宅配業者

最近は宅配業者がいろいろ気になる。

かつては郵便局か黒猫か佐川くらいだったが、今は得たいの知れないやつが運んでくる。特にアマゾンから来る荷物が得たいがしれない。

こないだなどは某超優良宅配業者を名乗る謎の男がアマゾンの荷物を運んできた。出てみるとその会社の制服を着てないし、車もただの白いバンだ。レシートもアマゾンのものしかない。ますますあやしい。

某業者が、人手が足りなくて個人に外注したということだろうか？

それとも謎の個人業者が、某業者の名を出せばあやしまれないとでも思ったのか。

なんだか嫌な時代になったものだ。

郵便局だからといって不正をやらないわけではないことはいろんな不祥事でわかるんだが、しかし、目に見える組織がちゃんと責任を負っている。

わけのわからん個人に委託してほしくない。

犬の散歩

普通に考えて朝8時から10時の間に犬を散歩させるべきではない。

通勤通学の歩行者、自転車、自動車、みんな殺気立っていて、この時間帯、道を歩くのは非常に不快だ。常日頃できるだけ避けようと思っている。

特に危険だと私が思うのは、というより個人的に憎んでいるのは、電動アシストの自転車、会社のロゴも入ってない白いバン、そして黒づくめの宅配自転車ドライバー。

敢えて8時に犬の散歩に行く人はその時間帯しかできないからなのだろう。犬を引っ張るのに精一杯で、犬が私を威嚇していても、私に謝ろうというそぶりも無い。この犬にしても子供や夫などが勝手に飼い始めたものを妻が面倒見させられているだけなのかももしれない。などということを単に道で犬に吠えられただけでひとしきり考えたりする。

きちんとわきまえている人はだいたい朝6時くらいに散歩させる。そのほうが飼い主にも犬にもストレスが少ないに違いない。

他の人たちも別に8時から10時の間に通勤通学する必要は無いのだ。社会がそうだからそうするのだというのは言い訳に過ぎず、社会の大多数がそれでかまわないと考えているからそういう状況になっている。

コロナが流行る前から首都移転しようとか混雑を解消しようなどとかけ声だけはあったが一向に進まなかった。不可能なのではない。みんなそれほど関心が無いのだ。

私が働いているところでは今年四月になってもまだ屋外に喫煙所が残っている。そこは大勢の社員にとっては社屋の端っこに過ぎないかもしれないが、私の居る場所の真下にあって非常にたばこ臭い。廊下やエレベーターの中まで臭い。ところがこの喫煙所は保健所が来てここなら喫煙所にしてもかまわないという許可を得ているのだという。会社と保健所のお墨付きが出てしまった喫煙所を私の苦情でどかすことはほぼ不可能だ。

結局、どうでも良いことでも大勢の人が苦情を言えば世の中は動くし、どうでも良くないことでも私一人が文句を言っても何も動かないのだ。

10人の組織であろうと1000人の組織であろうと3000万人の組織であろうと1億2千万人の組織であろうと、私の不満など何も影響しないのだ。

Eumenes 1, Chapter 8: A Helmetful of Water

We are sinking in the deep desert. We have nothing to do but walking on the sand. Passing from a dune to another, I feel like everything is recurring forever, every scene is just like I saw before. It gradually makes my mind empty, lose my emotions and sensations.
“Go west, and we reach the end of this desert. All you have to do now is to keep going ahead.” King encourages soldiers.
I asks him, “Excuse me, my Lord. I keep in my mind several questions which I cannot resolve by myself. May I have your suggestions?”
“What? Tell me.”
“Why you love to keep wandering in the dangerous world? Why you won't stay in a city soberly but encamp in the fields? You never feel at ease. Why you can stand it?”
“Ha ha, simply because I am a king. I could rize the throne because my thinking and feeling differ from yours. It's quite natural.”
“I thik I understand, but could you tell me a little bit more easily for me?”
“What you feel difficult is rather easy for me, what you feel easy is conversely difficult for me. I cannot tolerate what you feel happy, but your pain is rather my pleasure. If you feel pain in pleasure, or pain pleases you, it means you get brotherhood with kings.”
It's a riddle to me.
“All right. Keep only in your mind what I confess you now. If I stay in my court, in the palace of Pulla, Babylon or Susa, my men are released from military services and go back home. Everyone sleeps well and have good time with his family. But, the court is NOT my home, but the most dangerous BATTLEFIELD for me, everybody there is my enemy.
We are now on the way to the world conquest. I'm happy just because everybody needs me. Every soldier is living in a very desperate life. That is the life he really needs me. I'm required only in battle fields. If I live in Makedonia, nobody will need me, but everybody will start to kill me. Also my father, Phillipos II. He didn't die in a battle. He was killed in his daughter's wedding ceremony. Of course he had many bodyguards. He was stabbed by one of his own bodyguards. Why?
Because he was a king. Then who made the bodyguard kill father? I don't know yet. Someone says my mother killed my father.
Hence I dislike fests, theaters, courts, and town crowds. Those are just horrible, very uneasy for me, never entertain me. Right?
I feel like everyone in a city would be an assassin. It would be the city I captured yesterday, or it would be my sweet old hometown.
No matter where I stay, I can never rest. A battlefield is the only place I can sleep well, because if I die, everybody will also die in battle fields, so they are desperately saving me. That only makes me safe and sound.
The more the situation is dangerous, the more our soldiers are obedient to me. I can grasp them at once if I gather them in a garrison. But, if I release them in their home town, I can't know what they are doing. Someone will attempt to kill me.”
“In a battlefield, you may be also killed by enemies, assassinated by your bodyguard, or handed over to enemies, like Persian kings or generals.”
“Yes I will die if I lose. It's natural. A king is safe as long as he is in battle fields and keep winning. Otherwise, he can die anytime. Give up your life. Tame your death. Only in such case, you can sleep and eat peacefully. Fortunately, I have more than enough talent to defeat enemies in battles.”

Hungry soldiers try to catch something like a beetle or a lizard to eat if they find it creeping on the sand.
One day we found a dried bush on a rocky desert. There were a lot of snails sticking to the stems. Soldiers even grilled and ate such worms.
Though the sand is totally dried, the rocks sometimes get wet with the night dew. Soldiers are striving to suck and lick such small water
Some of the light-armed soldiers are starting away from the army in quest of water, found some collected in a shallow cleft, or a small and mean spring.
Another day a soldier found a small pooled water in a cave, collecting it as much as possible into his helmet and carried it to King.
“Is this all?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I would drink if we have enough water for every soldier. I'm glad you give me but I can't receive this. It's impossible only I can drink. Since you found this, you may drink it.”
“Forgive me. I can't drink, either, while my Lord is thirsty.”
“Please. That's your water. You drink freely. Do not mind me.”
“Then, you give it to someone else, my Lord.”
“That's also impossible. If you don't drink it by yourself, throw it away.”
The soldier starts trembling. “I can't. I can't do it.”
Of course King suffers from thirst. This soldier also. And everybody. Who can give up the live water?
Thirst accelerates as time progresses. Dotted lights will appear on the back of your eyelids. A cat will cross in front of you or a rooster crows that cannot be in the desert. That's the sign the death is approaching. Finally we kill horses to drink the blood, and the next is the turns of humans.
“Wait,” shouts Amastri, on a camel with her sister Raokhshna.
“You don't, Amastri!”
Driving away Apama, Shaking Raokhshna off, she is coming, kicking up the burning sand.
“I'll drink it, if you waste.”
Panting, she reaches out her hand.
The whole army is watching her and King, anticipating what is happening.
Her lips are cracked, the white in her eyes gets dull yellow. The freshness of young woman's skin is also spoiled.
King squints into her eyes with a smiling mouth, says, “You want to drink this?”
“Yes.”
King takes the helmet from the soldier, pours its water upon the ground, in front of her eyes.
Amastri kneels down, scoops the still wet sand by her palms. But it is soon dried up by the sun and the wind, spilling through her fingers.
She gazes up King for a while, weeping faintly.
Soldiers were watching the incredible incident. Every soldier felt as if he had been the sand sucking the helmetful of water.
“Anytime we share equally, right?” King puts the helmet on the soldier's head. Only a drop of water was running down on his temple.

Ptolemaios breaks the silence.
“Everyone. According to the guides of the desert, the distance to Kerman is left only two hundred stadia. Keeping this pace and we will reach there before dawn. Evening is coming, but let's walk through the night. In the green fields of Kerman, there are shades of trees, fruit gardens, and running irrigation channels filled with fresh water. The major team already arrived there and are waiting us, preparing a delicious dinner. Don't get a stomachache by eating too much. Cheer up, this is really the last effort. Go, Makedonian warriors.”
From the bottom of sands, a rumbling cry occurs.
The soldiers, who has been as dry as fish bones before, recover the energy, stretch their limbs and spines, flashing their eyes, start locomotion like incarnated puppets. I'm astonished at the sight.
The whole army is banded together now, to accomplish our goal. Calamity forged us like steal. We must get through this desert.

