CHAPTER 133

 

The mood at the Macedonian camp was the perfect contrast to the mood behind the Persians’ wall, it was almost a cosmic joke, and that night more than one was sure that, every time the Gods were bored, they played with mortals in ways like this, because there was no other reasonable explanation for the sorry state in which the Macedonian army was after being traveling as the proud and undefeated conquerors of Asia.

 

Ariobarzanes was as happy as Alexander was angry, which was to say a lot; the satrap had achieved a great victory, had forced the Macedonian invader to retreat, had watched the haughty barbarian ran away, defeated. In those moments Ariobarzanes felt like the most powerful man on earth, and why shouldn’t he? He truly believed that his position at the Persian Gates was impregnable, perfectly chose, and that his plan couldn’t be better, not even if Ahura Mazha had designed it himself. There was nothing that the barbarian King could do now because, if he chose to go back and take the Royal Road to Persepolis Ariobarzanes would use that time to take with him the treasury and evacuate the city, and if Alexander insisted in attacking him he would kill the Macedonian beast and every man in his army with the help of his artillery.

 

The satrap took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment; he made a silent vow to his Gods that never again the barbarian invader would humiliate the Persians, least of all on Persian soil. Ariobarzaned lifted his head, his eyes on the night sky feeling the cold wind hitting his cheeks; from his position he could hear the moans of agony from the several wounded lying in the snow in front of his wall, a terrible sound that gave the creeps to more than one of his men. It was like hearing the wandering spirits of the death, lurking in the dark, but for the satrap was like music; he didn’t give Alexander a chance to pick up his dead and wounded, there would be no mercy.   

 

The satrap went back to his tent and gave orders to keep sentries on the wall in case the invader tried a night attack. Alexander won’t reach Persepolis in time, and with that happy thought he went to sleep, a peaceful and dreamless sleep of someone who had his life solved. 

 

XXX

 

Alexander for his part took the army 3 and half miles back to the west, to a clearing known as Mullah Susan, dragging his wounded and dead and shouting orders to built the camp as soon as possible using the oaks that surrounded them like tall and silent soldiers standing proud in the dark; there was the possibility that Ariobarzanes may take his army from behind the wall to chase the Macedonians during the retreat and the King didn’t fancy that idea. He would take no risks.

 

It was enough for one day –thought Alexander.

 

To say that the King was furious was to be too kind or too naïve; he was beyond fury as the vein on his forehead could testify. It had been since Memnon tricked him at the Granicus River that he didn’t feel like this. Ariobarzanes had won the fist round, because there was no way in which he would admit that he, the conqueror of the Persian Empire had been defeated, he was not defeated, he had never been defeated and he never will. He told himself while walking back to his tent after visit the wounded, the very few who could be safe under the inclement rain of arrows, rocks and javelins.

 

The King had called his military staff to an urgent meeting in order to find a way out of this predicament, but, as he approached his tent, thinking over and over again what do, he realized that his situation was bad, very bad, and his options few and disastrous. He had to find a way out and soon or he would lose more than Persepolis’ treasury, he would also lose prestige.

 

Several fires were burning around the camp, and the men were huddled around them, looking for some warmth. It was in that moment that Alexander felt better knowing that at least Achilles wasn’t there; even if he didn’t trust Parmelio his heir was better with him, safe and comfortable, without worries and just enjoying himself on the Royal Road. A smile curved his lips, now he was thinking like a father.

 

XXX

 

- General! –not far from where Alexander was walking, Hephaistion stopped when he heard one of his men. He too had a difficult day, he had several casualties and wounded, and had spent all day running from one corner of the camp to the other, not only taking care of him men, but also assuring that the King had a proper escort all the time. They were in enemy territory and after what had happened that day he was a little paranoid. 

 

The General turned and found the very worried expression of a young man whose name he just couldn’t remember; it was in situations like this that he envied Alexander and his eidetic memory.   

 

- What is it? Is something wrong? –he asked and the man opened and closed his mouth not knowing how to explain himself. For the General, he looked like someone who had a lot of things to say and had done a great effort to gather his guts to come, but now didn’t know what to do. 

 

- Yes…well…—the man bit his lip, he couldn’t be more than 20 or 21 years old which meant that he had served under his orders for at least a year, but he just couldn’t remember him; Hephaistion understood that he was nervous for being talking to his superior officer but he had no time to waste here, he couldn’t get late to the meeting at the King’s tent, Alexander was furious and needed him at his side. 

 

- Listen, if you have a problem go to Dismas, right now I can’t…

 

- It’s about the dead, sir –the man interrupted him and Hephaistion frowned. The young man understood his mistake, he had being rude with his superior officer, and apologized—I’m sorry sir, but something strange has been happening for some time now, and I didn’t know what to do.

