The Three Paradises Page 7

  ROXANNA.

  THE WILD-CAT.

  SHE IS THE first to recognise my right to be addressed as queen, Roxanna noted with approval as her secretary finished reading the letter – a queen has no need of reading or writing when there are plenty who will do it for her – but is that just to get my attention?

  Roxanna waved the secretary away and pondered the problem, ensconced within the pile of cushions that formed the day-bed in her living-wagon as it swayed and bumped its way north. The living-wagon was but a tiny component of the huge column that made up the army of Babylon, now within sight of the manicured hunting parks of The Three Paradises, spread over many a rolling hill and punctuated with grand pavilions and prodigious cedars. Cool breezes now made the journey more bearable; a gentle rain fell intermittently.

  It had surprised her to receive a letter from Olympias; she had never had any contact with the woman who was the grandmother of her child and she was intrigued. It was obvious, however, what she wanted when she requested that Roxanna should bring young Alexander to Epirus – wherever that was – so that they could both come under her protection now that Perdikkas was dead. It was also obvious that they both had the same objectives: the death of the fool, Philip, his unnaturally masculine wife and the eventual sole rule of Alexander as the fourth of that name to be King of Macedon and its empire. In the meantime, Roxanna wondered, what plans does she have for the regency? And that was just the problem for Roxanna: whoever had her child controlled the regency and, as an outsider, a barbarian in Macedonian eyes, it could never be her. She needed an ally, one with power; one whom she could control now that the bitch, Adea, had gathered so many followers. It had made Roxanna want to weep and tear at her garments and hair to see the ease with which the man-woman married to the man-child had gathered so much support from the soldiery during the slow trudge north, over twenty days, from Egypt; now it seemed that the whole army listened to her.

  The fact that Adea could bring herself to talk to people so far beneath her showed, to Roxanna’s mind, just how unfit she was to hold power; yet the army now recognised her right to speak for the fool of a king. The two new regents, the idiot Peithon and the non-entity, Arrhidaeus, could do nothing because Adea had united the men behind her by championing a cause about which they cared more than anything else; more than Macedon, more than glory or family or the gods: money. Money had proven to be the issue that roused them, for they had none. Nor was it likely that they would get any until Antipatros arrived at The Three Paradises. Adea had exploited this grievance to the extent that it had made Roxanna feel physically sick. And it was not only their back pay that the men of the army of Babylon were aggrieved about; it went far deeper than that: all the veterans whom Alexander had discharged had been given a talent of silver each, but many of them had re-enlisted with Antipatros once they had returned to Macedon and had been allowed to keep the payoff. Here, in the army’s very midst, were Antigenes’ three thousand Silver Shields, living proof of the one talent bounty that had been paid; none could deny it for each man’s share was travelling in their baggage. Alexander had promised the bounty to all, discharged or not, it was claimed – although none could remember exactly when this pledge had been made – and since they had failed to share in the riches of Egypt, the men were unanimous that the alleged verbal contract should be kept.

  Every evening, as the slow-moving column had made camp, Adea would wander around the men promising them that her husband would ensure that they had everything that they were due paid to them, back pay and bounty. If they supported him, with her as his mouthpiece, they would never find themselves in the position where they were so behind on their pay again. As if she could keep such a promise. Pah! Roxanna threw a cushion at one of the two girls who cowered by the door awaiting her pleasure. ‘Bring me a sherbet!’

  But the cool, refreshing drink did not calm her and, halfway through it, that too was hurled at the unfortunate slaves. If I cannot find a way of poisoning the fool and his wife then I need to either undermine them or make myself obviously superior to them. Perhaps Olympias may be of use.

  More than ever she felt isolated; her son, travelling in the wagon behind so that she did not have to endure his petulance, was not a talisman for the soldiery as she had refused to let the men near the child; such was her aversion to the low-life scum that made up the army of Macedon in Asia. Or any army for that matter; they were there to fight and die for their king without question, such was the nature of things, surely? And now, in a small recess in the part of her mind that had become less eastern in outlook over the years she had been travelling with the Macedonian army, she began to question that premise. If the man-woman gains safety and support by currying favour with the common men perhaps I could do the same by cultivating the lesser officers? Are they so beneath my dignity that they cannot be of use to me? ‘Summon Peithon and Arrhidaeus,’ she ordered her slaves, ‘tell them I wish to see them as soon as we make camp at The Three Paradises.

  ‘You have kept me waiting,’ Roxanna said, trying not to sound too snappish without losing what she considered to be her innate authority; she glanced up and struggled to hide her surprise at seeing Seleukos standing before her. ‘Where are Peithon and Arrhidaeus?’

  Seleukos looked down at her, lounging on her many cushions under an awning protecting her completely covered body from the last of the sun; two dark eyes looked back from within a narrow slit in her veil. ‘Firstly, I am not late; I come and go as I please. And secondly, Peithon and Arrhidaeus are not coming as whatever it is you have to say can be said just as easily to me as it can to them; and, besides, they’re busy.’

  ‘Too busy to come when their queen demands?’

