neck, but not before one of the serpent’s teeth gored me. Ignoring the pain, I ground the spear deep into the monster’s flesh. It struggled frantically, and I was whipped off the deck and flung far across the sea, far out of sight of my comrades.”
“Aaaaaaa,” said Silenus.
Taking this for a sound of appreciation, Odysseus continued with grand gestures. “Seeing an island, I swam for it. And … here I am.” He took a sip of the water. Really , he thought, it could have happened that way .
Silenus rubbed his beard. “Perhaaaaps,” he baaed slowly, “customs have changed since I was maaaarooned here. Aren’t you raaaaather young to be leading a waaaar baaaaand?”
“I am a prince,” said Odysseus. “Do you doubt me?”
“You’re right, maaaanling. What a poor host I aaaam to doubt aaaa prince’s word. Or thaaat a prince’s wound so recently got is aaaalready so well knitted up.”
Odysseus glanced down at the scar on his thigh, which was a dark line now, no longer the pulsing red of a new goring.
“Why should I question aaaaa story thaaat is the only real entertainment I’ve haaaad in my long exile?” The goat-man grinned.
Odysseus had the grace to look embarrassed. But only for a moment. “ Marooned , you said. Exiled .”
This time it was Silenus who seemed uncomfortable. “It was aaaa misunderstanding,” he said. “Some nymphs. Too much wine. The usual thing. But I’m a saaaatyr. Whaaaat did they expect?” His voice rose in indignation. “How could I know this paaaarticular misunderstaaaanding haaaappened in Aaaaartemis’ saaaacred groves? No sense of humour, thaaaat one. None of the gods know how to laugh. Very full of themselves, they are. Aaaaartemis got her brother Aaaapollo to straaaand me here. A punishment. Long forgotten. On their paaaart. Not mine.”
Odysseus finished drinking the water. “Haven’t you even tried to escape?”
The satyr looked at him and shrugged. “Ever seen aaaa goat swim? I thought not. Still, perhaaaaps you’ve been sent by the gods to end my exile.”
Setting the bowl down, Odysseus asked carefully, “What do you mean?”
“Follow me,” said the satyr, standing.
Odysseus stood as well, but carefully. He didn’t want to lose another stomachful of water.
Ambling in a rolling gait, the goat-man seemed entirely at ease. He led Odysseus along a small rocky ledge that jutted out over the sea. Odysseus had to pick his way with a great deal more care.
On the lee side of the path were stunted trees from which a single little wren was singing its own morning song.
“I caaaan work my passaaaage,” Silenus was saying. “I’m aaaa good cook, just drop me off aaaat the first convenient spot. Cytheraaaaa, perhaps, where delicious Aaaaphrodite first rose out of the sea. Or Naaaaxos.” He smacked his lips. “Yes—it’s faaaar too long since I saaampled the sweet Naaaaxos wine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why—one of your ships is come to find you, O prince,” Silenus said, beaming. “Look down there in the baaaay. You could tell them how I rescued you. You could taaaake me aaas aaaa paaaassenger.”
Odysseus shielded his eyes from the sun that sparkled off the water. Where the satyr pointed, a ship lay on its side, pulled up on to the sand. A black-tarred ship. He recognised the fish markings on its side.
The pirates’ ship.
CHAPTER 10: THE PLAN
“T HEY’RE COLLECTING WAAAATER FROM the spring,” said Silenus. “Been there since this morning. But I was aaaafraid to show myself in caaaase—like many maaaanlings—they’re cruel.”
“Crueller than the gods?” Odysseus asked.
“The gods do not eat goats,” said Silenus.
Odysseus stared down at the busy scene below.
“You don’t look very haaaappy,” Silenus said. “I thought you’d be haaaappy to see your shipmaaaates.”
“That isn’t my ship,” Odysseus told him. “Those are pirates.”
“How caaaan you be sure?”
Odysseus sat back on his heels.
“Aaaaaaa,” said Silenus.
Taking this for a sound of appreciation, Odysseus continued with grand gestures. “Seeing an island, I swam for it. And … here I am.” He took a sip of the water. Really , he thought, it could have happened that way .
Silenus rubbed his beard. “Perhaaaaps,” he baaed slowly, “customs have changed since I was maaaarooned here. Aren’t you raaaaather young to be leading a waaaar baaaaand?”
“I am a prince,” said Odysseus. “Do you doubt me?”
“You’re right, maaaanling. What a poor host I aaaam to doubt aaaa prince’s word. Or thaaat a prince’s wound so recently got is aaaalready so well knitted up.”
Odysseus glanced down at the scar on his thigh, which was a dark line now, no longer the pulsing red of a new goring.
“Why should I question aaaaa story thaaat is the only real entertainment I’ve haaaad in my long exile?” The goat-man grinned.
Odysseus had the grace to look embarrassed. But only for a moment. “ Marooned , you said. Exiled .”
This time it was Silenus who seemed uncomfortable. “It was aaaa misunderstanding,” he said. “Some nymphs. Too much wine. The usual thing. But I’m a saaaatyr. Whaaaat did they expect?” His voice rose in indignation. “How could I know this paaaarticular misunderstaaaanding haaaappened in Aaaaartemis’ saaaacred groves? No sense of humour, thaaaat one. None of the gods know how to laugh. Very full of themselves, they are. Aaaaartemis got her brother Aaaapollo to straaaand me here. A punishment. Long forgotten. On their paaaart. Not mine.”
Odysseus finished drinking the water. “Haven’t you even tried to escape?”
The satyr looked at him and shrugged. “Ever seen aaaa goat swim? I thought not. Still, perhaaaaps you’ve been sent by the gods to end my exile.”
Setting the bowl down, Odysseus asked carefully, “What do you mean?”
“Follow me,” said the satyr, standing.
Odysseus stood as well, but carefully. He didn’t want to lose another stomachful of water.
Ambling in a rolling gait, the goat-man seemed entirely at ease. He led Odysseus along a small rocky ledge that jutted out over the sea. Odysseus had to pick his way with a great deal more care.
On the lee side of the path were stunted trees from which a single little wren was singing its own morning song.
“I caaaan work my passaaaage,” Silenus was saying. “I’m aaaa good cook, just drop me off aaaat the first convenient spot. Cytheraaaaa, perhaps, where delicious Aaaaphrodite first rose out of the sea. Or Naaaaxos.” He smacked his lips. “Yes—it’s faaaar too long since I saaampled the sweet Naaaaxos wine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why—one of your ships is come to find you, O prince,” Silenus said, beaming. “Look down there in the baaaay. You could tell them how I rescued you. You could taaaake me aaas aaaa paaaassenger.”
Odysseus shielded his eyes from the sun that sparkled off the water. Where the satyr pointed, a ship lay on its side, pulled up on to the sand. A black-tarred ship. He recognised the fish markings on its side.
The pirates’ ship.
CHAPTER 10: THE PLAN
“T HEY’RE COLLECTING WAAAATER FROM the spring,” said Silenus. “Been there since this morning. But I was aaaafraid to show myself in caaaase—like many maaaanlings—they’re cruel.”
“Crueller than the gods?” Odysseus asked.
“The gods do not eat goats,” said Silenus.
Odysseus stared down at the busy scene below.
“You don’t look very haaaappy,” Silenus said. “I thought you’d be haaaappy to see your shipmaaaates.”
“That isn’t my ship,” Odysseus told him. “Those are pirates.”
“How caaaan you be sure?”
Odysseus sat back on his heels.
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