Finding Ithaka

by Anna Harvey

  What was it that so disturbed him? Penelope was still a fine-looking woman, with her quiet dignity and noble bearing. She had put up no resistance to his plans but had readily acquiesced to his wishes. She had dutifully and faithfully acted as his queen beyond reproach, tending the household well; he could never abandon her as he was forever in her debt. He thought again of when they had first married and how she had entered the palace as a young bride. This union had been the dearest wish of his own mother, Antikleia, whom he had deeply loved. Antikleia had favoured as his bride the young Penelope, who already had a reputation for her beauty and her noble nature. Like her daughter-in-law, his mother had been skilled in the crafts of women and had been content to rule the household and keep it in good order for his father. It was then a thought struck him, like a spear shooting through his mind. It was hard to swallow its truth: that he had married his mother’s likeness. His wife was steadfast and loyal, but the marriage wearied him and sparked no flames of passion.

  And then at last, he allowed himself to admit it. Penelope was not Kirke, who spoke and acted like a male equal. For all these years, he had done the right thing as a husband, but it had not brought him the strong affection and companionship he craved. That was Kirke, the woman with whom he had met his match in the ways of Aphrodite. The woman who unnerved him with her strong independent ways, so different and yet the same. Though she might no longer walk above the earth, even now the arrows of Eros were bombarding him with Desire for her. Somewhere out far away, there might be their son or daughter, a love-child, full-grown. But he had made his choice of duty over love and that journey was now done.

  A resolution came to him suddenly, perhaps sent from the goddess Athena herself, his wise protector. At the break of Dawn tomorrow, he would set off early and make purification down by the sea, facing towards the land of Aiaia where Kirke lived. He would wash off the pollution and contamination of the warrior, but also cleanse himself of this Desire for her once and for all. For otherwise it would drive him mad, pursuing him like the Furies and unable to take pleasure in his wife’s company. It was said when forgetfulness took over, a man lost part of his psyche. But if that was a requisite, then he was willing to pay that price.

  His decision was made. He would leave at first light.

  Chapter 22

  Discovery

  A hushed stillness hung over the small square, except for the tread of car wheels on the concrete surface. It was still early on a Sunday morning, but the rusting church gates were padlocked and the bells of the small belfry stood motionless. Somewhere in the distance, a cockerel crowed as if forsaken in the empty village. The sky was grey and overcast. Hopefully not a portent for the day Thea thought to herself.

  “You obviously know your way round,” said Mark peering over at her from the front seat, opening the car door. Since they had left Mousatoi, Thea had driven through a labyrinth of twisty small lanes, without a second thought. ”You’ve become quite the local over these past few weeks.”

  “I suppose I have.” Thea replied breaking into a laugh. With a car at her disposal had come a new found sense of freedom, independence and self-assurance. It had been a relief, when Thea pulled into the driveway of the base house at Kalodia, that there was no sign of Richard. Over the last few days, he had left a series of terse voice messages on her mobile. Otherwise it had gone silent since that last fateful encounter with Dimitri.

  The other passengers started to emerge out of the rear of the car, unfurling their arms and legs. Alistair awkwardly got out of the car, his body tall and gangly. He was dressed conservatively in the stereotypical check-sleeved shirt and beige slacks favoured by classical archaeologists. And then there was Elizabeth, her body camouflaged by a wide tweed skirt and a high-buttoned blouse. Her hair had been scraped back severely, giving the impression of a stern spinster schoolmistress. And finally there was Rob. He had been distant since their departure from Kalodia, choosing to squeeze his broad frame into the corner of the back seat. She had caught a glimpse of his stony-faced head, bobbing in the rear seat, each time she glanced in the rear-view mirror. Not for the first time that morning, regret came to her for Sophie and Matthew’s absence. The presence of the young couple might have added a lighter social touch to the day, but at least she had Mark’s easy companionship. With only a week left of the project, a consolation was that Elizabeth and Alistair’s expert presence gave the best possible chance of discovering the palace site. For now there was an urgency to their search.

