CHAPTER XXXVII
THE PERSIAN COMES
The night was deepening. Eëtíon and Dryas, fully armed, stood guard together on the temple platform not far from the Pythia House. Nikander, at their insistence, had gone within the house. He was sleeping, worn out by his anxieties for children and state.
“Do you think,” spoke Dryas in a low voice, “that even now the host may go on toward Athens and leave us out of their march?”
“It is possible,” returned Eëtíon. “The Persians have no time to lose in the direction of Athens. Their marching to Abai is a good sign for Delphi.”
Meanwhile, Delphi was armed for the Medes’ immediate coming. Most of the Precinct guards were stationed at the great gate. The small gates facing the highway had a few men each, but the gates in the back wall were entirely without guard—a pitiful preparation truly for the coming of a hundred myriads of men.
It was a showing forth of the Delphians’ despair. The best they could do was so far short of adequate defence that this seemed nor less nor more.
Suddenly, as the two friends stood there in the night, they saw a glow break on the far heights east of Pleistos Valley, very red and brightening, brightening!
“Look,” said Dryas, between lips which hardly parted. “Eëtíon, that light up there!”