and he couldn’t last much longer.
They saw us at last. A man shouted and I looked up to see a figure in shadow standing atop the Areopagus. He pointed straight at us.
The men who had formed a ring around the action, cordoning off any hope of escape for Xanthippus and Pericles, moved toward us. Antigonos and Euphrestes went forward to engage them, wielding their unstrung bows like short staves in their left hands and holding their daggers in their right. Pythax circled around to the left, obviously intending to flank them. I didn’t see where Diotima went, but fervently hoped she’d had the good sense to back away. I decided to try and break through to the embattled pair at the center of the fighting. It seemed to me if I edged along the face of the Areopagus I would be able to squeeze past the Scythians and their opponents. It was dark enough that I might pass for a shadow.
I failed. Their leftmost man saw me, disengaged from Antigonos, who had two others to deal with as well, and came at me. I held my sword forward and that gave the man pause. I didn’t recognize him. In fact, I hadn’t recognized any of the men in the attack, they all had the look to me of hired thugs or unemployed mercenaries.
One of his two friends landed a nasty, cracking kick to the knee of Antigonos, and the other plunged his blade into the Scythian’s throat. Antigonos went down in a spray of blood. The three turned against me.
One of them shouted, “You! This is going to be a pleasure. Kill him!” It was Rizon, and it was his blade that dripped blood. I didn’t hesitate. I hefted my dagger in my left hand and threw it straight at Rizon. I didn’t care if the other two got me as long as I sent Rizon to Hades before me.
My throw was terrible. The dagger turned in the air and the pommel struck Rizon on the chin. But he thought it was the blade about to strike him and flinched. It was all I needed to lunge forward on a huge extension and take him in the belly. The distance was such that only the tip and a hand’s width of length entered, but I twisted and ripped as I pulled back and it was enough to cause his intestines to poke out. The pressure ripped the wound further, and a blue-red mess spilled into the dust. Rizon screamed and fell to the ground.
My lunge had gone so far it was impossible to pull back in time. I was easy meat for the two thugs. I looked at them and wondered which of them would end me, and hoped it would be quick.
My twisted position meant that I was looking upward, and I saw now that it was the elder Archestratus standing on the outcrop directly above me. He screamed, “I am the rightful leader of Athens!” He took a spear and aimed it down where Pericles and Xanthippus stood, I don’t know which one he was aiming at, but it didn’t matter because there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. One of them would die, and Athens would collapse in civil war.
In the darkness I heard a voice shout, “Mine!” and another shout “Mine!” Two arrows were loosed. Both took Archestratus in the gut.
He dropped the spear and clutched his stomach, leaning far over. He toppled forward.
The body fell from the sky, landing at my feet with a thud. His eyes looked up at me in surprise.
My attackers had just seen their employer eliminated, and they backed away. But it didn’t matter because Pythax was upon them, come unseen.
Pythax with his bare hands grabbed the heads of the men and whacked them together with such force that it sounded like stone being hammered. The heads disappeared in a mist of blood and brain.
I stood up, wincing. It felt like I’d ripped a groin muscle when I’d made that suicidal lunge against Rizon.
The place looked like the aftermath of a major battle. Euphrestes had taken a dagger in the chest and crawled away from the fight, leaving a trail of blood for Pythax and me to follow. We found him under a bush, and Pythax held him in his last moments while I went to find the others. The remainder of the hired thugs had run when Archestratus fell. I inspected the two who would have killed me. They were both thoroughly dead. One had a beard and dark hair; I recognized him as one of the men who had ambushed me in the street and beaten me.
Xanthippus was panting and exhausted. Experienced strategos he may be, but he was also an old man. I held Pericles while Xanthippus probed the wound with his dagger. Xanthippus declared, “An honorable wound but not a dangerous one. The arrowhead penetrated but there are no arteries cut. You have the luck of the Gods, son. And thank you for saving my life.”
Pericles said, “It was more than my filial duty, father. Athens needs you. I need you.” He paused. “I would have missed you.”
I said, “Somebody else saved both your lives; in fact, two some-bodies.”
Pericles asked, “Who are they?”
“Me.” Diotima walked in out of the darkness, carrying her bow. “Pythax and I shot at the same time. Where is he, Nicolaos? Is he all right?”
“I’m still alive,” Pythax said, returning to the firelight. He was covered in blood.
Archestratus was still alive, to my amazement. He was bleeding out and would die within hours, faster if we pulled the arrows. In the meantime he was groaning and screaming in self-pity.
Diotima took out the sacrificial knife she used as a priestess, the short, curved blade that looked razor sharp, with a small handle.
I said in alarm, “Diotima, what are you doing!”
She looked at me, and at Pythax and Pericles and Xanthippus, with hard eyes.
“He killed my father, and I remind you all I am a priestess of the Huntress. This one is my rightful sacrifice.”
She walked into the darkness where Archestratus lay. He saw her coming, holding the knife. He shouted, “No! No! No!” over and over again until his voice was cut off by bubbling sounds.
Pythax said, “Well, all I can say is I’m glad I’m just a dumb guard. How are you statesmen going to explain this?”
Pericles and Xanthippus looked at each other.
I added, “Of course, it would never occur to either of you to tell the people the truth.”
Pericles said, “Nicolaos, you had a taste of what happens when someone tries to tell the people a complex story. Did you notice the dicasts were perfectly happy to watch Euterpe tear her clothes off and make accusations? Did you notice when Diotima tried to explain what really happened they ignored her?”
I hate it when Pericles says something I know to be morally wrong but logically right. “For the good of the state, is it? Or for the good of Pericles and Xanthippus?”
“The first because that is necessity, the second by accident,” Pericles replied. At least he had the grace to be embarrassed.
Pythax reminded us, “It’ll be light soon. There better be an explanation for the corpses before then.”
I replied, “Let me see if I too can be a cynical politician and tell lies for the greater good. Here’s my suggestion: a quiet meeting of Xanthippus, Pericles, and Archestratus was held tonight to resolve the many problems Athens faces. A mob of drunken thugs happened along and attempted to rob them. The trio put up a strong resistance and called for help. Pythax, your two Scythians responded to the cries and saved our leaders before succumbing to their wounds. I’m sorry to report Archestratus fell while putting up a brave fight.”
“Sounds reasonable. And Rizon over there?”
I shrugged. “Will anyone care? Maybe he happened upon the scene by accident.”
Xanthippus said, “That sounds very believable, especially considering the fires I can still see burning. No doubt there’ll be a few corpses in the streets of Athens come morning, so a small collection out here won’t be too remarkable.”
“I’m glad you like my story. Now, what did your meeting agree upon?”
“Did it have to agree anything? We were interrupted by the robbery.”
“It most certainly did. Let me help your memory. To start with, the son of Brasidas will receive an order for new bows and equipment. I think about three hundred ought to be enough to set him up in business. An order that size will encourage the father’s customers to return to the son.”
Xanthippus winced but nodded. “The state coffers won’t run to that sort of money. I’ll donate them to the city out of my own pocket.”
“How very thoughtful of you, sir. Next, the bill for citizenship for Pythax goes through.”
Xanthippus and Pericles both nodded to that one. Pericles said, “The Ecclesia would have to vote on it.”
“With both you and Xanthippus recommending the bill I wouldn’t expect any trouble.”
