Chapter 3- A Lady of Legend
It was the taste of sand that Amy awoke to.
The taste was not a pleasant one. *Kinda like Mina-chan's cooking....* She
spat it out, feeling the roughness scrape her cheek. She felt raw and sore,
having been beaten by the hammer of the sea. The yellow stuff was stuck to
her eyelashes, puddled in her hair, clinging stiffly as it dried. As she
moved, encrusted muscles broke the surface of the sand, shedding it from her
like a snakeskin. She groaned as she pushed herself up, feeling stiffened
muscles in her legs protest the movement, exhausted as they were from the
last night's ordeal. She collapsed and closed her eyes, sighing softly. She
tried to rise again a moment later, fighting fatigue, pulling herself to her
knees, feeling a tug as she remembered she was still twined to Hermes, who
was lying unconscious several feet from her. He, like she, was cloaked in
sand. She looked quickly to the sea, almost afraid that Poseidon would be
towering in the reefs, awaiting her awakening. He was not. She shuddered in
relief for a moment, bending over, breathing heavily as chunks of her hair
clung to her face stickily.
The tide was out, revealing tidal pools and their inhabitants, sea anemones
and sponges, starfish and clams, shells tightly clamped. "Hermes," her voice
was raw. She crawled over to his sprawled out body. "Hermes. Wake
up...please wake up," she nudged him gently on the shoulder. His boylike
face puckered as he surfaced from the depths of unconsciousness, the cool
grace of his Olympian lineage vanishing as he twisted out of sleep.
"Hermes...are you okay?"
He frowned up at her out of his chocolatey eyes. "What?"
Surprised, she touched her throat. *What? Oh...I spoke in Japanese. I can
do that? Well, Athena said it was a 'potion of tongues'...and my modern
Japanese would not be the same as Hellenic era Japanese. Lingual shifts...I
guess I need to be concentrating to speak in the language I choose. I
suppose I default back to my native language when I'm not consciously
thinking of it.* "I wanted to know if you were okay."
"What's okay?"
*Whoops...'okay' hasn't entered the language yet....* "Are you all right?"
He groaned and tried to pull himself up. Amy steadied him as he visibly
reeled. He put a hand to his head. "Yeah. Poseidon gone?"
"It seems that way."
Hermes looked relieved. "He can't do as much when we're on land. The ship?"
Amy looked at her hands, neatly folded in her lap. "Gone."
"Perfect," he ran a hand through his hair, and a storm of sand fell out.
"Do you know where we are?"
He frowned, looking around the empty beach. He gathered himself, staggering
to his feet. Amy joined him, and they ended up leaning on each other for
support as cramped muscled worked themselves back into more natural
positions. The beach was scattered with driftwood and remains of their ship,
pelted out by the god sent squall. Surf was steadily lapping up the shore,
leaving a thin line of a watermark halfway up the beach. Helios had climbed
almost halfway through his daily journey, the wheels of his chariot glowing
a steady orange in a cloudless azure sky. Hermes breathed deeply once.
"North coast of Africa...." he closed his eyes, mentally retracing their
steps. "About halfway to Hellas from the Graeae. Around the outcropping.
I've been through this way before. There's not much here. But..." he opened
his eyes. "It's a good area. Good land. If I remember right, there's some
sea towns up and down the coast. I think...yes. There's one a few leagues
from here. Only a few minutes...." he frowned suddenly, grimacing. He looked
at Amy, who had been watching him. "It might take a couple hours to march.
You up to it?"
"I think so. But we'd better get unattached first."
"What?"
Amy tugged at the chord that was now settled around each of their waists.
"Oh," he looked over the beach. "Let's look for something sharp."
The pair, unable to go very far apart, began to search the wreck littered
beach for something sharp. A few minutes later, Hermes spotted an old,
bronze rusty dagger, broken in the center. But the edge was jagged, and
after some sawing, the water-tightened bonds gave way, snapping in two.
Freed, Hermes began to take off to the south east, Amy trailing watchfully
after.
For over what Amy estimated as two hours, they marched tiredly towards the
town Hermes remembered. It was small, reeking of spoiled fish. The road to
the town was damp, and a few puddles served as a reminder of the earlier
storm. The town had taken the fringes of the blast, yet still strong enough
to knock shingles loose from houses. As Amy and Hermes had marched, they had
shaken the sands from them, managing to gather themselves into a semi-decent
state of appearance.
Not that anyone would have noticed.
The town was poor, run down, and generally decrepit. A large hill dominated
the scene in the background, strangely green and lush with grasses. Dirty
children shouted in play up and down the street, a group of their shawled
mothers huddled together by a vegetable cart, bartering for what food they
could. Worn out fishermen were beginning to bring in their catches, their
rough shouts filling the air. Seagulls wheeled overhead, screaming over the
bits of rotting fish guts that were floating in the water. They walked up
the harbor, many of the wooden planks of the boardwalk rotting with
disrepair and neglect. A small fleet of boats lay in anchor in the bay,
twelve Phoenician trading ships, each in excellent repair, their sails
drawn.
Hermes was scanning the row of boxy buildings across from the small harbor,
their slumped mud brick walls making them look claustrophobic.
"Hermes? What are we looking for?"
A moment later, he brightened, jerking a thumb at one of the dingy, squat
structures. "That."
Amy gaped. A man staggered outside, collapsing onto a three legged stool.
He carried a flask in hand, and took a long swig of the bark container. He
belched loudly, scratching his exposed beer belly. He burped, then passed
out, the flagon falling to the ground. "A bar?" Amy asked, incredulous.
"I come through places like this all the time," Hermes announced breezily.
"I think we'll find exactly the kind of person we need in there."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"What kind of people do you think will be in a tavern in the middle of the
afternoon?" he grinned mischievously, turning and striding across the muddy
street. Reluctantly, Amy followed him.
