Athena's Son (24 page)

Pollux grabbed Archimedes by the neck. “Alexander may have told me to follow your instructions, but watch how you give them to me, goat.” He shoved Archimedes away. “The only thing keeping you alive is the gold Alexander owes me. But when we’re done here, schoolboy, my knife will slice your belly open like a bloated fish.”

Pollux turned to the brute from the docks. “I’ll go; I don’t think you could find a hole to fall into. Watch this snake closely. Don’t let him out of your sight. I’ll be back with all the supplies.” He began marching toward the door, but turned and stalked back to Archimedes. Pollux, a previous victim of Archimedes’ carpentry skills, looked down at him suspiciously. “Why do you need to box it up? It would be faster to get the coffin out just as it is.”

Archimedes was already kneeling to try to look under the sarcophagus. “Think about it, Pollux. How many wagons parade through the streets of Alexandria with the coffin of Alexander the Great on display? That gilded casket would draw the Medjay like flies to a dung heap. As brave as you are, do you really want that kind of attention?”

After Pollux left, Archimedes used the time to have the brute lever up the coffin with some lumber and begin to shim it off the slab with wood blocks. In just over an hour Pollux returned with everything requested. Archimedes never really doubted that a thief as shrewd as Pollux could steal all the items. He just hoped no one paid with their life in getting them.

More torches were lit and the work began. Archimedes’ plan was to use a multiple pulley system to raise the coffin through the skylight and then lower it into the wagon. It was simple enough to demonstrate pulleys to Farrokh on the
Calypso
, but this project involved removing an enormous weight out of a sealed tomb. In effect, he was stealing what many people regarded as Alexandria’s most valuable possession. For Archimedes, it only meant saving something invaluable, Berenike.

While Archimedes built the box for the coffin, Pollux and the other man carried the timbers and two wheels up to the skylight. Using Archimedes’ instructions shouted from below, they used the block timbers to build elevated supports on each side of the skylight and laid the two long timbers across them. Then they connected a wheel to each timber. The other two wheels were roped to the coffin by Archimedes.

To reduce the pulling weight, the rope would be wound around each wheel twice. The process began with Pollux tying one end of the hawser to a timber, and then throwing the other end down so Archimedes could wind it around a wheel on the coffin. Then he carried the rope back up to Pollux, who wound it around one of the wheels hanging from the timber, and then threw the rope down so Archimedes could string it through the first wheel a second time. That was repeated for the other three wheels. With eight sections of rope wound around the four wheels, the pulling weight of the coffin would be reduced to about 200 pounds.

Archimedes climbed to the roof and inspected the pulleys. “Hey, Pollux, tie that statue of Alexander to the rope and send it up. I need a heavy counterweight up here to keep the pulley system from collapsing when we lower the coffin over the side of the building.” Pollux stood confused in the torchlight looking up at the silhouette of Archimedes in the skylight. Frustrated, Archimedes yelled louder, “For the love of Zeus, we need it to complete this job! Send it up!”

It was twilight; the first faint hint of sunrise glowed in the east. Archimedes had just over an hour to deliver the coffin and secure the release of Berenike. The coffin was crated and loosely tied with hawser to accommodate the two pulleys attached. All that was left was brute force to heft it up to Archimedes who would be directing the operation from the roof.

After coming down and giving final instructions to his two collaborators, Archimedes began to climb the ladder to get ready to receive the coffin. Pollux grabbed him from behind and pulled him off the ladder. “No tricks now, schoolboy. This tomb has room for one more body.”

“
What can I do?” Archimedes said. “You watched me crate the coffin; you’ll be with it when it’s delivered to Alexander. I can hardly carry it off. Don’t worry. You’ll get your blood money and then you can continue your career of robbing blind orphans.” Pollux swung a backhand at Archimedes, but he knew it was coming. He ducked and scampered up the ladder.

For the first time the hired brute spoke. “Leave him, Pollux. Let’s get this finished so we can get paid. The Medjay will return at some point and they make short work of tomb robbers.”

