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Contents ( 59)
  1. Conn Iggulden
  2. Contents
  3. About the Author
  4. Pronunciation
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. Part Two
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. Historical Note
  59. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘We’ll pursue them, of course. It should not be so hard to run them down.’

His companion made a snorting sound. He hated to run. It was one of the reasons he served the Great King on board ship.

‘They’re on foot,’ he said with a shrug. ‘By the time they reach anyone, we’ll be raising a cup of wine in the ashes of this “Athens”. You and I will have a dozen new women to serve us fruit and wine, with little boys for pleasure. We’ll need every ship for all the slaves and gold, the way I heard it.’

The officer eyed his companion, wondering if it was deliberate temptation. There were listeners everywhere in the fleet, so it was said. He could not allow a whisper of uncertainty, or he’d find himself questioned with fire and iron, deep in the hold of the king’s flagship.

‘I’ll send men after them in the morning,’ he said. ‘With a couple of trackers to read their steps. When the king asks me if I did all I could, I will not be found wanting, my friend. Not this year, not if there are such riches to be had.’

He looked back over the sea then, to the single galley that dropped anchor even as he watched. He and his fellows were the scouts, the clearers of paths. The main fleet was behind, coming closer every day, like a mountain slowly falling. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the silence and the breeze. There was a certain peace just in being away from the eyes and endless rules of the king’s court, with a thousand men struggling for position and taking insult at the slightest provocation. It felt like drowning, sometimes. He shook his head, sensing the gaze of his ever-watchful companion. Some things would never be said aloud.

38

As dawn broke, the people of Athens were already filling the streets. They had gathered in darkness and silence, following priests of Athena and Poseidon and Apollo, as well as Ares and Hades, heading to the foot of the Acropolis. There had been no call to assemble, no horns blown. Word had flown around the city on dark wings the night before. Just two ragged sailors had made it back, bearing news of Persian galleys and the slaughter of their crews. On stolen mounts, they had reached the city walls and collapsed, trembling with hunger and exhaustion. The city had roused around them in the night.

It was time. The first wire of gold on the horizon revealed dense crowds, walking with heads bowed up to the temples on the highest point of the city, to make offerings there, to make sacrifice. A dawn bell tolled across Athens then and some of them clutched amulets and murmured prayers as they went.

Xanthippus walked hand in hand with Agariste, their three children at their heels. Epikleos had found them the night before, bringing the news they all dreaded. He climbed the sloping path alongside his oldest friends, making their way up the great rock of Athens, the most sacred part that sat above all. It had been the site of palaces and kings, long gone to dust. It was where all eyes turned when they were threatened, offering refuge. For those who laboured upwards, the Areopagus and the Pnyx were far below, made small by height and shadows. Under threat of war, this was the heart of Athens, in the silent faith of those who gathered there.