by Simon Hawke
"Well, you know him best, Hylas," Jason said. He smiled and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I will leave the welfare of the son of Zeus in your capable hands."
As the ship set sail up the Bosporous, Hylas appointed himself nurse to Andre, as well. He rubbed some balm into her wounds that he said always worked wonders on his master and he changed her bandages, made from some of the spare clothing the Dalions had given them. He brought food to her and fresh water to drink.
"How old are you, Hylas?" Andre asked.
"Sixteen, my lady."
"Indeed? You seem younger."
"It is because I am so small. I am as nothing next to Hercules. I am not as small and weak as I once was, though. I have grown stronger from carrying my master's weapons and from trying to work with them. Hercules teaches me so that I might be an armorer one day. It seems it is not my fate to be a hero, like my master and the others."
She smiled. "You admire Hercules very much, don't you?"
"He is the greatest man alive!"
"How long have you known him?"
"Many years, my lady. Since I was but a child."
"How did you meet?"
"My parents were killed by bandits," Hylas said. "Hercules came and rescued me from them. With my parents dead, I had no one left. At first, Hercules told me I could stay with him until we found someone to take me in, but who would want another's child, one so small and frail that anyone could see he would be of little use, only another mouth to feed. When he saw that no one wanted me, Hercules said I could remain with him. He understood my feelings. It is because…" Hylas lowered his voice, "… he sometimes has trouble speaking. Not all the time. Whenever there is hero's work to be done, his voice flows forth as befits the son of Zeus. But at other times, his voice often stumbles and fails him."
Hylas leaned closer to her. "I think it is because he is so big," he said softly, almost whispering. "He is a giant among men and the world was made for men, not giants. No matter where he goes, people cannot help but stare at him. Often, he must bend down and walk sideways to enter through a doorway. I have seen him sit down in a chair, only to have the chair break beneath his weight and send him crashing to the floor. Then he must pick himself up and as he does so, no one looks and no one laughs, for who would dare to laugh at Hercules? Still, I have seen his face burning with shame because he knows that they have seen. He knows that they will doubtless laugh after we have gone. You have heard his voice when he is roused to anger, how it rings out like thunder? Yet, at other times, his voice is soft and low and he falters in his speech. I think it is because he is afraid to loose that godlike voice. I think that he does not wish to seem too proud."
"And so you become his voice," said Andre. "It is because I have been with him so long, I know what he would say even as he thinks it. I know what is in his heart. You see, we are somewhat alike, but not in any way that you might notice. He is only half a god who must live in a world of lesser men and I am only half a boy who must live in a world where only little children can look up to me. Each of us, in his own way, does not belong with others, so we belong to one another."
Andre reached out and touched his cheek. "You may be small, Hylas, but in some ways you stand above most men."
He stared at her, puzzled. "In what ways, my lady?"
"You see things more clearly than most men do and you understand them better. It is the rarest of all gifts. Perhaps that is why the gods have made you small. So you would not be envied."
"I had never thought of that," said Hylas. "Can it be true?"
"The greatest gifts are those that are not easily discerned," said Andre. "Those who have them are often not aware of them and if they are, they do not hold them up for all to see."
"You must be very wise, my lady."
Andre shook her head. "No, Hylas, I am not wise. But I have been to many places and I have witnessed many things. And I once had a little brother who was very much like you."
"What became of him?"
Andre sat silent for a moment. "He was killed."
"I am very sorry."
She nodded. "So am I, Hylas. You would have liked him. And he would have liked you."
"If I remind you of him, I am glad," said Hylas.
"Thank you," Andre said. "I think I will rest now and have some sleep. Wake me if I am needed."
"I will, my lady. If you need me, you have but to call. I wish you pleasant dreams."
They rowed slowly as they approached the end of the Bosporous. Between them and the Euxine Sea, rocks protruded from the water like jagged teeth, some small, some large enough to form small islands. They had taken down the sail and Mopsus stood in the prow, taking soundings with a weighted rope and watching for rocks that were submerged. Even the smallest of them could easily tear the bottom out of the ship and the larger ones had jagged edges extending out just below the water.
"Slowly," Argus cautioned the rowers from his position at the tiller. "Slowly, now."
Mopsus kept calling out the depths, so that Argus could steer away from unseen hazards. The ship slid between the rocks as if cautiously picking its way through an obstacle course. They could hear waves crashing against the two giant rock formations at the far end of the stone forest, two towering spires between which they would have to pass.
"We are almost through," Mopsus shouted from the prow. "Once we pass between those two mountains of rock, we shall be clear and in the open sea once more."
"Remain alert!" Argus shouted from the aft end of the ship. "They may be wider at the base, below the surface. We must not scrape against them!"
"Or be crushed between them, either," Steiger said, wryly.
"Don't even joke about it," said Delaney as they rowed together. "Let's not tempt the gods, okay?"
"A storm is coming," Jason called out.
"But the sky is clear," said Orpheus.
"I heard thunder."
"You heard the waves crashing on the rocks," said Theseus.
"No, something else. Thunder, from far away."
"I heard it, too," said Idmon. "And I feel that it is very close."
