I went up to the Acropolis after the trial. I offered a libation to Athena and the Furies at the city’s most ancient altar, and the prayers I offered there are between me and the goddesses.
In the days that followed I turned my attention to the flurry of new requests I was getting for my services now that so many people had heard my skills eloquently displayed in court. I even started thinking about buying a second slave to serve as my secretary.
The seasons turned and winter looked towards spring. A day arrived that was mild enough for me to work sitting in our porch, wearing a cloak and with the brazier nearby. As Zosime worked at her loom, with the steady clack of warp weights in the storeroom behind me, I was drafting a complaint about a boundary marker being moved when a knock rattled our gate. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I looked up as Kadous came out of his quarters to see who was there. The Phrygian opened up to show us a stranger standing in the entrance.
I had no idea who he might be, but he was looking at me with wary purpose. He was wearing thick-soled traveller’s sandals and his heavy cloak was creased and dusty. Beneath a broad-brimmed hat to ward off sun or rain, there was something faintly familiar about his face. A moment more and I guessed who he was.
‘Posideos Kalliphonou?’
‘Philocles Hestaiou?’ He wanted to be sure.
‘That’s me.’ I put my pen down and capped the inkwell. ‘Please, come in and sit down. You look as if you’ve come a long way.’
As our visitor crossed the threshold, Kadous pushed the gate closed on the latch. He fetched a second stool and set it down beneath the shelter of the porch on the other side of the brazier.
‘Some warm wine?’ I gestured to offer our unexpected guest the seat.
‘That would be very welcome, thank you.’ He settled himself and unwrapped his cloak to leave the sturdy wool hanging from his shoulders.
Kadous fetched a jug of wine from the storeroom. I’d had the dining room walls plastered, so we were keeping it uncluttered while Zosime was deciding what she was going to paint in there. As the Phrygian settled the jug in the glowing charcoal, I noted that he hadn’t closed the door to the store completely. I fancied I could feel my beloved’s gaze on the back of my neck. She might not be coming to join us, but she definitely wanted to hear what this unforeseen visitor had to say.
So did I. ‘How may I help you?’ I prompted.
Posideos’ smile was the barest twitch of his lips. ‘It seems you already have.’
‘You’ve heard the news about Damianos Sethou? It looks as if you’ve made quite a journey to be sure you can finally go home.’
He surprised me with a shake of his head. ‘We won’t be coming back to Athens. I’m here to make certain the brute is dead, and to let our families know that we’re happy and well. But I wanted to thank you first.’
‘You’ve caused your family a great deal of pain.’ The words were out before I could help myself.
‘I don’t doubt it.’ But Posideos was unrepentant. ‘Damianos would have done far worse if he ever learned I had rescued her from him. My father could never have withstood his malice. He would have told Damianos if he knew where we were. Then that bastard would have ruined his life anyway, along with my sisters’ and brothers’ prospects. There would be nothing anyone could do to stop him. He knew how to do lasting damage without giving anyone a case that would stand up in court.’
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. From what little I knew of both men, that seemed entirely possible. Adrasteia knew what her brother was like behind closed doors and Posideos knew his father far better than I did. I was in no position to judge the runaway lovers.
He looked at me steadily. ‘If I had told my father I loved her, he would have gone to Damianos and offered to arrange our marriage in an honourable fashion. When he was turned down, as he surely would have been, that would have been the end of the matter as far as he was concerned. As for Adrasteia, she would never have been allowed out of their house again until she was traded away into wedlock like some choice cargo of perfume.’
‘That’s really none of my business.’ To my relief, Kadous came over with a cloth to lift the hot jug off the brazier. He carried the wine over to the table to add honey and water to cool it for drinking.
Posideos shook his head. ‘You and your friends made it your business when you put an end to Damianos. You deserve to know the whole story. Don’t tell me you don’t have questions.’
I could definitely feel Zosime’s eyes on me. I knew there were a great many things she still wanted to know. ‘If Adrasteia was so closely watched, how did the two of you ever meet?’
Posideos smiled. ‘Alkimos brought her to the Pnyx to see some of the Iliad. Damianos knew nothing about it. He was so busy with his business dealings, out and about at the Great Panathenaia’s other events, he assumed she was at home. After all, that’s where he’d ordered her to stay. I was giving my performance early on the first day of the recital. Friends of mine knew friends of Alkimos and he and I fell into conversation.’ The poet surprised me with a laugh. ‘Don’t ask me what we talked about. Once I started talking to Adrasteia I fell under her spell.’
Like a man who’d heard the Sirens’ song, I reflected. The poet’s life had certainly never been the same
