The man smiled. “I did, but I do no longer! Alas, I must have conquered this evil with my own strength!”
“Not your own strength!” declared Meg. “It was I…I saw and heard you speak with Hades and I made a deal with him. I gave him my soul so that he might take upon himself your sin and guilt. Don’t you see? It was because of me and my great love for you that you feel so good!”
But this is where the tale went sour. His response was not as Meg expected. “You woman? You now claim that you are responsible for how I feel? I am in charge of myself. I can lead the greatest armies of Greece against great and fierce foes. I do not need a woman to be with me. Go, now, you woman and none of your jokes! You should not claim credit for that which is not yours!”
“But I really did do it? All because of my love for you!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Do you not love me?”
“No Meg, I never have loved you,” said Leocrates. And this was the last that he spoke with Meg.
It seemed that in this moment, as she left his tent, that she realized what grave mistake she had a made. Now, in her great and indeed nearly unbearable shame and sadness she retreated, away from the battlefield and went to the only person who would understand her and her situation—Hades. It was here that Hades took her in, spoke soothing words to her, and led her back to his dark abode. It was here that Meg found relief to be away from such a seemingly evil world.
After this occurred, of course, you may be wondering what happened to Meg’s love. Well, not shortly after this, Hades worried that there was perhaps a chance that Meg’s love might, even after all this, be reciprocated (that he might in fact go to find her and free her). So he went, in secret, to the captain of the Achaean’s army and said, “Now, tomorrow you go to battle against a great and fierce warrior, a man by the name of Leocrates. I am willing to make a great deal with you.” Hades smiled. This was always his favorite part. “As you must know your armies are vastly outnumbered against his armies and you will surely die if you fight them tomorrow. But if you do something for me I can provide enough of my power to allow you and many of your friends to live and defeat your enemies tomorrow on the battlefield.”
The man looked surprised and said, “What is wanted?”
“All that I require,” said Hades, “is that you kill Leocrates. Do not be merciful to this man…but kill him in cold blood on the battlefield.”
And so the Achaean leader made this deal and he killed Leocrates on the battlefield. Thus Meg lost any hope that her love would return to her in order to save her.
In the end Meg spent the rest of her years, before this time, in Hades’ abode slowly and gradually mourning and fading away. Hades rejoiced in possessing such a virtuous soul, and laughed to himself, “You may yet be of great use to me!”
And so this was how the once virtuous and lovely Meg had become a mere tool of Hades, a tool bent on revenge against the world of men, a world that had always disappointed her. She became a dark wraith, a wraith that would not die, but was preserved by Hades’ power over death for a purpose he had yet to fully envision. But she lived in that dark world in misery for a long time.
And it was at this time, as Meg looked out over the quiet garden that all of Meg’s old memories, many of which she had forgotten in the dark abyss of Hades’ underworld, returned to her with unrelenting force. She did not sleep, for although she could perhaps sleep now, she did not sleep as a wraith and thus was not accustomed to sleep. She drank some water from her fountain, and then wandered through her palace and garden until, what would be the beginning the second day on the island.
******
Light seemed to come quickly on the island, and with it Hercules woke up. When he woke up he looked over and found that Pegasus was still asleep so he did not wake him. There, in the garden, he wandered around the island and ate some of the fruit from off the trees for breakfast. The weather was cool, and the water of the surrounding sea sent moist air into her beautiful garden. He was feeling very good now. Not only was he on a wonderful island, but he had met a wonderful woman—a woman who, from what he knew about her, seemed very fair and kind.
After he had breakfast he went back and found Pegasus was awake. He then decided to give Pegasus his breakfast.
Hercules handed Pegasus a large apple and Pegasus ate it up whole. He jumped and cheered with glee at the taste of it. He begged Hercules for another. Hercules laughed. He walked over to another tree, this time a cherry trees and tossed several cherries into his mouth. He leapt up and ate each and every one.
