Storms over Babylon

by Jennifer Macaire

  He frowned. ‘Fuzzy. Usse gives me the strangest potions.’

  ‘You can’t move at all. Did you understand everything Usse told you?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, I did. I also remember what you told me. I have to stay inside my own mausoleum for a whole year?’

  ‘No, not quite. Usse will tell you when it’s safe for you to move. But you very nearly died.’

  ‘Of poison and a riding accident, amazing. So I stay perfectly still until next spring. It’s going to be very lonely without you both.’

  ‘I know. I’m sorry. If you want to stop this whole silly charade just tell me, and I’ll give you the rest of the poison.’

  He widened his eyes. ‘I simply said I’d miss you!’

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Besides, you won’t be alone.’

  ‘That’s all right. Now that I’m on my deathbed it’s time to fulfil the prophecy and answer all my questions.’ He sounded smug, but there was a faint waver in his voice. He was far from well.

  I leaned over and kissed him lightly. ‘Ask if you dare, Plexis. I might even tell you.’

  ‘Did you really kill Bagoas?’

  It made me sick to think about it. Even though it had been premeditated, and I’d practised driving a spear through a side of mutton, I never would have done it if I hadn’t seen Plexis in agony on the polo field. ‘I didn’t think I could ever kill a human being,’ I said. ‘But I was infuriated. Bagoas was a monster.’ I paused. There was something I had wanted to ask Alexander. ‘Is it true that Bagoas tried to seduce you?’

  He looked surprised. ‘Where did you hear that?’

  My eyes narrowed. ‘Let’s just say I heard it. How on earth did you resist?’

  ‘Who said I resisted?’

  ‘I heard that you’d refused him, and that he wanted to be satrap of Ecbatana, and that’s why he was so angry at you he wanted to kill Plexis.’

  Alexander tilted his head. ‘You saw him, didn’t you? Do you think anyone could resist him? Of course I didn’t refuse. By the gods, woman, just thinking about him makes me hard. But he wanted something else, and I wouldn’t give it to him.’

  ‘What did he want?’

  ‘He wanted to be appointed satrap in Babylon, not Ecbatana.’ He shook his head. ‘He was made for love, not ruling; it’s true what you said about him. In some ways he was monstrous and he frightened me.’

  ‘How did you know about the poison in my wine flask?’ Plexis spoke up weakly.

  I touched his cheek gently. ‘That was Millis. He pointed out Bagoas’s slave-boy at the polo game. He was standing near your horse. He was acting as a groom, but you’d left your wine flask unattended. It was easy for him to slip some poison into it.’

  ‘And what happened to the slave-boy?’ His voice was fading fast.

  ‘Alexander had him crucified,’ I said matter-of-factly. ‘Along with the man who’d made the poison. Then he razed the temple of Ea, where Bagoas died. The man who made the poison knew what he was doing,’ I continued, anticipating his next question. ‘He was a doctor, someone named Glaucias.’

  ‘By Zeus.’ Plexis whispered. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep in an instant. His breathing was clear, not the sonorous sound of a coma. I felt my shoulders relax and I slumped wearily on the bench.

  Alexander finished his letter and sealed it. ‘I do feel rather silly doing this. Are you sure the history books say I “went batshit crazy”?’

  ‘They don’t say that,’ I said teasingly. ‘They say you lay on your friend’s body for days, crying, and that you cut all the horse’s manes and tails off.’

  ‘Well, I did that, now what?’

  ‘Did you give orders for the funeral cortège? We’re going to have to be very careful; he’s still not out of the woods.’

  ‘He’s in a palace, not in the forest,’ said Alexander.

  ‘Sorry, it’s another expression. It means he’s not well yet. When he’s transported, he has to be perfectly still. He’ll die if he’s jolted. We won’t be able to relax until he’s hidden in Babylon. Are you sure he’ll be well hidden in the palace?’

  ‘You gave me the idea. He’ll be safe in your rooms. You’ll be hugely pregnant then; no one will dare enter your rooms. I’ll make sure of that.’

  ‘I was never hugely pregnant,’ I said indignantly.

  ‘Well, hippopotamusly pregnant then.’

  ‘That’s not a word,’ I said, giggling.

