Chapter Seven – Beg, Borrow, Steal or Sell

Kali woke up and saw lots of bustle in front of her. Donkeys were being dragged along by a man and were kicking up dust. Kali coughed and stood up, waving her hand in front of her face. She saw lots of colourful stalls set up, men selling vases, wheat, olive oil, baskets, oxen and donkeys, blankets and jewellery. She forgot where she was and then remembered. She was apparently stuck in ancient Greece. It wasn’t a dream then, she thought. Hang on, where was Tony? If she didn’t dream travelling in time, she didn’t dream Tony came with her. But where was he? She could see the dent he had made in the blankets next to her but there was no other sign of him being there. She felt the space with the back of her hand. It wasn’t even warm. He had been gone a while. Her stomach rumbled. She was ravenous. She wanted to see if she could beg some food off a vendor but she hesitated. What if Tony came back? Would he come back? She rooted around in the striped blanket for her jeans and felt the front pocket. The stone was still there. He hadn’t gone back to the chest then. She sighed with relief but then thought that he might try that later. She pulled the stone from her jeans and stuck it into her bra cup. He wasn’t going anywhere without her.

Tony suddenly appeared out of the crowd, carrying bread rolls and a jug.
“Breakfast?” he said, grinning at her as he passed her a roll.
“Thanks,” Kali said and stuffed it into her mouth. It smelt and tasted really good and she hadn’t realised she was that hungry. She devoured it quickly and reached out for another one.
Tony took a swig from the jug and then passed it to her. “Goat’s milk?”
“Thanks,” Kali repeated, and took a swig. It was sweet and refreshing. “How did you get all this?”
“Guy was loading his cart. Just waited till his back was turned and swiped ‘em. He wouldn’t have noticed one jug missing anyway. There was at least twenty on there.”
“You stole?”
“How else was I going to do it?”
“I was going to beg.”
“That could take all day! Besides I’m hungry now, not later. You want more of that?”
Kali shook her head and passed the milk back.
“Did you notice?” Tony asked between gulps. “They’re all speaking English. If this really was ancient Greece we wouldn’t understand a word.”
“You’re right,” Kali said, surprised she didn’t think of that before. “Not even a Greek person would understand, actually, because language changes so much over time. For instance, we can barely understand old English.”
“You’re right there, but how do we explain this?”
“Maybe we’re speaking Greek and don’t realise it?”
“How’s that work?”
“Well, in Doctor Who…”
“Another Doctor Who theory?”
“Well, if you’d let me explain?”
Tony shrugged.
“The TARDIS adapts languages in the head of its travellers so they can understand every alien language. But unless the chest has the same properties as a TARDIS, I haven’t a clue how it works.”
“I’m going with the English theory myself.”
“I don’t think it really matters. The fact that we can understand everyone is a blessing and we should be grateful I suppose.”
“I suppose.”
Kali started on another bread roll.
“So, what do we do now?” Tony asked.
“I think we should wander around the market and see if they have any similar items so we can do a comparison.”
“Right-o.”
“Then maybe we should see if they have some kind of antiquities building where they store stuff.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“We need money though. We can’t steal everything and we can’t keep sneaking around like fugitives.”
“How we gonna do that?”
Kali looked at her fingers. She had a friendship ring from her last boyfriend, a plain silver band with a pattern engraved into it. She didn’t want to part with it after they mutually split so had kept it. Hopefully it was worth something. “I have this,” she said, showing it off to Tony.
“Think they’ll appreciate a watch?” he replied.
“Best not to introduce something not yet invented.”
“In case we speed things up and end up with our world being some amazing place with flying cars and clapper lighting?”
“Things should naturally take their course,” shrugged Kali. “I don’t think a silver ring is going to upset the balance of time. They actually have a silver mine down in Laurion.”
“I have a chain?” he offered, pulling out from around his neck. It was a St Christopher.
“Well, that’s ironic,” Kali remarked dryly.
“Isn’t it just?” Tony said, pulling it off and passing it to her.
“No, you do the selling,” Kali said, pushing it back and handing him her ring. “Women don’t sell; they buy.”
“What do I ask for?”
“Let’s just walk around the jewellery stall and find out.”
“Gotcha.”

They made their way over and mulled over the ornate necklaces. The vendor saw them immediately and switched on his sales charm.
“Beautiful necklace for the beautiful woman,” he said, holding up a particularly exquisite gold necklace with heavy-looking charms hanging at the front. “Just two drachma.”
“Two?” said a man to the left of Kali. “I’d only pay two obols.”
“Worth more than two, at least three, but for the beautiful woman, two drachma.”
“Don’t waste your wages, lad,” the man warned, and walked away.
“How about that?” Tony asked, pointing to a ring that looked similar to Kali’s.
“Ah,” said the vendor, “this beautiful ring, just one drachma.”
“We’ll come back,” Tony said, leading Kali away.

