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His young friend shrugged. "I suppose it would be little comfort, but if it stops the plague, what does the fate of one woman matter?"
"Briseis matters to me," Achilles swore. "Go and make certain Agamemnon has freed Chryseis before you take her to his tent."
"You wish me to do it?" Patroclus's voice wavered.
"Yes, I'll not give Agamemnon the satisfaction of gloating over this vile bargain. Now go, and keep a watch on his pavilion before he dares to demand even more of us."
"As you wish." Patroclus waited as Achilles walked away, his head down, clearly so angry he could barely breathe. Agamemnon had to know he'd just made a worse enemy than the Trojan's Prince Hektor. Even if they ended the plague, Patroclus dared not think what calamity would next befall them.
He did as he'd been told, and waited in the shadows until he saw Odysseus escort Chryseis from Agamemnon's shelter on their way to Apollo's temple. He found Briseis alone in Achilles tent, and while he was uncertain what had occurred between them, she smiled as he entered, making his task all more difficult. "You must come with me," he stated firmly. "Gather whatever you have to bring with you."
She rose and searched his face for a meaning not in his words. "I have nothing. Where are we going?"
He'd grown fond of her, and had to cough to clear his throat. "Agamemnon has forced Achilles to give you up. It was not Achilles doing, so you mustn't blame him. Agamemnon is the commander-in-chief of our entire army. Achilles must comply with his commands."
Stunned, she gathered the sides of her tunic in her fists. "So he is sharing me after all."
"No," Patroclus exclaimed. "As I said, he was forced, but he'll no longer fight with Agamemnon. He's through with this evil war."
"Too late for my husband and our people," she remarked sadly. Achilles had been kind to her. She'd become less fearful around him, but her life had now taken another dreadful turn, and she braced herself for the worst. "I won't even ask what sort of man Agamemnon is, but thank you for the kindness you've shown me."
"You were never simply a conquest prize to me," he stressed. He raised the tent flap and she walked by him, her head held high, still a lovely princess even in a borrowed tunic.
* * *
The great Ajax strode through the Greek camp seeking Menelaus. He stood a head taller than all the other men and walked with a regal bearing. When he found Menelaus, he didn't hide his dismay. "Why didn't you try and reason with your brother? He's gained nothing by taking Briseis if we've lost Achilles, who not only fights well but also inspires all the troops. How can Agamemnon be such a fool?"
"He's never listened to me," Menelaus admitted with a hapless shrug. "I wanted only Helen, but he's after the riches of Troy. With that goal burning in his heart, nothing else has mattered. You should have argued with him."
Ajax swore a foul oath. "You know I vied for Helen, and I would have been a fine husband for her. I promised to come to your aid should anyone take her from you, and I'll fight by your side to win her back. But I've never liked your brother and he knows it. He wouldn't have listened to me. We should have anticipated how badly he'd react to Achilles' demand and been prepared for it. The fault is ours and doesn't rest on your shoulders alone. Still, you should have spoken the obvious: Achilles is worth more than a thousand pretty girls like Briseis."
"Yes, I should have," Menelaus reluctantly agreed. "The foul odor of the plague has made thinking too difficult." He sat in his tent looking out at the sea and longed for the days when Helen was by his side and life was filled with simple pleasures rather than the stench of this terrible war.
* * *
Once his temper cooled, Agamemnon realized what a grave error he'd made. He could not appear weak and approach Achilles, but he knew the young man was equally proud and would not return with his warriors without some consolations. But he was the high king, and he'd not grovel before anyone, let alone a man half his age. Achilles was an outstanding warrior, but he didn't know his place. There were others, mighty Ajax for one, who could battle with equal vigor.
When Patroclus brought Briseis to Agamemnon, he walked around the lovely girl, but felt not a flicker of lust. She was beautiful to be sure, but certainly was not worth his present trouble. When it occurred to him she might be useful in a later dealing with Achilles, he took her into a small shelter where he kept his personal supplies.
"Girl, you'll stay here and share my food, but do not cause me a bit of trouble because you'll find me a harsh man when I'm angry. Is that clear?" He turned to his guard. "Give her whatever she wants, but keep her here." The guard slammed his fist against his chest armor with a clang in salute and stiffened his stand.
Agamemnon's dark eyes held a threatening gleam, and his thick wavy beard only partly hid the downward curve of his mouth. "Be calm, young one, you're a prized piece in my grim game with Achilles and will come to no harm here if you behave." She nodded, and he left her to plan how he would attack Troy without the aid of Achilles and his men.
Chapter 24
Achilles shoved his own tent's guard out of the way and jogged down to the beach. Once on the shore, he shouted his mother's name to the sea. Thetis was a nymph, who dwelled in a splendid palace in the depths of the sea. She heard his first call, and swam to the surface attended by her sea servant girls, the Nerieds. She waved her beautiful throng away, and emerged from the misty waves alone. She stepped lightly over the wet sand and came to stand beside him.
"I heard your cry, and it is always a joy to see you, my dear son. Do you have some need of me?"
He drew in a deep breath to steady himself, and related how greatly he'd been humiliated by Agamemnon and how fiercely he hated him. "He's the cause of the deadly plague decimating our numbers by taking a priestess of Apollo, and while he grudgingly agreed to return her, he demanded Briseis, my beautiful prize of war in her place to restore his lost status. I refuse to serve a tyrant, and I won't fight beside him ever again in this wicked war."
She took his hand as they strolled along the shore and talked a long while. Rather than offer soothing advice, she took her son's side. "You should not have been treated so badly. Agamemnon is a fool, and he'll never conquer Troy without your help. You're the best of the Greek warriors, and you have no real rival in all the world. I'll go to Zeus and seek his intervention. He is very fond of you, and will be amenable to your cause, I'm sure."
Achilles kissed her cheek. Her skin was always warm, untouched by the chill of the sea. "I love you, Mother. You're the best of goddesses," he whispered.
She smiled and touched his fair hair. "I'm so proud of you, my great son. I'll speak with Zeus while you rest." She waited until he had returned to his tent to soar to Mt. Olympus. Zeus's palace circled the peak of the mountain, and she found him seated in the garden courtyard strumming a lyre. His nimbus, radiant beams of light, radiated from his glorious head.
"Thetis, how delightful to see you. Come and sit with me." He set the instrument aside to make room for her. "You appear troubled, my dear, has some misfortune befallen Achilles?"
