The Oracles of Troy (The Adventures of Odysseus)

The flax cords fell away and Eperitus stood. The next moment he was in a heap on the floor.

‘Steady,’ said Odysseus, hauling him back to his feet. ‘How long have you been tied to that chair?’

‘Longer than I can remember.’

‘And your wound?’

‘More or less healed,’ Eperitus replied. He looked into the king’s eyes, then broke into a smile and embraced him. ‘Zeus’s beard, you’re the last person I expected to see. And Diomedes, too! How did you get into Troy?’

‘It’s a long tale, and one we’ll give in full when we’ve got you safely back to the Greek camp.’

‘So you came here to save me?’

‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ Diomedes scoffed, slapping him on the shoulder. ‘We’re here to steal the Palladium and you’re going to help us. Try leaning on this.’

He handed him one of the dead guards’ spears. Eperitus moved his legs, felt some of the life come back into them, and attempted to stand. Odysseus caught him again, while Diomedes knelt down and began vigorously rubbing his calves and thighs to restore the flow of blood, though he was careful to avoid the bandaged wound.

‘Everyone had taken you for dead after the battle,’ Odysseus said, ‘but not me. And when I heard you were being held prisoner here, I insisted on rescuing you before stealing the Palladium.’

‘Try again,’ Diomedes instructed, rising to his feet.

This time, with the help of the spear, he found his legs had the strength to stand once more. He took a couple of tentative steps towards the door and came face-to-face with Astynome. Without a moment’s hesitation she threw her arms about him, almost knocking him back to the floor. Odysseus and Diomedes quickly busied themselves dragging the bodies of the guards into the storeroom, while Astynome drew back and looked into Eperitus’s eyes. The doubt in her dark, attractive features was clear to see.

‘Say you forgive me,’ she whispered.

For an instant he remembered again Apheidas’s cruel revelation at the temple of Thymbrean Apollo, that the woman he had fallen in love with had been sent to lure him into a trap – a trap that had resulted in the death of his friend, Arceisius. Then he recalled the look of remorse on Astynome’s face as Apheidas dragged her away at knifepoint, and her confession that her love for him was genuine. And he knew, despite her treachery, that she had spoken the truth.

‘There’s nothing to forgive. Apheidas is manipulative and evil; we’re both his victims.’

‘In Zeus’s name, will you just say you forgive me?’

‘I forgive you. Of course I forgive you. And now you have to come back with me to the camp.’

Astynome kissed him and shook her head as she withdrew.

‘Impossible. You know what’ll happen if Agamemnon discovers me. Besides, I’ll only burden your escape from Troy.’

‘We can deceive Agamemnon and I can carry you back to the camp, if I need to.’

‘Not on those legs you won’t. Anyway, I’ll be more use to you inside Troy. Odysseus has already asked me to do something for him.’

Eperitus narrowed his eyes and looked across at the king, who was dragging the second guard’s body into a gap behind the sacks of barley in the far corner of the room.

‘What?’

‘I can’t say I really understand it, but even if I did I couldn’t tell you. He’s sworn me to secrecy.’

‘Time to go,’ Diomedes announced, standing in the doorway with a torch in his hand. ‘The night’s old already and we’ve still to find the temple of Athena.’

‘I’ve already told Odysseus the quickest way there,’ Astynome said. ‘The difficulty will be in stealing the Palladium itself.’

‘And in that you can’t help us, Astynome,’ Odysseus said. ‘You have to get back to the servants’ quarters and hope you’ve not been missed. Eperitus, how are your legs?’

Eperitus could feel the strength returning and gave his friend a nod. He looked again at Astynome and kissed her on the lips.

‘When the city falls, wait for me here, in Apheidas’s house. I’ll come and find you.’

She nodded silently and watched him out of the storeroom, following Odysseus and Diomedes as quickly as his numb legs would carry him.

Chapter Thirty-one

THE PALLADIUM

Diomedes followed at Odysseus and Eperitus’s heels, staring in awe at the great mansions and temples of Pergamos. If the mighty walls of Troy were intended to impress visitors with her power and invulnerability, her inner buildings were built to astonish them with her wealth, piety and culture. The well-laid stones and the ornate architecture far exceeded anything the citadels of Argos, Sparta or even Mycenae could offer in competition, and Diomedes – like many before him – was being made to feel like a common barbarian as he stole through the empty streets.