Part 42 (1/2)

Andromache looked around and gasped. The Burned Isle, black and gray like a pile of coals, was twice the size she remembered. It now filled more of the harbor, and the Xanthos Xanthos had to skirt it to reach the Theran beach. From its summit she could see thick black smoke arising and trailing off toward the east. She looked back to the aft deck, where Helikaon and Oniacus were talking urgently, pointing and gazing at the growing isle with wonder. had to skirt it to reach the Theran beach. From its summit she could see thick black smoke arising and trailing off toward the east. She looked back to the aft deck, where Helikaon and Oniacus were talking urgently, pointing and gazing at the growing isle with wonder.

Young Praxos shouted, ”s.h.i.+p ahead, lord!”

Andromache could see a galley drawn up on the far beach. She could make out nothing of it at that distance, but within moments sharp-eyed Praxos cried, ”It is the Bloodhawk, Bloodhawk, Golden One!” Golden One!”

Odysseus! What good fortune! Andromache smiled. But at that instant she heard the rumble of an earthquake beneath them. The sea churned, and she saw a landslip on the Burned Isle go cras.h.i.+ng into the water. The waves it created lashed the Xanthos, Xanthos, and the s.h.i.+p rocked back and forth. Andromache looked to the children, but they were both safely on the lower deck. She gazed up at the isle again and s.h.i.+vered. and the s.h.i.+p rocked back and forth. Andromache looked to the children, but they were both safely on the lower deck. She gazed up at the isle again and s.h.i.+vered.

Within a short time the Xanthos Xanthos had reached the beach, and crewmen were s.h.i.+nnying down ropes, ready to draw the s.h.i.+p up alongside the had reached the beach, and crewmen were s.h.i.+nnying down ropes, ready to draw the s.h.i.+p up alongside the Bloodhawk. Bloodhawk. Helikaon slid down a rope, and a ladder was thrown over the side for Andromache. When she reached the beach, Odysseus was waiting, one arm around Helikaon's shoulders. They both were grinning at her, and she smiled back. With a touch of sadness she saw that the Ithakan king's once-red hair was now silver. Helikaon slid down a rope, and a ladder was thrown over the side for Andromache. When she reached the beach, Odysseus was waiting, one arm around Helikaon's shoulders. They both were grinning at her, and she smiled back. With a touch of sadness she saw that the Ithakan king's once-red hair was now silver.

He took her hand and kissed it. ”By Zeus, G.o.ddess, it does my old heart good to see you both safe. I heard Troy was taken and overrun, but there was no word of survivors. I'll wager you have a stirring tale to tell me!”

”Indeed we have, Odysseus, but it is a tale of sadness, too,” Helikaon replied, gazing fondly at his old friend. ”What are you doing here? We thought you would be safe in the arms of Penelope by now.”

”Would that I were. I have a son I have not yet seen. But I came to rescue Ka.s.sandra. With Troy taken, Mykene sc.u.m have no reason to respect the sanct.i.ty of Thera. But the place seems abandoned.” He looked around. ”We arrived at sunset last night, and we have seen no one. There is always a priestess to greet arriving s.h.i.+ps.” He shrugged. ”I was debating defying the demiG.o.d and climbing to the Great Horse myself. Then we saw the Xanthos. Xanthos.”

At his words a chill pa.s.sed through Andromache, and the feeling of urgency returned full force. It was as much as she could do not to go running up the steep cliff path.

To Helikaon she said swiftly, ”I will go find Ka.s.sandra and bring her to the s.h.i.+p.”

”If she is still here,” her lover replied, gazing up and frowning at the top of the island, where the horse's head could just be seen.

”I know she is here,” she told him, ”though I do not know why she has not come to greet us.” She saw his expression and guessed what he was thinking. ”You must not anger the Minotaur by climbing to the temple. I will go and find her.”

Helikaon glanced at the sky, then took her hand. ”If you have not returned by noon, I will come get you, and no demiG.o.ds or monsters will prevent me.”

”And I will come with him,” Odysseus added. ”There's something dangerous about this island now, and it's not the danger of violent men.” He s.h.i.+vered in the sunlight and nodded toward the Burned Isle. ”And tell me that island is growing, and it is not just a delusion of old age.”

Andromache replied, ”They say the Burned Isle only rose from the sea a hundred years ago. And yes, you are right. It is growing very fast, and I fear it is a bad omen. I will make haste.”

With a smile for Helikaon, she turned and strode across the beach of black sand, then started up the cliff path, her old rope-soled sandals carrying her surely. Halfway up she stopped and looked down on the men and the s.h.i.+ps below. Her gaze traveled to the Burned Isle, and she was shocked to see it was nearly as high as the cliffs of the ring island. Smoke was rising from the summit, and the air was thick with it. On her arms and shoulders was a light sprinkling of gray dust. She hurried on, dread and foreboding pus.h.i.+ng her along with whips of fire.

As she reached the top of the cliff, she paused again, gazing up at the Great Horse. The colossal white temple seemed to sway above her, and she wondered if it was she who was swaying. Then, with a deep rumble that made her teeth ache, another earthquake rippled across the isle. Andromache threw herself down and clung to the rocky ground, fearing it would tip and throw her back down the cliffs. She heard a whoosh whoosh of wings and a raucous screeching. Looking behind her, she saw a huge flock of gulls flying past the edge of the cliffs, heading south. of wings and a raucous screeching. Looking behind her, she saw a huge flock of gulls flying past the edge of the cliffs, heading south.

