Finding Ithaka

by Anna Harvey

  “I have my lectureship at one of London Colleges. But over the last few days, I’ve been thinking of a new venture. I’ve spent such a lot of my adult life trying to locate the ancient palace of Odysseus.” Thea shrugged her shoulders. “I think it’s time for something new. Something linked with my knowledge of plants and perhaps climate change.” Rob was now looking at her attentively and she felt almost her whole face blushing under his scrutiny.

  “So you’ll be coming back to the island again, Thea?”

  “Of course. Now I have a reason, I am thinking of basing myself here each summer.” She had decided to cast aside the years of omission and had promised Eleni to visit more regularly. “And what about you?” Thea asked. “What are your plans?” They were crossing a river bed and the path was now steadily climbing upwards.

  “First I’m going to spend some time with my father and son. My father is quite elderly now so we won’t travel too far.”

  “And he’s been appointed director of the Coverdale Centre,” said Mark clapping Rob on the back. He had just joined them and caught the end of the conversation. “It’s the prestigious group that works on climate research and informs government on policies. Our Rob is going to join the great and the good.”

  “Congratulations!” exclaimed Thea, noticing the modest smile on Rob’s lips. The appointment obviously pleased him. “But don’t you need to be based in the Antarctic with your work?”

  “As long as I can access the data, it doesn’t really matter where I’m based. And I have left good colleagues down at the Halley station, who are more than capable of taking care of the fieldwork. I can do more good in the UK working with a team of analysts. We need to get the message across to governments and legislators to take the issue of climate change seriously.” As he looked across at her, there was a fire and passion burning in his eyes. “It’s probably the biggest challenge of our generation.”

  “Put like that, my ideas seem almost trivial.”

  He hastily shook his head. “Not at all, Thea. You seem to have a vast knowledge of the natural world. We need people like you to demonstrate the local effects on nature and the things that we take for granted.”

  They were approaching the outskirts of the village of Mousatoi, their destination. The fields had given way to more intensive farming and they passed several enclosures where young piglets were being raised. The unusual cone shaped hillock now loomed above them. Below it, they came across a spring coming down from the hillside, where the water had been channelled into metal pipes leading to a public tap. Above had been written in Greek lettering, “frontizete tin kathariotita”.

  Thea gasped as she saw it. “Would the spring have been here four thousand years ago?” she asked, turning to Rob, her excitement mounting.

  “Probably,” Rob replied. “It would take thousands of years to shape the hillside through soil erosion, but the limestone will probably be riddled with springs.” Elizabeth and Alistair had finally caught up with them and were crowding round curiously.

  Alistair leaned in to take a closer look. “This looks like an old public water system,” he said in his light Scottish accent. “Perhaps the whole village may have accessed it at one time to get fresh drinking water.”

  “What does the Greek writing say, Thea?” asked Mark. The sound of his voice brought her out of her stupor. She had been stood scrutinising the water system, staring in disbelief.

  “It says take care of the cleanliness,” Thea repeated slowly. She reached inside her rucksack and pulled out her copy of the Odyssey. At one of the marked pages, she opened it and read out a translation of the Ancient Greek.

  “There is a fountain for the town along a rocky path. Water comes from a rock high at the top”.

  Thea glanced up at the others, her hands trembling as she clutched the book. “A spring is mentioned close to Odysseus’ home. The spring of the Hill of Hermes, the winged messenger of the gods. Could this be the actual place?”

  “How far have we travelled?” demanded Alistair, looking back at the way they had come.

  “My mobile indicates thirteen kilometres,” said Rob, flicking open his device. Mark nodded in agreement. “It would be a viable day’s walk from where we have just come, if Katsiki is the site of your Eumaios’ hut.” Rob looked across at Thea, a quizzical expression on his face. The modern village was just above them, further along the track, nestled in the hollow of the hill.

  “And the village is well hidden from the sea,” commented Alistair.

  “Is that significant?” asked Rob.

