by Julian Noyce
“Yes,” Hutchinson replied glancing nervously around at the other diners to make sure that no one was listening, “We must keep our voices down. Yes we’re sure.”
“How?” from Tom White.
Hutchinson pulled a magazine out of his jacket pocket.
“This is April’s ‘The Country’ magazine for overseas Brits, ex-pats I believe they are called. Turn to page twelve,” he said handing the rolled up publication to Natalie.
She opened it to the required page as the others craned their necks to see.
The three page supplement began with the heading ’The Lion and the Wolf’ a photograph of a bust of Alexander the Great on the left hand page, a map of the ancient world and an artists impression of what the sarcophagus probably looked like in ancient times. She began reading the story. On the third page was a picture of some Royal Engineers from North Africa dated 1942 and a recent photograph of the reporter Peter Dennis.
She finished reading the article and passed the magazine on. The last to read it was George. He of all of them understood the significance of this article. His wife was Macedonian.
“George?”
“It’s incredible Jim. I can’t believe it. This will be the most important find for my people you could ever imagine. Is this man? This Peter Dennis correct?”
“I telephoned him this morning.”
“What?”
Now they were speechless.
“I spoke to him this morning and what’s more he will be arriving here tomorrow morning at 6a.m.”
There were excited comments.
“Natalie you haven’t said a word.”
“Who else has he given interviews to?”
All conversation on the table now stopped.
“He assured me that he would grant us and only us access to what he knows.”
Natalie was sceptical.
“So he says.” Jack rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. The international sign for receiving money.
“He gave his word.”
Natalie allowed herself a chuckle.
“Oh come on Jim you don’t honestly believe him do you. An honest journalist. He’ll sell out to the highest bidder or bidders. If this story is true, well, then it’ll be worth millions to him.”
“I think what Natalie says is true Jim. This man is not to be trusted. Certainly I don’t trust him,” George said.
“I don’t blame you all for having your doubts and who knows you may even be right. I sincerely hope not but I can tell you that he told me that he wasn’t interested in the archaeology side of it. He just thought it made an interesting story. More so because, personally for him, his grandfather is in it. He also reminded me of the number of ships that went down in the Mediterranean during the second world war and asked me if I knew how many had sunk since. In his words and I believe he used an English phrase here, he said it would be looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Alex now spoke.
“What I don’t understand is ’What’s in it for him’ “
Hutchinson shrugged. Then he smiled.
“I’ve been saving this for last,” he looked at their faces “He’s asked if he can come with us.”
“You’re not serious?” from Tom.
“Yes. He wants to report all the details as we uncover them.”
“I hope you said yes,” from Natalie.
“Of course I said yes. This man knows, potentially, the whereabouts of the greatest find about to be made and what’s more he is now on our team.”
They all congratulated their boss.
“He’s particularly interested in meeting you Natalie.”
“Me?”
“Yes he saw your picture in National Geographic and is keen to get to know you.”
She picked up the ’Country’ magazine once again and looked at the picture of its columnist.
“Peter Dennis,” she held it closer to see his face ’He is rather good looking’ she said to herself but also out loud. George, sitting next to her heard the comment. She caught the Greek staring at her.
“I still don’t trust him,” he said.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Thirty six hours later and the team along with Hutchinson and Peter Dennis bumped and jarred their way over rough, sand swept roads in hired Land Rovers. The two at the rear carrying their equipment. Hutchinson, Dennis, Natalie and George in the lead vehicle. They had left their hotel rooms at 6a.m. and met Dennis, in the restaurant for breakfast. At 8a.m. they had hit the road. They had taken the motorway south from Tunis, and nearer Gabes they had taken the road that hugged the coast. It was now near midday.
“Could we have some more air conditioning please?” Hutchinson asked the driver.
Dennis smiled to himself while looking out of the window.
“What are you smiling at?” Natalie asked him.
“I was just thinking how people today can’t survive without air conditioning. In 1942 when my grandfather was out here they were driving around in lorries that had nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Not even lining in the cabs. Just bare metal. Imagine how hot or cold that must have been.”
