第19章

“Wanderer，weowetheegreatthanks，andIwouldgladlyknowtowhomweareindebtforthepricesofourlives，“shesaid。“Tellmeofthybirth，ofthyfather’shouse，andofthelandsthatthouhastseenandthewarswhereinthouhastfought。TellmealsoofthesackofIlios，andhowthoucamestbythygoldenmail。TheunhappyParisworesucharmsasthese，iftheminstreloftheNorthsangtruth。“

Now，theWandererwouldgladlyhavecursedthisminstreloftheNorthandhissongs。

“Minstrelswillbelying，Lady，“hesaid，“andtheygatheroldtaleswherevertheygo。Parismayhavewornmyarms，oranotherman。I

boughtthemfromachapmaninCrete，andaskednothingoftheirfirstmaster。AsforIlios，Ifoughtthereinmyyouth，andservedtheCretanIdomeneus，butIgotlittlebooty。TotheKingthewealthandwomen，tousthesword-strokes。Suchistheappearanceofwar。“

Meriamunlistenedtohistale，whichhesetforthroughly，asifheweresomeblunt，grumblingswordsman，anddarklyshelookedonhimwhileshehearkened，anddarklyshesmiledasshelooked。

“Astrangestory，Eperitus，astrangestorytruly。Nowtellmethus。

Howcamestthoubyyondergreatbow，thebowoftheswallowstring？Ifmyminstrelspoketruly，itwasoncetheBowofEurytusof？chalia。“

NowtheWandererglancedroundhimlikeamantakeninambush，whoseesoneveryhandtheswordoffoesshineupintothesunlight。

“Thebow，Lady？“heansweredreadilyenough。“Igotitstrangely。I

wascruisingwithacargoofirononthewesterncoastandlandedonanisle，methinksthepilotcalleditIthaca。Therewefoundnothingbutdeath；apestilencehadbeenintheland，butinaruinedhallthisbowwaslying，andImadeprizeofit。Agoodbow！“

“Astrangestory，truly——averystrangestory，“quothMeriamuntheQueen。“BychancethoudidstbuythearmourofParis，bychancethoudidstfindthebowofEurytus，thatbow，methinks，withwhichthegod-

likeOdysseusslewthewooersinhishalls。Knowestthou，Eperitus，thatwhenthoustoodestyonderontheboardinthePlaceofBanquets，whenthegreatbowtwangedandthelongshaftshaileddownonthehallandloosenedthekneesofmany，notalittlewasIputinmindofthesongoftheslayingofthewooersatthehandsofOdysseus。ThefameofOdysseushaswanderedfar——ay，eventoKhem。“Andshelookedstraightathim。

TheWandererdarkenedhisfaceandputthematterby。Hehadheardsomethingofthattale，hesaid，butdeemeditaminstrel’sfeigning。

Onemancouldnotfightahundred，asthestorywent。

TheQueenhalfrosefromthecouchwhereshelaycurleduplikeaglitteringsnake。Likeasnakesheroseandwatchedhimwithhermelancholyeyes。

“Strange，indeed——moststrangethatOdysseus，Laertes’son，OdysseusofIthaca，shouldnotknowthetaleoftheslayingofthewooersbyOdysseus’self。Strange，indeed，thouEperitus，whoartOdysseus。“

NowtheneckoftheWandererwasinthenoose，andwellheknewit:

yethekepthiscounsel，andlookeduponhervacantly。

“MensaythatthisOdysseuswanderedyearsagointotheNorth，andthatthistimehewillnotcomeagain。Isawhiminthewars，andhewasatallermanthanI，“saidtheWanderer。

“Ihavealwaysheard，“saidtheQueen，“thatOdysseuswasdouble-

tonguedandcraftyasafox。Lookmeintheeyes，thouWanderer，lookmeintheeyes，andIwillshowtheewhetherornotthouartOdysseus，“andsheleanedforwardsothatherhairwell-nighswepthisbrow，andgazeddeepintohiseyes。

NowtheWandererwasashamedtodrophiseyesbeforeawoman’s，andhecouldnotriseandgo；sohemustneedsgaze，andashegazedhisheadgrewstrangelylightandthebloodquiveredinhisveins，andthenseemedtostop。

“Nowturn，thouWanderer，“saidthevoiceoftheQueen，andtohimitsoundedfaraway，asiftherewasawallbetweenthem，“andtellmewhatthouseest。“

Soheturnedandlookedtowardsthedarkendofthechamber。Butpresentlythroughthedarknessstoleafaintlight，likethefirstgreylightofthedawn，andnowhesawashape，liketheshapeofagreathorseofwood，andbehindthehorsewereblacksquaretowersofhugestones，andgates，andwalls，andhouses。Nowhesawadooropeninthesideofthehorse，andthehelmetedheadofamanlookoutwearily。Ashelookedagreatwhitestarsliddowntheskysothatthelightofitrestedonthefaceoftheman，andthatfacewashisown！

ThenherememberedhowhehadlookedforthfromthebellyofthewoodenhorseasitstoodwithinthewallsofIlios，andthusthestarhadseemedtofalluponthedoomedcity，anomenoftheendofTroy。