 

- What’s your name?

 

Let’s start from the beginning –thought the General, resigned that he was going to arrive late at the meeting.

 

- Hero, sir, Hero son of Antigonus.

 

- Fine, what’s happening to our dead, Hero? –the man nodded.

 

- They are being eaten.

 

- Eaten? –Hephaistion had to admit that he had successfully surprised him—Eaten by what? Wild animals? –the man shook his head.

 

- I thought that at first, sir because Doros, one of the slaves of the infirmary, and I found body parts chewed –Hero explained and Hephaistion raised his eyebrows—But they keep appearing even when we are not in the open; besides they have teeth marks, human teeth, or they are cut with a knife, but strange cuts, like…like slices. 

 

The General felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold.

 

- Are you trying to tell me that someone is eating our dead? –he asked, trying to sound calm even if inside he was yelling “what the hell?”!

 

- Yes, sir. I think so, because…well, it happened again –the young man said, dropping his voice in the way people do when they are plotting or sharing a secret. 

 

- Again? When? –now Hephaistion was intrigued.

 

- Just a moment ago, I went to the infirmary to visit a friend and Doros told me that one of the men was missing –said Hero, now that he had managed to explain the situation he couldn’t stop talking—A very wounded man who couldn’t get up by himself because he was lacking a foot. Doros told me that the doctor didn’t expect the missing man to survive the night and no one could explain where could he be, so we went to look among the dead.

 

- Why?

 

- Because this is the second time this happened –said the man making a pause and increasing the tension—And the first time someone at the infirmary was missing he was found later with the dead, missing body parts.

 

- Are you sure? –this was sounding more and more like a horror tale, was Hero telling the truth or he had an extremely fruitful imagination?

 

Hero nodded.

 

- Yes, sir.

 

He looks sure of himself –thought Hephaistion. This was an incredible story to say the least, but the General still had many doubts.

 

- How is that this situation came into you attention? What were you doing looking among the dead in the first place?

 

- Well, sir, the man that was missing from the infirmary, the first time, was my cousin –he answered with all honesty—So, I volunteer to look for him with Doros, then was when we met, and Doros told me about the other bodies lacking parts or with chewing marks on them. I kept investigating because I want to know who did such a horrible thing to my cousin, but Doros thought it would be better to report this.

 

Hephaistion had a hunch that this slave, Doros, and Hero were more than partners investigating this, but he said nothing, that none of his business. He took a deep breath, thinking what to do, pressing his temples with his thumbs.

 

- Why did you choose me? –that was a reasonable question—Why you didn’t repot this to the doctors?  

 

- We did it, sir –said Hero—But the doctors don’t believe us, I think they are too busy to care. And, well, I thought about you because you always listen to our problems, like the King does, but I didn’t dare to go to the King.

 

Hephaistion nodded.

 

- Fine, where is the last body you found…lacking parts? –he didn’t like this but he had to ask. 

 

- With the rest of our dead, sir.

 

The General thought quickly, he was late for the meeting and couldn’t lose more time, but he now felt with the obligation to investigate this.

 

- Hero, I can’t go now to see the body but I’ll go tonight, you have my word –Hero nodded—Can you wait me outside the King’s tent?

 

- Yes, sir.

 

- Good, I see you when I’m done.

 

XXX

 

When Hephaistion arrived at the meeting he was greeted by several scowls and angry looks, he was very late and the general mood was terrible, starting with their enraged King. The General sat down at Alexander’s right and then he found an unfamiliar face there, a man that looked like a herdsman, judging by his cloths, but, what was this man doing there? The answer eluded him.

 

- I don’t like this –said Kleitos, his new brother-in-law, shaking his head—We’ll be at the mercy of one man, and a prisoner to make things worst –he pointed at the herdsman with his hand, and even if the man didn’t know Macedonian, he could tell they were talking about him and that it was nothing good—How do we know he is telling the truth? Who else knows about this mysterious and highly convenient pass over the mountains? 

 

Many heads nodded their agreement in the dim light of the oil lamps.

 

- What’s going on? –asked Hephaistion in a whispered to Perdikkas, sitting at his side.

 

- That fellow –the taxiarch pointed at the herdsman with his chin—Says he know a path through the mountains that can take us right behind Ariobarzanes’ position. 

 

The General turned to look at Alexander, a map was spread on the table and the King’s finger tapped the edge, his eyes on the route that the herdsman had proposed and his beloved saw in his face that he was seriously considering the possibility of taking this fabulous path; after all it was the best solution to his problems.

