by Lucy Coats
Scrambling into the second seat beside the king, Demon had just managed to figure out how the kelp harness fitted together when Poseidon swung his trident like a whip, and a jet of blue fire snaked out and cracked over the Hippocamps’ heads. With a joyful whinny, they were off. Demon just caught a glimpse of Eunice’s scared eyes flashing past before he was jolted back in his seat. He clung to his kelp straps with both hands. The Hippocamps rushed through the golden doors and past the Triton guards, and then Poseidon cracked his trident again.
“Yee-haw, giddyup,” he yelled happily, his hair streaming out behind him like weeds. The Hippocamps went even faster, till all Demon could see of the underwater world rushing past him was a series of blurred streaks. Up and up and up they went. Then, with a gasp, Demon was breathing air again. They were skimming across the top of a calm deep-blue ocean, and the Hippocamps’ long, spiky manes flew like golden foam in the breeze.
CHAPTER 5
THE HORSES OF THE SUN
Demon never did manage to catch his breath properly on that wild, amazing ride. Poseidon urged his steeds to go faster and faster. By the time they sank beneath the waves again, Demon’s hands were so cramped and uncomfortable from hanging on to his straps that he thought they might never unclench. The sea god looked at him sideways as he slowed the Hippocamps down and guided them gently back into the Stables of the Ocean.
“So, stable boy. How was that for you?”
Demon grinned at the god before he could stop himself. It HAD been very exciting, as well as totally terrifying! “Er, stupendous, Your Serene Saltiness. I think you’re going to win. They’re really quick, aren’t they?”
“Quicker than anything in sea, sky, or earth, and don’t you forget it. Now unharness them, and then give them a good rubdown with a sea sponge. Afterward, polish up their scales with some sea-slug slime. They’ll need as much seaweed as they can eat. Later we’ll take them over to my other palace at Macris. That’s where the race is going to start. Got it?” Demon nodded as Poseidon shot up through the hole in the ceiling.
“Yes, Your Mighty Marineness,” he said to the god’s disappearing toes. Once he was sure he was alone, he peered around him. “Eunice!” he hissed. “Eunice, where are you? You can come out now.” But there was no reply. Eunice was gone, and he had no idea where to find her—or any of the items Poseidon had mentioned. There wasn’t a sea sponge to be seen anywhere, let alone any sea-slug slime. He led each Hippocamp back to its pen and hung the harnesses up. Pushing the racing chariot back to the small cave it had come from, he wondered what he was going to do. Then he looked at the Hippocamp who’d bitten him, and had an idea.
“Could you tell me where the stable supplies are, please?” he asked politely. But the Hippocamp just rolled its blue eyes at him menacingly and let out a loud whinny.
“Sponge,” it neighed. “Slime. Seaweed.” Then the whole lot of them started.
“SPONGE. SLIME. SEAWEED,” they chorused. They might be fast, Demon thought, but they hadn’t so much as a brain cell among them.
“All right, all right! I’ll find them myself,” he shouted above the noise. But search as he might, he couldn’t find anything but the seaweed. With a tired sigh, he tipped it into the mangers to shut the Hippocamps up. He then sat down on a coral ledge next to the silver box.
“Don’t suppose you’ve seen any of that stuff Poseidon mentioned, have you, box?” The box didn’t answer, but a beam of blue shot out from its lid, lighting up the murky water in the darkest corner of the stables. Demon saw what looked like a cupboard door in the rocky wall. It had a tiny knob in the shape of a starfish. Wrenching it open, he discovered everything he needed inside.
Armed with sponges, he rubbed down each Hippocamp in turn, using Eunice’s clever trick of blowing up the nostrils of any of them who looked like they might nip him. Then he turned to the big pot of sea-slug slime. It was thick and green and gloopy, and if he wasn’t careful putting it on the sponge, great globs of it floated off and stuck to his tunic. He was just glad he couldn’t smell it, because it looked absolutely revolting. The Hippocamps’ scales were fully grown back now, and by the time he’d finished with them, they looked shiny and beautiful, and he was utterly exhausted. It had been a very long day, and he’d had nothing to eat. Curling up on some seaweed in a corner, and trying not to think about his starving stomach, Demon fell fast asleep.
