by John Hosh
Helice sputtered, “They make sacrifices of sheep and goats to him. People call him the giver of life; don’t they?”
“They do, Helice.”
“And that made You-Know-Who even angrier; didn’t it, Mentor?”
“The king of the gods was furious. He created a summer-mosquito. To this day, whenever the people gather to worship our creator in the summertime, the king of the gods sets swarms of mosquitoes upon the worshippers. That’s why people do not worship much in the summertime.
“The king of the gods said he would not create a winter-mosquito if the people put out food to honor, not only our creator, but also the gods and the goddesses. The king of the gods ordered the Titan to tell the people to put out their best food. The king of the gods said, by putting out the best food, people would show they deserved his mercy.” Mentor paused. “You see, You-Know-Who can be sneaky. He wanted the best food to spoil. He hoped that, without good food, people would become sick when the weather became cold.”
“He was going to make the winter really cold too; wasn’t he? And people were going to lose their thoughts and feelings; weren’t they?”
“That’s correct, Helice, but our creator played a trick on You-Know-Who. Our creator gave the people an ox. He told the people to kill the ox and to put out its meat for the gods and the goddesses. He told the people to make two bundles of meat. He told them to put the best meat inside the ox’s stomach, so the meat didn’t look good. He told the people to put the worst meat — the bones and the guts — between thin layers of fat.”
“So the worst meat looked as if it were the best meat; isn’t that right?”
“You are right again, Helice. Then—”
Jono asked, “Mentor, what’s an ox?”
“It’s like a big goat. The sound it makes is moo,” Mentor responded. “As I was saying, our creator asked You-Know-Who which bundle he thought was fitting for the gods and the goddesses. You-Know-Who fell for the trick. You-Know-Who pointed to the bundle that seemed to be the best meat but was really the worst meat. Since that time people have kept the best meat for themselves. They have burned the bones and the guts — at least the parts that the dogs won’t eat — as offerings to the gods and the goddesses.”
“The king of the gods became really, really, really angry; didn’t he?”
“Indeed he did, Helice. He became irate. He was outraged that a Titan had tricked him. To punish the bringer of fire, the king of the gods ordered our creator again to kill all the people. Our creator refused. The king of the gods screamed at our creator. The king of the gods threatened the savior of the people with torture. The king of the gods said, if our creator chose torture, he would beg to die. As a Titan, of course, our creator cannot die. A Titan can no more die than a god or a goddess can die.”
Helice stated, “Titans are immortals; aren’t they?”
“That’s correct. Titans are immortals. They live forever unless they take their own lives.” Mentor paused. “Our creator announced he would not kill anyone. He said he regarded people as his children. He said he would not let his children suffer. He said he was ready to suffer so that his children might live.
“He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named turned red. He spit. He stomped. He pulled his hair. He shrieked as if someone had poked him with a sharp stick. The sky rumbled. The king of the gods bellowed for his servants. He ordered them to seize the giver of life.
“The servants seized the great Titan. The servants dragged him to the rock at Earth’s end. The servants fastened great ropes to cuffs on his wrists and on his ankles. The servants pulled our creator so that his back was lying against the rock. The servants tied the ropes round our creator and round the rock. The servants returned to Olympus.”
Chapter 3 : Harpies and wizards
Helice was weeping. Mentor was pacing. He said, “Our creator was forlorn. He thought he would never see or hear his dear children again. He wept.” Helice sniffled. Mentor declared, “The king of the gods was not, however, finished with the great Titan. When the servants returned, the king of the gods told them to bring the biggest, most ferocious bird they could find. The servants found a big vulture. The king of the gods was pleased.” Helice sobbed.
Iphitus said, “A vulture is an eagle; isn’t it, Mentor?”
“It’s much like an eagle, yes. The king of the gods commanded the vulture to spend its days pecking at the helpless Titan. Every day the vulture pecked at our creator. Every day the vulture tore our creator’s liver from his right side. Every day our creator screamed. Every night a new liver grew in the savior of the people. His wound would almost disappear, but then the vulture would return. Every day was the same.”
