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Xena and Gabrielle help protect a ship full of treasure bound for Cleopatra. A Roman official finally begins to see his work in a different light. Gabrielle has brought a friend to accompany them.
In this story I try to give some idea of what a quinquireme of Roman times would have been like; and how powerful it was in relation to other vessels of the period.
One incident is suggested by a scene from Nicholas Monsarrat's novel 'The Cruel Sea'; another incident mirrors a famous quote by Stanley Baker in the film 'Zulu'.
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Disclaimer: MCA/Universal/RenPics own all copyrights to everything related to Xena: Warrior Princess and I have no rights to them.
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'Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir—Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine—With a cargo of ivory—And apes and peacocks—Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.' John Masefield.
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'The Quinquireme'
Chapters 1-2
Chapter 1
The pentekontor rose with the swell and cut smoothly through the whitecaps as the ship plowed through the sea on its way out into the Bay. The morning was sunny with a blue sky, but there was a steady breeze blowing off the coast and the water was choppy.
Having only 25 oars on either side, each manned by a single rower, the ship was consequently low in the water and able to slice through the waves at a fair pace. Nothing like the speed of a trireme, of course, or even a respectable bireme; but adequate if not impressive. The rowers sat on benches in the full glare of the sun; with a planked, slightly elevated, walkway leading from the fully decked stern to the equally fully decked prow. A tall mast soared up from the centre of the ship; though it's single yard was laid flat along the walkway at the moment, as the Captain had toyed with the idea of raising the large sail but decided against it for the time being.
The passengers at present on board were not interested in the ship's speed, though. They were using it simply as a transport between the shore and their destination out at sea. Chief among these were a couple of military personnel accompanying Lucius Aulus Clodios, a Roman official and Trierarch, of high standing in the local community. He was heavily built, as was proper to one who relied on others to work around him, without being touched by the contamination of physical activity himself. His view of the Roman Empire and through this himself, was overbearing, outspoken, and entirely arrogant. But then, if it had not been so he could hardly have called himself a Roman official!
Xena, standing close by, was looking and feeling less than comfortable; while Gabrielle struggled under a series of difficulties. These included her innate bodily refusal to accept that standing up and being at sea were mutually compatible activities; Xena's growing anger and disgust with their Roman shipmate; and the need to pour oil on the troubled waters of communications between the Warrior Princess and the cohort of Roman soldiers aboard the small ship; while also keeping a gentle eye on her other companion, Bremusa the Amazon.
It had seemed a good idea when Gabrielle had spoken with Xena about her wish to bring Bremusa along. For her part Xena was all in favour. She had great respect for the flame-haired young woman, after seeing her save Gabrielle's life in a recent close fight.
Now, though, it was apparent that the girl's uncertain temper was not being improved by such close contact with those she had done so much to attack and destroy back in Greece. Bremusa's opinion of the situation didn't fill Gabrielle with confidence at the moment, either.
"Gods! I've never seen so many people all together before, that I really want to kill!"
Gabrielle had taken some heart from the small, but significant, victory in persuading the intense young girl not to parade about the deck with her savage sagaris battleaxe strapped over her shoulder. Thus at least one source of annoyance to the Romans was allayed for the present.
"Xena! Why is the sea always so damnably energetic!" Gabrielle was clinging to one of the low posts that supported the handrail at the ship's bow. There was a full deck here, from one side to the other, forward of the rowers, on which the three women were standing contemplating the waters ahead. "I don't ask for much in life; but a sea as calm and motionless as a sheet of ice would be good, at least!"
"How about that move I showed you with your wrist?"
"That's useless!" She spat mirthlessly over the side, gazing around at the far expanse of white-tipped water before hastily looking at her feet again. "I need both hands to stop falling overboard from this canoe! And, anyway, it seems to have lost it's power. I think I've become immune to it. Isn't that great!"
"I said at the time it was just a temporary measure." Xena tried her hardest to instil a note of pity in her voice as she stood over her dispirited friend. "It helps for a few hours; or a day. But you can't use it as a permanent aid."