Hermes was halfway towards the bartender when Amy passed through the doors,
looking about nervously. Long tables had been stretched across the room,
benches beside them. Along the sides, round tables with stools stood. The
tavern, for the most part, was empty. A group of five men sat hunched over
at a corner table, apparently dicing. One of the men swore, then overturned
his chair as he got up from the table, stalking off. Another of the men
looked quite satisfied with himself, and Amy heard him invite the others for
another round.
Hermes was speaking in low tones with the barman, while a woman beside them
stacked clay plates on the counter. "Hey, gorgeous," a thick voice slurred.
Amy felt a heavy arm drape over her shoulders. She flinched, shrinking away.
"Where you goin' eh? Give us a kiss," he leaned in closer and Amy pushed the
man away, his breath sour from lack of mouthwash. *Scope? Listerine,
anyone?* A meaty hand grabbed her waist, drawing her closer.
"Let go!" she shoved him harder, slipping out of the drunken sailor's
grasp. The heavy hand snatched out, catching her wrist. The man's voice
cleared slightly, and he looked at her out of the pouches of flesh around
his eyes.
"Aw...lil' girl don't want no fun?" he chuckled waspishly, his three
companions at the table joining in behind him. Coins were laid out on the
table, the remains of betting accompanied by tankards of heady wine.
From the side, Amy heard Hermes' light baritone say, "She's mine." He was
glaring at the man, arms folded over his chest.
The stranger pulled Amy closer, tucking her against his sweaty chest. Amy
grimaced. *Body odor. Someone needs to invent deodorant. I have to do
something!* "Yeah?" the man responded, grinning. "Well, now she's w' me and
my boys."
*Now!* Amy slammed her heel into the man's groin, bringing it up behind
her. She heard the man gurgle, doubling over. She noticed the shocked look
on Hermes' face as she brought her arms up and behind the man's head, using
his doubling over to roll him over her shoulder. *Thank God for all that
practice with the youmas....I think that one would make even Haruka
proud....* The man crashed onto the floor with the Judo-style flip, the
boards of the floor splintering under his considerable weight. The man's
companions were quick to their feet, overturning their table as they leapt
forward. *What kind of people would be in a tavern at midday, huh? Well,
apparently in a seaport like this...drunken seamen with nothing better to do
than harass women. Where is feminism when you need it?* One of the new
attackers was armed with a bronze knife, and he held it fist down, dagger
style as he charged. Amy spun as he wildly struck outward. "Sailor Mercury
kick!" *Sailor Mercury kick? Sorry Mina-chan. Stealing your attack....*
Hermes had leapt into the action now, grabbing the wrist of one of the men
and twisting it back, swinging the man around. He brought his leg around
into a roundhouse kick, catching the man in the stomach. Amy's attacker was
now crashing into one of the long tables, flipping over it as Hermes sent
his man after. The four men gambling quietly at the other table had
abandoned their gaming and were shouting, now charging over.
*Perfect. They're friends. What? Shipmates? Guys, are you when I need you?
Lita, I could really use your strength right now....* "Hermes!" Amy cried as
he took a blow to the stomach.*I need a weapon!* She ducked as one of the
newcomers, slightly tipsy from drink, clumsily pawed at her. She drove her
shoulder into his belly, grabbing his arm from below, letting his own
momentum drive him over her back. *I have to find something to use as a
weapon...I can't use my power...Athena...I thought you gave me power....*
She cast a wild glance around the room. Hermes was using a chair to fend off
one of the men. Other than the original man, two others were sprawled out on
the ground. Her eyes fell on bar, where the bartender and barmaid were
cowering behind some dishes. *The plates!*
The man with the dagger was up again now, and charging at Amy. *Please let
this work....* She reached the counter top seconds before her attacker. She
grabbed the top plate, spinning around. The dagger was out, stabbing
straight at her stomach. She deflected the blow with the flat of the plate,
then slammed it into the man's face, half shutting her eyes as the clay
broke in her hands. The man's eyes crossed comically, he tottered, then
dropped flat on his face on the ground. Seeing their comrade collapse before
the girl, two men broke off their attack on Hermes and charged at her. She
grabbed another plate from the leaning stack and hurled it, discus style, at
the men. The fired clay plate exploded in a cloud of chips as it broke over
a man's head. *Not exactly the Moon Tiara...why do I feel like I'm trapped
in a really weird Jackie Chan movie?*
She spun another dish out at the second man as he ran closer. The clay disk
blew up in his face, sending shards everywhere. "Hermes! Down!" Two more
plates, in quick succession, flew out from her fingers, splintering on his
attackers. Hermes threw his arms up to ward off the shrapnel.
"Where'd you learn that?" he exclaimed as another frisbee impacted on the
head of another one of the sailors, cracking him over the head.
"Um, Xena?" Amy offered as she reached for another plate. *Uh oh. Out of
chakrams....and we're a little outnumbered still....* Three men, two at
Amy's feet, one crashed over the table, were down, but the other four were
still up, and were looking extremely pissed, their faces red. They roared,
two heading for Amy, the other two, Hermes.
Into the oncoming fracas, a single word was called out, with such authority
in tone and inflection that the brawl froze mid-fight. "Stop!" heads
swiveled around, and there, in the doorway, stood a woman, her right hand
slightly uplifted with her command. The sailors instantly dropped to their
knees, the visage of both horror and shame coloring their cheeks.
The lithe woman padded a further step into the tavern, sandaled feet silent
on the wood. She was tall, willowy, with strength in her stance as well as
flexibility. A yellow silk skirt was gathered at her hips, trailing down,
hemmed with a border of cloth of gold at her feet, golden twined sandals
just visible under the edge. A heavy red ruby gathered the cloth to her,
inlaid on gold. A swath of yellow silk had been twined around her chest,
also fastened with a sparkling ruby, bits of silk trailing down over her
bare belly. A long neck held up a proud chin, and her wide, full red lips
were drawn into a tight frown. Heavy black hair hung in fastened gold clasps
around her head, seeming almost Egyptian in style, hanging on olive skinned
shoulders. Heavy round ornaments hung heavily from her ears, and bracelets
studded with rubies encircled her arms. But it was her eyes that glared at
the scene before her, heavily lined in black kohl, thick lashes curling high
around her eyes. Gold flecked emerald eyes cast around with disapproval, and
her movements were that of a lioness ready to pounce. The men that they had
been fighting seemed completely sober now, and they were cringing.