”All the creatures are leaving the island,” said a voice. ”Even the birds of the air and the fish of the sea.”

Andromache scrambled to her feet. Walking toward her slowly from the Great Horse temple was the First Priestess. Iphigenia saw the surprise on her face and chuckled.

”You thought me long dead, Andromache. Well, I will make old bones soon, but my time has not yet come.”

”I am glad to see it,” Andromache replied, and it was true. Iphigenia looked older than the world, but the gleam in her eye was as intelligent and calculating as ever.

Andromache gazed around. ”Are the women all leaving the island, too? It seems deserted.”

Iphigenia frowned. ”When the earthquakes started at the time of the Feast of Artemis, Ka.s.sandra convinced all the girls the island would be destroyed. With her dreams and her visions she can be very persuasive, your sister. One by one they left despite all my efforts to stop them. The last one, little Melissa, departed two days ago.” She gave a barking cough that Andromache recognized as a laugh. ”She even took the donkeys, saying she did not want them to suffer when the end came. A s.h.i.+p full of donkeys.” She shook her head. ”Foolish girl,” she said tenderly.

”How is Ka.s.sandra?”

Iphigenia looked at her with compa.s.sion, and Andromache wondered why she ever had thought the old woman unfeeling.

”She is dying, Andromache. Her visions...they injure her mind and give her hideous fits. Each fit takes something vital from her, and they have been getting more frequent. She is very frail, but the visions go on relentlessly.”

”Where is she? I must help her.”

”She is in the temple. Walk with me, my dear.”

Andromache's sense of panic was almost uncontrollable now. Nevertheless, she took the old priestess's arm and walked with her slowly into the dark building.

Ka.s.sandra was lying on a narrow bed in a corner of the high bleak chamber. It was dark and very cold. The only windows were high above, and she was staring at the dusty shafts of light they shed, her mouth moving as if in conversation.

”Ka.s.sandra,” Andromache said gently.

After a long delay her sister looked at her. Andromache was shocked to see her condition. She was dirty, and her hair was in rats' tails. She was skeletally thin, and looking into her fevered eyes was like staring into a black furnace.

”Is it time?” she asked feebly. ”Can I go now?”

There was a jug of water and a goblet beside her, so Andromache filled the goblet, then gently lifted her sister up and dribbled some water into her mouth. After a few mouthfuls Ka.s.sandra drank greedily, holding on to the goblet, water running down her filthy gown onto the floor.

”Andromache,” she said at last, clutching at her with bony fingers. ”I'm so glad you've come. There is much to tell you and little time.”

”Listen to me, Sister,” Andromache urged her. ”You must come with me. I will take you to the Xanthos. Xanthos. It is here, with Helikaon. We will travel together again.” It is here, with Helikaon. We will travel together again.”

”She is too ill to be moved,” Iphigenia told her reprovingly.

”I will bring men from the Xanthos. Xanthos. Helikaon will come and fetch you, my love.” Helikaon will come and fetch you, my love.”

”Men will not defile this temple,” the old priestess barked. ”Do not be so arrogant, Andromache, as to bring down the G.o.d's wrath on us.”

”Then I will carry her myself,” Andromache told her defiantly.

”Listen, Andromache. You never listen, listen,” Ka.s.sandra cried, pulling her close. ”I am dying, and I have always known I would die here. You know that. I told you so many times. It is my fate, and I rejoice in it. I will see Mother again. She is waiting for me just beyond, so close that I can almost touch her. She knows I am coming. It is my fate. You must let me be.”

Andromache felt tears running down her face, and Ka.s.sandra brushed them gently away. ”Tears for me, Sister? You cried for Hektor, too. I saw you.

”They never should have killed him, you see. Hektor and Achilles were the last great heroes. And after the Age of Heroes comes the Age of Darkness.” Ka.s.sandra seemed to gain strength as she spoke. ”Even now they are coming down from the north, the barbarians, sweeping through the lands of the western kings. Soon they will learn the secret of the star metal; then nothing will stop them. Within a generation they will tear down the stone palaces of the mighty. In the Lion's Hall where the heroes walked there will be only rats and beetles feeding; then green gra.s.s will cover the ruins, and sheep will graze there.”

”But what of Troy, Sister?”

”Troy will be a place of legend. Only the names of its heroes will live on.”

”Did they all die?”

But Ka.s.sandra had paused, listening to her voices. ”Astyanax and Dex,” she asked suddenly. ”Are they safe?”

”Yes, they are safe. Was Melite's prophecy true, Sister? Is Astyanax the Eagle Child?”

Ka.s.sandra smiled then. Her manner became less anxious, and her voice was that of a normal young woman, the pa.s.sion and urgency gone. ”Prophecies are slippery things,” she told Andromache, patting her hand. ”Like oiled snakes. Priam and Hekabe searched for many years for the meaning of Melite's words. Finally they found a soothsayer who interpreted them to their liking. He told them the prophecy meant that a king's son born to the s.h.i.+eld of Thunder-you-would never be defeated in battle and that his city would be eternal.”

”But you do not believe that?” Andromache asked. ”Is Astyanax not the Eagle Child? Priam believed he would found a dynasty.”

Ka.s.sandra laughed, and the sound was bright and merry and echoed off the roof and walls of the temple. For a moment the dust motes seemed to dance in the shafts of light.