"Mary Renault - Greece 4 - The Last Of The Wine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Renault Mary)

quitesoon after this, I got the news that Kritias was in prison.

An informer swore to seeing him, on the night when the Herms were broken, helping to assemble and
instruct the gang, in the portico of the Theatre. The moon had been bright, the man said, and he could
name most of the leaders.

I could not imagine, when I heard this, why I had not known it must be Kritias from the very first; for,
being young, I supposed he was the only person of his kind in the world. When I walked past the prison
there was a knot of women outside, some of them with children, sobbing and wailing. But I could not
believe that Kritias had anyone to weep for him.

My triumph was brief, however, for his cousin Andokides, who was one of the accused, offered a full
confession in return for immunity. The substance of it was that he knew about the plot, but had an alibi;
Kritias was innocent too. Then he named the guilty ones, including some of his kinsmen. These were put
to death at once; so was the first informer, for perjury. Some people said Andokides had made up the
whole statement for the sake of the immunity, rather than risk his trial. No one knows the truth to this
very day.

The dead were scarcely cold, when news came that the Thebans were on the frontier, making ready to
invade.

We had just sat down in school when this was shouted outside. Armour began to sound in the street, as
the citizens turned out to the mustering-places. Our trainer looked in, calling out to the master that he was
off. Then the herald's trumpet blew from the temple roof of the Twins, calling the horsemen. At this
Mikkos, knowing he could do no more with us, said we should be wanted at home, and dismissed the
class.

I found my father standing in his armour, slinging on his sword, while Sostias brought him his spears to
choose from. He said, Since you are here, Alexias, go to the stable and look over Phoenix for me. See
that his frogs are clear, and the big saddle-cloth is strapped on to cover his belly.

When I got back he had his helmet on. He looked very tall.

Father, I said, can I ride Korax and come too? — Certainly not. If things go badly and they call for boys
of your age, go where you are told, and obey your orders. Then he put his hand on my shoulder and
said, Though we may be here or there, defending the City we shall be side by side. I replied that I hoped
he would have no cause to be ashamed of me. When he had embraced my mother, she gave him his
knapsack with three days' food in it. He stooped under the lintel, then vaulting on his spear leaped upon
Phoenix, and rode away.

The City seethed all day. Everyone thought the Thebans had had a signal from the conspirators, and that
the plot had come out in the nick of time. Some said it was the Spartans who were coming, and the plan
had been to open the gates to them. The Senate marched up to the High City and sat all night.
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My mother and I worked about the house, making everything fast. She talked cheerfully to the slaves,
and said she remembered her own mother doing all this when she was a child. I went with our old slave