The Winged Girl of Knossos by The Winged Girl of Knossos

Author:The Winged Girl of Knossos
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-12-20T12:35:19+00:00

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Chapter Twelve

The Door in the Labyrinth

THAT had been a close escape! By the time she reached the upper hallway, off the princess’s apartments, Inas’ heart had ceased its rapid hammering. She paused for a moment outside the doorway and a slave girl coming out with the remains of the morning meal smiled and nodded to her. Inas pushed aside the curtain.

The princess was receiving her stewards. There were two of them; one, the head of the royal treasury, brisk and business-like, who had just reported the monthly sum placed at Ariadne’s disposal. Each month Minos appointed an amount to be used for entertainment and for household expenses to be paid into the household coffer. Ariadne, as chief of the housekeeping, was supposed to keep within that sum.

Now she was busy with Kloritoss, the steward of the royal household, a garrulous, plump little person who fancied himself far more efficient than the steward of the royal treasury, but who took an infinity of time to discuss the windy nothings with which he was inflated. Ariadne flashed Inas a mischievous smile as though to beg, “Release me, if you are a loyal subject, from this cataract of words!” But she was patient with him, nevertheless, and listened with apparent attention.

“And the oil which Your Highness has ordered to be opened was received in faulty containers and is no longer of first quality. We recommend that it be sold in the market for the inferior grade which it is and that—”

“Yes, yes, you are quite right, Kloritoss. And you,” she turned to the steward of the royal treasury, “is there more you wish to discuss this morning?” She put her hand to her head as though such a multiplicity of details had been too wearying for the royal head. The treasurer took his hint.

“That is all, Your Highness.” He made obeisance and took a swift departure, followed by the gratitude of both Ariadne and Inas.

“Come here,” The princess beckoned Inas to sit on a cushion at her feet. “You have news for me?”

But Kloritoss had not yet finished his work of the morning. “And the grain that was received from Thebes, that should soon be ground, and made into flour. If it is so ordered—”

“It is ordered. Indeed it is ordered. I trust you in all these things, Kloritoss.” The old steward, beaming, puttered toward the door.

Inas broke into a description of the slave auction and her own part in it. Twice in the course of her tale she was interrupted by the return of Kloritoss. He had bad news, very bad news indeed. It seemed that the octopus, usually so plentiful in Cretan waters, was found no more in the fishermen’s nets and the fishermen themselves were becoming strangely superstitious over the failure of this favorite eight-armed delicacy.

“And they say, Your Highness, that the failure of the catches of this symbol of Minos presages some terrible disaster to Crete.”

“Oh!” Ariadne burst into delighted laughter. “What nonsense! Has Pharaoh of Egypt

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