“Lookagain，“saidthevoiceofMeriamunfromfaraway。

Sooncemorehelookedintothedarkness，andtherehesawthemouthofacave，andbeneathtwopalmsinfrontofitsatamanandawoman。

Theyellowmoonroseanditslightfelluponasleepingsea，upontalltrees，uponthecave，andthetwowhosatthere。Thewomanwaslovely，withbraidedhair，andcladinashiningrobe，andhereyesweredimwithtearsthatshemightnevershed:forshewasaGoddess，Calypso，thedaughterofAtlas。Theninthevisionthemanlookedup，andhisfacewasweary，andwornandsickforhome，butitwashisownface。

ThenherememberedhowhehadsatthusatthesideofCalypsoofthebraidedtresses，onthatlastnightofallhisnightsinherwave-girtisle，thecentreoftheseas。

“Lookoncemore，“saidthevoiceofMeriamuntheQueen。

Againhelookedintothedarkness。TherebeforehimgrewtheruinsofhisownhallinIthaca，andinthecourtyardbeforethehallwasaheapofashes，andthecharredbonesofmen。Beforetheheaplaythefigureofonelostinsorrow，forhislimbswrithedupontheground。

Anonthemanliftedhisface，andbehold！theWandererknewthatitwashisownface。

Thenofasuddenthegloompassedawayfromthechamber，andoncemorehisbloodsurgedthroughhisveins，andtherebeforehimsatMeriamuntheQueen，smilingdarkly。

“Strangesightshastthouseen，isitnotso，Wanderer？“shesaid。

“Yea，Queen，themoststrangeofsights。Tellmeofthycourtesyhowthoudidstconjurethembeforemyeyes。“

“BythemagicthatIhave，Eperitus，IaboveallwizardswhodwellinKhem，themagicwherebyIcanreadallthepastofthose——Ilove，“andagainshelookeduponhim；“ay，andcallitforthfromthestorehouseofdeadtimeandmakeitliveagain。Say，whosefacewasitthatthoudidstlookupon——wasitnotthefaceofOdysseusofIthaca，Laertes’

son，andwasnotthatfacethine？“

NowtheWanderersawthattherewasnoescape。Thereforehespokethetruth，notbecausehelovedit，butbecausehemust。

“ThefaceofOdysseusofIthacaitwasthatIsawbeforeme，Lady，andthatfaceismine。IavowmyselftobeOdysseus，Laertes’son，andnootherman。“

TheQueenlaughedaloud。“Greatmustbemystrengthofmagic，“shesaid，“foritcanstriptheguilefromthesubtlestofmen。

Henceforth，Odysseus，thouwiltknowthattheeyesofMeriamuntheQueenseefar。Nowtellmetruly:whatcamestthouhithertoseek？“

TheWanderertookswiftcounselwithhimself。RememberingthatdreamofMeriamunofwhichReithePriesthadtoldhim，andwhichsheknewnotthathehadlearned，thedreamthatshowedherthevisionofonewhomshemustlove，andrememberingthewordofthedeadHataska，hegrewafraid。Forhesawwellbythetokenofthespearpointthathewasthemanofherdream，andthatsheknewit。Buthecouldnotacceptherlove，bothbecauseofhisoathtoPharaohandbecauseofherwhomAphroditehadshowntohiminIthaca，herwhomalonehemustseek，theHeart’sDesire，theGoldenHelen。

Thestraitwasdesperate，betweenabrokenoathandawomanscorned。

Buthefearedhisoath，andtheangerofZeus，theGodofhostsandguests。Sohesoughtsafetybeneaththewingsoftruth。

“Lady，“hesaid，“Iwilltelltheeall！IcametoIthacafromthewhitenorth，whereacursehaddrivenme；Icameandfoundmyhallsdesolate，andmypeopledead，andtheveryashesofmywife。ButinadreamofthenightIsawtheGoddesswhomIhaveworshippedlittle，AphroditeofIdalia，whominthislandyenameHathor，andshebademegoforthanddoherwill。AndforrewardshepromisedmethatIshouldfindonewhowaitedmetobemydeathlesslove。“

Meriamunheardhimsofar，butnofurther，forofthisshemadesure，that/she/wasthewomanwhomAphroditehadpromisedtotheWanderer。

Erehemightspeakanotherwordsheglidedtohimlikeasnake，andlikeasnakecurledherselfabouthim。Thenshespokesolowthatheratherknewherthoughtthanheardherwords:

“Wasitindeedso，Odysseus？DidtheGoddessindeedsendtheetoseekmeout？Know，then，thatnottotheealonedidshespeak。Ialsolookedforthee。IalsowaitedthecomingofonewhomIshouldlove。

Oh，heavyhavebeenthedays，andemptywasmyheart，andsorelythroughtheyearshaveIlongedforhimwhoshouldbebroughttome。

Andnowatlengthitisdone，nowatlengthIseehimwhominmydreamIsaw，“andsheliftedherlipstothelipsoftheWanderer，andherheart，andhereyes，andherlipssaid“Love。“