The Gates Of Troy Part 11

She paused for a moment, sensing that the sun had finally disappeared below the horizon. A cool breeze drifted up from the sea, fanning her long feet and bare s.h.i.+ns.

'And what is this choice I've made? Paris and I haven't even become lovers yet; we've sailed from one place to another Egypt, Phoenicia and now Cyprus and though I know I love him and he loves me, we've shared nothing more adulterous than a kiss. I know why. My mind has dwelt too long on what I've left behind: Hermione, Aethiolas and Maraphius; a safe and familiar home; even Menelaus's devotion and tenderness. And all that lies ahead are an unknown future with a strange man in a foreign city. Will his family and the people of Troy love me, or will they despise me if war and suffering follow in my wake? Will even Paris continue to love me, or will he tire of my fine looks and abandon me? Worse still, will he return me to Menelaus, an unfaithful and despised wife? Oh, why did you make me fall in love, turning my mind so that I deserted a loving husband and my beautiful children? I should have been a follower of Artemis or Athena instead!'

'Could anything be as dull as wors.h.i.+pping those old maids?'

Startled, Helen looked up and saw an ancient crone standing on the beach before her. She was dressed in a collection of brown rags that covered her from head to foot, leaving only her wizened, toothless face exposed. Her back was bent almost double and her leathery fingers were twisted about clumps of seaweed that hung down to the sand. Helen's faultless features soured in revulsion at the woman's appearance.

'You shouldn't eavesdrop on a person's private prayers, old hag.'

'Prayers is said to be heard, so they say. I might as well hear yours as anyone else.'

'Why would I pray to you?' Helen frowned. 'You can't answer prayers.'

'It sounds to me like your prayers aren't being answered anyway.'

'How long have you been listening to me?'

To Helen's disgust, the old woman began shambling up the sand towards her.

'Longer than you might think, my young beauty,' she said, sitting on the gra.s.s beside her. 'Much longer than you might think. Now, tell me about this young man this Paris.'

'I'm not going to discuss Paris with an old sea-wife who stinks of brine and . . . and stale p.i.s.s!'

The crone smiled and her eyes almost disappeared beneath a ma.s.s of brown wrinkles. 'Then I'll tell you something about him, my dear. Paris's pa.s.sion has always been for fighting, and his loyalty has always been to Troy. But deep down he boils with a desire to be wanted to be loved! He was rejected as a child, you see, and that has never left him, even if his warrior's self-discipline has helped him to control his emotions. But now you've entered his life and left him confused. You've torn him in half.'

'How do you know these things?' Helen interrupted, her revulsion momentarily forgotten.

'I know men, my dear. Look into his eyes and you'll see his heart belongs to you, but that male brain of his is still possessed by notions of duty and service. For years he has trained and fought and followed orders; every atom of his being has been polarized towards these trivialities. But ever since you opened his eyes to the world within the world of the heart he has struggled between two choices: a leap into the unknown or a return to what is familiar.'

'What do you mean?' Helen demanded, her face now filled with concern.

'I'm sorry, my sweet,' the crone replied. 'Have I upset you? Perhaps I should leave.'

'No! Stay, please. Are you suggesting Paris is regretting what he has done? Will he send me back to Sparta?'

'A few moments ago you were rueing leaving your loving husband and beautiful children.'

'Paris isn't the only one who is confused by all this, you know.'

'I know, I know,' the crone said, patting Helen gently on the shoulder and filling her with a strange sensation of warmth. 'It's such a shame for both of you. There's you on one side, wis.h.i.+ng you were back in Sparta when all you've done since p.u.b.erty is dream about escape I would have thought the sight of the Nile and the Pyramids would have cured you of any desire to return home. And on the other side there's Paris, concerned about what his father and brother will think when he brings you back, and whether he was right to abandon his mission and risk war with Greece. Poor boy; all he has ever wanted is to love and be loved, and now he's discovered it he finds himself terrified and filled with uncertainty. Your own restraint and doubt isn't helping, either. But if you act quickly you can make him yours forever.'

'You mean there's still hope for us?'

