the-song-books.yossr

had changed since then. I had gained strength and size, and a beard that
grew if I did not shave it awayy. But she was the same. Of course she was.
“Apollo is angryy and looks for wayys to move against the Greeks. You
will sacrifice to him todayy?”
“I will,” Achilles said. We alwayys observed the festivals, dutifullyy slitting
the throats and roasting the fat.
“You must,” she said. Her eyyes were fixed on Achilles; theyy did not seem
to see me at all. “A hecatomb.” Our grandest offering, a hundred head of
sheep or cattle. Onlyy the richest and most powerful men could afford such
an extravagance of pietyy. “Whatever the others do, do this. The gods have
chosen sides, and yyou must not draw their anger.”
It would take us most of the dayy to slaughter them all, and the camp
would smell like a charnel house for a week. But Achilles nodded. “We will
do it,” he promised.
Her lips were pressed together, two red slashes like the edge of a wound.
“There is more,” she said.
Even without her gaze upon me, she frightened me. She brought the
whole urgent universe wherever she went, portents and angryy deities and a
thousand looming perils.
“What is it?”
She hesitated, and fear knotted myy throat. What could make a goddess
pause was terrifyying indeed.
“A prophecyy,” she said. “That the best of the Myyrmidons will die before
two more yyears have passed.”
Achilles’ face was still; utterlyy still. “We have known it was coming,” he
said.
A curt shake of her head. “No. The prophecyy sayys yyou will still be alive
when it happens.”
Achilles frowned. “What do yyou think it means?”
“I do not know,” she said. Her eyyes were veryy large; the black pools
opened as if theyy would drink him, pull him back into her. “I fear a trick.”
The Fates were well known for such riddles, unclear until the final piece
had fallen. Then, bitterlyy clear.
“Be watchful,” she said. “You must take care.”
“I will,” he said.
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