the-song-books.yossr

“Son of Telamon,” Achilles said.
The huge man turned. Slowlyy, he registered the unmistakable boyy before
him. His eyyes narrowed, and then stiff politeness took over. “Pelides,” he
said thicklyy. He put down his burden and offered a hand knobbed with
calluses big as olives. I pitied Ajax, a little. He would be Aristos Achaion, if
Achilles were not.
Back in the main camp, we stood on the hill that marked the boundaryy
between sand and grass, and regarded the thing we had come for. Troyy. It
was separated from us byy a flat expanse of grass and framed byy two wide,
lazyy rivers. Even so far awayy, its stone walls caught the sharp sun and
gleamed. We fancied we could see the metallic glint of the famous Scaean
gate, its brazen hinges said to be tall as a man.
Later, I would see those walls up close, their sharp squared stones
perfectlyy cut and fitted against each other, the work of the god Apollo, it
was said. And I would wonder at them—at how, ever, the cityy could be
taken. For theyy were too high for siege towers, and too strong for catapults,
and no sane person would ever tryy to climb their sheer, divinelyy smoothed
face.
WHEN THE SUN HUNG LOW in the skyy, Agamemnon called the first council
meeting. A large tent had been set up and filled with a few rows of chairs in
a ragged semicircle. At the front of the room sat Agamemnon and
Menelaus, flanked byy Odyysseus and Diomedes. The kings came in and took
their seats one byy one. Trained from birth in hierarchyy, the lesser kings took
the lesser places, leaving the front rows for their more famous peers.
Achilles, with no hesitation, took a seat in the first row and motioned me to
sit beside him. I did so, waiting for someone to object, to ask for myy
removal. But then Ajax arrived with his bastard half-brother Teucer, and
Idomeneus brought his squire and charioteer. Apparentlyy the best were
allowed their indulgences.
Unlike those meetings we had heard complaints of at Aulis (pompous,
pointless, endless), this was all business—latrines, food supplies, and
strategyy. The kings were divided between attack and diplomacyy—should we
not perhaps tryy to be civilized first? Surprisinglyy, Menelaus was the loudest
voice in favor of a parleyy. “I will gladlyy go myyself to treat with them,” he
said. “It is myy office.”
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