Adventure Story

Sir?

Sir, this is Perdiccas. Can you hear me?

This is Perdiccas, sir. Make a sign if you understand.

Will you name your successor?

Well?

Try again.

Sir, the time has come for you to name your successor.

Who is it to be?

Alexander, you are dying.

Dying? Alexander dying?

-In a bed. Sir?

Alexander dying of a chill at 33?

Sir?

Yes, Ptolemy?

Name your successor.

Who shall I condemn to death?

He's feverish.

Pythia, mouthpiece of Apollo.

Get the physician.

Right at the beginning,

why didn't you tell me it would end like this?

Pythia, where did I go wrong?

Pythia of Delphi. Delphi... Delphi...

Madam.

You have no right in this place, sir. This is forbidden ground.

-I'm here under orders. -No one gives orders in Delphi,

save the God Apollo through his chosen mouthpiece, myself.

My, master has come to Delphi to consult the Oracle

and he demands an audience at once.

The mystery of the Oracle is a holy boon to be craved of the God,

not demanded as a favour from a hired fortune teller.

-But, Madam, I... -What's the delay?

I thought I told you to stay outside.

So this is the holiest spot in Greece, is it?

Ah! It's rather impressive, I must admit.

-Are you this man's master? -If you mean am I King Alexander?

I am not.

My name is Philotas and he, if he hasn't told you already, is Hephaestion.

We're both of us, as you've no doubt already recognised from our armour,

officers of his majesty's personal bodyguard, the companion cavalry.

Your armour, sir, is unknown to me

but your manners are unmistakably Macedonian.

This Alexander is the new King of Macedon?

He is.

And elected Captain General of all Greece.

-May I escort you to him, madam? -No, sir.

But I thank you for the offer.

Have the outer doors opened, these gentlemen's are leaving.

You know, it surprises me that so obviously sensible a lady

should be prepared to run so drastic a risk.

The only risk I run, sir, is of condoning a blasphemy.

And the longer you two gentlemen remain in this holy place

the greater is my peril.

I must apologise for my friend.

You may tell your king I mean him no discourtesy.

I shall be pleased to pay my respects to him at a more appropriate time

in a more appropriate place.

He won't like it.

This is the first time I've let him down.

-You are afraid of him? -Afraid of Alexander?

He's my best friend.

I see. You are proud to have a king as a best friend.

No, I'm very proud to have Alexander for my best friend.

Bolt and bar the doors.

You are the Pythia?

Oh, please don't ring that, there's no need.

-You are Pythia? -Yes, I am.

I'm Alexander of Macedon.

King Alexander, you have desecrated this temple.

I must ask you to leave at once.

Oh, yes, all right. I'll go in a moment when I've got what I came for.

I was told to submit my question in writing,

so I have scribbled it out for you here. There.

Is this seriously the question you wish to put to the God Apollo?

Yes.

Very well, I shall put it before the council.

-But why can't you answer it now? -Because it is impossible.

I see.

Well, if you're not going to answer my question,

I'd like it back please.

I don't want this falling into the wrong hands.

Do you think I keep the King of Persia's agents in this temple?

-Darius's spies are everywhere. -Poor Darius.

How he would tremble if he could read that threat of war.

Now you're making fun of me. But you'll see.

-How many men will you have? -With luck about 35,000.

-And Darius? -Quarter of a million.

It could be two million but I shall never give him time to raise so many.

-Or perhaps the necessity. -Yes, you laugh at me. Everyone does.

But perhaps you won't when Persia crumbles into dust.

-The strongest empire in the world. -Giants cannot move as fast as pygmies.

I shall meet Darius in the field, beat him and kill him.

And after you have killed Darius, what will you do?

I shall found a new order in Asia.

With yourself at the head.

Oh, yes, I suppose. I hadn't thought. It's not important.

-Do you think I'm mad? -No, no, just very young.

Are you sure you can't give me your answer?

I can give you it, if you like, King Alexander,

but not the God Apollo.

If you answered it alone, it would be no.

Everyone in the world would agree with you.

Why must you do this madness?

At the wedding banquet, when my father married again

after divorcing my mother...