 

- How long it would take us to cross over the mountains? –asked the King, and the interpreter asked the herdsman.

 

- Sire, the man says that you can reach the other side in one day and 2 nights –said the interpreter and Alexander nodded. 

 

- Then, we’ll take his route –he said.

 

- I can’t believe this –Kleitos muttered under his breath shaking his head.

 

- Krateros, you will stay here with your men, 500 cavalry and 2 taxeis, Meleager you’ll help Krateros –said the King—I want you to deceive the enemy, Ariobarzanes has to think that the whole army is still here and for that I want you to burn the normal number of campfires. 

 

- It will be done –said the Krateros at once. He loved to have independent commands.

 

- We’ll move as soon as your men are ready –and with that the King stood up.

 

Hephaistion signed, a very difficult march was waiting for them all, but he agreed with Alexander. It was a risk to trust in one man to guide them through unknown territory under the cover of darkness, but they didn’t have other choice. If he wanted to help his King the only thing he could do was to get his men ready, obey, march as fast as he could and fight like a demon.  

 

XXX

 

The General had seen many corpses in his life, more than he care to count during all his years with the army, in many states of putrefaction and lacking limbs, some with horrible grimaces of hatred and pain; but he had never seen limbs half eaten and slicing cuts in a man’s body, as it were a pig.

 

- Who else saw this body? –asked Hephaistion, feeling the vile raising in his throat. He had to take a deep breath to not make a fool of himself. Doros, the slave who worked at the infirmary, covered the corpse again for the General’s relief.

 

- Doctor Asphalion, the Thessalian –answered the slave.

 

Hephaistion swallowed his opinion about the man; he had been one of doctors who had refused to treat Alexander when he fell ill in Tarsus after jumping in the freezing water of the Cydnus River. He didn’t like the doctor.

 

- We can’t do much right now, the army is moving as soon as the men are ready –said the General. Now that he had seen the corpse he was worried, this wasn’t the overexcited fears of a man, this was something serious— Keep your eyes open Doros, and if you hear or see something strange, report to me at once.

 

- Yes, sir.

 

XXX

 

Hard didn’t even start to describe how was the march over the mountains for Alexander and his men. It was dark, pitch black, thanks to the absence of the moon, and the ground was pretty much as before: rocky, unleveled, cover with dust and occasionally with ice and snow. There were heading to a path that was only known to the herdsman, reason why Kleitos hadn’t stopped complaining and grumbling since they started the march; even their Susain guides were nervous and uneasy which didn’t help to improve the hipparch’s opinion about this plan.

 

The men were forbidden to speak, trumpets were prohibit and every order had to be given almost in whispers. More than once Hephaistion felt like falling asleep on his horse, he was tired and cold, and the silence, the soft sounds of steps, the rocking over his horse was cooing him. He couldn’t close his eyes, and, in a vain attempt to distract himself, he lifted his head.

 

The sky looked so big from there, there wasn’t one single cloud and the shining jewels on the night sky forming the vast star ocean, could be seen without difficulty. Hephaistion would have enjoyed this greatly if it weren’t for their present circumstances, marching into the unknown and praying that their guide wouldn’t betray them or that Ariobarzanes didn’t discover them. He yawned again.

 

His mind started to wander and soon he found himself thinking about his son, how would be Achilles? Giving a lot of troubles to Kyros and Xsayarsa, most probably; Hephaistion smiled. At least his sister was going to be able to see her children while they all traveled with Parmelio, but, what would happen once they reach Persepolis? He was so tired…

 

And the General never knew when it happen, but soon he had fallen asleep…

 

XXX

 

Alexander was sitting in his living room with several paper sheets in his hands and scattered notes around him, on the sofa, the cushions and the carpet. He wrote something on the corner of a sheet, too concentrated in what he was doing and didn’t noticed Achilles running in his direction until it was too late. The 7 years old boy jumped on the sofa and hit him hard on the arm.

 

- I’m a Kun-fu master!

 

- ACHILLES! –shouted the blond angry—How many times do I have to tell you: do not hit people? 

 

The boy made a pout and sat down at his side, his arms falling between his legs.

 

- I’m just playing.

 

- Fine, play –Alexander was in a bad mood, taking his notes again—But don’t hit me.

 

Achilles leaned back against the sofa and watched the several paper sheets and scattered notes with curiosity. He was on vacations and didn’t know what to do with his free time, especially since his best friend Cyrus wasn’t in town; his grandmother Olympias wanted him to visit her, but Achilles didn’t like to spend time in her house and Hephaistion didn’t want her in his house, especially since the last time she had tried to convince her son that he should find a mistress and give her a grandson; so Alexander was left in the awkward position of creating excuses to his mother.

