Gemmell, David – Lion of Macedon 01

‘How do I do that?’

‘By staying alive. By thinking of all the ways your enemies will come at you. By preparing for them. Despair is the brother of defeat, Philip. Never let it touch you.’

The boy nodded, then pointed to the runners who were staggering to a halt on the tenth circuit. Parmenion strode out to meet them. ‘I think that will be all, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘Be here tomorrow one hour after dawn.’

‘Have a heart, Parmenion,’ called one youngster. ‘Three days in a row?’

‘I have no heart,’ he said. ‘I am a man of stone. One hour after dawn, if you please.’

Turning back to the trees, he saw that the boy had gone. Parmenion sighed. ‘May the gods favour you, Philip of Macedon,’ he whispered.

*

For three weeks the peace conference at Sparta seemed likely to end all thoughts of war. Trade agreements were negotiated and signed, border disputes argued over but

finally settled. Epaminondas was treated like an honoured guest, and twice dined with King Agisaleus.

Pelopidas returned to Thebes in the fourth week, regaling Parmenion with stories of the geniality which surrounded the conference.

‘I think Agisaleus has resigned himself to losing his power over us,’ said Pelopidas. ‘There was a representative of the Great King there, a golden-haired Persian with a curled beard. You should have seen the clothes he wore: I swear to Zeus, he had more jewels sewn into his coat than stars in the sky! He positively shimmered whenever he entered the room.’

‘Did he speak?’ asked Parmenion.

‘He opened the conference, bringing us all the greetings and blessings of the Great King. He said the King was happy that his children were to become reconciled, one to the other.’

‘Speaking of Kings, what of Cleombrotus?’

‘He has not been present, Pelopidas answered. ‘It is said he is ill. But I’ll tell you this, Sparta is an appalling city. I don’t know how you could stand the smell. All the waste flows to the streets and the flies are thicker than smoke. An ugly place – fit for an ugly people.’

‘Ill?’ queried Parmenion. ‘With what?’

‘They did not say, but it could not have been very serious for they seemed unconcerned by his absence. You know, when you told me that Spartan women were allowed to walk in the open I really did not believe you. But you were right. They were everywhere. And some of them even stripped part naked and ran in the meadows. I’ll say this, I don’t know how such an ugly race of men could ever sire such beauties. There was one woman, with hips like . . .’

‘I know about the women,’ said Parmenion patiently. ‘I lived there. I am more concerned with Cleombrotus; he is strong as an ox, and would not have missed the conference willingly. What proof did you have that he was in Sparta at all?’

‘Where else would he be?’

‘What about the army? How many soldiers did you see?’

‘Agisaleus ordered the army south for manoeuvres. He said the conference would proceed more amiably without the constant clashing of Spartan shields, which some might take as a covert form of persuasion.’

‘So,’ said Parmenion. ‘We have both the Battle King and the army lost from sight. Does that not suggest something to you, Pelopidas?’

The Theban warrior got up from the couch and walked to the window. Outside the sun was shining in a clear sky. He swung back towards Parmenion and smiled. ‘You think they plan some treachery? I doubt it. If they wanted to invade, they could do so without long-drawn-out jabbering and debate, and the endless signing of treaties.’

‘I agree,’ Parmenion concurred. ‘But there is a taste to this that does not sit well pn the tongue. How many men could we muster in, say, two days?’

‘Hypothetically? Three thousand from Thebes, maybe a thousand from the Federation.’

‘Not enough, if Cleombrotus and the army marched north instead of south. When is the conference now due to end?’

‘Ten . . . no, nine days from now. It will conclude with the signing of a full agreement between the Athenian Alliance, Sparta and Boeotia. Then there will be two days of celebration.’

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