Chapter 9

What the Gods Want

AFTER ZORAVELINA LEFT at her husband's mysterious summons, Hypergamy distracted the children with a game. As suppertime approached, she proposed eating outdoors in the atrium, sitting on cushions on the floor around a low table. She had already given the nurse, Sophia, permission to take time off, so when Hypergamy settled down with Callista and Castor, it was just the three of them. Even the serving girls were sent away.

All three had plates of braised fish, to which Hypergamy added salad and lentils. Castor was tearing off pieces of bread and dipping it in the dish of olive oil, but Callista just stared at her plate of food. Hypergamy was pouring three cups of water from a ceramic jug when the little girl spoke.

'Hypergamy, are you going away?'

Hypergamy paused in mid-pour. Castor's mouth dropped open, half-chewed bread inside, as he stared at the woman with the jug. Hypergamy finished pouring and handed out the cups of water.

'Yes, Callista,' she said. 'I have to go away.'

'When?!' said Castor.

'In two weeks' time.'

'Why?'

Hypergamy looked at the two children. Castor was the one who had spoken, but Callista's expression showed that he had spoken for both of them. But unlike the boy's expression of dismay, there was anger in Callista's eyes. Hypergamy reached across the table and brushed a strand of hair from the girl's face.

'It's complicated,' said Hypergamy.

'Grown-ups always say that when they don't want to tell us,' said Callista.

'Yes, but sometimes things are complicated.'

Callista scowled. Meanwhile, Castor had resumed chewing and he frowned as his four-year-old brain went to work.

'Is that why Mummy and Daddy have gone somewhere?' he said.

'I have no idea where your parents have gone,' said Hypergamy.

'But they never do anything together! Do they?'

This last question was aimed at his sister. Callista frowned as she pondered this, trying to remember. She knew that Daddy paid for the house and food and everything in it, but he was always in the man's wing. Meanwhile, Mummy ran the home, was in charge of the servants, organised their lessons, and did a hundred other things. But what did Mummy and Daddy do together?

'I don't know,' she said finally.

Callista took a piece of bread and dipped the end of it into the olive oil. But instead of biting it off, she just stared at the sopping white lump. Hypergamy dipped her own bread and said:

'Callista, how did you know I was going away?'

'It was the look in Mummy's eyes,' said the girl. 'Her face goes sad whenever she looks at you.'

'Well, your mother and I are very close.'

'She loves you.'

'I love her too, my darling.'

Castor interrupted in his piping voice.

'Do you love Daddy?' he said.

'I'm grateful to your father,' said Hypergamy smoothly. 'When I first arrived in this city, I had nowhere to go. He gave me a place to stay, enough to eat, and … and more things besides.'

'Mummy says a man is supposed to give a woman those things,' said Callista.

'Yes, but it's always good to say thank you.'

'Why?'

'Callista, don't you think it's good to say thank you when someone does something for you?'

'It depends. I don't say thank you to the servants.'

'I don't either!' said Castor proudly.

Hypergamy looked at the two children. They were the very picture of round-faced innocence. Yet how long can innocence be an excuse for a lack of awareness? Hypergamy cleared her throat.

'Your mother says thank you to the servants,' she said.

'Yes, but only because Daddy doesn't,' said Callista. 'Mummy always does the opposite of what Daddy does.'

Hypergamy blinked, taken aback. 'Now who's guilty of lack of awareness?' said an inner voice. She looked at Callista.

'You notice a lot, don't you?' said Hypergamy.

Callista shrugged. She seemed to find her appetite and was eating her fish and salad. Castor was also stuffing his face. Hypergamy sighed and turned back to her own plate.

After Nomikos finished his tour, Syphon thanked him and promised further talks at his office. Leaving Nomikos with his bodyguard to lock up the building, Syphon offered Zoravelina a ride home, after which he would take his chariot into the countryside – he wanted to think and the drive would help clear his mind. To his surprise, his wife asked to come with him.

