tales of troy-第14章

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Penthesilea；　the　Queen　of　the　warrior　maids　whom　men　call　Amazons；
who　is　on　her　way　to　help　the　Trojans。〃

Then　Ulysses　smiled；　and　Helen　saw　that　she　had　said　a　word　which
she　ought　not　to　have　spoken；　and　had　revealed　the　secret　hope　of
the　Trojans。　　Then　she　wept；　and　said；　〃Oh　cruel　and　cunning！　　You
have　made　me　betray　the　people　with　whom　I　live；　though　woe　is　me
that　ever　I　left　my　own　people；　and　my　husband　dear；　and　my　child！
And　now　if　you　escape　alive　out　of　Troy；　you　will　tell　the　Greeks；
and　they　will　lie　in　ambush　by　night　for　the　Amazons　on　the　way　to
Troy　and　will　slay　them　all。　　If　you　and　I　were　not　friends　long
ago；　I　would　tell　the　Trojans　that　you　are　here；　and　they　would
give　your　body　to　the　dogs　to　eat；　and　fix　your　head　on　the
palisade　above　the　wall。　　Woe　is　me　that　ever　I　was　born。〃

Ulysses　answered；　〃Lady；　as　you　have　said；　we　two　are　friends　from
of　old；　and　your　friend　I　will　be　till　the　last；　when　the　Greeks
break　into　Troy；　and　slay　the　men；　and　carry　the　women　captives。
If　I　live　till　that　hour　no　man　shall　harm　you；　but　safely　and　in
honour　you　shall　come　to　your　palace　in　Lacedaemon　of　the　rifted
hills。　　Moreover；　I　swear　to　you　a　great　oath；　by　Zeus　above；　and
by　Them　that　under　earth　punish　the　souls　of　men　who　swear　falsely；
that　I　shall　tell　no　man　the　thing　which　you　have　spoken。〃

So　when　he　had　sworn　and　done　that　oath；　Helen　was　comforted　and
dried　her　tears。　　Then　she　told　him　how　unhappy　she　was；　and　how
she　had　lost　her　last　comfort　when　Hector　died。　　〃Always　am　I
wretched；〃　she　said；　〃save　when　sweet　sleep　falls　on　me。　　Now　the
wife　of　Thon；　King　of　Egypt；　gave　me　this　gift　when　we　were　in
Egypt；　on　our　way　to　Troy；　namely；　a　drug　that　brings　sleep　even　to
the　most　unhappy；　and　it　is　pressed　from　the　poppy　heads　of　the
garland　of　the　God　of　Sleep。〃　　Then　she　showed　him　strange　phials
of　gold；　full　of　this　drug：　　phials　wrought　by　the　Egyptians；　and
covered　with　magic　spells　and　shapes　of　beasts　and　flowers。　　〃One
of　these　I　will　give　you；〃　she　said；　〃that　even　from　Troy　town　you
may　not　go　without　a　gift　in　memory　of　the　hands　of　Helen。〃　　So
Ulysses　took　the　phial　of　gold；　and　was　glad　in　his　heart；　and
Helen　set　before　him　meat　and　wine。　　When　he　had　eaten　and　drunk；
and　his　strength　had　come　back　to　him；　he　said：

〃Now　I　must　dress　me　again　in　my　old　rags；　and　take　my　wallet；　and
my　staff；　and　go　forth；　and　beg　through　Troy　town。　　For　here　I　must
abide　for　some　days　as　a　beggar　man；　lest　if　I　now　escape　from　your
house　in　the　night　the　Trojans　may　think　that　you　have　told　me　the
secrets　of　their　counsel；　which　I　am　carrying　to　the　Greeks；　and
may　be　angry　with　you。〃　　So　he　clothed　himself　again　as　a　beggar；
and　took　his　staff；　and　hid　the　phial　of　gold　with　the　Egyptian
drug　in　his　rags；　and　in　his　wallet　also　he　put　the　new　clothes
that　Helen　had　given　him；　and　a　sword；　and　he　took　farewell；
saying；　〃Be　of　good　heart；　for　the　end　of　your　sorrows　is　at　hand。
But　if　you　see　me　among　the　beggars　in　the　street；　or　by　the　well；
take　no　heed　of　me；　only　I　will　salute　you　as　a　beggar　who　has　been
kindly　treated　by　a　Queen。〃

So　they　parted；　and　Ulysses　went　out；　and　when　it　was　day　he　was
with　the　beggars　in　the　streets；　but　by　night　he　commonly　slept
near　the　fire　of　a　smithy　forge；　as　is　the　way　of　beggars。　　So　for
some　days　he　begged；　saying　that　he　was　gathering　food　to　eat　while
he　walked　to　some　town　far　away　that　was　at　peace；　where　he　might
find　work　to　do。　　He　was　not　impudent　now；　and　did　not　go　to　rich
men's　houses　or　tell　evil　tales；　or　laugh；　but　he　was　much　in　the
temples；　praying　to　the　Gods；　and　above　all　in　the　temple　of　Pallas
Athene。　　The　Trojans　thought　that　he　was　a　pious　man　for　a　beggar。

Now　there　was　a　custom　in　these　times　that　men　and　women　who　were
sick　or　in　distress；　should　sleep　at　night　on　the　floors　of　the
temples。　　They　did　this　hoping　that　the　God　would　send　them　a　dream
to　show　them　how　their　diseases　might　be　cured；　or　how　they　might
find　what　they　had　lost；　or　might　escape　from　their　distresses。

