is—monster-run or spirit-driven or master toy, if we go down there and stop it, we might not get it started again. And then we could be becalmed here forever.” With Mentor’s help, he set the hatch cover back down.
“So now what?” Mentor asked.
“We eat,” said Odysseus.
“We drink,” said Helen.
“We wait,” Penelope added. “But not, I hope, too long.”
CHAPTER 15: THE LONG ISLAND
A LL THAT DAY THE boat continued moving, and the four took turns watching the water, hoping for ships, for gulls, for land, for anything to break the monotony of sea and sky.
Odysseus took the longest watches. The food and water had filled him with energy, and there was nowhere else to expend it. Awake, he gave a lot of thought to the mystery ship. Wherever it was taking them, he’d no doubt the destination would be just as strange and intriguing as the vessel itself.
Leaning against the prow, scanning the sea, Odysseus was riveted on the horizon when Penelope came to stand beside him.
“My turn,” she said, touching him lightly on the arm.
“I’d rather watch here than look after your cousin.”
She smiled wryly. “Mentor is doing that ably. He’s telling her all about Ithaca, and she’s just bored enough to listen.”
Odysseus gave a short bark of a laugh. “How do you put up with her? I’d have thrown her over the side of the ship by now if you weren’t here.”
“And how brave would that make you then?”
Odysseus sighed. “I’m not trying to start an argument.”
“Neither am I,” Penelope said. Her face softened. “But I’m trying to make a point. You were raised a warrior. Adventure has been bred into you. Helen was raised to be beautiful and pampered and spoiled. It’s not her fault that she can’t face danger with a hero’s heart.”
“But you,” Odysseus said carefully, rubbing a hand through his thick red hair, “you’re not like that. And as a princess of Sparta yourself, surely you were raised the same way.”
“My looks never invited such a spoiling.”
“You’re handsome enough,” Odysseus said. Then he looked away, embarrassed about delivering a compliment.
“Thank you,” she whispered to his back, not caring if he heard. “But no one is in Helen’s class.”
Odysseus turned to face her again. “So who pampered and spoiled her then?”
“Everyone,” said Penelope. “Her father most of all. If she’s desired by every king and noble in Achaea, she becomes worth more to him than gold or jewels. He can use her beauty and desirability to make any king his ally.”
Odysseus turned back to gaze at the endless length of the dark sea. Suddenly he leaned forward, squinting his eyes. “Look!” he cried.
Penelope turned around and stared. “What am I supposed to see?”
“Land!” Odysseus shouted. Then to be sure that Mentor and Helen had heard as well, he cried out again. “There’s land ahead!”
They raced over to see.
“What land is it?” Mentor asked.
“Egypt?” hazarded Penelope.
“Too mountainous for Egypt,” Mentor said.
“We’ve been sailing west, not south,” said Odysseus. “My guess is it’s the Long Island.” There was an eager gleam in his eye.
“I hope not,” Mentor said. He stared straight ahead.
“Why do you say that?” Helen asked. Now she too leaned over the ship’s side and stared ahead.
“Well, because … because it’s a long way from home.”
“But at least it’s land,” Helen said. Then she turned and went back to the shelter of the canopy, where she began running her fingers through her hair like a comb.
As soon as Helen was too far away to hear, Penelope rounded on the boys. “What is really wrong with this Long Island?”
“The Long Island is what we Ithacans call Crete,” Odysseus said.
“King Minos’ island? Where the monster was in the maze?” Penelope nodded. “That makes a kind of sense. Daedalus made a ship that takes us straight to Crete, where once upon a long time ago he made a maze to
“So now what?” Mentor asked.
“We eat,” said Odysseus.
“We drink,” said Helen.
“We wait,” Penelope added. “But not, I hope, too long.”
CHAPTER 15: THE LONG ISLAND
A LL THAT DAY THE boat continued moving, and the four took turns watching the water, hoping for ships, for gulls, for land, for anything to break the monotony of sea and sky.
Odysseus took the longest watches. The food and water had filled him with energy, and there was nowhere else to expend it. Awake, he gave a lot of thought to the mystery ship. Wherever it was taking them, he’d no doubt the destination would be just as strange and intriguing as the vessel itself.
Leaning against the prow, scanning the sea, Odysseus was riveted on the horizon when Penelope came to stand beside him.
“My turn,” she said, touching him lightly on the arm.
“I’d rather watch here than look after your cousin.”
She smiled wryly. “Mentor is doing that ably. He’s telling her all about Ithaca, and she’s just bored enough to listen.”
Odysseus gave a short bark of a laugh. “How do you put up with her? I’d have thrown her over the side of the ship by now if you weren’t here.”
“And how brave would that make you then?”
Odysseus sighed. “I’m not trying to start an argument.”
“Neither am I,” Penelope said. Her face softened. “But I’m trying to make a point. You were raised a warrior. Adventure has been bred into you. Helen was raised to be beautiful and pampered and spoiled. It’s not her fault that she can’t face danger with a hero’s heart.”
“But you,” Odysseus said carefully, rubbing a hand through his thick red hair, “you’re not like that. And as a princess of Sparta yourself, surely you were raised the same way.”
“My looks never invited such a spoiling.”
“You’re handsome enough,” Odysseus said. Then he looked away, embarrassed about delivering a compliment.
“Thank you,” she whispered to his back, not caring if he heard. “But no one is in Helen’s class.”
Odysseus turned to face her again. “So who pampered and spoiled her then?”
“Everyone,” said Penelope. “Her father most of all. If she’s desired by every king and noble in Achaea, she becomes worth more to him than gold or jewels. He can use her beauty and desirability to make any king his ally.”
Odysseus turned back to gaze at the endless length of the dark sea. Suddenly he leaned forward, squinting his eyes. “Look!” he cried.
Penelope turned around and stared. “What am I supposed to see?”
“Land!” Odysseus shouted. Then to be sure that Mentor and Helen had heard as well, he cried out again. “There’s land ahead!”
They raced over to see.
“What land is it?” Mentor asked.
“Egypt?” hazarded Penelope.
“Too mountainous for Egypt,” Mentor said.
“We’ve been sailing west, not south,” said Odysseus. “My guess is it’s the Long Island.” There was an eager gleam in his eye.
“I hope not,” Mentor said. He stared straight ahead.
“Why do you say that?” Helen asked. Now she too leaned over the ship’s side and stared ahead.
“Well, because … because it’s a long way from home.”
“But at least it’s land,” Helen said. Then she turned and went back to the shelter of the canopy, where she began running her fingers through her hair like a comb.
As soon as Helen was too far away to hear, Penelope rounded on the boys. “What is really wrong with this Long Island?”
“The Long Island is what we Ithacans call Crete,” Odysseus said.
“King Minos’ island? Where the monster was in the maze?” Penelope nodded. “That makes a kind of sense. Daedalus made a ship that takes us straight to Crete, where once upon a long time ago he made a maze to
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