Nicias stood in the shadows watching. He could see her on the stairs and watched as she eventually sat down and leaned her head against one of the pillars. He felt pure relentless agitation and he couldn’t stand still. He felt distressed, the very same feeling as when the battle was heading to devastating and painful losses. He walked back and forth in the shadows trying to think of what to do. He’d been tearing himself apart thinking about her being killed, but this was much worse. Imagining the fate that lay ahead of her was sheer agony. She was a traitor and she deserved to suffer, but this was too much for him to bear.
He knew that women fared badly in warfare as a rule, but this was different. This was someone he’d known, someone who he had wrongly sworn to protect. He could still see her bright eyes smiling at him whenever he closed his own. Seeing the suffering and anguish that she was about to endure was too much. He didn’t know what to do. Doing anything for her, even killing her would be acting against his own state—the state he had dedicated his whole life to.
He could not rescue her, even if he turned his back on his state and ran with her, they would never get away. They would be hunted down before dawn, and killed. Although he was starting to think it might be better than standing here waiting to see men approach her—men, his comrades and countrymen, men he fought with. No one had come yet and he didn’t know what he would do when it started. He’d felt his heart twist when Barrias had uttered her punishment, but there was nothing he could do to avert it.
He would have to kill her, or else he might kill one of his own countrymen—something he had sworn never to do. But he could not stand by and watch her being raped repeatedly, and he found it impossible to leave her to that fate, no matter how deserving she was of it.
He cursed the day he’d ever laid eyes on her. The act he must do now would be the complete ruination of him. He should go and kill her now, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it just yet. He could see her in his mind, the look she would give him as he approached. He expected she would know why he was there, maybe she would even welcome him if she had any sense. He just couldn’t bring himself to take the first step as there was always just another moment for her yet to live and breathe.
He could hear her crying gently across the square, it only twisted his insides more. He needed the push of someone coming, someone approaching her to do it. He’d walk over quickly and slay her—he wouldn’t think, he would just do it. He waited.
Chapter 28
A man approached her early in the morning. She tucked her knees in tightly, making herself as small as possible. He was an older man, but wasn’t a Spartans, so she wasn’t sure what he wanted.
No one had approached her throughout the entire night. It appears that the people of Sparta had not heard the General’s decree yet, because no one had come. Except this man, who held his hands out in a gesture of reassurance.
“I have brought food,” he said looking around at the still deserted square. The light had barely brokered the horizon and darkness still clung to the corners and alleys off the square. “Here,” he said placing some bread and cheese next to her.
“Do you have water?”
“I will bring some,” he said and hurried away. He returned with a cup filled with water, which she eagerly accepted. “I know who you are. There have been rumors of your capture. I will attempt to bring you food when I can. It is dangerous to approach you; it may not look it, but they are very cautious. I would love to say I could break this chain and get you out of the city, but I can’t, I’m sorry—my family, you understand. They are searching everything that leaves the city.”
“It’s alright,” Chara assured him. “I don’t expect such assistance. It would be futile anyway, even if I could make it out of the city, they would hunt me down before I’d get far.”
“It is true,” the man said with sadness. “But you have them very worried, more than you know. I hear things. It is said that they have sent an envoy to Athens to offer peace, but they have been turned away.”
“They are offering peace to Athens?”
“Yes, they have tried, but Athens is not listening.”
This was news to Chara, she hadn’t known that they were worried enough about the war to justify a peace offering. She couldn’t even get her head around the idea that she had in any way brought this about, but she guessed that the threat of the Spartan food source disappearing would be quite a worry. And now they were trying to end the war so they could attend their growing problems at home.
“I must go,” he said. “I will try to bring you some more later.”
“Thank you,” Chara called after him. She had a little more insight into General Barrias anger now, but she still couldn’t believe it. Surely her part in this was minimal; there were lots of reasons why Sparta would want peace. Nicias had said there was disagreement in the Assembly about how to proceed with the war. If they were not going to win the war, then at some point, peace must be made. Perhaps worries over food were just another burden on the state. Chara had never even thought her activities would have such profound impact. She’d thought it might get their attention, but she didn’t think it would actually make a real difference.
It was around midday and the market was full when Chara saw Menares Senior approached the stairs to the Assembly building.
“You’ve caused a great deal of trouble, girl,” he said pausing a few steps down from where she was sitting watching the activity in the square. She didn’t want to speak to him; she didn’t like him or trust him in any way—not that she expected him to rape her in front of the entire crowd. She didn’t know what he wanted, but she wished he would go away. She tried to ignore him.
“So much bravado,” he said airily. “But it’s time for you to do what you’re told,” he said in a more serious voice.
She didn’t say anything, continuing her refusal to acknowledge him.
