By the Sword

by Christian Kachel

  I had nothing to say to Vettias’ admonishments. He was right, but I didn’t care. It didn’t change one strand of feeling I held for Mara.

  Chapter 33

  We entered my apartment to find our captives with fresh wounds courtesy of their handlers. To my amusement they appeared overjoyed to see Vettias enter the room as they now equated him with a respite from Ox’s two thugs. Vettias sent the two goons out of the room and began carefully dressing their wounds and providing them food and drink.

  “I can’t be here at all times, but rest assured no harm will come to you in my presence. That is, of course, as long as you two continue to be cooperative. I don’t have to worry about that at this point, correct?” The two eagerly shook their heads like dogs competing for the affections of their master. “Good. I have some good news. Since Shifty has acquitted himself to my satisfaction and has reached the end of his utility, I am going to transfer you out of here to more comfortable accommodations. When we depart Triparadeisus, I will release you on your own cognizance. You see, I am a man of my word. Andrikos, please untie Shifty and bring him out. He will be transported to our safe house.”

  Shifty was weak on his feet and smelled horrid as I assisted in getting his clothes on and walking him outside. Pirus looked at us with pitiable eyes as the underling was seen out. The two guards were waiting in a small alley and appeared to be expecting our arrival. They grabbed hold of the prisoner and smiled at me as I moved to return to the safe house. I turned back to watch as one guard stabbed Shifty through the throat while muffling his mouth and holding his head as his body fell lifelessly to the ground. I can’t say I was surprised by the violent act and I now understood the look Pirus was giving us. Subconsciously I knew this was how it would have to end for both prisoners, I was just happy Vettias did not make me do the deed. Returning to the safe house I found Pirus and Vettias engaged in a cordial conversation in between slurps of warm soup and wine. Vettias had apparently informed Pirus of the morning’s development.

  “How is Orontes and Seleucus going to counter the Queen’s bid for power?”

  “Orontes will place an operative in Adea’s retinue if he hasn’t done so already. Seleucus will use his staff officers and bodyguards to ensure his safety until Antipater’s arrival. He will barricade himself in the palace and send runners out to Antipater, informing him of events and imploring him to make haste. By now Orontes will know I have been compromised and will realize there are clandestine forces at work in opposition to his own. He will order Nikandros to begin kidnapping suspected Perdiccan supporters and torture them mercilessly until he extracts names. If he finds me alive he’ll have me killed for cooperating with you after first making me divulge information about my captors.”

  “Then I suggest you go your own way when I release you,” Vettias replied.

  “Ah yes, my promised release,” Pirus muttered sarcastically.

  “What about this Nikandros. How do you initiate contact with him?”

  “Normally through scheduled meetings. I was supposed to meet with him after speaking with Shifty. My absence will have alerted Nikandros to my demise and he will be suspect of any attempt to initiate an unscheduled meeting. As I said, you don’t seek him out; he finds you.”

  “Alright, we’ll continue this later. Andrikos, the hour grows near to meet Davos this evening.”

  “Y-you are pleased with me, yes? Y-you will tell my guards to treat me well, yes?”

  “I want you to think about how I’m going to find Nikandros,” Vettias replied in a non-committal tone. “Andrikos, the hour approaches.”

  The two of us exited the apartment and Vettias instructed the guards to refrain from harming our captive until our return. We took two separate and very circuitous routes to make absolutely certain we were not followed to the meeting location. Despite our indirect courses, we still arrived early to the wine tent across from the main army encampment. We occupied a table in the far corner that was not visible to passersby.

  “I may have overreacted after our meeting with the Queen,” Vettias conceded after sitting in silence for several minutes. “My anger lay more in the Queen’s recklessness than your pitiful outburst of childhood infatuation. That being said, you did fuck up. You understand that, correct?”

  “Yes,” I answered solemnly, looking at the ground.

  “We are going to be little more than bystanders for the remainder of our time here. I fear she’s in over her head despite her uncanny ability to inspire the army. She was certainly right about one thing, however- she is no mere girl. We’ll do what we can in the shadows but if she cannot sustain the full weight of Antipater and Antigonus’ arrival, you and I are leaving.” After my scolding I didn’t dare ask about Mara but would certainly ensure Vettias had a plan for her if we were to make a hasty exit. Davos then causally entered the tent and took a seat at our table.

  “What news within the army?” Vettias asked.

  “Factions are emerging. Seleucus is trying to rally his supporters within the officer corps and hold what he can until Antipater arrives. So far, the Queen’s position remains secure. There’s something else, however. Two of my men went missing today. These two assisted me in our purge last night. We will have to assume Orontes has them.”

  “And if that is the case, we must assume Orontes knows who you are. You will have to lay low for the next few days. Andrikos will serve as conduit between myself and Ox.”

  “Agreed. I will take up at the kid’s apartment with the prisoner. I made sure my men were not aware of my relationship with Ox or with the two of you. They cannot provide Orontes enough information to foil our objectives. May the Gods have mercy on them- Orontes surely won’t.”