It was a beautiful afternoon and Syphon drove the chariot through the streets to the edge of the city and then beyond. Zoravelina stood by his side and looked out as the houses turned into fields and hills. Syphon was heading for a place in some woods where there was a freshwater stream. When they arrived, he took the chariot off the track and brought it to a halt. As his wife got out, Syphon shrugged off his toga and laid it over the side of the chariot. He then untethered the horse and walked it down a shallow slope to the water so it could drink.

Zoravelina was thirsty herself and looked around for the waterskin, but she couldn't see it anywhere. It had probably fallen out during the ride. She sighed and went down to the stream, looking around at the trees and shrubs on either side. She scooped a mouthful of water, then another to quench her thirst. Afterwards, she took off her sandals and lifted the hem of her gown so she could sit on the bank and bathe her feet. The cool water felt wonderful.

Syphon tied a short rope between the horse's legs to hobble it, then left it to graze and went to stand near his wife. She was leaning back on her arms, her pale bare feet and ankles swinging in the clear water. He looked around to check they were alone, then glanced at the chariot which was just visible over the top of the ridge.

'So…' he said. 'What do you think?'

'I think the gods are showing us the way,' said Zoravelina.

'Well … one god in particular.'

They were silent as the sound of the water rushed and bubbled in the background. Syphon walked over and selected a spot on the bank a couple of feet away from his wife. He crouched on his haunches and stared out at the water. Zoravelina turned her head to look at him. When she spoke, her voice was soft and reflective.

'Do you love her?' she said.

'Zora…'

'I won't be angry, I promise.'

'You won't be angry? After what you said in the andron?'

Syphon's fingers found a pebble and he tossed it into the stream. Zoravelina stared down at her feet, moving them around, making ripples in the water.

'I won't apologise, you know,' she said.

'Of course you won't.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'It means that, in all the years of our marriage, you've never apologised for anything.'

'That's not true!'

Syphon hurled a second pebble into the water and got to his feet.

'Come on, let's go,' he said.

'I thought we were going to discuss Hypergamy?'

'Yeah, I thought so too. But clearly, you'd much rather tell me—yet again—what a shit husband I am!'

'Syphon…'

'I get the message, all right?! I know that you hate me! You don't have to tell me two thousand times! One thousand times was enough!'

Syphon marched off in the direction of the grazing horse. Zoravelina leapt up, leaving her sandals on the bank, and ran after him. She hopped and yelped as her bare feet were pricked by stones and rough grass, but she managed to catch up with the man and grabbed his chiton. Syphon could have batted her off easily enough, but instead he gave a huff of impatience and stopped. Zoravelina ran around to block his way forward and took hold of his arms.

'Syphon, please,' she said. 'I really do want to talk about Hypergamy.'

'We can talk at the house.'

'No, I want to do it here.'

'Why?'

'Because Hypergamy's at the house and I think we should discuss this before telling her.'

Syphon pulled a face, but it was clear he was of the same opinion. Zoravelina let go his arms and stepped back, carefully placing her feet on the softer patches of earth.

'Come on, Syphon,' she said. 'There must be a hundred things that need doing. Tell me how I can help.'

Syphon hesitated. His hands went to his hips and he looked at the ground.

'Look, first…' he said, '…I need to make a deal with that prick, Nomikos. The temple needs repair work and the Treasury won't want to pay for it.'

'How much money do you need to raise?'

'I don't know yet.'

'Well … we could ask my father to buy back some of his assets?'

'Would he consider doing that?'

'I can talk to him if you like.'

Syphon looked at his wife, his brow furrowed. Zoravelina made a point of holding his gaze. Eventually, he gave a small nod and continued.

'I also have less than two weeks to put together a proposal for the king,' he said. 'I need to look into the legal issues and also somehow present Hypergamy as a suitable candidate.'

'That should be simple!' said Zoravelina. 'I can't think of anyone more perfect!'

'Yes, but the king has never met her. And to make things more complicated, there's a rumour going around that I'm—'

Syphon's voice tailed off, as though he suddenly remembered who he was talking to. He turned away and scanned the trees, while his wife watched him with a sardonic look in her eyes.

'That you're sleeping with her?' she ventured.

'That's what they're saying.'

