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A Point Of Contact
by
“What is it that ails you, Alaga?” asked the priest.
The woman had looked up with wild inquiring eyes. Her gaze was neither for the priest nor for the chief, but shot past them to the further door. Looking round the Greek was aware that two new figures had entered the room. They were the ruddy barbarian whom he had marked in the street, together with the youth who bore his harp.
“It is a marvel upon marvels that two such should enter my chamber on the same day,” cried the priestess. “Have I not said that you were the greatest that ever came, and yet behold here is already one who is greater. For he and his son–even this youth whom I see before me–will also be in the minds of all men when lands beyond the Pillars of Hercules shall have taken the place of Ph[oe]nicia and of Greece. Hail to you, stranger, hail! Pass on to your work for it awaits you, and it is great beyond words of mine.” Rising from her stool the woman dropped her pencil upon the sand and passed swiftly from the room.
“It is over,” said the priest. “Never have I heard her speak such words.”
The Greek chief looked with interest at the barbarian. “You speak Greek?” he asked.
“Indifferently well,” said the other. “Yet I should understand it seeing that I spent a long year at Ziklag in the land of the Philistines.”
“It would seem,” said the Greek, “that the gods have chosen us both to play a part in the world.”
“Stranger,” the barbarian answered, “there is but one God.”
“Say you so? Well, it is a matter to be argued at some better time. But I would fain have your name and style and what is it you purpose to do, so that we may perchance hear of each other in the years to come. For my part I am Odysseus, known also as Ulysses, the King of Ithaca, with the good Laertes as my father and young Telemachus as my son. For my work, it is the taking of Troy.”
“And my work,” said the barbarian, “is the building of Jebus, which now we call Jerusalem. Our ways lie separate, but it may come back to your memory that you have crossed the path of David, second King of the Hebrews, together with his young son Solomon, who may follow him upon the throne of Israel.”
So he turned and went forth into the darkened streets where his spearmen were awaiting him, while the Greek passed down to his boat that he might see what was still to be done ere he could set forth upon his voyage.