  “Yes of course.” Elizabeth had suddenly joined the conversation. The tone was slightly cold and patronising. “It is well known that due to piracy in the Mediterranean, Greek villages even in recent historical times were located where they were hidden from view from the sea for protection.”

  Alistair turned towards Thea. “I think you may be right,” he conceded. “The palace is somewhere in this vicinity. Can we get the survey team up here, Mark?”

  Mark shook his head. “I’m afraid Richard has given a categorical refusal.”

  Thea scanned the horizon. Somewhere close by was the palace. There was a flattened ridge occupied by some modern dwellings that looked promising. She glanced across at Rob, who was stood transfixed, the sunlight catching his copper streaked hair: his attention drawn to the very same spot.

  “Let’s continue along this path,” he said.

  *********************************************

  When they arrived at the base camp at Kalodia, Richard was waiting for them at the top of the steps. Immediately Thea sensed that something was wrong. The affable smile was gone, replaced by a fierce-lipped expression and feverish eyes. He wiped a bead of sweat away from his forehead with a white handkerchief.

  “Are you staying Thea?” Richard asked, dispensing with all preliminary greetings.

  “I was planning to run Thea back to Katsiki, so she can pick up her car,” Mark said casually.

  The words did not seem to register. “Did you know the Foundation has refused our funding for next year?” Richard demanded aggressively, his face angry and flushed. “Do you know anything about it, Thea? Your name came up when I was informed of the board’s decision. Mr Kampitsis said to speak to you.”

  Instantly Thea grasped the situation. Dimitri was using Richard to exert pressure on her. It was blackmail. She felt her stomach lurch but then calming down her feelings, she turned to face him. “I’m sorry Richard, this is not my doing. Mr Kampitsis makes his own decisions. I would never influence him to do something like this.”

  Richard looked down at her, glaring. “Then why did he mention your name. Have you said or done anything at all that might have compromised the project? Think!” The director’s voice had become more strident and insistent.

  “Absolutely not,” Thea said, vehemently denying the accusation and refusing to flinch from Richard’s heated stare. “I’ve had nothing to do with this decision.”

  “Then can you not speak with Kampitsis and get him to reverse the decision? Surely you can do something, after all he is an “old” acquaintance.” Sarcasm rolled off Richard’s tongue as he pronounced the words.

  The exchange had become very heated and public. Thea noticed they were not alone and that their audience must have at least partially overheard the conversation.

  She looked up at him, sadly shaking her head. “I’m really sorry Richard but I can’t. You are asking me to do something I’m not prepared to do.”

  “Shall we go now, Thea?” Mark had stepped forward to rescue her, a concerned expression on his face.

  Thea turned her head towards him, grateful Mark was a good friend and ally. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  Mark glanced over his shoulder at Richard. “Did you know that through Thea’s efforts today, we may have pinpointed the area of the palace?” Mark said, trying to diffuse the situation.

  “Then it’s a pity,” Richard snapped, “that she has just compromised our funding.”
>
  *********************************************

  When Thea entered her hotel room, she lay on the bed feeling weary to her bones. It was not just the long walk that had drained her, but the deeply troubling exchange with Richard. Mark had been reluctant to desert her, as he dropped her off by the car abandoned in the quiet square.

  “Are you sure you will be okay,” he had asked, anxiety written over his face.

  “I’m fine,” she reassured him smiling, partly convincing herself. Mark naturally shied away from conflict, a childhood remnant from witnessing bitter recriminations between warring parents. “I‘m an adult and can take care of myself.”

  “You know,” Mark continued thoughtfully, “Richard was hoping to go out in a blaze of glory with the discovery of a lifetime, Odysseus’ palace. He had his sights set on a trip to Buckingham Palace and a knighthood as his crowning glory, so he can recount at length the tale to his fellow gentlemen academics at college reunions. Don’t worry,” he said, his face showing genuine warm-heartedness, “this rift will blow over and soon pass. Richard may be pompous and full of his own self-importance but he isn’t one to hold grudges.”

