direction.' Diokles shrugged again. 'If a blow comes, odds are we'd be at sea either which way. And we're a lot less likely to run into pirates cutting across - you're dead right about that, skipper. Six oboloi one way, a drakhma the other. You don't go to sea unless you're ready to take a chance now and then.' 'That's true enough.' Menedemos was about to say more when a yelp from the foredeck distracted him. Alexidamos stood there with a finger in his mouth. Menedemos raised his voice so it would carry. 'Leave the peafowl alone, or you'll be sorry.' 'I'm sorry already.' Alexidamos inspected his wounded digit. 'I didn't realize the polluted things could peck like that. I'm bleeding.' 'Bandage yourself up, or get a sailor to do it for you.' Menedemos showed no sympathy. No matter how much Alexidamos had paid, each peafowl was worth more. 'You're lucky you won't have to face your foes nine-fingered from here on out.' 'I'd have gone to law with you in that case,' Alexidamos said. 'Go right ahead,' Menedemos said cheerfully. 'You're meddling with my cargo, and I've got the whole crew as witnesses.' Alexidamos sent him a sour stare. Menedemos stared back. If the mercenary thought he could intimidate him on his own ship, he was daft. Maybe I should have let that Diotimos have him, in spite of getting three fares out of him, Menedemos thought. He's nothing but trouble. But then Menedemos shrugged. Any passenger who made too much trouble aboard ship might unfortunately fail to reach his destination. Diokles was thinking along with him. 'Be a real pity if that fellow fell overboard, wouldn't it?' he murmured. 'My heart would just break.' 'Can't do that unless he really earns it,' Menedemos answered. 'Otherwise, the rowers start blabbing in taverns, and after a while nobody wants to go to sea with you.' 'I suppose so,' the oarmaster said. 'If I had to guess, though, I'd say nobody would miss that chap much.' 'Don't tempt me, Diokles, because I wouldn't miss him at all,' Menedemos said. The keleustes laughed and dipped his head. Menedemos kept twenty men on the oars, changing shifts every couple of hours to keep all the rowers fairly fresh. By the time the sun set ahead of them, they might have been alone on the sea. The bow anchors went into the water with twin splashes. The rowers ate bread and olives and cheese and drank wine. So did the mercenaries. 'Are we really going to be several days at sea?' Alexidamos asked. 'I fear I didn't bring enough in the way of victuals. Shall I hang a fishing line over the side?' Yes, or else starve, Menedemos thought. But Sostratos said, 'We'll sell you rations from the crew's supplies, at four oboloi a day.' 'Still charging me triple, are you?' Alexidamos said with a nasty smile.
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