A Mission to Troy

The wooden horse stands in front of the city of Troy, in a vast square near the shop and cafe. Fortunately it was a very quiet Monday morning when we arrived and only a couple of children were running about inside the horse. 'Hector', in his leather breastplate, little red skirt and red cloak, tried to entice us to dress as Helens, so we could be photographed with him in the red war chariot. The jewellery was tempting - diadems, bangles and earrings, and the gauzy robes were pretty but it was rather too hot and anyway, I couldn't wait to carry on to the actual site.

So after this quick snap, off I went, through a shady grove of cypress then out into the heat of a July day. All worth it, to walk past these towering walls and into the actual city of Troy.

     
       

Inside the walls I followed the well-marked route ..... past temple after palace after theatre, until the sheer size of the place became amazing. The restoration work continues, and there are many panels with information and pictures of what the various buildings looked like originally.

Walking around a place of such antiquity and legend is extremely moving. Scraps of the story, thoughts of Hector, Priam, Helen and Paris occur, as well as pictures of the Greek army surrounding these mighty walls. The only way they could get into the city was by their ruse with the horse, and only after ten years of war.

However, I was also on a personal mission. In Scandalous Lady, Olivia also visits Troy. I wanted to check on whether I had described what she saw accurately. It was a thrill to find the scene was indeed more or less exact.

 She smiled in delight and sprang up to get a closer look at the boy and his goats, streaming along the lower part of the slope. Further away, she could make out a cluster of tents. Two horsemen were speeding across the rough plain below. Olivia drank in the scene. It was all so different from Gloucestershire. These open spaces and the sunshine seemed to fill her with energy. 

There was silence for a while.  Olivia carefully drew each of the tumbled columns and lumps of marble on the hillside facing her.  Then she moved to another vantage point and set to work again. The goatherd’s voice faded as he led his flock further away. Olivia smiled. Had Helen sat here, enjoying this splendid view and listening to people singing as they went about their business? But Helen had run away with her lover and Olivia had sworn never to trust a man again. Of course, she did not include Richard in that; he was the kindest of brothers. But even so, it was going to be difficult to persuade him to allow her to stay in Constantinople.

            Her sketches finished to her satisfaction, Olivia idly watched a lizard dart across a bit of wall. The sun beat down, sharpening the already vivid greens and reds of the landscape. The pieces of marble had a pearly sheen in the brilliant light. Perhaps she should join Nessie in the shade while they waited for the rest of their group to return.

            She stretched out a hand for her bag. And froze as a man's voice behind her rapped out, 'Stay absolutely still.' His sharp tone said danger. Olivia could hear his breath coming in gasps, as if he had been running uphill. Her own heartbeat quickened and a tingle ran down her spine. The next instant the stranger spoke again. 'Whatever happens, do not move.' From right behind her came a scrape, a swoosh and a thump, followed by a spitting noise. 'Now you can move,' he said more loudly.