The Minoan Rhapsody

Rebuild and Protect

"As you can see," Minos continued, "there is no demarcation that indicates where the palace begins and were the city ends."

"It almost seems like one continuous complex," Daedalus acknowledged.

"This is important."

Crumbled houses lined next to each other on their sides. Women and men acknowledged the presence of Minos the way you greet a neighbor or an acquaintance.

"Any Keiftu can walk into the palace as if it was their house," King Minos continued. "They can talk and roam as they please. They trade, buy, or sell goods. They can pray to whichever god they please."

"Accessibility-"

"More than that," Minos interrupted. "We are all one people and my role as King is to facilitate our way of living. The city and the palace are one."

They continued down the main road to Knossos harbor.

"A lot of foreigners will come, laborers that will rebuild Knossos," the King continued.

"Indeed, we will need a lot of people."

"I don't want them commingling, mixing their blood with ours."

Daedalus raised an eyebrow.

"I want you to split this harbor into two. Erect a peninsula right in the middle."

"Why?"

"Foreigners will anchor their ships on one side of the harbor. The other side will remain open for Keiftu commerce. I want this to be your top priority."

"What about the city?"

"You saw what happened in Egypt, how a foreign culture slowly crept in to take over an entire kingdom. I will not rebuild Knossos at the expense of our cultural integrity. Our ships will soon sail, seeking these people. We need to start preparing for their arrival."

Daedalus looked back at the destruction of Knossos. "We'll salvage what building materials we can from the city. The unusable rubble will be used to build the peninsula. We will need everyone to help, one way or the other."

"It will be done."

#

Icarus dropped on the ground, under the shade of a plane tree. He yelled. "I don't want to see another flat stone or log in my life!"

"Don't pay attention to him," Iapyx told Kekiru. "He's always whining."

"The dogs are secured, were fed and have water," said Kekiru. "What do you want to do next?"

"Take a bath and eat date bread sweetened with honey!" Icarus cried.

"I noticed some of your people wear a color I've never seen before. It's not a shade of blue-"

"Purple," Kekiru interrupted Iapyx. "We are the only ones who make it. Worth more than gold."

"How do you make it?"

"Ah, it's a nasty labor! The dye comes from a sea snail. The process stinks so bad it was banned from being done in Khaptirus. Now everything is done out of Chrissi, a small island out of the south."

"There is nothing to see or do in this island of yours," Icarus complained.

"I might have something to show you that will make you change your mind," Kekiru teased.

"What could you possibly have in this forgotten island that would interest me?"

Iapyx and Icarus locked their eyes on the Keiftu, who answered, "Have you ever heard of the Cretan Bulls?"