by Jay Penner
A foreboding sense of danger washed over me. Then I remembered something from my conversation with Polymedes in Thera.
There was a link, and it would only be time.
O’ Poseidon, I pray thee, protect us.
I split the group into ten teams of four and spread them at various points of the valley and the canyon entrance. The remaining ten stayed with Eurydice and me to act as our bodyguards and to help us run errands.
We were restless the next day waiting for the sunset. There were still many unresolved questions. Were we near the right mountains? Were we supposed to be in a specific place for the evening? Were we supposed to do something at sunset? Many questions and no answers.
And we were running out of time, for I was sure someone was following us.
I decided to scale the hill with Eurydice, and two men, well before the Sun began its descent. These celestial beings always fascinated me—what was the Sun? How far from us was this ball of fire?
The climb was not strenuous but took effort. We made it well before sunset and sat on a rock. I only asked the men with me to watch the mountains and tell me if they noticed anything strange. It was a vague instruction, but that was all I was willing to part with now.
We watched the mountains as the sun slid across the skies. It looked as if the hills were on fire. The light and shadows created a changing tapestry of colors as the sun slipped beyond the horizon. Where did the sun go? That was a mystery for the wise.
While the views felt like the gods designed them, we saw nothing that helped our cause. My temples throbbed squinting at the sun and staring at the mountains. The men reported nothing unusual either.
We hurried down the slopes before nightfall as the cold winds intensified. “What could it be?” I asked Eurydice, hoping she would have an answer.
“Nothing… there is nothing but emptiness here,” she said, sounding forlorn. I worried that we had made it all this way and our excitement of yesterday had begun to wear. But we had reached here after a long journey, and we would persevere. We waited until the next evening, but this time climbed a different hill. The two men went with me again. I am sure they wondered what we were up to.
Once again, we watched as the sun slid across the sky.
It was beautiful.
The colors were captivating.
The vista was inspiring.
The outcome was disappointing.
I was getting frustrated—we were losing time, and we were stuck. And to add to that was the senseless banter of the two soldiers. I called them the dog and the goat; one sounded like he barked, and the other one whined and bleated. They were lewd, much to my annoyance, and not particularly concerned with the presence of a woman.
“Those mountaintops look like Nubian nipples,” one of them opined. The other one bleated, “End your fantasies about Nubian women with a thousand nipples.”
I shook my head and kept watching.
“There, that one is a pig,” the dog said.
“More like a donkey if you ask me,” the goat responded.
“Definitely a pig. A loud, ornery red pig.”
They both howled and bleated, and I finally could not hold my irritation.
“What are you both talking about? Keep quiet.”
I heard shuffling of the feet.
“We apologize, sir. Keeping ourselves busy. We were talking about the shadows…”
“You were talking about pigs,” I said, still annoyed.
“Yes, sir, the shadows on the hills made one like a pig’s face.” I heard juvenile guffawing.
“Which shadows—what are you,” I stopped mid-sentence. I stood up and turned towards them, and both dog and goat stepped back alarmed, afraid that they had enraged me.
“We’re sorry sir, did not mean to,” goat stammered. I slapped them on their shoulders with great affection, grinning at their confusion.
I turned to Eurydice.
“Eurydice. The Lord smiles upon us too.” I said.
Now I knew exactly what to look for.
At night we were unable to sleep with excitement.
“It was right there in front of us,” I said, laughing.
“Clever writing. Not so obvious,” she said.
We both sat huddled in front of the flickering fire, and I watched the flames reflect in her eyes.
She looked beautiful.
“When this is all over, what do you want to do?”
She looked at me, surprised at the question, but said nothing. She placed her chin on her knees and sighed.
“Will you come with me?” I asked. It was time.
“Where?”
“Wherever the Governor sends me, or back to my village.”
Her eyes fixed on mine. “I will not be your mistress as you walk back to your family.”
“I am not asking you to be.”
“Then what are you suggesting?” she asked, searching my face.
“I ask your hand in marriage,” I said, without hesitation.
She blinked in surprise, and her mouth was half agape. The crackling of the fire broke the occasional chirp of a night bug. “You say this with no other hidden purpose?” she finally asked.
“None. I know you have reasons to doubt me, Eurydice, but of this I am sure.”
“You already have a wife.”
“The law allows me to wed you as my second, so long as you and my first promise not to kill each other.”
She scoffed. "The law allows royals. You are not one."
I laughed. "You are right. We will go where they allow it. I swear on the gods."
She made a dismissive gesture. Polygamy was not uncommon in her heritage, but it was not very prevalent where I lived.
“You will not abandon me?”
“Only if you continue to cook that terrible concoction you made a few days ago.”
She laughed. But she had not answered. So, I asked again, “Eurydice, will you take my hand in marriage?”
