 
Son of Zeus

by

Hercules Bantas

Copyright Hercules Bantas 2014

Cover image by Aidan Kelly

Published by Reluctant Geek

Note: This is a work of fiction based on a myth that is thousands of years old. Names, characters, places, and incidents contained within this text are products of the author's imagination and are completely fictitious. If there are any resemblances to actual incidents, places, or persons (living or dead) within this text, then they are unintended coincidences.

Table of Contents

Son of Zeus

The Lion of Nemea

The Hydra

Herakles the Argonaut

The Boar of Erymanthus

The Stables of Augeias

The Stymphalian Birds

The Cretan Bull

The Mares of Diomedes

Against the Amazons

The Cattle of Geryon

Atlas and the Golden Apples

Kerberos

Herakles the Murderer

Herakles the Slave

When it comes to Herakles, Hollywood has it all wrong. In Hellenic mythology, where his legend was born, the most famous son of Zeus was anything but a squeaky clean, square-jawed hero. Herakles's true nature emerged in his teens when he beat his music teacher to death with the man's own lyre - a fitting prelude to the years of violence that were to come.

_Herakles was big. He was angry. He was pathologically violent. In short, he was the world's first anti-hero._ Named Alkides at birth, this is the story of the penance that the most famous son of Zeus had to pay for a horrific crime, a price so steep that we remember it still.

Son of Zeus

The beast pricked its ears and a growl rumbled deep in its throat. The unmistakable stench of men had penetrated the fetid atmosphere of its den and disturbed its slumber. The monster had been born a lion, and such it was despite being twice the size of the greatest of its brothers. Its vast bulk and strength marked it as a throwback to ancient times before men had come, when lions without manes had roamed throughout the lands bringing terror and death to all other beasts.

Men had driven its ancestors deep into the hills where they had dwindled and become less ferocious. So it was justice, of a sort, that saw this beast that was named the Lion of Kithairon, feed upon the men who had named it. Despite its size, it was young in years and its strength had lent it an arrogance rarely seen in the animal world. Its eyes had never fallen upon a foe it could not defeat, nor upon prey it could not slaughter. When it was a newborn cub, its mother had tried to teach it the danger of men, that they had long claws and hard skins. She tried to teach the beast to avoid men, but it could not understand. In its eyes, men were meat with which it could briefly sate its ever-present hunger. And so the beast did not turn away when it met men.

Against the teachings of its mother, it killed and devoured all the men it encountered as if they were ordinary animals. And the more it killed, the more they came, because men cannot let a threat lie. Some had managed to stay alive long enough to scar its hide, but they were few and far between. Its great paws batted away sword and spear, its claws sliced through bronze armor as if it were flesh, and its great jaws snapped bone and tore muscle.

With the grace of all things feline, the terrible beast rose and padded silently out of its cave and into the cool morning air. It made its way to a crevice in the rocky hills from where it could pounce upon any who approached. It had ambushed many men here in the past, in the narrow space between the rocks that restricted sword and spear and ensured that only one man could face it at a time. From its perch above the crevice, it would drop down and push its victim off his feet before tearing at legs and torso with claw and fang.

It tested the air again and settled down to wait. There was only one, which was curious. Men usually came in numbers.

(ii)

'I am Alkides, son of Zeus,' the young man bellowed into the air. King Thespios had counseled him to approach the lair silently and with caution, but Alkides was not in the habit of creeping about. 'I come to avenge my people and bring glory to Zeus!' he shouted, then drew his sword and stepped forward, shield held above his head.

The few who had survived the lion's den told how the beast had dropped upon them from the cliffs above the chasm leading to its lair, and Alkides was not one to ignore such knowledge. The gorge was long and narrow and he had barely covered half its length before the lion pounced. It sprung down onto his shield, expecting to knock him to the ground as it had so many others, but Alkides was no ordinary man. His strength was legend, even so early in his life, and he stood head and shoulders above all other men in Thebes.

Alkides did not crumble at the lion's first assault, as all the others had before him, but held his feet and twisted his shield to throw the lion to the ground. It fell heavily, and scattered the debris of its many kills in all directions. Bent shields, broken swords and gnawed bones covered the ground of the chasm - a legacy of the many that it had already devoured - but it sprung up again instantly. For a frozen moment, man and beast faced one another, both crouched and poised for battle.

Again, the lion pounced and again Alkides fended it off with his shield, but this time it brought a huge paw around as it fell back. The beast's razor sharp claws sheared the shield in two and the force of the blow knocked the sword from the man's grasp.

Weaponless but unable to restrain his battle lust, Alkides bounded after the beast as it tumbled back and struck it in the head with what was left of his shield. With amazing strength, he lifted the stunned animal off the ground and drove it, head first, into the cliff wall.

Thinking it unconscious, Alkides bent to pick up the sword and finish the job, but dispatching such a monster would not be so easy. It regained its senses as the son of Zeus turned for the sword and charged with its huge maw open.

