Ivan Yefremov - Thais of Athens

As if guessing his thoughts, Thais asked, “What happens when you defeat Darius and open the gates to Asia?”

“To the east, to the ocean,” Alexander replied easily, feeling inexplicable trust toward the Athenian hetaera.

“Is it far away?”

“Do you know of a diaphragm of mountain range separating dry land?”

“I know a little.”

“There are thirty thousand stadium from here to its eastern edge. The Cape Tamar is at the distant end of land.”

“Locheara [23] “Arrow-shooting” Artemis. ! To go through this, constantly fighting …”

“It’s not that much. In order to get here from Memphis, you have already traveled over four thousand stadiums. I think once we defeat Darius there won’t be much of an army left to resist us. In a year, maybe a year and a half I shall reach the shores of the ocean never seen by another mortal, or even immortal, except Helios.”

Alexander’s perceptive gaze did not find the expected admiration in Thais’ face. The hetaera appeared to be deep in thought.

“Is this really your most coveted dream?” she asked quietly, lowering her head.

“Yes. I have been obsessed with it since youth. And now I am at the threshold of realizing it.”

“And how many thousands of people will die, paving your path with corpses? Is the mysterious cape really worth it? It is probably just a bare rock on the shore of a dead ocean.”

The great army leader laughed. The sound was unexpected and merry. “A woman, even the smartest one, always remains shortsighted. Pericles’ Aspasia was the same way.”

“My mind really must be small. I do not understand you, Majesty.”

“It is so simple. I will only kill those who resist the movement of my army. It will go through like a plow, equaling all people. Did you not say yourself that good people everywhere are alike? Did you not admire my disagreement with teacher Aristotle? I believe intelligent people are worthy everywhere, and homonoya, the equality of mind, must unite Persia, India, Hellas, Egypt, Italy and Finikia. This can only be achieved by military force.”

“Why?”

“Because rulers and tyrants, army leaders and statesmen are afraid to lose their rights in my new state and thereby become lost within the multitude of the worthiest people. They will force their people to fight. They can only be brought to obedience by destroying their fortresses, killing their officers and taking away their wealth.”

“Are you capable of doing that amidst the endlessness of Ecumene?”

“I am the only one who can. Gods made me unbeatable till my death, and the Ecumene is not all that endless, as I told you. I’ll go to Parapamizes, beyond the Roof of the World [24] Tibet , to the Indus and further to the south till I reach the ocean, while Nearchus outlines the coast from Babylon to our meeting point at the edges of the earth.”

“When I listen to you, I start believing the teachings of Hebrew scholars,” Thais exclaimed. “They have Sephiroth, or Mind, also referred to as Heart or Vina, the female beginning. Wisdom or Hokma is a male beginning. With you, I realize that if women represent considerate order, then wisdom destroying it belongs to men.”

Thais’ philosophic discussion was interrupted by the Black Cleitus. He glanced at the Athenian, noticed his leader’s slight nod, then said, “Some wise man wants to see you. He says that he has an important apparatus (battle equipment) and can tell only you about it. You are leaving camp tomorrow?”

“Indeed. Some people find things out before I do. He really must be a wise man or a great mechanic. Let him in.”

A slightly plump, short man with shifty eyes entered, bowing constantly. He observed Thais cautiously, probably decided that such a beautiful woman must undoubtedly be as stupid as a Boeotian sheep, and knelt in front of Alexander.

“What kind of apparatus do you have and where is it?” the king asked.

“Presently only here,” the newcomer said, then pointed at his forehead and heart.

“How dare you?”

“Do not be angry, Majesty. The idea is so simple that the apparatus can be created in half an hour.” The inventor pulled out a massive, sharp copper nail with roughened surface, about one epydama [25] 21 centimeters in length. “You need to take wide cedar boards and nail these into them. A hundred such boards scattered in front of the enemy will stop the fastest cavalry attack, and you can make many hundreds. They are light to transport and easy to use. Can you imagine how effective such a defense would be? A horse that steps on a nail with one hoof would rip its own leg off, and if it steps on a board with two feet, it will fall and throw off its rider. If the boards are spread widely enough, he would also land on the nails and it would be over, for he could never get up. He would die a terrible death. Your soldiers would only have to pick up the weapons and valuables. It is a simple and effective defense.”

“It really is simple and effective,” Alexander said slowly, looking at the inventor.

From the corner of his eye, the king saw disgust on Thais’ face, which the Athenian wasn’t even trying to hide.

“Were you the only one who came up with this? Does anyone else know?”

“No, no, great victor. I am just for you. I thought only you could appreciate the value of my invention. And maybe there would be a reward …”

“Yes. A reward,” Alexander mused. His eyes suddenly flashed with anger. “There are limits that no mortal or even god is allowed to cross. True destiny is determined through an honest battle between the best with the best. Cleitus!” he shouted. The inventor, who was just rising, fell back to his knees before the king.

The giant burst into the tent.

“Take him, gag him, and kill him immediately.”

The inventor’s screams coming from behind the tent suddenly stopped. Thais knelt silently at Alexander’s feet, gazing at him with admiration and gently running her hands over the deep scars on his knees. Alexander placed a hand on the back of her head under the heavy knot of hair, trying to lift her up for a kiss.

But just then, merry voices sounded outside the tent and Black Cleitus called out to someone. Alexander’s associates entered, including Ptolemy. They brought news that a messenger had arrived from Lysimachus, saying a bridge across the Euphrates near Thapsak was ready. The leading detachment of Agrians had already crossed to the left bank. Information supplied by the cryptii-spies was confusing and contradictory, which was why the crossing had been delayed.

Alexander rose, forgetting temporarily about Thais. The hetaera slipped out of the tent and made a farewell gesture to Black Cleitus, who sat like a statue atop a massive chest in the front section of the royal tent. Then she stepped into the open air, walking under the large stars of the Syrian night. Having descended carefully down the slippery gravel path to a creek where her tent stood, Thais paused thoughtfully at the entrance until Za-Asht called her in for the evening bath. The hetaera sent the Finikian to bed, then sat on a leather cushion from Damascus, listening to the quiet bubbling of the creek and watching the sky. Over the last few weeks, she had rarely managed to be alone with the sky, which she found was necessary to restore her inner peace. Night’s carriage rolled on behind the hills, and Thais heard gravel from the path crunch under Ptolemy’s heavy steps.

“I came to say goodbye,” the Macedonian said. “Tomorrow we’ll fly ahead of everyone to Damascus, and from there to the north, across Hamat, to the Euphrates crossing.”

“How far is that?”

“Three thousand stadiums.”

“Artemis argotera!” Thais blurted. She always called on Artemis when she was startled.