Two men stepped out behind her, wearing brown tunics, leather baldrics
slung around their chests, narrow, short leaf-shaped bronze swords hanging
from them, make for cutting or thrusting equally. Each carried a round
bullhide shield, framed in wood, large enough to block most chest strikes.
Their faces though, were unseen, obscurely hidden within their helmets,
which wrapped around their eyes, and were split down the center by a nose
piece. They were light, thinly made, for bronze helmets become heavy with
wear. They were made to deflect bows rather than to block them. "Captain,"
the woman commanded. The man on her right stepped briskly forward. "Take our
men to the brig as they deserve for fighting while on leave," her catlike
eyes pierced through the men around them. "Put them on rations. They
disobeyed my direct order."
"Yes, my queen. Men! Up!" From behind him, two more men appeared, equally
attired, but armed with hoplite style spears. They avoided their mistress in
the doorway carefully, stepping around her. The two men gathered the
attackers, forcing the prone figures roughly to their feet, dragging them
out the door when necessary. There was the sound of clanging weaponry as
they men were escorted out of sight.
"Lieutenant."
"Yes, my queen," the other man snapped to attention.
"Take the men and bring the foodstuffs and drink to our ships."
"Yes, my queen," he strode forward, several men from outside falling in
behind him as he approached the shaking bartender. Now the woman's eyes
focused on Hermes, then on Amy.
"You will follow me," she announced flatly, skirts aswirl as she turned and
stalked out the door. Mutely, Amy and Hermes obeyed. Once on the street, two
women in robes of scarlet, veils drawn across their faces, fell into silent
step beside the woman her guards had called 'queen'. She returned to their
awaiting faces, Amy's withdrawn and silent, Hermes with some bemused
interest. She watched them carefully, sweeping her gaze up and down Hermes
first, disregarding him, then Amy, letting her gaze linger in her eyes a
moment. "I am Elissa of Tyre," she said, then seemed to wait expectantly,
her hands resting lightly on her hips as she held her chin imperiously
aloft.
"Amy of...Tokyo. Hermes of..."
"Caria," he filled in. Elissa's eyebrows arched slightly, but she did not
meet Hermes's gaze, keeping Amy locked into her vision.
"You are invited to join me at my ship for supper. You may arrive at dusk.
Your manservant may dine with my soldiers if he so wishes."
It was with these curt words Elissa turned on her heel, the two red robed
women trailing after.
*Elissa of Tyre! I know that name! Could it truly be...?* She expected to
see Hermes practically seething behind her. *Manservant? He will not like
that...* But to her surprise, a moment later, Hermes began to chuckle. He
pulled a leather bag, tied with thongs, out from his tunic. He opened it,
and began to fish around. He finally overturned it, and several dinars fell
into his awaiting palm.
"Hermes...where did you get that?"
"Oh, this?" he grinned. "That fat bull in the inn. I thought we'd find just
what I wanted there. Gambling over knucklebones. Always plenty to go around.
This will be enough to get us somewhere decent to sleep and start us on our
way to wherever. We might be able to catch a ship to Attica, if we're
lucky." He began to count the dinars.
"You stole it?"
He grinned, that lopsided smile that made him look like a boy with a hand
in the cookie jar.
*He stole it! We could have been killed! Is he insane? He planned this
whole thing! He's been through places like this before? Is he completely
insane?* "What were you thinking?" she hissed, keeping her voice down.
Hermes' smirk was suddenly wiped from his face.
"What are you talking about?"
"We could have been killed! That guy had a knife. You planned this. You
knew exactly what kind of people would be in there, and you wanted them to
try to attack us. It was a diversion, wasn't it, so you could steal their
money. Hermes, how could you do that? What were you thinking?"
"What was I thinking? Princess, I was thinking about getting you your
precious crystal thing back so I can get back to full strength! You
obviously have no clue what the hell you're doing! The whole reason I'm
stuck with you is to make sure you make it alive! If we don't do this my
way, it won't work!"
Amy felt her fists ball up. *I never get this angry. Why does he infuriate
me like this? Is he crazy? Am I?* "Nani, you
arrogant...boorish...self-centered... hubris...baka! If it weren't for you,
I wouldn't be here in the first place. I never asked for your help. If you
don't want to help me, then stay away! You know nothing about me, where I'm
from, who I am, or why its so important for me to get my Crystal back. You
never asked me, never even gave it a second of consideration! I will do this
on my own if I have to!" Amy spun, running hard down the boardwalk, leaving
Hermes to stand and gape at her retreating back.
*On my own? What am I thinking? I know textbook information of this
time...this world. It won't tell me how to deal with strange men in bars,
where to go for food or shelter! I may know where we are now...thanks to
Elissa's interference and that hill there, if I don't miss my guess...but
how am I going to book passage to Zacynthus? Or find this tactician I'm
supposed to be looking for? Oh, Bunny, Raye, Lita, Mina...anyone! Setsuna! I
wish you were here! I miss you! Mom! I can't do this! Athena, help me!*
She fled swiftly past the squatting houses, living up to her namesake of
'Mercury'. Fighting as a senshi had toned her muscles, which would have been
completely hidebound otherwise. She passed through the town, hair waving
rapidly around her head as she tore through the wind. The fish smell finally
dissipated, replaced by the salty scent of the water as she reached the
beach on the town's far end. Amy saw several boats out in the distance,
trawling for fish. The beach was wide, littered with seashells and bits of
driftwood. She settled herself along the rocky treeline, leaning herself
against the rough bark, glad of the sense of privacy that nearby bushes
provided. She tucked herself compactly together, knees under chin, sapphire
eyes settling forward over the rolling sea. *The sea. Such a vast space of
water isn't really my domain...more Michiru's.... Why did Poseidon choose
me? Why not Michiru? Not that I would ever wish this on her! Well...maybe
Poseidon just didn't want to face the wrath of Haruka.*
Amy grinned, thinking of what Haruka would do if her beloved Michiru were
ever stolen from her.