Alkides sensed the lion's movement and dove forward as he picked up his blade. With an uncanny agility that such a big man could not possibly possess, he twisted back up onto one knee to face the threat and thrust the sword up and out towards the lion as it charged.

The momentum of the beast's assault pushed the sword into the roof of its mouth and out through its right ear. Two of its fangs pierced the skin of Alkides's forearm, but it was dead before it could close its jaws.

His opponent vanquished, Alkides used a scrap of cloth from the debris at his feet to stem the flow of blood from his arm. He did not worry about the wound festering - the blood of Olympians flowed through his veins and it did not easily taint.

(iii)

Back at his camp near a crossroad on the road to Thebes, Alkides was skinning the lion when he heard a noise behind him.

'Son of Zeus, why do you labor so?' a feminine voice said.

The startled young man scrambled to his feet, drew his sword, and turned to face the voice. He saw two women sitting on stones a few yards from the fire, identical in face and body. One was dressed in a severe white robe and with her hair hidden by a scarf, while the other wore a dress so revealing she may as well have been wearing nothing at all.

'Who are you to ask such questions?' he said, putting away the sword and returning to his work. While he was surprised, he could see no threat from these two.

'I am Virtue and this is my sister Pleasure,' said the woman with the scarf. 'We have come to offer you your destiny.'

'You offer me my destiny? I don't want to offend either of you,' Alkides said, 'but how can you offer me something which is my own to forge? Nor have I ever heard of such a thing happening to anyone else.'

'The fate of one such as you is uncertain,' Virtue said, 'the child of one Olympian and the enemy of another.'

Pleasure said nothing, but sat and stared at the young man with naked lust in her eyes.

Alkides looked up sharply. 'If it is Hera to whom you refer, then you are wrong. She is not my enemy, nor am I her's.'

'She is your enemy even if you deny it. You are the product of her husband's infidelity and that makes her blood boil,' Virtue said. 'She sent serpents to kill you when you were just a babe in the cradle, and she plots your demise still.'

Alkides snorted his derision and returned to his work.

'Now that you have killed the Lion of Kithairon, do you think yourself redeemed for the murder of Linos?' Virtue asked.

'I did not murder Linos. He struck me first and I had the right to defend myself.'

'A teacher should be able to strike a wayward student,' Virtue said. 'How else can he teach his reluctant charges? Poor Linos, he was probably the first teacher to be bludgeoned to death with his own lyre.'

'Who are you to question the judgment of Thebes?'

'Yes, sister, who are you to question the justice of Thebes?' Pleasure said, and got to her feet. 'Linos was a fool to strike one as virile and as volatile as this son of Zeus.'

Alkides stopped working and turned back to look at the two women. He seemed on the verge of saying something, but thought better of it and returned to his task.

'If it wasn't murder,' Virtue said, 'then why did Amphitryon send you away from your lessons? Surely, tending cows is not glamorous enough a vocation for one such as yourself.'

Alkides kept working.

'He was not banished, sister, just given a moment to reflect upon who he is,' Pleasure said. 'Amphitryon, the man who raised him as his own son, always knew the worth of this young man, which is why he sent him to slay the Lion where so many others had failed. You have done your job, Alkides,' she took a step forward and shed what little clothing she wore. 'Come with me now and claim your reward.'

Alkides looked long and hard at the naked Pleasure—which was an easy thing to do—but however beautiful she was, however sweet her voice or alluring her body, he knew this was more test than temptation. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips and he turned his attention back to the job of separating the lion from its skin.

'King Thespios will be happy when you present him with the pelt,' Virtue said. 'Have you met his daughters?'

Alkides couldn't help but smile. 'Met them? I have bedded forty nine of the fifty!'

'And the fiftieth?' Virtue asked.

'Ahh, she was a pretty thing but so innocent. It was she who told me that I had been with all her sisters. They came to me in the darkness of night and never said a word so I had thought them all the same girl forty nine times.'

'Thespios is no fool. Fifty children fathered by a son of Zeus would be a boon to any King,' Virtue said. 'Why did you not bed the youngest one?'

'She loves another,' Alkides said.

'Then she is a fool,' Pleasure said. 'Come now, let me be the fiftieth.'

'There you have your choice,' Virtue said. 'Go now with my sister and your destiny will be a life of pleasure, but your legacy will fade from the world and men will eventually forget your name. But if you choose to resist the wiles of Pleasure and choose the difficult path of duty to your people, then your name will live in the hearts and minds of men forever. What is your choice?'

Alkides turned back to the carcass of the lion. 'My choice is to finish my work and then go to sleep. The sun sinks and I still have much to do.'

When he next looked up, the women were gone.

(iv)

Alkides found it troubling that his encounter with the two nymphs the evening before had unnerved him more than his battle with the Lion of Kithairon. Although he had not spoken a choice, he was aware that he had elected to follow the path of Virtue, and was curious to see where his choice would lead.

Despite Pleasure's obvious charms, Alkides found the choice he made had been plain in his mind. Although still no more than a youth, his birth and masculinity had made him very popular in Thebes, and so his experiences with love and lust had been extensive. The people of Thebes had offered him everything he could possibly desire, and much that he did not know he desired until he'd experienced them. They had denied him nothing, and given him everything.

