*
Late that night as they left for the docks, Kallias' mother threw her arms about her son and clung to him, weeping, knowing he would soon see battle. When Kallias broke away, Hipparete fell upon Melaina, squeezing her tightly and refusing to release the fond bonds of her arms. Finally, Kallias and Melaina stepped out into the dark, stars sparkling overhead. Melaina saw Aquila, constellation of the Eagle, the bird sacred to Zeus that he sent to eat out Prometheus' liver. She tightly clutched the Broach of Arrogance given her by Palaemon that now held together her cloak. She saw agony chiseled across Kallias' dark brow and wondered if he was reconsidering taking her. What if she had a seizure in front of the generals?
The docks were not as empty as she anticipated. Kallias' triremes were being outfitted for war and a thirty-oared galley loaded with supplies, but several other triremes, in for repairs, were to set sail with them. She heard the shouts of hoplite commanders, boatswains, and the echoing thud of dowel pins being hammered into place, the trills and whistles of flutegirls. She smelled the sharp odor of fresh pitch and saw its brown smoke rising from cauldrons sitting over glowing coals.
Before they boarded, Kallias called the crew and soldiers together and offered a prayer. "Hear, O King Hermes, father of my fathers, protector of all those on dark journeys, guide these ships along with my comrades safe and sound thither to Delos, thy brother's sacred isle, and back again to this great city. Then will we honor you once more, singeing fat-wrapped thighbones on your altar. Accept our sacrifice and protect us on this voyage, making the breeze soft upon our sails."
As he spoke, Kallias scattered barley meal, slew a sacred goat, and placed its entrails on the fire. "Prepare for departure!" he shouted.
A buzz of voices ran through the company of hoplites, armor clanging their excitement. "Listen!" Kallias said. "They remember you. The maiden at Salamis, who sent them into battle so well, is to go with them to Delos. What power you hold over people."
A priest of Apollo boarded with them and went astern, adorned it with a garland, and prayed. Then the hawsers were lifted from the landing lugs, and the ship drifted out of the slip. The boatswain poured blood-red wine into the sea, and the keel sank deep into the black water.
The Mysteries, A Novel of Ancient Eleusis Page 75