Athenian Steel (Book I of the The Hellennium) Read Online Free PDF Page A

"That is what Fate has
in store, unless you choose to make it otherwise."
    "How?" Styphon asked hopelessly.
 "Epitadas is the only one who can act on your warning, and
you refuse to speak to him."
    A hand emerged from her crimson shroud to
point at the battered copper horn which hung from the belt of
Styphon's chiton.  The horn had gone unused these long months,
but remained always by his side, lest it not be at hand the moment
it finally was needed.
    "That is an alarm, is it not?" she said.
 "You need but sound it when the time comes."
    Styphon's hand fell to the horn and clutched
it tightly.  "You said you do not think Spartans stupid, yet
you would have me do something only a fool would do: stand against
Fate."
    The creature sighed a feminine, nasal sigh
of exasperation.  It reminded Styphon of Alkmena at times when
she had found him too bull-headed to be swayed by her wise
counsel.
    "I cannot make the choice for you,"
Sea-thing conceded.  "You can serve Fate and live a life of
lasting shame... or serve Sparta, and live or die with some glory
that might anger the gods a little.  I know what I would
choose.  But then I like making gods angry."
    Mind reeling, Styphon realized his fingers
were white around the neck of the copper horn.  He released
his grip.  "I know not your reason for wishing me to do this
thing," he said.  "But it hardly matters.  Now that you
have cursed me with this knowledge, I cannot stand by and watch
disaster claim the lives of my countrymen.  I will warn
Epitadas, on the slim chance he might listen.  If he does
not... I will consider what to do."  Meeting the eyes of the
Sea-thing, whatever she was, he swallowed dust and steeled himself.
 "But I would ask something in return."
    The corners of her expressive mouth turned
earthward.  "You want more?  More than the chance to
escape doom for Sparta and disgrace for yourself?"  She
scoffed lightly.  "Fine.  Ask, and we'll see."
    "I would see my daughter spared from the
consequences of my actions," Styphon said.  "Whatever course I
take, if I should wind up in dishonor, take Andrea from Sparta and
find her a new home.  A temple of Artemis or some other place
where she will learn to honor the gods.  And tell her that her
father was no coward, but only tried to do what was best."
    Where Styphon had hoped to find some measure
of sympathy light the creature's pale eyes as he finished, he found
only hard calculation.  "I could do that..." she answered,
ominously, "but you would owe me another favor."
    Styphon's heart went cold at the thought of
enslaving himself to this creature.  Better an Athenian
prison, with bars and walls which could be seen and touched, than
the invisible cages so often used by human women and inhuman
creatures of legend.
    She must have seen the horror on his face,
for Sea-thing's features softened.  She reassured him, "I may
never collect.  But when one is new to a world and poor of
possessions, it rarely hurts to gather favors."
    Styphon wanted to believe that he would
never see her again, that she would never call in his debt.
 Somehow he doubted it, but it offered a shred of hope to
which he might cling as he nodded his assent to the black
bargain.
    "I agree," he said.  "But I have
forgotten your name."  She had uttered it just once, in the
raking voice with which she had first awakened, and its syllables
had been ugly and barbarian besides.
    The raven-haired being whose corpse the
ravens would not touch smiled.  "I've overheard your men
talking about me.  They call me  Thalassia ," she
said.  " Thing from the sea ."  Styphon nodded the
truth of it.  "That will do," she said.  "Now, I'm really
very hungry, if you could spare some provisions.  Something
with honey, preferably.  You won't likely be needing food much
longer."

I. PYLOS \ 5. Horn of Fate
    Styphon gave the men of the camp the story
that Thalassia was in fact a priestess of Artemis, whom they dared
not harm for fear of bringing down