Free Athene's Prophecy (Gaius Claudius Scaevola Trilogy) by Ian Miller Page A

don't know," Timothy said in a tone of near despair.
    "I don't know what?"
    "Tiberius gifted me to you." Timothy said in a dull tone.
    "What?" Gaius said in a surprised tone. He stared at Timothy's increasingly fearful face, then suddenly he laughed, "You know, I could have you flogged for insolence."
    "Yes, master."
    "And as one of us noted," Gaius added, "I'd learn a lot from that." He stared at Timothy, then finally seemed to come to a decision. "Timothy, I could set you free, but if I did that, you'd be free to leave and I couldn't carry out the Princeps' orders, which would leave me in deep trouble of my own making."
    "So you're going to go back on your fine words and . . ."
    "I'm going to order you to stay here," Gaius said, "and nothing more. You can behave as if you're partly free, which means, of course, buying your own food."
    "With?"
    "There's always the money I'll pay for the lessons," Gaius shrugged. "When we're finished, I'll set you free, and give you enough money you can afford to live."
    "So you wish to really learn? Learn what?"
    "If I have to spell out to you what to teach me, I would already know it, which is pointless and self-defeating."
    "Logical," Timothy said. "I suppose logic is something we can work on." He paused, then said, "You Romans have such a low view of us Greeks. Why learn from a Greek, and don't say the Princeps ordered you to. What is the most interesting Greek achievement that you know? Quickly!"
    "Geometry," Gaius replied quickly, as he struggled to think.
    "Really? And what do you know about that?"
    "I've had to study Euclid."
    "And no doubt you enjoyed every moment," Timothy added in a tart tone. "Forget architecture, forget surveying, and forget counting the area or volume of your loot, what's the most interesting thing you know that's come out of geometry?"
    "I know the Earth is a ball of circumference about 37, 000 kilometers. Also, Aristarchus measured the distance of the Sun as twenty times the distance of the Moon, and he believed the planets go around the sun, and the stars are even further away than the sun."
    "You believe that?" Timothy asked curiously.
    "I believe the distance is highly likely to be in error," Gaius replied.
    "You do, do you?" The tone was a mixture of disappointment and challenge.
    "I think the sun could be further away," Gaius shrugged, "not that what I think matters. I also note that you Greeks discredited Aristarchus on ground of impiety."
    "Which is probably why you think he's right," Timothy laughed. "If the Greeks disown him, it doesn't matter so much that he was a Greek."
    "That may well be true, but you said it."
    "Suppose I give you a logic problem," Timothy said. "If you tell me truthfully how you solve it, and if you solemnly promise not to go to a library or into town, I shall teach you."
    "And if I do not solve it?"
    "You set me free," Timothy replied. "Have you got what it takes to accept the challenge?"
    "I accept," Gaius said. He could always order Timothy to teach him, but he had the feeling that if he did that, he would learn very little of use.
    "Then here is the problem," Timothy said. "There was a Greek prince who was devoted to logic, so much so that when he took captives he would take them, one at a time, to a courtyard to which there were two gates, each gate having a guard. He would tell the prisoner that he would be permitted to ask one question to either guard. One door led to freedom, one to death, one guard always told the truth, one guard always lied, and he had one day to decide, for if he was still there that evening, he would be killed. Suppose you are the prisoner, how do you get what in your case are further lessons? You have until dinner."
    "But . . ." It occurred to him he had fallen into a trap. This was clearly a well-known but difficult problem, and he had not heard of it.
    "You accepted the challenge," Timothy interrupted. "I look forward to seeing your reply." With that, he turned and walked away.
    Gaius realized he