"What can I do, then? I've been throwing up for the last two hours. I think I'm getting rid of meals I had a week ago, now!"
"The Shamaness at my camp in Attica last year gave me a potion that had much the same effect, Gabrielle, though from the oth-" Bremusa's anecdote came to a sudden halt when she noticed the evil look, from under lowered brows, that her Queen was giving her; green eyes glittering dangerously. "I—er-er!"
Further conversation came to an end, luckily for the irresolute Amazon, as the heavily built Roman Trierarch approached the bow. He had, for a Roman, what passed for a pleasant smile on his face as he joined the women.
"Ah! Is it not wonderful to be out on the dancing sea; with the fresh breezes, and the wide horizon rising and falling in the distance? I love the gentle swell of the ocean!"
Without another word Gabrielle turned and walked off towards the stern, leaving the bow deck to the Roman politician and the two Greek warriors.
"Your companion seems a little uncomfortable. Am I to suppose she is one of those unfortunates who have difficulty finding their sea-legs?"
"Gabrielle doesn't have any sea-legs to find, I'm afraid." Xena shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "A touchy subject."
"Oh! Well, I'm sure she will survive the short voyage out to the 'Alcyone'." Lucius Aulus smiled more broadly still. "When she is on the deck of a quinquireme there'll be no excuse for seasickness! Wonderfully steady ships, quinquiremes!"
"So I believe."
"Shouldn't we have taken that other ship in harbour, Trierarch?" Bremusa was full of interest in this new world of ships and the sea that her friends had suddenly dragged her into. "It was a bireme; surely quicker than this boat?"
"Yes, you're right there, young lady." Lucius spoke confidently. "It was a liburnian, and as such certainly faster than our present vessel. But it still had some disadvantages. Our cargo would have needed to have been transferred from this pentekontor into it. And having come from Rhodes quite happily in this, I saw no reason to show everyone in the harbour what our cargo consists of! And, of course, completing our voyage in this pentekontor without transfering will save much needed time."
"How far do we have to sail to reach the larger ship, Trierarch?" As she spoke Bremusa brushed her light red hair from her forehead, glancing back to the far distant shore now low on the horizon.
"Oh. I should say perhaps 5 leagues! Not more. Just over the horizon, in fact." He looked squarely at the tall warrior for a moment before his brow furrowed slightly in thought. "Are you too feeling the occasion? Have you been to sea often?"
"This is the first time." The response was short and clipped. "I've never been out of sight of land!"
"Don't worry." The Roman was conciliatory. "This is an old somewhat out-dated boat here, I agree; but adequate for our purpose. When you see and experience the quinquireme you'll find yourself in another world! Magnificent ships!"
"What happens when we lose sight of land?" Bremusa spoke nervously, still looking landward with a fixed gaze. "I mean, when there's nothing but sea round us?"
The Roman paused as he stared at the pale face of the young woman; even paler now than usual. "You really haven't been to sea before, have you? Don't worry. Losing sight of the land has no effect on the ship's stability. We carry on floating, like a rose petal in a bath! Just think of it as a huge lake. You must have had experience of big lakes?"
"Yes, yes." Bremusa turned to listen to the man's words intently.
"Well, just think of our position as being in a really huge lake. One that goes on over the horizon on all sides. But which has its shores just out of sight all around us!"
"Yes, yes. I can understand that." The girl seemed reassured by his explanation, though still worried. "Your ship-the 'Alcyone'! It's bigger— steadier—safer than this boat?"
"By Achilles's shield! Yes! I've been on the deck of a quinquireme in a tempest, with waves almost as high as our masthead all round us; and watched two triremes founder before my very eyes in the thrashing seas alongside! While I hardly needed more than a handhold on a rope to stay on my feet. And the ship never showing a sign of being inconvenienced! Good Roman building! That's the answer, of course!"
"You can locate our ship; out there in the ocean, then?" Xena asked pertinently, though not reassuringly for the young Amazon at her side.