  They started to retrieve their possessions from the car. Walking boots were more suitable for the rugged terrain and they had brought plenty of water and a packed lunch for the hike. Thea noticed Mark and Rob had their heads bowed, studying their mobile phones.

  “The satellite reception isn’t great,” observed Rob. “However we can use the phone to record the time and distance. Perhaps we can synchronise the devices and then compare numbers at the end.”

  “Good idea,” said Mark. “How long do you think the walk will be, Thea?”

  “It’s hard to judge,” she replied, observing Elizabeth and Alistair had already detached themselves. From the vantage point of the square, they were deep in conversation observing the landscape. It occurred to her that light conversation might be a challenge. “The large scale map indicates about twelve kilometres. Depending on the roughness of the track, we ought to arrive in Mousatoi in just under four hours.”

  Mark glanced up at her. “Is that significant, Thea?”

  “It would fit the time-frame in Homer of the goatherd Eumaios being able to journey to the palace back and forth within a single day. It would be a substantial day’s walk, especially as the tracks would be poor in those days.”

  Thea shut the boot with a dull thud. ”Shall we go?” They started to make their way through the small village, which hugged the ridge of the hillock. All was quiet as they walked past the jumble of small red-tiled cottages punctuated by modern flat-roofed concrete homes, their footsteps echoing on the asphalt. There might be little sign of the occupants but the gardens were well tended: multi- blooming roses and brightly coloured bougainvillaea, amber-orange or cherry-red, covered some of the white washed walls. Thea noted the planted vines and flourishing fruit trees, orange, apricot and fig, providing an extra larder to the occupants in the summer months.

  At the edge of the village, they joined a small track which led them out of the village towards the coastline and the distant upland hills. The carefully tended plots and grassy meadows now gave way to scrubland. In the distance, the asphalt road on which they had travelled could be seen cutting an undulating swathe through the rough terrain like a grey serpent.

  Thea watched the two men striding out ahead: Rob’s strong broader frame against Mark’s tall slender figure. Thea recognised Mark’s favourite trilby hat, the long blue scarf and cross-swung satchel, which always gave him the air of an artist. The two were engrossed in conversation and seemed to be enjoying each other’s company, which for some reason gratified her. Thea slowed her pace and fell back into step with Alistair and Elizabeth.

  “So how is the field survey going?” Thea asked, breaking the stiff silence but also out of genuine curiosity. The couple had the responsibility for recording and cataloguing any finds, Elizabeth particularly being an expert draughtswoman. Despite the painstaking and time-consuming nature of the work, no doubt Elizabeth excelled at it through her meticulous attention to detail.

  “There’s been some bits and pieces, mostly from the late Classical or Hellenistic period,” Elizabeth replied coolly, barely raising her head. “It’s not surprising really as the land is close to the old classical city of Pali.”

  “Anything earlier?”

  “It’s hard to tell,” Elizabeth replied, her expression inscrutable. “There are some cruder pieces of pottery, handmade domestic ware impossible to date.”

  “So nothing from the right period?” Thea persisted, trying to make sense of the information. Despite her grasp of langua
ges and natural fauna, her knowledge of archaeological pottery was limited.

  Alistair interposed, coming to Thea’s rescue. “Nothing that can be convincingly attributed to that period. And we have catalogued most of the finds. A bit of a disappointment really, I suppose,” he said pinching his lips together. They lapsed once more into an uncomfortable silence except for the scrunch of footsteps.