The hawser and pulleys squealed in defiance as the boxed coffin scraped, then lifted, off the marble slab. It swayed momentarily while Pollux and the thug regained their grip. It took a precious and precarious half hour of grunting and tugging, but the box finally reached Archimedes and cleared the roof.

While Pollux and the thug went out and brought the wagon up, Archimedes tied the pulley system to the counterweight. To move the box across the roof, he used the same round logs that the workmen used at the lighthouse to roll the heavy slabs of stone. He pushed it barely two feet, then took a log from the back and put it in the front of the coffin, where he could give it another short shove.

It took a while for Pollux to arrive because the horses and wagon had to be hidden some distance away so as not to create any suspicions about a wagon waiting outside the tomb of Alexander. The two men had to go back inside where Archimedes threw the rope back down to them through the skylight. Now their job was to carefully lower the box into the wagon below.

The pair of muscled work horses nervously raised their heads and pinned their ears back when the box crunched down into the wagon. Pollux and the thug jumped aboard and Archimedes climbed in back.

“
Where do you think you’re going?” Pollux asked. “Get off.”

“
Really? I can stay here?” Archimedes said a little too eager. He quickly jumped off and began to walk away. Pollux, after thinking several seconds, changed his mind.

“
Hey, wait, get back here you sneaky snake. You’re up to something. Get back on the wagon.”

“
That’s all right. I’ll wait here,” Archimedes said.

Pollux pulled out his knife and jumped off the wagon. “Get on the wagon next to your cold friend!”

“
All right, fine!” Archimedes was compliant. “Just don’t hurt me.” He climbed back next to the box. That was almost too easy.

Chapter 31

The creaking wagon lurched along a street nearly deserted except for the first few sellers pushing their carts east toward the marketplace. Dawn broke and the orange rays of sunlight cast long shadows in front of the wagon as it headed west toward the waiting ship. Although the trip took only 15 minutes, it seemed like an eternity to Archimedes, whose only concern was Berenike.

The small ship was docked at a little-used pier in the Egyptian section of the city. The location was a shrewd choice because the pier was farther west than the busy wharves Archimedes arrived at several days ago. In addition, citizens of the Egyptian quarter usually didn’t concern themselves with Greek business, either legal or illegal. The ship itself was smaller than the
Calypso
, only about 50 feet long with one mast. It was a pirate ship, Archimedes guessed, based on the descriptions Farrokh had given him aboard the
Calypso
.

Pirate ships were cheaply made and lightweight, making it easier to maneuver than the merchant ships they were robbing and allowing swifter retreats from warships they were evading. The lighter weight also allowed a crew to pull the ship up on shore or row into shallow rivers, where pursuing warships could not go.

Alexander IV was waiting with a small army of about 20 men of dubious backgrounds. There were sailors, street thugs, and ex-soldiers who looked like they hadn’t held a weapon for a long time. If this mob was the start of his conquest of Europe, Archimedes bitterly thought, he would not only need the body of his deceased father, he would need it to crawl out of the coffin and begin organizing the legions of Rome for him too.

“
You have it?” Alexander asked nervously as he ran up to the wagon. “Were there any problems?”

Pollux jumped off the wagon. “The boy threw some rope together, but as far as getting the job done, I did most of the work. The runt is good at letting others do the work. I had to do everything from acquiring the materials to hauling the wretched box out of the tomb.”

Archimedes figured Pollux was working for some kind of raise in his pay. Alexander walked back to the box and ran his hand along the wood lid, as if he were caressing the life back into his father.

“
I’ve done what you asked,” Archimedes said. He stayed in the wagon with the coffin, as if he possessed it as bargaining leverage. “Now live up to your part of the bargain and release Berenike.”