Alkides had lived an indulgent life, of that there was no doubt, and while he had enjoyed every carnal pleasures in the moment, they had proved to be hollow and distracting, and quickly forgotten. However, the satisfaction and pride he felt when he excelled at anything - he outstripped his peers in horsemanship, archery, and most everything else except music - was far more fulfilling. On the day he had killed a monster so powerful that it was threatening an entire city, his choice had been easy.

The day was bright, and the sun shone down through the trees in a pleasing way. Alkides stretched out on the patch of grass that had been his bed for the night and stared up at Helios steering his chariot across the sky. The charioteer of the sun had made his journey every day since the creation of the world, except for the one day that Zeus had gone to Alkmena, Alkides's mother, disguised as Amphitryon. On that day, Helios unhitched his chariot so that Zeus could spend a night with Alkmena that lasted as long as three. Love, Alkides philosophized, can make even the Gods behave in strange ways.

Would his father have made the same choice he had? Probably not. Zeus was the most powerful of the Olympians and did pretty much as he pleased. In a strange way, his father had no destiny to forge.

Alkides sighed deeply and went to tend the fire, which had almost gone out during the night. He had planned to head to Thesias immediately after he had killed the lion and present King Thespios with the pelt, but the urgency with which he had started his quest had faded. He had woken hungry, and the thought of breakfasting on the bread and cheese he had brought as provisions did not excite him.

Taking up his bow and quiver, Alkides set out to find some meat and soon returned with a small deer, which he skinned, gutted, and put on a makeshift spit over the fire. It wasn't long before the tantalizing smell of roasting meat filled the air and drew more unexpected visitors to his camp.

'You there, will you share your meal with the Heralds of King Erginos of the Minyans?' said one of two mounted men who rode up to the camp from the nearby road. Alkides could see a further dozen or so foot soldiers marching in their wake.

'As a man of Thebes, I have no love for your kind. There are plenty of deer to be had throughout the woods. If you are so hungry for meat, hunt some for yourselves.'

'The men of Thebes have always been fools,' said the second mounted man. 'That is why the tribute we were sent to collect by our King is so impressive. It was one hundred cattle, but now it will be one hundred cattle, one deer, and a beating for an insolent fool.'

Alkides jumped to his feet and drew his sword.

'See how foolish these Thebans are? Outnumbered ten to one and he refuses to lie down and take his punishment,' the first rider said, and turned to the foot soldiers who had drawn up behind him. 'We will make an example of him. Take off his nose, ears and hands and send him to the King of Thebes to remind him why the tribute is so large.'

The words of the envoy of the Minyans so enraged Alkides that he could contain himself no longer. 'For Thebes,' he cried and leapt over the fire to fall upon the surprised soldiers beyond. He was still in the air when his sword pierced the chest of the first soldier and his momentum coming down pushed it right through the man's body and into the chest of the man standing behind. Unable to wrench the sword free because the hilt had become wedged, Alkides used his fists to pummel a third soldier. He knocked off the man's helm with the first devastating blow and crushed his head with the second.

Watching three of their number fall in the twinkling of an eye drained the remaining foot soldiers of bravery and they fled before the fury of the man mountain assailing them. The two mounted envoys weren't so easily intimidated, however, and drew their swords. They had obviously fought together before because, without uttering a word, they rode off in opposite directions from the young Theban, and turned at exactly the same time to charge him.

Alkides did not have time to free his sword, and could only twist under the flashing blades when the mounted men swung their weapons. He managed to grab the wrist of the first envoy as he passed by and drag him off his horse.

Leaving the man stunned on the ground, Alkides then chased after the second envoy and vaulted onto the back of his horse as he was trying to turn. He punched the surprised man in the back of the head and threw the unconscious body to the ground.

'The men of Thebes do not take kindly to threats,' Alkides said. He pulled his sword free of the two corpses in which it had become wedged and cut off the ears and noses of the two envoys. He then took off their hands at the wrist before sealing the wounds with a burning brand from the fire. 'You can tell your King that this is all the tribute that Alkides, son of Zeus, thinks he deserves.'

Although tempted to await the return of the soldiers so that he could complete his victory over the enemies of Thebes, Alkides decided he had better bring news of what had happened to Amphitryon. He knew the King of the Minyans would not take kindly to such an offence and Thebes needed to muster an army to meet the assault. He hastily gathered his possessions, rounded up the two horses, and rode as fast as he could back home.

(v)

Alkides first brought the news of his encounter with the Minyan envoys to Amphitryon, who took it surprisingly well. 'It is about time Thebes stood up to King Erginos and his band of thieves,' he said.

Joined by Iphikles, Alkides's half-brother, they went before King Kreon to make the case for war.

'There is no doubt that the tribute was steep, but it bought peace for many years which is a rarity in the civilized lands of Hellas,' Kreon said. 'Erginos is a grandson of Poseidon and not someone to be trifled with.'

