Chapter Fourteen – Robbery at the Museum

The next morning Kali woke up and saw Tony had already left. She opened the door and found Takis waiting outside.
“The dawn has risen, madam,” he said. “I am to show you to your quarters so you may freshen yourself before you eat.”
Takis headed off down the hallway and Kali duly followed, trying to stifle her yawns. It had been a tough night. She had the dream about Erebos twice again before managing to drop off into a dreamless sleep. She did manage not to jump out of bed again though and Tony seemed to sleep through. He had been right though. She would have been horribly embarrassed this morning if they had done something last night. Her emotions were all over the place. It was hard trying to think for both of them in a strange world. She wished she’d never laid eyes on that chest.

They reached the women’s quarters and Adrianne had a bath ready for her. Takis left and Adrianne poured a whole bottle of perfume into the water. Kali sniffed towards her shoulder. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant but she needed a good scrub. She thought back to her home and how it had all her lovely little bottles of bath bubbles, shower gel, soap crystals… It seemed a world away from her tin bath of fire-boiled water and murky perfumed liquid. Again Kali allowed Adrianne to disrobe her and rub oil into her arms, back and legs. The perfume wasn’t all that bad, she mused to herself. Probably pressed flower petals. She lifted her hand to rub her eye and saw tiny pieces of ground petals stuck to her palm, confirming her suspicions. No wonder the water was murky.

A fresh jug of water was brought in and Kali was rinsed off. Cleansed and smelling a whole lot better, Adrianne rubbed her dry with cloths and dressed her in her old robe again. At least it was now cleaned and pressed. It had been covered in dust, dirt and dried blood from where she had cut her leg the night before last. She instinctively reached down to feel the cut. It had healed over well by now and wouldn’t leave much of a scar. She was lucky it hadn’t been a lot deeper. She could have had all kinds of infections in her.

Adrianne led her to the symposium. There, Stylianos and Tony were already feasting on freshly baked bread and dried figs. Tony was also dressed back in his old robe. They had even managed to get the wine stain out.
“My dear, please sit and eat,” Stylianos said, seeing her and waving her towards a cushion on his left.
“These figs are really tasty,” Tony said, stuffing his mouth with dried figs.
Kali sat and helped herself to the food. The three ate in silence. Stylianos did not seem his usual jovial self and Kali kept sneaking sideways glances at him. The old man looked tired and weathered.
“Did you sleep well, Stylianos?” she asked her host.
“Yes, my dear,” he replied.
“Is there something troubling you? Only you look very tired.”
“Sorry, please forgive my lack of conversation to you both. I had some devastating news this morning.”
“What happened?” Tony asked.
“My museum had been broken into. Vandalised. Some objects of value had been broken and others taken away. My guard was badly bruised and wounded. He was brought to me this morning to tell me the news.”
“Is there another guard still there?” Tony asked. “It’s important that the building remains guarded, right?”
“Yes, it is guarded,” Stylianos replied. “My other guardsman went yesterday to relieve him and found poor Yanni beaten and slumped against his post. Poor Yanni. The dear fellow was so bruised he could not walk and just had to wait for Jude to arrive to relieve him of his post. Jude managed to help Yanni to his feet and it took him the rest of the day to get here.”
“I don’t understand,” Kali said. “I thought the museum was closed anyway?”
“No, not closed,” Stylianos corrected. “I just don’t work there anymore. I still put objects on display there and people still come to see them. I trust Yanni and Jude to guard the place well and stop thieves, but from what I was told very early this morning, Yanni was taken by surprise and stood no chance. He was very lucky not to be killed.”
“Where is Yanni now?” Tony asked.
“He is in his quarters, sleeping. I will question him more when he has rested and his wounds have been treated.”
“Are we still able to go to the museum?” Kali asked.
“Of course! I need to go there anyway and see the damage for myself. I fear that some damage may be irreplaceable.”
The trio continued eating in silence. The slaves sensed the atmosphere and went about their business quietly, trying to minimise the clattering of plates as they cleared the table and replenished the milk.

A faint clip-clopping of hooves sounded outside and Stylianos got to his feet.
“Ah, Origen has brought around the horses,” he said, seeing his slave coming into the room and bowing low to him. “We shall go now.”
Kali and Tony scrambled to their feet and followed their host out into the courtyard. There they saw Stylianos’ horse, Faithful, being held still by Nikias holding her reins. Origen was fussing around the wagon stationed behind the horse, checking it was securely connected and giving it a last sweep with a broom. He jumped down and gave Stylianos a hand to help him up. Stylianos settled himself in the wagon and beckoned for Tony and Kali to join him. The couple stepped up and stood behind Stylianos. Nikias gave the reins to his master and quickly stepped back out of the way. Stylianos gave the reins a sharp whip and Faithful took off to a pacey trot out of the courtyard. Kali looked back and saw that Origen and NIkias were already gone out of sight. They passed a boy slave polishing the barred gates of the courtyard and he waved at them as they went through onto the streets of Delphi.