"Oh, yes!" Lucius Aulus nodded confidently. "We took bearings onshore before we left; and we have a lodestone and needle with us. We can be sure of our direction for a considerable way out into the ocean. We will find the agreed meeting-place. Even after dark! Perhaps better then! For we can use the stars as accurate pointers! A most mathematical but interesting science."
"We do that when the Amazons travel by night." Bremusa felt more confident in a subject that she understood and which affected her sisters. "We can move over the worst type of ground in darkness for scores of miles if need be; and still find our way. The stars are beautiful!"
Xena eyed the overweight Roman, as the breeze ruffled her hair and the tang of the salt air filled her nostrils. Though a gross specimen of his type he clearly had a basis of animal courage, and something more of real intelligence. He could never have been so successfull in the cut and thrust of Roman politics otherwise, she mused.
"As a Trierarch you have sole control of the ship, then?"
"No. By no means." He shook his head, grasping the rail to steady himself as the ship plowed through a large wave, casting a high white sheet of foam on either side. They were all showered by spray but the man showed no concern as he stood in his long woollen toga. He clearly did enjoy being at sea. "Many years ago a Trierarch would have owned and provided for a single ship; but nowadays the expense is so enormous we have all to congregate in business groups to share the expenses. Partnerships of at least 20 wealthy men. It takes a talent of silver yearly to pay for a trireme; and about 2½ talents of silver yearly for a quinquireme. In recent years things have relaxed a trifle, I admit, since the Emperor saw fit to start building scores more quadriremes and quinquiremes, using the national taxes."
"How large is your 'Alcyone', compared to this pentekontor we're on?" Bremusa stood straighter now, with a more self-assured bearing, between her two companions. "This is the biggest ship I've ever been on in my life as it is!"
"The 'Alcyone' will astonish you, in that case! It has several decks and rises about 4 metres or more above sealevel, I'd say." There was a noticeable touch of pride in his voice as he responded to the girl's question. "A total of 90 oars a side on three levels, rowed by 150 men; so 300 rowers in total. 45 metres in length and a weight, I imagine, of about 100tons. Perhaps a little more. Its decks are about 5-6 metres in breadth. That's why I say Gabrielle, and you Bremusa, may feel better aboard it. They don't roll as much as this little boat! It's a cataphract vessel, so the rowers are all seated inside and protected by decks above them. This also gives a platform to carry say 80-100 soldiers. So, all-in-all, a very powerful and heavily armed ship!"
"Heavily armed?" Xena was interested in this aspect of the ship's complement.
"Oh! Didn't I say? Yes! Quinquiremes can carry two large catapults on their main decks! As does the 'Alcyone'! In any battle we will pull our weight handsomely!"
"You seem to have chosen the right kind of vessel for our present purposes, Lucius!"
"It's really the only type of ship with enough cargo-carrying space; and the strength of build, to transport this kind of cargo in one voyage." He nodded again; the sun reflecting off his partly balding head. "Camel caravans, and multiple trips in small boats over so long a distance are out of the question, you'll agree?"
"Yeah." Xena looked out to sea; the blue of the water intense and pure into the far distance. She was thinking of Cleopatra. "This amount of wealth and treasure needs to be kept secure at all costs."
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A few hours later, as the afternoon sun began lowering towards the horizon, the sea took on an even deeper shade of blue though there were still no clouds in the sky. All three warrior women were standing side by side on the prow again with Gabrielle apparently more acclimatised to the rolling swell. For some minutes they had been chatting idly with Gabrielle telling Bremusa of several voyages Xena and she had taken. Bremusa too seemed more at home, even taking delight in a large white bird that sailed through the air keeping steady with the ship, like a consort.
High on the single mast in a small container, little bigger than a basket, a lookout had been keeping an eye on the horizon for a couple of hours. Suddenly his yell broke into the women's converse as he hailed the Captain at the stern.
"On deck! A sail! On the port bow!"
The women turned in the direction indicated and shielded their eyes, gazing into the bright distance.
"Can't see anything!" Bremusa was disappointed.