'They openly mock us, my King, boasting to all who would listen that they have the Thebans frightened out of their wits,' Amphitryon said. 'Alkides was not the first to hear such insults, but he must be the last.'

'Since when do the men of Thebes bow to fear?' said a voice from above the throne.

The four looked up and saw the Goddess Athena holding a sword, a shield, and a javelin. They all fell to the floor in supplication, but none could take his eyes off the Goddess.

'What is your council, wise Athena?' King Kreon asked.

'You have enraged Erginos and he musters his armies as we speak. These weapons are for the son of Zeus, to help him battle the enemies of Thebes.' Athena drifted down and handed Alkides the weapons, then vanished as suddenly as she had appeared.

'A son of Zeus marches with us and we have the blessings of Athena. You are right, Amphitryon, it is time to meet the Minyans on the field of battle,' Kreon said and returned to his throne. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands in front of him. 'Erginos has a bodyguard who fight with him but, as the most skilled fighter of all the Minyans, he still stands at the very right of their lines. We four are the greatest of the warriors of Thebes, of that there can be no doubt, and I propose that we do not join the ranks because that will put us on the opposite side of Erginos. Instead, we will ride and make the enemy think us cavalry to run down any who flee, but that is where they will be wrong.'

(vi)

The Thebans waited impatiently for Erginos and his army to reach them, and at one point even feared that the King of Minyans may have let the insult pass. But eventually, the men from Orkhomenos arrived and it was arranged that the two armies would meet on the plains outside the city.

Alkides looked proudly at the hundreds of Theban Hoplites marching in a rank eight deep, the sun gleaming on their banded bronze armor. He wore similar armor, but carried a lance instead of a shield and sat astride a horse amongst thirty other mounted men, arranged in a diamond directly behind the infantry.

The plan that Kreon had hatched was a simple one. The horsemen would wait until the two lines of infantry had almost met and then ride around to fall upon the enemy's right flank. Alkides was to kill Erginos while the others were to occupy his bodyguard. Iphikles had the task of staying with his brother and protecting his back, while Kreon and Amphitryon were to make sure the small Minyan cavalry stayed clear of the battle.

The riders formed up in a diamond so that there would always be a leader, whichever way they were to turn. Kreon rode at one point of the diamond, and would lead them out past their own lines. Amphitryon was on the point to Kreon's right and would lead them clear of the Theban infantry. It was then up to Alkides, who rode at the opposite point to Kreon, to lead the mounted warriors to the flanks of the enemy line.

When he had judged that the time was right, Kreon gave the command and the diamond moved forward. Alkides maintained his place in the formation, but his attentions wavered. The sight of an armed and hostile enemy invading his homeland made his blood boil. By the time Amphitryon took the lead, Alkides could barely contain his fury.

When his time finally came, Alkides let out a mighty roar and spurred his horse into a gallop towards the invaders. He had never before seen Erginos, but it was obvious who he was. The son of Poseidon marched in the most vulnerable position in his army, unprotected by the shield of another. His bravery and the strength of his arm were legend amongst the fighting men of Orkhomenos, who were braver and more ferocious because of his presence.

At the sight of the man who had dishonored Thebes for so many years, Alkides lost all control. All sights and sounds faded into the background save for the pounding of the blood in his veins. He did not see the Minyan cavalry fall upon his companions, nor did he see Amphitryon turn the diamond to face the new threat, leaving only Alkides and Iphikles to charge the massed infantry on their own.

The Minyan hoplites near Erginos were his bodyguard and were the most fearsome warriors in the army. They jeered at the two screaming fools charging towards them, and hurled insults about their state of mind. Two Minyans in the rear ranks turned their spears towards Alkides and Iphikles to stop the charge, while the others maintained their focus on the approaching Theban line.

At the last second, Alkides swerved his horse to the right to avoid the raised spears of the defenders. He absorbed the shock of his lance that skewered the man behind Erginos, but the spear shattered and left him with only a sliver in his hand. Beneath him, his mount screamed and fell with a Minyan spear caught in its throat.

Alkides threw himself to the right as the horse buckled beneath him and landed on his feet with sword already drawn. He charged into the Minyan infantry, oblivious to everything except the need to kill. In his wake, Iphikles parried the swords and spears of those who tried to attack the son of Zeus from behind.

Alkides's strength made even his broken spear a weapon, and his sword was an arcing agent of death. Four Minyans fell to his assault without knowing who had assailed them. Others saw his fury and balked. Only one stood before him unflinching and it was Erginos, King of the Minyans.

'Ah, you must be Alkides, the fool who started the war that will see Thebes burnt to the ground.'

Unlike many of his peers, Alkides was not one to use words in situations where actions could be far more eloquent. He snarled and launched himself at Erginos, who blocked the blow with his shield and twisted away.

'It is as I thought. You are a grunting barbarian without honor or grace.'

'Shut up and fight,' Alkides growled and again launched himself at Erginos, who parried the sword thrust and struck Alkides in the head with his shield, but the blow did not have the effect he was expecting.

