pain. The mariner laughed, somewhat shakily. "Ai, Meneláwo, you are not as empty-headed as people think. You were right earlier when you said that war makes a man ill-mannered. Forget what I said to you just now. Your country comes before your brother, just as you say." He leaned against the wall beside the other man. "Ai gar, it is just that I do not think we know the whole story here. This husband and wife are angry because he sacrificed their daughter. Each blames the other. That is understandable. But anger is too flimsy a reason for civil war. No, if the sacrifice was their only quarrel, they would patch things up as soon as they saw each other. One would burst into tears, the other would follow, and in a moment they would be in each other's arms. Ai, Meneláwo, you and I both know there was bad blood between those two before Agamémnon ever left home. There is something more at work."
Meneláwo would not look at his companion. "Perhaps. They often quarreled over who would marry their daughters. Qálki may have sent word of my brother's Wilúsiyan concubines, too. Klutaimnéstra is an old-fashioned woman and cannot stomach his adulteries, I know that for certain. Agamémnon definitely angered his wife when he made his bastard son the qasiléyu at Tíruns. You heard Klutaimnéstra curse Diwoméde. But in my opinion it is these things that are flimsy reasons for divorce, let alone for war. My brother is hardly the only king who has an illegitimate son, nor the only one who gave his bastard a minor post."
Odushéyu scratched the thinning hair atop his head. "You may be right. Perhaps you are right about not getting involved, too. Agamémnon will throw the woman out in the street soon enough, without our help. He has most of Argo's men with him, after all, and they are battle-hardened." He laughed again, more heartily this time. "Ai, I suppose I just wanted an excuse to avoid going home."
It was Meneláwo's turn to laugh, a genuine chuckle. "What, are you afraid of your meek, little Penelópa?"
The mariner sighed and rubbed his scraggly beard. "I notice that Klutaimnéstra did not mention my islands tonight. She sends messages to every queen in Ak'áiwiya and knows the internal affairs of every kingdom. But she says nothing about It'áka, where her own cousin rules in my absence. That can only be a bad sign. I have to admit that I suspected as much already. The Wórdoyan boatmen brought me news while we were still in Assúwa. They said many queens planned to depose their husbands who were away, fighting at Tróya. The rumors spoke of my Penelópa as well as of Médeya and Klutaimnéstra."
Meneláwo nodded sympathetically. "I heard those things myself. Ai gar, there is nothing more we can do about it now, though. Let us go to bed. I want to be off early tomorrow in case Agamémnon came across the sea as quickly as we did." A second time he turned to the chamber door.
"But Meneláwo," Odushéyu said quickly, as the door opened. "There is one last thing that I do not understand. What is this about taking your nephew with you? Agamémnon will not be pleased to find his son gone, when he returns!"
Meneláwo silently cursed his companion and pulled the door closed. "Klutaimnéstra asked me to take Orésta." He waved an impatient hand. "It has always been the custom for a woman's brother to take a hand in raising her sons. Klutaimnéstra has no living brothers, now, so who else should she turn to but me?"
Odushéyu snorted. "Atréyu had no use for that old custom. His son will not find it any more pleasing. No, the queen wants Orésta out of the way for some other reason."
Meneláwo could listen to no more. He struck Odushéyu in the jaw, knocking him to the plastered floor. Glaring over the fallen man, the Lakedaimóniyan king growled, "You will not draw me into your schemes,
Meneláwo would not look at his companion. "Perhaps. They often quarreled over who would marry their daughters. Qálki may have sent word of my brother's Wilúsiyan concubines, too. Klutaimnéstra is an old-fashioned woman and cannot stomach his adulteries, I know that for certain. Agamémnon definitely angered his wife when he made his bastard son the qasiléyu at Tíruns. You heard Klutaimnéstra curse Diwoméde. But in my opinion it is these things that are flimsy reasons for divorce, let alone for war. My brother is hardly the only king who has an illegitimate son, nor the only one who gave his bastard a minor post."
Odushéyu scratched the thinning hair atop his head. "You may be right. Perhaps you are right about not getting involved, too. Agamémnon will throw the woman out in the street soon enough, without our help. He has most of Argo's men with him, after all, and they are battle-hardened." He laughed again, more heartily this time. "Ai, I suppose I just wanted an excuse to avoid going home."
It was Meneláwo's turn to laugh, a genuine chuckle. "What, are you afraid of your meek, little Penelópa?"
The mariner sighed and rubbed his scraggly beard. "I notice that Klutaimnéstra did not mention my islands tonight. She sends messages to every queen in Ak'áiwiya and knows the internal affairs of every kingdom. But she says nothing about It'áka, where her own cousin rules in my absence. That can only be a bad sign. I have to admit that I suspected as much already. The Wórdoyan boatmen brought me news while we were still in Assúwa. They said many queens planned to depose their husbands who were away, fighting at Tróya. The rumors spoke of my Penelópa as well as of Médeya and Klutaimnéstra."
Meneláwo nodded sympathetically. "I heard those things myself. Ai gar, there is nothing more we can do about it now, though. Let us go to bed. I want to be off early tomorrow in case Agamémnon came across the sea as quickly as we did." A second time he turned to the chamber door.
"But Meneláwo," Odushéyu said quickly, as the door opened. "There is one last thing that I do not understand. What is this about taking your nephew with you? Agamémnon will not be pleased to find his son gone, when he returns!"
Meneláwo silently cursed his companion and pulled the door closed. "Klutaimnéstra asked me to take Orésta." He waved an impatient hand. "It has always been the custom for a woman's brother to take a hand in raising her sons. Klutaimnéstra has no living brothers, now, so who else should she turn to but me?"
Odushéyu snorted. "Atréyu had no use for that old custom. His son will not find it any more pleasing. No, the queen wants Orésta out of the way for some other reason."
Meneláwo could listen to no more. He struck Odushéyu in the jaw, knocking him to the plastered floor. Glaring over the fallen man, the Lakedaimóniyan king growled, "You will not draw me into your schemes,
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