The Etruscan (38 page)

Our journey progressed slowly because of the successful trading en gaged in by the merchant along the way. Thus the journey did not tire Arsinoe, although she had to walk, nor did Hanna feel the burden of carrying Misme.

At night as we lay under the open sky or within some Elymian log hut, I told Xenodotos as much about the Siccani as I thought might benefit them. I also entrusted him with the secret of Hiuls and the fable about Erkle, but swore him to secrecy, asking him to reveal it only to the King himself or to his most trusted advisers in matters pertaining to the West.

“I am not concerned with when and how the Great King utilizes this knowledge,” I said, “but it may be beneficial for him to know that the Siccani are rearing Erkle. Nor do I think that the Siccani will survive as a nation save under the protection of the King, for they are oppressed both by the Elymi and the Greeks. The King himself will know best against whom to send the Siccani so that they may redeem the right to live in the forest and to survive as a nation.”

Xenodotos declared that I was the most beautiful man he had ever seen and that he liked me even more now that I had bared my chin by shaving.

He brought his nose far too close to me in sniffing the smell of resin and smoke that clung to my skin after my years in the forest. He also assured me that my eyes were like those of a deer. Nor did he say all that merely to be courteous. Day by day he seemed to be increasingly attracted to me and it was with difficulty that I parried his approaches without hurting him too much.

But although I was sure of his friendship I did not reveal my name or identity and warned Arsinoe against placing too much confidence in him. When he had realized the futility of his approaches and saw that I had no intention of accompanying him to Susa, he as an intelligent man began to pay attention to Arsinoe. And because he was not susceptible to Arsinoe’s charms as a woman he was able with greater shrewdness to bend her to his will.

I did not suspect his intentions, but I felt only relief that he left me in peace and talked with Arsinoe about the goddess of Eryx, the ancient fountain and the rites. Xenodotos’ curiosity was inexhaustible. While they conversed I had the opportunity to talk to the merchant and tried to obtain some information about Rome. But he was an uneducated man interested only in his trade. I did, however, learn that Rome quarreled perpetually with its neighbors and that the rivalry between its rich and poor was so intense that the poor now and then rebelled against military service in order to gain concessions for themselves.

That did not alarm me, for a similar situation prevailed in all other cities. The dance of freedom had been glorious in the days of my defiant youth when I was a stranger and wanted to become the equal of other youths in Ephesus for the sake of Dione. But I had already forgotten Dione’s face, and even as the burning reeds had flown through the air in Sardis and left ineffaceable burns on my arms, I had begun to tremble in realization of what I had done. True, I had gained the favor of Artemis, but lonia’s fate had been billowing smoke and the stench of death.

I thought of all that as I crouched by the fire under the autumn stars of Eryx talking to the sullen Etruscan while Xenodotos chatted animatedly with Arsinoe on the other side of the campfire. Misme slept the sound sleep of a three-year-old in her sheepskin and in the glow of the fire I occasionally met Hanna’s sparkling glance. Absently I drew designs on the ground with a stick and knew that I lived in a period of tumult until such a time as the Persian king would restore harmony to all lands.

We arrived in Panormos as in a festival procession with the curious thronging about us. We went directly to the harbor, to the Etruscan’s ship, and my heart sank when I saw it. It was round and slow and only partly covered with a deck, and I wondered how it had managed to make the long voyage from Rome to Sicily with its heavy cargo.

The customs men installed by Carthage greeted the Etruscan laughingly and politely raised their hands in amazement at the success of his trade. They treated Xenodotos with respect and were content to look from afar at Arsinoe and at my wooden mask without daring to finger our clothes. They said to one another that it was a good sign when highborn Siccanians ventured out of their forest into the civilized world to learn languages and sensible customs. It furthered trade and thus the interests of Carthage.

Panormos and the entire land of Eryx had good reason to be on conciliatory terms with the Etruscan from Rome, for during the previous years the administrators of Rome had bought vast quantities of grain from Eryx to avert a famine caused by the disorders.

The people of Eryx hoped that the trade in grain would be continued in the future. Panormos especially benefited by it since Rome shipped its grain not only on Etruscan vessels but on those of Panormos as well.