Seeing my stunned face, King says shyly, “Eumenes, you think I barely saved my dignity by not drinking that water, nor letting Amastri drink, don't you?”
I must be shedding tears now. I wipe my face by my sleeves. And I regret I waste so much water from my body in this emergency.
“You invented it instantly.” I say.
“Invention? What's that?”
“Or you improvised. To gods, at several places in campaigns, you sacrificed various animals.
We humans have sacrificed goats, donkeys, pigs, cows, horses, or camels to gods. In myths, humans sometimes sacrificed humans, not only their enemies, but also their family. We've sacrificed most precious animals to most important gods.
Therefore you sacrifice water to the god of desert. Because water is most precious in deserts. In doing so, you were recovered the spiritual strength of the whole army.
Water is the holiest blood with no color. The holy of holies. Any animals or plants cannot live without it. You made it sucked in the sand. It means you made the god of the sand drink the blood of sacrifice. To pray for the safety of soldiers. Do I understand you correctly?”
“Ha, ha,” King bursts into laughter. “Amazing. Not I, but you are the genius to create a story. You give me a good reason afterwards for my unconscious, unintentional deed. I will explain so in the future when I pass a desert and pour water on the ground.
But Eumenes, you are mistaken. You completely misunderstand me. Or I made you mistaken successfully like I made other soldiers, whom I intentionally deceived.
I was just scared. I am always diligent to perform a roll of a good king.
You also heard the story of Vakhshuvarda. In Persia, a king never completes his life, nor wounded and killed in a battle, instead, he often loses his life poisoned by someone.
I don't drink unknown water. I don't eat given foods, either. I eat the same foods soldiers are eating. I reach and grab it by my hand and eat it. It's the most secure foods. I drink the water soldiers are drinking, sharing it with my own cup. It's the safest drink. Nobody can predict what food I eat and what water I drink. That is the safest dining for me. I've forgotten the taste of foods or smell of wines since I became a king. I don't and can't care those pleasing humans anymore. Eating and drinking is also my battle. I eat and drink to maintain my body, as well as not to be poisoned. As I said to you before, everyone's pleasure is my work, whereas my pleasure is everyone's burden.
Sleeping is also one of my tasks. Women is also. Love is also. For me, 'the most daring woman by whom I can be killed' is not just a metaphor. In general, a man can be relaxed and sleep well with his most daring woman. That's not for me. Every night I go to bed with my woman, I suspect she would kill me before I awaken. I would not probably be killed, but I probably would. She would love me, but possibly wouldn't.
Oh, Raokhshna, my beloved wife, but still I can't say I truly love her, nor I truly trust her. Yes, I must I truly love her, but I can't answer clearly, if I'm asked 'you never regret if she kills you?' I'm not sure. Raokhshna wants to die soon. Right. But I'm also thinking of my death any time. Always. I don't know how I shall be tomorrow, as a dying patient.
Soldiers mistake me of their own accord, that I am a familiar, intimate king, always share the hardship with his Hetairoi. But actually, my situation is quite apart from theirs.
And if, a soldier gives me not poisoned water with no evil attempt, I don't drink it, since it is not proved by some authority that the water is drinkable. I know it very dangerous to drink raw water pooled in a questionable cave. I'm a commander, can never get ill or die drinking such water.
I'm truly sorry for Amastri. I did terrible thing to her. But thirst is just a temporal suffering. It is no use if she dies to quench the thirst with poisoned water.
If I throw away water which a soldier offered me, with no reason, they will resent me. I feared the critical moment. Hence, I must have performed a merciful, self-controlled king, sharing all the hardship with his companions. That's a complete fiction. A roll play involving poor Amastri. A king must be an idol, always playing his roll.
Eumenes, take care of Amastri. I'm afraid I also give a deep spiritual scar to her as I did it to Raokhshna. However, because she is also a royal member, she must overcome such difficulties all her life. She has to learn to help by herself. She will encounter more and more calamities in the future.
Keep what now I said only in your mind. Don't tell Amastri. Also others.
I don't know the reason but suddenly something made me confess you, Eumenes.”
Oh, Basileus!

Eumenes 1, Chapter 7: Hidden Oasis

We at last reached the mouth of Persian Gulf sixty days after we had got into the desert. Good harbors welcome us along the sea lane to the inlet of Euphrates river. Nearkhos' fleet does not need King's support anymore.
Here King gave his army a rest. We can go straight to Susa traversing the Persian royal road, but King insists to join Krateros team in Kerman first, crossing over the Gedrosian range. At the entrance, there is the capital of the Gedrosians, named Pura, which simply means 'town' in Persian.
“How dare you came across this out-of-the-way district,” the old inhabitants said one and all, “but you cannot go any further. There is no road to Kerman from here. Nobody can cross this desert. There are various deserts in Persia. those of sands, those of salt, also lakes of salty water or dried up salt lakes. These are obstacles which never permit us to pass thought, but if we choose the relatively cool ridges, avoid scorching basins, tracing oases one by one carefully, we can trip through such districts somehow.
But in that way to Kerman, no vegetation at all. Except only one oasis. Reaching the spot is as difficult as finding a single drop of pearl in the ocean. You encounter dunes after dunes and just other dunes. Climbing up and down the infinite series of dunes in the heat of daytime, your colleagues as well as your horses and mules will soon be exhausted, finally you all are stranded and wrecked in the sea of sands.”
“Nobody succeeded so far?”
“Yes. No one had ever hitherto passed that way to emerge in safety from the desert, even though bringing a mighty army.”
“Without exception?”
“In legends, I know only two cases.” One of the old men spoke out. “Assyrian Queen Shammuramat and Persian King Kurush. When the queen fled from India, she emerged with only twenty men of her army. And the king, son of Kabujiya67, escaped with only seven of his men. Kurush also marched into this region for the purpose of invading India, but he did not effect his retreat before losing the greater part of his army, from the desert and the other difficulties of this route.
“In other words, if I succeed to pass the desert, I'll be the first one in history. It's time to excel King Kurush and Queen Shammuramat.” King rather pleased. “Old man, to get your story straight, the ultimate task to pass through this desert is to discover the only one oasis by all means. Am I correct?”
“As far as that is a possible task.”
“Can you help us? Does someone here pilot us? I reward him with big money.”
Few of them responded affirmatively.
Ptolemaios and I look each other, annoyed that our King once again hit upon an eccentric idea.
“I'm willing to go with you,” Raokhshna says with sinister smiles. “It's a quite nice opportunity for us to become mummies lying side by side, buried in the desert.”
“Have it your own way, everyone! If you spare your life, retreat to the harbor, get on board. Nearkhos will take you to Susa by water. Or if you have the guts to challenge the dunes, come with me. I think it is not so difficult to find the oasis, because we used to chase fleeing enemies surveying vast fields throughout. We can utilize the experiences to find the oasis hidden in dunes. Once it is found, maintaining the path is so easy task. We'll be appreciated if we make a convenient shortcut from Persian Gulf to Kerman. It also means I add a new royal road to the empire. It's an unprecedented achievement. Why don't you try it? You must be heavily rewarded and honored.”
“I'll go, my brother.” Amastri replied. “I must be as a brave woman as Assyrian Queen Shammuramat. A woman also can do what a man can do. Brother, my name 'Ama-Stri' means 'strong woman', which many Persian queens and princesses have been named. If you take me with you, you will be blessed by the Persian guardian god Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom.”
“Well said, my sister. You were given a good name. My name 'Alex-Andros' means 'enemy-breaking man' in Hellenic.”
King and Amastri were brewing an extraordinary positive mood, which prevented us from denying escorting them.

We made marches in the daytime and encamped at sunset. After it has been repeated three times, appeared the dunes, which are almost one stadion and a half in height. Since we met these lofty dunes of deep sand, not only humans, but horses and mules are still more, all suffering to proceed. We walk upon it just as though we were stepping into mud, or rather into untrodden snow.
Partly because we hasten ourselves to exit this place as quickly as possible, or partly because we cannot endure the burning heat under the sunshine, we changed the daily schedule; we take a short nap in noon under the tents shielding the sunlight, whereas go on marching all night long. When the sun goes down, we kick the asses of the still asleep colleagues to awaken. Even they start to walk, some are overcome by sleep, falling down on the sand, afterwards rousing up again. Those who still have strength follow upon the tracks of the army.
The blue sky with no cloud changes the color to burning orange in twilight. Dragged by the setting sun, a thin crescent moon also sinks into the ground, the heavenly obsidian cathedral is illuminated by myriads of stars.
We make journeys by the stars at night as sailors do by Kynosoura68, also known as 'Phoenician' constellation, or 'Mikra Arkos69.'
“What a gorgeous star night!” King exclaimed. “Look at the Pleiades, the constellation of Seven Sisters. It looks very close to earth, as though they were hanging in my reach. I could take the jewelry and feel it in my hands.
How beautiful the Galaxias70 is! We cannot see like this in the Hellenic sky.”
He enjoys this deadly desert, no birds flying over, no moisture growing trees in our sights.

We climb a dune, only to see just another dune ahead. How far we go, hills and dales of dunes come up again.

One night, on an occasion when King walked beside me, he abruptly talked to me, “You hear that a mass wedding is arranged in Susa, calling all peoples from all nations in the world.”
“Yes, I do, my Lord.”
“I anticipate it. Eumenes, you also marry at last, giving up the girlfriend who rejected you in Athens. What kind of girls do you prefer? A daughter of Darayavaush? Or one of pharaoh's? Otherwise Maha Rajah's girl?”
“I cannot answer such a question, because I have never imagined it before.”
“Mind you, I never permit you to marry a Hellenic woman. You must marry a foreign one.
Hey you, how about Amastri? If you marry her, I will be your brother in law.”
“The Princess? Please refrain from joking. She is just twelve or thirteen years old.”
“I'm already fifteen.” Somewhere in the dark dunes sunk under the starry sky, some woman said so. Amastri also listened it.
“She is royal, whereas I'm humble. We differ in social status.”
Amastri is too aristocratic to marry me. Apama will be more preferable, if King forces me to choose.
“I also marry Raokhshna to be my consort. Each one of Persian noble women, including Amastri, is married to some Makedonian or Hellenic general or officer. Oh, I almost forget Apama. She also. Since she is a daughter of the honorable general Spitameneh, her son will be a good brave general. Hence she will be married to the strongest general in my army. Who do you think is best, Eumenes?”
“I'm not sure, my Lord.”
Apama has no freedom to choose her own husband. And I and Amastri, either.

