Chapter 47 Light of Mankind
The sky was paling as the peace envoy returned to the Greek camp.
At the sound of their horses, men emerged from their tents to stare as the group walked their mounts between the makeshift dwellings.
None spoke, their faces grim. Odysseus, Palamedes, Nestor, Hylas and Danae were daubed with blood and dust, and Helen was not among them.
It did not take a seer to divine that war was now inevitable.
By the time they tethered the horses and made their way to Agamemnon’s tent, a procession of soldiers trailed behind them, waiting for confirmation of their fate.
The war tent bustled with the Greek allied army’s commanders, all dressed in armour, as though they had already been told the outcome of the expedition.
Silence swept across the room, followed by Agamemnon booming, ‘Well?’ He wore a butcher’s knife sheathed beside the scabbard of his sword.
Odysseus intoned the sacred greeting, then bowed his head. ‘The Trojans betrayed us. Prince Paris attempted to have us murdered while we slept.’
‘Is this true?’ The King of Men addressed Palamedes.
His cousin nodded. ‘We were forced to flee the city. We barely escaped with our lives.’
Nestor sank into a chair. ‘Everything happened so fast. I still do not understand why Paris would do such a foolish thing. To break Zeus’ sacred tradition of xenia …’
‘The man is a godless bastard,’ Menelaus grunted, a wild gleam in his eye. ‘I will enjoy crushing his pretty face to pulp.’
‘His reason does not matter,’ said Odysseus. ‘He attempted to murder a peace envoy.’ He gestured to Danae. ‘His guard tried to kill my seer and in doing so has enraged the gods.’
‘We should have spoken to Priam,’ said Nestor, ‘given him a chance to –’
‘Don’t be a coward, old man!’ The King of Ithaca rounded on him. ‘It is done. And the gods themselves intervened when their archers tried to shoot us down,’ he flung an arm towards Danae, ‘is that not so?’
All eyes turned to her.
‘Zeus himself spared us as we fled the city. I believe the King of the Gods now favours the Greeks.’
Agamemnon leant his fists upon the table bearing the map of Troy. ‘That settles it. Nestor, you’ve had your chance at peace, now will you pledge your ten thousand men as promised?’
Nestor sighed. ‘I will.’
Agamemnon straightened and looked to his gathered generals.
‘Make sacrifices to Ares, then ready your men to march on the city with the next sunrise. We will crack their walls and ravage what lays within. My brother’s wife and stolen treasure will be returned to him.
The rest of the spoils are yours to divide as you see fit. ’
The assembled generals bowed to their leader, then dispersed.
Danae watched Menelaus pace towards the tent’s entrance.
‘Do you not wish to know how your wife fares?’ she asked.
Menelaus paused. Without looking at her he replied, ‘Is she alive?’
‘She is.’
He grunted, then swept out of the tent.
Odysseus turned to Danae as the last of the generals left and said softly, ‘Come, it is time to meet your army.’
Hylas and Danae hurried to keep pace with Odysseus as he strode towards the Ithacan quarter.
He led them to a large supply tent and drew back the curtain.
It was packed with the Children of Prometheus members Danae had met aboard his ship alongside at least a hundred others, all shoulder to shoulder amongst the barrels, sacks and amphorae.
Her heart lifted to see Telamon and Atalanta among them.
A hush swept over the tent. The men’s faces glowed at the sight of her, as though she were a spark igniting the kindling of their faith.
She caught sight of Sinon and Evenor in the crowd, beaming.
As she gazed at her soldiers, some familiar, many strangers, for the first time since hearing Prometheus’ prophecy, she truly understood what it meant to be the hope of mankind.
‘I do not have long,’ said Odysseus. ‘I will have to brief the rest of the Ithacan force.’
‘Is it time?’ asked one of the men.
The king nodded. ‘These are your orders: you will ride out with myself, the last daughter and the rest of the Ithacan soldiers. Once the gods descend, you know what you must do – shoot them down, draw them into the battle, then swarm them once they’re on the ground, at least twenty men to each Olympian.
Your mission is to support the last daughter in ending each of their lives. ’
The gravity of what was about to happen settled into Danae’s bones.
She and these mortal soldiers had the element of surprise, but the false gods had powers, weapons, magically enhanced armour.
She tried not to quake at the memory of how difficult it had been to vanquish Poseidon, how Metis had lost her life in the process.
She forced herself to stand tall. These men looked to her for hope, she could not show fear. She glanced at Hylas, then Telamon and Atalanta. Her comrades, her friends. They did not look afraid. As the Ithacan soldiers drew strength from her, she drew strength from them.
