Over the Wine Dark Sea

peck from Helen. He saw only four eggs. He didn't see any bits of shell that would have shown one had fallen out of the nest during the storm. The slats were too close together to have let an egg escape the cage altogether. His frown deepened as he went on to the next cage.   After finishing with the peafowl, he hurried back to the poop deck; pushing past anyone who got in his way. His face must have spoken before he did, for Menedemos asked, 'What's wrong?'   'We're missing three eggs,' Sostratos answered. 'One from Helen's cage, one from the peahen with the scar on her leg, and one from the smallest bird.'   'Are you sure?' Menedemos asked. Again, Sostratos' expression must have spoken for him, for his cousin said, 'Never mind. You're sure. I can see it. They didn't fall out and break during the storm?'   'No. I thought of that.' Sostratos explained why he didn't think it had happened. Menedemos dipped his head to show he agreed. Sostratos went on, 'No, somebody's gone and stolen them. How much would a peacock egg be worth? Never mind -  we don't know exactly, but more than a little. We can be sure of that. And it's money that belongs to us, not to some thief. We've earned it.' As much as his sense of justice, his sense of order was outraged. That anyone else should try to take advantage of all the hard work Menedemos and he had done infuriated him.   'We'll get them back,' Menedemos said, and then, less happily, 'I hope we'll get them back. When was the last time you counted them?'   'Yesterday morning,' Sostratos answered.   'Before the storm.' Menedemos still didn't sound happy. 'A lot of people have been up on the foredeck since, either securing the cages or just looking at the peafowl. The passengers have all been interested in them.' He rubbed his chin. 'I wonder if one of them got too interested.'   In a low voice, Sostratos said, 'I know which one I'd bet on.'   'So do I,' Menedemos said, also quietly. 'Anybody who needed to come aboard in such a tearing hurry isn't to be trusted, not even a little. And Alexidamos is a Rhodian. He's liable to have a better notion of what those eggs are worth than the other fellows. Well, we'll find out.' He turned to Diokles, who'd been listening. 'Tell off the ten men you trust most. If they're on the oars, set others in their places. Belaying pins and knives should be plenty for this job, but nobody's going to raise a fuss when we search his gear.'   'What do we do if we catch the thief?' Sostratos asked.   'If it's one of the rowers, we'll give him a set of lumps and he'll forfeit his pay and we'll put him ashore at Taras -  and good riddance to bad rubbish,' Menedemos answered. 'If it's one of the passengers . . . well, we'll come up with something.' Seeing the look on his cousin's face, Sostratos would not have wanted to be the thief.   Diokles gathered his sailors near the stern. He dipped his head to Sostratos and Menedemos to show they were ready. Sostratos raised his voice. He couldn't make it carry the way Menedemos did, but he managed: 'Three peafowl eggs have been stolen. We are going to search for them. We will find them, and we will punish the thief. Each man will turn out his gear, starting with the passengers.'   He eyed the four mercenaries. Philippos and Kallikrates looked astonished. Alexidamos and