“My Father Vakhshuvarda, what do you think about it? I think Amastri will be a good partner of Eumenes.”
If I will marry her, Vakhshuvarda will be my father in law. The marriage of Amastri concerns not only me or King, but also the members of the Persian royal family. We must respect them.
In front of us, a herd of long eared animals were crossing. Someone shot an arrow at them to catch and eat, but escaped.
“They must be a family of sand foxes.”
“Sand foxes have long ears like hares.”
People buzzed for a moment directed their attention to it. Soon after that, silence returned. Vakhshuvarda started to talk quietly.
“Since Bakhtrish became one of Persian satrapies, a member of our family used to govern it. I have two elder brothers, Darayavaush and Artakhshasta71. My oldest brother Darayavaush succeeded the satrap of Bakhtrish, but at the age of fifty-five, he rose the throne of Persian empire unexpectedly, since the direct descendants of prior kings were all exterminated by a eunuch called Bagoi. He became the vazir to Hakhamanesh72 family, seized the superior power in the Royal Court, finally replaced King Artakhshasta III with his child by poisoning. As the puppet-king Artakhshasta IV grew a little older, he started planning to remove the evil eunuch. However, Bagoi again acted beforehand in order to protect himself and managed to poison and kill Artakhshasta IV. Bagoi then raised a cousin of Artakhshasta IV to the throne as Darayavaush III. When my brother Darayavaush III attempted to become independent of the powerful vizier, Bagoi tried to poison him too; but Darayavaush forced Bagoi to drink the poison himself. He finally succeeded to remove our deep-seated tumor.”
Got tired speaking while walking, Vakhshuvarda paused for breath. A little rested, he started again, pulling his right and left feet out of sand, putting into the sand again alternately.
“The battle of Issos, which we could never ever lose, put us into a predicament. But only a single defeat cannot perish our family. Persia should have enough power remained. But we were already a dying patient affected by a fatal cancer spreading to various parts of the body. We were at the last moment before extinction. Our family ate each other, the ruler and the ruled bit each other. We were far from expecting the national solidarity to confront foreign threats. The next battle of Gaugamela revealed the reality.
After vanquished at Issos and Gaugamela, my elder brother Darayavaush returned to his home country Bakhtrish crossing the river Oxos, planned to pull ourselves together in Samarkhand with general Spitameneh, but suffering consecutive defeats abandoned by fortune.
However, we still had possibilities to recover.
King, if something will happen with you, the Makedonians, outlanders without you, will never reign the vast domains of Asia. No one is capable of commanding your army like you. I heard that you even go to Scythia and Libya. Conquering and wandering one place after another. That is what every Persian king had desired but could never have done yet. I thought that your ambition would soon be aborted by your sudden death.
Hence we changed the strategy, keeping our homeland firmly just a little while, for one year or two, but no more than three years, I estimated. It was the road to a glorious escape. I convinced our eventual triumph.
But, my brother Artakhshasta betrayed our eldest brother Darayavaush, who was still on the throne of Persia, injured and abandoned him on the road, and raised himself to the throne.
My poor brother Darayavaush had died before he found by his chasers.
The self-proclaimed king Artakhshasta V had also never won. I and general Spitameneh entered Sogdia pursuing Artakhshasta and arrested the betrayer.
Spitameneh wanted to raise me to the throne in Samarkhand, call up survivors, preparing for the counterattack to the invaders. However, the strongholds in Sogdia were easily fallen one after another, my evacuated daughters Raokhshna and Amastri were arrested together, and at last Spitameneh was killed by his relations. The game was over. It was no use to ascend the throne by myself. I handed my brother Artakhshasta over to Ptolemaios and fell into your hand. You punished and executed him in Hagmatana, the homeland of Medes.”
“He usurped the Persian throne. A brother-murderer. His crime deserved thousands of death penalties.” King spat out.
“It's a pity that Spitameneh were killed by frantic relatives. He would have soon surrendered as I did.
King, I'm the last heir of Persian royal family. You appointed me to the satrap of Kaukasos. Also you protected my daughters, as well as my mother and my nieces, who were forsaken in Issos. And you married one of my daughter, and others to your comrades.”
I've never seen Vakhshuvarda such eloquent before.
“The fate of us, the Hakhamanesh family, the descendants of King Kurush the great, had at last run out after the elapse of more than two hundred years. I regard you as the host of our funeral ceremony, an angel sent by our god at this very moment. You restored the tomb of Kurush the great in Parsa. You also buried the body of my brother Darayavaush in Parsa, as our ancestors had been done. You reconstructed our graveyard magnificently.
I swore, in the name of our Lord Ahura Mazda, my loyalty to you, adoring on my knees, giving up my revenge. Now I rather thank you but never have a grudge against you.
But, you see, tens of thousands of descendants who share the blood of King Kurush the great are living in Persia. Do you never think that they would rebel against you all together? Don't you doubt it at all? Why you can be so generous?”
“Ah-em,” King thought a moment. “First of all, I love Persia, respecting. Makedonians hated Persians but admired its fragrant cultures and matured civilization. I'm not so perverse as Hellenes. They never unite, never cooperate, never try to get together. Never! Until they confront a critical situation. So loose people like dry sands in Gedrosia.
I love this boundless continent. I love this endless history initiated by Sumerians, flourished by Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians, and finished by Persians.
I clashed with Persia because it invaded us. I could stop conquest after liberating Hellenic city-states from Persia. But I didn't. I determined to invade Persia thoroughly. Why? Because I hate Persia? Or I want more glories? Not exactly. I felt deep sorrow for the decline of Persian authority, hence I wished to take Persia's position, the guardian of this world, by myself. I wanted to be one of the legitimate diadokhoi73 of Sargon74, Hammurabi75, Assurbanipal, and Nebuchadnezzar76.
Today I became a member of glorious Hakhamanesh family. I gained the legitimacy to rule Asia. Yes, this is what I was ambitious for. I want my comrades to understand and share my ambition.
And it is obviously natural that the strongest man seizes the throne of the king of kings. Who can a king without the grace of Heaven? A Hellene, Egyptian, Indian or Persian, regardless the nationality, the strongest man shall be my successor. I don't feel sorry if my sons, who are half-Makedonian and half-Persian, will be expelled by Persians or Makedonians.
Eumenes, you will marry a Persian woman and have sons, who also shall be kings.”
So abruptly mentioned that I'm quite embarrassed.
Somewhere a suppressed sigh leaked out of someone, was it Amastri? Vakhshuvarda recalls me and says, “Mr. Eumenes is a fine man, intelligent and gentle, assisting King's work wisely. I noticed that Amastri shows some affections toward him. I think they will be good partners.”
Vakhshuvarda finished saying and became silent.
Amastri loves me? Well, I've seen some symptoms in her attitude. It's embarrassing. She can't love me because she doesn't know me at all. What she can know about me? I am a man just always teaching her. She knows few other men, so she mistakes she loves me. That might be the only reason. Don't select a lover so easily.
It seems it's my turn to speak something, but I have nothing to say. Instead, I feel like asking my King some questions.
“My Lord, when you become an Asiatic king, Persian peoples will welcome you. Egyptians and Indians may also. But how about Hellenes? They are so stubborn to admit your reign. You wear a golden crown as Asiatic kings do, but Hellenes hate it. They prefer the laurel wreath, associated with Apollon77, which victors in Olympias have been worn, as well as ancient Hellenic kings.
You ignore them? Or you put the laurel on your head instead of gold to soothe them?”
“Stop thinking of it. Why you so adhere the difference in Hellenes and Makedonians? We are all KOSMOPOLITAN. It's better all peoples in this world share a unique nation and a unique language. In the beginning, POLIS was unique. LOGOS was also. But after some millennia, humans have been divided into pieces of DEMOS, unable to communicate each other. We must return to the very beginning of humankind. For that reason, Persians and Makedonians must take the initiative to be a unique Demos, to have a unique Polis, to share a unique Logos. And a new era of humans begins.”
King is sometimes so utopian and passionate. The world never catches up with him.

Next evening, we started marching again. King commanded, “Light signal fires. We are approaching the oasis. Infantry, spread to make a wide row at constant intervals. Cavalry, patrol and keep the infantry line. In desert, we hydrate or die. If we miss the only oasis in this desert, we will be dried up. Search around carefully.”
Someone reported that he found an oasis in the horizon. King investigated it but turned out that was a mere mirage. Other one says he saw a nomad riding a camel, which he stares at and waves his hand calling “Hey!” but nobody is out there. He still says
“There goes an Arabian riding his camel.”
“He noticed us waving his hand back.”
He doesn't tell a lie. Human mind perceives non-existent phenomena which cannot be seen when the thirst is so urgent.
The desert has been trifling our minds repeatedly. But suddenly, we found the oasis in a deep, narrow basin like a nest of an antlion. It's a miniature of a green garden. It is so deliberately hidden that we've almost missed it.
“Water!”
Soldiers are descending the slope, sliding down, rushing to the waterside, hardly undressing, jumping into the water one after another.
“Hooray! It's pure water! Not salty at all!”
What a crowd, pushing each other, animals also follow humans. Not a few soldiers were dead, pushed into water, unable to breathe.
“Oh, suicides with no meaning. You had better killed in a battle.”
King let us pull the dead bodies out from water to bury courteously in the sand.
“We have to encamp first apart from an oasis at least thirty stadia away. I must not make soldiers die like this anymore.”

“I want to take a bath, too.”
Raokhshna stopped Amastri, who is about to run after soldiers throwing her clothes away. King laughed at the sight, ordered me to draw curtains around a small fountain for princesses to bathe. Apama is also watching the site.
Recently, King seem to make me and Amastri couple together. Or it is possible that he already had such intention when he made me her tutor.
There comes the sound of water splash with playing voices.
“Hey, Eumenes. Come over here. Feel so good.”
It's Amastri's voice. She at last calls me without title.
“Stop joking, Basillissa81.”
“Basillissa? Don't call me by title. Call me Amastri, Eumenes. We are lovers. If you don't love me yet, after all my brother makes me your wife. Never mind anymore.”
“Stop, don't be so shameful!” Raokhshna scolded.
“Nothing is determined yet, Basillissa.”
“But if I become your wife, what will you do with me?”
“I don't have any idea. I discharge my duty and may go back to an Athenian school. In case King calls me again, I will continue to serve as a secretary. Or I will be a physician in my hometown Kardia.”
“Then I will be a wife of a physician, and my children will be physicians, too.”
She started again indulging in her own fantasy. I can't deal with her in every detail.
“I fear the story my brother telling yesterday. Regardless of lineage and ethnicity, a truly strong man will be the world king. May my sister's son and my son fight in the future to seize the throne?”
“Unnecessary anxiety. Nothing has even started yet.”
After that, the sisters became quiet. No voices, no splash sounds. I asked Apama to check inside, only found that they are already done bathing and left. I requested Apama to take away the curtains, after she also finish bathing. We have to go soon.

Eumenes 1, Chapter 6: Death March

“Nearkhos, what do you say about your fleet?”
“A perfect navy.”
“It's time you unite three navies, Persian, Indian, and your own. You take its supreme command as the Makedonian admiral.”
“Yes, my Lord. And we will soon connect all the seas of the world with our fleet.”
“Sounds great! It's my gift for you, but also a burden on you, isn't it?”
“No, my Lord. I do my best to meet your expectations, but there remains the last thing we haven't done yet.”
“Gedrosia?”
“Yes.”

