Warriors in Bronze Read Online Free

gait and spoke in jerky sentences, wasting never a word. He brought information, he declared, about a land called Colchis, far beyond the Hellespont on the shores of the Euxine Sea. Had anyone heard of it? No one had. Very well: he wanted to mount a seaborne expedition and sail to faraway Colchis. Therefore he had come to mighty
    Mycenae, Achaea's wealthiest realm, to seek silver to pay his shipwrights, supplies to stock the ship and men of courage and purpose to form the crew. Iolcos, a penurious kingdom, rent by dynastic dissension, could provide neither one nor the other.
    'What,' asked Eurystheus benignly, 'is the object of so hazar­dous a voyage?'
    Jason said tersely, 'Gold.'
    The Council stirred in their seats. Nothing makes men jump like the mention of gold, second only to iron in rarity and preciousness. Atreus said sharply, 'How do you know? How can you be certain there's gold in Colchis?'
    'Had it from a Thracian who went there overland. Terrible journey. Took him three whole years. Lost an arm on the way, but brought back this.' Jason fumbled beneath his cloak and produced a sheepskin pouch. He loosened the string and poured in his palm a yellow glittering sand.
    'There you are. River gold.'
    Eurystheus stirred a fingertip in the little heap. 'It looks genuine enough. Atreus, send your squire to fetch a goldsmith. We'll have this assayed.'
    When the man arrived Eurystheus tossed him the pouch. 'Examine this thoroughly, and ascertain the worth in sheep and oxen.' The smith squatted beneath the clerestory where the light was strongest, unfolded his scales and juggled weights, gritted the gleaming grains between his teeth and muttered to himself.
    Atreus said, 'There may be gold in Colchis, Jason, but have you any proof there's enough to make a voyage worth while?'
    'The Thracian's word, no more. A river flows through Col­chis to the sea; the bottom's awash with gold. The locals peg fleeces to the bed. Wool filters the silt and traps the gold. After a time you haul up a golden fleece.'
    The Curator stooped and whispered at length in Eurystheus' ear. The king meditatively examined his fingernails, and said, 'I am reminded of a factor which may bear on our discussion. Achaea contains no indigenous sources of gold; we import all we have. The bulk comes from Egypt: a supply which over the last few years has been drying up because their campaigns against the Hittites absorb Egyptian resources. The situation is becoming serious: we need gold to pay for imports. So we must find alternative sources, or trade will quickly decline.'
    The audience nodded gravely. I suspect, with after-know­ledge, the king's exposition passed well above most Councillors' heads. While Heroes cannot be faulted in questions of war and weaponry their mastery of economics is sometimes frail. But Atreus grasped the point, and said, 'I agree. We should at least examine the Colchis deposits.'
    The goldsmith returned from the hearth, bowed to the king and mumbled, 'My lord, the sample is pure high-quality gold, and worth ten oxen or fifteen sheep.'
    Eurystheus lobbed the pouch to Jason. 'We will support your venture. I shall let you have warriors from Tiryns and My­cenae. Silver will be given you, and ten cartloads of corn and oil. How many ships are you taking?'
    'One. A fifty-oared galley. I call her Argo.'
    'You know your business best.' Eurystheus looked doubtful. 'I'd suppose you needed more. However. Have you recruited crewmen from the lands you traversed while journeying here?'
    'Not many. They believe it a fool's errand.'
    'When people realize I'm supporting the expedition you'll have a flood of volunteers. One condition, Jason. Half the gold you find will be delivered to Mycenae. Agreed?'
    'Agreed, sire.'
    Eurystheus rose creakily - winter's dampness stiffened his joints. 'The Council is ended.'
    I followed Atreus into the vestibule. He leaned against a pillar and scrutinized, eyes remote, the accoutrements of a sentinel who paced outside the