"Shoddy wares? What are you talking about?" Polycaon takes the bait. It's time to spring the trap.

"You see, Ithaca is a little unfortunate. We are a small island with low-quality pastures. If we don't treat our sheep with a special concoction, they get sick, and spread disease."

Of course, it's bullshit, but once Eumaeus feeds the sheep with the soaked wheat, they'll look sick.

That will serve as my 'irrefutable evidence' against the clueless king.

"I'm sure if that were the case, it would've already happened." He notes but his throne looks uncomfortable. And did he slip up there? I never said when the sheep went missing.

"It might, but I don't want your good reputation to suffer because of some pirates. If you ever notice sick and bloated sheep, I'm here to help, as you help me too." With a bow, I step back.

This has him thinking, but not enough to stop us on our way out.

I have to bump into Iphitus to trigger the next trap we discussed earlier.

He stops right before the entrance.

"Still, who would have thought we'd run into each other here after all those years?" He asks, loud enough that his voice echoes in the throne room. "And you are about to marry."

"Right, us Argonauts should keep in touch more often." Our roleplay feels forced to me, but it raises Polycaon's interest. "Of course, you are welcome to join my wedding in Sparta."

"Hold on!" It's the king, yelling after us.

We are small kingdoms and too far to scare him, but Sparta is next door and quite powerful too.

"Who are you marrying, Odysseus?"

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Iphitus turns with a grin. "This lucky bastard won the hand of the beautiful Penelope. That's what you get for sailing on the Argo, and getting famous."

Iphitus insisted that when we met during the Quest for the Golden Fleece I had a beard and a Spartan wife. Marriage is the most common way to gain a strong alliance.

Talking about a wedding with a Spartan princess is like saying, I'm allied to Sparta. But it was only two old friends talking on their way out, not a direct threat. It works regardless.

"I didn't know the princess Penelope was already at that age." Polycaon stumbles back on his throne, scratching his chin. I can tell how the wheels turn inside his greedy brain.

"She indeed is. And her cousin too. Helen drew suitors from all over the world." I add as if I only extend my small talk to involve the king. "Heroes, princes, and kings compete for her hand."

"It's like a second coming of the Argonauts then." Iphitus nods, adding. "This reminds me. My foolish father suspected Heracles of the theft so he started an investigation."

"Oh, Heracles? He's a good friend and the strongest hero I've ever seen, but he is quite temperamental." I nod, spelling it out for Polycaon like he were a two-year-old.

"Indeed, he was on his way here too, but I wanted to try and solve the issue before he starts a rampage or something." The Argonaut claims in an artificial tone.

The funny part is that he's telling the truth, but his play is so terrible, I wouldn't believe him if it was me. The king of Messene is much more naive, and it's the third bomb we dropped on him.

"H-Heracles is coming here?" His eyes widen, and I almost feel bad for him. Almost. He catches himself too, and acts like a real king. "I hope he won't do anything reckless in my city."

Even if he's the son of Zeus and a well-known Greek hero, he can't take on Messene alone.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

That must be what Polycaon thinks, but these rapid-fire reveals took a toll on him.

"I can't make promises. Heracles was always his own man." Iphitus bows, still trying to leave. "I did my best to sort things out. If you say my mares aren't here, there is nothing to worry about."

"Do they have specific recognizance? It can't hurt to look around in my stables to ensure the peace."

He asks, and our eyes meet with the Argonaut. He's folding, and I'm not even done.

The king invites us back, now much more willing to negotiate, but I stall the talks as much as possible. In two hours my plans pay off. Merchants begin queuing outside the throne room.

"My King, the sheep your men paid for us are sick." They claim, cutting into each other's words.

I know damp wheat and salt water are bad for animals, but I had no idea it would work so fast.

If looks could kill, Polycaon would murder me right about now. But I warned him earlier.

I offered my help for his help, and now he is in a delicate situation.

His patience is already thin, and he can't reveal to the merchants that he paid them with stolen goods. It's not that they were, but Eumaeus did his job well.

By the time he sorts everything out, I can count a few extra grey hairs.

"Odysseus. How do I deal with this sickness?" Look how the tables have turned. I bow, still playing the humble prince but about to drop another bomb on him.

"It's not a difficult concoction, My King, and I'm more than happy to help." I start but add right away. "In case you admit that the sheep were ours. Then compensate Ithaca for its stolen goods."

"You... Drive a hard bargain, boy." His face turns red, but when he refuses to negotiate while he can, it's too late to be picky about his options now. "What do you want?"

"As you said, I can't provide irrefutable evidence that the sheep were ours." I'm still humble, but this is the last time. "In return for treating them, I want you to find our missing shepherds."

"I will ask around on the slave market if any of the new arrivals came from Ithaca, and return them to you." The king promises, but that's no longer enough for me.

"Thank you, wise king. Help me return them to their families and compensate them for their losses, and I end this disease. Oh, but how irresponsible of me, I only have a single ship."

Polycaon raises an eyebrow. He can't even imagine my next demand, and Iphitus called it ambitious too, but I already came this far.

"Please, as compensation for our loss and as a sign of your goodwill, only give us a penteconter, so we can all sail home." I bow deep to show my sincerity, as I announce the robbery.

"You can't be serious." Sure enough, a warship would cost thousands of sheep, not three hundred. It's pushing it even after catching him red-handed and in need, but I have thick skin.

And one more ace in my sleeve.

"My King, a Spartan delegation outside your halls demands entry." A servant announces right in time, and Polycaon almost loses it. I was right to trust Eumaeus with this complex task.

I told him to be ready at noon, and here we are, still an hour early.

"What do they want? Can't you see, I'm busy?"

"My Lord, they claim to have bought a dozen slaves." The servant is panicking too. So the supplies on our ships were enough to sort everything out.

"But it turns out they are goods stolen from their allies. They demand an explanation."