22. Conviction

The sun was well on her way down from the height of noon when the servant led his client into the reception room on the third floor of the Temple of Snails. Areus had enjoyed several hours of this young man's sophisticated treatment, and he felt ready to face whoever wanted to receive him.

Ida wasn't there yet, nor any one else. At once the servant left the room, and since Areus didn't dare to sit down on one of the stools behind a dark wooden table in the center, he kept standing and wondered what impression he would make on Ida in his unfamiliar new outfit.

The walls were decorated with huge colorful paintings: curiously entwined plants, strange beasts, sneaking up at each other, fish swimming around, merry dolphins, too, and clams on the bottom of the sea; so lifelike that he alternately had the impression of being under water and in a thick forest.

It was a long wait. He thought about the loom he wanted to learn about. All went well so far. The strange drop spindles were a start. But the Keftiu wouldn't give away their secrets voluntarily. Maybe he should try to find someone whose job it was to repair broken looms? How? Nothing came to his mind. Maybe he best let things develop a bit further.

He tried to study the pictures on the wall, illustrating the eternal struggle of life, but he was too nervous to focus on details. Repeatedly he was tempted to take a seat, but then he thought it would make an unfavorable impression on his hosts, and he resisted. Through a large open window he had a great view all over the town's populated flat roofs, all the way down to the sea. White clouds were massing up in the distance.

It seemed like hours later, when the two large wings of the door opened and three women entered. It took him a moment to identify Eritha among the three. Her long black hair was artfully pinned up, face and breasts painted white, rouge and black. She wore a gorgeous gown of many colored layers and jewels on ears, forehead and neck. She looked more formal than he had seen her before, and for the first time she didn't smile.

Then he recognized Ida. She was completely transformed. She was clad in the minister's style, and her defacing bruises had been made invisible by makeup. He looked into the harmony of an even face with a charming little nose and full lips, dominated by clear and unafraid dark brown eyes. Her lemon-shaped breasts, which she had resented to expose to him a little while ago, now faced him with pride. Only the tiny black stubbles of her three-day-old head shave contrasted violently with her ravishing appearance.

The third woman he didn't know. She was shorter than the others and appeared older. She wore the richest jewellery, the most remarkable being a wide necklace composed of colorful gems in the shape of dragonflies. Her face was dominated by huge light-brown eyes. They looked ancient, like they had seen everything and nothing could surprise or fool them.

Not only from her splendorous attire he concluded that she had the highest rank, but also from her conduct. She asked the two other women to sit down to her left and right, and only then Areus noticed that there were only three stools in the room, and so he stood uncomfortably before the three beautiful ladies and he became aware of their grave stares. They looked as if they had spoken about him.

"Your name is Areus," the strange lady addressed him in his dialect.

"Yes, fairest lady."

"Your relatives live in Lerna?"

He understood this was a trap and didn't respond.

"Or did you mean Zakton?"

He gestured admission.

She continued, "You are Ida's husband?"

He froze. The lady's huge eyes seemed to pierce him.

"I take this for a no. You have tried to do violence to this woman?"

Helplessly he looked at his former bond servant and replied, "I pulled her out of the flames!"

Ida kept quiet. Eritha chimed in. "How many more lies have you told me?"

Areus didn't know what to say and kept quiet.

"There was this silver chalice."

Now Areus felt hot and cold at once.

Eritha continued, "It was handed round in Zakton. Even the servants were supposed to admire the golden animal figures."

She threw a side glance at Ida, and went on, "Too bad that we handed a very similar chalice to the Akhyenan negotiators. This has thrown back our efforts for months."

"But the Akhyenas are your enemies!" Areus broke out yelling. "We captured the cup from your enemies."

"I thought there is more to you than a thievish forester. Regrettably, I was wrong," Eritha concluded the conversation.

With a small block of wood the unknown lady knocked on the table. The large door flew open and two guards entered.

Switching to the Keftiu dialect, she said, "We have no use of this male. Neither here nor elsewhere. None whatsoever. Do your work."

When the guards reached out for Areus, Ida said, "He pulled me out of the flames."

For a moment time seemed to stop. Then Eritha rose to speak. "Your Eminence, may I suggest that we give him to the rowers? There he may be of some use after all. And he doesn't have to talk so much for the rest of his life."

The unknown lady threw a glance at Eritha and said, "So be it. I don't really care."

Facing the Pelasgian she spoke, "Thank our goddess Aphrodite, and thank our sister Ida in her grace, which you haven't deserved." She raised her hand and the guards removed Areus from the room.

She turned to Ida. "We are very happy to have you with us. You can be of great assistance." To the minister she said, "Sister Eritha, you know the importance, and particularly the urgency of this matter. Get her to the school today and have her started with the lessons for our people right now."

"Certainly, your Eminence," Eritha responded, "Even so, dear sister Cleito, may I recommend we allow Ida a few days to explore the town and get adjusted to our way of life? All must be new and confusing to her."

Cleito replied, "No. There's no time for this. And no necessity. She can reside in school."

Turning to Ida she added, "You are a present by the goddess at the perfect time. You are most beneficial to us, if you start working right now. Anything further can be done later. Eritha, you know your duties."

Without further greetings she rushed out.

END OF PART I