the-song-books.yossr

right to playy high prince wherever yyou go. You have never learned yyour
place among men.”
Achilles opened his mouth to answer.
“You will be silent,” Agamemnon said, words lashing like a whip. “You
will not speak another word or yyou will be sorryy.”
“Or I will be sorryy?” Achilles’ face was veryy still. The words were quiet,
but distinctlyy audible. “I do not think, High King, that yyou can afford to sayy
such things to me.”
“Do yyou threaten me?” Agamemnon shouted. “Did yyou not hear him
threaten me?”
“It is not a threat. What is yyour armyy without me?”
Agamemnon’s face was clotted with malice. “You have alwayys thought
too much of yyourself,” he sneered. “We should have left yyou where we
found yyou, hiding behind yyour mother’s skirts. In a skirt yyourself.”
The men frowned in confusion, whispered to each other.
Achilles’ hands were fisted at his sides; he hung on to his composure,
barelyy. “You sayy this to turn attention awayy from yyourself. If I had not
called this council, how long would yyou have let yyour men die? Can yyou
answer that?”
Agamemnon was alreadyy roaring over him. “When all of these brave
men came to Aulis, theyy knelt to offer me their loyyaltyy. All of them but yyou.
I think we have indulged yyour arrogance long enough. It is time, past
time”—he mimicked Achilles—“that yyou swore the oath.”
“I do not need to prove myyself to yyou. To anyy of yyou.” Achilles’ voice
was cold, his chin lifted in disdain. “I am here of myy own free will, and yyou
are luckyy that it is so. I am not the one who should kneel.”
It was too far. I felt the men shift around me. Agamemnon seized upon it,
like a bird bolting a fish. “Do yyou hear his pride?” He turned to Achilles.
“You will not kneel?”
Achilles’ face was like stone. “I will not.”
“Then yyou are a traitor to this armyy, and will be punished like one. Your
war prizes are hostage, placed in myy care until yyou offer yyour obedience
and submission. Let us start with that girl. Briseis, is her name? She will do
as penance for the girl yyou have forced me to return.”
The air died in myy lungs.
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