He was woken by a gentle nudge on the shoulder.
“Go ’way, Griffin,” he groaned, still half asleep and forgetting where he was. There was another, slightly less gentle nudge to his ribs. Demon’s eyes snapped open. There in front of him was a creature with kind eyes and a mouth half open in a friendly grin. It had six starry points of light all along its body, making the whole cavern shine with a warm glow, and it was the most beautiful thing Demon had ever seen.
“Up you get, son of Pan,” it said. “Queen Amphitrite wants to see you. Hop on and I’ll take you to her.” It gestured with a fin to its back. Demon rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned, wondering what the queen wanted with him, and what this creature was.
“All right,” he said. “But I’d better feed this lot first. I don’t want Poseidon getting angry with me.”
“Wise decision,” said the creature. “But hurry up. You don’t want to keep the queen waiting, either!” Demon hurried to fill the mangers yet again, then clambered up onto the long, smooth back, hanging on to the big curved fin.
“Er, who are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” he said as they swam upward, the powerful body twisting and turning under him, making the lights within it flash and flicker like jewels.
“I’m Delphinus,” it said. “Messenger dolphin to the queen. Now hang on and keep your head down. I’m taking us up by the shortcut.” Demon ducked low as the dolphin raced this way and that. It moved through narrow tunnels and passageways, eventually shooting out into a brightly lit room. Shafts of sunlight poured in through long, high windows and reflected off a pool of still water, turning it golden. Demon gasped and spluttered as he breathed a sudden rush of real air again. It felt cold and clean and fresh in his lungs.
In the middle of the pool was a large island covered in soft green moss. Demon’s heart sank into his sandals as he saw a crowd of brightly colored robes and recognized Eunice’s giggling sisters. Reclining on a low couch among them was Queen Amphitrite, with Eunice behind her, brushing out one side of the queen’s long dark-blue hair, while her sister Nereid braided tiny jeweled sea anemones into the other.
“Ouch!” cried the queen crossly. “Why do you always have to pull my hair so, Eunice?”
“Here he is, Your Majesty,” said Delphinus, giving a wriggle so that Demon tipped off its back and splashed into the golden pool. Amphitrite pointed to a low stool beside her with one webbed finger.
“Swim over and sit there,” she said, her voice now low and husky, like tiny pebbles washing against the shore. As Demon clambered out of the water and tried to wring the water out of his tunic, his tummy rumbled loudly. “Are you hungry, son of Pan?”
Demon nodded eagerly. He was hungrier than a starving starfish. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said, trying not to drool too obviously. Amphitrite smiled at him as Delphinus swam off again.
“Halia, fetch our guest something to eat and drink.” One of the Nereids went over to a small table, then brought Demon a cup of green juice and a platter piled high with delicious-looking morsels.
“Here you are, Demon,” she said, fluttering her long green eyelashes at him in a rather worrying way. Demon was too hungry to care, though. He concentrated on not stuffing everything into his mouth at once instead. He wasn’t too sure how goddesses felt about table manners. If Amphitrite was anything like his mom, it was probably best not to gobble like a wild beast.
“I want to know all the gossip from Olympus,” said Amphitrite, when he’d cleaned his plate for the third time. “Who’s annoyed Hera lately? Is it true about Eos’s poor husband? Did Apollo really give that stupid Mi
das an ass’s ears?”
Demon’s heart sank into his sloshy sandals. “I … I don’t really hear much gossip in the Stables, Your Briny Bountifulness,” he said. “Well, only what Althea, Melanie, and Melia say about … w-w-well …” He stuttered into silence, but Amphitrite just waved a pale-blue webbed hand at him. Her jeweled fingernails flashed in the reflected sunlight.
“Tell me all!” she purred.
“Yes, do,” sighed Eunice’s sisters, sinking down at the sea queen’s feet, like a shower of colorful petals, and gazing up at him expectantly. Blushing, he looked desperately at Eunice for help. She just grinned at him, shrugged, and kept on brushing her royal mistress’s hair.