*So I smile. Haruka. Michiru. Setsuna, Hotaru. And of course Bunny and the
guys. Mom and everyone. My friends and family.*
Amy straightened herself out, stretching her legs, pointing her toes. On a
whim, she unfastened the sandals, digging her toes into the yellow beach.
She arched her back, looking up into the sky through the balmy leaves above
her. Amy laughed suddenly.
*I like this. Quiet. Thinking of my friends, my fellow Scouts. All I need
is a good book. I've been meaning to read *Flatland*...mathmatics and
literature in one! Planes of existence...levels of being. I'm in the
past...if Elissa is truly who I believe.... Quiet. Privacy. I need this. I
wonder what Hermes is doing...what am I thinking? No more Hermes! Sorry,
Athena. I know we were supposed to stick together....Can I do this alone?
No...I can't pilot a ship alone, that's for sure. It was awkward enough with
just Hermes and I. And I'm hardly an expert boatswoman. I need a crew then.
A captain to pilot, men to row or trim sail. How to get it though?
Elissa...she has boats...sea vessels, not just a fisherman's dingy. I have
nothing to trade or pay...yet...I have knowledge she does not. But am I
supposed to use it? Interference in the timestream is dangerous. I guess I
know how Pluto feels now. But I must retrieve the Mercury Crystal. The
future is at stake there as well.
Elissa has not settled in her land yet...Phoenicians are known for being
shrewd traders of sharp mind if I remember my Hellenic history correctly. If
this is Elissa, then Troy must be soon, and if Troy, Homer. And if Troy,
then Aeneas...but all based on Elissa's mere name! I need more information.
And I can get that from Elissa herself, tonight. Food...I am hungry. But I
must be careful. If Elissa is who I believe, then she is on the verge of
claiming her land from the town. I must be cautious. Revealing too much
could damage the timestream. She is credited with the founding, not some
unknown girl. And why did she invite me for dinner, but not Hermes? This is
strange. There's no other way to eat, not without money. Which I obviously
lack. She knows something...or is hoping I do. I can play that card for now.
Chess. Like chess. I'll play chess. I don't know what she's thinking, but
she is trying to get into my head. By inviting me, she is setting up her
pawns, her rooks, knights and bishops. The queen is the most deadly player
in chess. She may be a queen, but I am a princess, and will be a queen in my
own right someday. If she wants to play chess, so be it! That is a game I
know well.*
The spinning wheel of the chariot of the Sun began to reach its home in the
west. Amy had let her eyes close during the few short hours between, dozing
enough to sleep, but able to keep an eye on the descending sun. Being late
would not help matters. Amy was nothing if not punctual. When the sky began
to bleed, she had gathered herself, coming to the lip of the sea, which was
beginning to roll in with the tide. She splashed water on her face and arms
and feet, cleansing herself as best she could. *Ah, for a bath. But too
dangerous with Poseidon in the water. I wonder if he watches me. I
remember...in the Iliad. Laocoon. Swallowed by Poseidon's sea serpent. 'I
fear Greeks...even when they bear gifts.'*
She straightened, smoothing the waves of her blue hair. With a single,
determined deep breath, she turned and began to walk back to town. *Head
high, regal bearing. I will play the game.* To her surprise and pleasure,
people backed away as she approached them, stepping aside for the short
haired young woman who passed by them, walking serenely toward the largest
of the trading ships in harbor. She stopped before the two guards at the
boat's plank. "I have been summoned by the queen Elissa," she announced
calmly, and to her pleasant surprise, in Phoenician. She could not see the
men's faces to her words, obscured as they were behind the helmets of
gleaming bronze.
*But that is their purpose. Hide emotion from outsiders or the enemy.
Mindgames. Always mindgames. Once...I head Athena described as the symbol of
'the victorious mind.' She gave me this brooch. Perhaps that is its power. A
reminder that the mind is what is behind all strategy, and hence all
victory. And...well, am I not the planner behind the Scouts?*
The long hoplite spears parted before her as the men withdrew, allowing her
to pass. She crested the rim of the ship, hesitating. She felt nervous, but
held it in check. *Hermes was right about one thing. I have no idea what I'm
doing. But I will not allow anyone else to see that! Never again!* She
surveyed the ship critically. She had arrived exactly on time, the sun
turning the sky's mantle a sparklingly faceted amethyst prism, shot through
in red, orange and dying yellow. To the east, navy blue spangled with
lavender hued wisps of cloud. Far on the horizon, the nearly full moon
gleamed.
Before her, two bronze braziers let sandalwood scented smoke into the air,
making it both hazy and bright at once. Two of the ruby veiled women stood
to the side, silently watchful, their almond eyes casting querying looks at
Amy, an interloper on their ship. Between them, a servant in a neatly kept
green tunic stood, eyes downward. Elissa herself reclined on a sofa near to
the ship's center. She had not changed her clothing from earlier in the day,
despite the oncoming night's chill. Her wealth of hair, though, had been
redone, plaited and pinioned with golden threads, tiny chimes belling down
from her shoulders. Another sofa had been placed across from Elissa, of the
same red silk and ebony wood. A low table lay between them, empty. Amy felt
her mouth begin to water, her stomach beginning to rumble. She clamped down
on it before she could allow anything to be heard. *Growling will not
exactly sound impressive, Amy....*
Taking an air of false confidence, she strode forward easily, glad that the
boat did not rock in bay. A gentle breeze zephyred through as she perched
herself on the sofa. Elissa smiled coolly. "Greetings to you, Amy of Tokyo.
