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
At Laos they stopped for a day to load more wine. Then they were becalmed for a day. The passengers and the crew killed time in various ways. They gathered on the beach to watch Alexis and Segovax shave each other's chins, with many a jest at the cost of the amateur barbers. Vibenna said:
"What this? Some new barbarian fad?"
"Whatever it is," said Sophron, "it's un-Hellenic, by Herakles!"
Asto: "They do it in Egypt; and I hear the pretty boys of Athens do it, too, in order to hold their lovers."
The father of the twelve-year-old boy said: "Beards were good enough for my father and my grandfather, and they're good enough for me. I say, leave your face as the gods intended it."
Zopyros: "Alexis can't bear to grow up."
"Oi!" said the twelve-year-old boy. "He's cut himself."
"What did I tell you?" said his father. "That's what comes of interfering with nature."
Later, somebody organized a game of hockey with a local team. In the first period, Zopyros took a bad crack in the knee. As he limped off the field, Korinna cried:
"Are you hurt, dear Zopyros? What can I do?"
"Curse my luck! It'll be all right. I could have been hit in worse places. Sophron, you're drafted to take my place."
The bodyguard grumbled something, but Korinna said: "Yes, go ahead and play!" Sophron obediently laid down his spear and began to strip. Zopyros hobbled down to the beach, leaning on Korinna's shoulder, to wash off the sweat and dust. She said:
"I need a bath, too, and they're all watching the game. Will you promise not to try to paw me or make lewd remarks?"
"I promise."
For all Zopyros' good intentions, the sight of Korinna bathing roused his manhood, so that he had to finish his bath with his back turned to her. As they dressed, he glanced towards the field, where a crowd of naked men raced about with hockey sticks, panting and yelling, in a cloud of dust. He said:
"I've always been a dub at sports: I'm as clumsy as an ass on a roof. But my stomach tells me it's lunchtime. Why don't we pick up some food and go off by ourselves for a picnic?"
"We should have to take Sophron out of the game."
"Why not leave him? He's happy."
"No, he must stay with me. My father gave us clear commands."
"He'd never even notice we were gone."
"Listen, friend Zopyros. Sophron may not be intelligent, but he is honest and faithful, and there are few enough people of whom you can say that. Suppose we did sneak off without him. When he gets back to Messana, the first thing my father will ask is: Did he keep a faithful watch over me? And the poor stupid fellow will say: 'Yes, all but that day in Laos, when she gave me the slip.' And then the perfume will be spilt into the soup for all of us. I love my father and don't want trouble with him.
"Moreover, as a twice-wed woman, I am not altogether ignorant of men. You all want your bit of fun; and, when it's over, off you go, not caring if you leave the woman to pay the price of your pleasure. In this godless age, no one believes any more in stories about Zeus's visiting a maiden in the form of a swan or a shower of gold."
"I swear by the divine tetractys not to lay a finger on you! After all, I am a Pythagorean of sorts."
"That's what you say now; but I know better. Though you were as chaste as Melanion, once we were out among the asphodels you'd want a kiss—just one little harmless kiss—and then anything might happen." Zopyros was silent, because just such a possibility had been running through his mind. With downcast eyes, Korinna murmured: "I'm not made of marble myself, you know."
He caught his breath and grasped her hand. "Korinna—"
"Yes?"
His shyness choked him, but at last he stammered: "I l-love you!"
She looked at him steadily. "I'm fond of you, Zopyros. More than that it wouldn't be proper for me to say. If you mean what you say, speak to my father when you meet him in Messana."
"I mean to. But there will be problems."
"Of course; there always are."
"After all, I am part Persian."
"Dear Zopyros, don't always talk of your Persian blood in that defensive way! It's not as if you were applying for Athenian citizenship. After marrying me to a Phoenician, Father could hardly deem you a foreigner. I was thinking more of property settlements and things like that. And there's my child."
Zopyros waved a hand. "Those things can usually be worked out in time. I should have to get my father's permission, too."
"Then let's not talk of love until we can do something practical about it. Agreed?"
"I thought I was a logical person, but you make me look as woolly-minded as Alexis."
"Do you agree? I want a straight answer."
"Oh, very well."
In the end, they had their picnic; hut Sophron sat with them, gnawing a leg of fowl and listening blankly as Zopyros discoursed on aqueducts and fortifications.
They sailed on to Tempsa, where they spent a day loading copper ore. As the ship was now fully laden, they had to anchor well out from the beach and go to and from shore in a harbor boat. On the morning of the eighteenth, all were aboard except the captain, whom some commercial complication had delayed ashore. At last the harbor boat put out from the beach with Ethbaal huddled in the stern.
Zopyros, glancing about the deck, was alarmed to see Alexis crouching in front of the entrance to the little cabin and plucking at the flaps that closed it. Fearing another dispute, Zopyros wanted to shout a warning. He was, however, torn by fear of arousing Ethbaal's attention and also by distaste for meddling in others' business. For an instant he stood undecided, with his mouth half open. It took him a few heartbeats—which seemed like an age—to pull himself together. He finally called: "Ea, Alexis! Get away—" just as Captain Ethbaal's head appeared over the rail.
The captain took in the scene at a glance. With a snarl he vaulted over the rail, threw off his cloak, snatched out his dagger, and rushed towards Alexis. He had covered half the distance before the Velian looked up to sec the gaunt Phoenician bearing down upon him, eyes glaring and foam on his lips.
Alexis leaped to his feet and started to run, dodging zigzag through the rest of the ship's people. All the latter were now on their feet, beginning to shout advice to or to cry out to each other to seize the pursuer, or the pursued, or both. But the two moved too fast. Missing Alexis in his first rush, Ethbaal spun around and raced after the young man across the deck.
At the rail, over which Ethbaal had leaped aboard, Alexis turned. He tore off his rented cloak, whirled it, and tried to throw it over Ethbaal's head. The Phoenician struck the garment aside, and it did not impede him long enough for Alexis to dive over the rail. It did, however, check him sufficiently so that, as he closed with Alexis, the latter caught the wrist of his knife hand. There was an instant of furious struggle. Ethbaal strove to drive the dagger home, while Alexis strained to keep it away from his body. Then the pair toppled over the rail and disappeared. A crash and a splash from below released the company from its momentary paralysis.
Zopyros, still limping a little from his mishap of the day before, rushed to the shoreward rail with the rest. At the ship's side, the harbor boat was rocking, partly filled with water, while the boatman, shrieking curses, sought to steady it. There was a foamy splashing of limbs in the water alongside.