Once upon a time there was a series of wars, which have continued for almost eighty years in Europe. The Persian king Khshayarsha marched himself toward Hellas bringing allies from all nations, killed the Lakedaimonian king Leonidas at Thermopylai. Also by water, the king dispatched admiral Artemisia, the queen of Halikarnassos. The Persian king deeply trusted her. Athenians elected dictator Themistokles to cope with Artemisia. He lured her to his home waters near the island of Salamis. The Hellenic allies initially appeared to back their ships away as if in fear. The narrow strait got very crowded with Persian ships and they become disorganized. When the tidal current changed the direction and the morning wind blew, the Hellenic allies were far from disintegrating but lined up and ready to attack. Hellenic allies pushed back and finally won the Persian war. But after the war, Athenians expelled Themistokles, the hero of the war, judged by the democratic voting, the Ostrakismos.
Hellenes used to be good sailors holding superiority over the Pontos. But afterwards almost Hellenic sailors left Athens to become Persian mercenaries, serving wealthy queen Artemisia. As a result, though Athens and its allies once repelled Persia, the Pontos was almost united by Artemisia, including Phoenician and Egyptian fleets. Consequently, the Delian League, which was under the leadership of Athens were crushed by the alliance of Halikarnassos and Lakedaimon in the Peloponnesian War.
Before King married Raokhshna, he loved a middle-aged Persian lady, who bore his first son Herakles. She was one of the students in Mieza, exiled from Halikarnassos to Makedonia. Before loved by King, she had some husbands and daughters. Her husbands as well as her father and brothers were all Persian admirals. She is the heiress of Halikarnassos royal family and succeeded Artemisia's heritages. She is Barsine.
As Alexandros defeated the Persian king Darayavaush III at Issos, one of Barsine's daughter was engaged to Nearkhos, it means that he was appointed to the next admiral of the navy.
A navy is a kind of dynasty succeeded by an admiral family, almost independent of nations, which organize armies. In general, an army is an autarkic or agricultural community which needs almost no money, whereas a navy is an economic system depending on world trades. Persia is wealthier than Athens, and Makedonia became much wealthier now. Almost automatically, the united Hellenic navy received the patronage of King Alexandros.
The Cretan boy Nearkhos was sent to Makedonia as a hostage. He became one of good friends of Makedonian prince Alexandros, as well as some students at Mieza, such as Ptolemaios, Perdikkas, Hephaistion, Barsine, and me.
King conquered Egypt and Babylonia, becoming the Egyptian pharaoh and the king of Babylon. Nearkhos began to recover the 'Canal of the Pharaohs', which was initiated by Nakhtnebef II, reinforced by Darayavaush the great, but almost abandoned for long years. This canal could link the Pontos and Red Sea by water.
Nearkhos already acquired both of Hellenic and Persian navies, and now the brand-new Indian navy is given to him. “To establish the Indo-Persian route, we need at least ten harbors along the Gedrosian coast. I'm afraid it will be as a difficult task as making a canal connecting the Pontos and Red Sea.
I sailed here from Egypt, examining the lands by myself. I saw many villages and villagers near the seas, but there dwelt almost only fish-eaters.”
“Fish-eaters? You mean fishermen?”
“Yeah, how to say, it's very difficult to explain. I mean, that those fish-eaters are very primitive fishermen. We Hellenes, of course, are also fishermen in general. Especially we Cretans primarily eat fish. But we don't live only on fish. But they really do. We also eat vegetables and animals. We cultivate and grow plants. We have harbors and boats and ships, meadows and farms and gardens, livestock and poultry, tackles and fishing gears, but they seldom have.”
“No harbors nor ships. No tackles nor gears. Then how they catch fishes?”
“By hand, or sometimes using nets made of the bark of date-palms, twisting the bark like twine. Yes, they are very poor fishermen. Only a few of them fish, for only a few have proper boats and have any skill in the art of catching fish; but for the most part it is the receding tide which provides their catch.”
“Explain in detail.”
“When the sea recedes and the earth is left, where the earth remains dry it has no fish, but there are hollows, some of the water remains, and in this a large number of fish, mostly small, but some large ones too. They throw their nets over these and so catch them. They eat them raw, just as they take them from the water, that is, the more tender kinds; the larger ones, which are tougher, they dry in the sun till they are quite sere and then pound them and make a flour and bread of them.”
“They make flour from fish powder to make bread?”
“Yes, precisely. Others even make cakes of this flour. Even their flocks are fed on the fish, dried; for the country has no meadows and produces no grass.”
“What kind of fish they catch?”
“Well, various kinds, but mainly, some kinds of tuna.”
“Oh, tuna. You tasted it?”
“Yes, I tried. Natives brought me in a friendly way, gifts from a tribe's village; tunny-fish baked in earthen pans. They collect also in many places crabs, oysters and shell-fish. There are natural salts in the country. They also make oil from date-palms, in addition, use various flavorings, pepper, garlic, mustard, or turmeric, in varying ratios, stimulating the appetite.”
“Did it taste good?”
“Yes, considerably. I'm the first Hellene who had seen cooking their food and been served such excellent cuisine.
Those of them who inhabit the desert parts of their country, treeless as it is and with no cultivated parts, find all their sustenance in the fishing but a few of them sow part of their district, using wheats as a relish to the fish, for the fish form their bread. The richest among them have gardens of date-palms. They build huts; they collect the bones of any large fish which the sea casts up, and use them in place of beams. Doors they make from any flat bones which they can pick up. But the greater part of them, and the poorer sort, have huts made from the fishes' backbones.”
“I cannot rely on such fish-eaters.” King laughed. “Then what should we do now, Nearkhos?”
“I know the only way, which you used to use in such situations.”
“A special division?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
King always divides or appends his troops according to strategic decisions. Some division is left for defence or dispatched in advance frequently. This time he divided his army into three brigades.
From here, Boukephalia, King dispatches Krateros taking charge of the major brigade, traveling west along a caravan route in mountains to Kerman as safely and straight as possible.
Another is the fleet of Nearkhos, goes down Sindhu, tries to reach Persian Gulf traversing the coastland of Gedrosia.
King himself leads the rest, which is rather small consisting of volunteered veterans including Perdikkas, Ptolemaios and Hephaistion. It goes along the coast, digging wells to supply water to vessels sailing off-shore, also settling dockyards and facilities to establish Indo-Persian sea lane.
King tells Vakhshuvarda, “Belong to Krateros team and take your family to the Gandharan route. We will meet in Kerman or Susa. Look after yourself and see you later.”
“Me too?” Raokhshna says. “My lord, please take me with you all the way.”
“Ridiculous,” King half laughed, half angered. “You can't. As you know, we are fearless soldiers. Disease, wound, fatigue, drowsiness, hunger or thirst. For any reason whatsoever, if a volunteer gets unable to walk, we forsake him with no mercy. Expecting a big reward and honor, he must save himself. A tough guy cannot survive, much less a woman like you.”
“I know it well.”
“You want to die?”
“Yes, I do. I don't understand why you are still alive, seem too much lucky to die easily. I've hoped to die after seeing your death, but now I'd rather die beforehand.”
“Why?”
“When my uncle Darayavaush ascended the Persian throne, I was only eight years old. To support my uncle king my father got very busy campaigning around Persian districts such as India and Kerman. As father was always absent from home, I was sent to general Spitameneh, who is Apama's father. She is now assigned by you to our care manager, but I respected her deeply as my elder sister.
My sister Apama used to be a jolly girl, cheerful and youthful like Amastri, had never been such a depressed and miserable woman.
“It'll be a long story, darling.”
“Can I tell you?”
“Go on, as much as you want.”
“Apama had a younger brother. His name was Mazdayasna.
He and I were just the same age. We lived in the same home, getting along very well like true family. We spent so happy days in youth. Unconsciously we got love each other. Any time he treated my so gently. I dedicated my life to him. We were so happy. Everybody blessed us. We could be a good wife and husband. Apama would become my true sister, and Spitameneh, my true father.
Suddenly everything changed. Barbarians invaded Bakhtrish. That's you, Makedonians. We were defeated. Spitameneh and his son Mazdayasna made up their mind to resist until the very last moment. But one night it happened, which I never hoped. Spitameneh's wife killed him. She cut off his head and came out of the bedroom. At the sight of her bringing his head in her hand, Mazdayasna got mad, killed her with a single stroke of the sword. Relatives and servants then attacked Mazdayasna all at once, chopped him into pieces. When he lost his life he was just sixteen years old. The heads of Spitameneh and the son were sent to you, my Lord, by his clan as a sign of surrender. You showed me and Apama those heads, intentionally, “I suppose these are of your family.” Instantly Apama saw the faces she lost her color and fainted, fell into a coma for three days. It also caused me severe shock, I vomited heavily, unable to eat almost everything, especially meats.
You are a so horrible man. Do you have human mind? Even now I frequently awaken from sleep at midnight dreaming the bloody head of Mazdayasna, spring up and scream. Oh, I truly curse you.
We couldn't share our future because you intruded our life and smashed apart.”
“Terribly sorry, but I didn't have any other choice. Your father Vakhshuvarda confined his wife and children in the fortress of Sogdia, and he took refuge into the deep Scythia, attempting to prolong the war. He was then the top of the successors to the Persian throne. He owed duty to recover the kingdom. He and Spitameneh estimated optimistically that the stronghold would never fall in a year or two because it was fortified heavily on the top of a steep rocky cliffs with enough stock of foods and water. But my soldiers climbed it up in one night, let it surrender and captured you princesses.
Hearing the fall of the stronghold, Sogdians got into panic, desperate to send Spitameneh's head. I didn't kill him, had no intention to kill him, either. If he surrendered, I courteously employed him like your father Vakhshuvarda.
Oh, Raokhshna, my darling, when I did your family and relatives bad conduct?”
“Everything is your fault. If you did not intrude our country Bakhtrish, nothing would happen. Why didn't you spend a peaceful life in your home country Makedonia, loving your people all your life, while loved by your people? My father and Spitameneh were both peace-loving lords, if you didn't start wars against Persia.”
“That's not true. Peace is an instant chance lain in tedious wartime. Someone wins, other one loses. In this world, like the movement of a pendulum, the sequence of troubles never ends. There are countless reasons why I had to come to Bakhtrish, but I didn't want to do so. At least it's not my fault. A king, whoever he is, I or somebody else, has no choice but to use his power to calm down the world. It's a crucial medicine the world requires. Every man knows such a thing well.”
“Do what you believe in, but you know, nobody hates you more than me. I would kill you anytime you sleep well in bed beside me. You should kill me before I kill you. You had better discard your stupid plan to marry Persian women to Makedonian men.
Oh, woe to the man who will marry Apama inheriting the blood of a husband-killer.”
How could she curse Apama? She is innocent and irrelevant.
Raokhshna mocks, “and I was also born under an evil star to be a husband-killer. But it is lucky that my husband is you, not Mazdayasna. If I was destined to kill him, I would rather kill myself.”
Her words frightened us. We are afraid King kills her in anger drawing the sword from his back, but he keeps quiet.
“Raokhshna, you are my brilliant star.”
Her eyes gleamed under her long hair. 'Raokhshna' means 'light' or 'shining' in Persian.
“The blood of husband-killer. It may also flow through my veins.” He gives hollow laugh, “My father most likely was killed by my mother.
I know very well. You won't kill me. Because you already loves me more than anybody else, much more than the son of Spitameneh. You must love me because I love you more than anybody else.
You must know well how much I love you. Since I met you I have a sound sleep every night hugging you. I'm not afraid you because you are the last woman in the world who makes me regret even if she kills me.”
“The most disgusting joke I've ever heard. You always sleep well only because you are so indifferent to your life that you feel nothing even if you are killed by me in bed as well as shot by enemy's arrow in battle. That's all.
You, Makedonian king, you intend to unite the cultures and civilizations of Hellas and Persia, by celebrating a mass wedding in Susa. You arrange marriages, not only of you and me, but also between tens of thousands of Persian noble wives and Hellenic officers. Insane!
I used to visit the old city, Susa, invited as one of Persian princesses. All peoples from all nations welcomed me in majestic Palaces. I was very proud of it. But now, I lost my nation. There is nowhere I return to. Our dynasty has ruined. Susa is yours, our homeland Bakhtrish is, too. Also Syria, Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt. I don't have a tiny piece of ground where I live. Needless to say, I don't want to be your wife, nor live as a mother of your children.
I wanted to meet my dear Mazdayasna in heaven after I see your last moment by my own eyes. But I completely get sick of living with my inconsiderate husband, I can't stand it any longer, hence I'd rather leave this world in advance.” Raokhshna traces over the scar on the King's chest with her finger, touching her womb by the other hand. “My baby is as pitiful as me. Simply because I am your wife, and simply because my baby is your child, we spend uneasy days, dreaming nightmares every night, scared of enemies' silhouettes. Only death will liberate us forever. Thinking of my baby's destiny, I would like to be forsaken by you and die.”
Holding her tightly, King keeps frowned and silent, but shortly after, he opens his mouth, “You were born to be robbed by me. God gave me you. You are prohibited to die freely. The god who gave you to me won't permit it. Your children also succeed the destiny. You cannot escape from your star under which you were born. You can only accept your fate.”
King turns to the father of Raokhshna. “What do you think? I don't mind if you also come with us.”
“Either will do.” Vakhshuvarda says showing no emotions.
“So, Eumenes, you take Amastri and Apama, and wait us in Kerman.”
“No, I go with my sister and father, too.”
Oh, Amastri hits upon a crazy idea again.
“Stop it, you restless girl. My Lord, I supervise her with attention. Also I teach her on the way.”
“Master, you also come with me. I never let you go.”
“Why are you so persistent? You must learn obedience.”
“We are members of Persian royal family. I followed my father crossing Oxos and Iaxartes rivers, climbing the rocky mountains of Sogdia, drinking muddy water and chewing tree roots, fighting against enemies until the fortress fell with soldiers. Apama also did. We are not such tender girls. If my sister goes, I'll also do. If I go, then my house maid Apama, and my teacher you should go with us. That's your obligatory duty.”
“Oh, my goodness. How about you, Seleukos. If you come along with me, I will feel much safer.” Though still young, he is a capable man, several times I relied on him and his soldiers since he joined us.
“No. I have little military career yet. I don't think this is the time to take a risk for me and my colleagues. It is a very important period to foster my clan. I and my colleagues are all freshmen. I can't involve them. I also don't think it's a suitable job for me in this case.”
“I understand your situation.”
“Sorry for that.”
I'm caught up in a calamity due to the princess sisters.
Apama is the most pitiful victim. She was a member of an honorable family with origin coming from ancient times before Persian sovereignty reached Sogdia. But she was captured along with the Persian refugees. Since then she was bound to serve Persian princess sisters. As her lord was destroyed, her family was also scattered. Her father, brother and mother are all dead. Her life is nothing more than those of slaves.
“Amastri, what do you do with your loving Airanjana?”
“I have to leave her now, because she drinks a lot of water every day.” Her voice dropped. “General Seleukos, can you keep my pet elephant, Miss Aira? She is a big eater, but can help you carrying heavy luggage.”
“I'm willing to, Her Highness.” Seleukos grinned.
“I'll go with you, my friends.” Kalanos says.
“No, it's hardly possible that an old man like you survive in desert.” I interrupted in spite of myself. “Your favorite nuts and leaves are not there.”
“You know nothing about me, young man. I know much better than you about weeds and trees, forests and deserts. In my youth, I use to ate one hemp seed in three days. Then I ate it in five days, then ten days. In such a manner, I trained to get along with starvation. Do you try it in desert?”
“You can't my grandpa,” says Amastri. “Instead, would you please go with my elephant? She is a water goddess and can't live in desert. You know elephants very well because you are an Indian. Keep your eyes to her, giving her much water, please.”
Kalanos gazes at her a moment, then says, “you are a kind-heated girl, more than I expected. All right. I'll go with your elephant, and bring you back her in the future.”
“Thank you grandpa.”

