“Lord of fire, that rulest this land of Lemnos, hearest thou this?”
“Nay, ’tis Zeus that is master here, and Zeus hath commanded this deed.”
“What lies are these? Thou makest the gods false as thyself.”
“Not so. They are true and I also. But this journey thou must take.”
“Methinks I am a slave, and not freeborn, that thou talkest thus.”
“Thou art peer to the bravest, and with them shalt take the great city of Troy.”
“Never; I had sooner cast myself down from this cliff.”
Then Ulysses cried to the men that they should lay hold on him; and this they straightway did. Then Philoctetes in many words reproached him with all the wrongs that he had done; how at the first he had caused him to be left on this island, and now had stolen his arms, not with his own hands, indeed, but with craft and deceit, serving himself of a simple youth, who knew not but to do as he was bidden. And he prayed to the gods that they would avenge him on all that had done him wrong, and chiefly on this man Ulysses.
Then Ulysses made reply, “I can be all things as occasion serveth; such as thou sayest, if need be; and yet no man more pious if the time call for goodness and justice. One thing only I must needs do, and that is to prevail. Yet here I will yield to thee. Thou wilt not go; so be it. Loose him! We need thee not, having these arms of thine. Teucer is with us, an archer not one whit less skilful than thou. And now I leave thee to this Lemnos of thine. May be this bow shall bring me the honor which thou refusest.”
When he had thus spoken he departed, and the Prince Neoptolemus with him. Only the Prince gave permission to the sailors that they should tarry with the sick man till it was time to make ready for the voyage.