The Bronze God of Rhodes

The crew roared its approval, and even Berosos and Dikaiarchos ceased their argument, as to whether the moon in its courses faces constantly towards the sun or towards the earth, to watch. As she was going out, I stopped her and asked if I might see her later.

"I have one more dance. I meet you in hour outside," she said.

Having time to work up my anticipation, I bethought me that I was not presenting my most seductive appearance. Although I had bathed and shaved, I wore my hard-used artilleryman's corselet, kilt, and hobnailed shoes. If I went back to the ship, I could get out my best soft shoes, shirt, and cloak, comb my curly hair, oil my skin, and borrow some scent from a shipmate.

Like the other men of the Talos, I had engaged a bed in the dormitory of the tavern, for even the most bug-ridden bed seemed like luxury after four nights on a pine deck. That, however, could wait.

On her rollers, the Halia loomed up as a huge black towering mass in the moonlight. I identified myself to the marine sentries and climbed the ladder. Snores from rowers and others who were sleeping aboard rumbled up from the oar deck, while light and snatches of song came from the captain's cabin under the quarterdeck. Python, I thought, was having quite a party.

I was finishing my toilette on the forecastle deck when the noise from the captain's cabin was broken by a cry of rage and anguish. There was a moment of silence, then a yammer of voices. The door to the cabin flew open. Out rushed Captain Python, shouting:

"Leonidas! Damon! Chares! Where is everybody? Something terrible has befallen!"

Some of the rowers roused themselves to grunt questions from the oar deck, but the first officer, the boatswain, and the marine officer had all gone into the town. I said:

"Here I am, sir. What is it?"

As I reached the main deck, Python ran forward, waving his fists above his head. He tried to speak, but only an inarticulate stammer came forth. Never had I seen our usually easygoing captain so excited. Behind him,' Commandant Tauros emerged from the cabin, together with two scantily clad girls.

"The—the robe is gone!" shouted Python at last. "Demetrios' royal robe?"

"What—what did you think I meant? Somebody has stolen it! Who took it? Where is it?" Python grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.

"Please, Captain!" I said. "I haven't seen this precious robe. Is it just the robe that is missing, or all of Demetrios' regalia?"

"Only the robe. I—I opened the chest to show these garments to my guests just now, and—but who could have done it?"

I said: "How about those so-called bookdealers, Semken and Alexis? Azarias the Judaean says they left in haste without him, early this afternoon."

"Herakles! I think you have it. It was the Hellene, Alexis, who was so eager to see the garments, was it not?"

"Yes, he it was who persuaded you to open the chest."

"Do not try to blame me, you young scoundrel! It was you who told him about these things in the first place. Therefore it is you who have ruined us and perhaps our city as well! I ought to hang you—"

With a snarl Python aimed a blow at my head. Luckily I saw it coming in time to duck.

"Captain!" I cried, dancing back out of reach of the frantic man's fists. "Pull yourself together! You'll never recover the robe by beating me."

"He speaks sense, man," said the commandant. "The main thing is to get your bauble back."

"What can you do, Tauros? What can anybody do?" moaned Python. "I am ruined! I should have paid more heed to the omens."

I said: "I remember now that a couple of years ago, when I returned to Rhodes from my apprenticeship, I was told of a daring theft of all the books in our public library. Suspected were a pair of bookdealers who had visited the island and whose descriptions are answered by Alexis and Semken. So I have no doubt that they are the thieves."

"Why did you not think of that sooner?" said Python.

"Call it stupidity, sir. The next thing, however, is to find out whither they went. Their plan was to go up the Phatnitic branch, taking Azarias as far as Bousiris. So they must be bound for some hideout south of that city."

"Sailing up the river, eh?" said Python. "Then why do we not launch the ship and go after them? With our oars we could easily catch them."

Commandant Tauros said: "You have never sailed a trireme on the Nile. This branch writhes like a serpent in pain. Hence you must go slowly, with a native pilot to show you the channel, lest you ground on a sand bar. These river craft, which can sail on a heavy dew, need not be so careful, and thus you lose your advantage of speed. Moreover—did you say these fellows fled in the afternoon?"

"Yes," I said, "or so Azarias told me."

"Then they are already halfway to Bousiris, with this brisk breeze. And with the calking out of your planks and your girding cables off, your ship could not pursue them anyway."