Homer’s Daughter by Robert Graves

chased swords, gold-mounted scabbards, silver mixing bowls and the like, offering commercial privileges, priesthoods and other intangible gifts instead.”
    â€œHow are the clansmen to show their disapproval?”
    â€œEurymachus and Antinous suggest that it will be a great joke if the whole company assemble at the Palace and announce themselves as your suitors. They intend to make free with the palace flocks, herds and wine, camping in the two courts and forcing Lord Mentor to offer them such hospitality as befits their rank.”
    â€œAnd then?”
    â€œThen, I gather, they hope that your brother Clytoneus will be provoked to violence, because he is a touchy and headstrong young fellow, and be killed as soon as he reaches for his sword. Little Telegonus will die accidentally—a boat will overturn and spill him out into rough water. Then Antinous will marry you and demand a splendid dowry; and Eurymachuswill get Ctimene, with Laodamas’s inheritance added; and your father will be ambushed on his return from Sandy Pylus by a vessel lurking in the Straits of Motya. His rich lands, for want of an heir, will be divided and sold to the highest bidder. They have everything planned to their own advantage.”
    â€œI see. And who will be the next King of the Elymans?”
    â€œThey have promised Agelaus the sceptre, on condition that he does not oppose their wicked plot.”
    â€œProcne, you are a true friend! You have told nobody but me, have you?”
    â€œNot even my mother.”
    â€œOh, if only I could decide what to do! If only I had some reliable friend of fighting age! My uncle Mentor is a man of peace; my grandfather Phytalus is too old; Clytoneus is too young… And your father sails for Elba in about five days’ time, you say?”
    â€œThough he is loyal to your house, what could he do if he stayed?”
    â€œAnd you, Procne?”
    â€œNeed that be asked, Nausicaa? I love you as I love no one else in the world! Trust me to the last drop of blood.”
    â€œThat is what I wanted to hear, although I have heard it before. Perhaps now, if Athene will inspire me with some extraordinarily cunning plan…”
    â€œMy father is waving. I must go at once. Good-bye, my best friend.”
    I watched her running across the clover, and then walked slowly back to the washing women. It was midday, but by making an effort we should finish the linen within the hour.My father has always maintained that the only known way to make servants work well, short of threatening them with torture, is to work by their side and set them an example. So I was soon jumping on the sheets in the trough, or banging at them with a cudgel; yet let the domestic chatter flow past my ears, as the water flowed past my feet, while I silently prayed to Athene for a sure sign of her favour.
    The sign came. A covey of small birds had gathered to quarrel over the breadcrumbs which we had turned out of the basket after breakfast. And suddenly a hawk pounced, scattered the uninvited guests, and carried off one of them in his talons to eat at leisure. My heart leapt, and I began to sing a hymn of praise to the Goddess, which the women took up; and a beautiful sound our voices made!
    I inspected the sheets and tunics already washed, set a few aside for further scrubbing, and helped the women to spread the rest on the beach; the sun would dry them by evening. Then I clapped my hands. “Girls,” I cried, “since we seem to be alone, we can bathe naked in Rheithrum, and then run around to get the stiffness out of our backs and raise an appetite for dinner. You have all worked pretty well and we need not go home until just before sunset.”
    This put everyone in a happy humour. We climbed down the bank on which the washing had been and, after a long careful look in all directions, unclasped our girdles, shed our clothes, and went splashing about in the cool water.
    â€œOh, how fat you have