Alexander’s only response was to yank the stubborn boy out of the way and climb up on the wagon himself. He stood with outstretched arms and yelled to his men to gather around. “Soldiers of Rome! We now possess the body of my father, Alexander the Great. He is back with his rightful heir and soon he will be in his rightful place—the Republic of Rome! Soon, thousands of loyal followers such as you will join our legions as we march across Europe. Gaul, Iberia, Greece, and Syria will succumb to our armies. And then men, and then, we will return to this very land, Egypt, and depose Pharaoh Ptolemy and crush his armies under the heavy sandals of the Roman legions and make Egypt the final piece in our new empire!”

To Archimedes, this assembly seemed more inspired by gold than glory. They gave the kind of cheer men bellowed when free wine was being passed around. After they quenched their thirst for silver, what would their appetite be for real battle? Alexander jumped down from the wagon and the rabble swarmed over the box like jackals on a carcass.

They slid it off the wagon into the arms of 10 men who took several shaky moments to recover their balance, and then staggered with it toward the ship. Archimedes shoved his way through the mob and scanned the area. He paced anxiously around their disheveled camp, darting his eyes at every tent or shadow. There, sitting in the shade of a palm was Berenike. Her hands were tied behind her back, but otherwise she appeared more annoyed than upset. A lethargic guard with a rusty sword and a fat belly that revealed too much food and too little work, stood nearby.

“
Berenike!” Archimedes ran and slid up beside her, wrapping her in a quick embrace. “I’m so happy to see you! I wasn’t sure where you were or what they did with you.” He began working hurriedly on the ropes around her wrists. He wanted both of them to get out of there as quickly as possible.

“
Archimedes, thank Isis! Where were you?” She shook her arms free of the remainder of the rope and threw her arms around Archimedes’ neck. “Are you all right?”

“
Yes, I’m fine.” He stood up and took her by the hand, pulling her up. “We haven’t any time. Let’s get the Hades out of here.”

As Berenike got up, she couldn’t resist picking up a stick and swinging it at the guard. “Fat slob! After Pharaoh Ptolemy gets hold of you, you’ll all be hanging from stakes providing food for vultures that aren’t picky about what they eat!”

The fat guard woke from his trance and took hold of her arm. “Why you little banshee. I haven’t gotten orders to release you yet.” Alexander was walking by, directing the straining men carrying the box toward the ship. “Sir, is this feral cat free to go?” The guard shook her as if Alexander wouldn’t be able to tell what other prisoner he had in hand.

Ignoring the question and holding up his hand impatiently, Alexander waited until the precious cargo was safely aboard before sauntering over to Archimedes and Berenike. “You are an intelligent boy, Archimedes. I am impressed. At your age, to accomplish what you did with the life of your girlfriend in jeopardy, was remarkable. Your skills can be valuable to a conqueror such as me. My father had the great engineer Aristoboulus to help him conquer Persia. Perhaps I would let you help me in my conquest of Europe.”

Archimedes put his arm around Berenike and began to walk away. “If your conquests consist of kidnapping children and robbing tombs, I think I’d rather stay in school.” He knew the tyrant was unstable, but he hated this despot to the marrow of his bones.

Alexander took a step forward. “Either your brains or your mouth will get you a Roman sword in your guts, schoolboy.” He reached down to the hilt of his gladius. “Don’t let…”

Just as he began to pull the sword from its sheath, they felt the ground shudder, then grow to a rumble that caused the crew to look up and over to the east as the thunder of hooves shook the earth.

Over the crest of a small hill charged Pharaoh Ptolemy leading a troop of war chariots. Ptolemy’s own chariot was a dark wood vehicle with silver railings driven by a grim, bare-chested soldier wearing a wide silver necklace. He cracked his whip at the necks of the frothing horses as they tore out of the flare of the rising sun toward the thieves assembling onboard the ship.

Alexander snatched Berenike away from Archimedes and threw her into the clutches of the fat guard. “Take her aboard!” He finished pulling the gladius out and held the blade against Archimedes’ throat. “Tell Ptolemy that if he tries to stop us I will slit the throat of the princess and toss the coffin into the harbor. The sea will swallow his daughter and kingdom in one fateful stroke.”