But the Etruscan, who as a merchant was never content, said bitterly, “If times were as they used to be and reasonable trade were possible, I could sell the Siccanian goods here in Panormos, buy grain at a low price and then sell it at a high price in Rome. But the Roman praetors have set a limit on the price of grain just as they have taken over the salt trade and determined its price in Rome. Formerly I could have sailed to Cumae and bartered the Siccanian goods for Attic vases whose beauty and graceful decorations we Etruscans admire so deeply that we even put them in the tombs of our rulers and Lucumones. But the Greeks have become arrogant after their victory at Marathon and the tyrant of Cumae confiscates the Roman grain ships arriving there.”

He cursed the Greeks and continued, “No, I dare not sail to Cumae. All I can do is to await a strong south wind and surrender myself to the dangers of the open sea in sailing back to the mouth of the Roman

river.

Sack by sack, bundle by bundle and basket by basket he loaded his vessel. The customs men entered the cargo on their wax tablets and with a deep sigh the Etruscan paid for the donkeys he had hired and chased the drovers away with curses, saying that in no country had he met such thieves as in the land of Eryx. Of course this was a lie since the people of Eryx allowed him to trade freely with the Siccani while he himself had violated the laws of Eryx by smuggling iron goods to the Siccani.

I myself said hardly a word to the Carthaginians since I considered it wiser to let them believe that as a Siccanian I did not know their language. Even Arsinoe managed to control her tongue. But when we were within the walls of the house that the council of Panormos rented to strangers and in which the slaves and companions of Xenodotos greeted him with the utmost humility, Arsinoe could no longer restrain herself.

Tearing the cloth from her head, she stamped her foot and cried, “I have already risked enough for your sake at sea, Turms! Never will I consent to set foot on that Etruscan’s smelly tub. Even if I am not afraid for myself, I must think of Misme. In the name of the goddess, Turms, what are we doing going to Rome when your friend Xenodotos is ready to smooth the road to Susa for you and arrange a secure future for you in the King’s court as the Siccanian ambassador?”

Xenodotos was a changed man now that he was once more among his companions. He carried his curly-bearded chin proudly upright and watched me stealthily.

“Let us not quarrel as soon as we have stepped over the threshold,” he said placatingly. “Let us first bathe and have the rigors of the journey rubbed and anointed from our bodies. Let us eat seasoned food like civilized people and freshen our minds with wine. Only then let us confer with one another—you, Turms, who have not even revealed your name to me. Now I shall carefully remember it and I assure you that your wife is wiser than you. Do not scorn her intellect.”

I guessed that they had allied themselves for the purpose of making me accompany Xenodotos and Skythes back to lonia and from there to the Great King’s presence in Susa. I also suspected that Arsinoe had rashly told Xenodotos things that should have been left unsaid.

But I had learned, while among the Siccani, to control my face. I said nothing, merely followed Xenodotos calmly to the bath which his servants had prepared. Arsinoe followed us since she was unwilling to leave us by ourselves.

Thus the three of us bathed together and the warmth of the water and the fragrance of fine oils made us languid after the hardships of our journey. Xenodotos watched me rather than Arsinoe, although he courteously lauded her beauty, saying that he could not believe that she had ever had children and assuring her that not many women in the Persian king’s court could compete with her.

“Watching you,” he said ingratiatingly, “I regret that the gods have made me as I am. The more fortunate is Turms who is able to enjoy your unparalleled beauty. Indeed, looking at you both I find it difficult to believe that you are native Siccanians and true members of that dark-skinned and bowlegged people.”

Afraid of his curiosity I demanded bluntly, “How many Siccanians did you see during your journey, Xenodotos? Real Siccanians are straight and beautifully developed. Look at our slave Hanna. You saw only tribal outcasts who grow peas around their miserable huts.”

But Arsinoe said frankly, “But Hanna is not a Siccanian. She is an Elymian, born in Segesta. I admit, though, that there were some surprisingly strong men among the Siccani.”

She extended her white limbs in the warm water, called a servant and rose to have her hair washed.