You have not brought your friend?"
"He was unable to attend, I'm afraid."
"Pity," she said, then clapped her hands. The servant turned and brought a
large, gilded box to the table. "I thought perhaps we would play a bit
before supper." The servant opened the sides of the box, revealing a pegged
board. Several long ivory sticks lay to one side, to the other, white sticks
topped with hounds heads, as well as black sticks, topped with those of
jackals. "An Egyptian game I enjoy. Do you play?" Elissa was watching her,
hard.
*There is reason behind this. This is rehearsed. She's planning something.
Testing.* "The game is new to me. But I enjoy such games. I will see how
Fortune smiles on beginners."
"Beginners' luck? An interesting concept. Hounds or Jackals?"
"Hounds, please."
"Very well," Elissa began to place the pegs in the board. "Move around the
pegs, and attempt to capture my Jackals."
The pair faced off, Elissa allowing Amy to twirl the ivory sticks between
her palms first, tossing them on the table. They took turns, moving their
Hounds or Jackals around the wooden board. Fortune's wheel turned, first
favoring the more experienced Elissa, then dipping lower, lifting Amy to the
position of victory in the end.
"An excellent game. Beginner's luck, I imagine?"
"I suppose."
Elissa clapped her hands together again, the servant appearing at her
summons, removing the gameboard. The man disappeared into the ship's galley,
returning moments later in silent efficiency, laying out a tray with two
goblets, and a fluted pitcher of wine. The man poured a half glass for each
lady, then retreated, coming again with fruits, grapes and pomegranates.
Elissa took the goblet of wine in her fingers, holding it delicately as she
relaxed into the cushions. "I imagine, Amy, that you must wonder at my
insistence for your company this evening."
*And so it begins...be wary. If she wants to be sultry and subversive, then
I can be mysterious and all knowing.* "I have heard the tale," Amy admitted,
watching her from lowered eyes. She took up her own glass of wine, examining
it delicately, the ripples of red liquid placidly sitting in her glass. She
sipped the drink, hiding any distaste. Elissa was watching her narrowly as
she did this. Amy hid a smile behind the curve of the glass, reclining into
a tasseled pillow.
"Truly?" Elissa asked at last. "I was unaware that the tale has spread so
quickly."
*Careful, Amy...look disinterested....* She shrugged, taking another tiny
sip of the red wine, boredly eying Elissa, who's cattish green eyes were on
her. *Chess...knight to king...* "Such a tale is spread quickly. Murder,
intrigue. Cleverness of the queen?" she set the wineglass down on the table,
picking up a pomegranate, breaking it open and carefully removing the seeds.
*Don't chow down. That won't exactly fit with the current act...* Amy
watched Elissa's mind race to take in the implications of these words.
"Perhaps, though, I may hear the tale from your own lips, Elissa? Time and
distance alter what may truly have happened. I'd like to hear it first
hand."
Elissa arched an eyebrow, considering. Her lips quirked into a near smile
and she set the goblet down. "My father, King Belos of Tyre, died. I was to
share the throne with my brother, Pygmalion. Unfortunately, he did not wish
to share rule with a woman. My husband Sichaeus was of no help to me. He
spent our money on ridiculous loans. Pygmalion was not pleased with the loss
of monies, so he killed him. Simple enough. I left," her words were
dispassionate, cool and uncaring. Almost frivolous. She continued to watch
Amy during her tale, awaiting her reaction to the story.
Amy imitated Elissa's action, lifting her eyebrows. She crossed her legs at
the ankles. "But you've forgotten your escape." *Please let history be
correct here!*
"And how dramatic would such an escape be? My brother would have been
pleased to see my back."
Amy laughed lightly, the sound genuine. "Not if you took all his money with
you! Filling sacks with sand and putting on a show. I heard of your false
cries of mourning for your husband, flinging the sacks of sand into the bay,
letting Pygmalion believe it was his gold being flung overboard in your
grief. Tainted with blood, you made them think?"
Elissa chuckled mirthlessly. "Yes, I got what I wanted. Money, for land. I
suppose you know of my trip to Cyprus as well?"
"To collect eighty priestesses of Astarte? Yes."
"The Lady of Byblos shall have a temple here."
*Ah! Gotcha!* But more solemnly she asked, "Here?"
Elissa frowned deeply, making a temple of her fingers, resting her chin
thoughtfully on her fingertips. "It is a good land. Rich. The fishing is
good, the land located well for trade. There is a hill that would be well
set for a palace. There are few such large trading cities in the western
coast of Africa. The trade with the Hellenes alone would be quite
profitable. I wish to claim the hill, the surrounding lands."
"Oh? And why have you not?"
"Know you anything of the local politics, Amy?"
She popped a pomegranate seed into her mouth, chewing it slowly. *My, this
is fresh. Very juicy. Good.* "No, Elissa, I'm afraid I do not."
Elissa sighed. "The town we are harbored in...it is led by a local
chieftain named Iarbas. I offered him a fair price. Excellent, in fact. But
he claims he needs the land for his own palace," Elissa snorted derisively
at this, casting an apprehensive glance at the squalid buildings along the
bay. "More likely he will not believe a mere woman may lead a city without
destroying it. It is a foolish although common misconception. No goddess in
her wits would frown upon such a venture. I made promise to Hera I would
rule with strength," she grew distant as she said this, then snapped back to
Amy.
"Astarte was given prayers by my priestesses. The oracle told us that my
city would be founded by the water. Most believed the words to be quite
literal. The sea is here. We rest upon it now. And yet... Forgive me, Amy. I
have sometimes moments of losing myself in my emotions. My mother taught me
much of the ways of the gods. Ancient tales. Seeing you in the tavern
earlier this day...you, who wear the symbol of the Medusa and who has the
look of one of Ocean's daughters. I thought, perchance, that the meaning may
be different. Perhaps that you may solve the riddle for me."
