Alexander (Vol. 3) (Alexander Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page A

think he’ll be up to it when the moment comes?’
    ‘I think so,’ replied Eumenes. ‘There are not many men like him,’ and he left.
    *
     
    Alexander celebrated the opening of the athletic and theatrical games in grand style, inviting all his friends and the most important officers to a banquet. Everyone came, apart from Parmenion who sent an orderly with a note excusing himself: ‘Parmenion to King Alexander, Hail! Please excuse me for not participating in the banquet. I do not feel well and I would do your table no honour with my presence.’
    It was immediately apparent that this was to be a conversational meal, because there were no dancers nor ‘companions’ expert in love play, and Alexander himself, as ‘head of the symposium’, cut the wine in the crater with four parts of water. It was also clear that he wanted to discuss philosophical and literary topics rather than wartime subjects because he had assigned the places near him to Barsine and Thessalus. Then came Callisthenes and a couple of sophist philosophers who were visiting with the Athenian delegation. Hephaestion, Eumenes, Seleucus and Ptolemy were also close by with their female companions – some more occasional than others – while the other friends were arranged in the other part of the room.
    Although it was now midsummer, the weather outside was taking a turn for the worse and black rain clouds were gathering over the old city. Suddenly, while the cooks were just beginning to serve the first portions of roast lamb with fresh broad beans, a great thunderclap resounded, making the walls of the house shake and sending ripples through the wine in the cups.
    All those present looked at one another in silence for a moment, while the thunder rolled away towards the foothills of Mount Lebanon. The cooks started serving the meat again, but Callisthenes, turning to Alexander with a smile part way between ironic and jocular, asked, ‘Since you are the son of Zeus, couldn’t you manage something along those lines?’
    The King lowered his head for a moment and many of the guests in the room thought he was about to produce one of his explosions of wrath. Even Callisthenes himself suddenly seemed to regret having made the joke. Seleucus noticed that the historian had turned decidedly pale and whispered in Ptolemy’s ear, ‘This time he’s wetting himself with fear.’
    However, Alexander lifted his head and let everyone see his smiling face, not upset in the slightest: ‘No, I would never do such a thing; I have no wish to frighten my guests.’
    Everyone started laughing. The storm had passed by, for the moment at least.

 
4
     
    E TEOCLES RODE FOR several days, sleeping only for a few hours each night near his horse. He often woke up, frightened by the calls of the animals of the night and the howling of the jackals; he worried about losing his way or being attacked and robbed of his horse and his provisions. The worst fear of all was that he might be captured by brigands and sold as a slave in some far off place where no one would ever find him to set him free again. In all his brief life he had never had to suffer such anxiety and face such danger on his own, but having his father’s sword with him did give him some heart, holding the weapon which had belonged to the great Memnon of Rhodes. The fact that he was physically very well developed for his age also helped, making him seem and feel more adult than he in fact was.
    He had no way of knowing that his safety depended instead on the men put on his tail by his hated enemy, the man who had brought dishonour on his father and had conquered his mother in body and soul. Perhaps he really was the incarnation of Ahriman, the genius of the darkness and evil, as his grandfather Artabazos had once said.
    Everything proceeded smoothly while Eteocles crossed the inhabited areas of Palestine and Syria, where it was relatively easy for his escort to camouflage themselves or to mix in with caravans