action. Her parents had no
links with Athens or Attica, but she remembered it mentioned that
Panos had a second cousin that married an Athenian. She would have
to seek him out. He might dismiss her idea as crazy, but he
wouldn’t turn her in for asking. She couldn’t do it now, she was
exhausted and Panos was likely out in the fields. She would have to
do it in the evening, but first she needed to rest as walking to
the village had taken more energy than she’d thought. Returning
home was not an option, so she decided to ask Della if she could
sleep in her cottage for a while before seeking out Panos. Maybe
for the first time she would sleep without dreaming that a
dangerous animal was stalking her baby. Hope sat like a shining
jewel in her chest—a treasure more than any ruby that could be
found. A secondary benefit was that they might have something to do
if Doros’ activities draw the ire of the Spartans their way.
Chapter
10
Chara had a
plan, but it still seemed completely unrealistic and unattainable.
She was not the first woman to try to hide a child from the
Spartans and it seldom worked. They took note of babies turning up
in nearby villages so she had a place where her baby would be out
of their reach. She would be putting her family in real danger
doing this, but she had to try. She had searched every part of her
plan, trying to find faults in it.
She wanted to
speak to Doros, but he wasn’t interesting in listening to her and
she wasn’t sure he could ever see past how the baby came to be. She
also wasn’t entirely sure if he was interested in helping her—his
anger seemed to consume him. The only person she could talk to
about this was her mother.
Chara waited
until her mother returned home to start preparing their evening
meal.
“ Panos has a cousin in Athens,” she said not knowing how to
start such a conversation. She decided to just come out with it.
“If we hide this baby in Athens, it will be out of the reach of the
Spartans.”
“ They will take their vengeance out of us,” her mother said
with sadness.
“ Not if they don’t know.”
“ They are not stupid, my girl. They will know what’s happened
the moment you are not there when they come for the
child.”
“ But what if I am there when they come? If I am here going
about my business, and the child doesn’t turn up, they will lose
interest.”
“ They will notice the moment the child returns.”
Chara
considered her mother. She wasn’t entirely sure her mother would
accept her plan, but she needed help from her family if she were to
have any success in pulling this off.
“ I met a Messenian, he-“
“ You cannot trust Messenians, they are only interested in
winning this war at any cost and they don’t care about us,” her
mother cut her off.
“ I know, but he said the Athenians needed people in Attica to
work the land. They suffered greatly at the hands of the Spartans
and with the plague. They need people desperately.”
“ You would live in Attica?” her mother asked looking up from
stew she was stirring.
“ I would live anywhere if I could be with my child.”
“ But what interested would they have in you and a child in
Attica?”
“ They would if I took Doros with me.” Chara watched as her
mother returned her attention to the stew, considering her
words.
“ Doros absence would be noticed immediately,” her mother said.
“They would kill you for lying to them.”
“ But your absence might not be noticed,” Chara said carefully.
The Spartans rarely cared about older women, dismissing them as
inconsequential. It had its benefits at time and it generally made
her mother safer when the Spartans sought to implement their
policies.
“ But what if it is?”
“ Then we suffer. I know it is fraught with risk, but I must
save this baby.” Chara watched her mother’s eyes soften. “Then
maybe Doros could have a future he can tolerate as well.” If she
did this right, she could perhaps avoid
links with Athens or Attica, but she remembered it mentioned that
Panos had a second cousin that married an Athenian. She would have
to seek him out. He might dismiss her idea as crazy, but he
wouldn’t turn her in for asking. She couldn’t do it now, she was
exhausted and Panos was likely out in the fields. She would have to
do it in the evening, but first she needed to rest as walking to
the village had taken more energy than she’d thought. Returning
home was not an option, so she decided to ask Della if she could
sleep in her cottage for a while before seeking out Panos. Maybe
for the first time she would sleep without dreaming that a
dangerous animal was stalking her baby. Hope sat like a shining
jewel in her chest—a treasure more than any ruby that could be
found. A secondary benefit was that they might have something to do
if Doros’ activities draw the ire of the Spartans their way.
Chapter
10
Chara had a
plan, but it still seemed completely unrealistic and unattainable.
She was not the first woman to try to hide a child from the
Spartans and it seldom worked. They took note of babies turning up
in nearby villages so she had a place where her baby would be out
of their reach. She would be putting her family in real danger
doing this, but she had to try. She had searched every part of her
plan, trying to find faults in it.
She wanted to
speak to Doros, but he wasn’t interesting in listening to her and
she wasn’t sure he could ever see past how the baby came to be. She
also wasn’t entirely sure if he was interested in helping her—his
anger seemed to consume him. The only person she could talk to
about this was her mother.
Chara waited
until her mother returned home to start preparing their evening
meal.
“ Panos has a cousin in Athens,” she said not knowing how to
start such a conversation. She decided to just come out with it.
“If we hide this baby in Athens, it will be out of the reach of the
Spartans.”
“ They will take their vengeance out of us,” her mother said
with sadness.
“ Not if they don’t know.”
“ They are not stupid, my girl. They will know what’s happened
the moment you are not there when they come for the
child.”
“ But what if I am there when they come? If I am here going
about my business, and the child doesn’t turn up, they will lose
interest.”
“ They will notice the moment the child returns.”
Chara
considered her mother. She wasn’t entirely sure her mother would
accept her plan, but she needed help from her family if she were to
have any success in pulling this off.
“ I met a Messenian, he-“
“ You cannot trust Messenians, they are only interested in
winning this war at any cost and they don’t care about us,” her
mother cut her off.
“ I know, but he said the Athenians needed people in Attica to
work the land. They suffered greatly at the hands of the Spartans
and with the plague. They need people desperately.”
“ You would live in Attica?” her mother asked looking up from
stew she was stirring.
“ I would live anywhere if I could be with my child.”
“ But what interested would they have in you and a child in
Attica?”
“ They would if I took Doros with me.” Chara watched as her
mother returned her attention to the stew, considering her
words.
“ Doros absence would be noticed immediately,” her mother said.
“They would kill you for lying to them.”
“ But your absence might not be noticed,” Chara said carefully.
The Spartans rarely cared about older women, dismissing them as
inconsequential. It had its benefits at time and it generally made
her mother safer when the Spartans sought to implement their
policies.
“ But what if it is?”
“ Then we suffer. I know it is fraught with risk, but I must
save this baby.” Chara watched her mother’s eyes soften. “Then
maybe Doros could have a future he can tolerate as well.” If she
did this right, she could perhaps avoid
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