“Well,” Kali said, when they’d left earshot of the vendor, “it looks as if we’re in fifth century Greece. A drachma is about a day’s wages.”
“What’s an obol?” Tony asked. “Like pence?”
“Similar. An obol is a quarter of a drachma. Like a twenty-five pence piece.”
“So you’re ring is worth a quid?”
“It’s worth a day’s wages.”
“It’s probably worth more than that,” he said, playing with it in his hand. “You think we should sell it ourselves or give it to Alan Sugar over there?”
“He looks more like Stelios Haji-Ioannou.”
“Whatever.”
“Sure,” Kali said. “If you don’t mind parting with your chain?”
“Course not. Anyway, with what that chest is probably worth I could buy a whole load of chains! You could buy a better ring as well.”

They walked back to the vendor who looked delighted at their return.
“We’d like to sell you something,” Tony said, holding out the ring and chain.
“Ooh, pretty little things,” the vendor said, holding out his hand.
“No,” Tony said, holding them just out of reach, “I want you to value them first.”
The vendor looked at the ring carefully and after deliberating said, “Three obols, if that’s real silver?”
“Feel the weight,” Kali said, passing him the ring so he could test it for himself.
“Quite lightweight, yes,” he said, throwing and catching it in one hand. “Three obols.”
“One drachma,” Tony said, catching on to the haggling business. “It has an engraving on it too.”
“Three obols,” the vendor insisted.
“How about three obols and a room for the night?” Tony asked.
“Done!” The man looked pleased with himself and polished the ring on his robe.
“What about the chain?” Tony asked.
“Who is the giant man carrying the boy?” the vendor asked.
“Duh! St Christopher carrying Jesus,” Tony said.
Kali elbowed him in the ribs. “He means Heracles,” she intervened. The vendor would think they were crazy talking about saints and Jesus.
“Oh, great Heracles, yes” the vendor said, nodding. “He carries the child over a flood?”
“Yes,” Kali said.
“Three obols for the Heracles necklace,” the vendor said.
“One drachma?” Tony offered.
“Three obols!”
“This has been blessed by the gods themselves,” Kali said, trying to aid the sale. “It’s worth more than a drachma.”
“Blessed?” the vendor asked. “Why are you selling a blessed object? Never sell a blessed object! The gods may curse you!”
“We have no choice,” Kali said, sadly.
The vendor paused, looking at Kali’s face, then at the necklace and then back to Kali.
“One drachma,” the vendor relented, “and you can spend not more than three nights at my home.”
“Really?” Tony looked surprised.
“You sell me a blessed object, I must treat you kindly and with respect.”
Kali smiled. They had made a friend.
“What is your name?” Kali asked.
“Adelphos,” the vendor replied. “And you?”
“I’m Kali, and this is my husband Tony.”
Tony looked at Kali, mouth agape, but she looked at him sternly as if to say ‘play along.’ He caught her gaze and complied.
“Pleased to meet you both,” Adelphos said. “Meet me back here at sundown and I will take you to my living quarters.”

Kali spent the remainder of the day wandering around the marketplace and eyeing the goods. She had decided to keep hold of the blanket of their clothes. Mainly because she didn’t trust Tony but he didn’t seem bothered and just left her, saying he had something to do. Kali didn’t question it. She didn’t need him hanging about asking endless questions about the culture. Maybe she should have signed up for the exhibition tour guiding? Maugham were always recruiting tour guides as smaller groups were easier to manage and meant that there were fewer questions, so everyone got around quicker. Ancient civilisations were her speciality subjects. The exhibition was currently about Greek theatre. The irony just continues, Kali said to herself, grimly. She just prayed that the chest portal was a two-way street. She didn’t think she could survive very long in this world. She was far too independent. She would have to get married, have children, and spend the rest of her days without basic necessities like a shower and disposable razors.

She made her way back to the outskirts of the city and sat under a tree, gazing at the Parthenon in all its beauty. It was a shame that no-one would get to see it later in time. This was the original and it would be destroyed by the invading Persians in a few years. Well, whenever 480BC was going to be. She didn’t know exactly what year it was. It would then be rebuilt, used as a Christian church, used as a Muslim mosque together with a minaret, and then in 1687 it would be blown up by Venetians to be the building everyone now knew. Of course all the undamaged sculptures would then be taken and sold to the British Museum by the Earl of Elgin. It was a shame that cultures were built up and then destroyed by greed.