The ship started to pass slowly between the giant rocks. No one could help staring up at the walls towering above them.
"There!" said Jason. "Listen!"
This time, there was no mistaking the sound, a deep, far off rumbling which grew in volume as the Argo slid between the rocks. Small stones started to rain down on the ship from above, then, ahead of them, larger pieces of rock fell into the water, some quite close to the ship, sending up sprays which soaked them all.
"They're moving!" Mopsus shouted hoarsely. Unmistakably, the walls of rock to either side of them were shifting, moving inwards, closer to the ship. "We'll be crushed!" Idmon shouted. "Damn it, you had to say it, didn't you?" Delaney said, giving Steiger a venomous look.
"Row!" shouted Argus, leaning on the tiller. "Put your backs into it! Row for your lives!''
He shouted out a fast cadence as the Argonauts pulled for all they were worth. Rock debris fell all around them, some pieces striking the ship and holing the deck in places. One large piece fell directly in their path, striking the figurehead and jarring it loose, sending a shudder through the entire ship. The figurehead fell into the water and another rock fell near it, the water displaced by its mass pushing the figurehead toward the shuddering, moving wall of rock. The outstretched arm of the figurehead struck against the rock.
The rock suddenly started to move the other way, settling deeper in the water, sliding back away from the ship.
"Look!" shouted Jason. "The goddess pushes back the rock!"
"Pull! screamed Argus. "Pull 'til your backs break! Pull! Pull!"
The ship shot forward, clearing the rocks and entering the open water of the Euxine Sea. Behind them, the thundering, grinding noises stopped and the rocks settled in the water, lower than before, no longer moving. For a few moments, smaller pieces continued to drop into the channel between them, then all was still again.
"The goddess saved us," Jason said. "Did you see? She pushed back the rock so we could pass through unharmed!"
"An earthquake," Steiger told Delaney. "An earthquake, that's all it was."
"Sure," Delaney said. "Probably volcanic action. The bottom shifted, the rock crumbled at the base and it was just a coincidence that it settled backwards just as the figurehead drifted against it."
"Yeah, that's what it was," said Steiger.
"Right, that's what must have happened."
They looked at each other.
"Don't even think it," Steiger said.
"Think what?"
"Nothing. Never mind. Shut up and row."
8
On their third day of sailing on the Euxine Sea, the winds began to strengthen and, noting the appearance of the sky, Delaney feared the worst. Jason wouldn't hear of going in toward shore and seeking a protected bay when strong winds were prevailing. All he could think of was Colchis lying ahead of them and he was determined to take advantage of the blow. He insisted that there would be plenty of time to head toward shore if the weather took a turn for the worse. Nothing Delaney or Steiger could say would dissuade him. Argus lent his weight to their argument, but Jason wouldn't listen.
"If we ran for shore each time the sky grew a little gray," he said, "we would never reach our destination. We have fought fierce battles and emerged victorious. We have survived the Clashing Rocks. The gods watch over us. Are we to shake with fear at the merest threat of rain? "
"What's coming is a great deal more than just a little rain," Delaney said. "You've never seen a real storm at sea."
"If one comes, then I shall see it," Jason said, impatiently. "I grow weary of this journey. The gods have sent us wind to speed us on our way. I shall not fail to take advantage of their gift."
"You'll be calling it a curse before too long," Delaney said. I've been at sea before, Jason, and I'm telling you-"
"Enough!" said Jason. "Who is captain here? If you had not the nerve to make this voyage, you should not have come."
He turned away angrily and walked up forward to stand in the bow, looking out to sea intently, as if he could see Colchis just over the horizon.
"I ought to turn that kid over my knee and give him a good spanking," said Delaney.
"Well, if he wants to see a storm, he's about to get an eyeful," Steiger said.
"Get some rope," Delaney shouted. "Bring all we have. If it gets as rough as I think it's going to get, we're going to need it."
The winds continued to gather strength and the sky grew dark. The sea went from choppy to roiling and the swells grew larger, then the squall struck. The rain came down in stinging sheets and the waves crashed down upon the Argo. Jason quickly experienced a change of heart and ordered Argus to turn in toward shore. Delaney immediately contermanded his order. Jason turned on him furiously.
"You must be mad!" he shouted. "At the first sign of a little wind, you plead to go ashore and now you wish to head out for the open sea? You would take us from safety to disaster! What do you wish to do, drown us all? To shore, Argus!"
"You fool," Delaney said. "It's too late now. We won't even reach the shore in these conditions, whether the gods are watching over us or not! We'll be battered to bits by the waves or smashed upon a reef! Our only chance now is to head out to open sea and ride the storm out!"
"And if your house were to catch fire, you would run into the flames? I have never heard such nonsense! Argus, steer to ward shore!"
"Jason, my lad, I'm about to show you something else that happens at sea sometimes," Delaney said. "It's called a mutiny."
He dropped Jason with a hard right cross to the jaw. "Lash him down!" he yelled to Steiger. "The rest of you, take some rope and tie yourselves to something or you'll be swept overboard!"