  ‘Don’t laugh, someone might hear you.’ He stood up and moved to Plexis’s side. He reached down and touched his hair, softly. ‘I can’t believe I almost lost him.’ He knelt at Plexis’s bedside and stared at his friend’s bruised face. ‘He looks so ill,’ he said.

  ‘He’s still in danger,’ said Usse gravely.

  ‘What else did the history books say I did?’ asked Alexander.

  ‘I think you went north and slaughtered some poor tribe in the Zagros Mountains.’

  ‘What? Artabazus’s tribe?’ He was incredulous.

  ‘A historian named Plutarch said so.’

  ‘Where is this fellow? I never heard of a Plutarch among my scribes and historians.’

  ‘He’s not born yet. I think he’s born in the year 50 AD. I’m not quite sure though.’

  ‘And just when exactly is 50 AD?’ Alexander looked perplexed, as well he might.

  ‘In around four hundred years.’

  ‘Do you mean to say the only information you have about me was written four hundred years from now? Do you realize how stories can change in that much time? What happened to all the reports written by my scribes and historians?’

  ‘This is going to be a long story,’ I told him. ‘You had best sit down. Or we can talk about it some other time.’

  ‘Some other time.’ Alexander sighed. ‘So, now I have to storm into the Zagros and slaughter Artabazus’s tribe?’

  ‘I said I wasn’t sure. Why don’t you just issue a vague warning to anyone up north telling them not to consider treason or you’ll get really mad and let Onesicritus handle the rest. If you let him, he’ll write back to Athens telling them you’ve razed Persia.’

  ‘And wouldn’t they just love that.’ He sighed. ‘All right, that sounds reasonable.’

  Plexis opened his eyes again. They were dark with pain. His sleep never lasted long. Luckily Usse was not far and we called him. He bent over his patient, giving him some more medicine, and taking his pulse. ‘Greetings from the world of Hades,’ said Plexis. His voice was just above a whisper.

  ‘Hang on,’ I said.

  Plexis’s eyes searched for Alexander’s face. ‘Are you still organizing things? I can’t believe I’m assisting in my own funeral plans. They seem a bit outrageous, to say the least. I never knew you cared so much.’ Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and Alexander leaned over and brushed them away with his fingertips.

  ‘It’s Ashley, she’s telling me what I should do. Believe me, I never would have thought of all this myself. A mausoleum three stories tall with life-size horses on it made of straw, can you imagine? Not to mention the peacocks, eagles, archers with golden bows, and the whole thing made to resemble a giant ship.’

  ‘What’s so strange about that?’ He grinned. ‘Nearchus will be so happy. Ouch. It hurts when I laugh.’

  ‘Don’t. I’m beginning to think that Ashley doesn’t really remember anything, and she’s just telling me these things to make me look ridiculous to future generations. Not to mention what my generals will think. I’m glad Nearchus’s not here …’ His voice trailed off as he saw his friend’s face. ‘What is it? Plexis! Are you all right?’

  ‘What do you mean, Ashley remembers? How can you remember something that hasn’t happened yet?’ His face was ashen and I grew frightened. Shock would certainly kill him.

  ‘Plexis,’ Alexander’s voice was gentle. ‘You’re not afraid are you? You? The only one brave enough to jump off the roof of the consul’s house in Pella that summer when you came to visit?’r />
  ‘I broke my leg, if you remember correctly,’ said Plexis.

  ‘I didn’t say you were smart, I said you were brave. Plexis, Ashley can remember what hasn’t happened because she comes from the future. It’s as simple as that. Plexis? Plexis?’ He looked at me worriedly. ‘Did he faint?’

  I called Usse and the doctor came running. He looked at Plexis and shook his head. ‘No, it’s just the potion. He’s sleeping normally. Don’t worry. Try to rest now, my lady. You’re too thin. I keep telling you that.’

  My mouth twitched. ‘I know, but tell that to my husband. He’s already comparing me to a hippopotamus.’

  Usse stood by silently. I’d killed Bagoas, Usse had heard about that. Then we’d told everyone Plexis had died. We’d known about the poison in the wine. We’d given the slave-boy some of it and he’d died in agony. Then Alexander had crucified his body as a warning to anyone else who wanted to try poison. Now Usse watched us, his expression worried. He was wondering what was happening. I wanted to tell him everything, but it was taking me a long time to weigh the consequences.

