Read Online 3. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jodi Taylor
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on the city.’
I paused. Everyone stopped writing or typing and looked at me.
I grinned. ‘Yes, and to see the Trojan Horse, of course.’
They heaved a sigh of relief and we continued.
‘On to individual responsibilities – I’ve tried to accommodate people’s preferences and specialities as much as possible, but, as usual, there’s a lot to do and not many to do it.
‘Major Guthrie. You and your team will be responsible for mapping and surveying the city. I want a detailed street-plan. The lower town has been lost over time and the upper town had its top sliced off later to accommodate the new Temple of Athena, so this will be important. Please can you try to get most of it done on the first visit. It’s probably not a good idea to be seen surveying a city while there’s a war on.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘This is all in addition to preventing historians from damaging themselves, each other and/or the timeline?’
‘Of course. Are you anticipating any difficulties?’
‘Surveying the city – no. Preventing damage to our current crop of historians – yes.’
‘You’ll cope,’ I said, heartlessly. ‘You always do.’
He sighed. ‘I can feel the traditional pre-assignment depression settling around me.’
‘Look on the bright side, Ian,’ said Leon. ‘If they do manage to kill each other off then we can all come home early.’
He brightened. ‘True.’
I swept scathingly on.
‘Mr Clerk, I’d like you to be responsible for the study of religion and ritual. This should include the pantheon of gods, and rituals pertaining to births, death, and marriage. All the usual stuff. Select your own team. You’ll be based at Site A. Any questions?’
He shook his head, still scribbling away.
‘Culture – Miss Prentiss. I’d like you to take this on board, please. Language and writing, if any, legends, stories, the usual. Please include entertainment – public and private. Art, pottery, ceramics, statues. You know the sort of thing. You’ll be at Site A with Mr Clerk. I imagine there will be some overlap. Any questions?’
‘How many can I draft into my team?’
‘Not more than three. All team leaders – be aware you can mix and match. Borrow each other’s people by all means, but don’t forget to give them back. There aren’t enough of us to work on all these projects simultaneously, so work out a schedule. No one team has priority and the work does not have to be completed in any particular order. We can have up to nine months on site, which should be more than enough. Understood?’-
You have to tell historians these things; otherwise there would be more conflict inside the walls of Troy than outside.
‘OK, the next one’s the biggie. Dr Peterson and Doctor Black, who has returned from Thirsk to be with us on this assignment, will head this one. Social Structure. Tim, I want medicine and health, including diet. Daily life, family structure, housing, clothing, all that sort of thing. Please also look at ethnicity and gender roles.
‘Kal, I’d like you to take on actual society structure – kings, priests, soldiers, tradesmen, slaves, and everything in between. And, most importantly, the structure of the royal family. We’ll need you to identify as many of the main players as possible. We may even get to see Helen herself.’
I doubted it. While I had no doubt the war itself was real, along with Achilles, Menelaus, Hector, and all the others, I had strong doubts about whether Helen ever went to Troy. Anyone who’s read Herodotus is familiar with the casual attitude towards the abduction of royal women. You snatched Princess A, made off with her, and a few months later you lost Queen B – kidnapped in retaliation. It was almost a ritual.
According to the world’s first historian, it was inconceivable that Priam would risk his city and the lives of his people for a woman whom Paris had stolen from his host. A breach of the rules of hospitality that should
I paused. Everyone stopped writing or typing and looked at me.
I grinned. ‘Yes, and to see the Trojan Horse, of course.’
They heaved a sigh of relief and we continued.
‘On to individual responsibilities – I’ve tried to accommodate people’s preferences and specialities as much as possible, but, as usual, there’s a lot to do and not many to do it.
‘Major Guthrie. You and your team will be responsible for mapping and surveying the city. I want a detailed street-plan. The lower town has been lost over time and the upper town had its top sliced off later to accommodate the new Temple of Athena, so this will be important. Please can you try to get most of it done on the first visit. It’s probably not a good idea to be seen surveying a city while there’s a war on.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘This is all in addition to preventing historians from damaging themselves, each other and/or the timeline?’
‘Of course. Are you anticipating any difficulties?’
‘Surveying the city – no. Preventing damage to our current crop of historians – yes.’
‘You’ll cope,’ I said, heartlessly. ‘You always do.’
He sighed. ‘I can feel the traditional pre-assignment depression settling around me.’
‘Look on the bright side, Ian,’ said Leon. ‘If they do manage to kill each other off then we can all come home early.’
He brightened. ‘True.’
I swept scathingly on.
‘Mr Clerk, I’d like you to be responsible for the study of religion and ritual. This should include the pantheon of gods, and rituals pertaining to births, death, and marriage. All the usual stuff. Select your own team. You’ll be based at Site A. Any questions?’
He shook his head, still scribbling away.
‘Culture – Miss Prentiss. I’d like you to take this on board, please. Language and writing, if any, legends, stories, the usual. Please include entertainment – public and private. Art, pottery, ceramics, statues. You know the sort of thing. You’ll be at Site A with Mr Clerk. I imagine there will be some overlap. Any questions?’
‘How many can I draft into my team?’
‘Not more than three. All team leaders – be aware you can mix and match. Borrow each other’s people by all means, but don’t forget to give them back. There aren’t enough of us to work on all these projects simultaneously, so work out a schedule. No one team has priority and the work does not have to be completed in any particular order. We can have up to nine months on site, which should be more than enough. Understood?’-
You have to tell historians these things; otherwise there would be more conflict inside the walls of Troy than outside.
‘OK, the next one’s the biggie. Dr Peterson and Doctor Black, who has returned from Thirsk to be with us on this assignment, will head this one. Social Structure. Tim, I want medicine and health, including diet. Daily life, family structure, housing, clothing, all that sort of thing. Please also look at ethnicity and gender roles.
‘Kal, I’d like you to take on actual society structure – kings, priests, soldiers, tradesmen, slaves, and everything in between. And, most importantly, the structure of the royal family. We’ll need you to identify as many of the main players as possible. We may even get to see Helen herself.’
I doubted it. While I had no doubt the war itself was real, along with Achilles, Menelaus, Hector, and all the others, I had strong doubts about whether Helen ever went to Troy. Anyone who’s read Herodotus is familiar with the casual attitude towards the abduction of royal women. You snatched Princess A, made off with her, and a few months later you lost Queen B – kidnapped in retaliation. It was almost a ritual.
According to the world’s first historian, it was inconceivable that Priam would risk his city and the lives of his people for a woman whom Paris had stolen from his host. A breach of the rules of hospitality that should
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