Ivan Yefremov - Thais of Athens

The king invited the Athenian to discuss an urgent matter. He received her and Ptolemy on the south terrace, surrounded by a solid white-pink wall of blooming almond trees. Thais had not seen Alexander since the crossing of Arrack and found him changed. The unnatural glint in his eyes was gone; they had turned deep and reacquired their distant gaze. His face, once thin from superhuman strain, had regained its color and youthful smoothness of skin. His movements were slightly lazy, as those of a sated lion. Alexander greeted the hetaera happily, sat her next to him and ordered sweets prepared by local chefs from nuts, dates, honey and buffalo butter.

The Athenian placed her fingers on the king’s broad wrist and smiled questioningly, but Alexander remained silent.

“I am dying of curiosity,” the hetaera exclaimed suddenly. “What do you need me for? Tell me, don’t torture me.”

The king abandoned his serious demeanor. At that moment Ptolemy was reminded of the way Alexander used to be when they’d been childhood friends.

“You know my dream of the queen of Amazons. You yourself tried to kill it in Egypt.”

“I killed nothing,” Thais said indignantly. “I only told the truth.”

“I know. But sometimes one wants to realize a dream, if only in a fairy tale, or a song, or in a theatrical performance.”

“I am beginning to understand,” Thais said slowly.

“Only you, a rider, an actress, and a woman as lovely as a goddess, are capable of fulfilling my wish.”

“To see the queen of Amazons at your side? In a theatrical performance? What for?”

“You have guessed. But it will not be at a theater, no. You shall ride with me through the crowds of revelers gathered here for the celebration. It will start a rumor that the queen of Amazons came to me to become my subject and my wife. A legend will be born that everyone will believe. A hundred thousand witnesses will spread the news through all of Asia.

“And then? What will happen to the queen?”

“She will go to her domain at Thermodont. And you, Thais, will come to my feast at the palace as a guest.”

The hetaera snorted. “I agree. But where will I get other Amazons to accompany me?”

“Find two. You won’t need more. You’ll be riding with me.”

“Very well, I’ll take my Eris. She’ll be my army captain. Her menacing looks will convince anyone.”

“Thank you. Ptolemy, order the best craftsmen to make a golden helmet for Thais …”

Thais interrupted, saying enthusiastically, “ …and a silver one for Eris …and round shields with images of snakes and hawks …and bows with quivers and arrows …and short spears …and small swords with golden hilts. Oh, and also a nice leopard hide!”

“Did you hear that, Ptolemy?” Alexander said, pleased with her answer.

“Of course. But what are we to do about the armor? It cannot be made as quickly. And it cannot be simply found for women. If the armor does not fit precisely right, they will look as if they are playing dress-up.”

“That is not a problem,” Thais said. “We shall ride in the nude, like true Amazons, wearing only the belts for swords and quivers.”

“Splendid!” Alexander exclaimed, hugging and kissing Thais.

The Athenian and Eris and a hundred Thessalian horsemen, the escort of the future “queen of Amazons”, went to the royal baths near one of the large lakes, ten parsangs south of Persepolis. The swift Araks flowed into it. The silt brought by the spring floods had already settled, and the blue mirror of the lake had regained its pristine clarity.

The white structures of a small palace, the shoreside verandahs, staircases descending all the way to the water, and the distant shores vanishing in the blue midday haze were completely deserted. This place could be a dwelling of a goddess or a god. Here the manmade structures were built in harmony with the surrounding nature, the same way as in Thais’ native Hellas. The builders of palaces and temples of Egypt, Babylon and Persia all tried to separate themselves from nature. But this was an exception. At this quiet lake, Thais felt calm and peaceful for the first time in years. It was as if she were dissolving in the pure mountain air, the sunshine, the barely audible splashing of waves, and the rustling of sprawling pine trees.

The two women chose a square gazebo. The staircase leading to the water was surrounded by a tall railing, completely hiding them from the curious. Thais lay on the marble in the sun at the edge of water, evening out her coppery tan, while Eris sat on the steps, thoughtfully gazing at the water and listening to the wind.

When the heat receded, an old servant came to visit them, riding in a light boat made of white wood and bringing fresh fruit. He was a slave from the distant Caducei and he took Thais sailing on the lake. A long time before, the old Caducean served a Greek mercenary and had learned Coyne. In simple and descriptive words he told her legends about lakes, about the beautiful peri, the nymphs of fire, love, and wisdom who dwelled in the surrounding mountains. He also told her about the mean and gloomy genies, the male deities of desert chasms who served the peri.

The boat glided slowly over the transparent waters, the oar splashing in a regular rhythm. As she listened to the old man’s quiet voice, Thais dreamed with her eyes open. The carefree, airy beauties with flashes of fire in their light garments slid over the water, undulating seductively in flight. They beckoned to the outcroppings of bare rocks, guarding the forbidden dwellings of the desert spirits. Thais, too, wanted to become a peri, neither a human being nor a goddess, free of troubles, love affairs, discourse and competition occupying both people and Olympian gods alike.

Returning from her dreams, Thais ran her hands over her muscular, smooth, earthly body, feeling sad and amused at the same time. She sighed, then dove into the cool depths of the lake, inaccessible to the fiery beauties.

Six days passed quickly, and the eve of the celebration finally arrived. Having talked to the Thessalians, the Athenian decided to appear in the city in the evening. The mad horde burst into the city with shouts and whistles, striking their shields, accompanied by clanking weapons and harnesses, hoofbeats and neighing. They all rushed to the northeast edge of the city and to a large house which had been prepared in advance.

Rumors about the arrival of the queen of Amazons had spread through the city instantly. Hundreds of people were struck by the noisy intrusion and had told everyone about the event. Having mistaken the Thessalians for Amazons, they counted nearly a thousand menacing, female riders carrying throwing knives in their teeth.

After that, nobody saw a single Thermodont woman until the divine conqueror of “king of kings”, the new ruler of Asia, Alexander himself rode out to the crowded square near the southern palaces, accompanied by his captains. The huge and beautiful Macedonian’s golden armor and helmet, molded into the shape of a lion’s head, shone brightly in the sun. Golden reins contrasted the black hide of his mighty horse, Bucefal, who was almost as famous as his rider.

The queen of Amazons, also in golden armor, rode to Alexander’s left, a place of high honor. People watched Alexander and his divinely beautiful companion with bated breath. The Amazon, in her pure and disdainful nudity, sat atop an incredibly beautiful horse, reddish chestnut, with a long black tail and mane, braided with golden threads. The pacer, small and agile, looked as small as a lizard next to the huge Bucefal. The Amazon queen’s copper-skinned body was circled by a belt of golden squares with a short sword. Her back was covered by a leopard skin, upon which rested her bow and arrows, framed by two long blond braids which fell from under the glittering helmet. The queen’s face was framed by a wide helmet strap, which, combined with a low brim, gave her a warlike and uncompromising look. On her left arm, above her elbow, the Amazon carried a shield with the image of Circe’s golden hawk in the center.