Authors: Christian Cameron
Tyrant (18 page)
Kineas watched the closed doors open and heard the clash of arms within - more guards - and followed his guide into a warm, dark room decorated in gold with a heavy hand: statues of the gods, their clothes picked out in gold; Persian hangings shot with gold thread; gold lamps suspended on chains from the ceiling that gave a faint gold light; an iron brazier with gold legs that glowed red and vented scented smoke; a gold screen; a table set with gold cups and a huge golden bowl. And behind the table, almost invisible in the scented murk, a man with a diadem was seated on a chair. Memnon stood behind him, his armour appearing to glow in the ruddy light. Flanking the man in the diadem stood a pair of heavily muscled men in lion skins, holding heavy clubs.
‘Kineas of Athens?’ The voice was soft, very quiet. The smoke from the brazier and the darkness made the voice appear to come from throughout the room, like the voice of a god. ‘You are late by fifty days.’ A soft laugh. ‘It is not easy to travel to the end of the earth, is it? Please, help yourself to the wine at your elbow. Tell me about your adventures.’
‘There is little to tell, Archon. I sought to bring my own horses and I have. I apologize for being late.’ Kineas found himself off balance. The incense in the smoke was cloying - it bit at his throat unpleasantly. And the men in skins - more barbarians - seemed to be a direct threat.
‘You have no need to apologize, young man. At least, for being late. These things can happen. Please tell me how you came here.’
‘I came by sea to Tomis and then by land with my horses.’
‘Come, young man. More detail.’
‘What can I say? We had a brush with some bandits. We met with a group of Sakje.’ Kineas was wary. He had the sense that a trap was being laid for him.
‘The bandits you fought were Getae, yes? Unfortunate that they are allies of this city. And the Sakje - truly, the worst bandits of the lot. You were lucky to escape with your skin.’
‘The Getae were a few men under a local leader. They attacked us for our horses.’ Kineas grabbed a handful of his beard as he often did when puzzled. ‘I had no idea they were allies of this city.’
‘Nor did they suspect that you were in my service. A most unfortunate circumstance. Still more unfortunate that you then turned the Sakje on them. They lost ten villages, burnt. We trade with the Getae and the Getae are allies of Macedon. You have hurt our trade.’ The archon rested his chin on his hand and looked up at Kineas. ‘And perhaps you did not know that my own family are of the Getae?’
Kineas winced. ‘I had no idea.’
‘A pity. and the Sakje - did they ask a toll of you?’
‘Archon, you seem already to know these things.’
‘Please answer the questions as they are put. You are in my service and the service of my city. We require your cooperation in all things.’
Kineas took a deep breath and coughed. Then he said, ‘The Sakje asked a toll. I paid it - two horses from my herd and some gold.’
‘And the lord of the Sakje - a red-bearded man?’
‘A woman, Archon.’
The archon’s surprise was evident. His voice became louder, more focused. ‘A woman? That I had not heard. That is interesting news. What was her name?’
Not for the first time Kineas regretted that he had not learned it. ‘I don’t know.’
‘A pity. It is my lot in life to follow the careers of these petty brigands. Often it becomes a matter of state security to know which of them is developing ambitions. Young man, we do not pay tolls to the brigands on the plains. Please be sure never to do so again. Ah - and I’m told you have one of them in your train. Please dismiss him.’
Kineas had kept his temper on a long leash, but he’d just reached the end of it. ‘I’m afraid you have sent for the wrong man, Archon,’ he snapped. ‘I am a gentleman of Athens, not a dog.’ He tossed the letter on the table. ‘Perhaps a dog can be ordered to dismiss his men in Olbia, but not an Athenian.’
The archon smiled. His teeth gleamed like ivory in the light. ‘Not so obedient. But loyal to your men. Will you be as loyal to me, I wonder?’ His tone changed, the smile folded and put away, the teeth gone back into the darkness. ‘You brought horses. Why? There are few things we need less, here. The brigands sell us what we need. They breed them like maggots. You came fifty days late and antagonized an ally so that you could get a few Greek horses into my city? That’s not good judgement. I only want men with good judgement.’
Kineas tried the wine and found it excellent. It cut through the smoke in his throat. ‘You do not have a single cavalry mount in the city stables.’
The archon paused. For the first time he glanced at Memnon. ‘Nonsense. I have twenty horses there, all superb animals. They had better be superb, I paid well for them. If you advise me, I shall get more if required. No need for your Greek beasts.’
Kineas nodded. ‘All twenty are excellent horses. Not one is trained for war. I brought twenty chargers and with them as a foundation I can train a hundred more this winter.’ And start a stud, he thought, but kept it to himself.
The archon cocked his head to one side and put his chin in his hand. ‘Humph. Perhaps there is truth in what you say. That’s why I wanted a cavalry officer. So, here you are. I’ll fob the Getae off, then. And the brigands, what did you think?’
‘I think they are a little more than brigands. Very good cavalry. I would not want to tangle with them.’
‘Brigands, I tell you. They pretend we owe them tribute and tolls. Humph - wait until you try and trade with them. But they have their uses and they don’t cost us anything. Unlike your gentlemen, who are quite expensive.’
Memnon smiled. ‘Security is never cheap, sir.’
‘Humph. Kineas, you know the terms. You brought men with you - that was never in the contract. I wish you to train the gentlemen of my city.’ A deep breath and then the voice went on in a whisper. ‘Make them useful, stop them from being such a thorn in my side. They waste my time with their plotting and their lawsuits. But I didn’t want to hire another troop of mercenaries.’