Helice sniffled. She observed, “Our creator suffered much for us; didn’t he?”
“He did, Helice. Our creator loves us very much.”
“My father,” Jono reported, “says You-Know-Who is the king of the gods because he is the most evil. My father says there’s a lesson there.”
“I’m not sure what the lesson is, Jono,” Mentor responded, “but certainly You-Know-Who is evil. He was not content to punish only our creator. The king of the gods took vengeance upon mortals too. The king of the gods made an agreement with the Fates. That agreement keeps people from dying as the beasts do. Jono, do you know who the Fates are?”
“I think they have something to do with Death.”
“That’s correct. The Fates are three goddesses. Clotho has a great piece of leather. The father of Clotho, Kronos, a Titan, gave the leather to her. In that leather is all the time that there is; thus the leather is known as the leather of time. Clotho goes round and round the leather to cut one thin strip, namely, the string or cord of life. Lachesis is the goddess who pulls the cord of life away from the leather of time. Lachesis passes the cord to Atropos. Atropos marks off each person’s short lifetime by rubbing the cord of life on a sharp rock. By the marks on the cord of life, Death knows when to take the breath out of a person. Death is the servant of the Fates, but Death has his own servants. Death and his servants are the masters of the harpies.”
Jono asked, “Mentor, what is a harpy?”
“It’s a monster,” Iphitus stated.
“Iphitus is correct,” Mentor said. “A harpy is a monster but let me finish with the Fates. The king of the gods said he did not want a person’s life to end. The Fates agreed — for reasons unknown — that a harpy could tag along behind Death. The Fates agreed that a harpy could collect a person’s thoughts and feelings and keep those thoughts and feelings alive.
“A harpy is, for the most part, a very big vulture, but it has the head of a Middlelander woman. When Death names a person, a harpy collects the person’s thoughts and feelings in a tall, clear sack. We call that sack a ghost. A ghost that has thoughts and feelings inside it is an inhabited ghost. The inhabited ghost looks like a person, but you can see through it. It’s transparent.
“The harpy takes an inhabited ghost to Erebus. Erebus is a dark, misty, cold place. Some people call it the underworld. It is far beneath the ground.
“The god of the underworld forces the inhabited ghosts to wander forever in the mists of wasted time. Endless wandering is the punishment set by the king of the gods for those who worship our creator.”
Jono blurted, “Nobody can die?”
“If a person wants to die, his thoughts and feelings have to make some noise. The thoughts and feelings have to make a noise that a harpy doesn’t like.”
“How can thoughts and feelings make a noise?”
“One way is with a ram’s horn. A person’s thoughts and feelings will toot a horn if they squeeze themselves through it. Tooting will drive a harpy away. A harpy cannot endure tooting. If you hear a harpy say How rude, it is likely that some thoughts and feelings have tooted.
“If a thought or a feeling can keep the harpies away for one day, then the thought or the feeling will become nothing. Sometimes a harpy drops a thought or a feeling. Again, if the thought or the feeling
can stay outside a ghost for one day, the thought or the feeling will turn into nothing.
“Sometimes a harpy drops an inhabited ghost. An inhabited ghost may wander over Earth forever. An inhabited ghost must, of course, stay away from the harpies. A harpy is always on the lookout for a stray ghost.”
Helice declared, “Harpies are also called snatchers; aren’t they?”
“Yes, Helice, snatcher is another name for harpy. That’s enough about harpies! As I was saying, for our creator, every day was the same. Every day he suffered horribly. He did not, however, beg for mercy. He did not ask for pity.”
Helice blubbered, “I don’t know how he could love us so much.”
“We could not ask for a greater champion than the bringer of fire. He would not obey the king of the gods. He would not betray the people. He was ready to be forever on the rock at the end of Earth, but then the Fates took pity on him. May I have another drink, Iphitus?”