  Seleukos sighed and sat on the camp-chair that his slave had brought for him, being perfectly aware that no such courtesy would be provided by Roxanna. ‘One is dealing with the army’s demands and the other is with another trying woman who likes to call herself queen; although being married to a king makes her more so than you who is just the mother of a king.’

  Roxanna, with great restraint, held her temper even as it threatened to thunder from her. I need him on my side, however insolent he may be. She composed herself. ‘I shall ignore that remark – although I won’t forget it.’

  ‘I am terrified. Now say what you have to so that I can get on to more pressing affairs.’

  Despising more than ever the arrogance of these Macedonian upstarts who believed themselves to be the equal of Alexander, Roxanna sipped her sherbet beneath her veil to moisten her angry, dry and tight throat. ‘I wish you to procure me a ship.’

  Seleukos looked as if he had misheard her. ‘A ship?’

  ‘I wish to take my son, the king, to visit his grandmother in Epirus; she herself has written requesting this and, as she is the mother of Alexander, I expect her will to be obeyed. As a favour, I shall allow either you, Peithon or Arrhidaeus to accompany me – you may draw lots – as I assume that the man who reunites that great woman with her grandchild, the rightful king, will receive magnificent gifts and preference.’ Roxanna watched as Seleukos sat before her, his mouth agape, his brow furrowed, his eyes incredulous. The laugh that then exploded from him was as loud as it was insulting: never before had she been laughed at to her face. She launched a cushion at him. ‘How dare you amuse yourself at my expense!’

  Seleukos rubbed his eyes with the cushion as he brought his mirth under control. ‘You honestly think that anyone in their right mind would allow Olympias – someone who, incidentally, makes you seem like an undemanding, kind and considerate person – access to one of the kings so that she can use him as a pawn in her never-ending quest for power?’ Again Seleukos hooted with laughter. ‘And you really believe that if one of us were foolish enough to allow this and accompany you and your child then Olympias would shower us with gifts?’ Another peal of mirth followed as he contemplated the mental image. ‘No, Roxanna, this time you really do ask too much and you display a complete lack of understanding of Mac
edonian dynastic politics. Olympias is toxic and she will never be allowed to meddle in our affairs again. In fact, I would say that a hatred of her would unite every Macedonian; me, Ptolemy, Antipatros, Attalus, Kassandros, Alketas, anyone you care to name, all of us.’ He got up to leave. ‘There will be no ship. Your fate, and the fate of the kings, will be decided soon now that we’ve arrived at The Three Paradises. Antipatros and the others will be here in the next few days. Good evening to you.’

  SELEUKOS.

  THE BULL-ELEPHANT.

  THAT OLYMPIAS IS scheming means that she must have heard of Perdikkas’ death. Seleukos considered the implications of the letter to Roxanna as he left her part of the encampment, still smiling at the depth of the wild-cat’s delusion. That she is trying to get influence over her grandson means that she is uncertain how to use Kleopatra now that she isn’t going to marry Perdikkas. Antipatros will be very interested to hear about that letter, especially as he has two newly widowed daughters. That will help soothe him if he finds confirming my appointment as Satrap of Babylon unpalatable.

  Making up his mind to seek a meeting with the old regent as soon as he arrived at The Three Paradises, Seleukos walked back towards his tent; around him the army of Babylon made their way, with purpose in their steps and anger in their voices, towards the western perimeter of the camp. ‘Where’re you all going?’ he asked a group of Hypaspists, the elite infantrymen known as the Silver Shields, commanded by Antigenes.

  ‘Ain’t you heard, mate?’ an old hand replied. ‘The king and queen have called an army assembly; they want to—’ He stopped as he recognised who he was speaking to.

  ‘Yes?’ Seleukos said with a dangerous smile. ‘They want to what?’

  The veteran swallowed and his comrades suddenly found the need to disassociate themselves from him. ‘They, er, they want to… Well, they want to consult us.’

  ‘Consult you about what?’

  The veteran’s face grew very uneasy as he realised that his mates had completely abandoned him in the face of the largest man in the army and so very far above him in rank. ‘They didn’t say.’

  Seleukos glared at the man. ‘All you Silver Shields were paid the talent bounty when you were discharged with Krateros; why are you getting involved in this argument over money?’

  ‘It’s the back pay; we’ve received nothing since we left Babylon more than two years ago. Perdikkas promised to pay us from the treasury in Tyros but now Attalus controls that; so where is our money coming from?’

  Seleukos held the man’s eye for a few moments, nodded, and then turned to go, to the veteran’s obvious relief. Discipline is going and the army’s disintegrating; it’s time for a harsh lesson to be administered. I’d better listen to what Adea’s filling their heads with. The trouble is that since that idiot, Alketas, killed Cynnane, Adea is invulnerable; to kill her would mean a mutiny.And Adea was taking advantage of exactly that; a harsh lesson was the last thing that Adea suggested to the army assembly as she harangued them from an uncovered wagon with her fool of a husband sitting drooling to one side – his four Macedonian bodyguards around him – and Barzid, her own bodyguard, standing on the other. ‘I accept the need for a regent,’ she shrilled, her normally deep voice raised high in excitement. ‘And I accept the reasons why we now find ourselves with two regents. But what I don’t accept is that these co-regents make decisions without reference to me, the only person able to speak for my husband, the king.’

