Greek Warriors

by Chris Blake

  With a bump, Tom found himself back in the frozen food aisle of the supermarket. Isis and Cleo had landed back in the shopping trolley, wrapped in their mummy bandages once more.

  Isis shivered. “I miss Ancient Greece already!” she said, rubbing her arms. “But at least we brought back a nice souvenir!” she said, waving the yellow amulet at Tom.

  Cleo meowed and pawed at the packet of fish fingers in the trolley.

  “Next time Mum makes fish fingers, I’ll save you some,” Tom promised Cleo, scratching her behind the ears. Without the little cat’s help, they’d probably still be stuck in the middle of the Trojan War!

  “So good of you to drop in!” Anubis’s voice boomed over the supermarket loudspeaker.

  Looking round, Tom could see that none of the other shoppers could hear him. And Mum didn’t seem to notice that Tom had been on a time-travelling adventure as she was busy ticking things off her shopping list.

  “Where are you, you stinky-breathed, dog-faced—?” Isis began to shout up at the speakers that hung from the ceiling. But she was interrupted as the frozen vegetables started to rumble. Some bags split open, spurting rock-hard sweetcorn everywhere. The god of the Underworld burst up out of the freezer.

  “Looking for me?” said Anubis, his jackal face smirking at them.

  Isis picked up a bottle of olive oil that was in the trolley and shook it at Anubis. “Nice try with the oil,” she said. “But it didn’t stop us from getting the amulet.”

  Tom groaned. Why couldn’t Isis resist taunting the god?

  “I’ll take that!” Anubis growled, swiping Priam’s ring out of Isis’s hand. He slipped it on to his finger and held out his hand in front of him to admire it.

  “It looked better on King Priam,” grumbled Isis.

  “Well, it’s MINE now – as it should have been all along,” said Anubis. The god glanced round the supermarket. “So much CHOICE,” he said, drumming his fingers on the freezer cabinet.

  But Tom had a feeling Anubis wasn’t deciding what brand of frozen pizza to buy.

  “Decisions, decisions. I just don’t know where to send you children next.” He bared his sharp teeth and snarled. “But don’t worry, one thing’s for certain – it will make the Trojan War look like a walk in the park!”

  Then, before Tom could say anything, Anubis and the ring disappeared.

  “Well, that’s that,” Tom said, pushing the trolley along. “Another adventure over.”

  “Four down, two to go,” Isis replied. “And then finally I can get to the Afterlife.” She punched the air with excitement. A shower of crusty bandage flakes drifted down into the trolley. Mum would have a fit if she could see that all the food was covered in ancient mummy dust, thought Tom.

  Mum looked down at the sweetcorn that Anubis had scattered over the floor.

  “Did you make this mess?” she asked Tom, putting one hand on her hip.

  Tom shook his head, while Isis giggled in the trolley.

  “Good. I don’t want another argument with the manager!” Mum said.

  Tom turned back to Isis and whispered, “I wonder where we will end up next.”

  “How about the sweets aisle?” Isis suggested.

  With Mum convinced that nothing out of the ordinary had gone on, Tom pushed Isis towards his favourite section.

  “Fruit and nut or milk?” he asked, as they looked at the chocolate.

  But Isis wasn’t listening. She was sitting in the bottom of the trolley, deep in thought and surrounded by food.

  “Poor King Priam,” she said, resting her chin in her hand. “I wish we could have saved him.”

  Tom picked a big bar of milk chocolate off the shelf. “We can give history a nudge in the right direction, but we can’t change its course,” he said.

  “I think he was probably a nice king.”

  “Why do you say that?” asked Tom, heading towards the checkout, where Mum was standing, waiting in the queue.

  “I don’t know,” said Isis. “But there was something about him that really reminded me of my father.”

  “But your father was an Egyptian pharaoh. Wasn’t he a lot younger than King Priam, too?”

  “YEEEEESSSS,” Isis said, sounding annoyed. “I said he reminded me of my father. Not that he looked like him or anything. Obviously!”

  Tom wanted to say something cutting back, but he knew Isis hadn’t seen her own family for over five thousand years. Nor would she, until she got to the Afterlife.

