The summons came from Ampelos at the seventh hour, but Lysander had been expecting it for days.
The message was brief—a single strip of leather, sealed with the diplomat's personal mark. The Argolid king is ready to meet. He will speak only to you. Come before the moon is full.
Lysander read it twice, then burned it in the lamp's flame. The ashes drifted into the clay dish and were gone.
He went to find Hector.
The war room was empty except for the maps and the cold braziers. Hector was at the window, looking out at the harbour. He turned when Lysander entered, and something in his face said he already knew what this conversation would be.
"Ampelos received word from the Argolid," Lysander said. "Diomedes wants to meet. He'll only speak to me."
"Alone."
"Yes."
Hector was quiet for a moment. "It could be a trap. Agamemnon's reach is long. If someone in Argos has been turned—"