“Discussed enough? September has come. Let us go.”
King took off the saddle from the back of Boukephalas II and instead put baggage on it, he himself pulling its harness, whereas a camel was assigned to princess sisters for riding together.
Nearkhos reported that the Gedrosian sea was fit for navigation after the beginning of winter, from the setting of the Pleiades until the winter solstice; At that season mild breezes usually blow from the land, and these winds are convenient on a coasting voyage both for oars and sails.
King must go in advance to prepare by digging wells and forming depots of provisions at convenient points, before the fleet, which is scheduled to start in late October, will catch up. We also need great effort to collect provisions from the land to supply vessels. King wanted to keep as close to the coast as possible to be able to serve his fleet, but the coastal areas are almost burning arid desert. Inland areas are more appealing where crops and water are abundant. King packed the products, marked the luggage by his own seals, sent them crossing the desert to ships, but the carriers and guards stole most of the foods and ate by themselves, because the hunger is so urgent that they preferred King's punishment to starving. Furthermore, soldiers killed many of baggage-animals of their own accord. When provisions were lacking, they came together, and slaughtered most of the horses and mules. They said that the animals perished from the great depth of the sand, and the heat which scorched like fire, while a great many died of thirst. What was being done had not escaped Alexander's notice, but he saw that the best cure for the present state of affairs would be to pretend to be ignorant of it, rather than to permit it as a thing known to himself.
It was no longer easy to convey the soldiers who were suffering from disease, or those who were left behind on the roads on account of the heat, partly from the lack of beasts of burden and partly because the men themselves were knocking the wagons to pieces, not being able to draw them on account of the depth of the sand.

Eumenes 1, Chapter 5: Gymnosophist

We stay Boukephalia until autumn since it's almost suicide to cross the Gedrosian desert in midsummer.
“Hey, Bous. I introduce you my pretty Aira. This is Miss Airanjana, the Water Elephant. Aira, this is Mr. Boukephalas, the Ox Head Jr., he is my King's favorite horse. Be friends with each other.”
Amastri visits the King's horse barn and let her elephant Airanjana meet the King's horse Boukephalas II. King is watching it pleasantly.
“My dear sister Amastri, it's the elephant Ardhanara gave you?”
“Yes, brother. Do you want to ride my pet?”
“Isn't it hot-tempered, a violent elephant?”
“No, not at all. She is a very graceful girl.”
“Is it?”
“I specially allow you to ride her, brother. But in return, I want to ride your horse.”
“No problem. Which one?”
“Bous!”
“I knew you said so.”
“Thank you, brother.”
I am staring at them, but they don't notice my feeling, riding side by side, stepping out to the meadow. She uses whips and starts galloping in good shape. Well, I see, I would be mistaken. She may be a better rider than me.

“Airanjana is the name of a water fairy.”
“It's a nice name for an elephant.”
“Is it? It calls up storms and makes it shower. A heavenly nymph swimming in the sea of clouds. 'Aira' is water, and 'Anjana59' is the mother of Hanuman60.”
“Who is Hanuman?”
“Don't you know him brother?”
“I'm sorry but I don't. Please teach me, sister.”
“He is a divine monkey.”
“A monkey? What's that?”
“You really don't know what a monkey is? It's an animal.”
“What kind of?”
“Very similar to humans, but has longer arms, climbing trees very well. They live in the trees.”
“I've never seen such an animal, but I'm also good at climbing trees. Because I was raised in mountains.”
“Me too.”
“We share a lot of common characteristics, don't we?”
“My pleasure, brother.”
“A good tree climber will be trained to be a good soldier. Because he is sharp and speedy. An army consisting of good climbers can move quickly and simultaneously like us and can conquer the world.”
“Is it true? I hear it for the first time.”
“It's true, absolutely. If not, you have never been captured by us. You would still live in the rocky mountains of Sogdia.”
“Oh, I see. You may be right. But even though I am a good climber like a monkey, I cannot be a soldier since I am a woman.”
“Then instead you bear Hanuman. You can be a great mother.”
Amastri laughed. “I heard that Hanuman travels from end to end of the world at once riding a cloud.”
“Wow, a marvelous vehicle. I really want that cloud to conquer the world.”
“I thought you would say so. Hanuman calls clouds by whistling, turning a somersault, riding a lump of cloud, driving it freely in the sky.”
“A great guy. But who taught you such stories?”
“Kalanos.”
“Oh, that living skelton. Don't you fear him? He seems so crude for girls like you.”
“Not at all. He always keeps polite, has good manner and good humor, and tells me a lot of mysterious things.”