  In a quiet voice, Isis explained. “I just meant that he seemed nice – like my father.”

  Tom thought about how much he’d miss his own dad if he couldn’t see him. And his mum too. He desperately wanted to cheer Isis up. “Don’t worry, you’ll be in the Afterlife soon – we’ll find those last two amulets, I promise.”

  He held up the bar of chocolate. “And in the meantime, try some of this!”

  Isis and Tom both munched big squares of chocolate.

  “Yum!” said Isis, chocolate dribbling on to her bandages, “I hope there are sweets in the Afterlife…”

  As Mum chatted to the lady on the checkout, Tom packed the shopping into bags and Isis polished off the rest of the bar.

  The chocolate certainly seemed to be doing the trick. Isis stood up in the trolley and laughed mischievously.

  Tom looked nervously at her. “What are you up to, Isis?” he asked.

  Cleo scrambled into the child seat and meowed with excitement.

  “Giddy up, horsey!” Isis shouted.

  Tom grinned and set off at a jog, pushing Princess Isis and Cleo on a chariot ride to the supermarket car park.

  Tom didn’t know where Anubis would send them on their next time-travelling adventure, but one thing was for sure – with Isis and Cleo around, even a trip to the supermarket became an adventure!

  WHO WERE THE MIGHTIEST GREEK WARRIORS?

  Odysseus was actually a real soldier Find out more about him and other brave Greek warriors.

  ODYSSEUS was the king of Ithaca, a Greek island. He is the hero of two epic poems about the Trojan War. In The Illiad, Odysseus’s cleverness helps the Greek army win the ten-year war against Troy. It was Odysseus’s idea to build a giant wooden horse for the Greek soldiers to hide in so they could sneak inside the city walls. Neat trick!

  HECTOR was King Priam’s oldest son. He was the Trojan army’s greatest warrior – even the Greeks admired him for his courage, skill and honour. He disagreed with the war between the Greeks and Trojans, but he still bravely defended the city of Troy. He challenged the Greek warriors to a one-on-one fight and Ajax, a Greek hero, was chosen as his opponent. The fight went on for a whole day and ended in a draw. Ajax was so impressed with Hector that he gave him his own sash. Hector gave Ajax his sword in return. What great sports!

  ACHILLES was the Greek army’s best warrior. He was said to be born invincible (except for a spot on his heel) – so he had quite an advantage over mere mortals! Achilles defeated many of the Trojans’ best fighters. It was Achilles who defeated Hector, after the Trojan prince killed his best friend. Achilles was in turn killed when Hector’s brother, Paris, shot an arrow into his heel. Today we use the expression Achilles’ heel to mean someone’s weak spot.

  AJAX was the great-grandson of the Greek god Zeus. Ajax was said to be as tall as a tower and the strongest of all the Greek warriors. His combat skills were second only to his cousin Achilles’s and he was never wounded in battle. When Achilles died, Ajax wanted his magical armour but Odysseus got it instead. Ajax was so upset that he fell on his own sword and died. A bit of an overreaction!

  WEAPONS

  The epic story of the Siege of Troy features many battles and one-on-one fights between heroic soldiers. Both armies used many different weapons when attacking or defending.

  Spear: a long wooden pole with a sharp metal point in the shape of a leaf. It was the main weapon of choice for Greek soldiers.

  Xiphos sword: a double-edged sword that was shaped like a lea
f.

  Shield: two types of shield were used by Greek soldiers – the hoplon shield was made from heavy wood, and the pelte shield was made from wicker so it was lighter to carry (this shield was used by soldiers who needed to attack with speed and surprise).

  Phalanx: an army formation used when defending. Soldiers would stand tightly together armed with shields and spears.

  GREEK WARRIORS TIMELINE

  In GREEK WARRIORS Tom and Isis go to Ancient Greece, which was made up of lots of different states, who often fought against each other, as well as other countries. Discover more in this brilliant timeline!

  TIME HUNTERS TIMELINE

  Tom and Isis never know where in history they’ll go to next! Check out in what order their adventures actually happen.

