I felt a stomach-twisting qualm. “You—lied about Artemis? Telys, what if she takes offense?”
“The gods don’t notice everything we do. How many prayers go unanswered? But if Artemis is offended by what I’ve done, I’ll take full blame.” He sounded strong and sure of himself, a warrior who didn’t need a sword to prove his worth as a man. Then he added, “I suppose I’ll soon find out if I’ve made Artemis my enemy. If someone from the palace spies me seeking three passages to Tiryns today—”
“‘Tiryns’?” I interrupted.
“That’s the port nearest to Mykenae. Then we’ve got to travel overland. If I find a ship headed there, I’ll take it as a sign that Artemis isn’t angry with me after all.”
His lighthearted words made me realize just how close I was to regaining my freedom. “I’m going to see my sister, Clytemnestra, again, Telys!” I exclaimed.
“‘Clytemnestra’?” A note of uncertainty had crept into his voice.
“Didn’t I speak of her to you before? She’s married to Lord Thyestes’ eldest living son, Prince Tantalus. When we reach Mykenae, she’ll surely help you and your mother begin a new—”
His pockmarked face lost color. “Thyestes no longer rules Mykenae. He was driven from his throne by his nephews, the princes Agamemnon and Menelaus. We heard that Prince Tantalus died trying to help his father. If I’d known that he was your kin—”
“What! When?” I grabbed his arm hard, as if I could squeeze answers out of him more quickly.
“The news reached Athens not too long before you arrived, in late autumn.” He released my grip gently. “Agamemnon, son of Atreus, is the new lord of Mykenae.”
“I don’t care if they’ve put a one-legged donkey on the throne!” I cried. “What happened to Clytemnestra? Tell me what’s become of my sister!”
“Lady Helen, hush, don’t fear. She’s alive and well. I thought I recognized her name when you spoke it just now. I first heard it from the herald who brought the news of Thyestes’ overthrow. Lord Agamemnon made her his bride. She’s queen of Mykenae.”
“Queen?” A wobbly laugh shook me. “Just what she always wanted. Poor Tantalus. This Agamemnon had better treat my sister well. If not, he’ll answer to Sparta.”
“I pray it won’t come to that, Lady Helen.”
“So do I.” The shock I’d felt at Telys’s news was gone. Cold anger took its place. “She knew. Lady Aithra knew what had happened in Mykenae, but she never said a word to me about my sister.”
“Lady Helen—” Telys began, a cautioning note in his voice.
“Don’t worry, I’m not about to draw my sword against the queen.” I smiled to ease his mind. “I’m satisfied just imagining Lady Aithra’s face the moment she learns we’re gone. Let’s see her explain that when her precious son comes home! Tell your mother to be ready to leave Athens at a moment’s notice, Telys, and find us the ship we need. Hermes help me, before another sun rises, I’ll have a way to get out of the palace when it’s time to board her. Nothing’s going to stop us from reaching Mykenae.”
14
THE LAUGHTER OF GODS AND MEN
I’d declared I’d think of a way to escape the royal citadel of Athens before another sunrise. Two days later, I was no closer to finding a practical solution. The problem occupied my mind above all while I was in Lady Aithra’s company, and I was with her daily to give Telys as much free time as possible to find us that ship.
The long-dead king who’d ordered the construction of this building had taken care to make it a point of defense first, a royal home second. Besides the main gateway, there was only one other, and it was watched jealously. The walls were tall and thick, their ramparts inaccessible except by four stairways, each guarded. I thought about climbing the oak tree that grew near Lord Kekrops’s haunted ruins to see if one of its branches was strong and long enough to let me get to the stronghold’s outer walls.
“And then what?” Telys asked when I shared the idea on the third morning. He was escorting me to the queen’s quarters, as usual.
“Then I’d drop down over the wall and—”
“—break your neck. Lady Helen, have you seen how high those walls are? Two stories tall in most places, higher in others.”
“If I could get a rope—” I wasn’t about to give up.
“There’s a parapet that’s supposed to keep you from falling over the edge, but it doesn’t even come up to my knees. In some places along the wall, it’s nonexistent.”
“So that’s why he put you up there so many times, and in the dark, too,” I said bitterly.
Telys gave me a wry smile. “My poor, disappointed brother; I never did manage to trip and tumble to my death. But you see, Lady Helen, I know the walls. You can’t climb down a rope if there’s no place for you to anchor it.”
“Stupid walls,” I grumbled.
I spent the entire day doing embroidery with Lady Aithra, sitting under a green myrtle tree in one of the smaller palace courtyards. The queen wore the most comical expression of alarm and despair whenever she reviewed my work, so I began making one huge blunder after another on purpose, toying with her and amusing myself.
When the light began to fade, she looked positively relieved. “That will be enough for today. Will you dine with me, or would you prefer to eat in your own quarters?” It was an invitation without warmth.
I didn’t want to spend any more time in her company than she did in mine. “I’m very tired,” I replied. “I’d like to eat alone.”