‘Say something,’ Odysseus murmured.
Danae paused. ‘The fight will be hard. Possibly the hardest of your lives. The false gods are not easily slain. I killed Poseidon, and I watched Hades burn,’ several men audibly gasped, ‘but I could not have done it alone.’ She beckoned Telamon and Atalanta to stand beside her, then placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
‘Without these warriors, my corpse would be mouldering on a distant island. Hylas too has saved my life more times than I care to remember.’ Hylas flushed to the tips of his ears.
‘All of you are vital. You may not have powers like I do, but I need you, just as much as you need me. I cannot promise you will all survive. But I do know that each and every life on this earth is in danger while the false gods reign on Olympus. They have stolen from the Mother, they have stolen from us all. How many tears have been shed, lives lost, pain endured? It ends now. Tomorrow, when the Greek army rides out to meet the Trojan force, we will strike a blow so powerful that Zeus himself will weep.’
One of the soldiers fell to his knees. Many others followed in a cascade, all raising their hands to Danae with murmurs of ‘Light of mankind’.
Yes, crooned the voice. Yes!
Danae let their belief wash over her. Then, all at once it was like a vice had been clamped around her chest. She backed away, lifted the tarpaulin and stepped out of the tent.
Swiftly, Hylas, Telamon and Atalanta emerged behind her.
‘Are you all right?’ asked Hylas.
Her hands trembled. ‘Most of those men will probably die tomorrow and they have no idea what waits for them. I have no idea! We should tell them the truth about the afterlife.’
‘Don’t lose your nerve,’ said Atalanta. ‘Like you said, we’re all in this together.’
The energy thrumming through Danae’s limbs quietened at the deep calm swirling in the warrior’s eyes.
She rubbed the back of her neck and looked to Hylas. ‘Odysseus knows what he’s doing?’
Hylas nodded. ‘I have never known his sources to be wrong when it comes to the gods. Like you said, the fight will be hard. But think how much easier it will be to pick off the false gods unsuspecting on a battlefield than when mounting an assault on Olympus.’
‘He’s right,’ said Telamon. ‘And we’re with you, don’t forget that.’
Danae’s chest swelled with feeling as she took in their faces. ‘I can’t lose you.’ She glanced at Hylas. ‘Not again.’
‘You won’t,’ said Atalanta. ‘We’ve already taken down two false gods. The rest won’t see us coming.’
Telamon laid an arm across the warrior’s shoulders. ‘Like stealing honey from a babe.’
Odysseus drew back the tent flap. ‘Everything all right?’
‘Yes.’ Danae met his gaze, her shoulders squared.
‘The men responded well to you in there.’ He almost looked impressed.
‘Be ready to move out at first light. And remember, it is imperative you do not reveal yourself until the battle with Troy is underway. Once the Olympians are lured down to the Trojan Plain my men will loose their arrows on the false gods. That will be your signal. Now, I must brief the rest of my army.’
As Odysseus paced away, Hylas touched Danae’s arm. ‘I’ve got something to show you. Come with me.’
Danae and Hylas headed deep into the depths of the Ithacan tents, soldiers hurrying about them, readying themselves for war.
‘What makes you so sure you can trust him?’
‘Odysseus?’ Hylas glanced at her. ‘He’s more than proved his dedication to the Children of Prometheus. Don’t you think?’
‘It’s just … in Troy he killed that guard as though he were nothing.’
Hylas scoffed. ‘How many people have you slain?’
‘Not since …’ she paused, thinking of Persephone. ‘I have not killed anyone who didn’t deserve it since the Underworld. It feels different, now I know the three realms of the dead are a lie.’
Hylas slowed. ‘Many will die before you reach Olympus. Good, honest people will lose their lives. This is what freedom for all mortals costs. Odysseus knows this. He is prepared to shoulder that burden.’
She looked at him, the man who aboard the Argo had been her closest friend.
She remembered how fiercely he had defended Heracles when they sailed together, and wondered how he could give his faith so wholeheartedly to another after all the betrayal he’d suffered.
Perhaps he was a fool, or perhaps he was the bravest man she knew.
‘You haven’t changed.’
Hylas glanced down at his wooden leg.
‘You’re still the Hylas I remember,’ she said softly.
‘I’m just playing the petteia board the fates have given me. As you are.’
Danae shook her head. ‘I don’t play as well as you.’
‘You’re still here, aren’t you?’ When she didn’t reply he said, ‘Come on, I think you’ll like what I have to show you.’