Chapter 16
Varazda’s plan was to booby-trap the stairs from the villa with jars of fish sauce. By the time they had hauled a sufficient number of full jars halfway up the narrow stairs and piled them precariously on the steps, it had been long enough that Damiskos thought they could safely rejoin the women.
Nione met them outside the fortifications. “I want to have a funeral for Aristokles,” she said without preamble.
“Yes, of course,” said Damiskos. “Wait. You mean right now?”
She nodded. “You said yourself it was important to keep up morale.”
“You want to have a funeral to keep up morale.”
“Yes, I realize it sounds absurd,” said Nione patiently. “But it isn’t good for morale to have him lying in the beach hut uncremated. And it is impious.”
That was undeniably true. And Damiskos h