  It did not take long for Elizabeth to fall back and Thea found herself walking by herself. The rocky stone path was now closely following the contours of the cliff-line, but every footfall required attention so as not to skid on the loose stones. Thea paused to absorb the landscape, looking across to the distinctive cone-shaped hill in the distance and down to the gulf, the island’s watery navel. In the absence of human cultivation, there was a panoply of wild shrubs and flowers: broom dotted with small yellow star florets, silver-green sage, red hot pokers standing erect with their spiky tips and delicate purple crocus that clung to the gravel path. Then a sound caught her ears, the unmistakable jangle of bells from a grazing herd of goats or sheep. A smile broke across Thea’s lips for slowly the land was giving up its secrets. It would be perfect pasture land for the flocks of Eumaios, described so long ago by Homer. In that moment, she knew intuitively they were on the right path and closing in on the palace. Her hero could not be far away.

  It had started to drizzle, a slow gentle mizzle, but the clouds remained high in the sky. They had been covering the ground well and the scrubland now gave way to cultivated patches of fields and olive groves. At a small farm, a smooth asphalt lane replaced the stony path. Thea quickened her pace, more confident of the firm surface beneath her boots. Eventually she caught up with Mark who had paused to wait for her.

  “Rob is outpacing us all,” said Mark panting, slightly out of breath. Beads of sweat lined his brow. “He’s such a fit man, it’s hard to keep up.”

  “You’re not the first to remark on that.”

  “But at least, I’ve got the chance to speak to you alone.” Thea looked up at Mark, alerted by his tone. There was a serious expression on his face. “You remember your suggestion of relocating the survey closer to the village of Mousatoi.” Thea slowly nodded her head, encouraging him to speak on. “Well I brought up the idea with Richard and he didn’t take it at all well. In fact he downright refused. ”

  Thea paused for a moment, trying to make sense of Richard’s intransigence. She was so sure they were close to the palace. They were just not looking in the right spot. With time running out, the opportunity was slipping through their fingers, like grains of sand in an hour glass. At last she responded. “That’s not like Richard. Do you know the reason for his refusal?”

  “He’s not been in a good place all week. He’s under tremendous pressure to deliver the palace site within the next seven days. Otherwise there are plans to terminate the project.”

  The word “terminate” resonated in her ears. It sounded such a brutal final word, as if all the hopes and energy invested in the project had become surplus to requirements. “What makes you say that?” enquired Thea, a feeling of dread gripping her chest.

  Mark looked across at her, a puzzled look on his face. “Have you not heard?” Thea shook her head, now recalling the terse pressing messages left on her mobile phone. “Richard was summoned urgently to a meeting with the Foundation board at the start of the week.” Thea stared at him in disbelief, mentally calculating the days from that aborted weekend. “He was assuming that they going to renew the funding for at least another season,” Mark continued steadily. “Things didn’t go well. Apparently Mr Kampitsis expressed his dissatisfaction with the progress of the project in front of everyone. The board then voted and declined any future funding. Richard was devastated.”

  So Dimitri had acted quickly to set in motion his threats. It was easy to visualise the meeting in that manicured room behind the glass panelled fronting. It must have been a bombshell to Richard’s considerable sensibilities as a well-respected and renowned expert in his field. No doubt Dimitri had instigated this move against the project and the other board members had followed his lead. Had her rejection so bruised his ego that he had retaliated in this way and damaged the palace project which mattered so much to him? It didn’t make sense when they all stood to lose. “So is it definite?” Thea asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

  “Pretty much.” Mark glanced across at her, catching her eye. “Richard was pinning his hopes on you interceding on the project’s behalf. He seems to think you carry influence with our Greek patron. ” Thea frowned, a shudder running down her spine. This action was personal but she didn’t want to have any part in it. The cost was too high and she was not willing to pay the price.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry Mark, I don’t think there is anything I can do. The last time I saw Dimitri Kampitsis, it didn’t end well. I’m probably the last person to whom he will listen.”

  Mark grimaced and turned his head towards her. “Looks like our job may be nearly done then. It’s unlikely we will make a big breakthrough in the last week. Pity, as I’ve rather enjoyed it here.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Thea reluctantly agreed, not completely willing to accept the possibility of defeat.

