The Gift of the Hyperboreans

We needed to find out about this mysterious gift that Meren had told us of, sent by a strange people called the Hyperboreans. If the reference to Nemesis written in blood referred to a gift then we needed to know it. Unfortunately we didn’t dare ask anyone on the island. The very person we were speaking with might be the one with something to hide.

“Who among the Athenians might know such a thing?” Diotima wondered.

“I think I know,” I told her.

There was one, and only one, Athenian on the island who knew about both transport and holy offerings.

We found him seeing to minor work on his boat. He had sailors scrubbing decks and was in conversation with one of his officers. Something to do with how the brightly colored ribbons in the main lines had faded.

“Sir!” I said.

Captain Semnos of Paralos turned around. “Ahh, the investigators. How goes it?”

“We wanted to ask you, Captain—I know this is extremely unlikely but I wanted to ask anyway—do you happen to know anything about the Hyperborean Gift?”

I waited for his answer. When Semnos didn’t reply, but merely looked at me quizzically, I said, “Sorry to trouble you; I know you’ve probably never even heard of it.”

“There you would be wrong,” the Captain said. “If I’m slow to answer, it’s because your question surprised me. I have transported the Hyperborean Gift on three separate occasions.”

“You have?” I said, astonished at my luck.

He must have heard the joy in my voice because Captain Semnos said, “This pleases you?”

“It certainly does, Captain. You might be of assistance on this case.”

“I can’t imagine how. But I shall tell you what I know.”

“How did you come to carry the Gift?” Diotima asked.

“When Athens realized that the Gift was appearing once a year, and that its transport was so problematic, our archons made it known that wherever the Gift touched, the people there could call upon Athens and we would carry it the rest of the way.”

“That is generous,” I said.

“It’s my job,” Semnos replied. “I did not exaggerate when I said it is my duty to carry out all religious duties on behalf of Athens that involve foreign travel.”

“Then Captain, you might be the only person in the world who knows the answer to my question,” I said. “Where does the Hyperborean Gift come from?”

“I have no idea.”

“But you just said you transported it!”

“Let me explain,” he said. “On the first occasion when I was called upon to carry the Gift, I had to travel to Dionysopolis to collect it.” Then he answered my unasked question. “That’s an obscure city far to the north of here, very close to Thrace.”

“Then Hyperborea is directly to the north,” I said.

“On my second mission, I had to collect the Gift from Elis. They said the Gift had arrived by boat from the north and across the sea.” He paused, then added, “I hope I don’t have to tell you that Elis is in the far northwest of the Peloponnese. It’s near Olympia.”

“Yes, I know. That implies Hyperborea is close to Etruria, where the Etruscans live…” My voice trailed off as I realized the implication. “Wait, that’s impossible. Hyperborea can’t be close to Thrace and Etruria.”

The Captain nodded. “You see the problem. My third trip to collect the Gift took me to Byzantion.”

He didn’t have to tell me where that was.

“That is bizarre,” I said.

“It is,” Captain Semnos agreed. “You’re not the only person who wants to find Hyperborea. I’ve tried to solve the puzzle myself. At Dionysopolis they told me it had arrived overland with a courier, from the north.”

“That’s what I’d expect,” I said.

“Me too,” the Captain said. “At Byzantion they said the Gift had come by boat. Nobody knew which direction the boat had come. It might have been from the north, which at least would match the Dionysopolis experience. It could have been the Black Sea. But remember at Elis they said the Gift carrier had come from far to their northwest.”

“Always from the north then? That’s what everyone seems to say.”

“Yes, but those routes are so far apart, it’s impossible the Hyperborean Gift could be coming from the same place.”

“It does seem unlikely.”

“Can you tell us, what is the Gift?” Diotima asked.

“I don’t know that either. It is encased in a sheaf of wheat, to deliberately hide the Gift from view.”

“Why?”

“I’ve always supposed it’s so no one will see it, and thus be tempted to steal whatever treasure lies within.”

“You were never tempted to peek inside?” I asked.

“Never,” Semnos said in a flat voice.

“Not even a little bit?” I wheedled.

“I take my responsibilities seriously.”

“What happens to the Gift when you arrive on Delos?”

“I hand it over to the priest in charge of the Hyperborean Gift. He places it in a special treasury dedicated to Artemis.”

“Good. Then I can ask that priest about the gift?”

“No, you can’t. That priest was Geros.”