'And you're worried that if the king hears these rumours, he will assume you're putting Hypergamy's name forward because of your feelings for her?'

'Or that I'm doing it in exchange for sexual favours.'

'Which you are.'

Syphon's jaw clenched and he stared grimly off into the distance. Zoravelina carefully picked her way around the man until she was facing him.

'Tell me,' she said. 'If I were to publicly support your proposal to make Hypergamy the priestess, would that help dispel the rumours?'

Syphon's face went red, although he still didn't look at her. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and gruff.

'It would help, yes,' he said.

'Was that why you brought me? So Nomikos could meet me?'

'It was part of the reason,' said Syphon. 'But I also wanted you to see the temple. You know Hypergamy better than I do, and I wanted your opinion on whether this was the right thing for her.'

'Don't you trust your own judgement?'

'Not when it comes to her.'

Zoravelina nodded slowly. Syphon was still unable to meet her gaze and she knew it was moments before he would be marching off again. She gave a big sigh and let her hands fall to her sides.

'All right!' she said. 'Let's go home and tell her. Would you mind waiting while I get my sandals?'

The sun had set by the time the master and the lady of the house arrived home. Hypergamy had joined Sophia in putting the children to bed, then spent a pleasant hour chatting with her in the gynaikon. Both heard the distant but distinct sound of the master's horse and neither woman was much surprised when Yiorgos appeared shortly afterwards with the message that Hypergamy's presence was requested in the andron.

On entering the room, Hypergamy had a flashback to their previous meeting – both husband and wife were on their separate couches as she stood facing them. But this time, Zoravelina leapt to her feet and rushed over to embrace her. As they hugged, Hypergamy looked at Syphon over the lady's shoulder. He was unsmiling and restless. She had the feeling that he was nervous and trying to hide it. No, not just hiding it – ashamed of it.

'Oh, Hypergamy!' gushed Zoravelina. 'You have no idea what's happened!'

'Um…'

'Oh, what a stupid thing to say!'

Zoravelina drew back and looked at her. The lady's face was shining.

'I can't wait for you to hear the news!'

'Then tell me!'

'No … I'll spoil it!' Zoravelina turned around. 'Syphon, you tell her! It'll be better coming from you! Come on, Hypergamy, let's sit down!'

Hypergamy allowed herself to be led to the lady's couch, where she sat next to Zoravelina. Her hand was taken and held tightly in the lady's lap. Hypergamy looked over at Syphon and was relieved to see some of her own bewilderment reflected in his expression. Syphon frowned, cleared his throat and began his story.

As both magistrate and merchant, Syphon was well practiced at presenting his arguments in a compelling manner, and this was evidenced here. Hypergamy was transfixed by his discovery of the temple and the plans he laid out, and even though Zoravelina was bursting to interject, the hand in her grasp seemed to remind her to keep quiet. When he finished speaking, Hypergamy stood and walked to the centre of the room, her back to both of them. There was an agonising silence. Then Hypergamy turned and looked at Syphon. Her face was pale and her hands were joined, one fist held tight in the other hand.

'No,' she said.

The jaws of both husband and wife dropped. Hypergamy looked from one to the other and back.

'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I can't do it.'

'Why not?' cried Zoravelina.

'I'm no priestess!' said Hypergamy. 'I don't know the first thing about being a priestess!'

'But…'

'Listen, both of you … please don't think I'm ungrateful…'

'No! You stop that!'

Zoravelina was on her feet, flying towards the other woman. Syphon meanwhile stared at the floor, his face collapsed in a frown. Hypergamy straightened her back as the other woman approached.

'Hypergamy, this would be perfect for you!'

'How would you know?'

'Oh, come on! Aphrodite is your goddess!'

'That doesn't mean I know how to be her priestess!'

'Do you think those sanctimonious cows at the Temple of Hera know any better?'

'Zora, I don't care about them!'

'Well, you should! Because if you don't take this opportunity, those women will be dictating the course of your life!'

'No, they won't,' said Syphon.

