Like all the other rooms, this one was long and narrow. That is the way with Sousian houses, and the reason is this. To make the houses livable in the heat of summer, the builders pile two or three feet of earth on the level roofs. This means that the rooms must needs be narrow, because the only timber that can be had for holding up this great weight is palm trunks. Since palm trunks are not very strong, the roof beams made from them must needs be short.
Thraitaunas' house slaves served a sumptuous feast. I will not delay the tale with an account of the menu, though I can remember every course to this day. It ended with a spiced and sweetened fruitcake which the Persians call "dessert." I asked Thraitaunas:
"What is this I hear about the sins of Aboulites and Vaxathras?"
"No more than one must expect when your king appoints a sly Houzan as governor instead of an honest Persian. It is the old story: taxation in advance, extortion, tomb robbery, plundering temples. Saw you three hanged men in the city? They were taxpayers who resisted Abourites' demands."
I said: "One man's wickedness becomes all men's curse, as we say in Thessalia. I swear by Zeus—or Auramasdas, if you prefer—that no more will I trust one of these governors ere I ask amongst his subjects what kind of man he be."
"Do that," said Thraitaunas. "It may keep your throat uncut till you reach your home. An uncut throat is always a useful thing to have, ha! Beliddinos stays here for the same reason you do."
Beliddinos shot a hard glance at his host as if to warn him not to talk of his affairs. But the old Persian was the kind who would speak his mind about whatever he pleased. Besides, we were all a trace tipsy. Indeed, any Persian gathering is apt to involve what seems to a Hellene like heavy drinking.
Beliddinos has gathered funds for rebuilding his tumbledown temple," said Thraitaunas, "since your government has not given him the money Alexander promised. Ho, ho! Would not Abourites like to get his talons into your cargo, my friend?"
Beliddinos said: "Do not let our host give you false ideas, Hip-parch. But a pittance have I collected; barely enough have I gathered to begin one wall of the new house of God, from pious Babylonians in Sousiana. Whither go you hence?"
"That depends. I must find Menes, viceroy of Syria, and I may wish to see the treasurer Harpalos. Do either of you gentlemen know where they are?"
Neither knew, but Thraitaunas said: "I will inquire. Though I am old and racked with pain, though I must bow the knee to a dirty Houzan, still I have connections."
Beliddinos said: "In any case, to make Babylon your next goal you will wish. There will Harpalos be if he be not in Tarsos, and there news of Menes can you surely obtain."
"Have you something in mind?" I said.
Beliddinos smiled thinly. "I mean that to Babylon I, too, must journey, and thought we might join forces. Never could the treasury of Mardoukos sustain the hire of so many stalwart guards as your troop comprises."
Vardanas cried: "Splendid!"
I said: "It sounds good, sir; but let me think about it, lest some forgotten obstacle rear itself in our path after we have made our arrangements."
"Surely, surely," said Beliddinos. "For one so young, caution you have learned; for a bluff soldier, worldly wisdom has come to you fast."
"You need not fear," said Vardanas to me. "I have known Beliddinos all my life."
"Thank you, my son," said Beliddinos to Vardanas, and then to me he said: "The first thing to think about is time. How soon will you leave? The sooner the better, ere Aboulites' ruffians come knocking for us."
"I thought three or four days would suffice for rest and refit."
"Excellent. Think on my proposal and speak to me about it; ponder it and let me know your mind."
Thyestes and Pyrron had made hard going of the conversation in Persian. Nirouphar spoke: "Father, it is a sin that you never let Dory-machos give me more lessons in Greek when he was teaching my brothers. Then we could all speak in that tongue; our Greek guests would not be put out of countenance."
Thraitaunas snorted. "My Greek is as bad as Pyrron's Persian, and I do not think Beliddinos knows any Greek at all. Anyway, it is ridiculous to talk of educating women. There is already too much education of men. Learning has caused most of the world's woes, ever since Tachmarthen forced the demons to teach him the secret of letters. Had Dorymachos not filled Vardanas' head with Greek nonsense, he would not have gone gadding off to the ends of the earth. He would not have left his poor, sick old father to struggle alone with the property. His Greek education was another of your mother's silly ideas."
"My mother had more sense than you!" said Nirouphar.
"Silence, wench!" roared Thraitaunas.
"I will not be silent!" cried his daughter. "That is what you say whenever somebody catches you in the wrong. I am sick of it!"
"Go to your room!" he thundered.
"I would not stay!" she cried, sweeping from the room.
Vardanas, glaring at his father, struck both fists against the table. I thought he also was going to rise and burst into heated speech, but he mastered himself and said: "Pray forgive us, friends. You know how families are."
"Indeed I do," said Beliddinos with a chuckle. "One of my own have I, and betimes the domestic disputes bid fair the roof to bring down."
Poor, timid Houtausa had spoken never a word. Thraitaunas drank and said: "A lively minx, my daughter. Being my wife will tame her." . Thyestes shuddered. Beliddinos said: "Do you still mean to go through with that, Thrai?"
"I said so, did I not? I thought we would marry in the spring, when the roses are out. Come to the wedding if you be in these parts."
"What if she does not wish it?"
"What do you mean? She is a good girl; she will do as I tell her."
"Like unto an itch that cannot be scratched is a contentious woman in the house. Why has she not wed one of the youths of the city? Fair she is, and over sixteen she must be. In Babylon, seven times seven suitors would she have."
"She is nineteen, but she is unwed for two reasons. First, there are no pure Ariatshisha youths around here; all have vile Houzan blood. One did come dangling after her last year, but I soon sent him packing, I can tell you. Second, I am an infirm old man; I need the care of more than one wife. Houtausa is not strong enough."
"It were a pity not to mate her to one young enough to get her with child. As we say in Babylon, friendship lasts for a day, but posterity goes on forever."
"What mean you, one young enough? I can still do my duty as a husband! You shall see. But enough of airing our private affairs before guests. Have more wine. Tell us more of your deeds of dought, young men; pray do."
After I had gone to bed, I was kept from slumber by the sounds of a terrific quarrel. Though I could not make out the words, I knew the voices of Thraitaunas, Vardanas, and Nirouphar all speaking in loud angry tones. It struck me that the three looked much alike, allowing for differences of age and sex, and probably had the same impulsive, headstrong natures. Hence no house was big enough for all at once.
I thought Thraitaunas' plan dreadful. Besides my Hellenic horror of incest, it seemed plain that his old age and her youth would be made wretched by this monstrous marriage. She ought, methought, to wed a good sound man of suitable age; a Persian equivalent, say, of Leon of Atrax. I had no thought at all of courting her myself. For one thing, she was a foreigner; for another, she was a whit more saucy and forward than I thought suitable for a wife.
Next morning, as I set out for the city to tend the hipparchia, I fell in with Beliddinos, also going to town in a tall hat and a plain brown tunic and carrying a walking stick with the top carven in the likeness of a dragon. His two slaves came with him, one bearing a pick and one a shovel.