Meanwhile Meg looked down at the two of them from the top balcony of her palace. There she secretly watched as the two wandered around the garden. She seemed calm and confident, for she felt confident in her dealings with men. She knew that there was little that she had to do to win most men’s hearts. She possessed beauty so grand that most men would give them to her without even thinking. And most men did. Throughout her life all she had to do was walk down the street and she would garnish the attention of all the men present. Apart from one exception, she had always gotten every man to love and adore her.
But it seemed as if she had to work to lure Hercules into her grasp, for he would not fall in love with her outward appearance alone.
Her mind was then brought to Hercules’ words, “Are you a God?” She knew she was no God, but it seemed she possessed a divine gift nevertheless, a gift to give joy to everyone but herself.
“They do enjoy my garden,” she thought to herself. “He does seem to enjoy me as well.” Then Meg realized that it was time to finally work to get what she wanted—freedom and form. She then thought to herself, “Let me go now to Hercules and gain his trust! Let me show him my great power and beauty so that he will truly desire it! Then he will love and trust me enough to disclose to me his true weakness!”
And so Meg moved down from her palace and there found Hercules in the garden playfully wrestling Pegasus. For a moment it seemed Hercules had forgotten all about his heroic duties. “Hello my wonderful Hercules!” declared Meg, as she walked gracefully down the steps of her palace.
Hercules turned around and there, in front of him, was Meg. She looked exactly as she did the day before. She wore what appeared to be the same clothes and emanated the same bright light.
“You are awake!” exclaimed Meg joyfully. “I am pleased. Did you sleep well?”
“Longer than I have in a long time I must admit,” replied Hercules.
“And is the fruit from the garden not delightful?” asked Meg.
Hercules nodded. “It is.”
She looked up at Hercules, smiled, and then said, “Hercules, come and let’s explore this island together.”
He looked back and Pegasus and nodded. “Very well. Pegasus, remain here.” Pegasus didn’t look happy about having to stay there, but agreed nonetheless. Then Hercules turned back to Meg and said, “What else do you want to show me?”
“Nothing,” replied Meg. “I just thought that we could talk, that we could get know each other more.” Meg said this because she wanted Hercules to divulge more about himself so that she might discover a weakness. If he wouldn’t disclose such things, then in the least she might be able to gain a little more of his trust.
After Hercules heard these words he didn’t know what to say so he was silent. He did look upon the woman and find all the beauty in the world, but he was afraid of finding more in her—both more goodness and more evil. He was afraid of what Philoctetes warned him about—falling in love with this woman. Of course he also suspected that there was some evil in this woman, or else why would Hades send him here? Many things weighed upon his mind as he walked alongside Meg through the garden landscape.
There, while they strolled through the garden Hercules told Meg much about himself. He told her about his life, about everything that happened to this point in his life. He told her about his true parents and about how he was taken from them. He told her about his mortal guardians. He told her about his journey to find out
more about himself, when he met many of the Gods of this world, such as Poseidon, Athena, and Apollo. Then he told her about his encounter of Zeus. He told me of how he might return to the heavens by being a true hero.
He then told Meg of his journey to the cursed island where he met Philoctetes, who would be his great trainer and train him in how to become a great hero. He told her of how he received his great sword from the hands of Philoctetes. He told her of his journey to Sparta where he, in secret, did many small deeds of kindness. He then told her of his participation and victory in the Olympic Games.
He told her of his journey to Athens, where he was called into Pericles’ house. He told her of Pericles’ evil and how he cast Hercules into a dark prison because he would not support his own purposes. He told her of how he was visited by Hades, who told him to go to his underworld. He told her of his escape from the prison and of the death of his mortal guardians. He told Meg of his visit to Hades’ underworld and what evil he saw there. Then his mind was drawn to the reason why he was here.
“You seem troubled,” said Meg, as if she could sense Hercules’ troubled mind. “The day is young. Please tell me what now bothers you.”