He made me attend, of course, he wouldn't miss a chance like that.

His new father in law made a speech in which he said,

"All King Philip's loyal subjects could at last hope

"for a legitimate heir to the throne."

There were 300 people there and I was alone,

none of my friends had been allowed to come.

So, I stood up and said,

"Indeed! And what does that make me, a bastard?"

I threw my wine in his face.

My father was rather annoyed.

He got to his feet and staggered towards me

with his sword raised...

His foot slipped and he fell in a drunken heap.

But your father is dead now.

But I must still prove to him that I am the legitimate heir, dead or not.

Are you still determined not to answer my question?

-I have given you my answer. -But the God's answer?

Oh, if only I had enough money to build Apollo another new temple.

But, the truth is, I even had to borrow money to finance my campaign.

My army has swallowed up my royal revenue.

-Have you nothing left? -Only my hopes.

I shall remember that.

-Pythia, please give me your answer. -(LAUGHING) No. No.

You must. You must.

And if you do, I shall remember you in my prayers forever. I promise.

I'll lead the virtuous life, I'll sacrifice to Apollo every night.

Alexander, you're invincible.

I shall pray to the God to let me give you his answer.

Thank you. There's no need now.

The Oracle has already spoken.

-Invincible. -Goodbye, Pythia.

-But that was not the God. -The God spoke. Goodbye and thank you.

Remember, Alexander, there's always the last battle.

But I shall win it.

I'm invincible and I'll build you a temple in Babylon.

You know, this boy has the most wonderful insolence.

-I begin to admire him. -What's he done now?

It's a story in this dispatch from Asia Minor. True, I gather.

No, Darius, don't tell us.

Find something more pleasant to talk about

than the antics of a lunatic school boy.

But this is amusing, Mother.

I must read it to Bessus, he'll enjoy it.

Bessus. Bessus, wake up!

Your Majesty is mistaken. I was not asleep, I was thinking.

-What of? -The coming campaign against Alexander.

Nonsense, dear cousin.

You were dreaming of the girls you're going to meet in Syria.

-Darius! -(DARIUS LAUGHING)

There, you see, you've shocked the queen, Bessus.

This dispatch comes from a spy in Gordium

where Alexander is in winter quarters.

It's rather charming.

There's a local superstition concerning the ancient farm wagon

preserved in the citadel.

According to this legend, the empire of the world

will go to anyone who can untie the knot which binds the ox yolk to the pole.

Alexander decided to attempt the puzzle.

And I arranged that he should be followed by a large crowd of townspeople

to watch his defeat.

Clever.

A little too clever, I'm afraid. Listen.

After inspecting the knot for a few seconds,

Alexander treacherously severed it with one blow of his sword.

Well, Bessus, isn't there an element of Old World bravado in this gesture

that rather pleases you.

I can't say that it all together pleases me, sir.

Those sort of madmen are the most dangerous.

Dangerous? Yes!

At the head of an army, a megalomaniac is always dangerous.

Hardly at the head of a skirmishing force.

What has he had in the way of re-enforcements

since the Battle of the Granicus?

A polite way of reminding me that his skirmishing force

has already defeated a Persian army.

Alexander didn't win that battle, you know.

Those fools on our general staff lost it.

All reports agree that Alexander's generalship was idiotic.

Hurling himself and the Companions straight at our heavy chariots,

yelling Homeric battle cries. (LAUGHING)

Cavalry against chariots, imagine!

I shudder to think what his losses must have been.

Why don't you let the boy rot where he is?

He can't get through the mountains except by the Cilician Gates

and they're impregnable.

After a while, he'll get tired and go home.

And you'll have saved yourself a lot of money.

I'm afraid my prestige will hardly allow me to do that, my dear.

Oh, I can assure you I have no wish to go campaigning.

But that defeat has got to be avenged.

What shall I do with Alexander when I've caught him, my child?

-Put him in a cage with Marduck. -(LAUGHING)

-And who is Marduck? -Her pet lion cub.

-Are you taking Marduck with you? -No, Darius. I told her that she can't.

I don't see why not.