  Alexander went to the Zagros Mountains and came back two weeks later. He told me he’d seen his son, Heracles, and that he was a strong, seven-year-old boy with red-gold hair and grey eyes.

  ‘Artabazus and his wife dote on him. He’s a happy, healthy child. I told Artabazus that I wouldn’t ever declare him my heir, and that if I were to die he was to take the boy to their borderlands in the north and hide him until it was safe.’

  ‘That was a brave thing to do.’ I stroked his head and held it to my breast.

  Alexander had been gloomy ever since he’d come back. Seeing his son was just part of it. He’d had time to think about his own childhood, something he hated to do.

  ‘I wanted to bring him here but I’ve started to see that there is too much danger. When I was growing up I didn’t think about what was really happening.’ He shuddered against me. ‘I had eleven brothers and sisters. Only four are alive today: Nike, Ptolemy, Arrhidaeus, and Cleopatra. And Cleopatra isn’t really related to me, she was one of my father’s concubine’s daughters. All the other children died of poison. Arrhidaeus nearly died, and now he’s a complete idiot.’ His voice was strained.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I said.

  ‘So am I. In your time, do such things happen?’

  ‘No, not exactly. There are still murderers, but we don’t have any absolute rulers. The whole world has become a democracy. Well, nearly all the world.’

  ‘That must be nice. That’s what I always wanted my kingdom to be.’ Alexander reached up and touched my shorn head. ‘Why did you have to cut your hair?’ he asked.

  ‘Because I wanted to save Plexis.’

  ‘He’s still very sick.’

  ‘We’re going to have to go very slowly all the way to Babylon.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ he said,’ I’ll take care of him.’

  ‘I’m not worried, who’s worried?’ I looked down at my husband, sprawled across my lap. ‘It’s just that time is suddenly leaping forward. It’s February already. Plexis has been hidden in my quarters for two months already. I’m impatient to go to Babylon and find Paul.’

  ‘And I die in the late spring.’

  ‘Alex?’

  ‘Mmm?’

  ‘Where shall we go first?’

  ‘After you save me?’ He looked amused. ‘We’ll head in whichever direction you want to go, north, south, east, or west. We’ll take my tent, an elephant, and some horses, Axiom, Brazza, Usse, Plexis, and the children.’

  ‘And everything will be as it was. We’ll swim in the rivers, lie in the sun, fight crocodiles, and be happy ever after.’

  ‘May the gods hear you,’ said Alexander. But he stared past me out the window, and a worried frown marred his brow. He was watching the builders make the final touches to Plexis’s funeral monument.

  When the monument to Hephaestion was finished, we had a ceremony to put Plexis in his final resting place. We wrapped him up in linen, like a mummy, and carefully placed him in a gilded coffin painted with horses. Usse, Millis, Axiom, and Alexander carried him slowly to the special, lavishly furnished room built to hold his remains. The whole court lined up to say farewell. I insisted on holding the ceremony at night, so that no one could see that Usse slipped inside. Poor Usse! He would take care of Plexis for the journey, and he would only be able to leave the mausoleum at night.

  The travelling mausoleum was like a three story parade float in the shape of a giant ship. Standing on the deck were thirty-two life-sized horses made of straw, one for each year of Plexis’s life. Each horse wore a scarlet silk blanket embroidered in gold with a huge letter “H” for Hephaestion. Egret plumes, peacock feathers, and silver bells completed the ornamentation. On the next level, fifty life-sized archers holding golden bows knelt among stuffed peacocks. One hundred and twenty eagles made of gold garnished the last level. The monument creaked along on sixteen wooden wheels, and it was pulled by twenty white oxen.

  ‘Are you sure about this?’ Alexander asked worriedly, staring at the wheeled wonder.

  “Oh yes,’ I said, trying desperately to remember what Hephaestion’s mausoleum was supposed to look like. All I could recall was that it had been ostentatious. “I think there may have been one more level.’

  ‘It won’t fit under the gates of the city. What do your history books say I do with it? Do we burn it outside?’

  ‘No, I think you have to knock down a wall.’