Instead of stumbling about in a stunned stupor as Erginos had anticipated, Alkides grabbed hold of the trailing edge of Erginos's shield with his left hand. The King of the Minyans was surprised at this tactic and tried to shake the man loose, but his grip was like iron. With a strength that was inhuman, Alkides forced Erginos's shield up and away from his body and then thrust his sword deep into the King's exposed chest.

Those Minyans who saw their great leader fall so easily lost the heart for the fight and broke from formation just as the two lines collided. The Thebans, aware that Alkides had unnerved the enemy roared in triumph and pressed the advantage.

His bloodlust far from sated, Alkides launched himself once again at the soldiers of Orkhomenos. He used his great strength to push through the shield wall and stab and hack at the bodies behind. It did not take long for the Thebans to push through the thinned ranks at the right of the Minyan line and turn to strike at the heart of the invading host. Demoralized and leaderless, the Minyans turned and fled.

The battle disintegrated into a bloody carnage as the men of Thebes set off in pursuit. Although he was amongst the pursuing host, Alkides remembered little of the chase. All that remained in his mind was the overpowering smell of blood and the screams of the injured and dying. He did not know how long he fought, or how far he had pursued the fleeing enemy, but when there was no one left to fight, the fury left him and he turned back towards Thebes. Of Amphitryon or Kreon there was no sign, but a lone figure some way away bore a resemblance to his brother, so he made his way towards him.

'A great victory, brother,' Alkides said, but Iphikles did not look up.

'He died in battle, as a warrior should.'

Alkides looked down at his brother's feet and saw the body of Amphitryon, the man who was his father in everything but name.

'Come, brother,' Alkides said. 'One last task remains for us today.' The two men carefully placed the bloodied and mutilated body onto a shield that Alkides liberated from the battlefield and, together, they carried him back to Thebes.

(vii)

Watching Alkmena prepare Amphityron's body for burial was one of the most difficult things Alkides had done in his young life. Together with his brother, they watched her as she worked to ensure their father's passage into the afterlife. It was obvious that she was proud of her husband, but her grief at losing him often overcame her as she toiled over his body, and she frequently broke down and wept.

It dawned on Alkides as he watched Alkmena toil through her pain and sorrow that this was why Zeus needed to disguise himself when he had come to her. Even the greatest of the Olympians would have been powerless in the face of the love that Alkmena had for her husband.

On the first day after Amphityron's death, the brothers watched Alkmena wash and anoint the body of their father. She cleaned his many wounds, and washed off the grime of the battlefield before laying a wreath on his chest and Charon's coin on his lips. On the second day, the people of Thebes came to pay their respects and Alkmena greeted them all and thanked them for their kind words. Before dawn on the third day, the two brothers carried the body to the grave, led by his grieving wife.

Amphityron's was not the only burial that day, being three days after a battle in which many men had died, but it was the most significant. Although not born of Thebes, Amphitryon had been loved and respected by all, especially the King. Over the years, he had become Kreon's most trusted advisor and friend, and Alkides could see the King felt the loss keenly.

Other women wailed and tore at their hair and clothes as they led their husbands to the grave, but not Alkmena. She only chanted softly as she walked, but the agony of her loss radiated off her like heat from a flame, and none who saw her doubted that she truly grieved her husband's death.

'Your grief is plain for all to see, Alkmena,' King Kreon said as they walked from the grave, 'but is there no joy for you this day? Your husband fought bravely, as did your sons. They liberated Thebes from a crippling tribute and brought great honor to the city and themselves.'

'I am very proud of my husband, my King, but the pain of losing him overshadows all other emotions.'

'Then I have news that should lift your spirits and alleviate at least some of your anguish. I want to give my two daughters to your two sons as brides - my eldest daughter Megara for Alkides and Henoixi for Iphicles. What greater reward can I give to the family that has done so much for Thebes?'

Alkmena did not have the time to reply for the Gods chose that moment to descend from Olympus. Athena appeared on the path before Alkides, who had been walking ahead of everyone else, preferring to be alone with his thoughts on this somber day.

'Kreon speaks wisdom,' Athena said looking directly at Alkmena, who had prostrated herself before the Goddess. 'What better time to reward bravery than when the brave are mourning the loss of those who did not survive the battle? The dead will find their reward in the underworld, where those who are worthy reside forever at ease in Elysium, but the living must be 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 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 Hera's 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 name 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 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 more 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 sat daydreaming and kill everyone in Thebes?

'No!' he screamed. 'Where are they? I'll kill you all!'

There was a sound beside him that could only have been an enemy trying to flank him. Alkides threw himself to the right and down, but it wasn't enough. He felt a crushing pain in his back just before consciousness left him.

(x)

When he next opened his eyes, Alkides saw the concerned face of Iphikles looking down at him.

'Brother! You are alive!' Alkides exclaimed. 'What of the others? Are the enemies gone?'

Iphikles shook his head. 'There were no enemies,' he said. 'It was a madness sent by Hera to plague you. If it had not been for Athena knocking you out with a stone, many more would have died, and you amongst them.'

