Togo (Goes) on Assignment (The Altar)
Chapter 2: Athens, Scene 5
Togo (Goes) on Assignment is published weekly as a series. If you came in late, you might want to go back to the beginning. Or, if you’re cut from the same adventuresome cloth as Togo, feel free to read on and figure things out as you go.
Togo, Allison, and Dan enjoyed a quiet dinner in a small restaurant owned by a longtime Milos family. The food was excellent and, as always, Togo was delighted to be in the company of Allison and Dan.
Between bites of extraordinary seafood and Greek pastries, Togo was briefed on the mission.
“It seems that someone has been secretly restoring some of the statues and artifacts in and around Athens,” Dan explained.
“That’s bad,” Togo mumbled as he munched on a morsel of bread that he found next to his plate.
“No, that’s actually good,” Allison responded. “Remember, your goal is to find who is committing these random acts of kindness — and stop them.”
Togo was momentarily distracted by the cafe owner’s five-year-old son. Every few minutes, the boy would walk over to Togo, wave an old tennis ball in front of his nose, and then toss it across the room. Togo found this fascinating.
“I think this child is trying to send me a message,” Togo whispered. “Perhaps the tennis ball has a symbolic meaning that will help us get to the bottom of this.”
“No,” Dan said. “I think the kid just wants you to retrieve the ball. Some dogs do that, you know.”
“That’s crazy,” Togo replied. “But that’s the wonder of travel to other cultures. You find out all sorts of unusual practices.”
Dan began, “Actually it’s a very common …” Allison reached out and touched Dan’s arm and gently shook her head.
Feeling well-fed, both physically and culturally, Togo excused himself and was asleep only minutes after reaching his room.
The next morning, the crossing from Milos to Athens was largely uneventful. The team decided to make a survey trip as soon as they reached shore.
“Remember,” Dan said, “we’re looking for evidence of clandestine repairs being made to ancient sculptures and historic sites. And, we need to see if we can locate an artifact in need of repair. We can stake it out and perhaps catch our do-gooder in the act.”
The trio nonchalantly walked away toward the Acropolis, a rocky outcropping that was home to many of the temples and civic structures of ancient Athens. Togo was enchanted by the Parthenon and, of course, the Temple of Athena Nike.
The first sign of trouble was just outside the Erectheion — also known as the Temple of Athena Polias. It is believed that the goddess of beauty, Athena, gave an olive tree to the Athenians and planted it right outside the temple. Togo would have heard the tour guide tell that story had not a whole mob of young children gathered around him and enticed him into a game of chase.
To make a long story short, after playing with the kids, Togo realized that he was needing to . . . well, he needed to pee. As Allison and Dan and the tour group moved off to the next historic site, Togo spotted the tree and sauntered over to take care of business. But as he lifted his leg, security guards came out of the shadows yelling and waving their arms.
Togo decided to put some distance between him and that angry crew. He sped down the hill and soon found himself in a little park that had a little-noticed altar. To his delight, it was in need of repairs. Looking closely, he could tell it was a shrine to a bird-like creature.
He could hardly wait to find Allison and Dan and tell them the news. They now had a stakeout location.