"Don't worry. The ship has probably only just cut the horizon. We'll be able to see it in a few minutes." Gabrielle was happy at the thought of gaining their destination but also, more personally, in seeing a solid deck near at hand at last.
Within half an hour the distant vessel was visible to everyone; a long dark slim presence between the sea and the sky. An hour after being sighted the pentekontor sailed close up to the larger ship, giving all on board their first full view of the quinquireme sitting majestically in the water, it's mast seeming to cleave the very heavens.
For both Gabrielle and Bremusa it was a spectacular sight. Everything Lucius Aulus had said was clearly true. As the rowers on the pentekontor raised their oars, letting the little boat glide close in alongside, the ship's high bulwarks cast a dark shadow over everyone below.
The women let the few soldiers, and the accompanying Centurion go up the sides ahead of them. Always keep your foes in sight ahead of you! Gabrielle whispered quietly to Bremusa. After them followed Lucius Aulus, moving competently for such a physique. His innate strength taking him up the built-in ladder steps smoothly and without mishap. After this first Bremusa, then Gabrielle, followed by Xena, darted up the wooden steps to stand at last on a relatively solid, unmoving surface. Gabrielle, for one, felt grateful for the change.
Over the next few minutes there was the usual confusion and shouting as a well-rehearsed routine took over and the ship's company heaved up the provisions and other cargo items from the lower boat and transported them through doors and long dark passages into the mysterious depths of the ship.
A curious feature that Bremusa remarked on to Xena, as they stood on the wide deck running the full width and length of the vessel, was the invisibility of the huge numbers of oarsmen. Bremusa walked to the side and leaned over, arms extended on the warm rounded bulwark. Beneath her rows and rows of oars swept out from the sides to touch the water finally at what seemed an incredible distance away.
"Look! There must be a hundred oars! It's huge!" She said, returning to her friends.
"Like Lucius Aulus said—150 men to each side! We're not alone on this ship, you know!" Xena laughed at her joke, though Gabrielle and Bremusa merely raised their brows.
"Must make for a riot at dinner-time!" Gabrielle spoke sardonically. "I wonder, Xena? Do they have hot meals aboard this ship?"
"Twice a day! And three times on Feast-days!"
All three women turned to see a strongly built Greek, having approached silently amongst the hurly-burly of the off-loading. He was tanned a deep brown, with piercing eyes set among a multitude of wrinkles. He stood on the deck with all the confidence of a lifetime sailor and now grinned at his passengers.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Nennius of Rhodes; the Captain of this ship. I'd be pleased to show you ladies to your quarters. I've had explicit instructions, both from Lucius Aulus previously, and Queen Cleopatra herself. Glad to have such honoured guests to help with my security. Even the Roman soldiers seem glad to have you along; though I doubt you'll hear them say so!"
End of Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
There was so much room aboard the ship that everyone had been allocated cabins to themselves. Bremusa was happy with her quarters; but when Gabrielle asked to stay with Xena there was no difficulty about the arrangements. Lucius Aulus, of course, was settled somewhere along the dark corridor in quarters decorated to his own taste, apparently. Towards the rear of the ship were two large rooms given over to the company at large and used, the Captain told them, for meetings and meals with the honoured passengers.
So it was that, just over an hour after coming aboard, the women rejoined Lucius Aulus in a large after-cabin lit by windows in the stern, their shutters thrown wide, giving a view of the blue sea receding into the distance. Centrally placed was a long pine table with various other items and objects set about the room. Several servants came and went about their duties while Lucius Aulus rose from his seat to greet his guests once more.
"Ave, friends! Come and sit! We are about to have the evening meal and splendid it will be, I assure you! May I introduce our Captain, Nennius!"
"We met earlier, on deck." Xena nodded to the seaman, now planted on a chair at his superior's side as if well-used to the situation.
"He is the best seafarer I've ever known." Lucius continued, with apparent sincerity. "This is a grand ship; and it has the right master! There! I will say no more. We mustn't embarrass the worthy man! Gabrielle! What do you think of a dish of plover's eggs? Just to whet our appetites!"
