I did not suspect his intentions, but I felt only relief that he left me in peace and talked with Arsinoe about the goddess of Eryx, the ancient fountain and the rites. Xenodotos’ curiosity was inexhaustible. While they conversed I had the opportunity to talk to the merchant and tried to obtain some information about Rome. But he was an uneducated man interested only in his trade. I did, however, learn that Rome quarreled perpetually with its neighbors and that the rivalry between its rich and poor was so intense that the poor now and then rebelled against military service in order to gain concessions for themselves.
That did not alarm me, for a similar situation prevailed in all other cities. The dance of freedom had been glorious in the days of my defiant youth when I was a stranger and wanted to become the equal of other youths in Ephesus for the sake of Dione. But I had already forgotten Dione’s face, and even as the burning reeds had flown through the air in Sardis and left ineffaceable burns on my arms, I had begun to tremble in realization of what I had done. True, I had gained the favor of Artemis, but lonia’s fate had been billowing smoke and the stench of death.
I thought of all that as I crouched by the fire under the autumn stars of Eryx talking to the sullen Etruscan while Xenodotos chatted animatedly with Arsinoe on the other side of the campfire. Misme slept the sound sleep of a three-year-old in her sheepskin and in the glow of the fire I occasionally met Hanna’s sparkling glance. Absently I drew designs on the ground with a stick and knew that I lived in a period of tumult until such a time as the Persian king would restore harmony to all lands.
6.
We arrived in Panormos as in a festival procession with the curious thronging about us. We went directly to the harbor, to the Etruscan’s ship, and my heart sank when I saw it. It was round and slow and only partly covered with a deck, and I wondered how it had managed to make the long voyage from Rome to Sicily with its heavy cargo.
The customs men installed by Carthage greeted the Etruscan laughingly and politely raised their hands in amazement at the success of his trade. They treated Xenodotos with respect and were content to look from afar at Arsinoe and at my wooden mask without daring to finger our clothes. They said to one another that it was a good sign when highborn Siccanians ventured out of their forest into the civilized world to learn languages and sensible customs. It furthered trade and thus the interests of Carthage.
Panormos and the entire land of Eryx had good reason to be on conciliatory terms with the Etruscan from Rome, for during the previous years the administrators of Rome had bought vast quantities of grain from Eryx to avert a famine caused by the disorders.
The people of Eryx hoped that the trade in grain would be continued in the future. Panormos especially benefited by it since Rome shipped its grain not only on Etruscan vessels but on those of Panormos as well.
But the Etruscan, who as a merchant was never content, said bitterly, “If times were as they used to be and reasonable trade were possible, I could sell the Siccanian goods here in Panormos, buy grain at a low price and then sell it at a high price in Rome. But the Roman praetors have set a limit on the price of grain just as they have taken over the salt trade and determined its price in Rome. Formerly I could have sailed to Cumae and bartered the Siccanian goods for Attic vases whose beauty and graceful decorations we Etruscans admire so deeply that we even put them in the tombs of our rulers and Lucumones. But the Greeks have become arrogant after their victory at Marathon and the tyrant of Cumae confiscates the Roman grain ships arriving there.”
He cursed the Greeks and continued, “No, I dare not sail to Cumae. All I can do is to await a strong south wind and surrender myself to the dangers of the open sea in sailing back to the mouth of the Roman river.
Sack by sack, bundle by bundle and basket by basket he loaded his vessel. The customs men entered the cargo on their wax tablets and with a deep sigh the Etruscan paid for the donkeys he had hired and chased the drovers away with curses, saying that in no country had he met such thieves as in the land of Eryx. Of course this was a lie since the people of Eryx allowed him to trade freely with the Siccani while he himself had violated the laws of Eryx by smuggling iron goods to the Siccani.
I myself said hardly a word to the Carthaginians since I considered it wiser to let them believe that as a Siccanian I did not know their language. Even Arsinoe managed to control her tongue. But when we were within the walls of the house that the council of Panormos rented to strangers and in which the slaves and companions of Xenodotos greeted him with the utmost humility, Arsinoe could no longer restrain herself.
Tearing the cloth from her head, she stamped her foot and cried, “I have already risked enough for your sake at sea, Turms! Never will I consent to set foot on that Etruscan’s smelly tub. Even if I am not afraid for myself, I must think of Misme. In the name of the goddess, Turms, what are we doing going to Rome when your friend Xenodotos is ready to smooth the road to Susa for you and arrange a secure future for you in the King’s court as the Siccanian ambassador?”
Xenodotos was a changed man now that he was once more among his companions. He carried his curly-bearded chin proudly upright and watched me stealthily.
“Let us not quarrel as soon as we have stepped over the threshold,” he said placatingly. “Let us first bathe and have the rigors of the journey rubbed and anointed from our bodies. Let us eat seasoned food like civilized people and freshen our minds with wine. Only then let us confer with one another-you, Turms, who have not even revealed your name to me. Now I shall carefully remember it and I assure you that your wife is wiser than you. Do not scorn her intellect.”
I guessed that they had allied themselves for the purpose of making me accompany Xenodotos and Skythes back to lonia and from there to the Great King’s presence in Susa. I also suspected that Arsinoe had rashly told Xenodotos things that should have been left unsaid.
But I had learned, while among the Siccani, to control my face. I said nothing, merely followed Xenodotos calmly to the bath which his servants had prepared. Arsinoe followed us since she was unwilling to leave us by ourselves.
Thus the three of us bathed together and the warmth of the water and the fragrance of fine oils made us languid after the hardships of our journey. Xenodotos watched me rather than Arsinoe, although he courteously lauded her beauty, saying that he could not believe that she had ever had children and assuring her that not many women in the Persian king’s court could compete with her.
“Watching you,” he said ingratiatingly, “I regret that the gods have made me as I am. The more fortunate is Turms who is able to enjoy your unparalleled beauty. Indeed, looking at you both I find it difficult to believe that you are native Siccanians and true members of that dark-skinned and bowlegged people.”
Afraid of his curiosity I demanded bluntly, “How many Siccanians did you see during your journey, Xenodotos? Real Siccanians are straight and beautifully developed. Look at our slave Hanna. You saw only tribal outcasts who grow peas around their miserable huts.”
But Arsinoe said frankly, “But Hanna is not a Siccanian. She is an Elymian, born in Segesta. I admit, though, that there were some surprisingly strong men among the Siccani.”
She extended her white limbs in the warm water, called a servant and rose to have her hair washed.
At that moment her allure aroused only revulsion in me and I could not forgive her for having babbled about us to Xenodotos. My anger increased as we ate and drank. Both of us had been without wine for so long that we quickly became intoxicated. Then Xenodotos cleverly provoked a quarrel between us.
Finally I sprang up from the convivial couch and swore by the moon and the sea horse. “My omens and signs are more potent than your greed, Arsinoe. If you don’t want to accompany me I shall go alone.”