“What was it like for those men out here all those years ago?”
“In one word ‘Desolate’ They lived with death everyday, with disease, with poor supplies. Sometimes they would run out of petrol and just sit where they were for two weeks, and here’s the thing, nearly fifty per cent of their petrol supply was lost to evaporation and poor, leaking, storage containers. Did you know? Even their tea and coffee tasted of petrol because the petrol cans were all they had to make beverages with. Imagine what drinking petrol, even a miniscule amount, does to your insides. My Grandfather always said years later that he could still remember the taste. It’s been sixty five years but for those men and women involved the war has never left them.”
Out of tiredness Natalie put her hand up to her mouth to suppress a yawn.
“I’m sorry. I’m boring you.”
“Oh no. Sorry, no I’m just tired. No it’s very interesting. Please continue,” she said genuinely liking him.
“I knew nothing about it myself. I only began researching it after my Grandfather died.”
“What was he like?”
“He was the kindest man I ever knew. I’m not just saying that. He never had a harsh word to say about anyone.”
Dennis raised his backside off the seat enough to pull his wallet from his Jeans back pocket.
“I have a picture. A photograph. Here,” he said opening the wallet and taking out a very old black and white still. Natalie held it in her hand. There were two women seated in front of a young man in a British army uniform.
“That was taken in 1939 when he was called up. The young woman is his wife, my Gran, Ronnie.”
“Ronnie?”
“Veronica.”
“Oh I see. Is the older woman his Mother?”
“No my Gran’s Mother.”
“Pardon me for saying but she looks like a very stern woman.”
Dennis smiled. He agreed.
“I never knew her. She died before I was born.”
“Oh I’m sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
She looked at him. His smile was friendly.
“Why do people who’ve never met someone or know the circumstances always say they’re sorry to hear that that person has died.”
He was right. She knew it.
“Human nature I suppose.”
He was staring out of the window at the miles and miles of sand.
“He’s a very good looking man.”
His attention back he stared down at the photograph in the girl’s hand. Natalie handed the picture back to him.
“Yes he was very good looking.”
“Almost movie star looks. I can see where you get it from,” she hadn’t meant to say it quite so. It had been a slip of the tongue and now she felt awkward, almost like she was a schoolgirl again revealing her first
crush.
‘Why does he make me feel like this?’ she asked herself.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. I just think your Grandfather was a very good looking man and you’ve inherited his looks,” she was able to recover.
There was an awkward silence. Broken by Hutchinson.
“So what does everyone know about Alexander the Great?”
“I know the basics,” Natalie replied.
“I learned him at school,” George said “Every Greek learns him at school.”
“Peter perhaps you’d like to tell the story.”
“Of course Jim. Thank you,” Dennis cleared his throat “Imagine the scene,” he said looking at the faces in the car, “It’s a hot summer night. The date is the 20th of July. The year 356bc. The place Pella, Macedonia. Pella is a city, the capital. Macedonia is a country ruled by King Philip II. Philip is a good King. Good to his people and good for Greece….”
Natalie glanced at George who confirmed it with a nod.
“….Back then Greece was a country of warring tribes, not yet unified. Not even after the great invasions by Persia, led by the Kings Darius and Xerxes. No. Philip changed all this. He united the tribes at the battle of Chaeronea with the eighteen year old Alexander by his side. Father and son fighting together. Alexander actually saves his fathers life in this battle.”
“Where did it go wrong between them?” Natalie asked.
Dennis took a swig of water.
“That same year Philip, estranged from his wife, Alexander’s mother, Olympias, marries Euridyce, Atalus’ niece. Philip orders Alexander to pay homage to Atalus and an argument, no more than a slanging match starts. Accusations fly and a brawl starts right there at the wedding reception. Philip, drunk by now, turns on Alexander who makes a comment back. Suddenly Philip rushes Alexander but trips over a rug and falls. Alexander then gloats asking the guests ’Is this the man who would lead you into Asia when he can’t even make it from one couch to the next’
Philip, still on the floor, banishes Alexander from the realm.