  FANTASTIC FACTS

  Impress your friends with these facts about Ancient Greece.

  The Battle of Marathon was a famous Greek victory against the Persians. A Greek hero called Pheidippides ran 150 miles to fetch help from Sparta. After the battle he ran 26 miles to Athens to tell them the good news, but then he died of exhaustion. This is why the modern marathon race is 26 miles long.

  Even reading this makes me tired!

  The yo-yo was invented in Ancient Greece and is one of the oldest toys in the world. Cool!

  Some Greeks would not eat beans because they thought they had the souls of the dead in them.

  What a great excuse!

  Spartans were the fiercest and toughest of the Greek warriors. They had a special drink made from salt, vinegar and blood.

  How disgusting!

  The Olympics were invented in Ancient Greece in a city called Olympia. Athletes would compete naked.

  Well that would be embarrassing in P.E.…

  Who was Captain Blackbeard?

  Did people really have to walk the plank?

  And where was Davy Jones’ locker?

  Join Tom and Isis on another action-packed Time Hunters adventure!

  They had landed on a perfect sandy beach in a deserted bay. Palm trees heavy with coconuts nodded in a light sea breeze. The blue sea lapped gently against the sand.

  She’s right, Tom thought, chuckling to himself. This place isn’t bad. Maybe Anubis has sent us on a tropical holiday.

  Tom looked down at his linen shirt and baggy breeches. “Look! My trunks have gone!” he said.

  Isis tugged at her clothes. “What are these ridiculous outfits, exactly?” she asked.

  Tom felt the frill on his shirt. “Not sure,” he said, frowning. “I don’t like the girly ruffles, though.”

  Isis lay back on the warm sand with her arms behind her head. She looked at Tom with sparkling brown eyes that were lined with kohl. “This sunshine is just like being back home in Egypt,” she said, sighing happily. “So much nicer than cold and rainy old Britain. Never mind the Afterlife. Let’s just stay here! We can relax all day long and eat fresh fish and drink coconut milk!”

  Cleo mewed in agreement before running off to chase crabs.

  Tom leaped up. “Not a chance,” he said. “Come on! Let’s go exploring!”

  After an hour of wandering in the hot sun, Isis didn’t seem to be enjoying the heat any more.

  “I’m thirsty,” she moaned, grabbing her throat. “You have to find me some water.”

  But as the three of them rounded the cove, Isis suddenly fell silent. Tom stared at the row of shop fronts and inns that lined the next bay along. They were all painted in pretty pastel colours. In the distance, people hurried along the promenade.

  “I wonder what kind of place this is?” Isis said.

  Tom gazed out to where large ships were anchored in the deeper water. Suddenly he spotted their flags, showing skulls, crossbones and cutlasses. He gulped.

  “Pirates!” Tom said under his breath.

  Isis’s eyes widened. “Pirates?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “We had those back in my day.”

  “I’m pretty sure we’re not in Ancient Egypt,” said Tom. He sheltered his eyes from the glare of the sun with his hand. “Those ships look like French or Dutch galleons,” he said. “I’ve seen them in books and films.”

  Tom was about to ask Isis if she had ever seen the film Pirates of the Caribbean, but he realised how silly that would sound to someone who had lived five thousand years ago.

  “So where are we then?” Isis asked, as she scratched Cleo behind the ears.

  “I think we’re in the eighteenth century,” Tom said. “Pirates were a massive problem in those days. They were always attacking ships carrying things like gold.”

  “Gold?” Isis asked, wide-eyed.

  “You bet!” Tom said. “The Caribbean Sea was where all the big pirate battles happened.”

  “How could anyone want to fight when they’re living here?” Isis said, looking at the beautiful view.

  “Look, forget the scenery!” Tom said. “We really need to ask your scarab ring for some help if we’re ever going to find the fifth amulet.”

  Isis nodded and stroked the magical golden scarab that sat on her finger. On it was a picture of the goddess Isis, whom Isis was named after. The ring had given Tom and Isis clues about where the first four amulets had been hidden. “Goddess Isis,” Isis began. “Please, please help us once more! Tell us where we can find the fifth amulet.”

