"Surely," said Callisthens. "It is not just the sea gate," I said, "and the wall near it, and the tower houseing the windlass, but the walks about the walled cove within, and the entry to the main stronghold."
"It would be difficulty," said Callisthenes. "Our men would be spread too thinly, Jason," said Callimachus. "You must forget the matter."It is sometimes surprising," said Callisthenes regarding me, smiling, "what a few men, determined and skilled, can accomplish."
"Ragnor Voskjar," I said, "would come with a fleet, not one or two ships and forty men."Empty grain ships, towed, their idenity concealed in the darkness, might suggest such a fleet." mused Callisthenes."Accept his plan in its plausible form, my friend, Callisthenes, or let us put it entirely from our minds," sid Callimachus. "Yes," said Glyco. "That is doubtless best," agreed Callisthenes.
"I am willing to try it," said Callisthenes. "Wht chances do you think we might have?" I asked Callimachus. He smiled wryly. "One or two," he guessed, "perhaps one or two in a thousand,"
"Surprise would be on our side," I pointed out. "Support would not be immediately at hand," said Callimachus. "The portals and walks to be defended are sufficiently narrow," I said earnestly."And many in number," said Callimachus. "Too, there may be circuitous passages, secreat, of which y ou are unaware. In this even you might be easily outflanked."
I thought of the slave, she who had once been Miss Beverly Henderson. "Give me twenty men," I said to Callisthenes. "I think I can supply you with twenty volunteres," he said.I looked to Aemilianus. "If Port Cos can give youtwenty men for such a venture," said Aemilianus, "Ar's Station, surely, could supply no smaller a number."
"It is now foolishness and madness, Jason," said Callimachus. "Do not embark upon so mad a venture." "You need not come, my friend." I said. "I shall accompany you, of course," said Callimachus.
We were not beneath the high dark walls of the stronghold of Policrates. I could see them rearing some hundred feet above us.
We nosed toward the sea gte, our oars scarely entering the water.
I could see a lamp lit on a wall, more than three hundred feet within, inside the sea gate. The sea gate itself was fifty feet in height, large enough, when the barred latticwork was lifted, to accomodte a masted cargo galley. It was reinforced on two sides with keeplike towers. The tower on the right, as I faced the gate, housed the windlass which lifted and lowered the gate. It was turned by prisoners and slaves, chained to its bars, but these men, without the assistance of the gigantic counterweights, also within the tower, could not have moved it.
"Who is there?" called a man from the wall."Step back," I said to Callimachus. "You might be recognized,"
I then stood alone onthe foredeck of the galley. I climbed to the foot of the prow and stood there, my left arm about the prow. I wore the mastk I had worn when I had pretened to be the courier of Ragnar Voskjard.
"Who is there?" repeated the man.
"I am the courier of Ragnar Voskjard!" I called. "We are sent ahead, the scout ships of his fleet!" We had only four ships iwth us and three were substantially empty. Tasdron had arranged them in Victoria, on the pretense of fetching a consignment of Sa-Tarna from Siba, to be brought to the Brewery of Lucian, near Fina, east of Victoria, with which brewery he occasionally did business.
"The fleet of Ragnar Voskjard is not due for ten days," called the man. "We are the souut ships," I called. "It is only two days behind us!"
"The Voskjard is eager," called the man.
"There are towns to be burned," I called, "loots to be gathered, women to tie in or slave slacks!" How did you pass the chain?" called the man.
The batther has been fought," I said, "It has been cut!"
"I do not like it," said Callimachus, behind me. "Tere are too few men on the walls."I surely have not object to that," I said, "Hopefully most of the ships and men of Policrates are abroad."Now," asked Callimachus, "when they are waiting for Ragnar Voskjard?"
"He is not due in their opinion for ten days," I said. "Let us withdraw," advised Callimachus.
"The cups of Cos," I cried to the man on the wall, "are not the cups of Ar!" Yes each may be filled with a splendid wine," he called down.
"The ships of Cos," I called to the man on the wall, "are not the ships of Ar!" But the holds of each may contain fine treasures," he answered.
"The Robes of Concealment of Cos are not the Robes of Conealment of Ar," I called. "What do they have in common?" called the man. "Both conceal the bodies of slaves! I called to him.
"Raise the gate," called the man, turning about. Slowly, creakingk foot by foot, I saw the heavy latticwork of the sea gate lifting ot of the water, dripping, shiny in its wet blackness, in the light of the three moons.
"It is too easy," said Callimachus. "Let us withdraw while we can."Surprise is with us," I told him. "It is the one hope we have. On it all depends."
"Enter, Friends!" called down the man.
I, standing on the prow, motioned with my right arm to the oar master, and he in turn not on the stern deck, but among the benches, spoke softly to the men. He was from Port Cos. I looked upward at the high gate, now hung almost above us. We began to move slowly through the opening.
"Now!" cried a voice above us on the wall.I suddenly heart a gigantic, rapid, rattling sound.
"Back oars!" cried the oar matser, the fellow from Por Cos, "Back oars!"
But there was no time. A few feet behind me, hurtling downward, crashing through the fordeck of the galley, fell the great gate of iron.
I was pitched upward, the prow of the galley, the forward gunnels seeming to leapupward. There had been a horrendous sound of splintering as the heavy gate had cut through the strakes of the galley like an ax through twigs. In that moment I had seen, through the closely set latticework of the gate, the chopped galley leaping upward. I saw Callimachus thrown into the water, and the men, suddenly, lifted up with the galley, some clinging to benches, thers rolling on the deck.Almost at the same time the walls, on the inside, seemed alive with archers, who much have been hidden behind the parapets. The prow to which I clung, then fell back towards the water, and I leaped from it. In a moment I rose to the surface gasphing, trying to see. The debris of the forequarters of the galley was floating about me. Outside the gate I saw the rest of the galley subsiding into the water. From the walls arrows were raining down upon its settling timbers. The men were not in the water, swimming from the scattered wood, darting arrows piercing the water about them, then bobbing upward. I swam underwater to the base of the sea gate. I could not push through the closely set latticework. There was no passage under or about the iron. Its iron posts were received by rounded holes, six inches in width, drilled in a flat, horizontal sill. At last, lungs bursting, shaking water from my eyes, I rose the the surface and clutched at the iron latticework. It was dark outside the gate. I could see some shattered wood, floating in the moonlight.Too, there were numerous arrows, like sticks, floating about. Doubtless they would later be collected and dried. The three galleys we had towed were now adrift, aimlessly, almost lost in the shadows. I heard laughter on the wall. I was aware then of a lanters, and a smlal boat, behind me. I felt as I clung to the iron a rope put upon my neck.
30. I Am Interrogated in the Hall of Policrates; A Girl it to be Whipped I am Taken to the Chamber of the Windlass
"Taunt him," said Policrates.
The red-haired beauty, nude, began to press herself against me, in the long, sensuous, full-body caresses of the female slave. I struggled in the chains. My hair was still wet from the dark waters of the lakelike couryard othe the holding of Policrastes. There were rope burns on my neck, from the coarse tether, now removed, on which I had been dragged, bound into his presence. My clothes had been cut from me. I had then been chained, hand and foot, on my back to four iron rings set int the tiles before the dias on which reposed his curule chair. Policrates, indolent in the chair, lifted a finger and another girl, one whom I recalled was called Tais, from the feast, dark-haired, nude, knelt beside me and began to kiss and lick at my right foot and leg.