'Hope?' The old woman smiled, and though her eyes were again almost consumed in folds of skin, the crescents that remained gleamed with an amused light. 'Who needs hope when you can have certainty? I can give you certainty, if you really want it. But do you, Helen? That's the question you have to answer. Do you want to be with a man you truly love, in a marriage that can fulfil you both, even though the future is uncertain; or do you want to go back to your children and be yoked once more to a man who has always shown you kindness and respect, but for whom your heart does not race?'

Helen looked into the crone's knowing eyes, only vaguely wondering how she knew her name, and for a moment her thoughts and emotions seemed lost in a fog, inscrutable and beyond her capacity to decipher. Then the fog dissipated and the answer came to her clearly. She heard a scream of excitement, and looked over her shoulder to see Pleisthenes emerge over a high, gra.s.sy bank and run down to the beach, chased by Aeneas with whom he had formed a strong friends.h.i.+p since leaving home.

'I don't want to go back. Tell me what I must do to dispel Paris's doubts.'

'That's the simplest thing in the world, but I'll tell you all the same.' The crone leaned over and whispered something in Helen's ear. Despite the overwhelming stench of brine and stale urine, a knowing smile spread across the Spartan queen's full lips and she nodded. Then the old woman produced a vial containing a pearlescent liquid and handed it to Helen. 'A single droplet of this in his cup at tonight's meal, and another in your own if you think it'll help, and your problem will be solved.'

'If it's what I think it is, I doubt I'll need it,' Helen said, taking the small bottle anyway.

'Don't be ashamed, my sweet. The liquid can only work where love already exists, and the stronger the love the more irresistible the effect. No doubt you'll see for yourself. And now for my price.'

Helen, who had been staring at the swirl of strange colours trapped within the vial, looked up at the crone and made no effort to hide her scorn.

'For some foolish reason, I'd allowed myself to believe you were offering me your help out of kindness. But your advice has been sound and there's something of the witch about you I should know, my sister is one so I'll not quibble. We have plenty of gold.'

'I can have as much of that stuff as I desire, Helen. My price is not an earthly treasure I want Paris for myself. And don't look at me like that, young girl. I want him to reject Ares and follow me, just as you already follow me. Do you understand me, Helen? When the morning comes and you have succeeded in your task, make sure Paris builds an altar to me here in honour of what I have done for you both.'

The light was quickly fading and as the first star of the evening appeared, s.h.i.+ning brightly above the horizon, Helen saw that she was no longer sitting next to an old crone dressed in rags, but a tall and beautiful woman whose naked skin shone in the twilight. Her loving eyes captured the light of the evening star and seemed to reflect it from a depth that was timeless. But before Helen could think to throw herself to the ground before Aphrodite, the G.o.ddess had faded into nothing.

As Paris lay alone in his tent, listening to the shus.h.i.+ng of the waves in the bay, he knew he had been rash. In the heat of his pa.s.sion for Helen he had risked the lives of himself and his men many of whom had died as a result and had brought the threat of war to Troy. What would Hector think of that? He had allowed Apheidas to persuade him of the merits of such an action, but in his heart he knew the only reason he had taken Helen was because he had fallen in love with her. Everything else was an excuse.

And yet, despite his longing to be with her, they had still not slept together. They had come close as they sailed from port to port and island to island, their lips meeting urgently in moments of pa.s.sion and the closeness of their bodies filling them with a heart-stopping need for each other, but always she had backed away at the last moment. She excused herself by saying that she was not ready that she was still mourning the children she would never see again but with each new rejection Paris's doubts grew. Had he misjudged her? Despite her a.s.surances to the contrary, was she regretting her decision to leave Sparta? Had she simply confused s.e.xual desire for love? He did not know the answers, and part of him was left longing for a return to his safe, familiar life of duty and discipline.

But after tonight his doubts had weakened, driven back by a renewed intoxication with Helen. They had spent the evening feasting on the beach and drinking wine until their heads swam, after which they had kissed with an intensity that had not yet left him. As he lay naked between layers of soft fleeces, looking up at the roof of the tent, his whole body was taut with the need of her. His mind was far from sleep and all he could think of was crossing the beach to where her tent was pitched, entering and taking her. On the northern borders, he had slept with his share of captured women before they were sent back to Troy as slaves. But he also knew that to take Helen before she was willing to give herself would damage the love she had spoken of as they had fled Sparta. And he wanted that love more than anything. He closed his eyes.

As he lay there, listening to the surf advancing and retreating endlessly over the sand, the flap at the front of his tent opened briefly and shut again. Paris leapt to his feet and reached for the sword that hung from the back of a nearby chair. In an instant he had tugged the blade free of its scabbard and was pointing it at arm's length towards the throat of the intruder.

The metal gleamed threateningly in the moonlight that penetrated the thin walls of the tent. Helen looked at it for a moment, then wrapped her fingers around the blade and gently pushed it aside, feeling the tension of her soft skin against the sharpened edge. Her large eyes were filled with longing, and as she looked at Paris he knew she was ready for him. He felt his own pa.s.sions responding, churning hotly within him like waters gathering against the walls of a dam. But he made the walls hold for a little longer, moving the point of his sword to rest against the thick wool of her cloak.

'I acted foolishly,' he told her, hating each word that he forced from his lips. 'You love your children more than you can ever love me. Tomorrow I will return you to your home.'

'All lovers are fools, Paris, and I am the greatest. But I have finished mourning for my children; my heart and my body are yours now. You are my only home from now on.'

Again she pushed away the blade and this time Paris let it drop from his fingers. Then she unfastened the brooch at her left shoulder and, with a slight shrug, the cloak fell about her ankles. She stepped back from it and planted her feet apart in the mess of skins that covered the tent floor, enjoying the softness of the fur between her toes. Confident of her own nakedness, she leaned her head back and ran her fingers through her hair, revelling in the certainty that Paris's eyes were feeding rapaciously on her heavy b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the smooth, pale skin of her stomach and the vertical slit of her navel. She could almost feel his gaze flowing down her long legs and back up again to the triangle of black hair where his l.u.s.t was concentrated.

Then she felt his arms fold about her, the firm muscles of his chest crus.h.i.+ng her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as he ran his lips over her exposed neck. For a moment the strength of his pa.s.sion stunned her, threatened to overwhelm her as he covered her ears, cheeks and lips with kisses. Then he lifted her easily in his arms and lay her down on the pile of furs, which were soft and yielding beneath the naked skin of her back and b.u.t.tocks.

'I'll never give you up, Helen,' he told her, staring into her irresistible eyes. 'I love you!'

'Do you love me enough to leave your soldier's life behind and be a proper husband to me?' Helen responded, closing her legs against the probing of his hand. 'Will you reject Ares and follow Aphrodite?'

'Ares has never let me down,' Paris said, lowering his head to her breast and kissing her nipple. 'Even if I agree to give up fighting, what can Aphrodite do for me?'

'She can bless our marriage with eternal love. Isn't that better than anything Ares can give you?'

'Then, for your sake, I'll fight no more and wors.h.i.+p Aphrodite. I remember her clearly from my dream on Mount Ida; I'd never seen a more lovely woman in my life, either sleeping or waking. Not until I saw you that night in Sparta.'

'You mustn't say that,' Helen half-protested, allowing Paris to slip his knee between her thighs. 'It was Aphrodite who brought us together, and tomorrow you must build a shrine to her.'

'I'll make one at home in Troy,' he said, kissing her ear lobe and neck. 'A proper one, with dressed stone and . . .'

'No. Make it here. To celebrate our becoming lovers.'

Paris smiled. 'As you wish. And when we're old and our children have found husbands and wives of their own, we'll sail back here and remember the time Aphrodite gave you to me.'

In response she felt a rage of pa.s.sion well up from the pit of her stomach. It was stronger than anything she had ever known before, a surging intensity that flooded into every part of her body and made her light-headed as she lay beneath him. Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she was giving up control; and as she surrendered the restraint of a lifetime she felt an overpowering sensation of freedom, of becoming the wild creature the G.o.ds had created her to be. She stared up at Paris, at the lurid scar that split his face, and was greedy for the press of his lips against her again. She threw her arms about his neck and kissed him fiercely, and as he entered her the bonds of her former life Sparta, Menelaus, her children dropped away like locks of shorn hair.

The Ithacan fleet and the lone s.h.i.+p from Mycenae had reached the Cape of Malea by sunset of the third day of their voyage. The thirteen vessels were drawn up in a large bay along the eastern coast of the cape, where the crews threw their stone anchors overboard and made camp on the beach. Here they baked bread using stores of grain from the s.h.i.+p, or went up into the hills to hunt wild goats, rabbits and birds. That evening they feasted, drank wine and told stories until they fell asleep on the soft sand, whilst their commanders gathered in Agamemnon's tent and talked long into the night.

As Helen made love to Paris on Cyprus, her husband was pacing up and down and listening to the argument between Odysseus on one side and Agamemnon and Palamedes on the other. After a while he could no longer hold back his thoughts.

'You're suggesting, Odysseus, that we send a single s.h.i.+p to Troy to plead for the return of my wife?'

'Not plead, Menelaus negotiate. There's a difference.'

'I don't care if there is a difference. We're gathering the largest force of men and arms ever witnessed and you think we should negotiate for Helen like a pack of beggars? They kidnapped her along with my youngest son, don't forget! I agree with my brother the Trojans need to be taught a stern lesson, one that will show the rest of the world we Greeks aren't to be toyed with. We should slaughter them to a man, reduce their city to rubble and bring Helen back to Sparta where she belongs.'

'I agree with everything you and Agamemnon have done so far,' Odysseus replied. 'Calling in the oath; gathering the armies as quickly as possible; preparing for a quick strike. But an emba.s.sy to Troy could save hundreds of Greek lives even thousands as well as the possibility of a long and expensive war paid for from Mycenaean and Spartan coffers.'

'We all appreciate your desire to return to your wife and son as quickly as possible, Odysseus,' Agamemnon said. 'I, also, have no desire to spend long months away from my lad, Orestes. He'll eventually take my place on the throne and needs his father's example to follow. Then there's my daughter, Iphigenia; without my influence to check her feminine nature, I fear she will become rebellious and gain ideas above her station. But how can we consider our needs more urgent than those of my brother? Menelaus has had his beloved wife torn from him and taken to Troy! He wants nothing more than to return her to the loving safety of her own home, where her children weep constantly for the loss of their mother. That's why the Greeks are gathering in Aulis as we speak, eager as hounds to be at Trojan throats. Of all those called only Achilles has not yet responded, though if he's even half the warrior he is said to be then it won't be long before he joins us. But these negotiations you suggest could take months and will dampen the ardour of the army. So why don't you forget this n.o.ble but hopeless notion and turn your brilliant mind to thoughts of winning this war?'

Agamemnon folded his arms across his chest and stared at Odysseus, challenging him to respond. But the Ithacan did not meet his gaze, turning his eyes instead on the king of Sparta.

'Menelaus, my friend, Agamemnon is right our sympathies lie with you first and foremost. You're the one who has had his family broken apart. It's you who have suffered the loss of a matchless wife and a devoted son, so you should be the one to decide on the matter.' He looked at Agamemnon, who was the most powerful of them and the one most opposed to a peaceful resolution. The Mycenaean king nodded and Odysseus continued. 'But first, listen carefully to what I have to say on the matter. Teach the Trojans a lesson, you say; wipe them out and destroy their city. Who can say they deserve any less? But ask yourself this do you want revenge or do you want your family restored? If it's revenge, then let's all head for Aulis and rouse the Greeks to war. And don't tarry there sail to Troy at once and launch our attack without delay, for this won't be a quick war. The Trojans will be defending their homes, and that alone will give them twice the stomach for a fight than our men will have. They're well trained and battle-hardened, and with their allies they can at least match us in numbers; they will have the safety of their walls to return to each evening and a sure supply of food and reserves, whereas we will sleep in tents or on our beached galleys, exposed to night attacks and relying on s.h.i.+ps for our provisions. This won't be a speedy raid, Menelaus, and Troy is not some minor city with a weak army and no defences. Even with names like Diomedes, Ajax and Achilles if he comes in our ranks, this war won't be concluded until next year at the earliest, and not without the loss of much Greek blood. And all the time we must worry about attacks on our own kingdoms while we are absent.'

He paused and caught Menelaus's eye, holding his gaze for a long moment as if the others in the tent were not there.

'But if I were you,' he continued, 'I would forget revenge. If you want Helen back at all, then you need to act quickly and with much more speed than the mechanics of war will allow.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' Menelaus asked, his eyes narrowing.

'Be realistic, Menelaus. Helen may have been able to keep Paris at bay thus far, but for how much longer? He took her because of her beauty. He wants to make her his lover and wife, and the longer she is kept prisoner behind the walls of Troy the greater the risk he will succeed. He won't be above forcing himself upon her either. Do you want Paris to violate Helen? Do you want her to bear his children?'

Menelaus's eyes widened and his face turned red. Suddenly the fury burst free and he smashed his fist down on the table, sending the cups and plates leaping into the air. Wine, meat and bread spilled over the fleece-covered floor.

'How dare you!' he shouted, grabbing a handful of the purple robe Penelope had given Odysseus and pulling the Ithacan king towards him. 'How dare you speak of such an outrage!'

Odysseus placed his hand on Menelaus's wrist and calmly forced it back down to his side.

'I dare to speak of these things, Menelaus, because I'm your friend. Palamedes there has spent the evening goading you with talk of revenge, provoking your anger by reminding you of the injustice Paris has committed against you. That's because he thinks that's what you want to hear, and he doesn't have the courage to tell you the painful truth. But what I'm telling you is the truth, whether you like it or not. And unless you're prepared to put aside your desire for revenge, then Paris and Helen will become lovers. That much I can guarantee. Your only hope and my only hope of returning to Penelope and Telemachus is to allow me to go to Priam and speak with him. I can make him see reason and let Helen go, especially if he knows about the army that's being gathered against him.'

'An emba.s.sy to Troy is a waste of time,' Agamemnon said, icily. 'We'll lose the element of surprise if you tell Priam about our preparations. We can't afford to risk an opposed landing on the beaches of Ilium. And I know my sister-in-law better than you do, Odysseus. Helen won't betray Menelaus. She'll be expecting him to come with an army, and that thought alone will help her to resist Paris.'

'No it won't,' Menelaus said, shaking his head slowly. 'Odysseus is right. But there's something else he hasn't said, whether he thought it or not. I know Helen doesn't love me. She respects me and enjoys my friends.h.i.+p, but I don't consume her thoughts or fill her with desire. That I can live with, and have done for ten years. What I will not be able to bear is if she falls in love with another. I can't risk laying siege to Troy and knowing that, as each day pa.s.ses, Helen is closer to giving her heart to Paris. It won't do! Agamemnon, you agreed the choice should be mine, and so I say Odysseus should get his chance. What's more, he should be given the power to make any bargain he thinks is necessary, as long as it results in the rapid return of my wife.'

'Think about what you're saying, brother . . .'

'I have, Agamemnon! I want Odysseus to go to Troy and bring Helen back before . . . before it's too late.'

Agamemnon sighed and shook his head. 'Very well,' he said reluctantly. 'There's none better than Odysseus to win a man over, and even a proud old fool like Priam might be persuaded.'

'That's settled then,' Odysseus said, standing as if to leave. 'Eperitus and I will leave at dawn tomorrow, while the rest of the fleet will be placed under my cousin Eurylochus. They'll escort you to Aulis, Agamemnon, and train in the full expectation of war.'

Palamedes stood. 'One more thing, my lords. I'd like to be part of this emba.s.sy I've always wanted to see the famous walls and towers of Troy and I think Menelaus should come too.'

Odysseus opened his mouth to protest but Agamemnon held up his hand to silence him. 'I agree that you should go, Palamedes after all, two great minds are better than one. But not Menelaus. The Trojans pretend to honour the customs of guest-friends.h.i.+p, but we've already seen Paris break one sacred oath I can't risk my brother falling into their treacherous hands and being held hostage or killed.'

'Paris is not a king, my lord,' Palamedes said. 'But Priam is and he won't dare lose face by mistreating his guests. For one thing, no other nation in the civilized world would ever trust his word again, so you can rest a.s.sured Menelaus will be safe. What's more, if Priam hears from Menelaus himself the grief that Paris has caused him, that will be far more effective than any argument Odysseus or I could make.'

He gave Agamemnon a look, which the king appeared to understand.

'Very well,' Agamemnon announced, signalling for the guards to open the entrance flaps of his tent. 'Menelaus and Palamedes will board with you in the morning, Odysseus, and may the G.o.ds speed you on your voyage to Troy. The rest of us will sail to the gathering at Aulis.'

They rose at first light the next day and set off before sunup, rowing the s.h.i.+ps out of the bay to find a breeze, then hoisting the cross-spars and letting the sails fall. Eperitus stood in the prow of his galley as it rounded the cape, watching the cotton and flax sail flap and sputter several times before catching the wind and bellying out. The dolphin motif swelled in the orange light of the rising sun and for a moment seemed like a living creature, hauling the s.h.i.+p forward across the troughs and swells of the restless sea. In a flurry of activity, the sailors adjusted the leather ropes to distribute the wind pressure before returning to the crowded benches, their weight acting as ballast to make the s.h.i.+p ride evenly across the waves.

Although he had spent the past ten years living on an island, Eperitus was no sailor and was happy to leave the running of the s.h.i.+p to the crew. They were drawn from the islands of Ithaca, Samos, Zacynthos and Dulichium, so had spent their entire lives travelling on boats of some form or other, whereas he had not even seen the sea before he met Odysseus. Despite that, he loved the oceans with a pa.s.sion that could rival any of the veteran seamen. He had never forgotten the first time he had smelled the unfamiliar reek of brine, heard the cawing of the great white gulls and then, supremely, stepped aboard a s.h.i.+p and taken his first, swift voyage over the ceaseless waters. It had been the strangest and most exhilarating experience of his life to feel himself afloat on the powerful and s.h.i.+fting body of the ocean, its dark ma.s.s impenetrable and full of primeval mystery. That first experience had sparked a love that had never left him, and as he looked down at the waves breaking over the red-cheeked bows of the s.h.i.+p each one painted with a large eye that stared fixedly at the horizon he felt his joy of life renewed by the prospects of a long voyage to Troy.

He turned and leaned against the prow, enjoying the feel of the waves slapping against the thin planking beneath his feet and the wind whipping through his hair. He looked across the rows of benches at the faces of the warriors who would be under his command. Each craft had been constructed to carry sixty men in basic comfort, but with all their war gear and provisions for a long voyage the s.h.i.+p was horribly overcrowded. The two hundred men of the palace guard who had been chosen to form the backbone of the expedition had been divided to provide fifteen trained fighters per s.h.i.+p, with an additional twenty to act as Odysseus's bodyguard. These included the most experienced and longest-serving soldiers, whom Eperitus was happy to see dotted in twos or threes on the benches. Some caught his eye and gave a nod or a smile of recognition, while others were busy in conversation, playing dice or just looking out at the waves, where groups of dolphins raced the great wooden vessels and occasionally leapt out to eye the men that sat in them.

At the helm were Odysseus, Eurybates, Menelaus and Palamedes. Eurybates, one of the best sailors in the guard, stood with his hands on the twin steering oars, his eyes narrowed as they watched the sea ahead and read the wave caps to find the best current. Odysseus was beside him, looking displeased at the presence of Palamedes, yet with an indomitable glint in his eye. After leaving Agamemnon's tent, the king had confided to Eperitus that he suspected Palamedes would try to thwart his attempts to bring Helen back to Greece, but that he was determined not to allow him. Eperitus agreed to keep a careful eye on the Nauplian prince.

Before long, the king called down to the crew and ordered a change in the sail. Slowly the s.h.i.+p began to move away from the fleet, no longer shadowing the coastline but heading out towards the cl.u.s.ter of islands that formed the gateway to the Aegean Sea, which lay hidden beyond the haze of the horizon. Suddenly a cheer began to rise up from the crews of the other galleys, which was echoed by the men of the lone vessel. Eperitus, too, stood on one of the rowing benches, waving and calling to his adopted countrymen with wishes for a speedy voyage to Aulis and the protection of the G.o.ds. How long would it be, he wondered, before they met again? Would it be a triumphal reunion, as they returned from Troy with Helen, or would they come back with thoughts of a long and bitter war ahead of them? It would depend on the ability of his friend and king to work his charm on the Trojans, but in his heart Eperitus hoped for war.

Chapter Twelve.

TROY.

Progress had been good since leaving the Cape of Malea. Strong winds kept the sail full most of the time, whilst the waves were rarely steep enough to hinder the speed of the galley. Though not one man had ever sailed to Troy before, or even pa.s.sed the belt of islands that separated the Cretan Sea from the Aegean, Agamemnon had provided them with a map showing the way. This had been drawn at the king's command by a Mycenaean merchant who was a frequent visitor to Troy. Though rough, it showed the coasts of Euboea, Attica and the Peloponnese on the left, all the major islands in between, and the sh.o.r.es of Asia on the right. The positions of significant ports and cities had been recorded, and in a northerly bulge of the Asian coastline were the words Ilium and Troy.

For seven days the crew had risen before the first light of dawn, eager to set the sail and forge on to new waters and new sights, but by late afternoon every man would be looking for a safe mooring before the approach of evening. To sail in darkness was to invite peril, with no lights to mark the sh.o.r.eline and no way to spot reefs and other dangers. It was just as important with the level of overcrowding on the s.h.i.+p to camp on land, where the men would make themselves comfortable, light fires and cook their food. But Odysseus and Eurybates, who took turns at the helm, also insisted on finding a port or a bay with a fis.h.i.+ng village. As helmsmen on galleys are only able to navigate from one headland to the next, they were keen to find sailors who could give them the benefit of their experience for the next day's voyage.

Using this method, they sailed eastward through the islands of the Cyclades, stopping at Melos, Myconos and Icaria, before turning north towards the Asian seaboard. Here the strong offsh.o.r.e wind took them past the islands of Chios and wooded Lesbos until, on the afternoon of the eighth day from Malea, they came within sight of another, much smaller island close to the mainland.

Odysseus was the first to spot it. He was leaning with one hand against the prow and the other gripping the bow rail, watching the features of the alien coastline as it slipped by on the starboard side. Eperitus was next to him as usual, his arms folded over the bow rail as he watched the waves sliced open by the blue beak of the galley, sending a constant sea spray over the bulging red cheeks and the ever-watchful eyes that adorned them. The light of the lowering sun was still bright and created circular rainbows in the fine mist. Suddenly Odysseus placed a hand on his friend's forearm and pointed. A moment later, Eurybates cried out from the helm, 'Tenedos! Tenedos on the northern horizon.'

There was a surge of activity on the benches as the crew crowded to the sides or stood to catch a glimpse of the still-distant island. Tenedos itself was of no significance, but every man knew it stood opposite a spur of land that protected a large inland bay, and on a hill in the plain to the northeast of the bay was Troy. At each stop there had been contact with sailors and merchants who had described to them its tall towers, high, sloping walls and strong gates, building in their minds a vivid mental picture of a city bulging with wealth and ripe for sacking. Despite their mission of peace, not one warrior on board wanted a bloodless resolution to their adventure. They had volunteered to fight, some inspired by dreams of glory or the desire to restore Greek pride, but all of them hoping to return to Ithaca laden with the spoils of war. After a while, when it was clear the lofty towers of their enemy's city were not yet visible, they returned to the benches.

Last to return was Menelaus. His anguish over the loss of his wife had all but disappeared since leaving the Cape of Malea, either because he had learned to disguise his grief in front of the common soldiery or, as Eperitus believed, because of his growing confidence that he would soon be reunited with Helen. He had shared his time cheerfully between the commanders Odysseus, Eperitus, Eurybates and Palamedes and the Ithacan warriors. When he was not plaguing Odysseus with questions about how he would deal with the Trojans, he would sit on the benches with the men, casting dice and losing lots of money (deliberately, as Eperitus and Odysseus suspected), or sharing experiences of battle and fighting techniques. This had won over every one of the Ithacans to his cause; if glory and plunder had been the motives that drew them to the expedition, restoring Menelaus's wife and his honour were now equally important. There was not a man among them who did not want to kill Trojans and raze their city to the ground. Yet as Eperitus watched the Spartan king look longingly northward, then turn away and go to sit despondently next to Palamedes in the helm, he knew the man's torment had not lessened.

'Won't be long now,' Odysseus said as the low, broad bulk of Tenedos drew nearer. 'The merchant we spoke to last night said the bay is crawling with Trojan wars.h.i.+ps, but we should be able to find ourselves a mooring before last light. Then we can set off to the city and seek an audience with Priam.'

'And if they attack us?' Eperitus asked sceptically.

'We're not at war yet, Eperitus. They won't harm us.'

'I wish I shared your confidence about that.'

Odysseus gave a relaxed shrug. 'Trojans are said to treat visitors the same as we do in Greece. If nothing else, they'll welcome us as guests and protect us while we're within the borders of Ilium.'