  Silvery words flew up out of the ring and hung in the air in a riddle.

  Tom read it out to Isis:

  “To seek this jewel, shining greeny-blue,

  In a Spaniard’s chest of bullion,

  First you must join the ragged crew,

  As the Teacher’s lowly scullion.

  His whiskers threaten like a thundercloud,

  He’s the high seas’ worst rapscallion,

  But he’ll help you pinch it from the crab,

  Within sight of the red cross galleon.”

  Isis sighed. “I haven’t got a clue what any of that means,” she said. “I never do.

  Explain, Professor Smartypants!”

  “Well, it mentions a Spaniard,” Tom said. “Most of the Caribbean islands were ruled by the Spanish. Not sure about the rest, but it sounds like we’ve got to look for a man with a hairy, scary face! Maybe the red cross means we’ll find him at a hospital.”

  Tom, Isis and Cleo set off walking towards the busy harbour.

  “What’s a ‘rapscallion’?” Isis asked.

  “My grandad uses that word,” Tom said. “I think it means that we’re after a bad guy.”

  Before they’d gone far, they crossed paths with a young man. He was running so fast that he almost crashed right into them.

  “Watch it!” Tom said.

  The young man adjusted the red scarf that was tied around his long dark hair. He wore the same kind of breeches and shirt as Tom and Isis, except that his were covered in stains.

  “Sorry!” he said, frowning. “What’s a pair of nippers doing in a dangerous hole like New Providence?”

  “Is that where we are?” Tom asked. He had heard about New Providence in his history books. It was a famous pirate port.

  The young man nodded. “Of course! You two need to get yourselves home sharpish, before you run into trouble.”

  “Oh, we can’t,” Tom said, thinking fast. “We’ve been, er… shipwrecked. Our parents were lost at sea, but we clung to some wood and floated to this island.”

  Isis pulled a sad face and sniffed, adding, “We don’t have a home to go back to…”

  The young man held out his hand. “Salmagundi’s the name. Sal for short. I’m sorry to hear about your troubles.”

  Tom shook Sal’s hand. “I’m Tom, this is Isis, and her cat, Cleo.”

  “Listen,” Sal said, leaning in. His tanned face made his green eyes look slightly wild. “Not everyone here on New Providence is nice. So stick by me, OK? I’ll take you to the Jolly Barnacle Inn. I do the cooking there. But one day I’m going to be a pirate.”

  Tom and Isis exchanged excited glances.

  H
e straightened up and peered at the sun. “But we’d better hurry, because if I don’t get a move on, I’ll be getting fifty of the owner’s best.”

  “Best what?” Isis asked.

  “Fifty lashes. With a whip!”

  “Ouch!” said Isis, wincing.

  As Tom, Isis and Cleo followed Sal into the port, Tom saw that the row of shops wasn’t very pretty close-up. There was broken glass in the window frames and rotten vegetables all over the ground.

  “Yuck!” he said to Isis. “What a pong.”

  Isis nodded, holding her shirt over her nose.

  They arrived at the Jolly Barnacle Inn, with its sign hung crookedly over the door. As soon as they stepped inside, a finely dressed pirate with the most rotten teeth Tom had ever seen hurled a bar stool at another mean-looking, muscly man.

  “Are you sayin’ I look like a girl?” the elegant pirate said. He cocked his pistol and fired it at the ceiling, so that plaster showered down.

  The muscly pirate laughed heartily. “You look so much like a woman, they won’t let you back on your own ship with the real men!” He smacked the pistol out of the first pirate’s hand.

  “I’ll slit your gizzard for that!” the first pirate cried, drawing his cutlass.

  Crumbs, Tom thought. Talk about overreacting.

  Tom, Isis, Cleo and Sal edged past the fighting pair.

  “Never insult a pirate if you value your life,” Sal advised them.

  He led them to an empty table in the corner. “Sit here, and try to stay out of everyone’s way,” he said. “I’ll find you a little something to eat.”

  As Sal disappeared into the kitchen, Isis looked round and wrinkled her nose.

  “This place is disgusting,” she said loudly. She poked the tabletop and shuddered. “Yuck. It’s sticky.”