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I was sure that it was her I had seen with Pollux on the pavement in Porto.
I turned around and found her. Helen. The face that launched a thousand ships. I approached.
“Do you have a fire?” I asked.
She smiled. She reached into her handbag. She took out a lighter.
“Of course,” she said.
She leaned in close. I could smell her perfume. The lighter sparked. I saw things.
Troy on fire. Screams in the air. Men dying. Bronze against bronze. Blood on the ground.
Helen fleeing. Paris with her. Achilles falling. An arrow in his heel.
The visions ended. I looked into her eyes. Deep. Ancient, and knowing the Patroclus in me.
I took a drag. “Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
She walked away. I watched her go. The smoke tasted bitter.
I understood then. Why they fought for her. Why they died. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was dangerous.
Alfredo Behrens holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He has taught Leadership for top business schools and has published or received awards from Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. He has four daughters, and with his wife Luli Delgado, he has lived in Porto, Portugal, since 2018. Some of his books can be purchased through Amazon.
alfredobehrens@gmail.com