Alkides sat up. 'A madness? How can this be? I saw the enemies of Thebes with my own eyes. They were coming to take our children. In fact, I slew two of them myself.'

'They were not enemies you slew,' Iphikles said. 'They were your sons.'

'Don't speak such things!' Alkides said, with anger in his voice. 'My children are my heart. I would do nothing to hurt them.'

'Nevertheless,' Iphikles said.

The grief in his brother's voice caused Alkides to pause. 'Is this true? How can it be?'

It was only when Kreon entered the room that Alkides noticed the darkness. 'Where is the sun? Has Helios abandoned his chariot?'

'No, Alkides. You have lain as if dead for three days. We thought you gone, never to rejoin the land of the living as punishment for the heinous crime you had committed,' the King said. 'Had it not been for the word of Athena, who stood over you and protected you from the wrath of Thebes, you would have been hacked to pieces by the citizens of the city you swore to protect.'

Alkides looked about him, unable to put his thoughts into words.

'They are truly dead?' he stammered out, after a moment, 'and by my hand?'

'By your hand, yes, but not by you,' Iphikles said. 'At Hera's request, Lyssa descended upon you and drove you mad.'

Alkides looked bereft; a man lost and unable to see his way clear. But only for a moment. The steel returned to his eyes and he stood up off the bed. 'There is only one action left to me,' he said and reached for his brother's sword, which was leaning on the wall beside him.

Kreon and Iphikles both realized that Alkides was about to take his own life and launched themselves at him, but they may as well have been trying to stop the ocean's tide. They hung from the arms of the huge man like puppets on a string.

Alkides paused with the point of the blade held just below his ribcage. 'Please, my friends, you cannot stop me,' he said. 'My crime is too great a burden to bear and even my life will be too small a penance.'

A bright light appeared by the door, and from within it came Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. She gestured and the sword flew from Alkides's grasp and buried itself to the hilt in the wall above his head. 'Hades is ill prepared for one such as you, Alkides son of Zeus, and your penance in the underworld would be great indeed,' she said. 'Better to atone for your crimes in the land of the living, despite how long and difficult your penance may be, than suffer an eternity in Hades's domain.'

'And what of Hera's penance?' Alkides said, anger replacing the sorrow in his voice. He reached up and pulled the sword free of the wall. Athena gestured again, but Alkides held the weapon in a grip stronger than the will of the Gods.

'I followed the path of virtue as I said I would. The people of Thebes have never been safer than while I was their guardian. How does such duty earn me such a reward? Why were my children killed? What will Hera's punishment be since it is she who sent the madness that killed my children? How will she atone for this catastrophe that she has caused to fall upon my family?'

'Again, your temper fails you,' Athena said. 'Hera sent the madness, true, but it was your hand that butchered the innocents. She knows that you are quick to anger and bring death to all who stand in your path, and she used this knowledge against you.'

For a moment, Alkides looked set to attack Athena, but a sadness came to his eyes and he deflated. He dropped the sword and sat down heavily upon the bed.

'All this talk of penance and punishment, and who owes what and to whom it should be paid is meaningless. My sons are dead, and more than likely buried while I lay here asleep. I did not even get the chance to see to their burial and wish them well in the underworld.'

'They are already in Hades's domain,' Athena said, 'and it is from there that I have just returned. Hades has taken pity upon these innocents and has sent them to reside forever in Elysium, the Isle of the Blessed.'

'Thank you, Athena,' Alkides said. 'Your compassion for my family makes me ashamed. I do not know why you are so kind to me, but I thank you regardless.'

'Do not forget that Zeus is my father as well,' Athena said.

Alkides dropped his head into his hands to hide his face, so that the others could not see the tears in his eyes.

'Death is not your fate, Alkides son of Zeus, but the time has come for you to leave Thebes forever,' Athena said. 'Go to Delphi and consult the oracle. She will tell you what you need to do to absolve yourself of this guilt and pain.'

Alkides looked up. 'I will go immediately,' he said. 'There is nothing for me here but painful memories.'

'I will come with you,' Iphikles said.

'No you won't,' Kreon snapped. 'Thebes can ill afford to lose its two best warriors in one day. You have a duty here, Iphikles, to your family and your people.'

'But I cannot let my brother go alone! These are his darkest days and he needs his family.'

'Send Iolaos, your oldest son,' Athena said. 'He has grown to be a fine young man and the stillness of city life sits uncomfortably on his shoulders.'

'Who am I to doubt the word of the Goddess of Wisdom?' Iphikles said, but his voice betrayed his sorrow. 'It was selfish to suggest myself, I know, but my brother and I have been together since birth and a part of me wants us to be together until death.'

'I will miss you more than anyone else,' Alkides said, 'but go now and fetch Iolaos. I want to leave as soon as possible.'

(xi)

Alkides would not even wait for the sun to rise and set off for Delphi immediately. The journey to the temple of Apollo took six days, and in all that time Alkides barely uttered a word. Iolaos sensed that his uncle was not well and performed the duties of setting up camp and preparing meals without the need to be asked, and rode much of the journey twenty paces behind. When they finally reached the journey's end, Alkides was reluctant to enter the oracle's chamber.