A long and very uncomfortable time later, Amphitrite had wrung out every morsel of information Demon had about the doings of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. She yawned and stretched like a satisfied cat. A loud hooting sounded somewhere outside, making Demon jump nervously. He was about to ask what it was when he heard a pair of familiar-sounding voices shouting.
“Make way for the Father of Oceans, make way for the King of the Seas,” bellowed the Tritons, their monotonous tones ringing around the chamber as they flung open the double doors. Amphitrite rose from her couch, glossy blue hair tumbling down her back like a shiny waterfall. She curtsied and held out a hand to Poseidon.
“Welcome, my king,” she said, smiling at her husband.
“Nearly ready to go, my dear?” he asked, striding across the top of the pool toward her, his golden trident strapped across his back. Then his eyes fell on Demon, kneeling at the queen’s feet. He frowned, and the room grew darker. Small wavelets began to run around the pool, slapping against the moss. “What’s that stable boy doing in your chambers?” he boomed, staring at Demon suspiciously. “He’s meant to be looking after my Hippocamps, not lounging about up here!”
“Don’t be cross, my cockleshell,” said Amphitrite, putting a hand on his arm. “I asked him up here. You know how I get about having the very latest news from Olympus.”
“Very well,” said Poseidon. “But I want him back now. There’s a lot of packing up for him to do before we leave for Macris.” He frowned again, but less ferociously. “Off you go, now, boy. I’ll send one of the Tritons with you to help.” Demon felt a sharp elbow prod his side, and turned to see Eunice glaring at him pointedly. He knew exactly what she wanted him to say before she even mouthed “I want to come” at him.
“Er, Your M-majesties,” he said bravely, taking a deep breath and blurting it all out in a rush. “W-would it be all right if I had my friend Eunice as my helper? She’s … she’s very good with the Hippocamps.” Poseidon let out a sudden lightning crack of laughter.
“Good with the Hippocamps, is she, stable boy?” He peered down at Eunice, who was half hiding behind Demon. “Ah! Young Eunice! Aren’t you the one my Tritons complain is always hanging about the stables?” Eunice nodded, looking scared. “Well, never mind that … You can have her, if my queen agrees …” He raised one bushy eyebrow at Amphitrite.
“Oh, very well,” she said. “She’s already tugged my hair around enough for today. But if there’s even a trace of Hippocamp slime anywhere near my best hairbrush tonight, I shall turn you both into a pair of purple clown fish. Now, be off with you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Eunice. “I mean, no, Your Majesty. Er … I mean, I promise there won’t be …” Then she curtsied hurriedly, turned, and fled. Demon was close behind her.
CHAPTER 6
THE PALACE OF MACRIS
There was a frantic bustle of activity as Eunice and Demon darted around and dodged gigantic octopus servants holding boxes and baskets. A flurry of sea people rushed this way and that, shouting orders and generally getting in one another’s way.
When they reached the stables, the Hippocamps were in a high state of excitement. They neighed loudly and reared as Demon and Eunice ran about packing harnesses, grooming equipment, and bales of silvery seaweed. They used kelp ropes to tie it all onto several long, low sleds that had been left out for them. It took hours and hours. Just as Demon was tying down his silver box (which was shouting loudly that it could perfectly well swim by itself) onto the last sled, several mermen swam in. They led strange long-nosed fish beasts that grinned at them with mouths full of sharp white teeth. Their red backs were covered in arrow-like spines, and huge undulating tails swished the water around their pale, gleaming bellies.
“Ready?” asked one of the mermen in a deep, gruff voice. Demon nodded, backing warily away as the mermen wrangled kelp harnesses around the huge front fins.
“What are those?” he whispered.
“Oh, just some of the smaller whale monsters,” Eunice said. “They’re very friendly, really—as long as you don’t feed them oysters. That makes them a bit crazy. My sister Keto is supposed to be in charge of them, but she’s so lazy, she lets the mermen do most of the work.” She looked over at him as the last sleds floated out of the stables, muffled protests from the silver box still drifting back toward them. “Thanks for letting me come with you. I just wish Poseidon would let me—” She broke off suddenly as Poseidon himself appeared in a swirl of sea foam, and by the time Demon had finished harnessing the Hippocamps to the chariot, Eunice had disappeared again. Maybe he should say something to the sea god about her looking after the Hippocamps. But he had no more time to think about it as the Hippocamps drew them swiftly over the waves to the sea god’s earthly home.
