Her tearful, accusing eyes haunted me, but I had to learn the truth from Dorieus’ own lips. Only then would I be free of doubts. How-childish I was! As though my heart could ever be at peace for a single moment with Arsinoe.
I found Dorieus in the garden, lolling in the warm pool. The yellowish water smelled of sulphur and his strong body gleamed larger than life through it. To calm my mind I sat on the edge of the pool, dangling my feet in it.
“Dorieus,” I began, “remember the stadium at Delphi. Remember the sheep’s bones we tossed to divine the direction of our travels. Remember Corinth and the war in lonia. Surely our friendship is above all else. I will not be angry if you but tell the truth. In the name of our friendship, have you lain with Arsinoe?”
His glance wavered. Finally he said, “Well, once or twice. I meant no harm. Her enticements are irresistible.”
Dorieus’ honest confession proved him to be as childish as I in such matters although I did not realize it at the time. Cold shivers sped up my back. “Did you compel her to submit?”
“I, compel?” Dorieus stared at me in wonder. “In the name of Herakles, little do you know her! Haven’t I already explained that I could not withstand her?” Thus launched on his tale he was anxious to unburden himself. “Don’t tell Tanakil, I pray you. I would not want her to worry. You see, it was Arsinoe who started it all by admiring my muscles. She said that you were not much of a man compared to me.”
“Did she really?” I said in a hoarse voice.
“Yes. It seems that Tanakil had so boasted of my strength that Arsinoe grew envious. You yourself know what happens when she strokes a man’s loins a few times. In all honesty I could not think of friendship, honor or anything else. Shall I continue?”
“No. I understand.” But I did not. “Dorieus, why did she claim that you do not attract her?”
He burst into laughter and began flexing his muscles in the water. “Don’t I? Perhaps she said so out of pity, but you should have been there to see and hear for yourself.”
I rose so suddenly that I almost toppled into the pool. “So be it, Dorieus. I do not hate you for it nor will I brood over the matter. But don’t ever do it again.”
Eyes brimming with hot tears, I fled into the house. I knew then that I could no longer trust anyone, least of all Arsinoe. This bitter truth must come to each one of us sooner or later. It is as inescapable a part of life as ashen bread or a cold. Then a feeling of relief swept over me as I knew that I was under no obligation to Dorieus. Our friendship no longer bound me to him since he himself had violated that friendship.
When I returned to our room Arsinoe raised herself eagerly from the couch. “Well, Turms, have you spoken to Dorieus and are you not ashamed of your cruel suspicions?”
“How brazen can you be, Arsinoe? Dorieus confessed.”
“Confessed what?” she demanded.
“To having lain with you, as you well know.” I sank onto the couch in despair. “Why did you lie and falsely swear by our love? Never again will I be able to trust you, Arsinoe.”
She wound her arms around my neck. “But, Turms, what nonsense is this? Dorieus could not have confessed. Do you think that Spartan is trying to alienate us by sowing seeds of doubt in your mind? I can think of no other reason.”
Reluctantly I looked at her with hungry, hopeful eyes. She read my longing to believe, and hastened to explain. “Now I understand, Turms. Naturally I wounded his masculine pride in rejecting his advances and, knowing how credulous you are, he is retaliating by speaking falsely of me.”
“Don’t, Arsinoe,” I pleaded. “I am already heartsick unto death. Dorieus did not lie, for I know him better than you.”
She took my head between her palms. For a moment she studied me, then thrust me aside. “So be it. I no longer have the strength to fight for our love. All is at an end, Turms. Farewell. Tomorrow I shall return to Eryx.”
What could I have said? What could I have done but fling myself on the floor and beg forgiveness for my ugly suspicions? She was in my blood and I could not lose her. Again we climbed a dazzling cloud, and viewed from there everything on earth seemed insignificant, even lies and deception.
3.
The sailing season was upon us and, after a winter of laboring to raise Himera’s walls, the men of Phocaea were restless, sniffing the winds and studying the heavenly portents. Dionysius had launched a new ship and both the penteconters had been caulked and tarred tighter than ever. There was not an oar, a rope or a knothole that Dionysius had not inspected with his own eyes. In the evening the sailors were already sharpening their light weapons and the marines, grown fat over the winter, were struggling to don their breastplates and cuirasses of bronze scales and piercing new holes in their straps. The oarsmen were singing rowdy songs of farewell, while the men who had married Himeran women in the autumn were beginning to wonder whether it would, after all, be wise to subject a frail woman to the dangers of the sea. And so the women, despite their tears and pleading, were to remain behind in Himera.
But Krinippos decreed that every wedded man must provide his wife with funds in accordance with his position on the ship, thirty drachmas for an oar and one hundred drachmas for a sword. In addition, every Himeran woman, whether single or wedded, who had become pregnant during the winter was to receive ten silver drachmas from Dionysius’ treasure.
Enraged by such extortionate demands, the sailors gathered in the market place to scream that Krinippos was the most thankless tyrant and the greediest human they had ever known.
“Are we the only men in Himera?” they wailed. “After all, your own symbol is the cock, and it is not our fault if we were contaminated by your city’s whoredom. All winter we have labored like slaves for you, and by night were so exhausted that we could only fall into bed. It is surely not our fault if the city’s maidens-yes, and matrons too- crept in beside us.”
But Krinippos was merciless. “The law is the law, and my word is the law in Himera. But willingly I grant you permission to take your wives with you and also those maidens whom you have made pregnant. The choice is yours.”
During the confusion Dionysius stood apart and made no attempt to defend his men. He still had to obtain water and supplies for the ships and above all the treasure from Krinippos’ stone vaults. As the men stormed about the market place, tearing their clothes in rage, he studied each shrewdly.
Suddenly he clutched the arm of the noisiest rower. “What is that mark on your back?”
The man glanced over his shoulder and explained eagerly, “It is a holy mark that will protect me in battle and cost only one drachma.”
A group of men clustered around Dionysius, each anxious to show his own holy crescent. Angrily Dionysius asked, “How many of you have such a mark and who made them?”
More than half the men had hastened to obtain the charm and the wounds had not yet healed, for the seer had but recently arrived in Himera. With a sharp knife he had shaped the crescent on the edge of the left shoulder blade, painted it with holy indigo, covered it with holy ashes and finally spat holy spittle on it.
“Bring forth the seer that I may study his own shoulder blade,” commanded Dionysius. But the seer who but a few minutes earlier had been drawing holy symbols on his tablet in a corner of the market place had suddenly disappeared, nor could he be found anywhere in the city.
That evening Dionysius came to see us with the chief helmsman of his large ship. “We are in grave danger because of that blue mark,” he said. “Krinippos will come here tonight to discuss the matter. Let us say nothing of our own affairs and merely listen to him.”
Dorieus explained eagerly, “My plans are now ready. I am glad that you, Dionysius, have decided to join forces with me so that we no longer have to compete for leadership.”
Dionysius sighed patiently. “That is so. But do not breathe a word about Segesta in Krinippos’ presence or he will not permit us to sail. Can’t we agree that I will have command at sea and you on land?”
“That may be best,” conceded Dorieus after a moment. “But when we go ashore we will have no further use for the ships, so I will have them burned.”