They journeyed back to the centre of the city and Stylianos pulled over to a side street off the square. A rather grand looking building peeked out from behind a large olive tree. At the sight of the horse, a man jumped up from his seat by the door and held his spear ready to be used.
“No need to panic, Jude,” Stylianos called out to his guardsman.
“Master, I am glad you came,” Jude said, bowing low but never taking his eyes off the arrivals.
“My dear Kali and Tony, this is Jude,” Stylianos introduced his guests. “I trust him over all my slaves. He used to fight with the foot soldiers.”
“Light infantry,” Jude nodded. “Of course they made me leave when they found out I had not yet been freed.”
“But he has been freed now,” Stylianos added. “Not that he wants to leave.”
“Slavery is all I know,” Jude said. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself without someone telling me.”
“Please, show us the damage,” Stylianos said.

Jude turned and lead the party through a number of light and airy rooms. All had long and narrow openings at the top of the room to let in light but to stop break-ins. They reached the far room and saw the mess that the thieves had left. The tables and stands had been smashed, the floor littered with splinters and broken wood. Some broken marble also dotted the floor.
“My poor bust of Apollo,” Stylianos said sadly, stroking the marble head of the god. It had suffered a massive crack through one side of his face. The other side, however, had been completely hammered through and was in pieces by their feet.
Kali wandered into the next room and saw empty shelves.
“What was in here?” she called out. “Everything has gone.”
Stylianos came in followed closely by Jude and Tony.
“My jewellery and chests,” he said. “They’ve all been taken.”

It was clearly too much for the old man and he started to cry. He dug his fingers into his eyes and bent his head down low. He then threw his head and spread his arms out wide in supplication to the heavens.
“Did I not sacrifice enough to Apollo?” he cried out. “Was I not pleasing to the gods? Why have I been cursed with this blow to my livelihood? Oh Zeus, what misfortune have I come across? What deed has been done that was not to your liking?”
He burst into tears again and started to tear at his hair. Some wispy white hair came out into his hands and he threw them on the floor in anguish.
“He’s a bit dramatic,” Tony whispered to Kall. “Even for a religious sort of guy.”
“He’s obviously quite enamoured of the gods,” she whispered back.
“My friends,” Stylianos said, wiping his face with the back of his hands, “I must appease the gods and consult the Oracle on what to do next. I am lost.”
“Why don’t you try Hare Krishna?” joked Tony.
Kali elbowed him in the ribs.
“Try what?” Stylianos asked.
“Nothing,” Kali said. “Stylianos, we will help you in any way we can.”
“Is there a chance of catching whoever did this?” Tony asked.
“The thieves will be long gone now,” Stylianos said sadly. “They are bound to try and sell on their goods to make a living, but it may be a while before someone brings something back to me for a valuation.”
“I was kidnapped two nights ago,” Kali stated. “The leader of the group said they needed to get away from Delphi as soon as possible.”
“Two nights ago?” Jude questioned her. “They could be the thieves. Did they say any names?”
“I was kidnapped by a man called Erebos while walking from Athens. His leader was called Haemon.”
Jude nearly dropped his spear. “Haemon?”
“Yes, do you know the name?”
“Was he a tall and fairly handsome man?”
“Yes.”
“I fought with him in the infantry,” Jude said. “Haemon was a fierce warrior, the best of all five hundred of us, but he was disowned by the army after he killed his father during an argument. His lack of self control was an embarrassment to the leaders.”
“He killed his father?” Tony asked.
“Yes. He was drunk and burnt down the house, trapping Haemon’s mother and brother in the blaze. Haemon was angry and understandably wanted revenge. But he should have done it honourably, even though what his father did was terrible. Haemon crept up to his father while he was sleeping and stabbed him in the back, neck and head. He mutilated his face and cut off his extremities and fed them to the dogs.”
Kali was shocked. So was Tony. He was gripping his groin in horror.
“Everyone knows that his father should have at least been given a chance to fight back,” Jude continued. “But he was killed like a coward. And Haemon was disowned and we never heard from him again. Until he tried to rape the High Priestess at Delphi. Since then he has been leading a rowdy bunch of individuals all over Greece and they go stealing in the towns and cities. They steal anything they can sell. Even women. I heard he was trying to go over to Persia.”
“He did ask me if I was Persian,” Kali commented. “But they were going to Athens. They must have been. It’s in the opposite direction to Delphi and Erebos took me from that direction.”
“Probably scouting,” Tony added. “So they know if it’s worth pillaging.”
“Athens will always be worth stealing from,” Stylianos said. “They have so many beautiful temples and it is a city of greatness. Sometimes I wish I had not left.”
He took a long look at the empty room and made his way back out the front, his feet dragging along the dust and his head hanging sadly.