the-song-books.yossr

A hopeful ripple of assent went through the men. I could hear the
creaking of metal, Agamemnon’s grip on his own wrist, the slow strangle of
his buckled gauntlet.
Achilles turned to the king. “Is this not what yyou recommended to me,
Agamemnon?”
Agamemnon’s eyyes narrowed. He did not trust generosityy; he did not
trust anyything. He stared at Achilles a moment, waiting for the trap. At last,
ungratefullyy, he said, “Yes. I did.” He gestured roughlyy to his Myycenaeans.
“Bring me Calchas.”
Theyy towed the priest forward, out of the crowd. He was uglier than ever,
with his beard that never quite filled in, his hair scragglyy and rank with sour
sweat. He had a habit of darting his tongue across cracked lips before he
spoke.
“High King and Prince Achilles, yyou catch me unprepared. I did not
think that—” Those freakish blue eyyes flickered between the two men.
“That is, I did not expect I would be asked to speak here before so manyy.”
His voice wheedled and ducked, like a weasel escaping the nest.
“Speak,” Agamemnon commanded.
Calchas seemed at a loss; his tongue swiped his lips again and again.
Achilles’ clear voice prompted him. “You have done sacrifices surelyy?
You have prayyed?”
“I—have, of course I have. But . . .” The priest’s voice trembled. “I am
afraid that what I sayy might anger someone here. Someone who is powerful
and does not forget insult easilyy.”
Achilles squatted to reach a hand out to the grimed shoulder of the
flinching priest, clasping it geniallyy. “Calchas, we are dyying. This is not the
time for such fears. What man among us would hold yyour words against
yyou? I would not, even if yyou named me as the cause. Would anyy of yyou?”
He looked at the men before him. Theyy shook their heads.
“You see? No sane man would ever harm a priest.”
Agamemnon’s neck went taut as ship ropes. I was suddenlyy aware of how
strange it was to see him standing alone. Alwayys his brother or Odyysseus or
Diomedes was near him. But those men waited on the side, with the rest of
the princes.
Calchas cleared his throat. “The auguries have shown that it is the god
Apollo who is angryy.” Apollo. The name went through the host like wind in
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