Athena's Son (2 page)

A rogue wave crashed against the side of the ship and a dull thud reverberated in the hold. Archimedes nervously inspected the planks surrounding him. He pulled a leather cord from around his neck with a simple wood amulet of an owl tied to it. He rubbed it between his finger and thumb and prayed to Athena to ask her uncle Poseidon to calm his seas. The ship swayed with the surge of the sea and his stomach still felt like live eels were squirming in it.

Soon after the
Calypso
left port, Archimedes became violently seasick and could only curl up inside a coil of rough rope, staying as near to the railing as possible so he could empty his stomach. It seemed the volume of vomit he expelled exceeded the amount of liquid and solids he ingested. Can a body really throw up more than it consumes? Does the human body defy physics?

A sailor named Pollux had given Archimedes seawater, telling him it would help his sour stomach. Immediately after gulping the warm brine, his insides cramped up so tight he couldn’t even get to the railing to throw up anymore.

Pollux was a bully and a problem.

Tall and lean, Pollux had the leather skin and vulgar qualities of someone who made his living as a sailor. He was hard and wiry from the grueling work aboard ship and his black beard parted to show the pink scar of an old brawl.

In port, Pollux roamed the streets looking for people to cheat or empty homes to rob. On a ship, he ransacked the cargo, hunting for anything easy to steal. That is why he chose the fat, slow trade vessels. There was plenty of loot and plenty of time to steal it.

Pollux took every opportunity to torment Archimedes. He gave vicious elbows in his side or spit thick gobs on his tunic. When Pollux couldn’t pick the lock on Archimedes’ alchemy kit, Pollux scratched
yer ded
in the lid with his knife. Pollux didn’t only use the knife to misspell words. Any chance he could he pulled it out and warned Archimedes that young boys shouldn’t go swimming with their throat cut because it attracted sharks.

Fortunately for Archimedes, a merchant named Farrokh
offered some comfort the past two days. He
was going to Alexandria with a cargo of Greek jewelry and olive oil. Farrokh told Archimedes that he caught Pollux lurking around his wares stored below and after checking the inventory, found the crates open and several trinkets missing. That was when Archimedes asked Farrokh if he could borrow some of the bronze pins.

On the deck above, Archimedes heard muffled shouts of the sailors taking measurements of the depth. It was dark down in the hold, but Archimedes could have made the trap in the black of Hades’ underworld. He would have preferred the sun and fresh air, but the small rats were down here.

Thanks to Farrokh’s pins, the new trap was fixed.

The first trap failed because it would either crush the rats or only injure them, letting them crawl away and die somewhere else.

The improved trap worked like the jaws of a cat. It was about two feet long and one hand wide. A short rod sawed from a broken oar was perpendicular between the two boards with the needles. Archimedes improved the trap by moving the rod closer to the end of the boards.

The trap used a mechanical principle Archimedes was very familiar with—leverage. Leverage could also be used to trap humans using greed as bait.

He palmed the rock he pilfered from the ballast in the hold of the ship. The weight provided the power and multiplied the force to snap the lever down. Leverage multiplied one stone into the power of five. Archimedes pushed aside the small twig that held the trap.

Crack!

The stone dropped, the board spun over the rod, and the four bronze pins met in a swift metallic bite. Dust billowed from the filthy floor and he waved aside the gritty air to view the results. The faint orange flame reflected in Archimedes’ mischievous brown eyes.

It was time to fix a problem.

Chapter 3

Gold.

It was all Farrokh would talk about this morning. The argument started during breakfast when Archimedes told him that an education is the most valuable thing in the world. Farrokh said it was gold.

They were on the deck sharing a meal of flatbread and spiced lamb that Farrokh supplied. “Gold bought this ship, gold bought the cargo, and gold paid for your precious education!” Farrokh said.

Their conversation became heated and louder, and the word gold caught the attention of Pollux. That’s what Pollux loved about merchants and traders; they could never keep their mouth shut about their money. Instinctively he slapped his thigh to make sure his knife was sheathed and he casually moved closer to the conversation.