"Oh! Yes. Plover's eggs. Yes-"
"Sire!" Nennius smiled as he interrupted the discussion of the upcoming menu. "Should we not think about the Chair-person of the proceedings?"
"Of course! Thank you for reminding me, Nennius." Lucius turned with a smile to his guests. "While the food is going to be excellent we must not forget the wine! Nennius, in our long friendship, has brought me round to the Greek way in this. We must choose one of our number to supervise the wine, and it's mixing. Shall we say the young lady with the wicked axe? Though, thankfully, you have left it behind for the present, eh? Ha,ha!"
As in most Greek banquets or symposia, as the three women were well aware, one of the guests would always be given the honour of being in charge of the wine supply, and it's mixing. Thereby ensuring he or she was able to control it's flow and strength;and thereby how quickly, if at all, everyone got drunk!
"Come! Bremusa." Lucius Aulus was all jollity. "Here is the krater on the floor; quite large enough for our purposes, I think! I once saw enough wine mixed in this bowl to serve 30 guests! But what do I see here! Another krater. Have you been extending your ship's gear then, Nennius?"
"I wish I might, sire." The Captain laughed in his turn. "I have to admit it is part of our cargo from Ophir; meant for the Queen's palace. Beautiful craftsmanship. I thought it safer to store it here than with the general cargo."
"Quite right, Nennius."
Lucius Aulus strode over to where both large bowls sat on the wooden deck against one of the walls. The one he described as his own was a volute krater sitting on a small base with a tall elongated body. It narrowed slightly at the neck, though still being quite wide. It had an out-turned lip, on each side of which were the curled cusps of the handles which gave the name to this type; looking as they did like the volutes on Ionic columns. The base of the handles rose from the ridge where the waist began to narrow at the broad neck. For decoration it was painted in red-figure with the face of a Goddess done in flowing lines, altogether a beautiful example of terracotta work.
"My own, as you can see, is perhaps one hundred years old. Quite an old style; in the painting, I mean. But I love it. I have known it from my childhood. I have often watched my father, and his friends, get riotously drunk in it's presence. Ah! Happy days!"
He bent over the second bowl, examining it minutely with the eye of the true connoisseur. Bremusa came to stand at his side while the others watched from the table, which was rapidly being loaded with a variety of viands; some steaming; others cold.
"Do you see, Bremusa." Lucius moved aside slightly to allow her to touch the vessel sitting at her feet; though it actually almost reached her waist in height. "Unlike my own, this is a calyx krater probably two hundred years older than the one you see at it's side!. A work of art from a lost age! Note the painted decoration. Very old. Quite unrestrained in it's portraiture of some figures, I see!"
This bowl was set on a much broader base which spread wide quite low to the floor. A few inches above this was a low rim, then the main body of the bowl rising all the way to the brim which flared out suddenly in a much wider span than it's neighbour. It's two handles were fixed low down on the lower rim, just above the base and did not reach more than half-way up it's height. It was clearly much heavier in style as well as actual weight, though still being of terracotta. The decoration, again red-figure, consisted of several dancers, both men and women, in what were clearly meant to be Bachic or drunken frolics. The attire and the bodies of these men and women were depicted in a carefree almost gross physicality. So much so that Bremusa, on bending to examine one of the male figures, suddenly rose and stepped back with a grunt and a gesture of her hand. She was not used to the free and easy morals of the ancient aristocracy!
"Ah. Here is our wine arrived!" Lucius Aulus now turned to the important business of their intended refreshment. "Let us see. Yes! A fine vintage. You will like this wine. Deep and red from the grapes of Lebanon. It will take a deal of mixing. How do you like your wine, Bremusa? Ladies?"
As usual the wine was never drunk at full strength. Such an action was believed fit only for beasts. The refined drinker purified the alcohol with greater or lesser amounts of water.
"2 to 1 would be good!" Gabrielle spoke more in hope than belief, knowing full well her compatriot was always critical of her taste for strong wine.
"3 to 1, Lucius." Xena was indeed positive on the subject. She ostentatiously did not look at Gabrielle as she replied. "Some of us want to walk to our bunks tonight; not be carried like bundles of blankets!"