Poseidon’s above-water palace was a pleasant surprise. Once Poseidon had given him his instructions on how he wanted the Hippocamps fed and exercised for the next few days, Demon started to settle them down in their new homes. The stables were in a light, airy cave, with spacious stalls where the Hippocamps could splash about to their hearts’ content, and with places to store everything else. There was even a tiny alcove above, with a small sleeping pallet and a blanket woven of soft, dry sea grass. Later on, Demon finally set out to explore. It felt good to wiggle his bare toes in the soft, springy grass and feel the herb-scented breeze on his face. Being underwater was all very well for a while, but he definitely missed the smell of fresh air.
Unfortunately, just as he was walking back to see if the sleds of supplies had arrived, he had a nasty surprise. As the sun was setting in a blaze of red and pink clouds, a bright light began to shine on the path in front of him. Demon stopped and stared as the bright light took on the shape of a door, and a tall, dark-haired god with a crown of sun rays stepped out of it. It was Helios, Poseidon’s deadly race rival. Demon stared, his mouth hanging open. How in Zeus’s name had he done that? Surely even gods couldn’t just make doors in the air wherever they wanted?
“Why, if it isn’t young Pandemonius,” Helios said, baring his white teeth in a friendly grin that somehow looked menacing. “Like my little trick, do you?”
Demon nodded. Well, it was pretty amazing.
The god lowered his head. “Not many people know my secret,” he whispered. “But I’m sure you’ll keep it to yourself. You see, I can make a door anywhere the sun’s rays can touch. Useful, eh?”
Demon nodded again as Helios took his elbow in a firm grip so he couldn’t escape.
“Now, you’re just the boy I wanted. We have important things to discuss.” Demon’s stomach tried to leap sideways in fright. In his experience, discussing important things with a god almost always led to the kind of trouble that left him worrying about being frazzled to a frizzle.
“The thing is,” said the god, “I have a small problem. Here you are, looking after old Father Fishface’s Hippocamps, but, as I understand it, you’re the official stable boy to the gods, aren’t you? Gods, meaning more than one god …”
“W-w-well, y-yes, Y-y-your Sh-sh-shining S-s-serenity.” Demon gulped. “I-I s-suppose I am.”
Helios smiled again. It was not a nice smile at all. Demon’s knees began to tremble. “Oh, good,” the god said. “I so hoped you’d say that. You won’t mind popping down to the Stab
les of the Sun for an hour or so, then, and mending one of my celestial horses? Poor Abraxas has gone dreadfully lame, you see. Stepped on a sharp bit of star, or something. I’m sure that magical silver box of yours can fix him in two shakes of a comet’s tail, though. Why don’t you run along and fetch it, and then we’ll be off? Quick as you can, now. I’ll be waiting.”
Poor Demon! He had no choice, but as he ran back toward where he’d left the Hippocamps, his mind was racing frantically. What if the box hadn’t arrived? What if he couldn’t cure Helios’s horse without it? Even worse, what if Poseidon found out he was working for the other side?
“I’m doomed,” he groaned as he ran into the stables, heart thumping like a maenad’s drum. “Doomed.”
“Why are you doomed?” asked a familiar high little voice. “What’s happened now?”
“Oh, Eunice,” he said miserably, slumping down onto one of the sleds, which, he was thankful to see, had now arrived. “I don’t know what to do.” Eunice came to perch beside him as he explained.
“Well,” she said, tapping one small pearly tooth with a sharp fingernail, “I don’t see what harm it can do if you just go for an hour or two. Cure Helios’s horse and come straight back. Poseidon need never know—he and Queen Amphitrite are busy arranging all the stuff for the big party, anyway. I’ll start the unpacking and look after the Hippocamps, don’t worry.” Just then, there was a muffled squawk from behind them. Demon turned around. There was the silver box, wriggling in its seaweed bonds and flashing an angry red.
“Implementing emergency escape mode,” it said as several pairs of sharp scissors squeezed out from under its lid and started snipping away at both the kelp ropes and its waterproof cover.