The Arrows of Hercules

The workmen and engineers relaxed, gossiping and throwing dice. An hour later, Dionysios and Archytas appeared at the door of the Arsenal. The Arsenal people rose to their feet.

"Easy all," said Dionysios. "I have a few announcements to make. First, Arsenal Master Lithodomos has been sent on a short vacation. He has been overworking lately, with harm to his health." The beginnings of a cheer were quickly stifled. "Second, Assistant Arsenal Master Alexis has been transferred, at his own request, to the shipyards, since his ships are far enough along so that he will be more useful there than in the research division. Third, Archytas the Tarentine has been appointed in his place. Lastly, Special Consultant Durea, that great Babylonian scientist, has been recalled to Athens on urgent business and so will no longer be with us."

The men broke into broad grins, and even Dionysios' lips twitched. He continued: "For the next few days, until Lithodomos returns to duty, Pyres and Archytas will run the Arsenal. If any disagreement arises between them, they shall refer it to Philistos. Your first task will be to put all your gear back as it was before this unfortunate move."

At lunch, Archytas told Zopyros: "The big boss's one false step was not firing Thickskin altogether. I urged him to do so, but he shut me up pretty sharply."

Work went smoothly for the next few days. Zopyros decided that two of his small models, the one with multiple triggers and the one with a movable bronze trigger mechanism, showed enough promise to warrant making full-scale engines. One day in early Gamelion*(*Approximately January.), as he was drawing plans, a shadow made him look up. There stood Lithodomos, looking fit and rested. Archytas stood behind him.

"£ there, Zopyros old boy!" said the Arsenal master. "How's your little old catapults coming?"

"Well enough, sir."

"Look, I never did rightly understand these things. Give me an outline of what you're doing, see?"

Zopyros explained the workings of the models. Lithodomos pursed his lips and said:

"I like this one, the one with the pivoted bow and trough. Why aren't you making a full-scale one of that?"

"Because it means a greater size and weight for the same results."

"I still like it better, because you get a full draw on your bow at all ranges and therefore a full penetrating effect. When you shoot an ordinary bow at close range, you don't aim it up at the sky but only pull it halfway, do you?"

"But, sir, I—"

"Never mind. You build your first full-sized catapult to that model. Forget about the others for the time being."

Zopyros, feeling his temper slipping swiftly away, filled his lungs for a scorching retort. Then he caught a wink from Archytas and mumbled his acquiescence. Later he cornered Archytas and demanded:

"What in the name of the Dog are you doing, letting him interfere again? He'll ruin the project, as sure as death."

Archytas grinned mischievously. "Oh, I don't know. He might even be right, you know."

"That stupid—"

"He's not always so stupid as he looks."

"Of course not; he's much stupider! But stop joking. I want to know what's up. If it's another deal like that stargazer, I'll go back to Taras."

"Don't worry," said Archytas. "I'll handle him. Tell your people to go ahead and build the bed frame for one of your two favorite models, and to convert the existing one-range catapult to the design for the other. As soon as they have gotten far enough along for Thickskin to tell the difference, I'll show them to him and bring him around to your view."

"A neat trick, if you can do it. He were a clever teacher who could drive sense into a fool."

Gamelion passed in overcasts, wind, and rain. The new catapults began to take shape. Then, one day, Lithodomos again appeared with Archytas. He frowned at the catapult frames, saying:

"I thought I told you to work on the one with the pivoted trough and let the others go? Here I see two fixed troughs. What are you up to?"

"Let me explain, sir," said Archytas. "Zopyros has been in constant consultation with me. We started the pivoted catapult as you said but ran into technical difficulties. We—"

"What technical difficulties?"

"I'm telling you." Archytas spoke seriously but with animated gestures. "The trouble with the pivoted model is that in the hootnanny position, the gadget interferes with the thingamajig, and that throws the doohickey out of line. The only way to prevent this is to parallax the gimmick, and that keeps the thingumbob from equalizing. So, whichever way we approach the problem, the result is always the same: it doesn't work. You follow me, don't you, sir?"

Lithodomos judiciously stroked his beard. "Ye-es, I see what you mean. Funny I never thought of that. It would seem, though, like a couple of such brilliant fellows ought to be able to figure a way around it."

"We're trying to; by the holy tetractys, we're trying to! But meanwhile we thought, rather than waste the workmen's time, we'd better convert the pivoted model to one with a fixed trough, so that if worst comes to worst we shall have something to show the President.