upstairs?
‘Your name?’ he asked, as if he didn’t know it well enough.
‘Luke Magoris, lord,’ he answered, looking his Archon straight in the eye.
I cannot be blamed for this .
Luke felt his father stiffen behind him, as if he’d read his thoughts. He looked at the three Varangians with their great axes sloped on their shoulders. None of them returned his glance.
‘Luke Magoris,’ went on the Archon, ‘do you understand why you’re here?’
Luke didn’t reply.
The Archon looked beyond him to his father. ‘Is the boy stupid, Magoris?’ he asked.
‘Lord …’ began Joseph, but the Archon held up his hand.
‘Please don’t go on. I know he’s not stupid. Otherwise he wouldn’t be allowed near our horses. No, it seems he’s just insolent.’ Pavlos Mamonas rose from his chair and slowly walked down the steps to stand directly in front of him, his hands behind his back.
Luke returned his stare.
‘Yes, insolent. Insolent and more concerned for his own skin than that of my son, who, it might be supposed, he was there to protect.’ The Archon walked slowly around Luke, who stood rigidly still. ‘My daughter Zoe,’ he continued, ‘tells me that, having provoked the horse to charge, you then threw my son in front of you to take the consequences. Is that true?’
Luke was stupefied, but forced himself to stay calm. ‘No, lord. That’s not what happened.’
The Archon stopped. ‘You dare to call my daughter a liar?’ His face was almost touching Luke’s. ‘After all you’ve done, will you now accuse my daughter of lying?’
Luke’s mind was racing.
This is insane. Why is she doing this?
Mamonas’s next words were barely audible to anyone but Luke and his father. ‘Is my daughter a liar?’ he whispered.
Luke didn’t answer. The fear that had grown in him since entering the room was beginning to turn into anger. Then he felt a stinging pain. The Archon had slapped him hard across his cheek.
He heard a growl of protest behind him.
Mamonas turned on Joseph, challenge in his eyes. ‘Magoris, don’t make things worse for the boy.’ Then he turned away, mounting the dais again and sitting on his throne in a hiss of silk. ‘Send in my daughter.’
There was silence as the girl was found, a silence in which Luke looked directly into the eyes of the Archon. His body was trembling.
I must not lose my temper. I cannot win this. I must take what is given or my father will suffer too .
Then the door opened and Zoe walked in. She glanced at Luke and then went to stand beside her father, her hand resting on the back of the throne. If she felt either guilt or discomfort, she didn’t show it.
‘Daughter,’ said the Archon, turning in his seat to address her, ‘is it true that this boy, Luke Magoris, caused a young stallion to charge and trample your brother Damian?’
Zoe looked directly into Luke’s eyes.
‘Yes, Father. We arrived at the stud to see the new stallion but Arsenius cautioned us about approaching him. Luke told Damian that he would be safe if he stayed close to him. They climbed into the arena and Luke shouted at the horse when it wouldn’t come to him.’
She paused. Then she said softly, ‘The horse charged and Luke threw himself behind Damian, pushing him forward to take the horse’s hooves.’ She stopped. Her voice was low, halting. ‘It was horrible.’
Luke could stand it no longer. ‘ That’s not true! ’ he shouted. ‘I went into the ring alone. I told Damian not to follow me! She knows that’s what happened!’
The Archon turned on him, spitting with rage. ‘And Arsenius? Does he lie as well?’
‘Arsenius wasn’t there!’
‘Silence!’ roared Mamonas.
And silence fell, an awkward silence in which several people strove to control themselves, Luke more than any. He was bewildered and very angry. The three Varangians remained motionless, staring directly ahead of them.
Then Luke heard the Archon address him, his tone suddenly formal. A
‘Your name?’ he asked, as if he didn’t know it well enough.
‘Luke Magoris, lord,’ he answered, looking his Archon straight in the eye.
I cannot be blamed for this .
Luke felt his father stiffen behind him, as if he’d read his thoughts. He looked at the three Varangians with their great axes sloped on their shoulders. None of them returned his glance.
‘Luke Magoris,’ went on the Archon, ‘do you understand why you’re here?’
Luke didn’t reply.
The Archon looked beyond him to his father. ‘Is the boy stupid, Magoris?’ he asked.
‘Lord …’ began Joseph, but the Archon held up his hand.
‘Please don’t go on. I know he’s not stupid. Otherwise he wouldn’t be allowed near our horses. No, it seems he’s just insolent.’ Pavlos Mamonas rose from his chair and slowly walked down the steps to stand directly in front of him, his hands behind his back.
Luke returned his stare.
‘Yes, insolent. Insolent and more concerned for his own skin than that of my son, who, it might be supposed, he was there to protect.’ The Archon walked slowly around Luke, who stood rigidly still. ‘My daughter Zoe,’ he continued, ‘tells me that, having provoked the horse to charge, you then threw my son in front of you to take the consequences. Is that true?’
Luke was stupefied, but forced himself to stay calm. ‘No, lord. That’s not what happened.’
The Archon stopped. ‘You dare to call my daughter a liar?’ His face was almost touching Luke’s. ‘After all you’ve done, will you now accuse my daughter of lying?’
Luke’s mind was racing.
This is insane. Why is she doing this?
Mamonas’s next words were barely audible to anyone but Luke and his father. ‘Is my daughter a liar?’ he whispered.
Luke didn’t answer. The fear that had grown in him since entering the room was beginning to turn into anger. Then he felt a stinging pain. The Archon had slapped him hard across his cheek.
He heard a growl of protest behind him.
Mamonas turned on Joseph, challenge in his eyes. ‘Magoris, don’t make things worse for the boy.’ Then he turned away, mounting the dais again and sitting on his throne in a hiss of silk. ‘Send in my daughter.’
There was silence as the girl was found, a silence in which Luke looked directly into the eyes of the Archon. His body was trembling.
I must not lose my temper. I cannot win this. I must take what is given or my father will suffer too .
Then the door opened and Zoe walked in. She glanced at Luke and then went to stand beside her father, her hand resting on the back of the throne. If she felt either guilt or discomfort, she didn’t show it.
‘Daughter,’ said the Archon, turning in his seat to address her, ‘is it true that this boy, Luke Magoris, caused a young stallion to charge and trample your brother Damian?’
Zoe looked directly into Luke’s eyes.
‘Yes, Father. We arrived at the stud to see the new stallion but Arsenius cautioned us about approaching him. Luke told Damian that he would be safe if he stayed close to him. They climbed into the arena and Luke shouted at the horse when it wouldn’t come to him.’
She paused. Then she said softly, ‘The horse charged and Luke threw himself behind Damian, pushing him forward to take the horse’s hooves.’ She stopped. Her voice was low, halting. ‘It was horrible.’
Luke could stand it no longer. ‘ That’s not true! ’ he shouted. ‘I went into the ring alone. I told Damian not to follow me! She knows that’s what happened!’
The Archon turned on him, spitting with rage. ‘And Arsenius? Does he lie as well?’
‘Arsenius wasn’t there!’
‘Silence!’ roared Mamonas.
And silence fell, an awkward silence in which several people strove to control themselves, Luke more than any. He was bewildered and very angry. The three Varangians remained motionless, staring directly ahead of them.
Then Luke heard the Archon address him, his tone suddenly formal. A
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