Son of Zeus

acknowledged here.' The Goddess of Wisdom turned to the kneeling Alkides and smiled. 'You played a great part in the victory, and for your efforts the Gods have chosen to reward you. I will give him two gifts. The first is this golden helm,' she said, and stepped forward to place a beautiful golden helmet on Alkides head.

  'Thank you, wise Athena,' Alkides said.

  'You think yourself indomitable, young hero, which is why I have a second gift for you. What separates civilized Hellenes from barbarians is their love of knowledge and wisdom, and so this second gift is far more valuable than the first. Beware your anger, Alkides, lest your enemies use it against you.'

  'My enemies are the enemies of Thebes,' Alkides said. 'How can I not get angry when they insult the place of my birth?'

  'The gift is given, do with it what you will,' Athena said, and faded. Where she had stood, a shadow appeared from which stepped Zeus, Chieftain of the Gods. He came forward and gave the young man a shield. 'An unbreakable shield made by Hephaestus,' the Olympian said in a voice that caused the earth to shake. Alkides accepted the gift in silence with his head bowed.

  Hephaestus followed Zeus and presented Alkides with a golden breastplate. 'A gift for you, brave Alkides, from someone who has felt Hera's scorn,' the crippled God said. 'Be wary, young hero, for armor and weapons are not enough against one such as her.'

  The beautiful Apollo followed the grotesque Hephaestus, and presented Alkides with a bow and quiver of arrows. Hermes then arrived and presented Alkides with a beautiful sword.

  'All these fine weapons are well and good,' the messenger of the Gods said in his usual mocking tone, 'but sometimes, a more brutal weapon does a far better job than the sharpest of blades. A big, heavy club is invaluable when dealing with those whose skulls are thicker than their wits are sharp.'

  The last of the Gods to present Alkides a gift was Poseidon, God of the sea and grandfather of Erginos. He brought forward a team of beautiful horses that stamped and snorted beside the kneeling Alkides.

  'I was torn during the battle because you were both of my blood, young nephew, but how could I not admire the way in which you turned the battle for Thebes? I also have some wisdom for you to add to that of Athena. Glory is seldom won by one man alone. Had it not been for the bravery of Iphikles we would be mourning your death here today as well as that of Amphitryon.'

  But not all the Olympians were impressed by Alkides's exploits. Hera, wife of Zeus, watched on from Olympus, through her window that showed all things.

  'Look at the oaf,' she said to Iris, the personification of rainbows and her messenger, 'swollen with pride and self importance. It makes my blood boil to see him so honored.'

  'No mortal man can withstand the fury of Hera, Queen of the Gods,' Iris said. 'Send him to his doom.'

  'He is not just a mortal man, as you well know. Did you not see what he did the serpents I sent? And he was just a babe in the cot at the time.' Hera leaned on the sill with her elbows and cupped her chin in her hands. 'This ill-born son of my unfaithful husband has the strength of a bull and the agility of a leopard. It will take more than a sword in the belly to ensure his end.'

  'How else then, Mistress?'

  'I have another way, but now is not the time. Let him wallow in his false glory for a while.'

  (viii)

  From atop Mount Olympus, Hera watched and waited as the years passed, and all the time her anger grew. Alkides was the product of her husband's infidelity and his happiness galled her, infuriated her, and filled her with spite. She saw him marry Megara and watched as they created a happy home together. She saw the birth of his two sons and a daughter, and watched as they grew from babes in the cradle to boisterous young children who played in the woods under the watchful eye of their father.

  When the fabric of her patience finally tore and she could contain her fury no longer, she summoned Iris to her side.

  'The time has come. The buffoon thinks himself stable and secure and an example for all others to follow, but we will show the people of Thebes the truth. We will expose the murderous rage that still dwells within the heart of Thebes's great protector,' she said, and paused a moment, as if weighing up in her mind what she would say next. 'Go Iris, my messenger, and find Lyssa, daughter of Maniae, who is the spirit of furious rage. Ask her to go to Alkides and madden him so that he sees enemies of Thebes in those he loves. His pride will take care of the rest.'

  'As you wish, my Queen,' Iris said, and vanished in a swirl of color. A mere heartbeat later, the spirit of the rainbow appeared beside Lyssa, who was sitting on a grassy knoll by a lake, watching the sunrise.