'A week is not enough time to grieve my loss,' he said when Iolaos had secured the horses. 'What could a mad priestess say that would make the pain lessen or the memory of my sons fade?'

'It was the counsel of Athena herself that you consult the oracle, uncle. Surely you can trust the word of one so wise.'

Alkides grimaced. 'You are right,' he said, and passed through the door into the temple.

Iolaos paused for a moment and looked about him. The temple itself was splendid and a fitting tribute to Apollo, but the darkened doorway that led to the oracle's chamber was anything but. Tendrils of smoke and steam escaped from it. He wasn't comfortable with the ways of Gods and priests, but he had come on the journey to support his uncle and he wasn't about to let him down at the last moment. Iolaos took a deep breath - in case he couldn't trust the air on the other side - and followed after his uncle.

Inside, the temple was dark. A brazier of coals glowed in the middle of the floor - the room's only illumination - and the atmosphere was thick with smoke and steam that seemed to come from the stony walls themselves. Iolaos could see little beyond the bulky frame of his uncle, which he found reassuring. Whatever monster lay ahead would have to fight its way through the most famous warrior in all of Hellas before it could get to him. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, he could see that there were columns and statues dotted around the cavernous room, and someone had positioned an ornate seat covered in silken cushions directly behind the brazier.

'Fret not, Iolaos, I am no monster,' said a female voice, and a shadow detached itself from a column. It moved into the light of the brazier, where it resolved into a haggard woman in a tattered, red robe. She sat down on the seat and lifted her eyes towards Alkides. Iolaos couldn't help but notice that they glowed from within with a strange green light.

'So, the son of Zeus has listened to wisdom for a change,' she said, 'how unusual.'

'I come seeking counsel, priestess of Apollo,' Alkides said. 'I have committed a great crime and seek redemption.'

'I know of your deed, and of how it came to be. This is the way of the world, Alkides. The will of the Gods is rarely questioned and mortal men are often left to pay the price.'

'Only hatred drives the will of Hera, and she must bear some of the responsibility for the outrage committed upon my family. I have never wronged her, but have borne the brunt of her quarrel with Zeus nonetheless,' Alkides said, in a voice edged with anger and sorrow.

'The nymphs told you that the path of virtue will be difficult,' the oracle said, 'and this is only the beginning of your journey to immortality. Brace yourself, for what I am about to tell you will not be easy to hear.'

'Nothing has been easy since I awoke from a dream and found myself in a nightmare.'

'You have good grounds for your anger towards Hera, but you must put it behind you. If you are to lessen the pain of your crime and grasp your destiny, then you must do two things. First, you must abandon your name from birth and be known henceforth as Herakles, so that your fame and renown will bring glory to Hera. Then you must serve Eurystheus at Tiryns for twelve years and perform the ten tasks that he sets for you.'

Iolaos could see the muscles in Alkides's back tighten and saw his hand drop onto the pommel of his sword.

'What mad request is this? Do you mock me, or is this more of Hera's trickery? How can this lead to absolution? How can you ask me to adopt a name that brings glory to Hera, the one who devastated my family and my house, and then to serve a King who is more weed than man? '

'Know this, son of Zeus, this is not the usual time the Pythia makes predictions but Athena came and begged a favor of me,' the old woman slumped forward and was silent a while.

After a few minutes, Alkides made to speak, but the oracle cut him off.

'Still your tongue and heed my counsel,' the Pythia said, 'for the devotions of Apollo are strenuous and tire me and rob me of my years. The Gods on Olympus are cunning and none more so than Hera. Her vengeance against you has succeeded even though you have survived the madness she sent, but your allies on Olympus have won you a reprieve.

Zeus, who is King of the Olympians, had a desire to serve both his prophecy and to help his most favored son. He came to Hera and told her that he will allow Eurystheus to be King, but in return, Hera must allow you the gift of immortality. When she baulked, he offered that you should win this gift by serving Eurystheus. Hera had no choice but to agree because Zeus was becoming impatient, but I feel that she still plots against you. That is why you must change your name. Bring glory to her while you perform these tasks and she will be less inclined to impede you.'

'Very well,' Alkides said, although Iolaos could see that he was far from happy. 'I will do as you say and will be known from this day as Herakles, and I will go to serve the weed King in Tiryns. But if this proves a false road, then not even Apollo himself will be able to save you from my wrath.'

'When are we going to Tiryns, uncle?'

'I am leaving immediately, Iolaos, but you do not have to accompany me. You are not in exile and can return to Thebes and your father's house if you wish.'

'I will come with you, if you don't mind, uncle,' Iolaos said. 'If I were to return home my mother would insist I resume my lessons, and I swear that my music teacher is trying to goad me into violence.'

Herakles smirked at the thinly veiled reference to his own past. 'You may come along, but from this day onward you will only refer to me by my new name. I am not uncle or Alkides. I am Herakles. Is that understood?'

