"That was you," Hector said, "or the Goddess—"
Aeneas laughed. "The Beautiful One," he said,"screaming all the way back to Olympos, I dare say, to sit in Zeus Thunderer's lap and tell him all about the nasty men fighting. I hope the Thunderer commands her, in no uncertain terms, to stay off the battlefield from now on; it's no place for ladies - not even when they're Goddesses," he added.
Kassandra finished tying up his hand.
His eyes smiled at her. To her he still bore the glamour of the Goddess, and her heart beat faster. If he sought her again she knew she would never be able to resist him. Is this the revenge of the Goddess because I would not serve her? Has Aphrodite conquered me when Apollo could not?
She had finished the bandaging; it was with reluctance that she let go of his hand. There was a little stall nearby where the soldiers bought bread and wine at mid-day; Hector went to it and brought back two goblets of wine and gave one to Aeneas, who shrugged it away. Creusa said, "Drink it, you have lost blood," and he shook his head.
"I've cut myself worse and lost more blood shaving," he said, but he sipped at the wine and laughed.
"I wonder if they will tell the same mad tales as they did when the Goddess appeared when Paris fought Menelaus?"
"No doubt," Kassandra said. He was looking straight at her.
"The Akhaians seem to like that kind of story."
"Well, the Gods will do as they will, and not as we ask them to," Aeneas said. "Yet by my divine ancestress, I wish they would go away and let us get on with the war. It's not their business, it's ours."
"I think perhaps it is their business more than ours," Helen said, "and we have very little to say about it."
"But why? Why should the Gods care who wins a mortals' war?" Andromache asked.
Hector shrugged. "Why not?"
And to that not even Kassandra ventured an answer.
"There was a time when I believed that we were altogether at the mercy of the Akhaian troops," Hector said. "But now that Akhilles has abandoned them—"
"That can hardly go on for long," Helen said. "I cannot imagine the great Akhilles remaining for long sulking in his tent like a little boy…'
"But that is exactly what Akhilles is like," Aeneas said. "A cruel, arrogant schoolboy."
Hector said, without changing expression, "We must not question the decrees of the Gods."
Aeneas replied, "If the Gods make decisions which would be set aside as the decisions of the mad, perhaps they are not to be obeyed blindly. Perhaps—" But he lowered his voice and looked round fearfully as he spoke, "perhaps they are testing us to see if we have the wit to stand against them."
"Maybe they are headstrong like Akhilles," Helen said, "and if they cannot have their own way in a game they will smash all the playthings."
"I think it is like that," Hector said, "and we are the playthings."
CHAPTER 4
For the next few days Kassandra heard the war news from the old cake-woman. It seemed that Akhilles remained in his tent, never showing his face even to encourage his companions; and the war dragged on without much change. Hector fought a prolonged duel with Ajax, but they fought till it became too dark to continue, and neither had the advantage. Agamemnon tried a bluff, threatening to pull out of the war too, if Akhilles would not fight; but the Akhaians greeted this threat with so much glee, rushing for their ships and starting to pack up their gear, that he had to spend much of the next day coaxing his men to come back, offering them gifts and bribes to continue fighting.
That night Kassandra drifted in confused dreams of Olympos; Hera, tall and proud, stood and demanded help in destroying the city of Troy.
"Zeus has forbidden us to intervene," said the tall Athene, sombre and sad, "although he has allowed me to counsel the Trojans, if they will but listen to my wisdom. Why do you hate them so fanatically, Hera? Are you still jealous because Paris did not award the crown of beauty to you? What did you expect? Aphrodite is, after all, the Goddess of Beauty; I learned long ago that I could not compete with her. And why should you care what a mortal thinks?"
"Then you, Poseidon!" The proud Lady turned to the hairy sea-God, thick set, bearded, muscled like a swimmer. "Let me have your help in destroying the walls of Troy. Zeus has ordained it, and when it is done he will not be angry."
"Not I," said Poseidon. "Not till the time ordained has come. I know better than to conspire with a woman against the will of her husband."
Thunder flashed as Hera stamped her foot and cried out, "You will regret this!" But Poseidon had taken the form of a great white stallion and galloped away along the shore; the pounding of his hooves sounded like the crash of waves along the sea-wall the Akhaians had built.
Kassandra woke in dread, hearing the sound of Poseidon's rage, wondering if it presaged another earthquake, but all was quiet in the temple, and at last she slept again. In the morning she found that a few vases and dishes had fallen from tables and shelves, and a lamp had overturned, but had burned itself out on the stone floor without setting anything arise; if there had been an earthquake it had been a very small one, hardly more than a shrug of the God's shoulders. The Immortals seemed to have the same unresolved squabbles as those inconclusive duels between the soldiers, which settled nothing. Well, they—the soldiers—were only human and could hardly be blamed for behaving foolishly; but Kassandra would have thought the Gods would have something better to do.
She resolved that this day she would stay away from the city wall; she had seen enough of these duels and she supposed with Akhilles still hiding in his tent, there would be nothing happening yet again. It was surprising, she thought, how much time she had wasted of late gossiping with the other women watching from the walls.
Honey was outgrowing her frocks; Kassandra spent the morning looking through her own possessions and inquiring of the priestesses; perhaps there would be something suitable among the offerings that she could use to make her daughter some clothes. She was given a piece of saffron-dyed material, which she thought would look pretty with the little girl's dark curls and lively dark eyes, from which she could fashion a gown and kerchief. The child would still need sandals; she was running everywhere now, and after the big earthquake the courts were full of rubbish on which she could hurt her feet. She started to call a servant to go to the market to fetch leather for sandals, then decided to go herself and take the child.
Honey was big enough now to scamper along beside her, and to understand that she was to have sandals like a big girl; Kassandra enjoyed the feeling of the small fat hand in hers. Sagely she examined the sandals displayed for sale; the prices were not, it seemed, exorbitant. She arranged to try a sturdy pair on the child and finding them well built and satisfactorily fitting the little feet, allowed Honey to choose which pattern she liked best.
"And for you, Lady?" the sandal-maker asked. By habit Kassandra started to say no, then followed the man's gaze to her feet. Her sandals were much worn, thinning at the sole, and one strap mended and re-mended. Well, after all, she had worn them to Colchis and back.
"Well, these sandals have been halfway round the world; I suppose they deserve to be honorably put out to pasture like an old mare," she said, and allowed him to show her several pairs, all of which were too large. At last he measured her foot and said, "The Lady has such a little foot; I must make a pair to your measure."
"I did not design my own foot," Kassandra said, "but if you will make me a pair by this pattern—" she indicated the most nearly fitting of the sandals he had shown her,"that will do nicely. Meanwhile I suppose you can simply mend the strap of these yet again."