He was seated astern the rowing boat that was guiding a flotilla of flat bottomed barges being manoeuvred into position to serve as a foundation for the bridge. The barges were lashed alongside each other and were being floated stern first to be positioned alongside the first four -the furthest of which was securely moored to the riverbank. He was inspecting the work to ensure that they were done correctly according to the engineers plans. Much as he detested this particular aspect of the building process, he volunteered to do it in fairness to Hephaistion who assumed the task daily for the past five days.
The river current was swift as there had been heavy downpour further upstream for the past two days. The men worked fast, lowering the wicker baskets filled with huge stones that served as anchors to hold the barges in place. However, their progress was being slowed down as they constantly had to clear the flotsam and jetsam that caught in the baskets - branches, tree trunks, drowned animals and just about anything that the torrential rains washed into the river from the banks of the upper Indus and its tributaries.
As they rowed aft the barges for inspection, the temporary lashings of the barge in front of their boat begun to unravel. due to the constant motion caused by the swells. No one noticed that the current pushing mightily against the barge now unsecured part of the makeshift pontoon. With a lurch and a sickening groan, the barge begun to break free from the loose moorings caught by the swift onrush of water. Before, they could avoid it, the barge' s starboard side slowly swung apart ramming the small boat sideways causing it to keel.
All the occupants suddenly found themselves fighting for their lives trying to swim against the current, desperately trying from being totally swept away. Those who could'nt, screamed in abject terror as they were carried off, disappearing from the water's surface.
A great commotion arose. Men on the other securely moored barges scampered about shouting to each other and to no one particular in a cacophony of tongues -Indian, Persian, Sogdian, Macedonian -all pointing to the sinking boat and the men trying to stay afloat. While some secured the lashing of the barge that threatened to totally break away, the others threw ropes onto the water for the swimmers, while others were lying at the edge of the barge on their stomachs holding out their arms hoping those in the water could grab them. Others, held onto the sprawled mens' feet to prevent them from sliding off the barges' wet flooring.
Perdiccas in his bronze breastplate and greaves and with his sword on his belt struggled to keep himself afloat as the weight of the metal threatened to drag him to the river's bottom. He fumbled at them desperately. First, off came his sword which he successfully removed. However, before he could bring it within the reach of the men on the barge, it slipped from his hand sinking fast to the river's bottom. The rage and anxiety he felt for the loss of his sword turned the process of ridding himself of the breastplate into a major problem. He lost his treasured sword and could not risk also loosing his cherished breastplate -never mind the fact that it tended to drag him down into the murky waters.
The chiliarch and his second-in -command Endymion were inspecting the placement of the timber and plank flooring and the lashing of the ladders on the barges sides to serve as bulwark. As the shouts reached their ears, Hephaistion raised his head to see Perdiccas trying to rid himself of his metal breastplate bobbing up and down in the muddy waters while simultaneously trying to propel himself with his legs to the nearest barge or attempting to grab the rope being thrown at him. With his sword now gone, Hephaistion was aware that the bronze breastplate would drag him down to the muddy depths with or without the rope in hand.
Realizing what was happening, he rid himself of his sword, silver breastplate and sandals in seconds leaving his short dagger in its sheath attached to his belt. Grabbing a rope handed him, he tied it around his waist. Barking instructions to Endymion and his men to hold the other end, he dove into the fast-flowing river then treaded the waters while shouting to Perdiccas to try and propel himself in his direction.
It was on Hephaistion's second attempt that he was able to grasp his now floundering friend by the arm. Pullling the man to him, he wound an arm around Perdiccas' breast who, having swallow a lot of water, was now gasping while still struggling to free himself from his breastplate. It took Hephaistion great strength to keep himself and a sputtering, squirming Perdiccas from going under as they tried to help the men towing Hephaistion's rope in by trying to swim towards the saving barge. A rousing cheer went up from the onlookers as they finally held on to the barge and pairs of arms reached out to haul them onboard. Despite the men helping, clambering onboard from the side of the barge proved to be very cumbersome for the dark-blonde haired general.
Seeing his friend's predicament, Hephaistion let go of his grip from the side of the boat and dove into the swirling waters. Grabbing Perdiccas by his buttocks he tried to push him high enough for his upper body to find purchase over the edge of barge so the helping hands could haul him in .
After a couple of failed attempts of getting himself on board, Hephaistion suggested to Perdiccas to rid himself of his breastplate. His suggestion was met with an obdurate refusal.
" I've already lost my precious sword so…no! It's me with my breastplate….if that's the lasting thing I ever do" Perdiccas gasped.
"Don't try to be funny now..by Ares balls!!.. take out that damned thing before it drags you to the bottom of…."
Hephaistion's admonition was silenced as he watched one of the Persian sappers run towards the edge of the barge screaming hysterically at the same time pointing to a spot in the water not very far from where they were. Both of them understood the Persian word for water snake and knew how deadly the reptiles could be.
"Help him….haul him in…. fast!!!" the chiliarch screamed at the top of his lungs "Haul him in the name of Zeus" he repeated as he felt something slimy momentarily brush against his leg.
There was a mad scramble as hands grasped Perdiccas by his forearms while others grabbed the shoulder straps of his breastplate. He winced as he felt his knees catch at the barges edge and tore off the skin. Finally, he was on board lying on his stomach trying to regain his breath.
Meanwhile, Hephaistion's upper torso was being lifted out of the water on his back by the rope tied to his waist. Suddenly, he felt something coiling around his leg and sting. As the men finally hauled him in they saw the snake wrapped around his leg with a wound on it. Grabbing a sword, Endymion hacked the tail end of the reptile as the cerulean-eyed man grasped the animal by the neck to prevent it from delivering another blow. Reaching for his dagger he slashed it's still squirming body.
Sitting upright he immediately made an incision where the fang marks were and begun to bleed his wound instructing his body servant Hyperion to tie a strip of cloth on his injured leg at the thigh. As his glance involuntarily caught the animal's corpse, Olympias snakes came to mind, making Hephaistion grin.
Perdiccas eyed the dead reptile and shuddered involuntarily. It must have been at least three cubits in length.
"You're a fool Hephaistion, you should not have waited for me to have gone out of these dastardly waters…" Perdiccas chided as he rose to his feet having recovered from his ordeal, smiling to take the heat off his words.
"I clearly recall somebody saying swimming in this river was totally out of question. " came the jesting reply.
"It was not on purpose" Perdiccas protested but grinned to diffuse it's seriousness "I could not help it if your engineers do not do lash the barges properly"
Hephaistion gave him a playful weak shove which was so untypical of him.
"Is all in order with you?" he turned to see his dropped his arms to his side inanimately, his face paling.
Hephaistion nodded "I am tired but nothing that a good night's rest shall not cure" he assured Perdiccas. "I shall be fine. " he remarked as he lifted himself up to join the jovial general who stood to his side. As they started to head back to shore, Hephaistion suddenly felt cold and sweaty, waves of nausea threatening to engulf his body,
"You better not die on me now" Perdiccas joked as he noticed his friend's faltering stride "…I don't want Alexander feeding me tp Porus' elephants for neglecting you".
"Certainly not" the cerulean eyed man grinned feebly at him "who's going to save Alexander if he falls off our bridge". Perdiccas nodded as he turned to glance at the chiliarch in time to see his friend's knees finally giving way, his body crumpling onto the plank flooring of the barge in a heap giving way to tremors before darkness claimed him.