Beyond love, there were practical reasons for her to marry me. If I managed to complete this quest successfully, I could give her material comfort and protection.
“Yes,” she finally said, the color of her face changing to match the red embers.
The next evening, we were back again. This time I enlisted four more men and had each one climb to a different vantage point. Then I gave them the instructions.
“Look at the big red mountains as the sun gets closer to the horizon. I want you to look for the appearance of a face formed by shadows on the rock. It should look like a smiling face of a royal—a man. You should not have to imagine, for I expect that when the face appears, it will be clear and distinct as day.”
“What is all this about, sir?” asked Alkimachus.
“I will reveal it all soon, Alkimachus. I need you and your men to trust me.”
“As we always have, sir,” he said, and ordered his men, “use your whistles and draw attention. Be sure, or I will have you flogged.”
We began another watch, but this time a lot more hopeful. But as the evening wore, there was but one whistle, which turned out to be a false sighting. I did not admonish the man, as it was easy to see why he mistook what he saw for a face.
Disappointed, but not defeated, we waited for the next evening. Our supplies were running low—we could only camp here for another two nights. Then we would have to scour for food and water. So far there was no news of any intruders to the valley, except a few stragglers who we scared away.
We changed the viewing spots, and I positioned two more men than the evening before. And then we got back to the watch. The beauty was no longer alluring—it became boring and tedious. The sun was orange. The sky was blue. My arse itched sitting on the rock. The birds chirped and so on. None of it was exciting.
The evening progressed, and so far, we had one false whistle. We stared at the mute rocks and the jagged edges mocked us in defiance.
And finally, the sun began to set again—the bottom of the orb now hovering a
bove distant horizon. I threw a few stones in frustration. Eurydice placed a consoling palm on my shoulder. “I want to drive a sarissa down the writer’s throat,” I said and dug the earth with my kopis.
I shifted my position and looked around. Was this it? A huge chase for nothing based on a writer’s fertile imagination? Would I lose my family and Eumenes his empire based on a malicious pig fucker's old papers?
But all other details had made sense!
As I sunk into despair, there was a whistle again.
And then once more.
And then again, the third time—the urgency unmistakable. It was from a new lookout to our North-East. We scrambled down the hill we were on and rushed to the new one. It was imperative that we get up to the spotting point before the view vanished.
But we were too late. By the time we ascended, the Sun had almost vanished, and whatever the soldier saw was no longer visible.
The lookout stood biting his nails. “I swear, may Zeus strike me, but it was the distinct view of a face with a crown,” he said, worried about our displeasure.
“Where?”
He pointed to a region on a massive mountain right up ahead. It was about a quarter from the bottom and difficult to make out any features in the falling light. But his insistence gave me great hope, and we were back to waiting another day.
But my hope was also changing to worry. Every day we lost was a day gained for an unseen enemy. I was also sure the soldiers were questioning their work, and idle minds led to untold mischief.
The next day went without incident. There was no news of any armed parties in the vicinity. I was unable to hold my excitement as the evening arrived. There was a moment of panic when clouds threatened the skies but cleared soon after.
I asked Eurydice and Alkimachus to join me. The lookout took us to the viewpoint well in advance of sunset, and we settled.
I could sense the soldier’s nervousness. He was biting his nails like a hungry dog attacking bones. I told him to relax.
The Sun finally began to descend over the horizon.
The shadows cast on the rock face of the hill ahead of us began to transform the view.
We watched in suspense and anxiety.
And then there it was.
As the Sun reached a point in the sky, the light played on the corners on, and an image appeared. I heard Eurydice squeal, and the soldier’s face lit up. He began to jump up and down like a little boy.
“I told you, sir. There!”
I was transfixed. In that slant of light was visible a distinct face of a man wearing a crown.
The eyes were wide open.
The nose straight and imperial.
The smiling mouth unmistakable.
I remembered the words again. Now they sounded beautiful.
When the sun sets, the shadows play, the lord he smiles, and smiles away. A smile so welcome as the open doors to a magnificent temple.
The ancient builders had fashioned the rocks in a way to create the visual. It was breathtaking in clarity and secrecy, and a testament to their prowess. I knew then that the second Atlantis was now within reach.
A ledge from the side of the cliff face ended just below the left eye. The ledge itself extended on the face of the mountain for a distance, and I guessed that there would be some entrance at the end of the ledge. And we would have to find a path to reach it. As we all marveled at the sight, the shadows began to shift and part by part the face vanished. The Lord no longer smiled, and the view turned into dark, jagged rocks. But we laughed. We laughed like we had not for a long time. I turned and hugged the soldier who turned into an uncomfortable statue.
“I will reward you,” I said to the beaming man. It was getting dark, and we had to get down the treacherous slopes. We would climb to the area of the Lord’s face as soon as sunlight appeared.
