Hello all,

Here comes the fifth entry to my Destiny tale. Hephaestion finds that it is a very hard assignment to govern the vast Empire that his Golden One has conquered. Administration is necessary, but it sure can become a burden!

My apologies for any spelling errors. I cannot get the Yahoo Spell Check to work this evening!

All the best wishes and hopefully good reading,

/ NorthernLight

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Escape From Destiny, Part Five

Ecbatana, 324 BC

Administrative Worries

Chiliarch.

Hephaestion had thought that this was a title filled with honour and respect. It probably was, but for him it chiefly meant lots of very hard administrative work and chores. Now he sat at his writing desk, overwhelmed by scrolls and letters. These days he often became sick and tired of those horrible heaps. He used to call them the Cosmic Disaster.

His Persian helpers and advisors the eunuchs Kamal and Koosha did not make things better. They were always at his side, telling him what he was to do and what he was not supposed to do. He was sick and tired of their shrill voices and pointing fingers. Now they told him in which order he must read the scrolls, then they told him how to sort and staple them in a proper manner. Suddenly he rose from his hard and uncomfortable chair.

"You two! You. Get. Out. From. Here! I am sick and tired of your administrative bullying", he adamantly told them.

They swiftly went away, but not without disrespectful whispers.

"Lord and Master, you will need us very soon again. We can foresee this, "they said with sinister hissing voices.

Off they went, walking backwards and worriedly looking at him and his flooded desk. Despite all their admonishing they liked this young and beautiful foreign Chiliarc. He was a far better man than the one Darius had appointed!

Hephaestion got hold of two soft sea green velvet cushions. They were adorned with golden rims and pearl embroidery. He put them on the dark oaken chair, one on the seat and the other behind his back. He sighed from sheer relief. Now at long last he was on his own. He unrolled one of the scrolls and started to read it. It was in ancient Persian, but he had managed to read those strange signs, too.

/ Oh, my, the things I do for my Golden One, "he silently mused to himself. /

Hephaestion read and read and read the innumerous scrolls and letters he had to cope with. Then he wrote and wrote and wrote, all until his strong right hand became numb and palsied. He had to shake it time and again. At last it did not help. The stylus fell from his numb fingers. He suddenly felt dizzy and the letters blurred before his tired eyes. He went up and hurried to the window. It was open and he could see the beautiful snow clad Orontis mountains. He breathed the cool and refreshing mountain air. It cleared his mind and made him feel better.

"I need to take a break, "he said with stern determination. "All those scrolls are killing me!"

Then he remembered that he must read his recent letter from Queen Olympias. He had hidden it on top of the enormous dark oaken bookcase since it probably was as venomous as all the Queen's letters to him. He did not want to read it, but polite and diplomatic as always he felt that he simply had to. He went to the bookcase and stretched up towards the top shelf. It was filled with heaps and heaps of unwanted letters and scrolls. Queen Olympias' correspondence held a place of its own. Her letters and scrolls seemed to form a venomous heap. It turned green and yellow before his tired eyes. He reached out for the new scroll on top of the heap. At once it seemed to latch out for him as with a sharp sting and bite. He withdrew his numb and palsied fingers to protect himself.

Too late! The scroll fell upon him together with all of the Queen's letters and many other unwanted scrolls and letters. They were so many and so overwhelming that he became virtually buried under them. He called out for help, but then he suffocated and became silent.

Stefanos and Alexios were very worried these days. They had seen the changes in their Dear Lord and Master. Becoming Chiliarch had not been an honour to Hephaestion.

It had become a dreadful burden.

Now they heard a strange thud and a muffled call for help from inside the finely adorned office. They quickly opened the door and strode inside.

The Chiliarch Hephaestion was nowhere to be seen!

There was this very strange heap of scrolls and letters towering on the floor. Something, perhaps someone was mubling and grumbling inside. Stefanos and Alexios swiftly shoveled all the scrolls away. Then they unraveled Hephaestion. He was gasping for breath and faintly waving his arms to defend himself from the suffocating mound of papers and scrolls.

"Oh no. He is totally overworked, "Stefanos stated. "I fear that he has become ill from all this horrible paper work!"

"We must call for King Alexander, "Alexios suggested. "He must help his Chiliarch and offer him some relief from these horrid administrative chores!"

They did not need to send for the King. Alexander was a great Leader and Ruler. He always knew when he was direly needed. All of a sudden he appeared in the Chiliarch's office. He lifted Hephaestion from the floor and carried him to the fresh air wafting in from the window.

"Here, here, my Dear One. Have some fresh air," he gently told his friend. "Then I will cherish you with a Banquet worthy of a King and a Chiliarch. There will be the most sumptuous and luxurious food, fruit, wine and fruit juices, and afterwards a relaxing bath and some well needed rest!"

Hephaestion nodded, resting in the strong and reassurring arms of his King and friend. All was well, all was as it should be. He felt the warming and life giving energies enter him and he gave up a sigh of relief and pleasure.

King and Chiliarch went together to dress for the Royal Banquet.

Kamal and Koosha went inside the office and proceeded to sort out the mess of papers, scrolls and letters on the floor.

"You needed us soon enough, Lord and Master. Didn't we say so, "they hissed and whispered in unison.

TBC

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