  He turned the ignition key and started the car engine. “It’s going to be pretty hectic over the next few days, but call me if you need anything.”

  “I will,” Thea replied as she closed the car door with a heavy thud, before waving him goodbye in the empty square. But it was disturbing to see the lengths to which Dimitri was prepared to go to have his way. Like a spoilt petulant child demanding a new toy. It wasn’t an attractive proposition. Involuntarily she shuddered at the thought of making the same mistake twice. At least she had the good sense to end it.

  At that moment, her mobile phone rang and reluctantly Thea reached over from her bed to answer it. Immediately she recognised the mild spoken voice on the crackling line.

  “Sophie!” Thea held the handset to her ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t get chance to speak with you. Things got a bit heated earlier. How can I help?”

  There was a slight pause at the end of the phone. “Well, I have been thinking about when I finish my degree. I really admire your work and before the project ends, I’d really like to talk to you about doing a postgraduate under you.”

  Thea ears pricked up, as she contemplated the possibilities. “Of course. I would enjoy that conversation too. We’ll find time to sit down together and talk through some ideas,” she said, already making a mental note in her diary.

  “That would be great,” Sophie replied enthusiastically. A pregnant pause hung between them on the crackling phone line.

  “Was there anything else?”

  “Listen there is something I think you should know.”

  “Go on,” Thea said encouragingly. She could hear a sharp intake of breath down the line.

  “Well, after you left, there was a massive quarrel. Richard was discussing next year’s project funding and how your involvement was an absolute condition of the Foundation, but apparently you declined.” Thea felt a stab of pain but bit her lip. She knew it wasn’t true and that Richard blamed her, but it felt uncomfortable that this business was being aired so publicly.

  “He was complaining how you refused to meet Mr Kampitsis, when Rob came to your defence. He said you were absolutely right and shouldn’t be forced into anything against your will. He got so furious that Rob refused to discuss it further and then stormed out. Even Matthew was surprised as he’s never seen Rob so enraged.”

  “Thanks Sophie for letting me know,” Thea said, unsure what to do with this information. She sensed that it had taken some courage for the younger woman to dial her number after all the disturbance and raised voices. “Things aren’t quite as they appear but I’m sorry you had to witness that. I’ll see you before you go and we’ll have that chat.”

  Just as Thea replaced the handset, the phone rang out again. Registering it was Stelios’ number, Thea sighed resignedly. Could the day get any worse?

  *********************************************

  It was later the next day, Thea stood in front of a large gated mansion, overlooking the sea, set back from the main coastal road. The drive down had not been unpleasant, with the sweeping views of the sea glinting in the sunlight, beneath the shadow of Mount Oenos. Somehow her modest Korean car seemed incongruous within so grandiose a property. She peered through the grille of the security gate. Within the high white-washed walls and security fence, the garden was immaculately kept, with its closely cropped jade-green lawn and manicured borders. As Thea pressed the intercom buzzer, she almost expected to be turned away, even though Stelios had set up this meeting. Her response must have satisfied the maid or housekeeper as the electric gates swung open. As she steered the car up the endless driveway, she could see the manicured gardens stretching back and the outline of a swimming pool, with the sound of children’s laughter. Dimitri really had entered the realms of the super-rich.

  In the hallway, Thea encountered Stelios. He was dressed casually in an open neck shirt and seemed to have been awaiting her arrival. For some reason, he seemed slightly anxious as he loosened his collar with his fingers. He was as deferential as always. “Allow me to show you the way, Dr Sefton. I don’t think you have had the pleasure of meeting Kuria Kampitsis.”

  They entered a spacious open plan living room, which could have come straight from the cover of a high-end home magazine. It was exquisitely decorated with white sofas and fleece-piled rugs. There were several pieces of modernist artwork dotted around. The door on the opposite side suddenly opened and a woman walked in. Dimitri’s wife. Her body was elegantly clad in a pale silk blouse and matching wide chiffon pants. As she held out her hand to greet Thea, the gold bracelets that adorned her wrists jangled. Her hair had been bleached and her face was perfectly formed, except for the hard sculptured features.