  'Greetings, Lyssa,' Iris said. 'I come at the request of Hera, Queen of the Gods. She asks that you grant her a favor.'

  'And greetings to you, colorful Iris. You are just in time to watch Helios and his chariot set the sky alight. Sit and enjoy it with me.'

  'This is not a time for idle indulgence,' Iris scolded. 'The favor Hera requires of you is close to her heart and only you can help her.'

  'You know well that I take no pleasure in spreading mayhem,' Lyssa said. 'Inducing people to tear themselves and their families apart in furious madness is not something that should be done upon a whim, even if the whim is divine in origin.'

  'This is no whim! For years, Hera has watched the seed of her husband's infidelity grow and prosper, and it gnaws away at her. Family life is her divine domain, and watching such a one as Alkides live a rich family life is an affront.'

  'Ah, so Hera would have me destroy Alkides, a man whose fame and prestige is known throughout Hellas. The act is doubly heinous because he is a son of Zeus, foremost of Olympians. I'm sorry Iris, such a venture is too dark and foul for one such as I.'

  'But your Queen commands it! Will you disobey her?'

  'I thought this was a favor, not a command.'

  'Hera is suffering, and your inaction will only extend her pain! Her hate festers like a tainted wound and already she sits too long and too often at her window, looking down upon Alkides. Only his downfall will clear the poison from her heart. Only vengeance upon her unfaithful husband will calm her mind.'

  'Is there no other way than to drive such a man mad? Surely, Iris of the many colors, you have a place in your heart for a valiant hero such as Alkides?'

  'None, for his very existence damages one for whom I care more than any other. Nor is Alkides a hero in anything more than name. His civilized nature is a facade that conceals an evil violence beneath. Hera asks only that you remove the mask behind which he hides his true nature. Let him think that his family and friends are enemies of Thebes. The murder in his heart will take care of the rest.'

  'As you wish,' Lyssa said, 'I will do as Hera asks but, with Helios as my witness, I want it known that I do so reluctantly and with a heavy heart.'

  (ix)

  Alkides was sitting in the home he shared with his wife and children, eating his morning meal of bread, cheese, and dried figs. Outside, he could hear the sound of children playing and was feeling quite relieved to be here inside. It's not that he didn't love his children; he did, with all his heart. It's just that, lately, he had begun to feel that family life wasn't quite for him. It made him feel be-calmed. Stuck. Trapped. Suffocating.

  He let out a heartfelt sigh and pushed his plate away. He had no appetite for food this morning. What he really wanted was a little excitement. He hadn't become protector of Thebes to sit around all day and listen to children squeal. Even his short time as a cowherd had been more exciting than this - at least there was a chance that something or someone would try to steal the cows.

  Alkides knew that, in a way, he was a victim of his own success. There had been bandits and enemies aplenty just after the battle with the Minyans but, one by one, he had dealt with them all, and his growing fame meant that the evils of the world gave Thebes a wide berth.

  Felling melancholy and not a little strange, Alkides decided to go to his brother's house.

  'Maybe company would make breakfast m
ore palatable,' he thought to himself as he rose from the table.

  Just then, a strange noise penetrated through the joyous sounds of children playing. It was a metallic sound, not unlike a sword scraping upon bronze armor.

  He walked cautiously to his door and peered out towards where his children were playing and, sure enough, through the trees he could see the glint of sun on armor. 'Fool,' he chided himself. 'While you wallow in self pity, the enemies of Thebes come to steal your children.'

  'Cowards,' he screamed, and charged through the door, 'leave the children be! Come, face me like men and die with honor.'

  He carried no weapon and wore no armor, but Alkides needed neither. His strength and fury were enough. He fell upon the first invader and crushed his skull with a single blow. The second ran screaming like a child towards the forest from where he had come, but he could not escape the wrath of the son of Zeus, who chased after him and brought him down with a blow to the back that snapped the invader's spine.

  But these two were not alone, and everywhere Alkides looked, he could see the signs of invasion.

  'Enemies! Enemies!' he cried, and raced back towards his home to get his sword and spear. 'Arm yourselves, citizens of Thebes, for we are under attack.'

  Hordes of invaders were pouring out of the homes of his friends and family. Surely they were not all lost? Did the bandits sneak in while he