"3 to 1 it is. Carry on, Bremusa. The floor is yours. I and our guests rely on your skills to delight our evening!"
Bremusa turned to the volute krater which was of far less breadth than it's unrestrained neighbour; with a lesser capacity in consequence. The servants stood by her side with several amphora of the selected wine, and on her other side some buckets of fresh water. As she worked the Centurion of the soldiers who had accompanied them on the pentekontor now entered the room.
"Sire. My apologies for my absence. I had to see my troops settled."
"Ah. Welcome Atilius." Lucius Aulus waved a hand to the fully uniformed soldier. "Come. Sit on my right hand. As you see preparations are under way for our first drink of the evening. You have arrived at the best time."
Casting a glance at the assembled guests, who now numbered five in all, the Amazon took one of the buckets from a servant and slowly poured it's contents into the narrow bowl. When the bucket was empty she looked into the neck of the bowl but saw the level of water was still very low inside. She took a second bucket and poured about a quarter of it's contents in before handing it back to the waiting servant.
After another look she was satisfied with the bowl's water content. She took one of the amphora, handed over by a female servant who had unsealed the waxed over wooden lid, and gently poured the contents into the bowl. The wine was indeed a rare and strong vintage. Its red flow dark against the white arm of Bremusa as she steadily and slowly added it to the krater. The servant girl handed her a long wooden stick and with this Bremusa began to slowly stir the bowl's contents. After a few seconds she was satisfied and nodded to the servants.
"You can pour the wine now. It should be just right, I think."
She then crossed to rejoin her friends at the table as the servants began the serious business of attending to the guests.
—OOO—
It was during the course of the meal that something of Lucius's underlying Roman character came to the surface. He began smoothly and quietly; drinking with ease and politeness but this soon gave way to an exhibition of pure gluttony which had Gabrielle and Bremusa staring in disbelief.
The Roman handled a whole roasted chicken, served to him on a silver platter, with such complete abandon that the women were astonished. His trick of throwing half-eaten bones over his shoulder was particularly alarming to Gabrielle. He did this with such vigour that several hit the wall behind before tumbling to the floor where the servants took no notice of the mounting debris. As Gabrielle and Bremusa soon began to realise, watching a Roman dignitary at home and play was something of an education; where it wasn't simply terrifying to behold!
Xena on the other hand took all in her stride, striking up a conversation with the Centurion who sat on her right hand.
"You'll be used to these fine ships, Atilius. No doubt you've had experience with others in the Roman Navy?"
"To some extent, Xena. " He seemed perfectly willing to talk to his fellow guests, even though they were Amazons and professedly enemies of Rome. No doubt he felt that knowing your enemy could be put to good use later. "I've sailed on three other ships. All quadriremes, though. This is the first quinquireme I've had the honour to accompany. A fine vessel. I'm sure Lucius Aulus is proud of it!"
Nothing like buttering up the big guys! Xena thought, restraining a tight-lipped smile. "I saw the catapults on deck. This ship could do severe damage even without coming close to it's opponents, couldn't it?"
"Oh, yes." The Centurion took a gulp of wine from one of the fine silver goblets provided by their host. "They can throw a 20lb rock nearly a cable's length."
"20 pounds!" Gabrielle joined the conversation in an attempt to take her eyes off the damage Lucius was now undertaking on a plate of lightly boiled beef slices with mint sauce. "What effect would that have on another ship?"
"When a missile that heavy falls out of the sky it has immense impetus, madam." Atilius spoke with a certain degree of politeness to the beautiful girl opposite him. Certainly, he thought, more safely beautiful than the battle-hardened and clearly dangerous warrior to his left. "When it hits the deck or a ship's side it doesn't merely bounce; it crashes through the wood with an explosive power you would have to see to believe."
"Sounds deadly!" Gabrielle tried to imagine the effect so graphically described as she toyed with her goblet.
