Authors: Gene Wolfe
With these thoughts in mind, I offered him the hospitality of the house Hypereides had commandeered, mentioning that we had plenty of food there and some good wine, and suggesting he might sleep there tonight if he wished, with Hypereides's permission.
He thanked me and explained that he was not short of money, Artayctes having rewarded him generously on many occasions. He was staying with a well-to-do family, he said, where everything was comfortable enough. "My name is Hegesistratus," he added. "Hegesistratus, son of Tellias, though Hegesistratus of Elis is what I'm generally called now."
Io said, "Oh, we've been to Elis. It was on the way to—to a place up north where King Pausanias sacrificed. Latro doesn't remember it, but the black man and I do. Why do they say you're from Elis, if you're really from Zakunthios?"
"Because I'm from Elis, too," Hegesistratus told her, "and most recently. Our family has its roots there—but this is no story for a little maid. Not even a maid from Hill."
"I'm Latro," I told him. "You already know who Io is, I imagine. Neither of us knows our friend's name—we don't speak his language— but we vouch for his character."
Hegesistratus met the black man's eyes for a moment that seemed very long to me, then spoke to him in another tongue (I think in that which the black man had used to the shopkeeper); and the black man answered him in the same way. Soon he touched Hegesistratus's forehead, and Hegesistratus touched his.
"That is the speech of Aram," Hegesistratus told me. "In it, your friend is called Seven Lions."
We were nearing the city gate then, and he asked me whether the house I had mentioned was much farther. As it happened, it was on the next street after the wall, and I told him so.
"My lodgings are on the other side of the marketplace," he said. "Might I stop, then, and take that cup of wine with you? Walking makes my stump sore"—he gestured toward his crippled leg—"and I would be very grateful for the chance to rest it a bit."
I urged him to stay as long as he wished, and told him that I would like his opinion of my sword.
FOUR
Favorable Auspices
HEGESISTRATUS HAS BEEN ON THE wall observing birds. He says our voyage will be fortunate, and he will come with us. Hypereides wanted to know whether we would find the man we seek, whether we would bring him to Xanthippos, and how the Assembly would reward us for it; but Hegesistratus would answer none of these questions, saying that telling more than one knows is a pit dug for such as he. He and I spoke together awhile, but he has left now.
An odd thing happened while the black man, Io, and I sat at wine with him; I do not understand it, so I shall record it here exactly as it took place, without comment, or at least with very little.
As we chatted, I became more and more curious concerning my sword. I had seen it lying in the chest this morning when I put on a clean chiton and again when the black man and I packed; but I had felt no curiosity about it at all. Now I could scarcely remain at my place. At one moment I feared it had been stolen. At the next, I felt certain it possessed some peculiarity upon which Hegesistratus's comments would be deeply enlightening.
As soon as he had mixed the wine and water, I rose, hurried to my room, and got out my sword. I was about to give it to him when he struck my wrist with his crutch and it fell from my hand; the black man jumped up brandishing his stool, and Io screamed.
Hegesistratus alone remained calm, never rising. He told me to pick up my sword and return it to the scabbard. (Its point had sunk so deeply into the floor that I had to use both hands to wrench it free.) I felt then as though I had wakened from a dream. The black man shouted at me, indicating the wine, then spoke loudly to Hegesistratus, pointing at me and toward the ceiling. Hegesistratus said, "He wishes me to remind you that a guest is sacred. The gods, he says, will punish one who, having invited a stranger, harms him without cause."
I nodded.
Io whispered, "Latro forgets. Sometimes—"
Hegesistratus silenced her with a gesture. "Latro, what were you going to do with that sword?"
I told him that I had wanted him to examine it.
"And do you still?"
I shook my head.
"Very well," he said, "in that case I will. Draw it again and put it on the table, please."
I did as he asked, and he laid both hands upon the flat of the blade and shut his eyes. So he sat for a long time—so long that I had rubbed my wrist and drained my wine before he opened them once more.
"What is it?" Io asked when he had withdrawn his hands.
He shivered a little, I think. "Are you—any of you—aware that divinity can be transmitted, like a disease?"
