The Arrows of Hercules

Captain Abdanath continued: "The Egyptian Tamôs, who was the Great King's governor in Ionia, has fled to Egypt and there been murdered by another satrap. There is much unrest in Egypt, and a famine in Thrace, and the price of olives is up in Hellas ..."

The audience began asking questions, mostly about local politics in the cities of the East and about the prices of various goods. Evnos spoke in a low voice to Zopyros:

"As I was saying, I have a bit of business with you. Would you like a secure position, at a higher rate of pay than any other engineer in these parts? And a chance to make inventions, work out original ideas, and gain immortal glory?"

"That sounds good," said Zopyros. "But I should have to ask my father. I'm in partnership with him. Who's offering these liberal terms? Dionysios?"

"Exactly. Now that his power is secure, Dionysios has great plans for improving and beautifying Syracuse and its dependent cities, and for augmenting their military might. The trouble is to find men with enough training to do a really good job. One can always hire ordinary masons and carpenters, who will turn out adequate copies of the temples at Segesta and the walls at Akragas, or shipwrights who can whittle out a conventional trireme. But Dionysios wants something more. He wants men of genius—men with original ideas. So I've been sent to recruit such men. Whom besides yourself would you recommend in Taras?"

"My friend Archytas," said Zopyros promptly. "He's better at mathematics than I, although I have the edge over him in the actual handling of materials. Besides, he can get along with anybody."

Zopyros thought fast. He would be much closer to Korinna in Syracuse than in Taras. Once established in Syracuse, he might gain Xanthos' consent to his wedding the girl without first rescuing the child. Or even—Zopyros winced at the thought but then faced it squarely—the Fates might offer an opportunity to do what Xanthos demanded and escape with a whole skin. In either case, logically speaking, his chances would be better in Syracuse. Of course, his parents might cavil ...

Zopyros kept his musings to himself. To Evnos he said: "I'll talk about this offer with my father. If he approves, I may well appear in Syracuse in a month or two."

"And don't forget to pass the word to your friend Archytas. Tell him fame and fortune await him in Syracuse! I would do so myself, except that I'm on my way to Athens on Abdanath ship, and we shan't stop at Taras."

Abdanath had finished, and Kylon brought out his dancer and his singer. As the girls performed, some heavy drinkers became noisy. Presently two men had stripped and oiled themselves and, having chased Kylon's girls off the floor, fell to wrestling in the middle of the room. Another man tried to dance the kordax on a table and fell off with a crash. As the uproar became deafening, Glaukos shouted in Zopyros' ear:

"If they're all going to scream like Illyrians, I think we had better go home."

"All right," said Zopyros, and his two bench mates agreed. As they reached the muddy street, a Messanian lounging in the doorway lurched unsteadily against little Asto. The Messanian backed off and said:

"Sorry, I—" Then his expression changed. "Another polluted Phoenician, eh? Someday we'll show you baby-burning sodomites a thing or two! Work night and day so we can't compete with you, will you? Cut prices below ours, will you? You'll get yours! Wait and see! Unless you'd like a free sample?" The man balled his fists.

"And would you be looking for a fight, now?" said a voice with a familiar lilt. Segovax the Celt had pushed out the doorway behind Zopyros and his party.

"And who in Herakles' name are you?" said the Messanian.

"That I will be pleased to show your honor," said Segovax, blowing on his large right fist and rubbing his left hand over it as if polishing it, "if you will be finding me a quiet place, where we can discuss the matter like gentlemen ..."

The Messanian's friends seized him by the arms and pulled him back into Kylon's. They jabbered into the drunken man's ears: "Take it easy!" "Sober up, you god-detested fool!" "Don't start a fight with foreigners, or we shall all end up in the House!"

"Thank you, O Segovax," said Asto, taking his hand off his dagger. Zopyros could see, even in the feeble lamplight, that the small Phoenician's face had gone pale under its swarthiness. "That's the trouble with being a traveling man. Some bully decides to clean all the filthy foreigners out of his fair city, and if you're the nearest one in sight he naturally picks on you."

"He's right," said Evnos the Karian. "I run into that kind of thing now and then, too. That's but one hazard of our callings. Good night, friends."