  From inside the mausoleum, came the sound of hysterical laughter. Alexander pounded on the wood. ‘Be quiet in there. You’re supposed to be dead.’

  “How many miles to Babylon?

  Three score and ten.

  Can I get there by candlelight?

  Yes, and back again.

  If your heels are nimble and light,

  You may get there by candlelight.”

  I lost track of the number of times I sang that ancient song. Ancient song? Only to me. To the others, it was new and unusual. I taught it in English so that it sounded like great incantations, like the Row, Row, Row Your Boat song we’d sung with the soldiers on the Indus River.

  Actually, I was trying to keep Chiron entertained. For a small boy, travelling long distances in cramped quarters was unbearable. Whenever we could, we’d leave the curtained wagon and play outside. When that happened, the Persian guards would turn their backs – afraid to look upon me. These were the same men who had been with us during the trek across Asia, who’d ridden with me, swam with me, joked with me – but now that Alexander was officially king of Persia, I was a Persian queen, and taboo. The Greek and Macedonian men were affronted. How dare the Persians treat me so rudely?

  I didn’t get involved. I was afraid of starting futile arguments. Both sides were convinced the other was about to be struck down by the bloodthirsty gods of etiquette, I suppose. Therefore, I didn’t go outside much. The voyage was wearing on all our nerves.

  When Plexis had a particularly bad day we had to stay one or two days without moving him.

  Alexander would give orders not to disturb him, and he would stay all day in his tent. Eumenes, his secretary, wanted to write everything down, but the delays and slow pace were difficult to explain. Usually Alexander covered fifty kilometres a day with his army. Now we were barely inching along.

  Near Babylon, Plexis took a turn for the better and we were able to pick up the pace. It was a great relief to Eumenes, who, mindful of Alexander’s orders, had been writing things like, ‘on the fifth day of the month he drank and on the sixth and seventh days he rested …’ Not the sort of thing he wanted to write for posterity.

  We were all very nice to Eumenes. I thought he was a pleasant change from Onesicritus and I liked talking to him. Unfortunately, I wasn’t free to talk to anyone. We were still in Persia, still following the Persian laws of protocol, and I was off-limits to anyone but Alexander and the women of my court. Since I had no women with me, my company consisted of Ale
xander and Brazza. Luckily, we got lots of mail, so I usually had things to read. Sis sent us messages daily from Ecbatana, and from Bablylon came news from Nearchus.

  One day he sent news that Paul had arrived in Babylon. I was relieved and frantic with worry at the same time. Nearchus had said he would guard Paul, and I trusted him. But in the same letter, he said that Olympias had arrived in Babylon as well.

  ‘What in Hades’ name is your mother doing there?’ I cried, waving my arms.

  ‘How should I know? By the gods, woman, do I look like an oracle?’ Alexander ran a nervous hand through his hair making it stick up in spiky cow-licks.

  ‘It’s going to make things very difficult,’ I said. ‘She has spies everywhere.’

  ‘Just let her try to spy on me,’ he said darkly.

  ‘All right, she’s in Babylon, and there’s nothing to be done about it. Just do something for me, tell her that my quarters are absolutely out of bounds to everyone, including my dear mother-in-law.’ I stomped my foot.

  ‘She’ll want to see the children,’ he said apologetically.

  ‘The hell she will!’ I exploded.

  He winced. When I spoke in English, it meant I was losing my temper. ‘I’ll deal with her. Just let me take care of everything. I’ll put you in the garden palace, and that way I can put the royal guard around your quarters.’

  ‘And where will you stay?’ I asked bitterly.

  ‘Don’t look at me like that. I’ll stay with you, of course. But officially I’ll be in the Grand Palace.’

  I sat on the bed and glared at him. ‘I’ll look at you any way I want.’ My brows drew together in a frown.

  Alexander sat by my side and pulled me to him. ‘I’m sorry, Ashley. I know what you’re thinking. But I promise, when I’m in Babylon I won’t make love with my other wives, not even once. All right?’

  I pushed him away as if I’d been stung. ‘Is that why you think I’m mad? Let me tell you something, Buster, if you dare to make love with one of your other wives while we’re in Babylon I will personally make sure history happens just exactly as it’s written. In other words, if you value your life, don’t even think about it.’