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Shiva would rather see the Face of Dionysus worn by someone he can depend on
as
a useful ally."
After a pause, Theseus advised her offhandedly, "If the report that worries
you
came from your brother, I wouldn't put too much reliance on it. He wasn't
there
either. He dreams things, and then imagines they are real."
Ariadne said coldly, "Sometimes they are. Very real indeed." But despite her
anger, a seed of uncertainty had been planted. Theseus's point about the army
was well taken officers and men who called themselves her friends were still
willing to serve the usurper and his new god. And she really knew almost
nothing
about the young soldier Alex something who had claimed to have seen what had
happened.
Her quest for love and adventure had landed her in a sea of uncertainty. But
it
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came to her with a rush of emotion that there was one man she must never
doubt.
Her lover, the only man she had ever allowed to know her body. Theseus was so
handsome, and at this very moment he was looking at her, so intently that her
knees felt weak.
The Island of Dia had a much smoother coastline than the Island of Refuge,
besides being enormously larger, with perhaps a hundred times the area, and
several thousand permanent inhabitants. There was nothing that could really
be
called a city. The last time there had been a strong central government was
so
long ago that memories were vague. The most prominent topographical feature
was
a range of tall, rugged hills, locally called mountains, never rising more
than
about three thousand feet above sea level. These ran down the center of the
island from north to south. This range was rugged and barren along its crest,
but there was plenty of moisture in the smooth slopes of the lower
elevations.
Dia was roughly rectangular, about sixteen miles by ten. Vaguely Ariadne
could
remember from her history lessons the name of a certain tyrant, Lygdamis, who
had ruled here several centuries in the past. The present government was a
loose
and ineffectual confederation of townships. Exports included beautiful white
marble, white wine, and some fruits. The capital and chief port lay on the
west
coast, the opposite side of the island from that where Theseus's two ships
were
approaching.
Naturally the mountains were the first landmark to become visible to an
approaching ship.
As the pair of raiders drew near, their crews could see a few small sailboats
near the coast, craft that seemed to be taking care to steer clear of the
attacking force; and they grumbled that now the natives had probably spotted
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them as well. The locals, given warning, might be able to arrange some kind
of a
defense, or at least to hide their women and their valuables. "Of course they
don't know where we're going to land."
The Dians were among the peoples who had been forced to send tribute to
Minos;
in recent years they had not been well organized among themselves.
Theseus took note of the fact that there was as yet no sign of his father's
ship. "Shiva said he might be here, and that I could expect some other help
as
well. I expect the old bastard will show up, but who knows when."
Ariadne asked Theseus, "Are you and your father still on speaking terms? I
thought it was somehow because of him that you were shanghaied into being one
of
the youths of the Tribute."
Theseus looked into the distance, smiling faintly. "We have our
disagreements,
Dad and I. So far, neither of us has tried to conceal any of them from the
other."
What kind of greeting he intended to give the old bastard when he came was
hard
to tell from his manner.
Back on the island of Corycus, Shiva had ordered Perses to see to it that
such
forces as were available and could be spared, were dispatched to aid the
cause
of Theseus.
Fortunately several suitable ships were in the harbor or nearby, among them
that
of Aegeus, also known as King of the Pirates. Theseus had agreed with Shiva,
in
the course of their brief airborne discussion, that his father would be a
good
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