“See you’re not as clever as you think,” he said stepping closer to her. “You might say that there is no leverage on you to force you to do as you should, but we both know better, don’t we?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she stated.
“Where is your mother, Chara? You thought no one would notice that she disappeared.”
That got her attention and her eyes snapped to him.
“You were pregnant and then your mother disappeared. You didn’t think it would be noticed, but I noticed.”
Chara was shocked. She’d been sure her mother’s absence had gone without a hitch. Nicias certainly hadn’t noticed. Who notices an older woman who normally never leaves the house or the fields? She had not brokered on Menares noticing.
“Begs the question, what are you hiding in Attica? With all those spies running around, I am sure it would take no time at all to find out.”
Chara bit the inside of her lip trying to stop herself from displaying any reaction. Things would be much worse for her if they knew about Elphia, it would give them leverage. They might not be able to march on Attica due to the prisoners that Athens kept, but they could steal away a baby without anyone noticing. Although they didn’t have to, the threat was enough and Menares knew it. She could see in his eyes that he knew he had her.
“So you better start bending to your superiors,” he said nastily. “Little whore like you, it’s what you do best—runs in the family.”
Chara wanted to hurt him as he walked away, but she knew it would be no use. He might be older, but he was still stronger and an experienced soldier. His last sentence reverberated through her mind. He was saying something about her mother, which indicated that he knew of some history there, something she hadn’t known. Chara closed her eyes and let the nausea wash over her. He’d known her mother, that was why he noticed her departure. They had some kind of history and she could well imagine what. She wondered if her father knew. It must have been something that happened before they were married. If her mother had lost a baby to a Spartan, that might have explained why she would so
readily agree to leave her life and husband behind to protect a tiny child—perhaps she knew the loss that would come otherwise. She wished she’d known, but she could understand why her mother wouldn’t want to burden her with such knowledge, particularly as she had fallen into the same situation.
And now that they knew of Elphia, they had leverage over her. She prayed that the gods would strike her dead, it was the best solution. It was the only thing that would keep Elphia safe, unless she did what they wanted, which put her people in peril.
Nicias slept during the day. It wasn’t something that was encouraged, but people stayed clear of him now. He’d watched over Chara all night while she’d slept, but no one had come. He didn’t know why and he couldn’t ask. He knew she was safe during the day in view of the whole marketplace. No one would interfere with a prisoner unless sanctioned to do so. For whatever reason, the elders had not given sanction to Barrias’ punishment. That did not mean that the stay would continue this coming night.
His father sought him out in the mess; Nicias didn’t want to talk with him. He didn’t want to think, let alone discuss it. Whatever advice the man had, Nicias was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear it. He had found no solutions to this situation. The only thing he could do restore some peace was to kill her and it would save her suffering as well. He’d just been too weak to do it.
“We must repair the damage that this girl has caused,” his father said.
“I will avenge my honor,” Nicias said with his exhaustion evident in his voice.
“No, the girl will be more cooperative, I have spoken to her.”
Nicias closed his eyes. He had no idea what his father had said to her or what he’d threatened her with, he didn’t want to know. “It won’t work, she is adamant on protecting her people.”
“There are things she will protect, things you don’t know about.”
“Like what?”
“It doesn’t matter, but trust me—she will do as she is told.”
Nicias didn’t believe him. It didn’t matter what it was, there would be pain and suffering in her future no matter what she did or didn’t do.
“You will have your vengeance,” his father continued, “but she will repair damage first. You must do nothing until the time is right.”
Nicias knew his father thought he wanted to kill the girl to avenge his honor, and he should want that, he just didn’t feel it himself. There would be no outcome here that would please him, but he knew his father was trying to save his citizenship, and he should care. Whatever he felt now would pass over time and his feelings were irrational, he should not lose sight of his life.
Chapter 29
Two days passed and nothing happened. No one spoke to her, not even the Helot man who passed quickly just at dawn and provided her with food and water. She could see curiosity amongst the people in the market, but more so amongst the Helots. They didn’t approach her, but she could see some of them watching her.
The nights told her it was getting close to the full moon and the next Assembly meeting. She was certain at this point that her fate would be decided there. None of the Spartans approached her. She would have expected more aggression from them, but it was like they were not allowed to engage with her. Or perhaps they didn’t know who she was, which was one possibility, or else they might fear some taint from her, she wasn’t sure which. Maybe it was quite common for Helots to be chained in the square, a sight no one raised an eyebrow to.
It changed that evening. Chara was asleep when she heard steps in the square. They were not hurried, but neither were they unassured or uncertain. Chara felt fear rising with every step. She sat up and watched for the man and she could see a figure lit by the moon’s light. There was no doubt he was heading for the Assembly building. Chara stood up, moving the heavy chain in the process which made a sound that echoed across the empty and dark square.