King got boring spending monotonous summer days, happened to hear the names of Indian saints such as Buddha or Vardhamana, as well as their disciples, and other various sages. It seems that there live as many philosophers in India as in Hellas. He hit upon an idea to invite them to his court to have a public discussion. There are many naked Brahmins living in the forest nearby.
King says, “I want to compare Hellenic and Indian thinkers. Which can argue more skillfully in debate about both political and ethical themes? Which can undermine the other's confidence? I assemble sophists from all nations, make them debate and see what would happen.”
He waited for several days, however, only one very old man applied to King's calling. King was disappointed because he looks so old and weak that he cannot bear long journey. He lives in Punjab forest, only eats wild nuts, berries and tree leaves, wears only a skirt make of tree barks. He is more than seventy years old, with completely white hair and beard.

“Welcome Saint,” King instantly tries him, “Do deities exist?”
“King,” replied the old man with his eyes keeping closed. “we are incapable of proving it. We do not have sufficient rational ability to justify either the belief that gods exist or the belief that gods do not exist.”
“Interesting. You have no answer to my question. You don't justify yourself. You deny justification. Is everything not incomprehensible?”
“No, that's not my theory. Not everything. I say, a man who does not know something shall not say 'I know it'. Everyone wants to know what he doesn't know, but he is apt to fail to prove unknown and uncertain things. Hence, he simply names it a 'god'. It's very easy to name a 'god' or 'truth' or 'ultimate goal' or something, but these are indeed meaningless. You can say something 'infinite' but you can never reach 'infinity'. We can say true or false if it is a finite and real thing. When a man found a god, he never thinks of it any further. It makes infinity finite to recognize infinity, that is, everyone only knows finite matters, which are sometimes called 'god'.”
“A reasonable answer. On more question. Whether a man has previous or next lives. The common concept of Indians: rebirth and reincarnation. Those are also imperceptible?”
“Yes.”
“Then why you avoid killing? Why you only eat forest nuts and leaves, wearing only barks? Because you think killing is evil. How do you distinguish the evil from the good?
I think whether killing is evil or not is also inconceivable if existence of gods or good-will or something is unprovable. Without gods or religions, how do you distinguish good from evil? Why you have to limit your life by rules?”
“It depends on each individual. Almost all Brahmins believe in gods, but I don't. Religions don't originate from gods, but a product of human imagination. We can't prove, even don't need the hypothesis that some divine or supernatural existence defines the truth and falsity.
I don't know, nor want to know what Brahmins believe. I know only the fact that there are so many sects they are belonging to. It proves that they believe multiple contradicting truths.
I lived too long. I should die earlier. The best way to live is to die young having guiltless soul, before acquiring discretion.
I left human society to live alone in forests. Declines of my physical strength annoy me, but what suffers me most is my mental aging. I got to hate human families, agricultures, domestic animals, and friction. My wounded soul is never cured, only soothed by lonesome tranquility in woods. The only way to bear the pain of my soul is to forget myself who had ever belonged human society, not recalling the past.
Inspecting into my own mind, I found that everything comes from my likes and dislikes. I found no universal truth in my mind, but everything depends on my natural feelings. I reach this conclusion in the forest after long meditations.
People deceive themselves. Every man has ability of cheating his own thought, disguising theories. They don't aware fake things as long as they live together. They help each other to deceive themselves. It's the falsest characteristic of humankind. That is the reason a man should live alone. That is the truth I found at last. I left human society and live alone in the forest. I eat wild nuts and leaves simply because I hate to eat meals produced by humans. I wear only barks because I hate human-tailored clothes.”
“I understand your standing point. But I don't understand why you came here. You had better remain in woods alone. You are self-satisfied and need no help. I think your words and deeds do not match. Why you visited me today? You have something to talk to me?”
“The reason is simple. I came here to have my friend.”
“Why? You hate humans but love friends? I'm a king. A social being whom you avoid. A typical man you need least. I used to order my men to kill somebody. I myself take an ax and kill animals to offer sacrifices to gods. I cut woods and make your forests into colonies. Nevertheless, you want to be my friend? For what?”
“I came here because I really need you. Brahmins, Buddhists and Jains living in India refuse to serve earthly kings. But every one of them belongs to his society. Monks gather believers and collect money to make shrines and temples. They pursue wealth and fame. They have parents, sons and daughters, homes and schools, and teachers and students. There is no difference between kings and priests. Karmic connections prevent us from Nirvana, the liberation from eternal reincarnation. That's my agony.
I suppose there have been many friends who also reached the same conclusion as I did, but we never meet because we are so separated from each other. Now, somewhere in this world, a lot of my friends have the same concept as I have, living not noticing each other. We have no society, but I want to correspond them. I want to meet my friends before I die. That might be the only desire, or regret this old man still have.
I came here today because you said you take me to my far distant friends.
I don't obey someone who happens to be my teacher. I don't make friends with someone who just live together. I don't want to stay some place just because I was born there. King, do you understand me?”
“Saint, I think you are my kindred sharing the same spirit. We can understand each other since we have the same solitary feelings.”
“Are you lonesome, too?”
“Indeed, I have many companions. But there is only one soul mate. I call it my 'Daimonion61'. Only one friend talking directly to my soul.”
“You mean it is your god living in your mind?”
“In other words, he is my 'divine guardian'. It is said that everyone has his own guardian in mind from birth, but never notice the existence, or forget it when grew up. I thought I am the only one perceiving it and hear its voice. I used to think that is the reason why I can be the king of kings. But now, hearing your opinion, I convince that some people except me also could hear the advice of daimonions. You heard the voice in the forest, didn't you?”
“I'm not sure but maybe so.”
“You and me, also Socrates and Diogenes have daimonions.”
“I just want to meet and talk with my true friends, though they live somewhere in the far distance. If you accept me as your friend, I'm willing to go together.”
“In my homeland, some acorn-eaters inhabit forests, some drunkard sleeps in a liquor barrel. Please meet them. And be one of our friends.”
“I accept your invitation, Kallaanya mitta.”
His real name is Kaccayana Belatthiputta, which nobody can remember. Instead, since every time he greets 'Kallaanya mitta', which means 'dear friend', he got used to be called simply 'Kalanos' by Hellenes.

“My brother, you want to return to Makedonia as soon as possible flying on a cloud like Hanuman?” Amastri's voice calls him back from contemplation. He looks up the sky, which is apparently connected to the Makedonian sky.
“Not so much.”
“Where you want to go, then.”
“Nowhere. I just want to call a gale to wipe trifle things off, drive the storm to awaken the peoples, and be memorized among gods.”
“Everybody imagines. Only you can realize.”
“Sure.”

Eumenes 1, Chapter 4: Battle in Swamp

Ardhanara sent us one hundred war elephants to show an attitude of obedience toward the Makedonian King, who put them in front of his army, started to march to the east, crossing Punjab, towards the Ganga.
Punjab is a Persian word which means 'Pentapotamia', the five tributaries of Sindhu, Vitasta, Chandrabhaga, Parushni, Shutudri, and Vipasha.
We overran Punjab, crossing five rivers, and at last reached the most eastern river Shutudri. The dividing ridge between the Sindhu and Ganga Valleys are almost over there. But soldiers abruptly refuse to march further.

Eight years has passed since we departed from Pella, the capital city of Makedonia. This time, the soldiers, who have dedicated their life and time to his King, strived and survived for many years with almost no resistance, refuse openly as a dog grinning its defiance to go for a walk, growling and wriggling the body and planting the feet into the ground.
Until now, we have just traced along the royal roads paved by the Persian Kings. But from here, the lands are Indian domain, not Persian. The peoples have never been ruled by the Persian Empire.
King calls up the whole army and says, “Please pay attention to my words, oh! my companions.
We ever attained the eternal glory at Gaugamela. You can't forget the decisive and definitive moment of our victory: the Battle of Gaugamela.
Just after the battle, we briefly stopped in Nineveh, the ruin of ancient capital of Assyria. Half destructed, half covered in sand, but the Library of King Assurbanipal remained there. We excavated hundreds of thousands of forgotten clay tablets. I requested Akkadian scholars to research the old cuneiform writings. Almost of them are trivial records, such as salaries for employees, amounts of crop yields, or list of livestock and poultry production. Among them, I discovered a very interesting document. That was a piece of the record of the Assyrian wars. It describes the campaigns of Queen Shammuramat who lived 500 years ago. She conquered all the Mesopotamia, pushed through the Persian territory and tried to invade Punjab. But she was severely defeated in Sindhu valley. She lost two out of three soldiers and had to return west.
On another day at Persepolis, the tomb city of the Persian kings, I saw an inscription etched on a temple wall on the command of Darayavaush 46 the Great. A guide told me it states that the Kurush47 the Great, who defeated the Median Empire, made an expedition to the west side of Sindhu river where the power of Median Kings ever reached. But he also had to abandon the province defeated by Indians.
After reading the records, the desire to challenge a great achievement, which has never been done by any kings nor queens in this world, such as Shammuramat nor Kurush, has been getting more important in my mind.
My companions, starting from Europe, penetrating Asia, tracing the roads which were paved by Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian kings, we finally reach this land of frontier.
In ancient days, an Assyrian king called himself, 'Shah Sharrani', or Persian kings, 'Shah an Shahs.' An Indian king also claimed himself as 'Rajah dhi Rajah.' These titles have the same meaning, 'Basileus Basileon48.'
A king who conquered the neighbor kings merging the territory was simply called the 'King of Kings'. That's normal, not enough. I can't be satisfied with being such a king! I want to be the only king in the world. And probably you want to be citizens serving the only one sovereign in this world, aren't you? That means this world is unified into only a single nation, the Kosmopolis. Why don't you be a kosmopolitan?
The day, when the world is unified one nation, shall come. But when? Humans have to wait until a king who will be born in the far distant future? Or I, your king, a real king living before your eyes, accomplish now?
Why don't you see the Kosmopolis in this real world before you die?
You only live once. You never live twice. We realize Kosmopolis when we alive and die happily if you assist me, my companions.”
Hephaistion and some macho soldiers get excited with sparkling eyes inspired by the King's speech. But others still more seem depressed.
“Perdikkas49, Krateros50, I want to hear your thoughts.”
They both belong to the Makedonian royal family. If King Alexandros dies, Perdikkas will soon ascend the throne. If Perdikkas also dies, then Krateros will immediately take the supreme command of the Makedonian army.
Perdikkas and Krateros look at each other. Reluctantly, Perdikkas says, “Oh King, it has been a long journey and we arrived here without any critical failures so far. I cannot explain why it could happen. I'm not so simple as to thank deities nor admire you. As you have decided everything before, you also decide by yourself from now on. Go further or not, that is out of my thought.”
“If you were I, Perdikkas.”
“If I were you, I never came here.”
The answer irritated King. “Master Aristoteles taught us that, if we go down the Ganga from here, we reach the East Sea, the eastern end of the world.
From there, go up to north, then west along Scythian coast, we reach the Kaspian Sea.
Or if we take the route down the Sindhu river, we reach the Arabian Sea, which is linked to Persian, Erythraean, and Libyan Seas. If we go further, the Libyan Sea leads us to European Sea. There we enter our Pontos51 through the Pillars of Herakles. Finally we sail back to Hellenic waters.
Which do you prefer, Ganga or Sindhu? Both will be fascinating, since no one has ever carried out such a fantastic voyage.
For me, Ganga is preferable, because we almost get to the eastern end of the world, it is easier to conquer the rest of the eastern area first, than get far back and go around the western continents.
According to Herodotos52, Scythian countries are facing to the East and North Seas, adjacent to India to the south, and to Europe to the west. It is said that the shape of the Scythian continent is almost square, about 4000 stadia53 from east to west and also 4000 stadia from north to south. We walk about 200 stadia in a day. Hence, from the east end of India to the east boundary of Europe, we traverse 8000 stadia, it takes only 40 days. If we sail, we'll go much faster. Of course, we'll encounter lots of vicious barbaric tribes. We should tame them all. We also have to found colonies, construct cities and harbors. It will take two or three years I suppose, but I don't think it's an impossible campaign.
We've already acquired the Asia, the center of the world. If we get Scythia first, only Libya, India and Europe will remain. It is said that each of the three subcontinents has the same area as Scythia, about 4000 by 4000 square stadia, So it can be said that we will complete the entire world in almost 10 years.”
“Too optimistic,” Perdikkas complains. “but it's your usual way. You decide by yourself. And we follow you with no objection, as we always did. Or, is there a matter of some concern that you have to discuss with us this time? If so, tell me that.”
“Concern? I have none since I have left Makedonia.”
“Then we will do, as usual.”
“Krateros, what do you think?”
He summoned up courage to speak for the whole army, “My Lord, please listen to me. You see yourself, how many Makedonian and Hellenic soldiers started with you, and how few of us are left. Some have been settled in the cities founded by you. Some have lost in the fields of battle. Others have been disabled by wounds. Others have been left behind in different parts of Asia, but the majority have perished by disease.
Only a few out of many survived, and these few possessed no longer of the same bodily strength as before, while their spirits are still more depressed. Those, whose parents are still living, have a yearning to see them, a yearning to see their wives and children, and a yearning to see their native land itself. I beg your mercy, oh, my Lord. I want to go home where I belong.”
The army applauded Krateros' speech. King resented him.

