The Arrows of Hercules
- Автор: Де Камп Лайон Спрэг
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «The Arrows of Hercules». Краткое содержание книги:
“Exciting and quite believable adventures.”—Classical World
“Rousing piece of fiction...pace is rapid and unrelenting.” —The Arizona Republic
"There are things of greater worth than vulgar trade," said Alexis. "Such as cutting your neighbors' throats, as you Hellenes so love to do?" said Asto. "Any fool with a spear can go out and kill, but it takes skill and courage and effort to build up a flourishing trade route. Without us men of business to carry the world's goods to your harbors, where would all your clever philosophers and handsome athletes and brave warriors be? Wearing stinking sheepskins and living like the Lucanians in huts of mud and reeds, with pigs underfoot, that's where!"
A silence followed this impassioned speech. Zopyros thought, the little man has more fire in his belly than one would guess from his mousy appearance and diffident manner. At last Segovax spoke:
"I'm thinking I like Master Vibenna's gods pretty well. If they won't help us, at least they won't puff us away unless it's already in their great plan, and that's some comfort. But I like my own Celtic gods best of all. Maybe they are not so wise as Master Vibenna's, nor so powerful as Master Asto's, nor so scientifical as those of Master Zopyros. But they're a comfortable, easygoing lot of gods, the which a man can get along with if he flatters them a bit, and gives them a little meat and beer, and now and then burns a thief or a slave in their honor. So, begging your pardon, I'll say a little prayer to old Esus and take me a nap."
"And I," said Vibenna, "shall watch flight of birds, to see what I can learn of next stage of divine master plan."
At dusk they anchored at the mouth of the Pyxous River and passed the night in the town of the same name. As they were going ashore, Alexis said to Zopyros:
"I'm eaten with curiosity about this so-called wife, whom Ethbaal keeps so completely out of sight. I'm going to get a look in that cabin."
"I wouldn't," said Zopyros. "A sea voyage has risks enough, without inventing new ones."
"Spoilsport! You wait and see. Now as I was telling you ..."
Alexis resumed his lecture on his plan for building a lighthouse as tall as a mountain at Syracuse, and on his sanguine hopes for persuading the tyrannos of Syracuse, the mighty Dionysios, to adopt his plan. "They say he's hiring gifted men like me. Wiry, a mere ten-day ago, an agent from Dionysios stopped at Velia to tell the young men of the fame and fortune awaiting them at Syracuse."
Zopyros had begun to find Alexis' charm wearing thin. The fellow was such a tireless talker, always chattering about himself and his own inexhaustible virtues. He also had a habit of pushing up against his hearer. When he stood beside Zopyros at the rail, he pressed his arm gently against that of Zopyros. When they sat on deck, he slid a foot over so that it touched that of Zopyros, until the latter got up and moved away.
Zopyros surmised that the man was seeking a male lover. Although no Greek regarded such a liaison as anything extraordinary, Zopyros was not attracted by the idea, since his own preference, like that of many others, was wholly for women. He regarded male love affairs as an absurd aristocratic pose, along with the drawling voices, the languid gestures, and the shaven pubic areas affected by the rich youths of Taras.
"O Alexis," said Zopyros, "I'm afraid you'll never make a living as a philosopher." 'And why not?"
"For the same reason some women can never earn their keep as harlots: because you give away what you ought to charge for."
"Phy! By Hera, if I bore you, I'll find somebody else to talk to, who better appreciates the profundity of my knowledge!"
So Alexis lagged behind the rest and kept pace with lame old Vibenna, to whom he poured out his stream of random thoughts. Zopyros hurried to catch up with Korinna, whose company he craved more ardently with every passing hour.
The next day Zopyros was late for the ship again—he had gotten into a discussion with a Pyxountian about the local water supply— and had to take another scolding from Captain Ethbaal. Soon the ship was heeling to the offshore morning wind. It was drawing away from the coast, when Zopyros was startled to hear Ethbaal shout at Alexis:
"Ai, you! Get away from there! Don't you dare go sneaking around the cabin!"
"I was not looking into your fornicating cabin! By the God, I was merely watching the sea—"
"I saw you with my own eyes! By Tanith's teats, I'll kill any man who so much as lays a lecherous glance upon her—"
"Captain, sir!" cried the mate in Punic. "Pray excite yourself not; the youth did but—"
"Hold your tongue, Asto! As for you, young man, if I see you in the after part of the ship again, I'll leave you at the next stop!"
"Then give me back my fare!"
"Try to get it!"
"Cheat! Temple robber! Dung-eating knave!" screamed Alexis.
Both men had their hands on their knives when Asto, Zopyros, and the bodyguard Sophron thrust themselves between them, coaxing and soothing. Segovax said:
"A pity it is to stop a good fight, but I suppose we must have a live captain to run the ship. I'm after bringing a little jug of wine on board, thinking a drop now and then would make the clay pass quicker. If everybody will get out his cup, I'll pour you each a wee dollop. Not too much at a time on this bouncing boat, or the fishes will get it. Now, who can sing a song or tell a tale? You first, Master Hippomedon."
The singer tuned his lyre while Segovax poured. Alexis, his rage quickly forgotten, took his share; but the captain declined with curt thanks. "I need all my wits," he said.
The singer swept his fingers over the strings and sang:
When Hippomedon had sung several songs, Vibenna told some of the secrets of the augur's art:
"Our ancient religion is set forth in Sacred Books. Of these, one of most important is Book of Lightning, which tells of different kinds of lightning and thunder and the meanings of each. Are eleven kinds of lightnings, and nine gods have power to send lightning. Of these Tinia, sky-father, has three lightnings, all blood-red in color. Of Tinia's three lightnings, the first is warning to men; he can send it whenever he wants. Second kind of lightning is full of peril; Tinia sends it only on advice of other lesser gods. Third kind brings destroying fire of heaven; it is so dangerous that Tinia must have permission of Elder Gods to send it. Others gods and goddesses like Uni also have lightnings.
"Book of Lightning divides sky in sixteen parts. Lightning interpreter faces south, so he has eight sections of sky to left and eight to right. He interprets lightning by direction it comes from and place where it strikes ground. Lightning coming from left is good luck; from right, bad ..."
Next, Asto related Phoenician legends. He told of the war of the hero Milkarth against the demoness Masisabaclass="underline" "... and he pursued the she-monster, whose tail writhed over the dead leaves like a silver brook, into the forest, and came to a plain where women with the hinder parts of dragons stood round a fire, erect on the points of their tails. The blood-colored moon was shining within a pale circle, and the scarlet tongues of the dragon-women, forked like fish spears, curled outward to the very edge of the flame ..."
Alexis regaled them with riddles and paradoxes. When Zopyros' turn came, he recited passages from the Hellenic national epics: