Summer Solstice Part 10

"What does it mean? And who was he, this Hermius?"

"Hermius was a Greek who studied with Aristotle, under Plato. He was captured by the Persians and tortured. He said these words, and then he died."

"I see. You admire him."

"Very much." From another compartment he pulled out the ball that Khor had tossed to him on the balcony. Bigger than his fist, smaller than his head. It fit exactly on the t.i.tan's back.

"What is that?" whispered Ne-tiy.

"The world globe. Khor made it, and gave it to me as he left."

They both studied it in silence. It was clear she did not understand. Perhaps it was just as well. He was not sure he understood. It might have been better if Khor had never come. No, that wasn't so. He was very lucky that Khor had come.

But this globe... the artifact was far ahead of its time.

(She stole an uneasy look at his face.)

My great world map, he thought, over which I have labored so many years... compared to this it is almost nothing. A bare 80 degrees out of 360. We have not even scratched the surface. Most of the world is still out there, unknown, undiscovered. Who will be the first to find it? I wish I were a great sea captain. I'd take a dozen s.h.i.+ps. Sail out through the Pillars of Hercules. Due west. Into the western hemisphere. And there meet those two great continents. How to get around them? Perhaps a northwest pa.s.sage through the north polar sea? Or around the southern tip of the southern land giant? And then on, for a complete circ.u.mnavigation of the globe.

He sighed. Not in his lifetime. Perhaps not in a hundred years. Maybe not even in a thousand. But eventually s.h.i.+ps would go forth to that new land. And find what? Cities? Savages? Strange animals and plants? No way to tell.

Back to Earth, map-maker! He pressed the globe's north polar cap with his index finger. There was a click, and a tiny spot of light began to pulse, on and off, on the facing side of the sphere.

Ne-tiy gasped. "What is that?"

"The light simply marks the spot where we are. See?" He pointed. "We are here, at Memphis. See the river? Yesterday the light point was on Alexandria, on the Great Green. In five days it will be at Thebes. Calm down, it won't hurt you. Down here is the rest of Africa. Above, Italy, Gaul, Iberia, the Tin Islands, Thule. East, India, Seres, c.i.p.angu."

"Are there really such places?"

"Yes. Do you want to see the other side?"

"... I don't know."

"Well, then, we won't look."

"Can you turn off the little light? It's like the eye of Horus, watching us."

He laughed, but turned it off. "You know what Homer said."

"What did Homer say?"

" 'Though all G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses look on, yet I gladly sleep with golden Aphrodite.' "

"I have a better one," said Ne-tiy. (For she knew she held the ultimate refutation of all science: geodetics... math... cartography... the rising of stars... the solstice of suns.) "Aie se philo-I love thee forever." She held out her arms.