Chapter 12: Peer Polity Interaction In The Eastern Aegean

On the deserted beach by the archaeological site in the valley, Bethany was getting ready for an early morning swim before meeting up with the rest of the girls for the day's work. She slipped off the towelling robe that she was wearing over her dark green, one- piece costume. She folded it neatly and placed it on a large rock at the water's edge. She padded down to the water, wincing slightly at the cool temperature of the sea. It might be the Aegean bit it was still early in the year.

Steeling herself to the chill she splashed in until she was waist deep; then she struck out strongly, heading out into the bay. As she got close to the rocks of the headland she swam over a dark shape she took to be a large fish. She was about to dive down to take a closer look when something grabbed her by the ankles, stopping her dead in the water. As she tried to work out what on earth was happening, whatever it was became a dead weight, dragging her under. She took a gulp of air as her head was pulled beneath the surface. As she thrashed around trying to free herself, she was first astonished by the appearance of a diver in scuba gear and then relieved when the diver pushed the mouthpiece of an oxygen set between her lips, and strapped the cylinders on to her back.

Her relief though turned to horror when she realised that what was holding her legs was a strap attached to a heavy block that sat solidly on the seabed. She pointed down to it, hoping that the diver would free her. The diver responded by swimming around behind her and dropping a belt over her head so that her arms were pinioned to her sides. Unable to free herself from the straps and terrified in case her mouthpiece became dislodged and she drowned, she could only tell herself to keep calm and watch in dismay as the diver swam away. Bethany gasped at the oxygen from the tanks, swaying in the water like some exotic under sea plant or animal, her hair streaming out like the fronds of an auburn sea anemone. She saw the diver returning but her relief turned to dismay as she saw he was carrying a weighted net.

He dropped the net over her, gathered the net as the weights fell to the sea bed and then with Bethany helplessly enmeshed, cut the strap that held Bethany down. The weights on the net were sufficient to keep her below the surface as the diver began to tow the helplessly struggling Bethany away towards the rocks of the headland.

It was with considerable relief that the terrified Bethany felt herself being lifted up and out of the water. The diver had fixed a hook to the bottom of the net and she was now being winched up, feet first. As her head broke the surface she saw she was in some sort of cave, alongside a stone built dock under, she imagined, the headland on which Clegg's villa was built. She was swinging from a crane operated by someone she recognised — Stephanos from the Mermaid Café.

Once she was clear of the dock he swung the arm of the crane around and lowered her carefully, still in her net, down on to the stone floor. The diver who had rescued her (or captured her — she still wasn't sure which) was climbing up an iron ladder on the dockside. He pulled off his scuba mask and mouthpiece and she saw that it was Clegg.

Bethany just wanted to get free of the net but her struggles with the belt still around her arms and waist did nothing to release her. Clegg came across and, after watching her for a moment - seemingly amused by her efforts, disentangled her from the net and then removed the oxygen set from her back. As Bethany spat the mouthpiece from between her lips she said, "What on earth is happening? What are you doing?" She turned and saw Petros, Stephanos and Andrea as well.

Clegg looked apologetic. "No real time now to chat," he said. "It'll all become clear. Come on I'll show you." Bethany looked astonished at Clegg's matter of fact response. He turned towards the others and said, "Stephanos, Petros, would you mind," with a wave of his hand.

Before she could react, Petros had stepped up behind Bethany and dropped the bright red ball of a gag in front of her face, jerking it back between her lips as she opened her mouth to cry out in surprise. At the same instant, Stephanos slipped linked leather cuffs around her wrists.

Bethany tried to spin around, calling out angrily into her gag. Stephanos pulled her back around, grabbing the chain that linked her wrists. He clipped the links to another length of chain and hauled on its other end dragging Bethany's arms upwards. He slipped the belt from around her arms and waist and then pulled on the chain still further until Bethany's arms were up above her head and she was standing on tip toe. At the moment Bethany felt she could stretch her arms no higher, Stephanos passed the other end of the chain to Freddie.

"Thanks," he said, starting to move off along the dock. Bethany looked up, the chain from her wrists ran to a block which ran on a rail in the ceiling. As Freddie walked on tugging on the other end of the chain she had no choice but to follow, the block following along the rail, pulling her forward.

"Garrk!" Bethany cried as she stumbled, almost jerking her arms from her sockets. Clegg seemed unconcerned, he carried on leading the way, pulling the block forward on its rail with Bethany in tow and Stephanos, Andrea and Petros following along behind.

Bethany followed Clegg along the dockside and up a ramp, the rail in the ceiling leading the way along a stone cut tunnel. Eventually the tunnel widened out into a circular hall and there to her horror stood the other girls, each strung up like she was with their hands over their heads and their mouths filled with sound deadening rubber balls. The gags only served to muffle the cries of concern as Bethany appeared in the hall behind Clegg and the others saw her. Their distress at seeing their colleague captured was evident.

"Well," said Clegg, "this is nice. Now we're all here." As he stopped he reached for a pole and pressed a catch on the block that Bethany's chain was attached to. It stopped moving on the rail. Clegg returned the pole to its rack. Bethany tried to shake the chain at her wrists but without effect. As her eyes became more accustomed to the gloomy light in the hall she looked around with increasing horror. Not only were Stacey, Danni, Helen and Judy all there but behind them in a sort of cage-come-cell was a naked Norah and each of the other cells held a naked woman too. "And this must all be very gratifying for you; having discovered a Mycenaean slave trading centre. Fancy there being a modern day one on virtually the same site! I think it's what you archaeologists would refer to as continuity in peer-polity interaction, isn't it?"