  “Thea!” Mark spoke hesitantly and a slight flush now coloured his pale cheeks. “Since you broke up with David, Laurence and I have missed your company. You must come over again soon for dinner, even if it is now only the three of us.”

  “Of course, I would love that,” Thea replied with a deep smile, nodding her head. “I didn’t stay away deliberately, I just didn’t want to burden you with my misery. But your suggestion of joining the project has helped me enormously.”

  “I think we will see a new stronger woman emerge from the ashes when we get back to London. And the haunted look is no longer there. But we’ll have to have a final get together before we leave,” Mark continued more positively, trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere. “As you know the island pretty well, is there anywhere you could suggest?”

  “Actually,” Thea nodded, remembering the bay below the pension from the previous month. Angeliki, their hostess, had mentioned a pebbled beach with stunning views and a seafood taverna. “There is a place. Now the weather is heating up, it would be ideal for spending the afternoon eating and swimming.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll look into it. You will come of course?”

  “Absolutely!” exclaimed Thea. Whatever the outcome, it was important to mark the ending.

  Close to midday, they stopped for lunch, where the track crossed a tarmac road. They spread out across the rocky outcrop to sit together, eating the packed food they had brought. They were now overlooking a wide cultivated valley with old derelict farm buildings and stone barns dotted across the landscape. At last the sky was brightening up and the sun was breaking through the clouds.

  When it was time to move on, Thea was surprised to discover Rob at her side. It struck Thea, how comfortable it was to be in his company. She glanced across at him. With his rugged features and skin furrowed by the extremes of weather, he wasn’t the handsomest of men. And yet there was a charisma, not like Dimitri’s born out of a superficial charm, but a deep solidity and dependable mental strength. The kind that men would follow even to their deaths. It was then questions crept into her mind. Could that night have grown into something else? But Dimitri sat like a wedge between them. He knew she had planned to go away with Dimitri and that knowledge could never be undone. Even with Rob’s admirable qualities, it was too much to expect his ego could accept and forgive her.

  As if sensing Thea’s inner quandary, it was Rob who initiated the conversation.

  “So how was your weekend and Mr Kampitsis?” he asked without any recrimination in his voice.

  “It didn’t quite go to plan, but it was fine,” Thea answered steadily, hastily glancing across at him. “You seem to have a particularly strong aversion to the man!”

  “Yes,” Rob readily agreed, “there
is something superficial and shallow about him. He revels in over-consumption and high status. Perhaps he is just one man, but he sets a dangerous precedent for others on the planet. I didn’t think you were like that,” he added half-questioning. He suddenly turned round abruptly to face her, catching her off balance. “Look Thea! It’s up to you who you see. Things had been left very open between us and I had no right to any expectations.” A look of regret crossed his face as he averted his gaze, as if speaking into the distance. “I realise that but I would still like us to be friends.”

  The old Thea would have shrunk away from an emotional connection. But with her newly found insight, instead she looked up at him and spoke openly. “I would like that too. And-“ He was standing close to her, his blue-slate eyes keenly studying her. “What we shared that evening was very special and will always be so. But I thought you were indifferent and taken up with your work, especially after you left so abruptly. But I would be glad to be considered your friend.”

  Suddenly Rob stopped and threw back his head, laughing. “Of course! I didn’t realise how it looked,” he said, the half-smile still hanging on his lips. “I was urgently summoned to an international panel on climate change but had to keep it hush hush. One of the allies was threatening to pull out of the Helsinki climate talks so it couldn’t go public.” Rob shook his head as he read the expression on her face. “So you mistook my departure for a lack of feeling. I didn’t mean to leave you with that impression as I deeply respect you, even though I don’t always approve of your choice of companion.” Rob still clearly believed she was with Dimitri but Thea couldn’t bring herself to enlighten him and disturb the reconciliatory moment.

  “So what will you do after the project?” Rob asked, changing the subject, so that the instant had passed. They were approaching a small farm, where a dog was barking excitedly at the approach of potential visitors.