“Ai! mix a little honey with your speech, it costs nothing. Well, the length and breadth of my errand is this, Mardonius must fight soon, and must be victorious.”
“That is for your brave ephors to say,” darted Democrates. “According to their valiant proposals they desire this war to imitate that with Troy,—to last ten years.”
“Indeed—but I always held my people surpassed in procrastination, as yours in deceiving. However, their minds will change.”
“Aristeides and Themistocles will bless you for that.”
Lycon shrugged his great shoulders.
“Then I’ll surpass the gods, who can seldom please all men. Still it is quite true.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Dear Democrates, you know what’s befallen in Sparta. Since Leonidas died, his rivals from my own side of the royal house have gathered a great deal more of power. My uncle Nicander is at present head of the board of ephors, and gladly takes my advice.”
“Ha!” Democrates began to divine the drift.
“It seemed best to me after the affair at Salamis to give the lie to my calumniators, who hinted that I desired to ‘Medize,’ and that it was by my intriguing that the late king took so small a force to Thermopylæ.”