None of us spoke.
"It can. Touch a leper and you may discover that you have leprosy. The tips of your fingers whiten, or perhaps the spot appears on your chin or your cheek, because you scratched them with those fingers. So it is with divinity. One finds temples in Riverland in which the priests, when they have served their god, must wash and change their clothing before leaving; this though the god, in most cases, is not present." Hegesistratus sighed. "This has been handled by a minor deity, I think."
He looked his question at me, but I could only shake my head.
"Have you killed with it?"
I said, "I don't know. I suppose so."
Io told me, "You killed some of the Rope Makers'—" then covered her mouth with her hand.
Hegesistratus asked, "He killed Rope Makers? You may tell me—I assure you that I am no friend of theirs."
"Just some of their slaves," Io explained. "They caught us once, but Latro and the black man killed a lot of them first."
Hegesistratus sipped his wine. "That was far from here, I take it?"
"Yes, sir. Back in Cowland."
"That is well, for the dead may walk. Particularly those slain with this blade."
I looked around, for I had heard Hypereides's step. He was surprised to see Hegesistratus; but when I had introduced them, he greeted and welcomed him.
Hegesistratus said, "I hope that you will excuse me for not rising. I am lame."
"Of course, of course." The black man had brought a stool for Hypereides, and he sat down. "I'm not getting around very well myself. Been tramping my legs off all over the city."
Hegesistratus nodded. "And there is another matter about which I owe you an apology. A moment ago my friend Latro called me Hegesistratus of Zakunthios. That is true; I was born there and grew to manhood there. But I am properly Hegesistratus, son of Tellias—"
Hypereides started.
"And I am better known as Hegesistratus of Elis."
Hypereides said, "You were Mardonius's mantis at Clay. You told him not to advance—that's what I've heard."
Hegesistratus nodded again. "Does that make me a criminal in your eyes? If so, I am in your power. Both these men obey you, and one has a sword."
Hypereides drew a deep breath and let it out. "Mardonius is dead. I think we ought to let the dead lie."
"As do I, if they will."
"And if we're going after revenge, we'll have to enslave just about everyone in this city. Then who'd hold the place against the Great King? Xanthippos himself said that."
I had poured him a cup of wine, and he accepted it. "Do you know what the Assembly wanted to do to Hill?"
Hegesistratus shook his head.
"Level it! Sell the people of Cowland to the Crimson Men! I'm in leather—in peacetime, I mean. Can you imagine what that would have done to the leather trade?" Even though it was cold, Hypereides wiped his face with his hand as if he were sweating. "It was the Rope Makers who prevented it. Well, the gods know that I'm no friend to the Rope Makers—what are you snickering at, young woman?"
Io said, "You used the same words he did, sir. Just before you came in. That's lucky, they say."
"Why, so it is." Turning back to Hegesistratus, Hypereides asked, "Isn't it? You ought to know, if anybody does."
"It is," the mantis said. "It is always fortunate when men agree."
"You've got a point there," Hypereides conceded. "Now look here, I'm the skipper of the Europa, and we're close to sailing—we should cast off around midmorning tomorrow. How much would you charge me to see what the gods have to say about our voyage, and maybe give warning of any special dangers we may face?"
"Nothing," Hegesistratus replied.
"You mean you won't do it?"
"I mean no more than I say—that I will do it and charge you nothing. You intend to go up Helle's Sea after Oeobazus?"
Hypereides looked amazed, and so, I confess, did I.
Hegesistratus smiled. "There is no mystery here, believe me. Before he died, Artayctes told me you had been asking about Oeobazus, as Io will verify."
I told Hypereides, "The black man and I went back when we were through packing. Artayctes was dead, and there was no one there but Hegesistratus and Io, a boy, and the soldiers. That was how we met Hegesistratus; he was mourning Artayctes."