  “Please, Dr Sefton, sit down,” she said, speaking in English with a trace of an American accent. “I’m Clemmie Kampitsis, Dimitri’s wife. Stelios has told me a lot about you. Please, you can leave us now,” she said, gesturing to Stelios. Beneath the cordial reception, there was a chill in the air and this woman exuded anything but pleasantness.

  She gestured to Thea to sit. “I understand that you and my husband have been spending a lot of time together,” Clemmie began, heavily emphasising the words. There was a cold smile on her face. “I wanted to inform you, that you are not the first woman to catch my husband’s eye.”

  It suddenly clicked with Thea the purpose of the meeting. It was to warn her off.

  “If you have any concerns in that respect, then I can reassure you,” Thea said facing her squarely, raising up her chin. “I’m not in a relationship with your husband. I simply know Dimitri from twenty years back, when we were both young. We were engaged briefly but he chose to break it off.”

  Clemmie turned towards her, her eyes blazing. “Do you think I’m a fool?” She threw her head back indignantly, her voice ice-cold. “I know you’ve spent time together. I know about your trip abroad. So,” she collected herself, “please tell the truth. I know my husband and that he can be very persuasive and determined when he wants something.”

  “I’m afraid you’ve got it wrong! We travelled to Athens together, but it was purely as part of the Odysseus project. Your husband kindly paid for my accommodation in Athens and then took me out to dinner on a couple of occasions. I did initially agree to accompany him to Switzerland but I changed my mind. I assure you,” Thea said with emotion now creeping into her voice, “it has not gone further than that.”

  Clemmie’s eyes had narrowed like a serpent, poised to strike. “Forgive me, Dr Sefton, but I find that hard to believe. That you would refuse one of the world’s richest men and simply walk away. Usually women are all too willing to oblige him. So what is it, I wonder,” she said thinking out aloud “that made you run away from him.” Clemmie got up and stood looking out on the garden, where the joyful squeals of the children playing drifted through the open win
dow. Dimitri’s children. At the sound, fleetingly tears pricked Thea’s eyes before she dismissed them. But in that moment the other woman had glimpsed her pain.

  “Of course, he hurt you very badly. Didn’t he?” Clemmie thought for a moment, as if studying a blemish on the polished marble floor, before turning her attention to Thea once more. “You were pregnant, weren’t you? But I am informed you don’t have any children. So what happened?“ There was a sudden intake of breath as Thea flinched, taken by surprise. “I think I understand. He abandoned you pregnant, didn’t he? That is the truth!”

  Without waiting for a response, Clemmie continued. “And he hurt you so badly, that through the pain and shock, you miscarried. Is that what happened? He sacrificed you and the child for his own ambition.”

  Thea had been listening to Clemmie’s words horrified. How could she discern that information? “You’re mistaken. He didn’t abandon me,” Thea replied firmly, trying to rally to Dimitri’s defence. “His family forced him to leave for South America.”

  “You said this happened twenty years ago?” Clemmie asked casually. “Is that correct?” Thea nodded hesitantly, hearing a note of triumph in Clemmie’s voice. “I’m afraid to inform you Dr Sefton, he lied. At the behest of his family, he was in South America for a very short-time. But the rest of the time, he was in Athens wooing me with large cow eyes as the heiress of the Archontakis fortune.” She paused choosing her words carefully. “There were rumours that the family had packed him off to South America because he had become, how shall we say …, entangled with a foreigner. I’m sorry to say Dr Sefton, you didn’t stand a chance against the wealth and prestige that his marriage to me brought him.”

  Thea stared at the woman in disbelief. As if the woman had uttered a stream of poisoned barbs aimed at her chest. Was it true? That Dimitri had deliberately turned his back on her, leaving their unborn child to bear the consequences. That this man whom she had naively trusted, had treated her so badly and callously. The truth sickened her to the core. Her face must have betrayed her emotions for the heiress of the great Greek shipping dynasty now continued with a hint of sympathy.