Michael Thomas: Gates of Cilicia

“Xenophon!” called out a familiar voice. He helped lower the woman to a reclining chair so she could rest. He then headed to the group of people and the man that had just called his name. As he approached, he recognised the beard and bald head of his old mentor, Kratez.

“Kratez, you are here,” he said with genuine pleasure. He moved up to the old man and pulled him close. In years past, Xenophon had attended many of the old master’s classes and lectures. He had often pushed the young man to question everything. It made neither of them popular, but it had forced Xenophon to think about everything he did, and so he hoped it had made him a better man.

“Of course, I couldn’t miss the vote now could I?” he replied with a smile.

The two sat down in the long reclining seats. A young woman approached with a silver tray upon which sat a decanter and a number of beautifully carved crystal glasses.

“Fortified wine, sir?” she asked them both.

Kratez made a happy sound and grabbed the nearest glass. Xenophon waited until he was done before accepting a glass for himself. She poured the dark red wine until both were satisfied.

“Ah, this is more like it. They’ve been getting quite stingy when it comes to drink at the Academy.”

Xenophon took a measure, moving the liquid about his mouth before swallowing. It had a warm glow as it slid down, instantly calming him. He turned to Glaucon who seemed busy chatting with a group of young people.

“Excellent wine, old chap, thank you.”

Glaucon raised his glass but didn’t turn from his conversation.

“So, Xenophon? Tell me about your studies. I assume you have continued your work on the classics as well as the more philosophical arts.”

“I’ve also delved into work on machine learning,” Xenophon answered, doing his best to impress the old man but without sounding too cocky.

“Good, it is a good idea to keep one’s mind occupied with the myriad of subjects available to us. How about your study of the martial arts, have you been keeping busy?”

Xenophon looked a little embarrassed at the question.

“Well, boy, come on, tell me.”

“The Boule discussed the martial arts academy I was helping to run, and they voted to shut it down.”

“Why?”

Xenophon shrugged.

“We had a few injuries in the hand-to-hand weapons training, a few broken bones with the staffs. Nothing major, but the safety commission became involved and came to the conclusion our training was dangerous, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed.”

Kratez sighed.

“I see, this is perhaps one of the many reasons we suffer when forced to fight our enemies at close quarters.”

“Have you tried to explain this to the Military Academy?”

“Of course, my boy. The trouble is, there is still the opinion that our Navy is all we need to defend the Alliance. Providing no enemy reaches this solid earth, we will be safe,” he explained, as he reached down and tapped the ground. He tried to lift himself back up but groaned at the discomfort. Xenophon helped him back to his seat.

“Thank you,” he said with genuine warmth. “Now, let’s see some of this banned training.”

“Training?” asked Xenophon, now both a little confused and also dulled by the wine.

“Yes, the hand-to-hand training you’re so fond of.”

“Oh, I see.”

Xenophon looked about the room until he found Glaucon with the two young ladies still draped around his arms.

“Glaucon!” he called, but the man was far too preoccupied.

Xenophon stood and moved towards him. As he came closer, he recognised one of the ladies from his classes at the university.

“Aurora?”

She turned and looked up to him. Her pale face looked pallid in the dull light, and her eyes rolled, the obvious consequence of excessive amounts of liquor. Still no reply, so he reached out, turning Glaucon around to face him.

“Easy, Xenophon, can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Kratez would like a demonstration of close combat.”

“Would he now? Well, go and tell him I have other kinds of combat in mind.”

He turned back to the two ladies, but something had caught their interest. Aurora swayed around him and placed one hand across his face.

“Go on, Glaucon. We want to see you fight!” she said with a wide smile.

He leaned forward and planted his lips firmly on hers. She stayed for a few seconds before pulling back.

“Fight first, I want to see you.”

He looked back to Xenophon and then to Aurora.

“Okay, fine, but afterwards we get to do a bit of fighting on our own. Deal?”

He stood up, and Aurora slid back onto her back, rolling sideways as provocatively as she could. He looked at her, waiting for an answer, but she gave the impression she had already forgotten whatever he had just said.

“Uh, sure, baby,” she said with a smile.

Glaucon stepped up to Xenophon. He swayed slightly, but was far below the levels of drunkenness he had seen at other dinner parties. He indicated for Xenophon to follow him, and the two moved to a pair of thick wooden chests. As they moved, the rest of the guests chattered excitedly. It was clear there was about to be some kind of display or demonstration. Glaucon pulled up the lid of the first chest to reveal a mass of training weapons and padding. He looked over his shoulder to Xenophon.

“What did you have in mind?”

Xenophon looked inside and reached in to withdraw a long, slender looking sword. The blade was over a metre long and tapered to a safety tip, so the weapon could be used without causing serious injury. It was a traditional weapon from the violent past of the seventeenth century back on Earth.

“Really? You want to play with rapiers? How about something more manly?”

“Like what?” Xenophon asked.

Glaucon reached in and withdrew a short, broad bladed sword. It was specially designed to match the weight and handling characteristics of an actual sword but safe with both its edge and tip. It looked like metal but was in fact made from advanced polymers for longevity and safety. He held it out with his right hand and twirled it about. Xenophon looked on with a look of almost irritation about his face.

“You finished yet?” he asked sarcastically. “Why don’t we use the bucklers as well?”

Glaucon shrugged and moved to the second chest. He lifted the lid and pulled out a pair of bucklers. Made from hardened plastic, they looked like the original metal designs from which they were based upon. He threw one to Xenophon and placed the second in his left hand. Xenophon reached down and pulled out another of the training swords.

“Come on, show us some skin!” called out one of the women.

Glaucon needed no further encouragement and, in an impressive display of speed, pulled off his jacket and shirt so that he was naked from the waist up. Xenophon watched him with annoyance.

“Really? Any excuse to rip off your shirt.”

“Come on, Xenophon!” called out an unseen voice from the group. “Show us what you’ve got.”

Xenophon refused and stood in the clothes he had arrived in. Taunts and jibes quickly spread about the group, and still he refused. It wasn’t that he was scared of Glaucon; it was just that he knew the man would play to the crowd. That, mixed with the large quantity of alcohol he had consumed, could prove to be a perfect combination of ugliness that might end with one or both of them being seriously injured, until he relented.

“Okay, okay!”

He placed the training weapons on top of the chest and carefully undid his jacket. Glaucon started to pace, but it was obvious to Xenophon he was just playing with the crowd. The two shared many interests, but in terms of character, they were a world apart. Where Xenophon was reserved and intellectual, Glaucon was passionate and extroverted. A cheer rang out as he removed his shirt and placed it next to his jacket. The two men collected their weapons and moved off to the middle of the room. More people arrived from the other room until there must have been over thirty spectators. At least half were inebriated with alcohol. Kratez moved to the two men and stepped between them.