Iphitus handed the water-skin to Mentor. As Mentor was taking a drink, Lampus was backing eastward. Lampus was backing away from the goat that had butted him. East of Mentor, the goat was watching Lampus. Lampus sat with the other shepherds. “Thank you,” Mentor said. He gave the water-skin to Iphitus.
Mentor stroked his white beard. “As I was saying,” Mentor said, “the Fates intervened. They summoned Rumor, who is another of their servants. The Fates told Rumor to spread a story among the kings and the queens who are friends with the king of the gods. The story was that our creator knew a secret. The secret was about a goddess who I will call T.”
Helice chirped, “T was You-Know-Who’s girlfriend; wasn’t she?”
“T was one of You-Know-Who’s girlfriends. You-Know-Who liked T very much. When he heard about the secret, he wanted to know what the giver of life knew about T.
“Our creator has extraordinary foresight; he can see trouble coming days before it arrives. He knew T would bring much trouble to the king of the gods if he continued to talk to her. The king of the gods wished himself to the side of our creator. The king of the gods said he needed to know what the Titan knew about T.
“Our creator said he would tell You-Know-Who about T if You-Know-Who set him free. The king of the gods set our creator free. The king of the gods asked the bringer of fire to reveal the secret. Our creator said he wanted to live again above Mount Olympus. Our creator said he would reveal the secret if the king of the gods agreed that the savior of the people could return to his home. The king of the gods assented. Our creator said he wanted some servants. The king of the gods said the giver of life could have some servants. After the great Titan made several more requests, and the king of the gods gave his assents, our creator told the king of the gods about T.
“The giver of life told the king of the gods he had to break off his relationship with T. If the king of the gods did not break off the relationship, T would have a baby. The baby would be a gornok. The gornok would be stronger and smarter than any god. The time of the gods would come to a quick end. The gornoks would rule Earth, and the gods and the goddesses might have to spend their days at the seashore near where the Titans are.”
“And then our creator went back to Olympus; didn’t he?”
“He did, Helice, but our creator was not happy. The gods and the goddesses shunned him. They taunted him. They stopped using his name. They referred to him as that Titan-guy.
“Our creator wanted to be on better terms with the gods and the goddesses. He decided he had to make people behave better. He thought, if people behaved better, the gods and the goddesses wouldn’t have any reason to be angry with him. The giver of life decided to teach people what was good behavior and what was bad. It had become clear to him that people weren’t going to stop fighting, lying and stealing unless he intervened.”
Iphitus announced, “This is where we come in!”
“Yes, thank you, Iphitus. Our creator decided he needed some helpers; but he did not want the gods and the goddesses to know about the helpers. Our creator decided not to create a new being. Instead, he decided to use special people — people with the power of magic.”
Mentor fixed his gaze upon Jono. “Jono, you have magic. You are a warlock. Iphitus is a warlock. I am a warlock. Helice is a witch. We are all wizards. We are all helpers.”
Jono shook his head vigorously. “That’s not right,” Jono stated. “I think I’m not like that.”
“Thinking things doesn’t make them true, Jono. I assure you that you are a wizard.”
“No. My father told me about witches. I’m not like that.”
“What did your father tell you?”
“My father told me that witches like to eat children. He said witches are especially hungry in the middle of the night. He said a witch likes to catch a boy between the house and the toilet. He said, if a boy dallies to look at Selenë or at Nyx’s jewels and doesn’t hurry up, as anybody with any good sense at all would do, the witches will snatch him. My father said witches like nothing better than nibbling on a fat, slow, silly boy.”
Mentor sighed. He shook his head. “Jono, your father, he is a . . . . He makes things up. Wizards do not eat people. We do not steal cabbages and beets. Most of what people say about wizards is untrue. People like to make up stories. You should not believe most of what people say. People like to tell lies.”
“I don’t know if what you are telling me is true.”
“Jono, I assure you that you have magic. You will have noticed that you cannot be hurt. No one has ever punched you in anger. No one has kicked you. No one has hit you with a stone. Why? The answer is magic. You have magic to protect you. Nobody can eat you.”