“I feel that I must be honest with you, for you appear to me as an angel of light, an angel that I would not like to deceive. You see, before I came here I met with Hades, the evil God of the Underworld. He showed me what grand armies he had in his underworld and I was able to envision, at least in part, what devastation he would unleash upon all of Greece. But he gave me a way to at least delay the war, long enough perhaps to give Greece enough time to stop it—to find a way to defeat Hades.”
“What ‘way’ was that?”
“The way was to come here to you,” said Hercules. “Hades said that you were a soul that he so desperately wanted to have. So I agreed to come, to come here to delay the war and figure out some way to defeat Hades. I am sorry, I truly am, but Hades gave me no other choice and I didn’t see any other option. Are you angry?”
Meg took a few moments to respond, but then said simply, “No.” Thoughts leapt into her mind to reveal her true identity to him, but she could not because she remembered the oath she had made to Hades. “But what makes you think that you can defeat Hades? I know of Hades and his power and it is far beyond that of any mortal. He was even able to, for the last many years, keep Zeus and Hera prisoner on Mount Olympus or face the penalty of death. For a long time he has kept his flying servants abroad to keep watch on Greece; of course he doesn’t really need them. Within his underground throne he keeps watch on the world from his own artificial world. And, of course, he has enough armies to destroy all of Greece with one swift stroke.”
“Then why does he delay?”
Meg paused for a moment. She knew the real answer. The real answer was because Hercules was to be lured into her hands to fall to her love. But she said something quite different. “He delays because he fears to fight as long as Zeus and Hera are alive. As long as they live he fears that they might lead the Gods in a war against him. And that is what he truly fears—a war like the one long ago in the heavens when God fought against God, for when one God fights against another God there can be no victory, but only desolation. Your parents knew this.”
“You know many things about Hades,” said Hercules, sounding surprised.
“Far more than you know,” replied Meg. “This is one of the reasons why I am here on this island. I want to be away from Hades and his evil.”
“Well, you seem quite safe and away from evil here,” replied Hercules, as he strolled through the garden. “Look at the beauty that lingers here.” Hercules looked all around at the garden and then down at Meg. “What I don’t understand is how you can bear to live here alone. Do you not need someone to be here with you?”
Meg shook her head. “No,” she replied. “I have no need for company.”
“What about the great Gods? Do they ever visit?”
Meg shook her head. “No. None of the Gods have visited this island, at least since I have been here.”
Meg smiled, but when Hercules approached her, to hold her hand, she moved away. “Well Hercules, you should return to Pegasus. He is probably missing you.”
Hercules nodded and moved away from Meg. “I suppose you are right.”
Hercules returned to find Pegasus asleep on the grass against a tree. Hercules had never seen Pegasus fall asleep so easily and in the middle of the day, but didn’t think much of it.
Hercules turned around to find that Meg had followed him. “The great steed sleeps!” said Meg. “You may wander freely in the garden.” And so Hercules wandered for a while in the garden. He looked around at the beautiful garden, but did not feel at peace. Although he enjoyed being able to take a break from his heroic duties he did not feel it right. He tried not to imagine what evil was now occurring in the outside world.
Throughout the day he found times to be with Meg and walk with her in the garden. In these times she was very quiet but seemed happy. However, as the sun began to descend her happiness seemed to fade. She hung her shoulders low and kept her eyes peering down towards the ground. Hercules wanted to say something, but he did not.
The time came that the sun was about to set and Meg brought Hercules up to her balcony on the top level of her palace. “This is the grandest view of a sunset you have ever seen!”
As Hercules looked out over the setting sun he saw the brilliant sun shine against the waves of the sea. Hercules didn’t seem impressed, although his words said otherwise. “This is indeed magnificent.”
“What is wrong?” asked Meg.
“Do you never desire to leave this island?” asked Hercules. “It must be lonely here, all alone on this island.”
