Part 63 (1/2)
Soon the council was broken up. The final commands were given. Every officer knew his task. The cavalry was to be ready to charge across the Asopus at gray dawn. With Lycon and Democrates playing their part the issue was certain, too certain for many a grizzled captain who loved the ring of steel. In his own tent Mardonius held in his arms the beautiful page-Artazostra! Her wonderful face had never shone up at his more brightly than on that night, as he drew back his lips from a long fond kiss.
”To-morrow-the triumph. You will be conqueror of h.e.l.las. Xerxes will make you satrap. I wish we could conquer in fairer fight, but what wrong to vanquish these h.e.l.lenes with their own sly weapons? Do you remember what Glaucon said?”
”What thing?”
”That Zeus and Athena were greater than Mazda the Pure and glorious Mithra? To-morrow will prove him wrong. I wonder whether he yet lives,-whether he will ever confess that Persia is irresistible.”
”I do not know. From the evening we parted at Phaleron he has faded from our world.”
”He was fair as the Amesha-Spentas, was he not? Poor Roxana-she is again in Sardis now. I hope she has ceased to eat her heart out with vain longing for her lover. He was n.o.ble minded and spoke the truth. How rare in a h.e.l.lene. But what will you do with these two gold-bought traitors, 'friends of the king' indeed?”
Mardonius's face grew stern.
”I have promised them the lords.h.i.+ps of Athens and of Sparta. The pledge shall be fulfilled, but after that,”-Artazostra understood his sinister smile,-”there are many ways of removing an unwelcome va.s.sal prince, if I be the satrap of h.e.l.las.”
”And you are that in the morning.”
”For your sake,” was his cry, as again he kissed her, ”I would I were not satrap of h.e.l.las only, but lord of all the world, that I might give it to you, O daughter of Darius and Atossa.”
”I am mistress of the world,” she answered, ”for my world is Mardonius.
To-morrow the battle, the glory, and then what next-Sicily, Carthage, Italy? For Mazda will give us all things.”
Otherwise talked Democrates and Lycon as they quitted the Persian pickets and made their way across the black plain, back to the lines of the h.e.l.lenes.
”You should be happy to-night,” said the Athenian.
”a.s.suredly. I draw up my net and find it very full of mullets quite to my liking.”
”Take care it be not so full that it break.”
”Dear Democrates,”-Lycon slapped his paw on the other's shoulder,-”why always imagine evil? Hermes is a very safe guide. I only hope our victory will be so complete Sparta will submit without fighting. It will be awkward to rule a plundered city.”
”I shudder at the thought of being amongst even conquered Athenians; I shall see a tyrannicide in every boy in the Agora.”
”A stout Persian garrison in your Acropolis is the surest physic against that.”
”By the dog, Lycon, you speak like a Scythian. h.e.l.lene you surely are not.”
”h.e.l.lene I am, and show my native wisdom in seeing that Persia must conquer and tr.i.m.m.i.n.g sail accordingly.”
”Persia is not irresistible. With a fair battle-”
”It will not be a fair battle. What can save Pausanias? Nothing-except a miracle sent from Zeus.”
”Such as what?”
”As merciful Hiram's relenting and releasing your dear Glaucon.” Lycon's chuckle was loud.