She tightens her grip on the statue.
He pulls. Her head is wrenched back. I can see the tendons in her neck, but she will not let go.
He seizes her hair with his other hand as well. Now he pulls really hard. Her scalp tightens. Slowly, her left hand begins to slip. And then her right.
Still no word is spoken. The only sound is Ajax’s harsh breathing. Both Kassandra’s hands are slowly sliding off Athena’s smooth feet.
And then … then … she turns her head the few inches she can manage and looks at me.
Straight at me.
Again.
Again, I can’t look away. She speaks. In English …
‘I see you,
Golden-eyed girl.
Watcher of time’s brave pageant.
Beloved of Kleio.
Weep for your dreams
For today they die.
Your heart will grow cold.
And as the leaves fall
The golden-eyed girl
Will leave this world.
Never to return.’
As she says the last words, her hands slide away and she is no longer under the protection of the goddess.
Who does nothing to prevent this outrage. This sacrilege to her temple. Which is typical of any bloody god you care to name. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the small, local gods who live in the hollow tree outside your village: the ones who knew you, your mother, and your mother’s mother back to the beginning of time. Or the big, male, sky gods with their intolerance and cruelty. All gods are the same. They’re big on the worshipping and the ceremonies and the imposing buildings, but when you really need them – they’re never there.
Athena certainly wasn’t. All right, she later drove Ajax mad for his desecration, but where was she when Kassandra needed her? Where was Apollo, who loved her? Where were any of them?
I crouched in my dark corner as Kassandra’s words reverberated around my head. Her curse was that no one ever believed her. But I believed her. Today, she finally had a believer. She would go on to foresee both her own death and that of Agamemnon – and still no one would ever believe her. Only me.
Ajax dragged her outside. Even he wasn’t prepared to go that far inside a temple. Her screams went on for a very long time.
His men started to strip the temple.
I was undecided. Stay or go?
No one had seen me yet. Maybe they would miss me completely.
A small man with bad skin and reeking of onions and goats found me. He wandered over to take a leak and tripped over me.
Thanks again, Athena.
I was very careful to make no trouble. Not to resist. Not to give them any excuse. Our instructions are always very clear. Keep quiet. Keep your head down and your mouth shut and wait to be rescued.
They shoved us outside, along with the other temple goods and a few other women, all as dishevelled and coved in brick dust as I was.
Kassandra, naked, was being pulled across the square towards the gate. Greedy Agamemnon would claim her for himself. It would be his undoing.
In my ear, Markham said, ‘Max? What’s happening?’
I carefully reached up and tapped my ear. A sign I couldn’t talk.
‘Are you in trouble?’
Tap.
‘OK. Hang on. We’ll get you.’
The soldiers lined us up, clearly making their choice. Ajax however, despite having had his, was in no mood for anyone else to get theirs and shouted irritably at them. An angry, red scratch showed on one cheek and he kept touching it. He couldn’t leave it alone. He looked unsettled and angry. What had Kassandra said to him? Or had the seeds of his madness had already been sewn?
I heard Guthrie’s voice in my ear. ‘Are you still in the citadel?’
Tap.
‘Just keep your head down, Max. Do not get into any trouble. We’ll get you. Just stay safe. I mean it. You’ve got form.’
The temple goods were piled in the courtyard, along with other spoils looted from nearby buildings. Ajax cast it only a cursory glance and us women not at all. In fairness, we were a pretty ropey-looking lot – dishevelled, bloody, and so covered in dust it was practically impossible to tell we were women at all, let alone pick out the pretty ones.
Time passed. The heap of treasure grew larger – to Ajax’s obvious satisfaction. More women were added to our group, which was good. Always try to get lost in the crowd. Some of them wrapped their arms around their bodies, rocking and keening.
With my own safety assured – at least for the time being – I turned my attention to the rest of my team. I tapped my ear again.
‘Max? What’s the problem? We’re on our way.’
I hugged myself, rocked, and began to wail. ‘Report.’
‘Everyone is safe. We have casualties. Some serious but not life threatening. Three and Five have jumped with the wounded. Black is prepping Six. Markham, Ritter, and I are getting to you.’
‘No. Bottleneck. They’ll take us to the ships. Pick me up there.’
‘Unacceptable.’
I knew what he meant. I might not make it to the ships.