“Sometimes loneliness is better than anything else in the world,” replied Meg, as she looked over at the setting sun. “Sometimes it is better than being among the evil world.”
“Here is great,” said Hercules as he looked out her balcony west. “Here there is no pressure, competition, and well, evil. It is simply you, the land, and the animals. It is similar to an island I was on before, only, well, not cursed.” They both laughed. “It is just here Meg, here with you reminds me of what I am missing out there, out there in the real world.”
Meg smiled. “What? What are you missing?”
Hercules reached his hands towards hers and looked up into her eyes. “Love, I do not have love. I mean I could have everything. I could have all the money, power, and glamour that any hero could want. But if I don’t have love it all seems meaningless.”
Meg suddenly seemed to shrink. “It would surprise you what people can endure or live without,” said Meg. “Hercules, you can do without love. I have for many long years.”
“Well, you certainly are stronger than me,” replied Hercules. “I could never go without love for as long as you have.”
“I never had the benefit of privilege,” said Meg. “I never had Gods as parents or super strength or speed. All I had was my beauty, wit, and the passion to survive. That is what is needed in this terrible world. Would you not agree Hercules?”
Hercules paused and was silent for several moments. Then he spoke: “I suppose that much of what you say is true. Yes, I have Gods as parents, and yes, I have great physical abilities…and perhaps you are right about much of this world. Perhaps much of this world is evil. On my journey so far I have found that many people are evil and will do terrible things to get what they want, but I have also found that there are good people in the world—people worth saving. And that is why I am on my hero mission, to help save those people who are worth saving. I am separated from my home and in order for me to get back to it I must believe that this world can be made a better place, and more importantly, that I can be the one to change it.”
There was then a long moment of silence. Meg stared at Hercules in wonder while Hercules stared out over the sea. “Your thoughts dwell on your friends,” she said. “I can tell.”
Hercules nodded
. “I fear for Philoctetes, my trainer. He still wears a cursed form. I fear for Pericles, the ruler of Athens. I fear for all of Greece for that matter. Who knows what destruction does now come upon this land while I sit here and wait on this island?”
“You may leave you know,” said Meg. She suddenly began feeling very guilty that he should stay any longer with her. “You may leave now Hercules. You may be free.”
Hercules had thought about it. He thought about abandoning his mission before, leaving Meg alone of the island, but now his feelings for Meg meant that he certainly could not leave her. “I cannot let you suffer and die on this island…please if there is anything about Hades you have not told me, tell me…”
Meg looked sad. “Hades is smart, Hercules, far smarter than you suspect. He is able to see much more than you are able to see. He is able to do much more than you can do. His presence is abroad, throughout the world, and not just in Greece. You should fear him as much as I do.”
“Let me tell you this Meg,” said Hercules. “I understand he is very smart. I understand he is capable of great evil. But I will not fear him.”
“What do you fear Hercules?” asked Meg, truly surprised that Hercules didn’t fear Hades.
Hercules sighed. “I will tell you what I fear most, but you can’t laugh,” said Hercules.
Meg nodded. “Okay.”
“That, after it is all over, after my heroic mission is complete, I am left all alone, with my loved ones all dead. Having to go on without anyone I love—to have done all I needed to do and to be without the ones I love would make my life so empty.”
Meg nearly shed tears. She had never heard of a fear so noble. Meg knew that Hades always spoke of man’s universal fears as sin and death. But Meg realized that Hercules did not truly fear these things. He did not fear death, nor did he fear sin.
“Is there any weakness in you?” asked Meg. “Or are you altogether super-human? I know that I have many more fears than that.”
“Life is not about weakness, but about strength,” replied Hercules. “Hades focuses on weaknesses and sure, if you look in the world of men, you will find weakness. If I looked at everyone’s weaknesses in the world I wouldn’t want to save it. But I have learned not to dwell on people’s weaknesses, for to do so would be certain death to the hero’s mission.”
The God of Olympus Page 15