Between Lions and Men

12: implore the aid

Ithaca

"Where is she?" I sigh, my hands in my hair. We've searched half the barns on this end of the village. Nothing. We did find a dog, that's good. Briseis is carrying that now which slows her down even more. She walks slowly, like she's in pain, but she's denied it, I just assume because she's a woman.

"I don't know, there are plenty more out buildings we've only covered the east end," Briseis sighs, looking around hopelessly as I feel.

"All right. Nothing for it, but to keep going. Those useless lay-abouts really didn't say where they were going?" I ask, sighing.

"No, I'm sorry sir, I really didn't want to know."

"Don't call me sir it's pedantic---speaking of, we should wake up Auto he'll help us," I simply adore weaponizing women and children to my purpose. They're clever and usually quite easily swayed by my words and much less distractable than grown men.

"You will not wake that child up that's horrible, he shouldn't even be here," she says.

"We're trying to find a kidnapped woman," I sigh.

"And if they're with her? I'm not leading a child into a den of lions," she says.

"Those are not the lions," I say.

"They are to me," she mutters.

"They don't deserve the title, and they're weak. If they were strong they wouldn't do what they do," I say.

"Again, they are to me. They are strong, enough to me," she says, stubbornly.

"I'll disagree with the verbiage but I'll take your point, it could be dangerous if we do stumble upon even two or three of them having their way with her," I say, "We're adults. You are armed. And me? I am entirely too stubborn to die in such a manner as this. I'm supposed to be destined for greater things."

"I think saving her is a great thing," she says.

"Saving my own life and going home to my marriage bed is far greater, to me," I inform her, curtly.

"You are the most self-absorbed person I've ever met!" she cries.

"Thank you," I bow.

"And I live with Captain Peleus!"

"Again, an honor," I say, bowing again.

"I don't think your wife exists. I don't think any woman could stand you," she says, walking past me. It's marvelous how over the course of the evening she's lost all fear of me is now just disgusted by me. I'm doing good work. She needs to shout at men more, I think.

"She does exist. She finds me charming."

"You or she lie."

"Truly, I am not this bad when I have what I want, I just don't have what I want now. I am like Peleus that time he lost sight of his boyfriend---did they tell you about that?"

"Ninety one people in two minutes? Menoetius talked about it for a day and a half, I didn't know why it happened," she says, frowning.

"Menoetius is a medic so he was attending to the wounded. I was ---never mind—,"

"Do you participate in battles?"

"Yes, clearly, do you not see the uniform?"

"Because you never have weapons—,"

"I participate. We're not talking about me."

"We are now. In fact if you can manage, we are perpetually talking about you. You hide in the tanks and watch things don't you?" she asks.