  There was much sympathy for this contention, surprising Seleukos with the extent of support the seventeen-year-old had amongst the grizzled veterans as well as the younger men. We’ve let this get too far without knowing it. ‘Support me in my claim for the sake of my husband, Alexander’s brother, in whose veins flows true Argead blood; support me so that I can make his voice heard. Support me and I promise my husband will ensure that the talent of silver bounty is paid to all who have yet to receive it.’

  A massive cheer arose and Adea held her arms wide to accept their accolade.

  How does she think she will be able to pay such a vast amount?

  But the answer to that question came sooner than Seleukos expected as a Macedonian officer got up onto the wagon beside her.

  ‘And here is the man who can set a wrong right.’

  Silence fell over the crowd as those closest to the new arrival recognised him and his name filtered back.

  Attalus! What’s he doing here? And then Seleukos understood and his respect for the young queen doubled. Ohh, that is clever.

  ‘Yes, I know that the army assembly has condemned this man to death,’ Adea continued, ‘and yes he was a close supporter of Perdikkas, but, consider this, soldiers of Macedon: he was only keeping faith with family, as any one of you would have. He was married to Perdikkas’ sister whose death you demanded and he has this offer to make to you. Hear him.’ She indicated that Attalus should address the assembly.

  ‘Comrades,’ he declaimed, ‘and I am proud to say “comrades” even though you have laid a sentence of death upon my head. Comrades, I have suffered at your hands; I have had my wife taken from me and for what? What had I ever done to you to deserve that? I commanded the fleet, I had nothing to do with Krateros’ death; nor could I influence my brother-in-law and dissuade him from invading Egypt where we lost so many, such was his arrogance towards the end.’ He paused to let his words have an effect. ‘I have this offer to make to you: remove the sentence of death hanging over me and I will seek no revenge for the killing of my wife. And what is more; I have taken Tyros with my fleet and in Tyros I found a treasury with more than eight thousand talents in silver and gold. Gold! Not just silver. Do this for me and you will not find me ungenerous.’

  Nor did the army think he would be, judging by the acclaim with which they acquitted him.

  Seleukos hurried away as Adea called through the cheers, imploring the men to escort her and her husband to confront the two regents. I think it’s advisable to bring forward that meeting with Antipatros.

  ‘And so I rode to meet you as fast as I could,’ Seleukos said, having told Antipatros of the developments in the army of Babylon’s camp. ‘Antigonos is keeping an eye on the situation. He arrived just as I was leaving yesterday; he camped on the other side of the river to them so as not to let his troops be infected by the mutinous atmosphere.’

  ‘Both Peithon and Arrhidaeus have resigned the regency?’ Antipatros asked as they began another climb through wooded, resin-scented hills; the army of Macedon from Europe snaked out behind along the winding track until it disappeared in the depths of the valley below.

  Seleukos nodded, stroking his stallion’s neck. ‘They didn’t want to stand up to Adea with the army in mutinous mood behind her; they’ve declared that the regency of the kings should pass to you seeing as you’re also the regent of Macedon. To be honest, Ptolemy and I didn’t expect them to last long.’

  Antipatros turned a knowing look to his companion. ‘Just long enough for them to appoint you Satrap of Babylonia which I suppose I will have to confirm for the sake of keeping the peace and as a thank-you for the information about that witch’s letter to Roxanna.’

  Seleukos shrugged but made no comment; they rode on in silence.

  ‘Attalus came to the camp,’ Seleukos said after a while. ‘Adea invited him to speak to the men.’

  Antipatros looked at him in surprise. ‘And is he dead now?’

  ‘Far from it: the Assembly rescinded his sentence and he returned to Tyros with four thousand deserters bribed by the promise of the silver talent bounty.’

  ‘Why didn’t the rest of the army go with him?’

  ‘He said that he would only take the first four thousand who volunteered; there was quite a scrum.’

  ‘I can imagine.’

  ‘Our intelligence tells us that Attalus has only got troop transports for two thousand men.’

  ‘So he plans to make two journeys to Pisidia before the sea-lanes close for the winter.’

  �
�Pisidia?’

  ‘It’s where Alketas is hiding; he’s raising an army and doing quite well by all accounts. Attalus’ four thousand will be a real bonus to him. What sort of troops were they?’

  ‘Phalangites; mostly veterans.’

  ‘What about Antigenes’ Hypaspists?’

  ‘They’ve had their bounty, they just want their back pay; they were tempted to go but Antigenes put their baggage under guard. I think you’ll have most trouble from them if you can’t come up with any money.’

  Antipatros sighed. ‘How can I come up with any money for them when the treasury in Macedon is barely enough to keep this army going, Attalus has commandeered Tyros and the chances of getting anything out of Ptolemy is nil? All the money is out east; they’ll have to wait.’

  ‘They won’t like it.’

  ‘They’ll have to. I’ll talk to them as soon as we arrive.’

  ANTIPATROS.