I took advantage of the situation to ask for a hornful of the sacred potion and a few of the poisoned thorns that the Siccani scattered on the ground when the Segestan nobles and their dogs were in pursuit.
He smiled again and said, “You may have what you wish. The Siccani no longer have any secrets from you except for certain holy words which you will not need. Don’t you really want anything else?”
I remembered the glitter of gold and silver that I had seen under the sacred rock while in a trance and realized that unwittingly they had consecrated me in the sign of Artemis’ sacred deer. The goddess had appeared to me as Hecate and all this was part of her game in which the Siccani were merely instruments of her will.
I pointed to the sacred rock and said, “You have your secret treasure of gold and silver under the rock.”
The priest stopped laughing. “How can you know that?” he demanded. “Knowledge of it passes among the priests as a heritage from father to son and the treasure has not been touched in generations.”
Probably the Siccanian leaders would have given me some of the treasure even if I had not asked for it since I had brought them their Erkle. The treasure, however, was not under the sacred rock as I had erroneously believed. On the contrary, the priest took me half a day’s journey away to a dangerous oak forest full of Siccanian snares and poisoned thorns. There he showed me a cave so well concealed that a stranger could not have found it. Together we cleared away the stones and earth until we found a hollow covered with bark and in it a wealth of silver and gold dishes and amulets. The priest was unable to explain how the Siccani originally had obtained the treasure but he believed it to be war booty from the time when the Siccani had ruled all Sicily.
The objects had apparently been collected at various times for some were of finer, some of clumsier workmanship. The most valuable was a golden bull’s-head which weighed a talent. The priest urged me to choose what I wished and as I did so he watched keenly to see whether greed overcame me. In that case he might have killed me, for he held a spear in his hand throughout. The disclosure of the treasure was presumably the final test to determine whether I was worthy of their confidence and whether they could permit me to leave in peace.
I selected only a simple golden goblet which weighed perhaps fifteen minas, a small golden hand which weighed less than one mina, but which pleased me as an amulet, and in addition a spiral bracelet which weighed perhaps four minas and which I intended for Arsinoe. I took only gold objects since they were easiest to carry and conceal, and because gold had become more valuable than silver now that most of the Greek cities had begun to mint silver money. More than that I did not take. Because the goddess had proved that she kept her promise as Hecate I knew that I would obtain material wealth whenever I needed it.
The Siccanian priest released his hold on the spear and together we returned the treasure to its place of concealment. As we departed along the path indicated by the priest I made no attempt to mark the trees or to memorize the mountain peaks or the direction. This pleased him, and when we were once again in the safe forest he began to jump for joy.
Knowing that he trusted me, I asked him to send for the wandering Pythagorean or some other Greek teacher to undertake the education of Hiuls after our departure. I impressed upon him the fact that Hiuls must learn to read and write, to count, and to draw figures and measure them. In addition to the Siccanian and Greek languages, he must learn to speak Phoenician and Elymian, the better to fulfill his task as the best of the Siccani. The Etruscan language might also prove useful, if he should show a readiness for learning, nor would practice on a stringed instrument hurt him. I was not concerned about his physical development, for life in the forest would see to that. As for the use of weapons, Hiuls’ own heritage would be the best teacher. Still my heart was filled with sadness at the thought of leaving Hiuls among the Siccani, although I knew that they would cherish and protect him better than I could.
And so I hardened my heart and advised the priest, “Teach him to obey his tribe. Only one who himself has learned to obey can some day command. If you see him killing merely for the sake of killing, kill him with your own hands and renounce Erklc.”
Arsinoe was pleased with the bracelet and claimed that it was old Cretan workmanship and that the collectors of antiques in Tyre would pay many times more than its weight in gold. I did not tell her where I had obtained it but said merely that the Siccanians had given it to her in gratitude for her having entrusted the boy to them.
The gift eased Arsinoe’s pangs at the moment of parting and Hiuls indicated no desire to follow us. In the Siccanian manner we left without farewell, arranging our departure so that we met Xenodotos and the Etruscan just as they arrived at the merchant’s storage place on the bank of the river.
The merchant declared that we were the first Siccanians he had seen appearing as a family before strangers, while Xenodotos rejoiced at the Siccanian objects I had brought with me. After resting that night by the fire, we began our journey toward Panormos.
In my Siccanian guise and after the lapse of so many years I did not fear recognition in Panormos. Nor did I think that Arsinoe, with her dark hair and changed face, would be recognized if she were careful. The Elymi did not attack unarmed Siccanians who arrived in the cultivated areas with a fir branch in their hands, as happened occasionally. I also had faith in the protection of Xenodotos, for it was doubtful whether anyone would wish to offend the Great King’s servant who had arrived in Sicily with Skythes.
Our journey progressed slowly because of the successful trading en gaged in by the merchant along the way. Thus the journey did not tire Arsinoe, although she had to walk, nor did Hanna feel the burden of carrying Misme.
At night as we lay under the open sky or within some Elymian log hut, I told Xenodotos as much about the Siccani as I thought might benefit them. I also entrusted him with the secret of Hiuls and the fable about Erkle, but swore him to secrecy, asking him to reveal it only to the King himself or to his most trusted advisers in matters pertaining to the West.
“I am not concerned with when and how the Great King utilizes this knowledge,” I said, “but it may be beneficial for him to know that the Siccani are rearing Erkle. Nor do I think that the Siccani will survive as a nation save under the protection of the King, for they are oppressed both by the Elymi and the Greeks. The King himself will know best against whom to send the Siccani so that they may redeem the right to live in the forest and to survive as a nation.”
Xenodotos declared that I was the most beautiful man he had ever seen and that he liked me even more now that I had bared my chin by shaving.
He brought his nose far too close to me in sniffing the smell of resin and smoke that clung to my skin after my years in the forest. He also assured me that my eyes were like those of a deer. Nor did he say all that merely to be courteous. Day by day he seemed to be increasingly attracted to me and it was with difficulty that I parried his approaches without hurting him too much.
But although I was sure of his friendship I did not reveal my name or identity and warned Arsinoe against placing too much confidence in him. When he had realized the futility of his approaches and saw that I had no intention of accompanying him to Susa, he as an intelligent man began to pay attention to Arsinoe. And because he was not susceptible to Arsinoe’s charms as a woman he was able with greater shrewdness to bend her to his will.