“
Look at the lighthouse! It was paid for with gold and is made to bring in more gold,” Farrokh said. He was standing near the railing, his vividly colored robe and billowing pants fluttering in the breeze. The morning fog made the lighthouse appear as a gray stone stump rising from the flat jade shore of the Egyptian delta. “The reason Pharaoh Ptolemy built it is to guide ships filled with gold or grain to shore and make Egypt richer.”

“
And who is building that marvelous structure?” Archimedes challenged. “It’s engineers, who went to school and were taught to construct a building that will be over 400 feet high. What about the Great Pyramid in Giza? Right now it is the tallest building in the world, built by Egyptian engineers to last thousands of years. Educated men built those.”

Farrokh was about to interrupt, but Archimedes kept going. “Hold on, Farrokh. How do you know how much precious gold you have? You count it, right? Someone had to teach you to keep track of your wealth. Someone taught you how to be a merchant. Sure, money is important, but an education makes you rich, and I don’t mean with gold.”

Gold. Every time the word was mentioned it was like rash spreading on Pollux and he had to scratch it, soon. He checked to make sure no one was watching and then he crept closer and sat behind a barrel of water to listen.

“
Well, either way, let’s hope the lighthouse will get finished,” Farrokh said.

“
What do you mean?” Archimedes asked. He chewed on some lamb and swallowed. A spice he did not recognize was warm and fragrant in his mouth.

“
I heard that the lighthouse is cursed,” Farrokh said. “Every week they find another dead worker. They are saying the deaths are no accident. There is no wound and no blood, only the body of a healthy laborer. Many men are walking off the job because they think an Egyptian god is killing the men.”

Archimedes paused to gnaw on the stiff lamb and swallowed. “The only mystery to those deaths is why anyone would believe in a curse.”

“
Do not question the gods, Archimedes. I pray to my Persian gods, but it doesn’t matter if they are Persian or Greek or Egyptian, they control our lives.” Farrokh said.

“
My father told me the same thing. But at school, I was taught that we control our own lives by using logic. So now I’m not sure if my father is right or school is.” Archimedes shrugged. “There is an old saying in Greek: ‘Along with Athena, move also your hand’. It means to pray to the gods, but you should rely on your own efforts.”

He lifted the small wooden owl from under his tunic and held it up. “My father gave me this because he saw an owl on the day I was born. The owl is the symbol of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.” Archimedes tucked the amulet back under his robe. “I may be smart, but I’m no warrior.”

“
You place a lot of value on the wooden amulet?” Farrokh asked.

“
More than anything I own. My tools can be replaced and my ideas can’t be lost. But a gift from a loved one is priceless,” Archimedes said.

“
Let me show you what I think is priceless,” Farrokh said. He shot a glimpse over his shoulder
. He
reached under his robe and slowly withdrew a beautiful gold necklace intertwined with rubies and pearls.

Pollux caught his breath. He never saw anything so expensive. The gold chain was braided like a cord with gold plates about the size and thickness of a fingernail hanging from it. Between each plate alternated rubies and the pearls. Each portion of the necklace reflected a different color of the morning sun.

“
I bought this beautiful necklace in Greece,” Farrokh said. He glanced over his shoulder again because he thought he heard the scrape of footsteps nearby. He leaned closer to Archimedes. “Then I bring it to Egypt and propose to a curious shopper that the necklace they are holding may have once been owned by Helen of Troy.”

“
You mislead people?” Archimedes asked.

“
Mislead? No. I only suggest what they want to hear. The jewelry is only metal and gems. The value is what the buyer perceives it to be. Take the lighthouse for example,” Farrokh waved his hand toward the distant shore. “You perceive it as a great accomplishment in design and construction. For a trader like me, that same beacon means more ships and more profit. The same stones, but different perceptions. One necklace made of wood, the other gold, but both are priceless to their owners.”

