on you, Haukos knows why.”
“She is the very
picture of a virtuous lady, a credit to your family. If I married her, she’d -
well, you know what would happen. No, one day soon she will see sense and marry
some other worthy fellow who will come home sober every night and plant her
with babies. Enough.” He patted down his fine chiton and stepped into a pair of
beaten sandals. “Now where is the fucking wine? Polio!”
The wine arrived,
borne by an absurdly pretty girl whose tunic barely reached her thighs. Polio
stood over her like a stern father.
“Master, will that
be all?”
“For now. We’ll
eat later - have the cook run up some of that good broth we had yesterday. And
make sure no-one comes near this door, Polio.”
Polio bowed and
withdrew, as stately as a grey-bearded king.
Karnos sat down
and poured two clay cups of wine. He stuck his fingers into his own glass and
flicked a few drops into the fire. “For Phobos, the rotten bastard - a
libation.”
Kassander did the
same with a big man’s slow smile. “For Haukos, who has not turned his face from
us yet.”
“Your sunny
disposition makes me want to puke,” Karnos said. “What are the details of the
thing, or don’t we know them yet?”
Kassander leaned
back in his chair with a sigh, making the ironwork creak under his bulk.
“The same story we’ve
seen before. Scare the little people with the size of his army, offer them easy
terms, and move on.”
“He had only just
arrived before their walls,” Karnos said, punching his knee. “I thought we had
time - Phaestus assured us he would hold out.”
“Phaestus was
overruled, and declared ostrakr. Sarmenian was installed as governor.”
“Sarmenian! That
rat-faced prick. I had him to dinner last month and he was full of shit about
how Hal Goshen would halt the invader in his tracks. Bastard. He has a tiny
cock, too; Grania told me.”
“Whatever the size
of his instrument, he now rules Hal Goshen as tyrant, under Corvus. But there’s
more, Karnos.”
“I see it in your
face. You’re saving the best for last, you big fuck. Well, toss it at me if you
must.”
“Rictus of Isca
was at Hal Goshen. He has thrown in his lot with the invader.”
Karnos stood up.
He set his wine cup on the desk, spilling some of the berry-dark liquid on the
papers there. He stood before the fire and stared blindly into the flames
whilst Kassander wiped up the spill doggedly with the hem of his cloak.
“Rictus,” he said
dully. “I would not have thought it of him.”
“Who is the
optimist now? Rictus is a mercenary,” Kassander said, irritably. “He goes where
the money is; and this Corvus must have a fortune in his treasury by now.”
“No.” Karnos
turned round. “Rictus is one of the old-fashioned Macht. He believes in things.
I thought I had him, Kassander. This summer, we spoke, and I thought I had him.
Imagine, if we had lured him here to lead the army!”
“My imagination
runs riot,” Kassander said. “It’s unfortunate you’ll have to make do with
Kassander of Arienus instead.”
Karnos waved a
hand at him. “Don’t be a girl about it. You know damn well what it would have
meant to have the leader of the Ten Thousand on these walls. Phobos! I never
would have thought it of him.”
“You’re repeating
yourself.”
“A politician’s
habit - it keeps the mouth working until there’s something new to say.
Kassander, we must push this issue now, while the shock of the news is getting
around the streets. If we argue it out in the Kerusia, Corvus will he at our
walls before we’ve even managed to convene the assembly.”
“Something tells
me I have a role in this.”
“You’re polemarch
of the army. For God’s sake, he’s ten good day’s march from these walls - we
don’t have time to fuck around!”
Kassander sighed
heavily. “You want me to call out the army on my own initiative.”
“By dawn. We must
have the streets full of men -we must wake up the people to
“She is the very
picture of a virtuous lady, a credit to your family. If I married her, she’d -
well, you know what would happen. No, one day soon she will see sense and marry
some other worthy fellow who will come home sober every night and plant her
with babies. Enough.” He patted down his fine chiton and stepped into a pair of
beaten sandals. “Now where is the fucking wine? Polio!”
The wine arrived,
borne by an absurdly pretty girl whose tunic barely reached her thighs. Polio
stood over her like a stern father.
“Master, will that
be all?”
“For now. We’ll
eat later - have the cook run up some of that good broth we had yesterday. And
make sure no-one comes near this door, Polio.”
Polio bowed and
withdrew, as stately as a grey-bearded king.
Karnos sat down
and poured two clay cups of wine. He stuck his fingers into his own glass and
flicked a few drops into the fire. “For Phobos, the rotten bastard - a
libation.”
Kassander did the
same with a big man’s slow smile. “For Haukos, who has not turned his face from
us yet.”
“Your sunny
disposition makes me want to puke,” Karnos said. “What are the details of the
thing, or don’t we know them yet?”
Kassander leaned
back in his chair with a sigh, making the ironwork creak under his bulk.
“The same story we’ve
seen before. Scare the little people with the size of his army, offer them easy
terms, and move on.”
“He had only just
arrived before their walls,” Karnos said, punching his knee. “I thought we had
time - Phaestus assured us he would hold out.”
“Phaestus was
overruled, and declared ostrakr. Sarmenian was installed as governor.”
“Sarmenian! That
rat-faced prick. I had him to dinner last month and he was full of shit about
how Hal Goshen would halt the invader in his tracks. Bastard. He has a tiny
cock, too; Grania told me.”
“Whatever the size
of his instrument, he now rules Hal Goshen as tyrant, under Corvus. But there’s
more, Karnos.”
“I see it in your
face. You’re saving the best for last, you big fuck. Well, toss it at me if you
must.”
“Rictus of Isca
was at Hal Goshen. He has thrown in his lot with the invader.”
Karnos stood up.
He set his wine cup on the desk, spilling some of the berry-dark liquid on the
papers there. He stood before the fire and stared blindly into the flames
whilst Kassander wiped up the spill doggedly with the hem of his cloak.
“Rictus,” he said
dully. “I would not have thought it of him.”
“Who is the
optimist now? Rictus is a mercenary,” Kassander said, irritably. “He goes where
the money is; and this Corvus must have a fortune in his treasury by now.”
“No.” Karnos
turned round. “Rictus is one of the old-fashioned Macht. He believes in things.
I thought I had him, Kassander. This summer, we spoke, and I thought I had him.
Imagine, if we had lured him here to lead the army!”
“My imagination
runs riot,” Kassander said. “It’s unfortunate you’ll have to make do with
Kassander of Arienus instead.”
Karnos waved a
hand at him. “Don’t be a girl about it. You know damn well what it would have
meant to have the leader of the Ten Thousand on these walls. Phobos! I never
would have thought it of him.”
“You’re repeating
yourself.”
“A politician’s
habit - it keeps the mouth working until there’s something new to say.
Kassander, we must push this issue now, while the shock of the news is getting
around the streets. If we argue it out in the Kerusia, Corvus will he at our
walls before we’ve even managed to convene the assembly.”
“Something tells
me I have a role in this.”
“You’re polemarch
of the army. For God’s sake, he’s ten good day’s march from these walls - we
don’t have time to fuck around!”
Kassander sighed
heavily. “You want me to call out the army on my own initiative.”
“By dawn. We must
have the streets full of men -we must wake up the people to
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