The man's voice was like a rumble of thunder in the clouds. Both women turned to look at him. The man rose to his feet and the women watched in silence as his presence seemed to fill the room. He looked at them with deadly seriousness and when he spoke, his voice had a quiet authority quite unlike his usual aggression.

'Sit down, both of you,' he said. 'I have something to say.'

Both women went back to the lady's couch in silence and resumed their seats. Zoravelina was frowning, as though she couldn't quite understand why she wasn't arguing back. Meanwhile, Syphon took the floor and turned to face them. His gaze was on Hypergamy.

'This isn't about what you want,' he said. 'Nor what I want nor what Zora wants. It's not even about what the king wants. This is about what the gods want.'

He folded his arms.

'Here's what's going to happen,' he said. 'You are going to pray to the goddess Aphrodite for an answer to the following question: Does she want you to be Her Voice in this city? That same goddess has protected you in the deserts of Aegyptus and the palace of King Eshmun; she is also the goddess that led you here to this house … and there is not a doubt in my mind that she will guide you on this question.'

Syphon unfolded his arms and took a step forward.

'And I swear to you, Hypergamy,' he said. 'If you tell me that the Goddess says no, I will respect that. I give you my word.'

There was a long silence. Then Zoravelina rose up and went to stand next to Syphon. She turned and looked at Hypergamy.

'You have my word too,' said Zoravelina. 'I stand with my husband on this matter.'

Hypergamy stared at them, her eyes flicking from one to the other, like an animal in a trap. She looked manic, almost wild. Suddenly, she was on her feet, speeding across the room in a straight line to the door. It opened and closed and she was gone. The slam of the door echoed in the air as the man and the woman stared at it in silence.

For the next three days, Hypergamy seemed to disappear. Syphon was occupied with work so he barely noticed, but Zoravelina found it tough. Hypergamy did not join her and the children for meals and Zoravelina had to deal with their questions. When she went to Hypergamy's room or to the statue in the garden, Hypergamy was seldom there – but on the couple of occasions she was, Zoravelina would get a curt, 'Zora, please! I need time on my own!' Yiorgos assured the lady of the house that Hypergamy went to the kitchen for food and the house guard would regularly lose one of its number for hours at a time when Hypergamy would take her long walks to the sea. Zoravelina began to realise how lonely she was without the other woman, not just at night when she slept alone, but as a companion during the day.

On the second evening, Zoravelina went to find Syphon, just for someone to talk to. He was in his study with parchments on the temple from Nomikos, and husband and wife ended up having a long discussion about the project. It began on the topic of money, but Syphon explained that he would have to do more than convince the king that the plan was financially viable. 'He's going to ask: Why does this city need a Temple of Aphrodite?' he said. 'What do I tell him?' Zoravelina sat on a chair next to his and considered the question. She began with the observation that the city only had one temple for women, the Temple of Hera. Zoravelina was of the opinion that this was inadequate and this led to a conversation on the purposes of a temple and their own experiences with the priests and priestesses who served there.

It was late when Zoravelina said goodnight to her husband and went up to her room. She passed the closed door of Hypergamy's room, but this time the sting of rejection was less than that of the previous night. Zoravelina changed into her nightdress, got into bed and extinguished the flame of her lamp. But she lay awake for a while, digesting the realisation that she had just spent an evening with her husband that she had genuinely enjoyed.

The following evening, Syphon had an early business supper in the andron with two of his associates, but after they left Zoravelina went to ask whether they could talk further about the temple. To her relief, he suggested they adjourn to his study with some wine. Syphon was different when he was sat at his desk. He was still serious and bluntly spoken, but he listened with the kind of attention Zoravelina didn't know she wanted; when he made comments on what she said, they felt more like observations than criticisms. However, despite this aura of cooperation, there was one point of contention.

'Look, Syphon,' she said. 'You're putting hours of work into this. But it's all for nothing if Hypergamy says no.'

'Has she said something to you?'

'No, I've barely seen her over the last couple of days. How about you?'

'Not since the day she walked out of the andron.'

'What do you think is going on?'

'I honestly don't know.'

Zoravelina frowned. She stood up and walked to the window, then turned and looked at the man by the desk littered with scrolls and parchments. Syphon was looking at the statuette of Hermes on his desk. He nodded to himself and almost smiled.