Archimedes reached for it, but Farrokh quickly snatched it back. “Let us go below deck where we can view it more privately.” They looked around and moved from the railing.

The sun was burning off the mist and the sea air was fresh. It was too bad they would have to go down into the dismal confines. But it would be worth it to witness the upcoming spectacle.

In a dark corner of the hold, Farrokh tapped on a nearby trunk. “I keep the gold chain in here. The trunk has no lock, but the chain is safely concealed under a loose board. A lock would only attract thieves like Pollux.”

Farrokh knew thieves only too well. His booth at the marketplace was continually preyed upon by shoplifters and Farrokh had to keep a constant vigil. Farrokh produced the necklace again.

“
It is worth over 100 drachmas,” Farrokh boasted proudly. Down here no one would hear him so he spoke confidently. He lifted the stout wood lid; the heavy metal hinges squeaked in protest. “I must put it away; there is a false bottom to the trunk.” Farrokh winked, quickly deposited a knife with it, and closed the lid. “The knife is there for protection.”

Hidden in the shadows with the rats, Pollux smiled. How stupid can people be? What could be easier than an unlocked trunk and a knife out of the hands of its owner? After he caught a glimpse of that gold chain Farrokh waved around, he trailed them down into the murky hold and now was waiting for them to leave. One hundred drachmas was a year’s worth of sweating aboard a stinking ship and he would have it with two swipes of his knife.

“
I can stay with the trunk for the rest of the trip,” Archimedes said. “It will only be another day. Consider it repayment for being so kind to me. You go up and enjoy the fresh air.”

“
That is considerate of you,” Farrokh said. “But I will stay with you. We can discuss more about my profits and treasures in the privacy of this hold.”

That posed a problem for Pollux. He was not the patient type. His methods were direct and cowardly. But with the promise of easy riches, he would have to pounce now. He put his hand on his knife and came out of the shadows.

“
You two! Captain wants to see you both up at the tiller. Go on, see what he wants before he whips me for your insolence!” Pollux sneered.

Archimedes and Farrokh glanced at each other in shock and then looked back to Pollux. He moved threateningly toward them.

“
Well, we…we can wait a while,” Farrokh stammered. “We were just inspecting my cargo. It will be a while.”

“
Oh, no. I’m not about to get speared by the captain like some eel. Up!” Pollux pointed up the stairs.

Archimedes held his palms out in compliance. “Okay, Pollux. Thank you for delivering the message. You can tell the captain we’ll be up soon.” While Archimedes stalled, Farrokh moved toward the trunk.

Pollux’s limited patience had run out. He drew his knife in a swift, practiced motion. “Never mind, you two weasels. Just step away from the trunk, Persian. Farther back, go!” He thrust the knife toward Farrokh. “You’re as stupid as a clam, merchant. The few trinkets I stole from you are nothing compared to that gold necklace. Here’s my offer. I’ll take the necklace and you both get to leave the ship alive.”

Archimedes knew his real offer was taking the necklace and killing them. “You can put the knife away, Pollux. We don’t want any trouble. The necklace isn’t worth our lives. I’ll get it for you.” He sidestepped toward the trunk.

“
Never mind, goat turd,” Pollux said. “I trust you like I’d trust a snake. I know there’s a knife in there. I’m not the fool you think I am.” He brandished the knife again. “You two step away from the trunk. Not toward the steps, idiots! Back against the wall. If I can reach you with this blade, you’re too close.”

Archimedes and Farrokh stepped back. Pollux grew up on the streets and knew the enterprise of stealing and intimidation better than these two did.

“
Now sit down.” When he was sure they were far enough away, Pollux reached down to the trunk. He kept the knife pointed toward them and lifted the lid.

It was heavier than it looked. He bent his knees, grunted and opened it with one arm. He glanced down. It was dark inside, but the trunk was empty. A proficient thief, he easily spied the false bottom. Taking one more quick, menacing glance at the two dupes, he got down on his knees and put his head inside to retrieve the necklace.