The Athenian Murders Read Online Free PDF Page A

amorous in nature . . . you know what I mean . . . it's common at that age . . .' To Heracles' surprise, Diagoras blushed like a young man. He swallowed before continuing. 'One afternoon, in the interval between classes, I found him alone in the gardens, beside the statue of the Sphinx . . .'
     

    Among the trees, the young man was oddly still. He appeared to be staring at the head of the stone figure, the woman with a lion's body and eagle's wings, but his prolonged immobility, so like the statue's, showed that his mind must be far away. The man found him standing with heels together, arms by his sides, head slightly tilted. It was cold in the twilight, but the young man wore only a short, light tunic - similar to the Spartan chiton - which flapped in the wind, leaving his arms and pale thighs uncovered. His chestnut curls were tied with a ribbon. He wore beautiful leather sandals. Intrigued, the man came closer. As he did so, the younger man became aware of his presence and looked round. 'Ah, Master Diagoras, it's you.'
     
    He made as if to leave, but the man said: 'Wait, Tramachus. I wanted to speak to you alone.'
    The young man stopped, his back to him, white shoulders uncovered, and turned slowly The man, eager to appear affectionate, noticed that the boy's smooth limbs were tense, so he smiled reassuringly. He said: 'Are you not rather lightly dressed? It is a little cold.'
    'I'm not cold, Master Diagoras.'
    The man fondly stroked the undulating muscles of his pupil's left arm. 'Are you sure? Your skin is icy, my poor child ... and you seem to be trembling.'
    Emboldened by affection for the boy, he moved a little closer and, with a gentle, almost motherly movement of the fingers, he brushed aside the chestnut curls flopping over his forehead. Once again he marvelled at the flawless beauty of his face, the loveliness of the honey-coloured eyes staring at him, blinking. He said: 'Listen, my child. Your classmates and I have noticed that something is the matter. You haven't been yourself lately'
    'No, Master, I...'
    'Listen,' insisted the man softly. He stroked the youth's smooth oval face, taking his chin in his hand as carefully as he would a goblet of pure gold. 'You are my best student, and a teacher knows his best student well. For a month now nothing seems to have interested you, you haven't taken part in dialogues - Wait, don't interrupt. You've grown distant with your classmates, Tramachus. Of course something is the matter, my child. But tell me what it is, and I swear before the gods that I will help you, for my energies are considerable. I won't tell anyone if you don't wish me to. You have my word. Do confide in me.'
    The boy's brown eyes, open very wide (perhaps too wide), were fixed on the man's. For a moment all was stillness and silence. Then the boy moved his lips - pink, moist and cold - as if about to speak. But he said nothing. He continued to stare, eyes bulging like small ivory heads with huge black pupils. The man saw something strange there and was so absorbed that he hardly noticed the young man step back, still holding his gaze, his white body still rigid, lips tense . . .
    The man stood motionless for a long time after the young man had fled.
     

    'He was terrified,' said Diagoras, after a deep silence.
     
    Heracles took another fig from the bowl. Thunder shook in the distance like the sinuous vibration of a rattlesnake. 'How do you know? Did he tell you?'
    'No. I told you, such was my confusion that he ran away before I could say another word ... But, though I lack your ability to read men's faces, I have seen fear too many times not to recognise it. Tramachus' fear was more terrible than any I have ever seen. His eyes contained nothing else. When it was revealed to me, I didn't know what to do. It was as if ... as if the terror in his eyes turned me to stone. When I looked round, he'd disappeared. I never saw him again. The following day one of his friends told me he had gone hunting. I was