  “Andrikos,” Vettias announced while turning to me. “Davos is going to return with me, you will bring my correspondence to Ox, understood?” I nodded. “Davos, tell the kid when and where you were to meet with Ox again.”

  “In thirty minutes, at the army encampment’s latrine ditch. He’ll be there.”

  “And when you see him,” Vettias added, “inform him of all the Queen has told us. Alert him to Davos’ missing men and instruct him to remain vigilant over the next few days. Instruct him he is to conduct only passive collection and elicitation. I don’t want him doing anything overtly operational. We’ll continue our liaison through you, understood? Alright, I think we’re done here. Andrikos, meet me back at the safe house when you are finished. Do not bring a tail back with you- make sure you are clean before you approach. Davos will remain at your apartment. As much as it pains me, the Queen’s actions have forced us to wait and hide for the next couple days.”

  I had little trouble traversing through the army encampment and finding Ox at the latrine ditch. The army was in a greater state of confusion now than it was when we first arrived. Hardly anyone gave me more than a second glance as I made my way through the endless rows of tents and saw Ox’s broad back looking out over the dozens of phalangites relieving themselves. Our conversation was brief and cordial. It was the first time I felt he was treating me as an equal and not some kid caught up in events too big to comprehend. He shared Vettias’ outrage over the Queen’s irresponsible behaviour and agreed remaining unseen and vigilant was the most prudent course of action. He bid me farewell and I returned to our safe house after navigating an indirect path, stopping to purchase jugs of wine and food stuffs along the way.

  Vettias was sitting at the table, drinking a jug of wine and staring distantly at the wall. It was clear he loathed the position he found himself in- shut out of decisions, marginalized by a teenage girl, forced to watch events unfold with me in a meagre apartment as opposed to shaping them from the shadows. This was the cause of his recent outburst towards me- the understanding that he had been relegated to insignificance by the very person he had sworn an oath to protect. He passed me a cup as I sat beside him.

  “Well, at least you can still navigate outside this prison. Orontes will have determined I am here by now. It’s jus
t a matter of time before one of his agents spots me. You will continue to see Mara and liaise with Ox so I can stay abreast of events. Davos won’t get out of this place alive- not if Orontes has one of his operatives. His utility has just run out.”

  I watched as Vettias had consigned Davos as a lost cause within the space of a minute and hoped events would not someday relegate me to this fate in his eyes. We remained in relative silence for the rest of the evening, getting drunk off the wine I had purchased.

  The next three days I repeated this routine of meeting Ox in the morning to communicate and receive information, return to the safe house, and meet him again in the early evening. Ox informed me that the Queen kept to her word and deposed Peithon and Arrhidaeus as Regents. Arrhidaeus seemed relieved, whereas Peithon was outraged and began working on behalf of Seleucus within the army. Tensions were running high between the two factions and Ox feared the army was on the verge of open conflict. During the afternoon of the third day, Vettias and I were awakened from an afternoon nap by a loud commotion in the direction of the army encampment.

  We donned our local garb to cover our faces and made our way to the source of horns blowing and soldiers running about. As we neared the sea of activity, we could make out a small entourage moving through the masses on horseback. It was Admiral Attalus, triumphantly trotting through the army- just as Adea predicted. The fact that he was able to do so, while being officially considered an outlaw by the current regime, spoke to the fluidity of the situation. Attalus gave an impromptu speech to the army before continuing on to the palace to be received by the Queen.

  “You’re going to see Mara tomorrow morning after meeting with Ox,” Vettias ordered. The thought of being alone in her chamber shot a jolt of warmth to my loin and brought a smile to my face. Luckily Vettias was too busy observing the spectacle to notice the effect his pronouncement had on me. “Alright, let us return and hide in our hole lest someone recognize me,” Vettias suggested in a deflated tone.

  The next morning I met with Ox as scheduled and he explained how Attalus’ arrival emboldened Adea’s faction and several instances of violence had broken out over the evening. He suggested Adea act now and address the army again to take advantage of the shift in momentum and provided several more names of key figures within the Seleucus and Antipater faction for Davos to dispose of. After departing the latrine ditch, I made my way towards the palace. I noticed an invigoration in my gait as the image of Mara’s hair flowing over her naked body taunted me. Approaching the entrance, I noticed an increased guard presence, which I attributed to the heightened level of tension, both outside and inside the palace.

  One of the guards had recognized me from my previous visits and quickly moved to stop me. “Not a good time to get your dick wet kid. We are on high alert with orders to prohibit anyone not on official business from entering.”

  “I understand your concern, which is precisely why I am to be allowed entry.” The guard looked perplexed at my authoritative answer until I presented him the Queen’s royal insignia. “I am here on official business as commanded by the Queen herself. I would appreciate you accompanying me through the entrance hall and informing the attendants that I do not require an escort either.”

  The guard let out a conciliatory grunt after inspecting the insignia. “Alright, follow me.” He led me up the large staircase and informed the attendants that I did not require an escort. They looked at me with antipathy as they consented to my entrance. I shot them a condescending glare and hurried up the marble staircase, down the opulent corridor, and entered the palatial harem.