Elissa clapped her hands again. The two priestesses of Astarte moved
forward, a large item in their hands. They held it to Elissa, who accepted
it graciously. "Iarbas gave me this, telling me in his hubris that he would
sell me only the land that this single oxhide would cover. Obviously, that
is not enough for me to found a successful city on," dryly, she rolled her
eyes. The priestesses backed away, still watching the performance.
*The oxhide. So it presents itself. Very well. Play chess.* "I too need
aid in my travels, Elissa." Amy again took up the wineglass, sipping
thoughtfully. *Don't drink too much. Getting giddy will not help.* "I do
know how to claim your land. But as a trader, you must know that nothing
comes for free?" Elissa was smiling at Amy's words. She shifted on her
parallel couch, changing the arm of the sofa she leaned against. Elissa
brushed a plait behind her shoulder, waiting calmly for Amy to continue.
*The woman rivals the legends of Cleopatra VII! Poor Elissa.* "In return
for the information, I wish a ship. I do not need a large one. But I need
men to run it, food for travel, water to drink. The men must be brave, for
the journey may be dangerous."
"Phoenician men are warriors as they are traders. They would not be afraid
to stand to Poseidon himself."
"I am glad of it."
Elissa blinked her kohl-lined cat eyes rapidly, absorbing the phrasing Amy
had used. "You ride against Poseidon," she concluded. "A perilous odyssey."
*Unfortunately, there will be another after me, if Homer is telling the
truth in his tales.* "Yes, it seems that way. A fair trade then?"
The space of a few breaths passed between them in the now starry night. "A
fair trade," Elissa acceded quietly, "and I will give you what you ask. If
you are able to solve the riddle of the oxhide."
"Elissa, I do not believe that will be a difficulty."
That next morning, Elissa assembled her entourage to her, various warriors
and priestesses, some nobles who had accompanied her from Tyre. She and Amy
had spent no small length of the previous night at work on the oxhide and
their plan. Knives had been brought to them for their work. In a strange
kind of silent excitement, they had worked the night through, adrenaline
coursing through their veins. *I am a part of this. This will happen because
of me. It may be wrong, to interfere. But is it destiny? Do we make our own,
or is it fixed for us? For now, I will let it be fixed. I only hope that
this is right.*
The priestesses had aided them in their industry, piling their work into
heaps. Aurora was stretching from her rosy bed in the east when they
completed their task, and in exhaustion and gratefulness, Elissa provided
Amy with food and a bath for the day, so that they may face Iarbas together,
fresh and prepared.
A new dress was provided for Amy, a silky deep emerald, strewn through with
opal and jade. They gleamed in the candlelight at the dresser and in the
shafts of brightness that came through the slats in the deck above. Elissa
sent her own maid to weave white pearls into Amy's hair, which was being
held back by a thin silvery coronet. A long swath of the material draped at
Amy's left shoulder, trailing into a thin, floaty cape down her back. She
had nearly left the tiny cabin when she had felt the absence of something.
The Medusa brooch.
Solemnly, she lifted it, fastening it to the place where the dress crossed
over her chest. It hung there lightly, warmed from Amy's touch. *It's a
strange thing, this brooch. Medusa is supposed to be so ugly. Ugly enough to
turn men to stone. Yet there is something oddly comforting about her face.
The snaky hair and closed eyes. I wonder why Athena persists in wearing it.
I cannot only be power.*
A priestess tapped lightly on the doorframe, catching Amy's attention. Amy
followed her out to the top deck, where Elissa awaited. She too was dressed
as a queen, exchanging her yellow silk for red, tightly bound in gold sash
around her waist, the ends trailing down her right hip. A broad many-colored
collar had been settled over her shoulders, her myrrh scented hair straight,
held back by a faceframe of gold, studded in topaz and opal. Her catlike
eyes remained detailed by the black kohl, now accented in a soft golden
sheen. Amy had allowed only the thinnest touch of makeup to be applied to
herself, nothing nearly so dramatic as Elissa. Barely a shimmer of
aquamarine touched the lids of her lazuli eyes.
"You look a queen today, Amy. The dress suits you," Elissa said by way of
greeting the younger woman. "You have royal blood," Elissa decided as she
smiled. For once, the smile was truly genuine, light and airy, without the
solemnity that she usually carried. Elissa looked her age.
*She is not more than four...perhaps five...years older than myself. She
has seen so much already. Married, widowed, founding a city. This is a woman
to be reckoned with. She will be successful. Elissa...I'm sorry. I know how
your tale ends.* But aloud, Amy replied to her, "Thank you, Elissa."
"Am I right? About the royalty?" she looked strangely pleading.
*So young.* Amy smiled sadly. "Yes, Elissa."
The other woman brightened even more. "Then as a sister of the blood royal,
you have aided me. Come. Let us go and claim my land."
At last Iarbas arrived, some hour after they had completed the final stage
of preparation. Amy imitated Elissa as she stood in wait, tall and with head
aloft on the currents of the breeze, hands folded neatly downward,
prayerlike. They stood at the foot of the hill, the priestesses of Astarte
arrayed behind them, their red robes obscuring their features as the helmets
of the soldiers veiled their faces, eyes the only visible feature.
Iarbas could only be described as swarthy. He was middle aged, large,
muscular, with a half shaven beard of black, slicked with grease into neat
curls on his broad chest. He wore little armor, wrist guards and a baldric
with a sword tucked neatly in. His tunic was old but well mended brown. His
men were not so cleanly, following him at a close distance. They were
rougher men, beards unkempt and with various styles of blade, axe or knife
for weapon. He grinned through his curled beard when he saw both Elissa and
Amy, standing respectfully at the base of the hill. Grasses waved at their
feet, sending pods from the sheafs into the air, fluttering around them.
