“SO, MY NIECE? HOW GOES IT? HOW IS YOUR LITTLE SPARTAN FLOWER? THE LITTLE HELOT?”
“SHE IS WELL, UNCLE. SHE CONTINUES STEADFAST IN HER DEVOTION TO ME, AND SHE IS TAKING ON MORE DUTIES AT MY TEMPLE AS HER FOR-MAL INVESTITURE DRAWS NEAR.”
“YES. I NOTICE YOUR WORSHIPPERS GROW EVER MORE NUMEROUS OF LATE, DO THEY NOT?
“INDEED! I COULDN’T BE MORE PLEASED! MY CITY, MY PEOPLE, AND MY PRIESTESSES ARE—”
“AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS, DEAR NIECE?”
Athena abruptly halted her meandering peroration.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHY?”
“A PERFECTLY STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION.”
“NOTHING IS PERFECTLY STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH YOU, UNCLE. YOU ARE AS TURBULENT AND CHANGEABLE AS THE SEA YOU RULE.”
Poseidon chuckled. “WELL, IT’S JUST THAT I WONDER ABOUT THE TRUE DEVOTION OF YOUR SUPPOSED WORSHIPPERS.”
“SUPPOSED WORSHIPPERS? DON’T BE SO TIRESOME. WITHOUT FAIL, THEY COME DAILY TO OBSERVE MY RITES AND MAKE OFFERINGS TO ME. IN FACT, THEY ARE BECOME SO NUMEROUS THAT MEDOUSA IS ALREADY STEP-PING INTO THE ROLE OF PRIESTESS IN ORDER TO ASSIST WITH THE WORK OF THE TEMPLE.”
Poseidon smiled slyly, his eyes sparkling. “YES, ISN’T THAT SIMPLY FASCINATING? AS YOUR FAVORED HELOT GOES OUT TO ADMINISTER YOUR RITUALS AND COLLECT YOUR OFFERINGS, SO MANY ATHENIANS GO UP TO YOUR TEMPLE TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS.”
“SPEAK PLAINLY,” Athena barked. “YOU’RE SAYING THAT THE PEOPLE OF MY CITY COME TO MY HOUSE TO SEE HER, NOT ME. IS THAT IT?”
“NOTHING ESCAPES YOUR WISDOM, DOES IT, O PERSPICACIOUS ONE.”
Athena growled at Poseidon’s mockery. A spear appeared in her hand.
Poseidon continued, “STRICTLY SPEAKING, THIS ISN’T A PART OF OUR WAGER—”
“A WAGER I NEVER ACTUALLY ACCEPTED, POSEIDON.”
Poseidon ignored Athena’s interruption. “BUT WOULDN’T IT BE PRUDENT OF YOU TO BE SURE THAT YOUR FOLLOWERS TRULY LOVE YOU? IF THEY GO SIMPLY OF THEIR DESIRE TOWARD MEDOUSA, WHERE IS YOUR NOURISHMENT?”
“POSEIDON, I WARN YOU…”
“THERE IS NO ILL WILL HERE ON MY PART, ATHENA. I SIMPLY ADVISE YOU TO BE SURE OF YOUR DEVOTEES. NOTHING MORE.”
“OH? NOTHING?”
“YOU RESIST MY WORDS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF OUR RIVALRY. BUT BE-LIEVE ME, THEY DO NOT LOVE YOU, ATHENA. THEY LUST FOR MEDOUSA.”
“AS YOU DO, POSEIDON?”
Poseidon laughed, shaking his head.
“SUCH PRIDE! WERE YOU MORTAL, I MIGHT EVEN ASCRIBE HUBRIS TO YOU IN THIS MATTER. SHE DRINKS UP THE ADORATION THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO YOU!”
Athena went livid.
“MEDOUSA IS FAITHFUL TO ME! NO ONE ELSE!”
“AH, BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT, IS IT? WHERE ARE YOUR SONGS? WHERE ARE YOUR HYMNS? WHERE ARE YOUR DANCES? YOUR REVELS? THEY ARE ALL DEVOTED NOW TO YOUR PAMPERED LITTLE HELOT.”
“THAT’S NOTHING TO DO WITH HER!”
“NO? IT IS SHE OF WHOM MEN AND WOMEN SING. IT IS SHE OF WHOM THEY DREAM. IT IS SHE THAT SEDUCES THEM TO ADORATION. THE VERY THOUGHT OF THAT SWEET LAKEDAIMONIAN PEAR SENDS THEM INTO EC-STASIES.”
“MY DEVOTEES ARE MINE!”
“OH, THEY COME TO YOUR HOUSE. BUT THEY COME TO SEE HER. NOT YOU. THEY COME TO GLIMPSE HER FACE, A FACE THAT ECLIPSES THE RADI-ANT BEAUTY OF APOLLO’S CHARIOT. THEY COME TO LISTEN TO HER VOICE, A VOICE THAT SURPASSES THE ALLURE OF ORPHEUS’ LYRE. THEY COME TO HEAR THE RUSTLING OF HER CLOTHES, HOPING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF HER SPARTAN LACK OF MODESTY, TO, IF POSSIBLE, EVEN TOUCH HER GOLDEN HAIR IN PASSING…”
“NO!”
“GO DOWN INTO THE CITY, ATHENA. LOOK, AND PERCEIVE. LISTEN, AND HEAR. OF WHOM DO THEY SING. YOU? OR MEDOUSA?”
“YOU–YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE HER FROM ME, AS YOU THREATENED. YOU WANT ME TO ABANDON HER TO YOU.”
Poseidon’s eyes narrowed, and he smiled again.
“PERHAPS. DOES THAT CHANGE THE TRUTH OF MY WORDS?”