  The warden seemed startled by my presence since the palace was now highly secured. Before he could organize his thoughts to possibly come up with some excuse why I was to be barred entry, I quickly commanded him to bring Mara.

  “Y-yes sir,” he replied, still in a confused fluster.

  “Good morning my lady, I hope I did not wake you this early in the day,” I stated as the warden produced Mara, who looked very fatigued.

  “No trouble at all sir, please put such silly thoughts from your mind- especially coming from someone who treats me as well as you. Follow me,” she replied with a warm grace. She locked her door behind us and we embraced. The smell of her hair and curves of her body instantly shot a warmth of heat to my loins- propelling me to remove her silk robe. She grabbed my hands while looking me in the eyes explaining she had been working all night and asked my forgiveness for not being able to be intimate with me now. At first I felt rejected and thought her feelings for me had paled in comparison to mine towards her. I then remembered what she had to endure here and felt guilty even thinking of such a selfish notion. I embraced her again and assured her she had nothing to apologize for.

  “Will you be content to lay with me for the next hour until it is time for you to leave?”

  “Of course. How I’ve ached for your warm embrace these past few days. The thought of others with you is almost unbearable. Soon we will be together away from this place and free of these monsters.”

  “Yes, I eagerly await that day,” Mara replied while stroking my hair on her bed. “I also have some news for you. There was much to learn over the past few days.” Mara’s talk of business snapped me out of the lustful trance I had entered while laying with her. It made me realize, at that moment, I didn’t care about our mission or the fates of the Argeads. I just wanted to lie there with her forever. Feelings of guilt overcame these irresponsible ideas and I returned to being Vettias’ underling once more.

  “I heard news of the quiet man,” Mara announced with considerable satisfaction. “Another girl within the harem was speaking with a friend and I overheard her describe him just as if he was standing before us- all the way down to his birth mark. She explained that she is escorted to his quarters each evening within the palace, in the heavily armed wing of Seleucus, and returned each morning. She did not go into detail about his schedule or where to find him, but he is here.”

  “Did she say his name?”

  “No, but now that I know she is his woman, I can casually elicit more from her.”

  “Yes but please be careful. This man is no doubt probing her for people asking too many questions. You may be successful in getting her to unwittingly divulge something to you but he may see more in it during a cross examination.”

  “I will be careful. In other news, the palace has become a battleground between the factions of Seleucus and the Queen. There are rumours their bodyguards have already combated one another on several occasions within the palace walls. You’d be wise not to wander around after your departure and exit the palace with great haste.”

  “What about Hyllos?”

  “He has visited me each night and wishes to purchase me. I told you he has fallen for me.” This development was unsettling and I would refrain from telling Vettias lest he decide this possibility presented a way for him to renege on his pledge to her.

  I remained with her until our hour was up and begrudgingly exited the harem. I allowed a harem eunuch to escort me out of the palace lest a soldier from Seleucus’ retinue question why I was walking about unsupervised. I returned to the safe house and informed Vettias my suspicions about Nikandros were correct. He praised my instincts and instructed me to inform Ox at my next meeting with him. “I think we should pay our guest a visit over at your apartment to see what else he can tell us about this ‘quiet man.’ That will give us something to do to pass the time.”

  Chapter 34

  Vettias and I carefully made our way to my old quarters and gave our predetermined knock on the door. We stood waiting impatiently since no stirring could be heard within the apartment. Vettias knocked again and still no answer was received. He looked at me gravely and unsheathed his short sword tucked under his cloak. I did the same as he kicked the door in and we entered with swords at the ready.

  All sources of light had been extinguished and the room was dark. A narrow band of sunlight let in from the open door allowed us to slowl
y comprehend the scene we were entering. A strong stale odour permeated the room. An object hung from the ceiling, half in the light and half in the shadows- it was one of Ox’s guards. A noose was around his neck tied to a ceiling beam and his stomach was slit open horizontally with his entrails and bowels emptied onto the floor beneath his dangling feet. Vettias hurriedly closed the door and lit the single remaining log in the fireplace to create a flickering source of light in the room. I backed away from the hanging corpse directly into another large swaying object. I startled and turned around to see the guard’s colleague hanging from another rafter in the ceiling. His face was contorted into a grotesque expression and his body was stripped naked. There were letters carved into the man’s stomach. As his body swung in and out of the flickering light of the fire, I made out the bloody name V-E-T-T-I-A-S.

  Vettias walked over to the carving and put his hand on my shoulder. “This is Orontes’ doing. If he got this far, the two of us are no longer safe.” I turned away to look for our captive while Vettias continued to examine the gruesome corpse. I found Pirus’ body still tied to his chair in the far corner. He bore several more injuries to include a gash across his throat so vicious his trachea and spinal cord could be seen. Blood stains led down from the gaping wound and collected in a dark pool in his lap. His wrists were red and bloody, speaking to his agonizing struggle due to the intense pain inflicted on him. I looked back towards Vettias in the dimly lit room and noticed something move from the shadows in the opposite corner. Slowly the black entity began to take form into the shape of a man. As it moved forward I yelled out, “Vettias! Behind you!”