'This isn't for nothing,' he said.

'How can you be so sure?'

'Zora, when you walked into that temple and saw the statue of Aphrodite, didn't it feel like she was waiting for us?'

Zoravelina trembled. She nervously touched the base of her throat.

'I don't know what I felt,' she said.

'But you felt something?'

'Yes, I suppose so.'

Syphon nodded seriously. He stood up and began pacing the centre of the room. Zoravelina stayed by the window and watched him. An idea came to her.

'Why not take Hypergamy to the temple?' she said.

'You don't think she's already seen it? On one of those long walks of hers?'

'Oh. I hadn't thought of that.'

'Right.'

'So why doesn't she say anything?'

'Maybe she's overwhelmed.'

Syphon stopped pacing. He looked again at the statuette on the desk.

'You know, when I was a boy,' he said, 'I wanted to be a warrior. I wanted to join some modern-day Argonauts on a great quest. But when I was sixteen, I was with my father in the Temple of Hermes. And as I was praying—or rather, pretending to pray—I heard this voice in my head, as clear as if my father had turned and spoken to me. It said, "Syphon … don't you know that negotiation is just another way of being a warrior?" '

'Syphon, I know this story. What's your point?'

'My point is that I didn't just drop all my boyish dreams in a day! It's scary to find out your destiny! And it took me a long time to accept that mine lay with the God of Trade. But … well, look around you.'

Syphon gestured with his hands, sweeping the air as if encompassing the whole world.

'This house, this wealth, everything we have,' he said. 'It's all the result of keeping faith with the god Hermes.'

'Does that include me?'

'Pardon?'

'Did you marry me because the God of Trade told you to?' said Zoravelina. 'Did he say it would be "advantageous"?'

Syphon took a deep breath, straightened his back and looked her in the eye.

'Look, Zora…' he said. 'We all have to obey the will of the gods.'

Tears dropped from Zoravelina's eyes, but she wasn't crying. She wiped the tracks impatiently away and straightened herself up, striking the pose of the lady of the house.

'It's late,' she said. 'Thank you for the talk.'

'Zora…'

'No, Syphon. I think we've said enough for one night.'

'Can we talk again?'

'We'll see. Good night, husband.'

Zoravelina walked past Syphon with graceful slowness, calmly opening the door and closing it behind her without slamming. She managed to get all the way to her bedroom before she collapsed onto the bed and burst out crying.

Syphon stayed up for another hour before going to his own bedroom. He changed into his nightshirt, extinguished his oil lamp, and tried to get to sleep. But he was angry and conflicted. It was so typical of his wife to spoil everything – and only she could make the word 'husband' sound like a rebuke. Yet he was also sorry about the turn the conversation had taken. He had enjoyed their talks about the temple project and found what she had to say perceptive and practical. If Zoravelina had been a man, she would have made a good business partner.

He eventually fell asleep and, once asleep, Syphon seldom awoke until his eyes snapped open at the crack of dawn. Meanwhile, his sleep would be deep and dreamless, an almost vertical dive into black oblivion. He was like a creature that hibernated on the bed of an ocean. Perhaps that was why, in the middle of the night, he felt like he was dreaming.

It was black and dark, but he felt movement around him. A smell both exotic and familiar filled his senses and through his nightshirt, he felt the press of another body. There was a cool touch on his face and another along his leg, and when Syphon's hand reached sluggishly over, its palm found the warm flesh of a smooth thigh. His cock began to uncurl and swell, even before his brain could find the words, 'Is there a woman in my bed?' Syphon's eyes opened to the black outline of a head of hair from which emanated a woman's voice.

'Hello, Syphon.'

'Hypergamy…? What are you doing here?'

'I need a good fuck,' she said. 'Any chance you could oblige?'

Syphon's body answered before he said a word. He slid his hands onto her body and kissed her. She kissed back and as his body awoke, his kisses became more passionate. Hypergamy crawled on top and hooked her leg over his torso, her mouth still devouring his face. As Syphon's hands went up and down her body, her foot went up and down his leg. Then she seemed to lose patience with his nightshirt and would have torn it off his body if he hadn't sat up and pulled it off. Once he was naked, she descended on him and Syphon knew there was no going back.