He ran back to join Argus and they lashed themselves to the tiller together. The other Argonauts were in no mood for argument. The wind was screaming like a hundred banshees and the waves were crashing down upon the deck, soaking them all and knocking them off their seats. They moved quickly to secure the oars and tie themselves down.
Delaney estimated that the gale was at least Force 9. The waves were now cresting at about 30 feet and the Argo was being tossed about as if it were a toy. There was no point in trying to rig some sort of sea anchor, the Argo was too large for such a solution to be practical. The greatest danger to the ship was not the winds, but the seas shaped by those winds.
In such conditions, the Argo could easily be knocked down or the waves could come aboard and pound the deck to splinters. Even with the sail down, the mast might be torn away and if the distance between the waves was less from crest to crest than twice the length of the Argo, the ship would come over one wave and crash into the next as if it were a solid wall. The different movements of the water at the tops and bottoms of the swells created strong turning forces on the ship, inviting the danger of a broach.
Delaney was not for heaving to. It meant giving up control. An experienced sailor, his solution ran contrary to what common sense would seem to dictate. It terrified the Argonauts and even Argus thought it was insane. Both Steiger and Delaney were grateful for the fact that the crew had tied themselves down, otherwise they might have interfered.
Instead of taking down the sail, Delaney did just the opposite. With Steiger working on deck with the aid of an improvised safety line, they ran under full sail, surfing down the waves at a twenty degree angle to the crest. The idea was to keep the ship sailing as fast as possible and to avoid allowing the sea to get dead behind them, for if the ship sailed straight down a wave, the bow would almost certainly "catch" on the next wave and the ship would flip end over end.
Riding out the storm in the open sea was far less hazardous than it would have been to take the ship close in to land. There, they would have risked running into unseen capes or sandbars or crunching on a reef due to lack of visibility. The currents close in to land in heavy weather would be completely unpredictable and there was the risk of outlying rocks and tidal bores, tidal floods which ran roaring into rivers or narrow bays in a succession of large, irregularly breaking waves that could broach the ship or hurl it up onto a reef or beach.
Delaney held the ship on course for the open sea as he and Argus leaned their combined weight on the tiller. The Argo rose up on the swells as if it were climbing vertical walls, then shot down the faces of the waves into the troughs between them. The Argonauts soon saw the reason why they had been directed to secure themselves, as the waves swept over the ship and forced their bodies to strain against the ropes which held them. With a modern yacht, such conditions would have been arduous enough, but with a primitive vessel like the Argo, it was torture.
Argus quickly assimilated Delaney's technique of running full tilt before the storm and ceased to require prompting, but after several hours of such punishment, the old shipbuilder's strength started to give out and soon he was little more than dead weight on the tiller. Suddenly Hercules appeared at Delaney's side, having fought his way back to them. He untied Argus and lowered him down, then secured him once again and took the tiller with Delaney. Together, with their hair and beards matted down and the spray stinging their muscles and threatening to blind them, they strained against the tiller and controlled the ship on its roller coaster ride up and down the swells. They fought the storm all night, sailing more by feel than by sight, for it was impossible to see well in the hurricane force winds.
By dawn, the winds started to die down and soon the sea was once more choppy and covered with whitecaps. As the sun came up, the storm moved past them and the seas grew calmer. They were out of sight of land. Argus, though still weary, took over the tiller and steered south toward shore as Hercules helped Delaney down, supporting his weight with an arm around his shoulders.
"Aren't you even tired?" asked Delaney.
"You have l-labored for m-m-much l-longer than I," said Hercules. "Sleep now."
"Right," Delaney murmured.
"Wake me when we get to Colchis."
He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.
"Let him sleep," said Jason, who had recovered from Delaney's blow in plenty of time to see the worst of the storm. "He has earned his rest and my respect. We have seen Poseidon's fury unleashed and he faced it without fear. Truly, he must be in favor with the gods."
"If he were," Steiger mumbled under his breath, "he wouldn't be here."
"It is as I have always known," said Jason. "When right is on one's side, one must prevail. And we have prevailed. Titans, winged demons, clashing rocks, the fury of the sea, all have tried to stop us and we have prevailed over all. The mightiest of forces have been aligned against us and we have defeated each of them."
"Yet not without cost," said Idmon. He was staring off into the distance.
"Come, soothsayer," Theseus said, "after the fearsome foes that we have faced, what is there left to fear?"
"I cannot say," said Idmon. "My vision is not always clear. Still I perceive a danger that seems inexplicable to me. The vision seems quite strong."
"What vision, soothsayer?" Theseus said. "What danger is it that lies ahead of us?"
"One of us shall die soon," Idmon said. "I cannot see which one. Yet death seems very near. And death from a most unexpected source." He looked around at all of them, as if something in their faces would make the vision clearer. "You will think me mad," he said, "but I see that one of us shall be felled by a feather."
"We must be getting close to shore," said Jason, pointing to the south. "See? A flock of birds."
"Can you see land?" asked Theseus.
Jason shook his head. "Not yet, but it cannot be far away. It will be good to reach our destination. I am weary of the sea."
"We still have to return," said Orpheus.
"But we will not be returning empty-handed," Jason said, grinning. "We shall have the golden fleece aboard with us and a kingdom will be mine to claim when we reach home."