"Brought a friend with you, eh, Elissa? Your runner said you came to claim
some land from me. An oxhide's worth to found your city?" the laughter than
accompanied his statement was little more than a sarcastic chortle. "I'm
perfectly willing to give it to you!"
Elissa frowned only, back straightening. She began to open her mouth to say
some sharp retort, but found the air filled with Amy's quiet voice.
"You will give it to her? The space within the oxhide? If you will, swear
it to Zeus Oathkeeper, so that we may know your words are bound true."
Iarbas was able to turn his eyes from the lithe form of Elissa a moment.
"To Zeus Oathkeeper? Fine. One oxhide's worth of land."
"The space within the hide. Swear it!"
The pockets of flesh around Iarbas's eyes closed around their contents,
which gleamed as he watched this strange girl in the blue silk robes of a
queen. "The space within..." he spoke reluctantly but convincingly, "one
oxhide. To Elissa of Tyre. By Zeus Oathkeeper I swear it."
"And may he strike you with his lightning if you break that pledge," Amy
told him. *Hmm. I wonder if that is where that 'let lightning strike me'
idiom comes from. He suspects something. But it is done. Now, the hide.* Amy
and Elissa each bent down into the grasses, lifting a thin thread that
disappeared in length to the ground. From behind them, the eighty assembled
priestesses took up the length as well, holding the thin line around the
hill high enough for all to see.
Elissa took their performance from here, calling out with her cool
contralto, "Your words have been heard and witnessed. See the expanse within
the hide. Encompassed by the oxhide you gave me, the hill I claim. And Zeus
Oathkeeper must hold you to your word!"
Iarbas stared at the formation of women before him, the line of which
stretched out to the sides of the hill. "You've cheated!" he declared.
"That's not the oxhide! No one can slice a hide that thin!"
To this pronouncement, a slightly annoyed sounding baritone said, "Oh, and
I suppose you're an expert weaver now, Iarbas?"
"What?"
Heads swiveled around, finding a blur move quickly past them. Directly
before Elissa and Amy, the frowning figure of Hermes stood. "I don't think
Father would be pleased if I told him people were swearing by his name, then
trying to weasel their way out of it. Don't you think?" He folded his arms
expectantly, waiting for Iarbas's reaction.
Iarbas's reaction was to fall flat on his face, prostrate. "Lord Hermes!"
he covered his head with his hands, his men imitating their leader,
abandoning their weapons on the ground.
Amy's mouth opened slightly in surprise. *Hermes? Why did he...? Well. It
seems he can still run faster than the wind. And how does Iarbas know him?*
Amy realized she was gaping, so she straightened herself out, calming her
face. *I will not let him catch me by surprise, being helpful or not.*
"Forgive, Lord Hermes!" Iarbas begged.
"Tell your men to stand down. Then I suggest you pay up to your pledge, or
Zeus is going to cook your hides."
*Punning, Hermes. Not funny.*
"Yes, Lord Hermes! At once!" Iarbas scrambled to his feet, his men
following suit.
"Announce it," Hermes told him.
Iarbas's stomach must of fell out from under him with the look of complete
nausea that filled his face. He croaked reluctantly, "This land belongs...to
Elissa of Tyre."
"Good. Now get out of here."
"Yes, Lord Hermes."
Iarbas and his men backed away, then eventually broke into a dead run.
Hermes smirked after them, then broke into that full lopsided grin when he
turned to Amy and a somewhat surprised Elissa. "Well?" he asked Amy, who was
smiling despite herself.
"You have...good timing," she admitted.
"Hey, I'm not Messenger of the Gods for nothing you know."
"Apparently. Hermes, how exactly did Iarbas recognize you?"
He grinned wickedly, shrugging and looking falsely innocent. "I helped him
out awhile ago. A long while ago. Iarbas isn't that stupid, despite what he
looks like, believe it or not. Apparently my not aging in the last twelve
years was enough to convince him I am Hermes."
Elissa only watched the exchange in a strange fascination. The priestesses
had quietly drawn closer together, the warriors behind them watching
carefully, unsure how to react to the presence of an admitted god. Hermes
was not unaware of the stares, however, and looked out at them, announcing.
"I was out for a morning run. You lucked out," he shrugged as this were the
most perfectly natural thing in the world.
It was the next morning when they left. The ship bayed in readiness at
port, a thin vessel, Elissa's smallest, rigged carefully by her boatswain so
that two people may steer the ship unaided. Hermes had disappeared the day
before after the claiming of the land, reappearing at dusk to speak to Amy
at length. With some reluctance, they agreed to try the seas themselves
again. Hermes again vanished, promising to return for her and the ship at
dawn.
He did as he promised, and now stood at the helm of the trader ship, busily
doing something Amy could not quite see from where she stood beside Elissa
on the docks.
"She is called the Seastrider, by my men," Elissa told her as they stood in
wait for the last of her sailors to disembark. "A good ship, in good repair.
I hope she will take you to your destination swiftly."
"It is most generous of you, Elissa."
Elissa smiled faintly, taking up Amy's arm. "Come. Walk with me a bit,
before you leave," they began to stroll down the boardwalk, two of Elissa's
guards trailing at distance, ever watching their mistress. "As for being
generous, Amy, it was our deal, a fair bargain. Although I wonder if perhaps
Neith gave you some knowledge beforehand?"
Amy glanced at the woman beside her, and was not unaware of the questioning
in her words.
*Trying to see if there are other gods than Hermes helping me, most
likely.*
In response to Elissa's question, Amy merely, shrugged. "Knowledge can come
in many forms."
Elissa let out a ringing laugh. "Amy, you truly make me laugh. You must
come to my city again."
"Have you considered a name for it yet?"
Elissa paused in her steps, looking thoughtfully to the sky. "I have. I
believe I shall name it Carthage. Does it suit you?"
Amy smiled, beginning to walk again. "It is a fine name."