"We could circle a quadrireme, say," Lucius interjected, breaking off the serious business to join the conversation for a moment. "and throw a series of catapult bolts into a ship from long distance. We would never be in danger or range of their arrows, even. The rocks would have enough power to either penetrate the vessel's bottom, or at least spring it's planks! I've seen a quadrireme with some 300 men aboard sink in less than an hour, under such conditions."
"The survivors must have had something to tell their friends afterwards?" Gabrielle spoke in awe of such a horrible event.
"Survivors!" Lucius spoke the one word with disdain, before returning to the next course set out before him. A stew of sturgeon and carp with fish sauce which was a particular favourite of his. The women simply sat speechless; Bremusa raised her goblet to her lips and held it there with both hands while she cast a long appraising glance at her host. She was beginning to realise, for the first time, the full power, scope, and depths of a true Roman's moral nature.
Gabrielle waved away a servant intent on placing a plate of curried eels before her, and reaching over to a salver put a large red apple on her dish instead. She also made a valiant attempt to bring the talk round to something interesting, if not exactly uplifting.
"Captain, You haven't yet told us about your cargo. I've heard various bits and pieces, but no details. What exactly are we carrying to Alexandria and Cleopatra?"
"I'll be glad to inform you, lady." The weather-beaten sailor nodded to his guest. "I've already provided the worthy Lucius Aulus with an inventory; but rather than a cold list it is perhaps better to discuss the items here, between us!"
"By all means, Nennius." Lucius swigged lustily at his goblet and held it out imperiously for a refill, apparently missing the quick flicker of an eye Bremusa gave the servant. In turn the girl was careful to only half-fill the official's beaker, before standing back in the shadows.
"Well, as you know," Nennius continued. "the distant Queen of Ophir is a great friend of our Divine Cleopatra! And when asked she has excelled herself in providing some few items and appurtenances for the delight of our Egyptian Queen, and thereby the Emperor of Rome!"
"It all goes to paying expenses!" Xena broke in sarcastically before she could stop herself.
The Trierarch looked up from his platter, lips dripping with something unidentifiable, to snap back at the warrior woman with equal force.
"I hope you are not casting aspersions on the Emperor!"
"By Berenice's hair, no!" Gabrielle jumped in before her companion was needled into an impolitic response. "She merely thinks it amazing that such riches could all be rounded up and brought to Egypt. Don't you, Xena? Rome must have great power to do that!"
"Rome has all the power!" Lucius spoke bluntly, but with a sure certainty that froze the blood in all three women listening; though none showed in their expressions the distaste the man's words had on them.
"So! Nennius." Gabrielle was determined to cast whatever oil she could on the slightly disturbed waters. "Tell us what these riches consist of. I love beautiful things!"
"For a start even I was amazed when everything had been brought aboard." The worthy Captain admitted to his guests. "Perhaps I should begin with the smallest items; though the richest! Three chests of precious stones; consisting of a mixture of diamonds, emeralds, amythysts, and topazes. I have them safely locked in my own cabin! Then some barrels of exotic spices such as cinnamon, myrrh, peppercorns, and bright orange saffron. After this was a couple of casks of that strange liquid metal, mercury. You know it no doubt! Behaves like water, or breaks up into droplets in the hand!"
"Yes, I saw some once in Athens. Strange stuff!" Gabrielle nodded. "Go on."
"Then came what I may call the body of the cargo—some forty couple of ivory tusks; a couple hundred planks of sandalwood; the same of cedarwood; and many amphora of a special vintage of sweet white wine from the Queen's personal winecellars!"
"Enough to make an E—to make anyone jealous!" Bremusa stuttered diplomatically; then intercepting a glance from her Queen decided to take no further part in the conversation for a time.
"We also have aboard some thirty boxes of silver bars and ten boxes of gold bars." The Captain paused to let this information sink in before continuing. "These are so heavy, you will understand, that they have had to be loaded in the bilges of the ship; spread out along the keel. They make a visible difference to my ship's floatation and even it's manoeuvrability."
"I can imagine." Xena nodded, drinking off her wine at a swallow and holding the goblet to be refilled in her turn. "I thought your ship was rather low in the water as we arrived!"
