Over the Wine Dark Sea

'That is important,' Sostratos agreed.   He didn't ask the plump merchant to summarize the speech. He knew better. And Xanthos didn't summarize it. He said, 'I believe I can remember how it went,' and launched into it, complete with gestures that looked as if they would have been more at home on the comic stage than in the Assembly. His main point was that, since Rhodes did so much business with Egypt, she should stay on Ptolemaios' side provided she could do so without making Antigonos attack her. That made good sense to Sostratos, but he mightily wished Xanthos hadn't taken half an hour to get where he was going.   'Stirring,' Lysistratos said when Xanthos finally finished. He poured himself more wine, which showed just how much he'd been stirred. Sostratos held out his cup for a refill, too. His father didn't offer the oinokhoe to Xanthos.   'Tell me the news from Italy,' Xanthos urged Sostratos.   'Up north of Great Hellas, the Samnites and the Romans are still fighting,' Sostratos said. He started to tell the other Rhodian how the Aphrodite had wound up in the middle of that war, but decided not to. It would only have brought more questions, and maybe, the gods forbid, another speech. Instead, he went on, 'And from Sicily, Agathokles has invaded Africa to pay the Carthaginians back for besieging Syracuse.' He didn't say anything about how the Aphrodite had been involved there, either.   'Well, well, isn't that interesting?' Xanthos said. He sensed he was being thwarted, and cast about for an opening: 'You sold all your peafowl?'   'All but one, which, uh, died before we got to Great Hellas.' Again, he said not a word about peafowl eggs or peafowl chicks.   'Ah, too bad,' Xanthos said. 'That cost you some money, it did, it did.' Sostratos gravely dipped his head. He didn't say anything. Much later than Xanthos should have, he began to suspect he'd outstayed his welcome. 'Well, I guess I'll wander over and pay my respects to Menedemos and his father.'   'Good to see you,' Sostratos said. Good to see you go, he glossed silently. He was glad enough to clasp Xanthos' hand as the other merchant took his leave. So was Lysistratos. Son and father looked at each other. When they heard Gyges close the door behind Xanthos, they sighed in unison. 'Is there any more wine left in the oinokhoe?' Sostratos asked. 'He's windy without eating beans and cabbage.'   When his father shook the jar, it sloshed. He poured some into Sostratos' cup, the rest into his own. 'He means well,' he said.   After hearing every word of Xanthos' speech before the Assembly, Sostratos was not inclined to be charitable. 'So does a puppy that piddles on my feet,' he said, and drank the wine his father had given him.   'I know what you're thinking,' Lysistratos said. 'I'll have you know, though, that I suffered worse than you. I've heard his speech twice now.'   'Oh, poor father!' Sostratos exclaimed, and put an arm around Lysistratos' shoulder. They both started laughing. Once they started, they had a hard time stopping. It's not the wine. Sostratos thought. We didn't drink that much. It had to be Xanthos' speech. That would have paralyzed a man who'd drunk nothing but water his whole life long.