As they kissed, Syphon reached his arms around the woman and rolled her onto her back, with him on top. They had made love so often that, without any fumbling, his cock found her opening and slid right in on his first push. He felt her leg hook around him as he fucked her, their mouths still kissing, his cock sliding in and out with firm, deep thrusts. It felt good, so good, and yet he felt no signs of coming.

'The lady wants it harder,' said an inner voice.

Syphon broke the kiss, pushed himself up, and grabbed one of the woman's legs at the crook of her knee. Pushing it wide, he stretched her thighs open almost in opposite directions. Syphon positioned himself and began to pound, fucking harder and harder, the body slaps echoing around the room. The woman did not so much scream as make great guttural cries, her head thrown back to expose her elegant throat, her fists grabbing at the mattress. Syphon's night vision had kicked in and the sight of this woman in such blatant sexual abandon struck him as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Then the inner voice whispered and once more he obeyed. He pulled out, grabbed her legs and flipped her around. The woman landed in a heap on her front, but she sensed what he wanted and was lifting her bottom even before he took hold of her hips. He saw her grab a pillow for her face, then he slid his cock into her from behind and began to thrust. She grunted and moaned as he fucked her, harder and harder, her delicious buttocks shivering every time he slapped into them. Then, in a moment of madness, Syphon wetted his thumb in his mouth and slid it up her arse.

Hypergamy screamed into the pillow, her body jerking and shaking as the orgasm pummelled her. That groaning scream took him over the edge and suddenly he was there, his cock buried up to the hilt, his thigh muscles quivering as semen pulsed into the woman's body. Her cries were guttural again, like an animal in heat, and Syphon held her tight, determined not to spill a single drop outside of her. Even in the dark, her swollen vaginal lips were shiny with fluid and his cock was held in a grip he never wanted to escape.

It was dark in the room, but a faint rectangle of moonlight from the window fell half across the bed. Syphon was lying on his back with Hypergamy in his arms. She had one leg all the way across him and he could feel a stickiness on his stomach where she was leaking. He was so busy enjoying the feeling that his brain had to repeat the message that the woman had just spoken.

'I'm sorry?' he said.

'I said, I went to see the temple.'

'Oh. What did you think of it?'

'I was a bit shocked at first,' said Hypergamy. 'I'm used to a temple being an impressive building and this was anything but. But the longer I stood there, the more it grew on me. The idea of a temple being humble … it feels right somehow. Well, right for me perhaps.'

'Does this mean you have an answer for me?'

'Yes.'

Hypergamy lifted her head and kissed him. It was a long, slow kiss and when she was finished, she leaned on him so she could watch his face. His jaw was clenching and his gaze was intense. Hypergamy raised an eyebrow.

'Is there something you want to say to me?' she said.

'Yes.'

'I'm listening.'

Syphon's facial muscles seemed to be at war. Finally, he said:

'I … I really enjoyed this.'

Hypergamy smiled sadly. She kissed him again and the man wrapped his arms around her as they kissed. It went on longer this time, and then the woman brought it to a gentle close. Their noses bumped against each other as she continued to smile. She gave him one last kiss and then snuggled down next to him, their legs entwined, her arm around his body.

'Good night, Syphon,' she said.

'Goodnight.'

'And thank you. This was wonderful.'

The man felt his balls being gently taken and held in a warm, loving hand. The woman let out a long, deep sigh and her whole body seemed to sink into relaxation. Syphon lay on his back, eyes closed, waiting for her to remove her hand … but she never did. He waited for the voice of suspicion to tell him that Hypergamy was doing this to manipulate him; that she had only fucked him out of gratitude. That voice was silent. Instead, another voice whispered that she was holding his balls because she liked touching him there – and that she wanted more sex in the morning. Syphon experienced the unfamiliar feeling of tears in his eyes.

'I love you,' he murmured.

But Hypergamy was asleep.