He stopped at the base of the steps and looked up at her. Chara’s heart was beating wildly, but she noted that his stance wasn’t aggressive or threatening. She hadn’t seen him before. He had not been one of the men interrogating her. She wondered with a sense of panic if the General had managed to get his punishment after all, but the man didn’t move toward her. Then he slowly walked up the steps and came to stand some distance from her.
“So you’re the girl that all the fluster is about?” he asked. His voice didn’t hold anger or threat, but observation. “What is your name?”
“Chara,” she replied and felt very aware of his scrutiny.
“Chara”, he repeated. “Cherished.”
He turned and looked out on the square.
“You are a hero to your people—a curious creature for a hero.”
“I’m not a hero.”
“Perhaps not. A hero is someone who accomplishes extraordinary feats in battle. But you have done something extraordinary. You have threatened the foundations of this society all the same. This is a strong society with proud warriors whose skill has never been surpassed. We pride ourselves on our strength, our endurance and resilience.”
“But you are built on someone else’s foundation.” She wasn’t sure she should challenge this man, but she really didn’t have anything to lose. He turned and regarded her for a moment.
“You are right,” he admitted. “We are what we are because of your toil. We are great on the back of your labor.” He stood and watched the scene before them for a while. “They think I should kill you.”
Chara realized that this was a man that made decisions, someone they had appealed to. She didn’t know enough about Spartan society to know exactly who he was.
“But killing you would solidify your message in the eyes of the Helots. You would forever be the girl that took on Sparta and won—but that is something for another day. Leadership is a curious thing, it has extraordinary power and it should never be underestimated in the fate of a state. A bad leader can destroy a state with the efficiency of an earthquake.”
“I am not a leader.”
“You may not have been elected or born to it, but you have become one by default.” She could see intelligent eyes sparkle in the darkness. There might be a veneer of amusement in them, but she could see the ruthlessness underneath. This man made her very uncomfortable.
“That was never my intention.”
He laughed. “I gather not—all this for a child, I hear,” he said darkly. “It may not look it on the surface, but you’ve torn this society apart for a mere child. Mothers, the most vicious things in the world we are told.”
Chara held her breath.
“Some think that if I destroy you, that it will destroy the trouble you have caused. But leadership doesn’t function such and these troubles won’t end with you. Our enemy has found our weakness—one they can keep addressing again and again. So now we are at an impasse. Your power and skills as a leader versus the idea you have planted. They are right, the solution lies with you.”
“You are wrong, even if I went and told every person who has left to come back, they’re not going to do so. I was only a means to an end, I am not the end for them, they will not follow me back to somewhere where their families are threatened. Leadership isn’t that powerful.”
“It is, but perhaps your skills are not that great. But then we will have you to lead by example and we will see what the people do.”
“Which will be completely transparent as I am being manipulated for the safety of my daughter. If you believe that my people see me as a leader—which I dispute—then they will look elsewhere quickly.”
“To dissolve your integrity as a leader would be beneficial to me, but it does not solve the greater issue. The ideas you have caused are still there planted like weeds across the land in every mind of the Helots.”
“I only did what I had to and they only left because they had to.” She saw no reason for hiding the truth from this man. Her fate rested with him, she was sure of it, but she also knew that he would see through anything but the truth. Her
death was assured, so why not let them know exactly what was on their minds.
“So now we negotiate,” he said. “Leader to leader.”
“I am not in a position to speak for my people.”
“Is there anyone else here?”
“Fine,” she said. “Freedom for my people.”
“You will waste this opportunity by being childish!” he roared. Birds flew from the square with the sharpness of it. “Take care, girl,” he said in a cold voice, “this opportunity will never come again.” He took a step down the stairs.
“Wait,” she urged. Her mind was racing, trying to get organized. The task he’d set was a massive one and she wasn’t prepared for it. She had no council and she didn’t really have any right, but this opportunity may never come again.
“The Crypteia must finish,” she said. He stopped his progress and turned to consider her. “You kill our people, wage war against us, but you punish us for trying to defend ourselves. There are no means by which this can be called just.”
“We need mechanisms for keeping control.”
“And randomly killing our young men fuels nothing but anger and resentment. You might have control, but we are no longer staying to experience it. The Crypteia is coming shortly and it was on the mind of every single person who boarded my ship. They all had someone they wanted to protect from you and they all now know there is a way. You enact the Crypteia this year and it will be at your peril.”
He stepped toward her, crowding her space. “Do you seek to threaten me?” She looked away feeling the intimidation bite, while refusing to cower to it.
“It is not a threat—I know what they say to me. They say nothing to you and they never will, but they do to me. Each year you will provide them with a powerful incentive to leave, even if they don’t want to.”
Truth and Sparta Page 17