Day 6

I found myself right in front of the the king and queen of Phaeacia not knowing what to do. But then I remembered what Nausicaa had instructed me to do. I flung my arms around Arete's legs and pleaded, "Here after many trials I come to beg for mercy, your husband’s, yours, and all these feasters’ here. May the gods endow them with fortune all their lives, may each hand down to his sons the riches in his house and the pride of place the realm has granted him. But as for myself, grant me a rapid convoy home to my own native land. How far away I’ve been from all my loved ones—how long I have suffered!” I also sank down next to the fire, but King Alcinous offered me his hand and gave me hisson's royal seat. After all of this, all in the room feasted and drank until our stomachs could not hold anymore. At the end of the feast, King Alcinous addressed the people that, "At dawn we call the elders in to full assembly, host our guest in the palace, sacrifice to the gods and then we turn our minds to his passage home, so under our convoy our new friend can travel back to his own land—no toil, no troubles—soon, rejoicing, even if his home’s a world away." However, he followed up this statement with the suspicion of me not being a mortal. I just hope that his suspicion doesn't prevent me from going on my travel back home.