"As I still am," Hegesistratus added. "And of course you thought that it might be useful to talk with someone who knew Oeobazus by sight. You revealed that quite clearly while Io was bringing our water and this really excellent wine. Very well. He is a Mede—not a man of Parsa, though we Hellenes often call them Medes, but a true Mede—of thirty-five or so, rather taller than most, a strong man and a superb horseman. There is a long scar on his right cheek, only partially concealed by his beard; he told me once that he got it as a boy when he tried to gallop through a thicket. Now may I ask Hypereides why he was trampling around Sestos? I would have thought that most of the things his ship requires would be easily found, or else clearly impossible to obtain. What is it that appears possible, and yet proves so elusive?"
Hypereides said, "Somebody who speaks the dialects of the northern tribes, knows their customs, and will come along with us. Either Oeobazus is safely back in the Empire and out of our reach, or he's being held in one of the civilized cities to the north—which ought to be easy—or he's in some barbarous kingdom on this side of the First Sea. So that's where we may run into trouble, and I'd like to be ready to deal with it."
Hegesistratus stroked his own beard, which is black, curly, and very thick, and said, "You may have found him."
He took leave of us then, and while the black man prepared the second meal, Io drew me aside. "Master," she asked, "were you really going to kill him?"
"Of course not," I said.
"Well, you looked like it. You came in so fast with your sword, and you looked like you were going to split his head. I think you would have, if he hadn't been so quick."
I explained that I had merely wanted him to see it, but she looked unconvinced and asked me many questions about the things the black man and I did today. Describing them reminded me that I had not yet shown Hypereides the cloaks we bought, so when I had satisfied Io's curiosity, I got them and showed them to him. He seemed pleased with them, and most of all with his own; but he said nothing about the scarlet cloak, and I thought it would be unwise to inquire about it.
After we had eaten, Io brought me this scroll and urged me to write down everything that happened today; she said she felt sure that we would want to refer to it later. I have done so, giving everything of any importance that was said in detail and in the words the speakers used, as well as I can write them in my own tongue.
As I wrote before, Hegesistratus interrupted me. He wanted to know where Io and I had been when we had been captured by the Rope Makers, and when I could not tell him, he woke Io and spoke to her. Afterward he said he was going onto the wall to observe the flights of birds; it was dark, when birds seldom fly, though there are some kinds that do, I know. He was gone a long while, but when he returned he spoke with Hypereides, telling him that the word of the gods was favorable and that he would go with us if Hypereides wished it. Hypereides was delighted and asked him many questions, of which he answered only two or three—and even these in ways that told Hypereides very little.
At last, when Hypereides had returned to bed, Hegesistratus sat with me before this fire. He said he wished that he could read this scroll. I told him I would read it to him if he liked, and added I had another in my chest that was full of writing.
"Perhaps I will ask you to do that soon," he said. "Io tells me you do not remember, and I wonder how much you are aware of it."
"I know it," I said. "At least, I see that others remember the days that are gone. That seems strange to me, and yet there are certain things that I remember, too—my father and mother, and the house where we lived."
"I understand," he said. "But you do not remember how you were befriended by Pausanias of Rope?"
I told him I recalled Io's saying that we had been to Elis when we went with King Pausanias to sacrifice, and asked if this Pausanias was a real king.
Hegesistratus shook his head. "No, but he is often called that. The Rope Makers are accustomed to having a king as their leader; since he is their leader now, they call him a king. In reality he stands regent for King Pleistarchos, who is still a boy. Pausanias is his uncle."
I ventured that if Pausanias had befriended Io, the black man, and me, he must at least be a good man.
At that, Hegesistratus stared long into the flames, seeing more there (I think) than I did. At last he said, "If he were of any other nation, I would call him an evil one. Latro, if you do not remember Pausanias, do you perhaps recall a Tisamenus of Elis?"
I did not, but I asked Hegesistratus whether this Tisamenus was a relative of his, since both were said to be "of Elis."
"Only a very distant cousin," Hegesistratus told me. "Both our families are of the Iamidae; but they have been rivals since the Golden Age, when the gods dwelled among men."
"I wish this were the Golden Age," I said, "then I might go to some god, and he might make me as others are."
"You are less different from them than you believe, nor is it easy for men to earn the gratitude of the gods; and they are not much prone to it."