King of Ithaca (Adventures of Odysseus)

As he came closer Eperitus could see him mouthing something, one word over and over again. At first he could not hear him, then suddenly his ranting grew more audible.

‘Fingers. Fingers,’ he groaned as he reached the young warrior. Then with a scream of loathing: ‘Give me my fingers!’

At the last moment, he snatched the dagger from Eperitus’s belt and thrust it at his stomach. Eperitus instinctively caught Polybus’s wrist with his left hand and turned the blade aside, then swung his right fist into his jaw, toppling him backwards into the dust. Odysseus stepped forward and brought his sword down upon Polybus’s neck, severing his head with a single blow.

Chapter Fourteen

THE BOW OF IPHITUS

Eperitus reached down to retrieve his dagger from Polybus’s death grip and, without a word being spoken, they walked free of the courtyard. The day’s fighting had left each of them spattered with gore, so they headed back downhill to the stream, where they stripped off and washed themselves in the cold, refreshing water. Mentor informed them that the last of the Taphians had been slain quickly, but as Halitherses had sent him to find Odysseus he did not know the full tally of their own casualties. The only thing he knew for certain, he said, was that he was hungry and wished there was something to eat.

As he spoke, a fat sheep appeared on the opposite bank of the stream, its fleece shining like silver in the twilight.

‘Well, if that isn’t an answer to prayer,’ Mentor said, drawing his dagger from his belt and wading into the stream.

‘Leave it alone,’ Odysseus cautioned. ‘I don’t think we should touch it.’

They heard bleating from further along the path. More silvery shapes were picking their way over the fallen rocks and through the scrub on either bank of the gurgling waters. A creeping, impenetrable mist followed them, its foremost fronds curling between their fat bodies and reaching towards the four men. Soon it was all about them, so that the only thing Eperitus could see was Odysseus sitting next to him on a rock. They heard the bleats of the sheep and saw their shadows in the fog, but their companions were lost from view.

Then a voice spoke out of the haze. ‘Very wise of you to keep your friend from my sheep. I wouldn’t have wanted to kill him after he spiked that serpent for me.’

They looked up and saw a young man standing before them. He was tall and carried a silver sheepskin draped across one forearm, whilst in his free hand he held a long crook. He had golden hair and huge grey eyes that looked at them sternly and expectantly. Odysseus was quick to recognize Athena and slumped to his knees before her; Eperitus followed his example and bowed his head so as not to look at the goddess.

‘Mistress,’ Odysseus said. ‘The beast is dead and the temple clean.’

‘I would hardly say clean,’ Athena complained. ‘But just to show you that the gods reward those who obey their commands, I’m going to tell you two things in return for ridding my temple of Hera’s pet.’ She put a smooth white hand under each of their arms and lifted them to their feet. ‘First thing, Odysseus: Tyndareus has already decided that Helen will marry Menelaus.’

‘Then I should return to Ithaca at once,’ Odysseus said.

The goddess ruffled his red hair affectionately. ‘Not so hasty, please. It’s Zeus’s will that Helen be given to Menelaus – he’s planning something big, but won’t let anyone know about it. You must still go to Sparta, though. A man of your charms will find important friends there, and perhaps something else, too. But I shan’t spoil things for you.’

Odysseus seemed restless. ‘You said there were two things, mistress.’

‘Yes: go to Messene and restock your provisions. There you’ll meet a man fording a stream. He will be carrying a large horn bow, which the god Apollo gave to his father. You must use your wits to get the bow from him, as he won’t be needing it for much longer himself. How you do it is up to you, but you will be ill advised to leave Messene without it. Do you understand me?’

‘What’s the importance of the bow?’ Odysseus asked.

But the goddess was gone, swallowed up by a billow of the fog. The gentle bleating of her sheep faded away and the mist evaporated about them to reveal Mentor and Antiphus, looking around themselves in surprise.

‘Where in Hades did that fog come from?’ Mentor said. ‘And where did those sheep go?’

Antiphus walked over to them. ‘You had a lot to say for yourselves, didn’t you? Chattering away in the mist.’

It was clear neither man had been aware they had been in the presence of an immortal. Odysseus and Eperitus made no answer, but instead headed back upstream to retrieve their shields and spears.