At that moment her allure aroused only revulsion in me and I could not forgive her for having babbled about us to Xenodotos. My anger increased as we ate and drank. Both of us had been without wine for so long that we quickly became intoxicated. Then Xenodotos cleverly provoked a quarrel between us.

Finally I sprang up from the convivial couch and swore by the moon and the sea horse. “My omens and signs are more potent than your greed, Arsinoe. If you don’t want to accompany me I shall go alone.”

“Sleep your head clear before you swear such a pernicious oath,” warned Xenodotos.

But I was intoxicated by wine and bitterness and shouted recklessly, “You, Arsinoe, follow Xenodotos if you want to obtain more security than I can give you. He’ll be able to sell you to some noble Persian. But I suspect that, once behind the grating of a woman’s house, you will begin to yearn more for your freedom than for a life of luxury.”

Arsinoe flung her wine across the room. “You know what I have sacrificed for your sake, Turms. I have even risked my life for you. But I must think of my child. Year by year you have become increasingly stubborn and foul-mouthed and I wonder now what I ever saw in you. Xenodotos is waiting for a west wind to take him to Rhegion, where he will meet Skythes. The wind may turn tomorrow, and that is why you must decide which to choose. I myself have already decided in the name of the goddess.”

When she saw that I was not alarmed by her threat, she became even angrier and screamed, “Let us be separated from each other as of this moment, and don’t dare try to force your way into my bed! I have had enough of your sour face and so abhor your barbarically hard limbs that I could vomit.”

Xenodotos tried to stifle her words but she bit his finger, began to howl from the bottom of her heart and vomited the wine she had drunk. Whereupon she fell asleep, wet from the wine. I carried her to bed and bade Hanna take care of her for I myself was so embittered that I had no desire to sleep in the same room.

Upon my return to the banquet room Xenodotos sat beside me, placed his hand on my knee and said, “I know you for a Greek, Turms, from all Arsinoe has told me. But trust in me. If you are an Ionian refugee and fear the King’s wrath, I can assure you that the Persian does not desire revenge for the sake of revenge. The service that you are offering him will weigh more heavily in the scales than the possible mistakes in your past.”

I did not doubt his words, but how could I disregard the signs that I had received? I tried to explain the matter to him but he became stubborn in his zeal.

After coaxing me a while he warned, “Don’t aggravate me too much, Turms. If you are thinking of the temple at Sardis, don’t be afraid. Your wife was wise in entrusting your fears to me. I even know that you have been guilty of piracy. You are in my hands, Turms. I have only to call for the city guards and you are lost.”

At that moment I hated Arsinoe for wantonly having placed me at the mercy of a stranger so that I would be compelled to abandon my purpose and follow Xenodotos to the East. My long-dormant hatred burst forth like molten rock from a quaking mountain and scorched me until nothing mattered any more.

I thrust Xenodotos’ hand from my knee and said, “I thought you were my friend, but now I know better. Very well, I will call the police and surrender myself to be skinned alive as a pirate by the priests of Carthage. But at the same time let Arsinoe be sold in the market as an escaped temple slave and Misme as the daughter of a slave. I am sure that your reputation will be greatly enhanced in the eyes of the King by such a public disturbance in Panormos.”

I said further, “My omens are clear and indisputable, and the Ephesian Artemis and Aphrodite of Eryx vie with each other in bestowing their favors on me. By hurting me you hurt them, and I warn you of their power. I myself am fulfilling the fate within me which no human power can deflect. I will not follow you to Susa.”

When he realized that my decision was unalterable, Xenodotos tried to placate me and apologized for his threat. He urged me to reconsider the matter after I had slept my head clear. On the following day Arsinoe also suddenly changed and tried by every means at her disposal to weaken me. But I remained resolute and did not touch her. Whereupon she sent Hanna to the temple of the goddess to purchase beauty preparations, secluded herself in her room and then climbed to the roof to dry her hair in the sunshine. She had succeeded in dyeing her hair golden once more, and as she rested on the roof with her hair outspread she was a lovely sight to behold. However, her hair had a new reddish gleam for which she blamed Hanna, claiming that the stupid girl had accepted inferior dyes.