 

- What are you doing? –Achilles wanted to know, stretching his neck to see what was he writing.

 

- I’m writing a song –answered Alexander, his eyes again on the sheets.

 

- About what? –the blond took a moment to think if it was a good idea to tell the boy about his plans.

 

- I’ll tell you only if you promise to keep the secret –said Alexander very serious.

 

- All right, you have my word –said Achilles, with the same seriousness of an adult.

 

- I wrote a song for your father, it’s his birthday present but it’s a surprise –the boy opened his eyes excited.

 

- Wow! And when are you going to sing it to him? –the boy crossed his legs in meditation position over the sofa, now the blond had his son’s complete attention.

 

- During my next concert in America –Alexander explained.

 

- Awesome! Can I go?

 

- Only if you behave –Achilles smiled happily.

 

- Dad?

 

- What?

 

- I’m bored; can we do something? –asked the boy, his face resting on his hands, his elbows on his knees—I want to go to the movies.

 

- Not Kun-Fu Panda again –muttered Alexander and Achilles frowned.

 

- Why not?

 

- Aki you have watched that movie 5 times –the blond reminded him—I know the dialogs of the entire freaking movie. 

 

- So?

 

- So, we are not going to the movies again –the boy made another pout.

 

They heard a baby crying, Hephaistion’s soft voice trying to calm down the infant and the sound of keys coming from outside. Achilles kneeled over the sofa and raised his head like a hound, very still.

 

- I think is daddy.

 

- Oh shit, shit, shit! –cursed Alexander picking up his notes and papers as quickly as he could and hiding them under a cushion almost at the same time his beloved appeared with a big and extremely cute dipper bag of Hello Kitty hanging from his shoulder, a baby car chair in one hand and his 8 months old nephew Demetrios on his other arm.

 

- Come on Demetrios, can’t you wait one minute? –said the Hephaistion to the baby that was still crying.

 

- Daddy! –Achilles ran to embrace him.

 

- No, Aki…come, help me –his father gave him the car chair.

 

- What’s Demetrios doing here? –asked Alexander with curiosity.

 

Hephaistion left the dipper bag on the table and looked for his nephew’s bottle the best way he could.

 

- Eni went with Thessa and Kleitos to the movies –explained his beloved, raising his voice to be heard over the crying Demetrios, taking out of the bag: wipes, diapers, a pacifier, two containers with pureed fruit and a cloth napkin.

 

- To watch Kun-Fu Panda? –asked Achilles.

 

- No, to watch Harry Potter –Hephaistion couldn’t find the bottle, and gave Alexander the baby.

 

- What? –asked the blond, frowning.

 

- Can you hold him please? –Alexander saw baby Demetrios as if he were an alien, he had never held a baby before, what was he suppose to do? But his beloved’s expression was enough to let him know that he better do what he was told. 

 

- You were saying –said the blond, holding the baby awkwardly, with his arms stretched at the front, if he were a bag of radioactive material, still crying with all the force of his small lungs.

 

- Eni asked me to baby-sit Demetrios…Here! –Hephaistion exclaimed triumphantly, holding the bottle. He held the baby again and Demetrios fell silent as soon as he started to drink his milk.   

 

- Why you? Couldn’t she ask your mother? –Alexander looked inside the dipper bag with curiosity.

 

- Mom is busy –his beloved moved his head to removed the hair from his face—Why does this bother you?

 

The blond turned to look at him; he had to admit that Hephaistion looked cute holding a baby and his bottle like that. 

 

- It doesn’t, it just…surprised me to see you with a baby, that’s all –Achilles stood tiptoe to see Demetrios. 

 

- He is so small –said the boy fascinated—Can I take him a photo and sent it to Clara? 

 

- Who is Clara? –asked Hephaistion, watching his nephew. Demetrios was a perfect Gerber baby, big blue eyes, rosy cheeks and scarce chocolate brown hair, he was like a cute little Leonnatos, which was a shame because his father refused to see him.  

 

- She is my girlfriend.

 

- Your what?! –both asked at the same time turning to look at him.

 

- My girlfriend, why do you look at me like that? –asked the boy frowning.

 

- Since when do you have a girlfriend? –asked the blond in shock.

 

- Since last week.

 

- And weren’t you planning in saying something to us? –Alexander wanted to know.

 

- I’m telling you now –Achilles didn’t understand why the shock. 

 

- Aki, who is your girlfriend? –asked Hephaistion a little calmer; his 7 years old son had a girlfriend, what was going on?

