The Aphrodite's boat came through the light surf and beached itself a couple of hundred stadia southeast of Taras - that was Menedemos' best guess of the landfall. He dipped his head to a couple of the rowers. 'Take this bastard' - he pointed at Alexidamos - 'off and untie his hands. Let him tend to his feet himself. It should take him a while - we tied him tight.' 'What if the barbarians find me before I get loose?' Alexidamos said. He had a black eye where Sostratos had hit him. I expect I'd have cut his throat just then, Menedemos thought. He said, 'Tough luck. You've got nobody to blame but yourself. I ought to keep your gear, too. If you say one more word, I will.' Alexidamos shut up. The sailors hauled him out of the boat like a sack of barley. They dumped his canvas duffel beside him; his weapons and armor clattered together. A man freed his hands. Then the sailors and Menedemos shoved the boat out into the water again, scrambled into it, and rowed back to the Aphrodite, which lay two or three stadia offshore. 'Who are the barbarians hereabouts?' a sailor asked. 'I think the Salentinoi live in these parts,' Menedemos answered. 'They're a lot like the Illyrians, over on the other side of the Adriatic.' 'Nasty bastards, then,' the sailor said. 'I hope they do come for Alexidamos. What makes it even worse is, he's from Rhodes just like us.' 'I don't care where he comes from,' Menedemos said. 'I only hope I never see him again.' When they came alongside the Aphrodite, Sostratos gave Menedemos his hand and helped him up into the akatos. 'Thank you,' Menedemos' cousin said again. 'I thought you were going to - I don't know what I thought you'd do when the bird went overboard.' Menedemos hadn't know what he would do when the peahen sprang into the Ionian Sea, either. His first impulse had been to do something a great deal more drastic than what he did. He explained why he hadn't: 'You're flogging yourself harder right now than I could if I tried for a year.' 'That's true.' Sostratos hesitated, then added, 'I know that's true. I didn't know if you'd know it.' 'Well, I do.' Menedemos looked back toward the shore. 'I don't see Alexidamos. He must have got loose. Too bad.' Then he looked toward the westering sun. 'And we won't make Taras by nightfall, either. That's too bad, too.' 'I don't suppose you intend to beach us for the night?' Sostratos said. 'Not likely!' Menedemos exclaimed. 'Do you think I'm mad, or just stupid? These Italian barbarians would land on us like a fox on a rabbit.' Only when one corner of his cousin's mouth curled up ever so slightly did Menedemos realize he'd been had. He stabbed out an accusing finger. 'You set me up for that.' 'I don't know what you're talking about.' Sostratos might have convinced a jury, but he
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