Ulysses　slept　in　more　than　one　temple；　and　once　in　that　of　Pallas
Athene；　and　the　priests　and　priestesses　were　kind　to　him；　and　gave
him　food　in　the　morning　when　the　gates　of　the　temple　were　opened。

In　the　temple　of　Pallas　Athene；　where　the　Luck　of　Troy　lay　always
on　her　altar；　the　custom　was　that　priestesses　kept　watch；　each　for
two　hours；　all　through　the　night；　and　soldiers　kept　guard　within
call。　　So　one　night　Ulysses　slept　there；　on　the　floor；　with　other
distressed　people；　seeking　for　dreams　from　the　Gods。　　He　lay　still
all　through　the　night　till　the　turn　of　the　last　priestess　came　to
watch。　　The　priestess　used　to　walk　up　and　down　with　bare　feet　among
the　dreaming　people；　having　a　torch　in　her　hand；　and　muttering
hymns　to　the　Goddess。　　Then　Ulysses；　when　her　back　was　turned；
slipped　the　gold　phial　out　of　his　rags；　and　let　it　lie　on　the
polished　floor　beside　him。　　When　the　priestess　came　back　again；　the
light　from　her　torch　fell　on　the　glittering　phial；　and　she　stooped
and　picked　it　up；　and　looked　at　it　curiously。　　There　came　from　it　a
sweet　fragrance；　and　she　opened　it；　and　tasted　the　drug。　　It　seemed
to　her　the　sweetest　thing　that　ever　she　had　tasted；　and　she　took
more　and　more；　and　then　closed　the　phial　and　laid　it　down；　and　went
along　murmuring　her　hymn。

But　soon　a　great　drowsiness　came　over　her；　and　she　sat　down　on　the
step　of　the　altar；　and　fell　sound　asleep；　and　the　torch　sunk　in　her
hand；　and　went　out；　and　all　was　dark。　　Then　Ulysses　put　the　phial
in　his　wallet；　and　crept　very　cautiously　to　the　altar；　in　the　dark；
and　stole　the　Luck　of　Troy。　　It　was　only　a　small　black　mass　of　what
is　now　called　meteoric　iron；　which　sometimes　comes　down　with
meteorites　from　the　sky；　but　it　was　shaped　like　a　shield；　and　the
people　thought　it　an　image　of　the　warlike　shielded　Goddess；　fallen
from　Heaven。　　Such　sacred　shields；　made　of　glass　and　ivory；　are
found　deep　in　the　earth　in　the　ruined　cities　of　Ulysses'　time。
Swiftly　Ulysses　hid　the　Luck　in　his　rags　and　left　in　its　place　on
the　altar　a　copy　of　the　Luck；　which　he　had　made　of　blackened　clay。
Then　he　stole　back　to　the　place　where　he　had　lain；　and　remained
there　till　dawn　appeared；　and　the　sleepers　who　sought　for　dreams
awoke；　and　the　temple　gates　were　opened；　and　Ulysses　walked　out
with　the　rest　of　them。

He　stole　down　a　lane；　where　as　yet　no　people　were　stirring；　and
crept　along；　leaning　on　his　staff；　till　he　came　to　the　eastern
gate；　at　the　back　of　the　city；　which　the　Greeks　never　attacked；　for
they　had　never　drawn　their　army　in　a　circle　round　the　town。　　There
Ulysses　explained　to　the　sentinels　that　he　had　gathered　food　enough
to　last　for　a　long　journey　to　some　other　town；　and　opened　his　bag；
which　seemed　full　of　bread　and　broken　meat。　　The　soldiers　said　he
was　a　lucky　beggar；　and　let　him　out。　　He　walked　slowly　along　the
waggon　road　by　which　wood　was　brought　into　Troy　from　the　forests　on
Mount　Ida；　and　when　he　found　that　nobody　was　within　sight　he
slipped　into　the　forest；　and　stole　into　a　dark　thicket；　hiding
beneath　the　tangled　boughs。　　Here　he　lay　and　slept　till　evening；
and　then　took　the　new　clothes　which　Helen　had　given　him　out　of　his
wallet；　and　put　them　on；　and　threw　the　belt　of　the　sword　over　his
shoulder；　and　hid　the　Luck　of　Troy　in　his　bosom。　　He　washed　himself
clean　in　a　mountain　brook；　and　now　all　who　saw　him　must　have　known
that　he　was　no　beggar；　but　Ulysses　of　Ithaca；　Laertes'　son。

So　he　walked　cautiously　down　the　side　of　the　brook　which　ran
between　high　banks　deep　in　trees；　and　followed　it　till　it　reached
the　river　Xanthus；　on　the　left　of　the　Greek　lines。　　Here　he　found
Greek　sentinels　set　to　guard　the　camp；　who　cried　aloud　in　joy　and
surprise；　for　his　ship　had　not　yet　returned　from　Delos；　and　they
could　not　guess　how　Ulysses　had　come　back　alone　across　the　sea。　　So
two　of　the　sentinels　guarded　Ulysses　to　the　hut　of　Agamemnon；　where
he　and　Achilles　and　all　the　chiefs　were　sitting　at　a　feast。　　They
all　leaped　up；　but　when　Ulysses　took　the　Luck　of　Troy　from　within
his　mantle；　they　cried　that　this　was　the　bravest　deed　that　had　been
done　in　the　war；　and　they　sacrificed