Kineas nodded. ‘I took the risk that you would accept them. They are excellent soldiers, gentlemen of family from Greece and elsewhere. And I must have some experienced men as file-closers and as trainers. Those men must be well born or your Hippeis will not accept their direction. I brought a dozen men, sir - they will not empty the treasury,’ Kineas pointed at the gold lamp, ‘which seems well stocked.’
‘Don’t count my treasure before you’ve earned it,’ snapped the archon. His voice, rich and mellow when calm, was sharp as a sword when aroused. Money clearly aroused him. ‘Memnon? What do you think?’
‘I think he’s got a point. I wouldn’t offer to train a city’s hoplites to be better soldiers without a staff.’ Memnon caught Kineas’s eye.
‘What do you expect them to be paid, these
gentlemen
?’ asked the archon.
gentlemen
?’ asked the archon.
‘Four drachma per day, payable every month,’ Kineas was happy to be on firm ground, rattling off the figures he had pondered for a month. ‘A month in advance for every man. Double wages for my hyperetes and one other senior man. A bonus for combat duty and for each year of good service.’
‘Double the wages of my men,’ said Memnon. But he gave Kineas the tiniest of nods.
‘Your men don’t provide their own mounts which they have to keep, nor all the tack. I think that you’ll find that after deductions for living, the wage is about the same.’ Kineas had, in fact, asked for more money than his men were expecting.
Memnon gave a short laugh, like a bark.
The archon shook his head. ‘Humph. Very well. I expect good service and I expect that when I learn to trust them, your men will be at my disposal.’ He rang a small bell, the noise sharp in the heavy air. A slave in a long robe responded immediately. The archon gestured at Kineas. ‘Do the maths and get this man a month’s pay for his men.’
The slave was well dressed, thin as a pole and heavily bearded with deep-set eyes. He bowed. ‘As you command, lord.’ His Greek was accented with Persian. He looked at Kineas. ‘I am Cyrus, the factor of the archon. I understood that you have twelve men, two of whom are to receive double pay, at the rate of four drachmas a day. Is this correct?’
Kineas nodded. The Persian was very formal. He had probably been a nobleman. Nothing in his demeanor indicated what he thought of his current status. Kineas bowed. ‘Cyrus, I am Kineas of Athens. May we be well met.’
Cyrus held his eye throughout the greeting - not the sign of a born slave - and was visibly pleased to be greeted in such a way.
Kineas continued. ‘My hyperetes is waiting beyond these doors. Please give him the money,’
‘As you wish, sir.’ Cyrus walked through a side door.
Kineas turned back to the archon. ‘I also desire the city rank of Hipparch, as you stated in your letter.’
The archon hesitated. ‘I am hiring you to train my nobles—’
‘And you will expect me to lead them in the field,’ Kineas interrupted.
‘Don’t be so stiff necked. There is a man of the city, a powerful man, Cleitus, who holds the post of Hipparch. I do not wish to offend him.’
‘Neither do I, Archon. Nonetheless, no squadron can have two commanders. Either I am, on the one hand, his superior, in which case it is my job to make him understand and obey me, or he is, on the other hand, my superior, in which case neither he nor any other gentleman of this city has any reason to listen to a word I say.’
The archon fiddled with his beard. Memnon said nothing. His eyes were fixed on one of the gold lamps hanging over Kineas’s head. Silence reigned.
‘You will both be Hipparchs,’ said the archon. ‘That is my word on it. My law. You will be equal in rank. If he is not willing to learn your ways, perhaps you will bring word of this to me. And another thing . . .’ He raised a hand to forestall Kineas’s protest. ‘From time to time, you will no doubt hear rumours of plots against me from these men. You will bring these plots to me. You will win their respect so that they expect to confide in you. In this way you will strengthen my rule and the city itself. Do you understand?’ He lowered his voice again. ‘And if these men miss musters, or refuse to serve under you - that is a crime, on the rolls of this city long before my time of rule. You will report each misdeed to me at once.’
It was Kineas’s turn to stand silent. In effect, he was being asked to inform on his own troopers, a situation so repugnant that he was tempted to give a hot answer. On the other hand, it was just the sort of petty crap any soldier expected when serving a tyrant. Kineas balanced the one against the other - the good of his men, that of his own and his view of himself as a man of honour.
‘I will tell you if I believe a man to be plotting against the city,’ he said carefully. His choice of verbs was exact, the product of his childhood training in rhetoric. ‘Or committing any serious crime.’
If the archon caught the hedging in his reply, he made no comment. ‘Good, then. I like that you have not made some horrible demand for your own pay. What do you expect?’
‘What you offered to get me to come here,’ said Kineas.
‘Please note that I do not subtract the bonus because you are fifty days late.’ The archon’s voice was warm, amiable. ‘I will start the pay of your men from the time they entered our lands.’
‘Thank you, Archon. You are generous.’ Kineas now longed to be free from the room, the stink of the brazier and the atmosphere of restriction and fear. ‘When do I begin my duties?’
‘You began them when you reported to me. I expect I will have errands for your men soon. I will summon the Hippeis for the day after the feast of Apollo. It is their custom to be on the parade of the hippodrome at the ninth hour. Please inform me by name of every man who fails the muster. Cyrus will provide you with a complete list.’ He waved his hand in dismissal. ‘I look forward to great things from you, Kineas - now that you have come.’
Kineas held his ground. ‘How shall I address you?’
‘As Archon - at all times.’ The archon lowered his head and waved his hand again in dismissal.
Even Alexander had used his name with his companions. And he said he was a god. Kineas allowed himself to smile. ‘Very well, Archon.’ He turned on his heel and left.
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