"No. I thought he might have gotten to Alexandria ahead of me."
"There has been so sign of him. Do you know aught about him?"
"The last I heard he was an officer on a Milesian ship."
"Hm, hm. This may complicate matters."
"How so?"
"I cannot stop to explain now. Be here tomorrow after the siesta hour. A meeting I shall arrange to discuss these things."
When I arrived next day, an usher led me to a small chamber where sat the two queens—the fat old one, in a billowing purple gown, and the plump young one, loaded as usual with jewelry. With them were General Chelkias, Colonel Ananias, Agatharchides the tutor, the rotund little Prince Ptolemaios Philometor—the one we call Lathyros—and some official whose name I forget to assist the elder queen. When the bowing and the wishes for everyone's good health were over, and I had expressed insincere regrets for the death of the old monster, the Wife said:
"Master Eudoxos, Colonel Ananias tells me you are ready to undertake another Indian voyage."
"That is why I came to Alexandria, Your Divine Majesty."
"Then we are well met. I am sure—"
"You're not sure of anything!" snapped the Sister between wheezes. "Where is my dear Hippalos, Master Eudoxos?"
"The last I saw of him, my lady, was when he stopped at Kyzikos as mate of a Milesian ship."
"Why didn't you fetch him with you? Speak up, man; don't mumble." I raised my voice to compensate for her deafness. "Madam! How should I know where he is now? He might be anywhere from Karia to Carthage."
"Well, you could have waited at Milestos to intercept him."
"I didn't know Your Divine Majesty wanted him so badly."
"It's my business, whom I want."
"Oh, Mother!" said the Wife. "Stop fussing over every little detail. You shouldn't bully Captain Eudoxos—"
"Little detail? As if the choice of leaders weren't the moat important—"
"You don't even know he'd want to go—"
The Sister smote the arm of her chair. "That's my business! You mind your—"
"It's my business, too! You're just being a stubborn old—"
"Shut up, Kleo!" shouted the Sister. "Anybody knows that, on such a mission, everybody should have somebody to watch him. You never had any sense about men, anyway."
"Better than you! I never let that red-haired trickster beguile me—"
"Arrk!" The old queen emitted a loud, angry squawk, like an enraged parrot. "Don't you dare call my man a trickster, you slut! He was more faithful to me than your tame Judaens will ever be to you—in bed or out of it!"
"Don't you dare talk to me that way!" screeched the younger woman. "I'm a queen, too!"
"Ladies! Ladies!" bleated the official, trying to calm the storm. Chelkias and Ananias looked at the ceiling. The two queens went right on screaming and shaking fists, until I thought we should have a hair-pulling contest. "—you're still my daughter—" "—smearing the sacred name of the Ptolemies with dung—" "—foul-mouthed vixen—" "—fat, deaf old harridan—"
The guards around the walls traded nervous glances, evidently wondering where their duty would lie in case the twain came to blows. Being so old and fat, the Sister ran out of breath first. She took a gulp of wine, choked, sputtered, coughed, gasped for breath, and finally muttered:
"May the gods help the kingdom when you're sole queen! It's a mercy I shan't be here to see it. No matter what you say, I won't approve this voyage until I learn what has become of Hippalos."
"May I make a suggestion?" said Agatharchides.
"Go ahead," said the Wife.
"May it please Your Majesties, why not let Captain Eudoxos get his ship ready and collect a cargo, while you send a police agent to Miletos to find Hippalos and invite him hither?"
"Yes, yes, that's a good idea," said the Sister. She pressed a hand to her forehead, breathing hard. "Send for my maids. I am not feeling well."
Everybody was on his feet at once, assuring the old queen of his hopes for her quick recovery. The meeting broke up as that vast, wobbling mass of fat was helped out the door by her tiring women.
But the police agent was never sent. The next day, when I came to the palace, I learnt that the Sister had had a stroke the night before and was unconscious. She lingered for a ten-day and then died.
That ended all public business for many days, while funeral ceremonies took place. Then came a time of uncertainty, when the court was too busy settling the details of the new reign even to say good-day to me. I spent the time either in my room on the waterfront or in the Library.
Rumors of impending revolution ran wild in Alexandria. Men hurried furtively along the streets. Hellene, Judaean, and Egyptian glowered at one another, muttering threats and insults and fingering daggers. Several riots erupted and were put down by the garrison, with heads rolling in the gutters. At night, the deserted streets rang with the tramp and clatter of soldiers of the three armies, which remained united to control the city, but which might at any moment start fighting each other.
The gist of it was that the Hellenes and the Egyptians did not wish the Wife to reign alone. Their pretext was that it was indecent for a woman to play the part of a king. The real reason was that Kleopatra notoriously favored the Judaeans and relied on their support. The non-Judaeans wanted at least one co-ruler to redress the balance.
At last—luckily, without tearing the city apart first—the factions reached a compromise: that Kleopatra might keep her throne, but only as joint ruler with one of her sons. She chose the eldest, Philometor "Chick-pea." There was another monster parade, and the whole court went up the Nile to Memphis for a coronation according to the old Egyptian rites.
It was midsummer before Ananias could arrange a conference to set the final terms of my voyage. Luckily, the constant north wind off the Inner Sea keeps Alexandria pleasant even in summer.
At this final meeting, Queen Kleopatra said: "You must understand, Captain Eudoxos, that the laws governing trade in our kingdom, established by my divine husband, still stand."
"Does Your Majesty mean," quoth I, "that you don't want me to do any trading on my own?"
"That is right. Our royal monopoly must remain inviolate."
"Then perhaps Your Divine Majesty had better find another captain."
"Are you defying my commands, sirrah?"
"Not at all, madam. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not believe that your writ runs in the free city of Kyzikos, whereof I am a citizen. If—"
"Now look here, Master Eudoxos, I am not accustomed to having mere mariners tell me what I shall and shan't—"
"Mother—" began the young king.
"Hold your tongue!" snapped the queen; then, turning to me: "As for you—"
"Please, my lady!" said Ananias. "Hear the man out."
General Chelkias leant near to the queen's chair and spoke in a low voice: "He's right, you know, Kleo dear. If you do not make this voyage worth the captain's while, he can do as he likes outside your jurisdiction, and there is nothing you can do not make him return to Alexandria. Let's not spoil a profitable project by a petty argument over royal prerogative."
The queen grumped and growled but finally gave in. I continued: "As I was saying, this voyage involves no small risk, and I expect a chance for gain in proportion to the risk."
"What had you in mind?"
"I do not mind trading the bulk cargo as part of my duties as your captain. But I want to be allowed to buy pearls and precious stones on my own."
"Ei!" cried the queen. "But that is just what I want for myself!"
I had expected this, so after a haggle we agreed to go equal shares on pearls and precious stones. Queen Kleopatra and I should each furnish half of the fund for buying these baubles, and we should divide the things equally when I returned. Distribution should be by letting me divide the loot into two parts and giving the queen her choice of the two.