“Ptolemaios, Eumenes,” King keeps calm. “where are you? Give me your advice.”
I know my King very well. He determines what he should do in advance, then he ask us to verify his thought, or to deepen his conviction, or to know how precisely his companions understand his plan. Sometimes a minor modifications or improvements are applied after he hears our propositions, but it's nothing more than a final brush up, the thought he roughly sketched first never changes. He is a man of self-help.
While I am thinking how to respond to him, Ptolemaios stands up among the soldiers and says, “I know very well that it is not suitable for this situation to show my personal opinions, which rather differ in some points of view from those of our Lord. I apologize if I cause any confusion among us.” Ptolemaios pauses a while until the audience become quiet. “My Lord, in early Egyptian or Mesopotamian mythology, the earth was portrayed as a flat disk, floating in the ocean. We Hellenes also share the kosmography for centuries. However, none of us has gone around and discovered the true shape of the world. We just hear it from foreigners. Foreigners also hear from some other foreign travelers. Nobody found the East or North Ocean, which are the extremes of the world. Nobody saw that the West Ocean outside of Libya is connected the Arabian See. Who knows how large is this world? Who knows how far the end of the Scythian or Indian land is. Nobody can calculate how deeply the Libyan Continent extends beyond the Nile.
As far as I observed, the Mount Ararat is higher than our Olympos, and Kaukasos mountains seem higher than Ararat. I see that the Indian mountains in the Himalayan Range are much higher and steeper than Asian ones. And I could say that the Euphrates and Tigris rivers are longer and wider than the Istros54 or Nile, and Sindhu and Ganga rivers flow much more water. The more we traveled east, the bigger mountains and rivers we encountered. We cannot estimate how far and how wide the world continues.
If we march onwards to east, we enter the heartland of India, the Ganga Valley, after passing deserts for twenty days. The Ganga is 32 stadia in width and 10 stadia in depth. The Valley is the most fertile and most populous land in this world, a paradise of uncountable elephants.”
King frowns. The Nile is only three stadia at the widest.
“Furthermore, my Lord, India is the oldest country flourishing from non-historical era. At the center of India locates Pataliputra55, the capital of the renowned Magadha people. Pataliputra is the biggest Indian city, perhaps the biggest one in the world. The king of the Pataliputra, the Rajah dhi Rajah of Indians, is called Dhana Nanda, who is the uncle of the king of Punjab, Rajah Paurava56, whom we captured recently at the Battle on Vitasta river. It is said that King Dhana Nanda has nine hundred ninety-nine millions of gold coins, as well as twenty thousand of horsemen, two hundred infantry men, two thousands of chariots drawn by four horses, and ten thousand of war elephants. Compared to the Dhana Nanda's military forces, our army is like a picnic of children. If we go down the Ganga river, we must fight against Pataliputra, but it is impossible to break through its defense. Even for an adventurous King like you, it's a reckless challenge.”
“Indian tales are always exaggerated. It's never believable. 999 million of gold coins? Hahaha, stop joking. If we collect all the coins from Hellas, Persia, and Egypt, the sum will be no more than one million, I presume.”
“Yeah, I hope so. I tell you another story. Some decades ago, the Persian King Khshayarsha57 led his army to invade Libya and captured a Phoenician admiral, whom King Khshayarsha examined by himself. Khshayarsha said,
'I hear that you Phoenicians occupy the Pontos from Egypt to the Pillar of Heracles. Is it true?'
The admiral replied, 'Yes, exactly. We sail further than Hellenes, from the northern extreme of European Sea, to the southern extreme of Libya.'
'Can you explain how is the southern extreme of Libya?'
'Almost three hundred years ago, the Egyptian Pharaoh Nakhtnebef II sent out an expedition of Phoenicians. They sailed from the Red Sea, went around Libyan coast, entered the Pillar of Heracles, and finally returned to Egypt. That means the West Ocean connects to the South Ocean at the most southern point of Libya.'
'How long did they sail? Would it take a month or two, or half a year?'
'No. Three years.'
'What an astonishing voyage your ancestors did! Now I became the king of Libya, thus I command you, Admiral, the same task as the Pharaoh did before. I will liberate you if you prove again that you can sail around Libya, but this time you sail in the reverse direction. Start from the Pontos, exit the Pillars of Heracles, go around the coast of Libya, then return to the Red Sea. If you succeed, I will reward you by appointing you the Satrap of the whole Libya. Otherwise, I will cut off your head. Do you try it?'
This admiral accepted the King's proposal, sailed out the Herakles Pillars. He eagerly inspected all the rivers, inlets, straits and channels along the coast, but spent three years in vain. There was no passage to the Red Sea. In the fourth year, he began to flee, but only got captured and executed.
Sailors, traders, and nomadic peoples have traveled every corner of the world for hundreds of years before we get started. We should trace along the secure routes that the pioneers already discovered. We are not adventurers, but conquerors, aren't we? It is too risky and fruitless for us to step outside of our well-known world.”
“Steady but tedious suggestion typical of wise men like you, Ptolemaios. Then what shall we do next?”
“Let me say, my Lord. If we go down Sindhu, we will reach Arabian Sea. We sail further and reach Persia.”
“Right, sailing from the outlet of Sindhu to the west, we must cross a barren coastland without harbors to reach Persian Gulf. But that's all.”
“So, we'd better interrupt our exploration for a while. It's time to go back home. We have tried hard enough. We all got tired, too. We restart conquest after refining the strategy carefully, discussing with various scholars from all over the world.”

