reason. No, lady, Qálki had true sight. Events unfolded as they were destined to. Agamémnon's misdeeds truly angered the divine queen of the maináds. It was truly she who required your daughter's death. But the lady Artémito could not been deceived by any man, no matter how clever he might be. She would have known if a deer's heart had bled on her altar, no matter how many men were fooled. She would have held back the wind still longer and shot the men of the army with her invisible arrows of yet another pestilence if Agamémnon had attempted such a deception. But that did not happen. The plague ended. The wind came so that the army sailed to Assúwa. In the battles there, the gods ended up favoring Ak'áiwiya's warriors. So we can only conclude that Agamémnon did sacrifice Ip'emédeya. I am terribly sorry to say all this. I know that it pains you to hear my words. But you know that this is true. It has to be so." He pressed her soft hands to his lips. "It was fate."
Klutaimnéstra's shoulders drooped, her eyes brimming. Her lips trembled and she whispered, "But Meneláwo seemed so sure…."
Aígist'o rose. Gently, he put his long, thin arms around the queen and pressed her damp face to his shoulder. "My love, if Agamémnon deceived anyone, it was Meneláwo. His brother would not want to see his own niece die, of course, so there was his motive. But you must be realistic. Your poor, dear, princess Ip'emédeya is dead. She is in the bosom of Mother Diwiyána now. Her shade dwells in lady Préswa's land. You must accept this. You cannot have her back. We simply must press on with the plans we made before. This, too, is fate."
Clinging to Aígist'o's embroidered robe, Klutaimnéstra wept.
aaa
Odushéyu met his fellow king in the corridor outside the bed-chambers. "We must stay in Argo," the It'ákan mariner hissed, grasping Meneláwo's arm. "You can see it, can you not? Klutaimnéstra is plotting against Agamémnon, I am sure of it. You forget that your first loyalty is to your own flesh and blood. Even if you are so impious as to brush that aside, it is our duty to our overlord to stay and help him against his wife."
Meneláwo pushed him away, glancing fearfully to either side. "Be quiet or someone will hear us. You are free to do as you wish, Odushéyu. I have no power over you. But do not say anything more to me. I have made up my mind. I am not staying. In the morning I am taking my wife and child and my nephew and I am heading back to Tíruns to finish my journey. I plan to be at home in time for the winter solstice." He turned to the door of the nearest bed-chamber.
"What is wrong with you?" Odushéyu growled at his back. "Are you a coward? Are you afraid of one fat woman and her priestly lover?"
Meneláwo whirled abruptly and shoved Odushéyu hard against the wall, damaging the plaster with the pirate's head. "You have seen me fight often enough to know I am no coward," Meneláwo said through clenched teeth. "Why did I fight the Tróyans? Have you forgotten? It was to regain Ariyádna. Now that I have her at last, do you think I want to endanger her again? I realize that Klutaimnéstra is plotting against my brother. But I expected that. You and I both know that Agamémnon is plotting against her, at the same time. I have no intention of getting caught between the spearmen of my brother and those of my sister-in-law. Lakedaimón is my kingdom. My first loyalty, my first duty, is to the land I rule. So it should be with you. But if It'áka means nothing to you, stay in Mukénai. I do not care!" He released the other man and leaned against the wall, pressing a shaking hand to his injured side.
Odushéyu backed away from the Lakedaimóniyan king, rubbing his head. He stared for awhile at Meneláwo, at the heaving shoulders, the forehead creased with
Klutaimnéstra's shoulders drooped, her eyes brimming. Her lips trembled and she whispered, "But Meneláwo seemed so sure…."
Aígist'o rose. Gently, he put his long, thin arms around the queen and pressed her damp face to his shoulder. "My love, if Agamémnon deceived anyone, it was Meneláwo. His brother would not want to see his own niece die, of course, so there was his motive. But you must be realistic. Your poor, dear, princess Ip'emédeya is dead. She is in the bosom of Mother Diwiyána now. Her shade dwells in lady Préswa's land. You must accept this. You cannot have her back. We simply must press on with the plans we made before. This, too, is fate."
Clinging to Aígist'o's embroidered robe, Klutaimnéstra wept.
aaa
Odushéyu met his fellow king in the corridor outside the bed-chambers. "We must stay in Argo," the It'ákan mariner hissed, grasping Meneláwo's arm. "You can see it, can you not? Klutaimnéstra is plotting against Agamémnon, I am sure of it. You forget that your first loyalty is to your own flesh and blood. Even if you are so impious as to brush that aside, it is our duty to our overlord to stay and help him against his wife."
Meneláwo pushed him away, glancing fearfully to either side. "Be quiet or someone will hear us. You are free to do as you wish, Odushéyu. I have no power over you. But do not say anything more to me. I have made up my mind. I am not staying. In the morning I am taking my wife and child and my nephew and I am heading back to Tíruns to finish my journey. I plan to be at home in time for the winter solstice." He turned to the door of the nearest bed-chamber.
"What is wrong with you?" Odushéyu growled at his back. "Are you a coward? Are you afraid of one fat woman and her priestly lover?"
Meneláwo whirled abruptly and shoved Odushéyu hard against the wall, damaging the plaster with the pirate's head. "You have seen me fight often enough to know I am no coward," Meneláwo said through clenched teeth. "Why did I fight the Tróyans? Have you forgotten? It was to regain Ariyádna. Now that I have her at last, do you think I want to endanger her again? I realize that Klutaimnéstra is plotting against my brother. But I expected that. You and I both know that Agamémnon is plotting against her, at the same time. I have no intention of getting caught between the spearmen of my brother and those of my sister-in-law. Lakedaimón is my kingdom. My first loyalty, my first duty, is to the land I rule. So it should be with you. But if It'áka means nothing to you, stay in Mukénai. I do not care!" He released the other man and leaned against the wall, pressing a shaking hand to his injured side.
Odushéyu backed away from the Lakedaimóniyan king, rubbing his head. He stared for awhile at Meneláwo, at the heaving shoulders, the forehead creased with
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