We watched our steps and made our way to the valley floor. As we walked towards the horses, I heard a whistle again.
Another sighting? That cannot be—
Instead, it was a signal that a messenger was coming our way. Once he arrived, the messenger dismounted and rushed to me. He was sweating in the cold, tension writ large on his face.
“I have an urgent report to make, sir.”
“Go on.”
“Battalion with seventy to eighty raiders, cavalry, and infantry. At the far entrance of the canyon.”
At nightfall, I assembled the men. I left two lookouts atop hills closer to the entrance of the canyon. While I had not personally announced the find and told the lookouts to keep it a secret, I knew that most probably had heard of what had happened. No one had asked me anything, but there was no question they were waiting for me to tell them something. They huddled in a tight circle around me. A lone torch burned in a soldier's hand. It was time to make a speech. “A contingent of Ptolemy’s force is at the entrance of the valley, preparing to strike. I expect that we will face assault before noon. Whether we journey to our afterlives or the bosoms of our loved ones, we will do it with bravery. Our duty is to the man to whom we have sworn loyalty. I know you wonder why the governor has you here.”
I paused and looked around. The men stood without a word, and many soldiers nodded. By late tomorrow some of them would be dead. “Eumenes stands tall as a leader, a Greek he may be, but he has shown exceptional bravery and mercy while surrounded by scoundrels who would think nothing of extinguishing millions in their quest for the empire. They have condemned him to death, but Eumenes has conjured a brilliant plan to fight and defeat them. You wonder why you are here, amidst desolation, away from the main force.”
I paused, making sure every man hung on to my words. “In those mountains is a cave with a prophecy written in stone by messengers of the Oracle of Delphi. We have learned that tablets portend something: that in times of great tumult, where the world is at the edge of war among many greats, the one man who holds these tablets will summon fearsome gods to his side, and that the man who holds it must be Greek. No one here doubts that we are in perilous times and that Ptolemy, Seleucus, Antigonus, and others vie for Alexander’s empire. And who among them is Greek?”
Many in the crowd murmured. In the flickering torch fire, I watched the awe and sensed fear in the men. I hid my deep shame in taking advantage of their gullibility, but it was necessary.
“You have no higher calling than fulfilling an oath to the man that has protected you, fed you, gave you purpose. Tomorrow we fight Ptolemy’s men lest those scoundrels find the place and destroy it. And with that done, we shall reap the benefits of our courage—and you, men, will be wealthy and powerful beyond your wildest dreams!”
The men stirred. Many whooped in excitement and raised their spears and swords. I sincerely hoped that the Eumenes would bequeath upon them great riches as I had just promised.
Alkimachus stepped forward and spoke. “The men are with you, commander. We either live to great glory in service of a benevolent master or die a greater death with pride and loyalty.”
Once the tents became quiet, I conferred with Alkimachus, who I knew was hiding his urge to ask me more. “Alkimachus, it is imperative that I head to the hills well before sunset. That means I will need to break away from the battle if it is still in progress.”
“If I may ask, sir, what exactly are you looking for?”
“You will know as soon as I do, Alkimachus, have faith.”
“Should I join you, sir?”
“That is a noble thought, Alkimachus, but I need you in the battle.”
He asked again. “How many do you need to be with you?”
“None. Eurydice and I will break away once the battle is in our hands. I want you to continue to lead the men on my departure and await my return. No one from the enemy must escape, and this information cannot leak until Eumenes’ arrival.”
He understood the stakes.
The night I held Eurydice for a long time. I told her what to do if I died in battle—that she should escape and seek shelter with Antigonus On
e-Eye’s forces, and do what she can to free my family. While One-Eye arrayed against Eumenes, they still respected each other. I surmised that she was safer there than in the hands of Ptolemy.
I told her how much I had come to treasure her company, and she said she was honored to be by my side. We had come so long, our prize so tantalizingly within reach, and the gods had one final test for us.
Only Dionysus knew if our embrace was to be our last.
Part IV
ROCKS AND BLOOD
Circa 321 BC
“He looked at the walls,
Awed at the heights
His people had achieved
And for a moment -- just a moment --
All that lay behind him
Passed from view.”—Epic of Gilgamesh
KNIFE’S TIP
❖
We woke early and made rapid progress along the edge of a large mountain and arrived at an entrance to a canyon. Then we corralled into a narrow path flanked by towering golden canyons. We had discovered this place a few days ago, and I hoped my strategy would work. The path was about eight to ten men wide where we were.
I had all our horses moved to the rear, to another exit out of the canyon on the eastern end. The horses would be a disadvantage here.
The sun warmed our backs. I was at the head of the formation, with Alkimachus beside me. I placed Eurydice in the middle, much to her irritation, but she could not persuade me otherwise. I told her that this was not going to be a skirmish.