The Songs of the Kings Read Online Free PDF Page B

across the sea. The sea was dead calm, not like this one, there wasn’t a ripple on it. I stood on the shore and I hurled the javelin with all my strength. I was waiting, you know, to see the splash, so I could judge the distance. I mean, I knew it was a mighty throw, but I expected to see a splash sooner or later. But there was no splash, the javelin flew up into the sun and disappeared. There wasn’t a mark on the sea at all. Then there was a great crowd all around me and everyone was shouting, ‘Ajax! Ajax! Ajax has won the most points!’ The shouts were still in my ears as I woke and it came to me that this was a message, that some god was telling me to organize a Games Day with different events, not just running, I’m too heavy for running, javelin-throwing, for example, and give points to the winner and the one coming in second and so on.”
    â€œThis is a most important dream,” Calchas said. “We have to attend on Agamemnon shortly, but when I have had time for reflection I’d like to talk to you about it. I see nothing offensive to the gods in the idea. And they are clearly favorable to a javelin-throwing competition as one of the events.”
    A smile came slowly to Ajax’s face. All expressions were slow with him and this seemed to be because of the great expanse of his features and the time it took for his moods to travel across them. “I’m glad you see it in that light,” he said. “I would win easily. There is no one else in the world who can hurl a javelin as far as I can. We could have a weight-lifting event too. It is a pity that in my dream there was not more guidance about how to organize the points system. It must be groups, let’s say the Spartans make one group, everybody tries to get points for himself and for his group, and then these groups . . .”
    He paused and a frown spread over his face, replacing the smile. The fringe of ginger-colored hair that lay along his upper lip bristled slightly. “These groups, the people in these groups . . .” The frown deepened. “I am going to ask Ajax the Lesser to be my partner in the project,” he said, “when I see him. He has a head for figures.”
    â€œWon’t he be at the meeting?”
    â€œNo, he has had leave not to attend. He is with his Locrians, celebrating Stimon’s victory. They’ll be well on the way to getting drunk by now. He mixes with the rank and file too much, the officers should keep a distance, I’ve told him that before. I don’t drink myself, it clouds a man’s mind. Stand away from us.”
    This last was said to those clustered around him. He advanced and took Calchas by the arm in what was doubtless intended as a friendly grip. “I don’t know whether you’ve noticed it, but there are deep divisions among us.”
    â€œYes, I have, as a matter of fact.”
    â€œI want to change all that. I want to bring the allies together. When we get to Troy, that will be the war process. Here at Aulis what we need is a peace process. I’d like to feature in the Songs as Ajax the Unifier, the man who held the army together in the face of a hostile wind through the brilliant idea of a Games Day.”
    â€œAnd so you will. I’ll make it my business to speak to the Singer about this at the earliest opportunity. He is a foreigner like me, we are both from over the water, and so I have some influence with him as to what he includes. And what he leaves out, of course, which is sometimes more important.” In point of fact he had practically no influence with the Singer at all; between diviner and bard there was rivalry, both in their different ways being reciters, disseminators of stories; but Calchas lost no opportunity to encourage a belief to the contrary, as it added considerably to his status in the camp.
    â€œYou will do that?” Ajax’s grip tightened. “I swear you’ll not regret