After three days of this, Mahankal squealed with delight when he saw me coming, even in my helmet. He rubbed his snout lovingly against me, which is like being rubbed by a live tree trunk. Even the keeper became friendly, though neither of us could understand the other. The keeper's philosophy was simple. Whomever his elephant loved, he loved.
News of the elephant project spread through the camp. Many asked me to arrange for them to go in the elephant's escort. Others came with letters to deliver in Hellas. I read Alexander's letters to Aristoteles and Xenokrates until I knew them by heart.
The third day after my interview with the king, I insisted on seeing Baiton. I found him in his tent, measuring off distances on his maps and writing them down.
"Come in, Troop Leader Leon," he said. "I'm working on your itinerary."
"Wherefore the delay, laddie?" I asked.
"A dispute among the king's advisers. We've been interviewing Indians about the territories to the east and south. As you perceive" (he made a small circle with his finger tip around the place where Nikaia appeared on the map), "we were under the impression that this was all there was to India. Here's the coast, with nothing beyond but ocean. However, it now transpires that India extends on in this direction hundreds of leagues." (He swept his fingers far out to sea.) "They tell us there are many cities, and myriads of people, and great kings with thousands of elephants. For instance, the capital of the Prasians is said to be more populous than Babylon. It stands on a river called the Ganges, mightier than the Indus."
"What says the king to that?"
Baiton chuckled. "The king has decided that India terminates a few days' march to the east, and nothing lies beyond but ocean. People who allege otherwise are craven rascals who seek to intimidate him into turning back when he has all but conquered the whole inhabited world. It were better not to dispute the matter with him."
"I won't," I said. "We shall go west, so it matters not how far India extends. Hurry that up, man."
The next day I had an audience with Eumenes. When he saw the lists of people and money that I had prepared, he threw up his hands.
"Why not demand the whole Macedonian army, Troop Leader?" he said. "That's far too ambitious."
"Then what should I ask for?" said I, abashed.
Pie frowned over my lists, making marks. He cut out this man and that man until he had my detachment down to a third of the size I had planned.
"Two can manage the elephant," he said. "One warrior to fight from the creature if you be attacked, and one keeper to feed and water it. Know you any of the Indians?"
I said: "Kanadas, Poros' elephantarch, would do for the warrior if the Poros can spare him. He speaks a little Persian, so I could give him commands directly. As for the keeper, I'd take his present one, Siladites. Indian elephant keepers feel about their elephants the way most folk feel about their kin."
"It pleases. How about this sutler?"
"A Syrian named Elisas is willing. I think he'll cheat us no worse than the rest."
"That is good. Now, you don't need this vast corps of guides and interpreters. Through Gandaria you will hire local guides. For Persia, all you need is one able-bodied Persian who knows the main tongues of the empire. I have the very man for you. His mother's sick in Sousa, and he wishes to go home to see her."
"Aye, good sir. And, I pray, fail not to give me a letter to Menes, commanding him to provide us with a ship."
Then we had a lengthy wrangle over money. Eumenes was much more willing than I to assume that all would go well. Since he was far above me in rank, I could not argue so forcefully as I should have liked. I said:
"Suppose we meet with disaster, like an ambush or a landslide, and run out of money. Could you at least give me a draft on the treasury to get me the rest of the way?"
Eumenes laughed. "Perhaps the king should have chosen a leader with a less gloomy imagination, man of Thessalia. However, I'll give you a letter to Alexander's treasurer, Harpalos, authorizing an additional payment in case of disaster. But you'll have to account to him for all the money you start out with, and he is a shrewd reckoner. You'll find him in Babylon or, more likely, in Tarsos."
I went to see Elisas, who was delighted at the tidings. He said: "Is the king serious about paying for everything at the market price?"
"Of course he is, fellow."
Elisas gave me a sly look. "The villagers along the way will not have yet heard of this strange notion. If we did not tell them, there would be a goodly sum left over to divide between you and me."
"None of that! I have my orders, and I'll carry them out in spite of gods or men." I spoke in a blustering tone to hide the fact that I was sorely tempted to fall in with Elisas' proposal, as most of my comrades would have clone without a second thought.
Then I sought out Kanadas, whom I found fussing over the elephant. When I explained that he was going with Mahankal to Hellas, Kanadas burst into tears again. So did Siladites when Kanadas broke the news to him.
"Come, come," I said. "It will not be so bad. There will be a strong escort, plenty to eat, and the sight of strange lands and peoples." It seemed ridiculous to be comforting a man who was not only older than I but also a full head taller.
"That is what is amiss," moaned Kanadas, tearing at his long blue beard. "I no want strange land. Strange folk cat me. Strange food defile me. I fall off edge of earth. Never see dear wives and children again."
"I thought you brave," I scoffed. "You drove an elephant through the great battle without fear, but now the thought of a little travel terrifies you."
"Of course I brave! No fear men. Kill many enemies. But what can man do against demon and monster that live in foreign land?"
"But think! You would not leave poor Mahankal in the hands of strangers, would you? They might not know how to care for him."
"Oh," he said. "That true. Could I bring family?"
"How much family have you?"
"Two wives, six children."
"Too many. You may bring at most one wife and two children."
"We see," said the Indian.
I went back to my tent, leaving Kanadas and Siladites at least half reconciled to their fate.
A few days later, Eumenes called a council of the officers of the expedition. He told us to sit and offered wine. Kanadas came in looking cheerful for a change. Last of all there appeared in the doorway a Persian, Vardanas of Sousa, whom I knew slightly. When he saw me he cried:
"Is this the man who will command the expedition?"
"Why, yes," said Eumenes. "What's the matter?"
"I will not serve under him! He hates Persians. He has insulted my honor!"
"What's this, Thessalian?" said Eumenes, turning to me.
"Oh, some of us were talking before the battle," I said. "We had too much wine, and unseemly words were passed."
What had happened was this. As I have said, my concubine, Hyovis, died of snakebite a few days before the battle. Although she was only a foreign woman, I grieved sincerely. She had taken good care of me; in fact, her cooking had put more weight on me than is good for a cavalryman to have. Forbye, she was a mettlesome steed in bed.
When I got over the first shock of grief, I found a Magos with a staff, wandering among the tents and looking for snakes to kill as part of his religious duties. I like not the Magian practice of exposing dead bodies for wild beasts to devour; but, as the lass had been a devout adherent of the Persian religion, I thought it only right to do what she would have liked.
When we had committed Hyovis' spirit to Auramasdas, I paid the Magos, who went off to find more snakes, and returned to my tent. Here I found the other officers of the troop: Diokles, the troop leader who fell in the battle; Gration, the right flank guard; and Sthenelos, the left flank guard. Sthenelos was no Thessalian, but neither were a third of the other men in the troop. They were leftovers from disbanded bodies of Greek horse, who had stayed on as mercenaries just as we Thessalians had. Sthenelos had brought a skin of the local wine.