ϙβ′

Mother of Zeus, everyone’s gone mad.

It’s our second night in the city of Troy. -Fires are burning everywhere and the streets are full of bodies.

Our once disciplined army of over one-hundred thousand Achaeans has transformed into an insane plague of death and destruction. -It’s not even safe for our own soldiers to move about.

In fact, just this morning, Achaemenides and Macar were ambushed by a group of Locrians as they returned from a grainery not more than two-hundred meters off. -The bastards didn’t even steal our carts. The only overturned them, killed a horse, and crushed the leg of one of our petty officers.

Macar believes they would have fared worse had Achaemenides not promptly removed the head of one of the assailants.

It’s complete anarchy out there.

Even so, I only know as much as has been reported to me, as I’ve been cooped up in this house since yesterday morning.

The window I am sitting at overlooks a small courtyard and fountain, centered upon the intersection of five narrow streets. Soon after Macar and Achaemenides returned, barricades were set up around the small square we’ve occupied. -This is now the center of our Achaean command.

Each residence encompasing this square is the headquarters of one or more of our Achaean Generals.

I don’t know all of our neighbors just yet. However, I do know that Agamemnon and Diomedes are residing in two houses across the way. Eumelus and Thaos are sharing the manor to our west, and Neoptolemus and a mixed group of racous soldiers has claimed the apartment complex to our east.

By the way, Neoptolemus was in fact carrying Priam’s head yesterday.

After coming down to see his grizly prize for myself, I asked Misenus to escort the son of Achilles over to Agamemnon’s quarters. As he left, Neoptolemus gave me an intensely cold look that I could only interpret as: “This could be you, asshole.” -I just shook my head.

As Misenus related, Agamemnon didn’t seem too pleased with Neoptolemus’ gift. Maybe it’s because Agamemnon had intended to give Priam quarter. -Then again, maybe that’s because Neoptolemus booted it to him.

Worst of all, Neoptolemus claimed to have slaughtered the King of Troy in the Temple of Zeus, where he and his family had “cowardly” sought refuge. According to Misenus, Calchas really freaked out at hearing this, which in turn got the Commander-in-Chief got pretty worked up.

I guess Odysseus had to escort Neoptolemus out before things got ugly.

Speaking of Odysseus, he soon returned to our quarters after dealing with Neoptolemus.

The General seemed pretty agitated when he arrived, and even though Macar and I had been watching Little Ajax and his Locrians move in three doors down, we didn’t bother to mention the morning’s ambush to Odysseus.

The fact that Macar didn’t betray the slightest bit of indignance shows just what kind of soldier he is. Still, I don’t believe Macar has forgiveness in mind. –No doubt, those Locrians have something coming to them.

Anyway, after Macar stoicly excused himself, Odysseus decided to pen another letter to Penelope.

I really hate when the General does that. For some reason, he thinks writing to his wife is going to calm his nerves. -It always has the same result.

Here is today’s tour de force:

Dearest Penelope,

Guess what my dearest love? We have won! Yes, we have won. Zeus and Ares, and likely Apollo, have smiled upon your General and his good Ithacans. Troy has now fallen.

How is Telemachus?

Now that your General has achieved this greatest achievement, he looks forward to seeing his dearest Penelope. As well as his good son, Telemachus. And his dogs. How is the garden?

At that, Odysseus asked me to toss out the letter and rewrite it myself. -I haven’t yet gotten around to it.

Somehow, after transcribing the General’s letter, my head seems somehow polluted. -I’m going to give it some time before relating our victory to Penelope as Odysseus.

Not that this feels much like a victory.

Anyway, after the dictation, Odysseus asked a few random questions about our Ithacans. -I did my best to put him at ease.

Odysseus then mentioned that Agamemnon had planned on a game of alquerque tonight, and that he was going to see if he was still interested. -At that, Odysseus left.

Contrary to what I told the General, As it stands, I can account for about one-third of our men. The majority of those are more or less concentrated in the tree-lined neighborhood behind us. Polites and Misenus have been my main lines of communication with this contingent. -As for the rest of our Ithacans, I can only guess.

I’ve heard the northern neighborhoods are some sort of hell on earth. It does seem to be the place with the most fires. -I would guess a good number of our missing Ithacans are there.

As for the others, Elpenor and Epieus are living in the rooms below me, as are Macar and Achaemenides. Biaus is down at the beach with about fifty more of our soldiers.

On a positive note, the pantry in this house was well-stocked, and Elpenor and Epeius have been working their magic three times a day.

Across the way, I just saw Diomedes enter Agamemnon’s house with a group of women. -Aegle wasn’t one of them.