"Quite so." Nennius agreed. "Then came what you may think the supreme pinnacle of all—forty peacocks, and two couple of apes!"
"What!" Gabrielle cried in disbelief, setting her goblet down and looking from Nennius to the simpering Lucius in turn.
"The apes are large; heavier and far stronger than a man! I had to have special cages constructed on one of the lower decks. They roar loudly when riled. You may have heard their noise earlier, and wondered what it was! They will have some sort of ceremonial purpose." The Captain smiled at the success of his little surprise. "The peacocks are of a rare breed. White peacocks, I am told, with yellow and brown markings. Very rare, I believe."
"Exquisite!" Lucius Aulus agreed. "The Emperor will be pleased!"
"Well, it will certainly reinforce Rome's reputation for-er,—magnificent spectacle! You must both be very proud?" Gabrielle spoke in a slightly awed tone. Even after all her experiences, to come face to face with the legendary opulence of the Roman ego was still disturbing.
"We take such things in our stride!" Lucius was condescending to those around the dinner-table. "It is merely what the Emperor would expect! Come, let us carry on with our meal! There are still three courses to go, and this wine is truly delicious. I wonder if I can persuade our worthy wine-keeper to mix another batch?"
With these last words he directed a look of quite childish pleading towards Bremusa who rose with a shrug and went back over to the krater, where a servant stood with a ladle to refill those goblets brought to her. At her feet stood another full amphora awaiting it's turn in the festivities. If the Amazon was sure of anything it was that it was going to be a long evening.
—OOO—
The blue of a clear sky shone down on the two women standing on the foredeck of the quinquireme with a chastening brilliance. Gabrielle herself, when pulled from beneath her blankets that morning, had expressed in voluble and distressing terms her reluctance to shine like the sun, on this or any other day in the future. But Xena had insisted on bringing her on deck even before the first meal of the morning was ready in the ship's galley. This was just as well for Gabrielle had spent a gruelling five minutes relieving her stomach of the previous evening's rich viands.
"It's no good, Xena! I just want to die! I thought this big ship would be steadier than the other; but it's no good! It moves! Can't you feel it? It moves under your feet all the time. Tartarus would be better than this!"
"Get a grip, Gabrielle!" Xena was unheeding of her friend's distress. "It's all in your mind, you know! Think smooth! Think calm! Think—"
What Gabrielle said next was distressig in it's preciseness, accuracy, dis-interested detail, and personal relevance to the woman standing beside her. Xena however, well-used to these diatribes from her friend when in the throes of bodily agony, merely raised her eyebrows and made a mental note to remember some choice phrases for her own use.
As she laid a comforting arm on the shoulders of her sweetheart Xena noted the appearance of the Trierarch on the distant sterndeck, looking as fresh as an athlete despite his amazing exhibition the night before.
"Just your usual Roman!" Xena had a hard tone in her voice as she gazed at the almost impressive bulk of the heavy politician. "He's so obnoxious he'll probably go far—before someone finally poisons him! Wait for the day!"
Compelled by the note in her companion's voice Gabrielle straightened and looked towards the rear of the ship too, seeing the Roman parading the deck like a Senator in the Forum.
"Xena! Xena! Don't think that way. There's no exit in that street!"
"Do you know, Gabrielle, nothing lasts for ever!" Xena spoke with a curious note of longing. "And when the Roman Empire is finally destroyed and disappears, the world will be an infinitely better place!"
"Let's not hold our breaths meanwhile, eh!" Gabrielle was uncomfortable with her friend's reaction to the admittedly difficult official. "We can work with him. For a couple of days, anyway."
"Yeah. I suppose!" Xena had already opened her mouth to shout a greeting when she was forestalled by a hail from the lookout on the high mast above.
"On deck, there! In the haze to seaward! On the starboard bow! Three ships! Look like liburnians!"
"Pirates!" The Captain, standing by his master's side, spoke unhesitatingly a few moments later as the women ran up to join the group on the sterndeck. "Looks as if we're in for a fight!"
End of Chapter 2
—OOO—