fingers grazed the surface, and he began to drool profusely, but as soon as he formed a grip on the fruit, it, too, fell into the puddle. “Yow!” cried Tantalus. “It’s no use. This is my fate.”
Apollo felt terrible for the old king. “Look, I could try again. There seems to be an apple just behind you.”
“No, it’s no use. So who are you…really?”
“Really, I am Apollo. I’m here, in this modern mortal disguise, trying to save Thalia and her sisters from an eternity in Tartarus.”
“But those who are sent here, they are forbidden to leave. I should know,” said Tantalus.
“Yes, but these girls, they did nothing wrong. Nothing really wrong. Not that you, sir, have done anything wrong.” Apollo cleared his throat nervously.
“Well, I did steal, or rather acquire, a bit of sacred food from a few gods, namely Zeus. Oh, and I divulged a few divine secrets. I regret that, but what am I to do? This is my life now.”
Apollo felt even worse, especially now that he had to change the subject so abruptly. “Tantalus, I don’t suppose you could direct me to the gates of Tartarus? I am in search of Cerberus, the three-headed dog.”
“Why should I help you?” he asked.
“Well, I did attempt to help you with those apples, even though it didn’t work out. And I am really the god Apollo; perhaps I could do something about your situation when I return to Olympus.”
“If you are indeed Apollo, then tell me, who is my son?”
“Why, Pelops, sir.” He couldn’t help tapping his foot.
“Yes, and the gods gave him something. What was that?”
“An arm, sir. An ivory arm. I was there.”
“Apollo! It is you!”
“Yes, sir, now I beg of you, do you know where the gates of Tartarus are, where I can find the three-headed dog, Cerberus?”
“Why, yes, Apollo. Yes. Just turn around.”
“Turn around?”
“Yes, turn around.” Apollo did just that. And there they were, looming in a not so distant field, the ominous black iron gates of the underworld. He could even hear Cerberus’s deep growl from where he stood. Funny, he thought, they hadn’t been there a moment ago. But he didn’t question it. He simply thanked Tantalus and ran toward the gates.
EIGHTEEN
I could still hear Polly and Era screaming. Polly was yelling for me to swim. Era was just yelling.
And Hera was charging toward me. The ground was shaking with each step she took.
“Come and get me,” I screamed at Hera. She lifted up her hands as if to do something drastic, something with her powers, but then I surprised her. I didn’t turn and run away. I charged her right back.
Hera stopped in her tracks as I ran and then backed up a few steps in surprise.
I pulled to a stop a few feet in front of her with no plan, no clue of what to do next. My only thought was to taunt her, distract her from my sisters and their getaway. But I didn’t know how long Icould do it before she zapped me with her pointed fingernails.
“Hey, Hera, don’t you think you’re a tad underdressed for Tartarus?”
“What?” she asked, glaring directly into my eyes.
“I said, that outfit really doesn’t go with your skin tones. It doesn’t really work with that pale shade of green.”
Hera looked down at herself, then back at me. It was true, her pasty skin had still not lost the tinge of green it had taken on when I’d given her Scyllia disease, accidentally, on the night of the engagement party so long ago. And nothing was more important to Hera than her vanity.
“You little monster!” she screeched, and flung out her hands again, but just as she did so, I crouched, scooping up a huge fistful of sand. And then I flung it right into her face.
Hera’s hands flew up to her eyes, and the steam poured out of her ears. She was now a violent shade of red; it was almost electric. She was mumbling angry gibberish, and wiping the sand from the crevices between her lids, and spitting gobs of it out of her mouth.
Finally she formed the words.
Apollo felt terrible for the old king. “Look, I could try again. There seems to be an apple just behind you.”
“No, it’s no use. So who are you…really?”
“Really, I am Apollo. I’m here, in this modern mortal disguise, trying to save Thalia and her sisters from an eternity in Tartarus.”
“But those who are sent here, they are forbidden to leave. I should know,” said Tantalus.
“Yes, but these girls, they did nothing wrong. Nothing really wrong. Not that you, sir, have done anything wrong.” Apollo cleared his throat nervously.
“Well, I did steal, or rather acquire, a bit of sacred food from a few gods, namely Zeus. Oh, and I divulged a few divine secrets. I regret that, but what am I to do? This is my life now.”
Apollo felt even worse, especially now that he had to change the subject so abruptly. “Tantalus, I don’t suppose you could direct me to the gates of Tartarus? I am in search of Cerberus, the three-headed dog.”
“Why should I help you?” he asked.
“Well, I did attempt to help you with those apples, even though it didn’t work out. And I am really the god Apollo; perhaps I could do something about your situation when I return to Olympus.”
“If you are indeed Apollo, then tell me, who is my son?”
“Why, Pelops, sir.” He couldn’t help tapping his foot.
“Yes, and the gods gave him something. What was that?”
“An arm, sir. An ivory arm. I was there.”
“Apollo! It is you!”
“Yes, sir, now I beg of you, do you know where the gates of Tartarus are, where I can find the three-headed dog, Cerberus?”
“Why, yes, Apollo. Yes. Just turn around.”
“Turn around?”
“Yes, turn around.” Apollo did just that. And there they were, looming in a not so distant field, the ominous black iron gates of the underworld. He could even hear Cerberus’s deep growl from where he stood. Funny, he thought, they hadn’t been there a moment ago. But he didn’t question it. He simply thanked Tantalus and ran toward the gates.
EIGHTEEN
I could still hear Polly and Era screaming. Polly was yelling for me to swim. Era was just yelling.
And Hera was charging toward me. The ground was shaking with each step she took.
“Come and get me,” I screamed at Hera. She lifted up her hands as if to do something drastic, something with her powers, but then I surprised her. I didn’t turn and run away. I charged her right back.
Hera stopped in her tracks as I ran and then backed up a few steps in surprise.
I pulled to a stop a few feet in front of her with no plan, no clue of what to do next. My only thought was to taunt her, distract her from my sisters and their getaway. But I didn’t know how long Icould do it before she zapped me with her pointed fingernails.
“Hey, Hera, don’t you think you’re a tad underdressed for Tartarus?”
“What?” she asked, glaring directly into my eyes.
“I said, that outfit really doesn’t go with your skin tones. It doesn’t really work with that pale shade of green.”
Hera looked down at herself, then back at me. It was true, her pasty skin had still not lost the tinge of green it had taken on when I’d given her Scyllia disease, accidentally, on the night of the engagement party so long ago. And nothing was more important to Hera than her vanity.
“You little monster!” she screeched, and flung out her hands again, but just as she did so, I crouched, scooping up a huge fistful of sand. And then I flung it right into her face.
Hera’s hands flew up to her eyes, and the steam poured out of her ears. She was now a violent shade of red; it was almost electric. She was mumbling angry gibberish, and wiping the sand from the crevices between her lids, and spitting gobs of it out of her mouth.
Finally she formed the words.
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