The eastern conference room smelled of people who had traveled fast.
Not unpleasantly — the specific quality of men who had received urgent word and had come without taking the time they would normally take, who were wearing the clothes of people who had prioritized arrival over presentation. Sarpedon had come from Lycia in four days. Adrastos had come from Caria in five. Both of them were at the table when Lysander arrived, with the controlled exhaustion of people who had been moving and had not yet allowed themselves to stop.
Ampelos was already seated. He had the eastern correspondence files in front of him and the expression of a man who had been reading them since before the meeting began and had found things in them that needed to be discussed.
Lysander sat.
He said: "Tell me what you know before I tell you what we know. Sarpedon."
Sarpedon looked at him.
