peace lately. It’s breaking out everywhere. Go down with sword and shield and plant the seeds of hatred. Make people fear each other, make them attack each other. Not just private duels—I want you to hurl whole nations against each other. Tell lies, start rumors, go from one side of a border to the other, any border, killing people on both sides, so each country will blame the other for the murders. Then plant the idea of huge armies in the minds of kings, and since big armies can’t just sit at home eating their heads off, they will be sent to attack each other, and we shall have our wars, bloody ones, with fields full of corpses and shoals of souls to fatten my realm. Between your fire storms and Poseidon’s water storms, hell will prosper again.”
“I’ll be glad to do what I can,” said Ares.
“What you have asked me will mean a lot of bother,” said Poseidon, “but I know you will help me when I need it, so I agree.”
“Why have you called me here?” said Hera. “I am queen of the gods, it is true, but I can do nothing that Zeus would object to. And he would dislike this plan of yours very much, Hades. For some reason, I don’t know why, he likes that pesky race called humankind and seeks to protect them from harm.”
“Sister and queen,” said Hades, “I know that you do not share your husband’s strange affection for humankind. Nevertheless, without meaning to, you have been helping him help them.”
“What do you mean?”
“In your hatred of that gigantic young Hercules, you set him to fighting monsters all over the world. I know that your intentions have been good, I know that you have wanted to destroy him, but instead he’s been destroying these monsters. And for every monster that he kills, he is saving thousands of people, whom the monsters used to devour. So far, he’s wiped out the Nemean Lion, the Hydra, the three-bodied Geryon, and a flock of Spear-birds.”
“Not to mention two of my finest sea serpents,” grumbled Poseidon.
“He’s been very lucky, so far,” said Hera. “I have no doubt that Zeus has been giving him secret help. I can’t prove it, but it must be so.”
“Whatever the reason, dear sister, you simply must kill him before he kills any more monsters and saves any more people.”
“He’s on a journey now,” said Hera. “And this one should really finish him off. He’s trying to steal golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. Now, my tree there is guarded by a giant serpent named Ladon, an enormous thing, dear Poseidon, which makes your two serpents look like earthworms. If, by any chance, he should escape Ladon, then Atlas will get him. Hercules is big, but he’s no match for the mountain-sized Atlas, whose temper is very short, because he’s tired of holding up the sky. And if, by some miracle, he should escape Atlas also, there is another fearsome giant awaiting him in Libya. But I don’t think he’ll get that far.”
“Terrible creatures, you describe,” said Hades. “But the Nemean Lion and the Hydra and the octopus were supposed to be deadly, too, and you know what he did to them. What I’m asking, dear Hera, is for you, personally, to make sure he dies before the month is out.”
“I can’t kill him myself,” said Hera. “Zeus would find out and would punish me very painfully. I’ll have to do it through someone else.”
“Well, get someone intelligent, not a stupid monster,” said Hades. “Use someone he won’t suspect. Do it by treachery. And supervise every step of the murder yourself.”
“Brother,” said Hera, “one way or other, Hercules shall die before the month is out. Upon my oath as queen of the gods, it shall be done.”
“Farewell, I’m off to start some wars,” said Ares.
“As soon as you’re gone, I’ll see about those tempests and tidal waves and things,” said Poseidon.
“Brother, sister, nephew,” said Hades, “I thank you all. Do your worst, that’s all anyone can ask.”
THE
“I’ll be glad to do what I can,” said Ares.
“What you have asked me will mean a lot of bother,” said Poseidon, “but I know you will help me when I need it, so I agree.”
“Why have you called me here?” said Hera. “I am queen of the gods, it is true, but I can do nothing that Zeus would object to. And he would dislike this plan of yours very much, Hades. For some reason, I don’t know why, he likes that pesky race called humankind and seeks to protect them from harm.”
“Sister and queen,” said Hades, “I know that you do not share your husband’s strange affection for humankind. Nevertheless, without meaning to, you have been helping him help them.”
“What do you mean?”
“In your hatred of that gigantic young Hercules, you set him to fighting monsters all over the world. I know that your intentions have been good, I know that you have wanted to destroy him, but instead he’s been destroying these monsters. And for every monster that he kills, he is saving thousands of people, whom the monsters used to devour. So far, he’s wiped out the Nemean Lion, the Hydra, the three-bodied Geryon, and a flock of Spear-birds.”
“Not to mention two of my finest sea serpents,” grumbled Poseidon.
“He’s been very lucky, so far,” said Hera. “I have no doubt that Zeus has been giving him secret help. I can’t prove it, but it must be so.”
“Whatever the reason, dear sister, you simply must kill him before he kills any more monsters and saves any more people.”
“He’s on a journey now,” said Hera. “And this one should really finish him off. He’s trying to steal golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. Now, my tree there is guarded by a giant serpent named Ladon, an enormous thing, dear Poseidon, which makes your two serpents look like earthworms. If, by any chance, he should escape Ladon, then Atlas will get him. Hercules is big, but he’s no match for the mountain-sized Atlas, whose temper is very short, because he’s tired of holding up the sky. And if, by some miracle, he should escape Atlas also, there is another fearsome giant awaiting him in Libya. But I don’t think he’ll get that far.”
“Terrible creatures, you describe,” said Hades. “But the Nemean Lion and the Hydra and the octopus were supposed to be deadly, too, and you know what he did to them. What I’m asking, dear Hera, is for you, personally, to make sure he dies before the month is out.”
“I can’t kill him myself,” said Hera. “Zeus would find out and would punish me very painfully. I’ll have to do it through someone else.”
“Well, get someone intelligent, not a stupid monster,” said Hades. “Use someone he won’t suspect. Do it by treachery. And supervise every step of the murder yourself.”
“Brother,” said Hera, “one way or other, Hercules shall die before the month is out. Upon my oath as queen of the gods, it shall be done.”
“Farewell, I’m off to start some wars,” said Ares.
“As soon as you’re gone, I’ll see about those tempests and tidal waves and things,” said Poseidon.
“Brother, sister, nephew,” said Hades, “I thank you all. Do your worst, that’s all anyone can ask.”
THE
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