“What do you think about their discussions?” I asked to Seleukos.
“I think it is time to retrieve Babylon.”
“Retrieve Babylon?”
“Retrieve Persia, if I say more accurately.”
“Why? King said that we should go further. Krateros said break exploration and go back home to rest. Is your plan different from them?”
“Maybe. I love King's idealism.”
“The kosmopolitanism, you mean.”
“Yes, and indeed, I dislike Krateros' sentimentalism. I almost agree with Perdikkas and Ptolemaios.
The Persian king Khshayarsha build the Gate of All Nations in Persepolis. It was a symbol of the harmonic unification of the humankind, a symbol of kosmopolitanism.”
“But our King sentenced to burn down the gate, because it converted into the symbol of the harsh domination and exploitation of the world.”
“You've got a point. If our King wants to be a true successor of Persian kings, he must avoid being hated by nations. Kosmopolitanism needs approval of all peoples. Our King has to take care of them.
As far as I observed this world along campaigns, I think if he wants to realize the Kosmopolis in this world, he must select the best city for his capital located at the center of the world, right?”
“In a sense.”
“Where is it? Needless to say, the capital city should be Babylon. The richest and most populous city. Susa is the second, the most convenient place for world traffic and trade. Both cities are located in lower Mesopotamia, the most important province of the world.
Our King fought against the Persian king and took his place. There were several good reasons to do so. We invaded his land simply because he invaded us first. It is natural right to revenge. But eastern India is not Persia. Indians have nothing to do with Makedonians. We have no right to claim the sovereignty there yet. We are not invaders, but retrievers of Persia. Our king must not be so greed as Khshayarsha, who made us fight back Persia.”
“I come to understand your idea. Our King tends to hasten too much to expand his reign as far as he can reach. But it is more important to stabilize the basis of his empire for the purpose of realizing the Kosmopolis. So he must return to Babylon, the most suitable place where the king reigns, where he must first establish a stable, sustainable political system and get approval of all peoples of all nations.”
“Yeah, yeah, that is what I mean.”
“You seem too young to have such a profound analysis of politics, Seleukos.”
“Probably because I lost my father, who was responsible for his clan.”
“You are in turn responsible for your people now?”
“Yes. They feed me and I feed them. When my father Antiokhos died, Ptolemaios became the regent. But he soon left Makedonia to take part in King's expedition. Since then, I have been the leader of all the members of all the families of my clan. I also volunteered for King's army and left Makedonia, to feed my clan. I have no intention to return to Makedonia anymore. Someday I will call all the members of my clan to Asia.”
“Where your clan immigrates to?”
“No idea. As our King wishes. He will found new colonies more and more. I want some of them, if possible. I will be far north Scythia, or southern end of Libya. I don't care much where I should live.
It's not only my desire, but also my duty. Anyway, I think the most important thing is to win the people's trust, to preserve the Persian heritages, and to pass them down from generation to generation.”
“You are one of the next generations.”
Seleukos grinned, “I'm not so proud of myself yet, but,”
“But what?”
“I have so many things to prepare. If I were appointed by our King a satrap of somewhere in Asia, what I should do.”
“Are you always dreaming such a thing?”
“It's not a dream! It will soon become real in ten or twenty years. I don't have enough time thinking about it. You, Eumenes, also you must start to prepare, right now.”
“I? Why? I don't have my clan. I don't even have my own family, either.”
“A man of no ambition, no hope you are.” Seleukos laughed. “I hear that King will soon command every one of his companions to marry a Persian woman.”
“I hear it, too.”
“Hurry up Eumenes, choose by yourself, otherwise, King or somebody else forces you to have some woman to be married. No matter whom you marry, once you have your own family, you come to realize what you have to do.”
“Don't worry about me. I will deal with it well when the time comes. How about you? I noticed that you were somehow attracted to Miss Apama when you first met her.”
“She is a very charming and graceful woman. So I saluted her courteously.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, that's all, but I admit you that I feel special sympathy towards her.”
“Isn't it affection? Or love?”
“Not exactly. It's funny she and I were born and raised far separated, we never met before, but I feel we share similar mentality and morality. Probably because she was an heirless of Sogdian hereditary rulers, but she lost it.
I'm so sorry she is treated very badly by everyone, simply because King offered her to take care of the Persian princesses.”
Apama and I meet almost every day. I am so accustomed to working with her. For me, she is nothing more special than a caretaker for Amastri.

King withdrew into his tent and shut himself in for three days. The mood of the soldiers did not change. He finally proclaimed his decision to turn back, and the army received it with tears of joy and grateful shouts.
King starts every preparation to return. He backtracked to Vitasta river where he completed his fleet with 800 ships, which were all given to the Cretan admiral Nearkhos, who just arrived from the Pontos, going upstream the Sindhu, whereas Punjab was deposited to Paurava. The fleet went downward headed by Nearkhos, a division by Krateros marched on the right bank of river Vitasta, while Hephaistion with the elephants on the left.

Paurava, now the satrap of Punjab warned King, “The land you are going to face is the lower Sindhu, where the six rivers of Punjab are mingled together into a huge swamp. It swells up as broad as a sea when it gathers the snowmelt water running down from Kaukasos and Himalaya from spring until summer. It annually floods.”
“Yea, as the Nile does.”
“Because now is the season of flood, it's very difficult to invade there.”
“I can wait until the flood waters recede.”
“Moreover, the tribes you'll encounter there are quite different from us.
As you were already reported, my uncle Dhana Nanda's domain in the Ganga Valley is as civilized as mine. It is exceedingly fertile and wealthy, inhabited by brave agriculturists enjoying an excellent system of government under an aristocracy which exercised its power with justice and moderation; besides, the land was well stocked with elephants of superior size and courage. But, the peoples downwards are not. They live there together because they are like a school of fish swarming in the marsh.”
“A school of swarming fish in marsh?”
“Yes. The gift of the Sindhu. It's not a metaphor. They have no king, no aristocracy, no principality, therefore no justice and no judgement.”
“Uncivilized republicans?”
“Yes, that's right. The only way you govern them is drying up the water or scooping them out of water, but it's impossible because tremendous water is flowing in all the year and they are swarming again and again in water.
It's also like crashing an anthill. It will soon recover because you cannot kill them all. It will be an endless slaughter. How cruel. So my friend, Alexandros. Leave them. Sail through their swamps as quickly as possible, run away to the sea, so as not to by cursed by Indian gods staining the river with blood. You must regret for the rest of your life.”
“Thank you, my friend, Paurava, for your valuable advice. But I have to construct some harbors, dockyards with citadels, and maintain them along Sindhu, to communicate by water between Persia and inner India, otherwise I will soon lose my colonies in Gandhara and Punjab. I want to make my navy sail securely in India. It's truly inevitable.”
“Ho, good grief. You are an insatiable king. Do it if fate had decided you.”

King's army suddenly attacked the swamp. Unarmed men in the fields were simply butchered offering no resistance. As Perdikkas assaulted on villages, the people fled in a well-fortified island in Sindhu river. Its shores were surrounded by tall stone wall. King attempted siege by boat.
King orders to build a special device to besiege a stronghold on water. It's a relatively large twin boat on which a tall tower is erected with a scaling ladder. As the sun went down, impatiently King himself got on the boat, landed it to the shore, stretched the ladder to the wall and started scaling up, covering himself with a shield held by hand. Several companions also scaled to protect him.
He reached the top of the wall and exposed himself to the enemies. The helmet of the Makedonian king was shining, it attracted the enemies' attention. The defenders began shooting at their target with crossbows all at once. Companions were wounded by the rain of arrows.
King was also hit on his chest and kneeled down. He grasped the arrow and tried to pull it out by himself, but he coughed up blood, vomited from mouth. Hephaistion and some colleagues dashed up the ladder, picked King's body up, put him on the shield and carried back to our camp by boat.
His face got already pale and bloodless. I said, “Everyone, prepare for the worst. He might not be saved.”
Perdikkas pull his foot on King's stomach and pull the shaft of the arrow mercilessly. It come out but the arrowhead remained stuck in King's chest. King vomited blood every time he took a breath.
“We got in great trouble.” Perdikkas glanced around.
“How selfish you are! You bring us here and die first!”
Raokhshna kicked his bed and gave a punch in his face.
“No, stop,” Apama held Raokhshna's back.
This time has come at last. A brave king followed by loyal soldiers, that's the principle of this army. King always supervises battles by himself, even he ventures to attack at the head of his army to make a breakthrough. It drives his companions crazy to volunteer to rescue him. It's a very dangerous gambling at the risk of King's own life. We know very well that the luck never lasts forever.
“Eumenes,” Hephaistion shouted, hanging me by his muscular arms. “You save him, please. If he dies, we cannot survive. Persians, Indians, all the peoples and tribes rise to their feet and take revenge on us. We have no escape.
Take out the arrowhead from his chest, clean up and stitch the wound, and stop bleeding!”
“No, no. I can't. You know I'm not a surgeon. I've never performed a surgical operation yet. Never! I can take no responsibility for surgery.”
“What are you saying in this emergency, Eumenes,” Perdikkas spoke out, “Once you step into the battlefield, don't be anxious about what you shall do. Nobody but the Nike, the goddess of victory determines everything. Not you, nor I.
Nobody imposes responsibility on you. It's all my responsibility if he dies. Take it easy, and do it right now before it's too late.”
Perdikkas is the vice commander, and King is now unable to command, so the only thing I can do is to follow Perdikkas' direction.
“Yes, sir.”
We have no surgical tools. I burn swords and needles in fire to sanitize them.
King fainted from intense pain dug by a burning sword. Fortunately, it made him stop vomiting blood. The arrowhead penetrated the protector, got caught between ribs, which are probably fractured. The blood seems come out from inside of the lung. A fatal damage.
I figured that if the injury made a hole on his lung, he would be almost hopeless.
The operation is over. He sleeps well as though he were dead.
Next day, he eventually escaped death.
A Rumor that our King is already dead runs among enemies and also us. At the same time, his long-time loving horse Boukephalas58 were dead and buried on the bank of Sindhu. Everyone who saw the tomb believed that our King is already dead and buried there, too.
King had to stay the camp for a few days, recovering from the wound. Even when he had himself conveyed on a liter to the midst of his soldiers, they still doubted if he was really alive. To carry conviction to them, he got off the litter and walked some distance back to his tent. Then arose universal joy and relief in the camp.
“He is immortal! Blessed by Gods!”
“We return to Hellas with our King!”

King got on a ship and went down Parushni river to the confluences of Sindhu. He stood on the prow, grabbing a rope by one hand, and waving the other hand. Many people on the shore still believe that the dead body of the Makedonian King is carried to, or doubt that he is a look-alike pretending King Alexandros.
He landed in front of Ptolemaios. “How was the battle during my absence?”
“Nothing special, my Lord. Perdikkas took your place and operated businesses, enemies gave up resistance and submitted themselves to us.”
“How much damaged?”
“We?”
“Yes.”
“Little.”
“Good.”
“But,”
“What?”
“Boukephalas is dead.”
“Is my Bous dead? Really? What happened? Who killed him?”
“Nobody killed him. He simply got old, traveling from Pella, well endured successive campaigns. He was hit on the hip in the battle on Vitasta river, when we made King Paurava our hostage. Its wound got worse and it never recovered. But I don't think the wound caused this. It's almost a natural death.”
“Oh, my dear colleague saved me again, as we fought at Issos and Gaugamela together. At last he sacrificed his own life to save me!”
“I think it's a mere coincidence.”
“No, Athena knows. She already accepted his soul, but I can't help offering him to her by myself.” He ordered to erect altars dedicated to Athena and Nikaea, and celebrated his success in front of the tomb of Boukephalas.
“Build a temple of Athena here. It shall be the center of a newly constructed colony. I name it 'Boukephalia'.”
Boukephalas was a head-strong wild horse, which the exiled prince Alexandros tamed. Riding it, he returned to Makedonia to ascend the throne. He selected a son of Boukephalas, also named it Boukephalas, and keeps it only for his riding.

King's army somehow returned to normal condition. Only Raokhshna persists in condemning his recklessness publicly. “King must die. We also go to die.” Apama is still depressed all the time giving up everything. Amastri is on the contrary very cheerful probably because she gets in the mood of conquering the world as a companion of her King. She is very mannish and full of curiosity, may be caught by an unverifiable thought, which is very common in youth: 'no matter how hazardous our King's expeditions are, everything will go well eventually as far as I am concerned.'