Excerpt
“Now Agamemnon stood before the rank and file and beat his breast in grief and said, ‘There never was a king who loved his people more and never did a king deserve a firmer mandate for his rule as me. I now command the winds to change and take us to our foes. I call on every father here in sea-girt bold Achaea to make the same unselfish sacrifice to this, our common cause. I am the paragon of kingly leadership, that will not fade from minds of men unto the millionth generation, as long as blood still flows in human veins. No longer do the fighters of this greatest army known to gather for the glory of our people have the right to honest fear in battle. Remember little Iphigeneia and call to mind the heavy burden that your country’s honor places now and evermore upon your fighting spirit. Cowards will be whipped and thrown to hungry dogs. Now run down to your ships, aggrieved Achaeans. Stubborn winds now shift and bare us righteous passage. Run before my spear, a-thirst for blood, can find your backs.’
“This said, the army rushed down to the shore and shoved their ships into the iodine sea with manys an oath and swear and all the oar loving Achaeans bent their backs and sang the paean honoring father Zeus who thunders from on high. And on the beach stood Clytemnestra, arms upraised to heaven, raven tresses brushing past her ivory cheeks, her eyes unblinking and dry with grief, and in my heart, I feared the prayer she whispered to the furies, who hound deluded men at odds with God, like Agamemnon, and me, alone and lost. pages 44-45
“The hope that shone in every eye condemned me to the painful task. I rose and said, ‘To walk the way of war as handed down to me by true Laertes, father who taught me how to laugh at dour outcomes, I’ll make this one man raid on Troy and steal the stone. Odysseus will not be buried under schemes of other men because I know I either walk with bright Athena’s grace and won’t be killed or otherwise; and then I’ll know my life has been a long hard row at odds with fate. But I believe this war is just. I won’t be killed. I will get home because my qualities will lead me there. And I will enter Troy carried through the Scian Gate. How I leave might be another matter then.’ page 126
“This said, I sailed for Sparta, rowing hard past Point Taenarus, then an easy run to shore with trailing winds, landing where the River Eurotas meets the sea. We eased upstream just past the bend and came to cliffs the Spartans call the Ducks. Along the broken rim stood lines of citizens and soldiers who watched their king condemn his eldest daughter. “Icarius beckoned to the edge by sword point and spoke these words, ‘Arnea, my eldest girl, I knew the instant when I made you with your mother Periboea. Yet the love I feel for you is not returned in equal measures back to me by one I have the right to place demands upon. Your marriage is business of my estate. The man you wed, I chose, or you can die.’
“This said, and true Arnea backed up to the edge and spoke her spirit, ‘Father dear, you are the last unkind old man I’ll ever see. You claim my heart is yours to give in love? I’ll fly instead, and trade your long sad choice for one last free regard of fleeting life.’
“And as you fell, Arnea, sweeping backward, I reached my arms to catch you far away. Already I knew that if you died, my life from that day on would be in vain. And then the air beneath you came alive in feathers. Ducks glinting sunlight softened your fall midair like god’s dear hand and bore you gently to the waters right before the prow of my black ship. I reached my hand to help you step onboard, your long blond curly hair completely dry; a miracle, and everything, the only thing I knew I’d ever want, until my heart ran out, was you, Arnea.
“I took you by your hand and called up to your father, ‘Now king, cruel, cruel father, you’ve gone and lost the treasure of your house. You’ll win no fame for this. She has survived your sentence, by the will of Zeus. I say that none may cause her any further harm without provoking his almighty wrath. I swear to all in range to hear my voice, this woman is a gracious prodigy. She needs a home and throne to sit upon.’
“This said, and stunned Icarius answered, ‘I know the conquering force of Zeus before my very eyes. No further harm shall come to her. But, hear me, stranger, are you noble as you seem, or are you a pirate here to raid us in our sleep? At any rate, be sure to know, Arnea still is daughter to Icarius. She never shall be wed until she bend her will to mine.’
“I turned to look Arnea eye to eye, ‘Never bend to him if you would be my wife. I’ll find or steal a way to win your love.’
“Arnea smiled like flowers opening at dawn and spoke these promising words, ‘Let every step we take from here be ones to draw us closer.’
“I faced her father once again, ‘I am Odysseus, the son of brave Laertes, king of Ithaka. I give you back your daughter, knowing Zeus is feared by all.’
“And now Icarius spoke mocking words, ‘Yes, bring this girl of mine to me, defiant ingrate that she is. And saved by god sent ducks from justice falling on her. Ha! We’ll call her something different now. Why not Penelope, in honor of her saving fowl?’
“Your girl looked straight into your eye and said, ‘A king will call his daughter what he wishes, and dutiful to your oath, I’ll bear this silly name.’
“And from that instant, every step I’ve taken here in life has been to be close back at home with you, Arnea; that name is now an ancient secret that we share between us. I only call you by it on a sudden in our bed, the one I carved from living wood, the olive tree that grows up through our bedroom floor in Ithaka. There lies all the immortality I crave and all the beauty I can understand. pages 196-197
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