“But he does return though doesn’t he.”
“Yes he lives with his mother during his wilderness years. She announces to him that once Euridyce becomes pregnant Alexander’s rise to the throne will be gone.”
Dennis glanced across at Roussos.
“Have I missed anything George?”
“No your knowledge is very good Mr Dennis.”
“Please call me Peter.”
George nodded. He would continue to call the Englishman ‘Mr Dennis’
“Are you an expert on Sikander Mr Dennis?”
“What? Oh you mean Alexander. No I’m not. And it’s Peter….”
“As you wish Mr Dennis. Peter. You seem to know so much about my wife’s country’s greatest ruler.
“I’m not an expert sadly. As soon as my Grandfather told me his story I rushed out and bought books and used the internet on the subject. It’s a truly fascinating story.”
“It is.”
“It’s a story of revenge,” added Hutchinson “Please continue.”
“Philip was murdered wasn’t he?” Natalie asked.
“Yes I was just coming to that.”
“Oh sorry.”
Again there was that look between them.
“Philip was assassinated. The year now 336bc. There were lavish games to celebrate the marriage of Alexander of Epirus to Philip’s daughter Cleopatra, Alexander the Great’s sister. Alexander and his mother were both present. For a moment all their differences with the King put aside. Finally Philip himself arrived at the theatre at Pella. He walked in alone to great applause, the sun in his eyes. Suddenly he was confronted by a guard, Pausanias. Before Philip could speak Pausanias kissed him briefly on the lips before plunging a dagger into his heart, killing him instantly.”
They could all imagine in their minds the chaotic scene.
“Why did he kill him?” from Natalie.
“Well some said that Pausanias was raped by some of Philip’s guests at the wedding reception and that Philip did nothing. Even after Pausanias complained to him personally. Others said that Alexander and his mother were involved. I suspect the latter to be nearer the truth.”
“So Alexander became King of Macedonia?”
“Yes he was instantly sworn in.”
“And the assassin?”
“Pausanias? He attempted to escape of course, was chased, tripped and fell and was run through. Killed before he could answer any questions.”
“They didn’t attempt to capture him?”
“No just ran him through with their javelins.”
“It does sound like a set up.”
“Yes. Maybe they were just angry at Philip’s death but I suspect Pausanias was got rid of before he could speak. They could have caught him easily.”
“And Philip’s new wife and baby?”
“Put to death almost instantly by Olympias.”
“So Alexander’s accession becomes complete.”
“He now becomes ruler of all of Greece.”
“And then he invades Persia?” from Hutchinson.
“No. Incredibly the Thebans rise against his rule so he has to quickly go North to quell them. He has to go as far as the Danube. Once they are subdued he begins his campaign. The first thing he does is travel to Delphi to consult the Oracle. He arrives at a time of the year when the Oracle is not functioning. He grabs the priestess and attempts to drag her out by her hair.
“My son,” she shouts at Alexander, unhappy at her treatment, “You are invincible!” He promptly drops her and thanks her. It was all he needed to hear. The campaign was on. He crossed into Turkey during the autumn and comes up against his opponent, some say his toughest, Memnon, the mercenary from Rhodes, the brother of Mentor.”
“Memnon was the greatest soldier who ever lived,” said George.
“Many would agree,” Dennis continued, not minding their interruptions, “Some say that had Memnon not died suddenly as he did Alexander would never have gotten out of Greece.”
Dennis took another swig of water. It was hot inside the car. He felt the sweat trickle down his spine.
“Memnon dying was a stroke of luck for Alexander. The great Persian King Darius had no one available to replace the Rhodian. At first he wrote to Alexander offering money, asking for a truce. Alexander refused so Darius offered his daughter’s hand in marriage as a gift. Alexander laughed at this “Why would I want her as a gift when I could take her anyway” he mocked. Darius, now, had no one to turn to so he took the battlefield in person. It was a cold November afternoon as the two armies opposed each other across the Granicus river in Turkey. Darius tried one last time for peace between them but the young Macedonian King was having none of it. The Greeks hadn’t forgotten what the Persians had done 150years before. The battle was over very quickly, the Persians, outnumbering the Greeks, were smashed. Darius turned his heel and fled leaving his army in disarray. The two men would meet again however at the battle of Issus. At this battle once again Darius’ army was beaten and he fled back to Babylon.”