 

- Oh! Her name is Clara, she is 6 years old –explained the boy—She is very shy to talk to me on the phone that is why she never calls. She loves animals but her parents don’t let her to have a pet, so I was thinking to give her cat but to keep him in our house. 

 

Demetrios finished his bottle and Hephaistion left it on the table.

 

- And when are we going to meet her?

 

- Mm, if you want tomorrow at the park –Achilles nodded.

 

- Aren’t you too young to have a girlfriend? –Alexander teased him.

 

- Leave him alone, his girlfriend is 6 years old –said Hephaistion, remembering that his sister had said something about patting the baby’s back after his milk—I’ll be worried if she were 16.

 

- Dad, Daddy?

 

- What is it son? –asked the blond, opening a package of diapers out of curiosity. He had never been so close to a baby and was as fascinated as Achilles.  

 

- I have a question –and those innocent words were enough to make his 2 fathers nervous.

 

- Don’t panic, it’s probably nothing –whispered Hephaistion, hearing the baby burp.

 

- Can I have a brother or sister?

 

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

 

- Can I panic now? –he asked and his beloved sighed. 

 

- Aki, you have a half brother and sister –said Hephaistion slowly—Neoptolemus and Cadmea.

 

- Yes, but they don’t live with me –Achilles insisted—And I want to play with someone.

 

Alexander and his beloved exchanged gazes, but before neither could talk, Hephaistion cell phone rang.

 

- Aki, is not that simple –said the blond, resting his weight on one foot—You are a clever boy and you can understand that, in order to give you a brother or a sister, your father or I need to have a wife.

 

- Not necessary –said Achilles, as if Alexander were a boy and he the adult there—When uncle Nick started to go to Church every Sunday was because he thought one of his girlfriends was pregnant and they weren’t married.

 

The blond puffed his checks out.

 

- The point is Aki that we need a girl; do you really want me to have a girlfriend? Or your father?

 

- No… —said the boy crestfallen and Alexander ruffled his hair.

 

- I promise I’ll play more with you –said the blond and Achilles smiled.

 

- Alex, you are not going to believe this –said Hephaistion smiling, checking the text message from his sister, with the baby resting his head on his shoulder—Eni says the movie is over but Kleitos cried at the end so –Alexander laughed— So… —his beloved laughed too—She is talking him to eat something and asks me to take care of Demetrios for another hour.

 

- You know what? –said Alexander suddenly, catching their attention—We should go out and have a picnic at the park.

 

- Now?! –asked Hephaistion as if the blond had proposed that they should run naked down the street—And what about Demetrios, dumb-ass?  

 

- Hehe, dumb-ass –Achilles repeated.

 

- What? We can take him with us –said Alexander, unable to see what was the problem with this.

 

- An 8 months old baby? Are you out of your mind? Why don’t we wait until Eni picks him up?

 

- Phai, knowing your sister one hour means at least 4 –and there Alexander had a point. 

 

Half and hour later they were at the park for Achilles delight, laying over a checkered tablecloth watching their son play with his ball while Demetrios slept in his chair.

 

- You are nuts –said Hephaistion.

 

- You complain as if I had taken you to the jungle –said the blond smiling—We are scarcely 30 minutes from our home…   

 

- With a baby. You are aware that you are going to change his dippers, right? –the blond sighed.

 

- Fine…

 

They fell silent, listening to the fragments of conversations floating to them, the rustle of leaves and the distant sounds of the city.

 

- What would you say is the strangest place where we have made love? –asked Alexander so suddenly that he made Hephaistion laughed.

 

- What kind of question is that? –asked his beloved, moving his hand to shoo a bee.

 

- Just a question –the blond dropped on his back—So, what do you think?

 

- Mm… —his beloved took a moment—The backstage during your last concert.

 

- Really? I was thinking in the plane’s bathroom –that made Hephaistion laughed again.

 

- Good one, it wasn’t too comfortable but the stewardess’ face, when she saw us coming out, was priceless –now was the blond’s turn to laugh.

 

They fell silent again.

 

- Phai?

 

- What?

 

- Do you have problems at your work? –asked Alexander. That was something he had wanted to ask for some time now but didn’t find the chance to do so, until now.

 

Hephaistion didn’t answer immediately; he turned to look at his son, running behind his ball.

 

- Yes…something like that.

 

The blond sat.

 

- Why didn’t you tell me anything?

 

His beloved brushed his hair behind his ear.

 

- Because I’m don’t know for sure, I mean…I think that Parmelio is up to something –he said at last—I still don’t know what, but he is having these secret meetings, strange phone calls. I don’t know what it is but it’s serious and the worst part is that I don’t have enough evidence to denounce him…