GreekQuest Read Free Page B

tells you.
    It means nothing to you, but causes a stir in the crowd. A young man on your left leans forward and whispers in your ear, “The famous athlete, Paidonomos. Gold medal in the last Olympics.”
    â€œWhat can I do for you, Pheidippides?” you ask, impressed.
    â€œMessage from General Miltiades,” he says and actually salutes. “Remember that business with the Persians a couple of years ago?”
    You look at him blankly, but fortunately the young man on your left comes to the rescue again. “King Darius sent ambassadors to Greece demanding that everybody here accept him as their master. The Athenians threw them into a pit.,” he whispers.
    â€œI remember it well,” you tell Pheidippides loudly.
    â€œI’m afraid King Darius wasn’t too pleased,” the athlete tells you. “His fleet has just landed at Marathon Bay.”
    Marathon? The name rings bells. “Where’s Marathon Bay?” you whisper out of the side of your mouth.
    â€œJust north of Athens,” the young man on your left tells you quietly.
    â€œWe’ve counted six hundred ships and our estimate is they’re carrying a hundred thousand men,” Pheidippides goes on. “The standing army at Athens is only about nine thousand strong. General Miltiades sent me to Sparta to ask for help.”
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    Looks like you’re involved in a crisis in Greek history. But what are you going to do about it? Now you’re Paidonomos, you’ve got your own little army to command, so maybe you should tell them to go back with him at 65 As against that, half your people are little better than children, so the decent thing might be to go with him personally on your own and advise the Athenians how to fight their war. That’s something you can do at 81 Or, of course, you can simply refuse to send help at 137 .
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    Please select an option from the previous page.

15
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    â€œWrong!” shouts the huge man, casually hurling you all the way to 61.
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    So pick yourself up, dust yourself off and select another destination from your 61 map.
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    Please select an option from the previous page.

17
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    â€œHere’s my Cup,” you tell him cheerfully. “Bet you didn’t think I had one.”
    â€œNever crossed my mind,” he tells you blandly. “Now, up you get onto the platform and just knock on the door of that little stone building at the back.”
    â€œYou’re sure this doesn’t involve animal sacrifice?” you ask.
    â€œPositive,” he says.
    So you trot across the massive altar to the little stone building at the back and knock on the door, which flies open violently as two enormous men burst out.
    â€œWhat have we here, Sophocles?” asks one, grinning down at you wickedly.
    â€œLooks like another upstart wants to make the ultimate sacrifice, Plato,” replies his companion.
    With which they both fall upon you with whirling swords.
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    Looks like the only animal in danger of sacrifice is you. And by two clowns pretending to be Ancient Greek philosophers at that. Sophocles has 50 Life Points and a sword that hits at +4. Plato has 35 Life Points and forgot to sharpen his sword this morning so it only hits at +2. Unfortunately the element of surprise is on their side so they both get first strikes against you. Apart from that, everything’s rosy.
    If you make the ultimate sacrifice, go to 13 . If you manage to dispatch Sophocles and Plato, collect your special pass and a jar of ointment (good for a single application restoring a double dice roll of Life Points) and head for your map at 61 to select another destination.
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    Please select an option from the previous page.

19
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    The world suddenly begins to spin around you. Your eyes dim. There is a ringing in your ears. You find yourself falling ...
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    ... all the way to the dreaded 13 .
    Just kidding. You actually fall all the way to 9 which is a much