By evening of the first day, the Greeks had finished setting up their camp. Agamemnon had made his victory speech, and Achilles now watched him return to his tent.
"Look at the man," Achilles said to Patroclus in disgust. "He looks so pleased with himself. And what did he do? He stayed at the back and sent his heroes to do all the work."
Later, Menelaus went to Agamemnon.
"Brother, I would like to speak with King Priam," he said. "I want to ask him one last time to return Helen."
But Agamemnon did not want to do this. Troy was a wealthy city, and he wanted to plunder it. Agamemnon tried to wise Nestor and asked him what to do. Nestor told him to do as Menelaus said, and so he agreed.
The following morning, Menelaus and Odysseus went to the gates of Troy.
"We wish to speak with King Priam," they said. "We will leave our weapons at the gates."
They waited for a while. The gates were opened. An old man came to meet them. He was Priam's adviser, Antenor, a good man whose wish was only to end the war peacefully. Antenor took Menelaus and Odysseus to his home.
"I have been told the king is not ready to receive you," he said. "You have come to negotiate?"
Odysseus told him that they had come to ask Priam for Helen's return and a large amount of gold. In return, the Greeks would go home leaving Troy untouched.
Antenor nodded.
"I am old. I had hoped to live my last remaining years in peace. But the future looks uncertain. I pray the king sees reason and agrees to your demands."
The three of them spoke for a while, and as they spoke, a hooded figure outside drew his bow and aimed his arrow at Odysseus' neck.
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