the-song-books.yossr

our wits from us to set us so at odds. But that is over now, and we are allies
once more.” This last is said loudlyy, for the benefit of the watching men.
Achilles does not respond. He is imagining killing Hector. It is all that
keeps him standing.
Agamemnon hesitates. “Prince Achilles, I hear yyou will fight tomorrow?”
“Yes.” The suddenness of his answer startles them.
“Veryy good, that is veryy good.” Agamemnon waits another moment.
“And yyou will fight after that, also?”
“If yyou wish,” Achilles answers. “I do not care. I will be dead soon.”
The watching men exchange glances. Agamemnon recovers.
“Well. We are settled then.” He turns to go, stops. “I was sorryy to hear of
Patroclus’ death. He fought bravelyy todayy. Did yyou hear he killed
Sarpedon?”
Achilles’ eyyes lift. Theyy are bloodshot and dead. “I wish he had let yyou
all die.”
Agamemnon is too shocked to answer. Odyysseus steps into the silence.
“We will leave yyou to mourn, Prince Achilles.”
BRISEIS IS KNEELING byy myy bodyy. She has brought water and cloth, and
washes the blood and dirt from myy skin. Her hands are gentle, as though
she washes a babyy, not a dead thing. Achilles opens the tent, and their eyyes
meet over myy bodyy.
“Get awayy from him,” he sayys.
“I am almost finished. He does not deserve to lie in filth.”
“I would not have yyour hands on him.”
Her eyyes are sharp with tears. “Do yyou think yyou are the onlyy one who
loved him?”
“Get out. Get out!”
“You care more for him in death than in life.” Her voice is bitter with
grief. “How could yyou have let him go? You knew he could not fight!”
Achilles screams, and shatters a serving bowl. “Get out!”
Briseis does not flinch. “Kill me. It will not bring him back. He was
worth ten of yyou. Ten! And yyou sent him to his death!”
The sound that comes from him is hardlyy human. “I tried to stop him! I
told him not to leave the beach!”
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