“Did Alexander chase him?”
“No he let him go. Alexander moved down through Turkey into Israel, Lebanon and Egypt. It was there that he founded the greatest city he built, Alexandria. Did you know he built twenty three Alexandria’s in all.”
“No I didn’t,” Natalie said. Hutchinson was surprised also. George just scowled. Dennis fell quiet for a while. Each of them were left with their thoughts. Then Natalie asked.
“What happened 150 years before?”
“Oh yes sorry! In 490bc Darius I, King of Persia, ruler of forty five different nations had invaded Greece with a small force and marched on Athens. They were stopped and defeated at Marathon and the Persians withdrew. Ten years later Darius’ son Xerxes, returned with the largest army ever mustered. Twelve hundred warships accompanied the forty thousand strong army and as they marched overland Xerxes sacrificed at Troy to the Tr
ojans who had died a thousand years before.
When news reached the various Greek states of the advancing Persians Athena and Sparta threw aside their differences and united against the vastly outnumbering Persians and led by their King Leonidas the three hundred Spartans set up a roadblock at Thermopylae in the narrow pass. They held off the Persians for four days before Leonidas was killed and the three hundred overwhelmed.
Following this victory the Persians continued towards Athens and the Athenians abandoned their city and boarded ships for Salamis, an island offshore. The Persians sacked Athens, burned her temples and the greatest insult to Greece, they cut down the sacred olive tree of Athena.
Next the Persians had tried to surround Salamis and as Xerxes sat on his golden throne and watched from a nearby hillside they closed in for the kill.
That night Themistocles, the Greek commander, spread a rumour that the Greek ships would make their escape by sailing the straights between Attica and Salamis. Xerxes was quick to react and the Persian ships moved before dawn, cramming themselves into the narrow channel of sea. When the Greeks saw that the false rumour had worked they sailed their warships to the attack. The Persians were unable to manouevre and the Greeks caused them a catastrophe. The Persian fleet was almost destroyed. Themistocles urging the Greeks to fight for their wives, their families, their very lives. The Persians had been forced to withdraw though they did leave a large army behind. This army was defeated at Plataea the following year. From then on the Persians set the extent of their empire at Western Turkey.
The Greeks rebult Athens, building the incredible Acropolis and the blackened columns of the original Parthenon were set into the walls. The Greeks would never forgive or forget the Persian attack and the Greek tribes vowed revenge on Xerxes empire. It would be a twenty year old Alexander who took revenge.”
“How far do you think Alexander wanted to go? You know from the beginning.” Hutchinson asked.
“I don’t know. From what I’ve read I would say, to begin with, to conquer Persia. Probably to take Persepolis and the seat of Darius. I don’t think he intended to kill the Persian King though.”
“Did he kill him?”
“No Darius wanted to raise another army after his second defeat. Darius’ generals wanted to run. Eventually Darius was stabbed and a general by the name of Bessus proclaimed himself King. Alexander’s forward party found Darius stabbed and left for dead by the river Oxus. By the time Alexander arrived Darius was dying, some say Darius was already dead, Alexander was too late. Some say Alexander was openly shocked by the death of such a great man. Others though said that Alexander cradled the dying King and they spoke, though if true Alexander never revealed what the conversation was about. He took it to his grave. Alexander was now ruler of the whole of Persia. Many thought that this would be enough for the King. He had avenged the Hellenistic world for Marathon one hundred and fifty years before. But no. Alexander now set his sights on more. That winter what started as an army of thirty thousand had now swelled to double that and they crossed the mountains of the Hindu Kush into Afghanistan. Alexander now wanted to rule the whole world.”