Chapter Nine – The Morning After

The next morning Kali could smell the fresh bread being cooked. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to make herself look presentable in her crumpled robe and mussed up hair. It badly needed washing. She crept to the front room and saw Adelphos and Angela eating bread and drinking milk with three small children.
“Ah, Kali, come!” Adelphos said, seeing her.
Kali entered and sat down on a cushion.
“Jason!” Adelphos shouted.
The slave boy appeared carrying a large jug of milk and put it in front of Kali. She dipped her bowl in and started to drink.
“Please, I would like to introduce my children,” Adelphos said. “This is Damas, Darius and my little girl Dacha.”
The children smiled and waved as their names were mentioned and Kali smiled back at them.
“I hope the bed was to your liking,” Angela said.
“Oh it was a lovely night’s sleep,” Kali lied. She had barely got a wink all night what with the antics next door and the scratchiness of the wheat bedding under the blanket.
“Where is your husband?” Adelphos asked.
“I haven’t seen him,” Kali replied. “He’s probably got a hangover.”
“A what?”
“Hangover. It’s what we call the headache you get the morning after drinking lots of wine.”
“Headache?”
“When you’re forehead throbs?”
“Ah yes, the banging of drums you hear?”
“Exactly!”
Kali ate the bread in front of her and some olives.
“So what brings you from your kingdom?” Angela asked.
“Well, I was looking for a chest,” Kali replied.
“What sort of chest?” Adelphos asked.
“Well, you’re going to think I’m crazy or something,” Kali warned. “And I need to know that I can trust you not to tell anyone about it. I don’t need a riot on my hands.”
“A secret?” Angela asked.
“Yes, a big secret. It must not go beyond these walls. Can your children and slaves be trusted?”
Adelphos clapped his hands. “Leave us!” he ordered, and the slaves in the room duly left.
“I trust my family but never my slaves,” he said. “You can tell us and we will not breathe a word as long as we are alive in great Athena’s land.”
The children all nodded, waiting with baited breath and eyes wide open in anticipation.
Kali took a deep breath. “I’ve lost a chest reputedly to be the chest of Odysseus.”
Angela and Adelphos looked at each other and then at Kali, eyes wide open.
“The chest of Odysseus?” Adelphos asked. “How did you come across such a magnificent gift?”
“It was given by a benefactor.”
“How were you so careless in losing it?” Angela added.
“It was stolen,” Kali said, truthfully. It was stolen. By Tony. “I’m trying to find clues as to its whereabouts.”
Adelphos and Angela were silent.
“What about Uncle Stylianos?” Damas spoke up.
“Uncle Stylianos?” Kali queried.
“He has mysterious objects in his museum,” Damas said. “Maybe he has been given your chest?”
“Damas, my son,” Adelphos said, “you are wise. Of course I forgot that brother Stylianos once owned a museum. I’m not sure that he still does. It has been ten years since I last saw him.”
“But it’s possible he may know?” Kali asked.
“Yes.”
“How do I reach him?”
“He has a plot of land in Delphi. His ownership of the museum brought in much money and he was able to cultivate the blessed land near the Oracle.”
“How far is it from here?”
“Two days. I’m afraid I only have one donkey and cannot lend you her.”
“I wouldn’t ask for her. Tony and I can walk.”
“You wish to leave immediately?”
“Yes.”
Adelphos clapped his hands. “Jason! Niobe!”
The slaves appeared almost immediately.
“Pack supplies for our guests. They have a long journey ahead of them.”
The slaves disappeared again and Tony staggered through the doorway.
“Ah, Tony, come, sit!” Adelphos beckoned him over.
“Nah mate,” Tony said, yawning and scratching his head, “nothing for me.”
Adelphos looked confused.
“He will have some bread with us,” Kali stated, and pointed Tony to a cushion. “I think he has not woken up fully yet and does not mean to offend his host.”
“No offence has been taken,” Adelphos said, and passed a bowl to Tony for him to scoop up milk.
Kali nudged him as Tony plopped down on the cushion next to her.
“You mustn’t refuse anything offered,” she whispered. “They think you are being rude.”
“Sorry!” Tony hissed back, obviously grumpy.
“Adelphos and his wife are supplying us with goods to take on our travel to Delphi,” Kali said more loudly.
“What’s in Delphi?” Tony asked.
“Clues about the chest,” Kali said.
“Oh, cool,” Tony said helping himself to bread and stuffing it in his mouth.
“If you have time, I would be glad to have you as guests for more time on your journey back here,” Adelphos said.
“We thank you kindly,” Kali said. “We are most grateful for you help and hospitality.”
Adelphos looked as pleased as punch at this. Angela left the room and came back with two lengths of materials draped over her arms.
“For you,” she said. “You can’t be wearing that robe all the time.”
“Thank you,” Kali smiled gratefully and took the clothes from her.
“I will have Niobe pack extra blankets and another tunic for your husband.”
Kali looked at Tony. He had wine stains on his robe. At least their hosts were polite, she thought. Tony looked up at her.
“We’re leaving now?” he asked.
“The sooner the better.”
“But…” he trailed off.
“Yes?”
“Nothing.”
“Good. Then we leave now!”

Kali carried her clothes outside and saw the slaves had left the goods wrapped in two leather skins for them to carry. She bundled the clothes into one of the skins and remembered to take their precious striped blanket with them. The last thing they needed was to lose their regular clothes, or the stone. As she thought about it she instinctively felt her bra cup. It was still there.
“What’s wrong? Think you’ve lost ‘em?” Tony came out and observed Kali poking her breast.
“Shut up,” she said.
Adelphos came out, followed closely by his family. Kali and Tony set off towards the hills.
“Farewell,” Adelphos called. “May Athena bestow bright blessings upon you and Hermes keep you safe on your journey.”