Iphitus peeped, “That’s why you don’t have any bruises or scars or bumps.”
“If an evildoer grabs you,” Mentor stated, “your skin will feel like fire to him. If he holds on, he will burn. Fire is your friend. Fire cannot harm you. Rocks and stones cannot touch you. Your magic protects you from most dangers.”
Iphitus chirped, “Not water.”
“That’s correct,” Mentor agreed. “Your magic won’t save you if you fall into deep water. Water aside, the harms that affect most people will not hurt you. Will you come with us? Will you come to my school? I can teach you how to use your magic if you come with us. What do you say?”
Chapter 4 : Jono’s big decision
Jono’s right hand was twirling a wisp of hair at his right temple. Jono announced, “I can’t go. My father told me to stay with the livestock.”
Mentor asked, “Do you want to talk to your father?”
Jono looked at the ground. He twirled his hair. He looked up at Mentor. “I have almost nothing left to eat,” Jono said, “and my water-skin is almost empty.”
Mentor’s right hand reached inside his cloak. The hand pulled out a plate. The plate was big enough to hold two cabbages. It had a thick lip round its edge. Mentor handed the plate to Jono. “Here,” Mentor said. “This is a magic plate. Hold it flat.” Jono took the plate. Mentor directed, “Look into the plate. Imagine something good to eat on the plate.”
Jono looked into the plate. Jono stared at his reflection. In an instant Jono was looking at four fat strawberries.
Mentor exclaimed, “Oh, good choice! Offer Helice and Iphitus a strawberry.”
Jono stood. He held the plate in front of Helice and Iphitus. Helice and Iphitus leaned forward. Each took a strawberry.
Mentor said, “Let me have the plate. Take a strawberry.”
Jono handed the plate to Mentor. Mentor held the plate flat while Jono’s right hand fished out a strawberry. Jono bit into the strawberry. “Mmm,” he said.
Mentor’s left hand took the last strawberry. His right hand gave the plate to Iphitus. Mentor said to Iphitus and to Helice, “You should fill your water-skins.” Mentor took three steps northward; then he turned toward Jono. Mentor said, “Sit, Jono. I will tell you a little more about wizards.” Jono sat where he had been sitting.
“One of the god
s,” said Mentor while he was nibbling on the strawberry, “made my plate and many like it. He made the plates as a gift to the great Titan. He asked our creator to accept the plates as proof that the king of the gods has no hard feelings toward him. The plates are made of metal. Do you know what metal is, Jono?”
“No.”
“Metal is hard. It can be as hard as stone. If it is made really hot, metal becomes like liquid — like milk. We say it is fluid. When metal is fluid, one can make things from it. Our creator told me the gods have wonderful things made out of gold and out of silver. Do you know what gold and silver are?”
Jono shook his head. He was watching Iphitus and Helice. They were pouring water from the plate into their water-skins.
“That plate is gold,” said Mentor. “Silver has the gray of gray hair. Our creator gave each plate the power to produce whatever food and drink its holder wants. The plate will make forever as much food as anyone can eat. The bringer of fire has given the plates to me so I can give them to my pupils. You will have your own plate if you come with me. In the meantime my plate will feed us all. You don’t have to worry about food.” Jono stopped twirling his hair. Helice handed the plate to Mentor.
“Thank you, Helice,” Mentor said. He took the plate and put it into his cloak. “What are you thinking, Jono?”
Jono’s right hand was twirling his hair. Jono muttered, “My father is going to be really angry if I go with you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mentor said. “He can’t do anything to hurt you.” Jono did not reply. “Maybe Helice and Iphitus can help. Iphitus, what persuaded you to come with me?”
“I want to learn about magic,” Iphitus responded. “I know I’m different from my brothers and sisters.”
Mentor asked, “And what about you, Helice?”
“I want to learn about magic to help my family.”
Mentor said to Jono, “The magic is within you, Jono. The issue is whether you want to use it.”