"Oh?" she arched an eyebrow as they reached the end of the pier in their
stroll. "I have also," Elissa began, "put some consideration into my
brother's actions. I wish to split ties with my past. Begin anew. In this
time, in this place. A new life. I was thinking of taking on a new
name...have you any...suggestions?"
Amy's eyes crinkled as she tried to restrain laughter. *And so I name her
as well! It seems strangely ironic, somehow.* "Well. There is a name that
comes to mind for you. What of Dido?"
"Dido," Elissa murmured to herself, repeating it softly. "Dido. I believe
that I like it. Yes. Dido." They turned and began to walk back towards the
ship, taking their time as they moved easily along. "Amy. I wished to give
you a gift. Since you will not accept the dress from yesterday, I thought,
perhaps, that you may like it. It is Ouroboros, the Ocean Serpent."
From off her arm, Elissa slipped a silvery armbracelet. Amy had seen it
that morning, after she had come to the deck to meet Elissa for the
breakfast meal. Again, Amy wore the simple white dress that Athena had given
her at the start of this odyssey, and Elissa had attempted to press her into
keeping the dress from the day before. Amy had argued simply that she would
not need such a garment, and it would be likely to be destroyed if anything
happened to the ship. Elissa had eventually given in, but apparently not up.
The armlet was wrought of sterling, the fine scales of the snakes detailed
lovingly by its artisan, tiny, lapis lazuli embedded in the metal for eyes.
There were two snakes, each swallowing each others tail in an endless
circle. Elissa held it out for Amy in her palm, pressing it closer. "It will
fit you. Please, Amy. Accept the gift. Of hospitality, if nothing else."
Reluctantly, Amy picked up the adornment, looking at it carefully as she
asked, "Why do you give me Ouroboros?"
Elissa's emerald eyes widened slightly as she slowly frowned. "Amy, do you
remember that I told you you appeared to be one of the Daughter's of
Oceanus, the night you told me of the oxhide?"
"I do."
"Do you not know of Ouroboros?"
*The word is familiar, yet....* "No, Elissa. I would care to know though,
if you will tell me."
"You do not know the tales of the sacred, Amy? Did your mother not teach
you?"
"Things are different where I am from."
Elissa blinked rapidly as she absorbed this information. Then she tightened
her grip on Amy's arm, barking a sharp command of "Leave us," to the guards.
They hovered in the background as Elissa angled Amy away from them, taking
them closer to the water. She folded her hands a moment before beginning,
breathing steadily as though gathering herself. "I will try to explain the
legend. It is no simple task, and I may be unprepared to teach so much in so
few words.
Mythos, beliefs, gods and goddesses. They are all twined together, symbols
of our beliefs. A single snake, or two snakes, are the River Ocean, which
surrounds the world. Ourobouros is the Ocean, endlessly swallowing itself
whole, encompassing all things. Two serpents, joined as they are on the
jewelry, serves as a mandala of balance between man and woman. As in the
cadusus of Hermes. Ourobouros is eternal, the symbol of life and death,
encompassing all things. The sea is a birthplace of life, a cauldron of
generation and rebirth. The sea is the womb of life. Without water,
everything dies, dried away and lifeless. Like water, the legends are fluid.
Feminine wisdom, the moon and the tides, strength of the mind that is guided
by the goddesses of wisdom. This is wisdom you must know. Remember."
Amy took the armlet in her hands, then slipped it up her right arm until it
fit snugly against her skin. It gleamed, bright against her tanning arm.
"Thank you..." Amy whispered as Elissa gravely waited for her to speak. "For
the information as much as the jewelry."
"It is no trinket. It was my mother's before mine. I wish for you to have
it. For Carthage, and the people who will live here."
"It will rise, Elissa. And be powerful."
Once, the queen of Carthage nodded, then began to work her way back to the
ship, Amy a step behind her, the fingers of her hand trailing across the
cool quicksilver of her gift.
The anchor was pulled up from the water, and the sail unfurled, curving
outward, a stuffed belly of wind. Amy smiled faintly as she recognized the
symbol woven into the sail's pattern. Twin, white snakes swallowed one
another's tails, gracing a deep blue background. This seen, Amy waved
good-bye to Elissa, who, with her guards, stood at the edge of the pier.
*Elissa. Queen Dido of Carthage. Such a dramatic life. And death. Kills
herself, so the story goes, for love of Aeneas, after he leaves her.* Amy
turned from the fading scene behind her and began to help Hermes tie a
shipman's knot to the mast. That done, Hermes leaned against the mast,
folding his arms. "You know Princess, there's something I've wondered about
ships."
Amy glanced sideways at him while he stared absently up at the sky. "And
that is?"
"They're always called 'she'. Why is that, anyway?"
*I'm not really sure...I think I once read though...and it would certainly
sound good now.... "You don't know? I thought it would be obvious." Amy took
on a posture similar to Hermes, slumping against the wooden mast. She tucked
a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear. Hermes, though, at her casual
attitude, focused on her, lifting his eyebrows and dryly saying,
"Forgive me for not being so insightful. What is it?"
Amy allowed a small hint of laughter mingled with pride to color her words.
"Because like the sea, no man can ever truly tame her."
*In a large enough universe,
even unlikely things can happen.
As unlikely as a tiny ball of star-soot
taking upon itself, one day,
to say aloud,
to one and all,
"I am."
"I am...." it declares, singing into the darkness. "I am, I am, I am, I
am!"
To which the darkness has an answer, befitting any upstart.
"So what? Big deal, big deal, big deal...so what?"
The latest little world mind ponders this reply, considers it, and finally
concludes, "So even this is only a beginning?"
"Smart child," comes the only possible response. "You figure it out."
Gaia spins on, silently contemplating what it means to be born into a
sarcastic universe.
"We'll see about this," she murmurs to herself, and like a striped kitten,
purrs. "We shall see."*
-From "Earth" by David Brin
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