wait for Her. For now, go in peace, son of Sillos. Your penance is completed.'
The next day we sailed and all morning I lay under the awning as the ship glided along under the big white sail, aware that voices around me were subdued and that every now and then Alectryon cast me an anxious, sorrowful look. At length I fell asleep and dreamed that I was chained to a rock but a god came down in the shape of an eagle and set me free. When I woke we were slipping along the shores of Sicania. I sat up and looked around me. Alectryon sat nearby, staring morosely at the horizon, and Cresphontes and Xouthos were a little way off. Something in their faces told me that there had been an argument while I was asleep. I felt a sudden upsurge of energy.
'Well, what is wrong with all of you? You look as if you had been quarrelling.'
My words took them by surprise. They all turned sharply and the look of guilt on all their faces made me laugh.
Xouthos jumped up and came over to me. 'You see. He is himself again.'
Alectryon, more cautious, said, 'How do you feel? Your sleep seems to have done you good.'
'You all speak as if I had been ill!' I exclaimed. 'I am in perfect health.'
'Perhaps,' he returned, 'but we have been anxious for you nonetheless. It seemed almost that you had left your spirit on the Holy Island and that your body alone travelled with us.'
I smiled at him. 'I understand what you mean. But now, at last, I feel that all my troubles are behind me. In fact, I feel ready for anything. Is there anything to eat? Now, what are the plans for tonight?' They glanced at each other uneasily and I added, 'Is that what you have been arguing about?'
Cresphontes said, 'The Count thought you would not be fit enough for any fighting.'
'I felt that, under the circumstances, our aim should be to get home as quickly as possible,' Alectryon replied. 'I still think so.'
'May I remind you that we accompanied you on the understanding that there would be an opportunity for booty?' Cresphontes exclaimed. 'If you break that understanding now you break friendship between us for ever!'
Alectryon was about to reply when I laid a hand on his arm and said, 'There is no need for an argument. The bargain stands. None of us are going home empty handed if we can help it.' Alectryon still looked as if he was disposed to disagree, so I added, 'I'm perfectly all right, Alectryon.’
He still hesitated, saying, 'I am responsible to your father for your safety.'
'Nonsense!' I returned crisply. 'No one is responsible for that except myself. I am tired of being watched over like a child. Cresphontes, we attack the town at the first good opportunity. It is agreed.' Then, seeing Alectryon's face, I grinned at him, 'Come on, you know you are as eager as the rest of us for some excitement.'
He looked into my face for a moment, torn between his inclinations and his sense of duty, and then shrugged and said, 'Oh, very well. I am at your orders.'
Though it was only mid afternoon we were near the place and decided to make camp. We found a safe anchorage on the near side of t
he rocky promontory guarding the bay where the town was situated and when we had disembarked I turned to Kerkios and said, 'I will speak to the men and tell them what we plan.'
He called the men together and I faced them, feeling my heartbeat quicken. This was my first chance to see if I could win men to follow me willingly into battle. 'Men,' I said, 'you have served me well until now and I am sure no prince ever had a better crew. Now I am going to ask you to do something which requires more courage and spirit than your normal duties, and I am sure I am not asking the wrong men. You remember how badly we were treated by the people of that town over the hill and I doubt if there is one among you who didn't say to himself or to his friend "those people should be taught a lesson".' There was a murmur that told me I had struck the right note and I saw eyes beginning to gleam with anticipation. 'Well, we are going to teach them that lesson - and at the same time we are going to relieve them of a little of that wealth they obviously don't know what to do with. And if we are lucky there will be a share for every man in the value of the booty when we get home. What do you say?'
The cheer that went up left no doubt about their feelings. I congratulated them on their spirit and ordered a jar of wine to be opened. While its contents were being passed round and preparations made for a meal we sat down to make our plans.
It was obvious that a straightforward frontal assault on the town was doomed to failure, since the inhabitants outnumbered us by at least ten to one and had shown themselves disposed to defend their property. After some thought I suggested a feigned attack from the inland side, which would, if their former behaviour was anything to go by, draw the entire male population out to repel it. Meanwhile, the ship could slip unobserved into the bay and those on board could grab what booty they could find before the defenders came back. The plan was approved and Cresphontes immediately volunteered to lead the decoy force, taking with him half a dozen good men including Dexeus, whose skill with the bow would prove invaluable.
