[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
avoid the test as long as possible, but in the end it will not be possible to
escape."
We all of us rested overnight, and in the morning we held another lengthy
conversation.
Meanwhile, I had still seen only a little, here and there, of the great Maze.
I
found it deeply fascinating. Daedalus pointed out the spot where he had
labored
for the young queen's predecessor, and other places where marvelous events
had
happened, many of them over the last two years.
I discovered that on Corycus, spring came early more accurately, that there
was
hardly any winter. Now sunshine striking through the tangled vines made
patches
of bright translucent green, leaving caves of shadow within the roofed-over
sections of the endless, intertwining passageways that comprised the great
bulk
of the Labyrinth. Somewhere just out of sight, perhaps in the next open
courtyard, or maybe in the one after that, water was trickling musically from
one of the Maze's many fountains into an adjoining pool. While we remained
Page 184
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
within those walls, the sound of running water, far or near, was almost never
absent. The curving walls and tunnels, most of their surfaces hard stone,
sometimes played games with sound.
Asterion surprised me with the claim that he had recently been able to enter
the
dreams of certain Giants.
"It was not an experience that I would willingly seek to repeat. I felt as if
my
mind, my nature, was in danger of being absorbed into the earth."
And Asterion, as was so often the case, had dreams of his own to tell. Rarely
had his physical body ever left the confines of the great Maze, but in sleep
his
mind roamed to the ends of the known world, and sometimes beyond.
As our conversation went on, digging deeper into the topics of the previous
day,
Asterion and Daedalus explained a little more of the ongoing problem between
the
gods and the Giants, until I began to understand why even Zeus was fearful.
Speaking of the Giants, Asterion said: "Even if we could find some way to
nullify their special weapon, they would still be, in many ways, as strong as
the gods we know, or even stronger in some cases. They would be formidable
antagonists. But as matters actually stand now, Zeus and his colleagues, the
beings we have been taught to think of as the rulers of the Universe, are
doomed
to eventual defeat."
After hearing that, I walked on for some time, slowly and in complete
silence.
That Zeus, the greatest of gods, with thunderbolts at his command, could be
afraid, of anything or anyone, was a new idea to me and required some
digesting.
At last I said: "Then we know that our father Zeus lives, whether or not
still
in the avatar that sired you and me."
"He lives indeed, I can testify to that. Though in recent decades he has been
exceedingly hard to find."
Page 185
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"It sounds better if we simply say that Zeus and Apollo and the rest are
simply
behaving prudently."
"I don't care how it sounds."
Prince Asterion also told me that he had been warned in a dream that it would
be
important for me to know something of the Underworld.
"Is this some foretelling of my death?"
"There is an implication of danger, certainly. And death waits for us all.
No,
there was some warning apart from that. But too vague to be of any real use."
"What have either of us to do with the kingdom of Hades?"
"As little as possible, I hope," said the odd voice from the bull's mouth.
"Speaking of formidable gods, the Messenger also expressed a hope that you
would
be able to talk to Apollo while you were visiting our island. But Apollo is
not
on Corycus now."
"Oh," I said. At the sound of that name, so casually uttered, something
inside
me seemed to cringe a bit and make an effort at withdrawal, turning inward
even
farther. True, we had just been speaking of almighty Zeus himself, and it was
also true that I had confronted and even argued with great Hermes
face-to-face.
And I had now been privileged to catch a glimpse of the chariot of glorious
Dionysus.
But . . . Apollo.
Far-Worker, Sun God, the Lord of Death and Terror and Distance. And of many
other things besides. Shiva the Destroyer was known as a god of tremendous
power
and was feared by many but on Corycus, people said that Lord Apollo had shot
down Shiva's most recent avatar with the authority of a man swatting a fly.
Beside me, Enkidu was now sitting still. The sound of Apollo's name seemed to
Page 186
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]