Yes, uncle,' Iolaos said and then caught himself. 'Herakles, I mean.'

Herakles turned back to the oracle. 'I cannot understand the ways of gods and priests, hag of Apollo, but I am thankful for your counsel. As much as it grieves me to glorify the name of the one who so openly plots against me, I will trust in your word.' He threw a handful of iron coins onto the floor of the temple and stalked out, closely followed by Iolaos.

The Lion of Nemea

Herakles's brief encounter with the oracle at Delphi had a strange, transformative effect upon him. It was as if he had left his grief in the temple with the priestess of Apollo and emerged into the sunlight a new man. Nor was he in a hurry to travel to Tiryns to begin his bondage.

'We shall need more provisions for the trip to Tiryns,' Iolaos said as they made their way to their camp.

His uncle shrugged. 'I grow tired of figs and cheese,' Herakles said, and strode down the hill with Iolaos at his heels.

'But uncle, it's a long way and I'm a growing boy who needs his nourishment.'

'And nourishment you shall have,' Herakles replied.

When they reached camp, Herakles set about fletching arrows while Iolaos watched.

'I never could get the hang of that,' Iolaos said, when there was a sizable pile of arrows at Herakles's feet.

'Then you should learn.'

Iolaos had hoped to leave his lessons back at Thebes with his parents, but he had a strange feeling that, if he wasn't careful, the conversation could easily turn into an instructive half hour about arrow making. 'I didn't know Eurystheus was your cousin,' he said, picking a topic that he was sure wouldn't lead to any type of instruction. 'Is he related to me?'

A look of perplexed thought crossed Herakles's face, but it soon cleared. 'I'm not sure,' he said. 'Eurystheus and I are both descendants of Perseus. That's why the cowardly dog is occupying a throne that Zeus had meant for me.'

'Really?'

'Yes. The man is a coward.'

'No, not that. The bit about the throne. How can he be sitting on your throne?'

'Just before I was born, my father Zeus proclaimed that the next descendant of Perseus to be born would reign over all of Mykênae. When Hera heard this, she flew into a rage.'

'She seems to do that a lot,' Iolaos said, interrupting.

'Yes, she has a talent for it,' Herakles said. 'Anyway, she flew into a rage and got Eileithyiai, the spirit of birth, to postpone my entry into the world and have the rat Eurystheus arrive two months early. Because he was also a descendant of Perseus, he was the one who fulfilled my father's prophecy.'

'Then he's my cousin too, because Perseus was my grandfather's grandfather.'

'Yes, that's right. Amphitryon was Perseus's grandson. And I'm related to Perseus through my mother's side,' Herakles said and paused. A grin stretched across his face. 'That means that the blood of Zeus runs through both sides of my family.'

'You mean my grandmother and my grandfather have the same grandfather?'

'Yes. It's probably best not to think about it too much,' Herakles said, and jumped to his feet. 'Let's go get some meat.'

Iolaos trailed after Herakles and marveled at his skill. His uncle was the biggest man he had ever seen, standing head and shoulders above even the tallest men of Thebes, and was easily twice as broad across the shoulders. Yet he moved as silently as a leopard, and as swiftly as a deer. No matter how fast Iolaos ran, he could not keep up and soon fell far behind. Feeling winded and more than a little annoyed, he stopped and bent over double to try to regain his breath. When he next looked up, he could see Herakles perched atop a rocky outcrop with his bow drawn, still as the stones upon which he stood.

Iolaos watched the big man while he waited for his breathing to get back to normal and for his heart to stop beating so fast. Herakles was inert as a statue the whole time, with his bow drawn. So motionless was he that Iolaos thought that Hera had tired of waiting for vengeance and had turned Herakles to stone. He had just mustered up the courage to go and investigate when his uncle loosed the arrow.

From where he was on the slope, Iolaos had a good view of the hill below the outcrop upon which his uncle stood, and he saw a small deer fall to the ground with an arrow in its eye. Had it been within sixty paces, he would have applauded Herakles's wonderful shot. The fact that it was grazing peacefully more than twice that distance from his uncle was disconcerting. It was too canny a shot and not one a mortal man should have been able to make. 'Great shot,' he called out nonetheless, and headed back towards camp.

Not only did Herakles refuse all offers of aid in skinning and gutting the deer, he whistled cheerfully while he worked. Eventually, Iolaos could take no more.

'You were as dark as Hades himself on the journey to see that wretched old woman in the temple,' he said while he watched Herakles set the carcass on a skewer over the fire. 'Now you whistle like Hermes after he's played an especially painful prank on Apollo. What has changed in the space of a few hours?'

'You travelled here with Alkides, a man in exile and mourning the death of his sons. You share your camp now with Herakles, a son of Zeus destined for immortality.'

'Oh come on, you're the same person.'

Herakles's face darkened. 'Alkides died on the day Hera maddened him,' he said, his voice low and menacing. 'Alkides was the protector of Thebes and I am not. Alkides had a wife and children, and I have neither. Only the memory of Alkides remains in me. That, and an annoying nephew.'

Iolaos looked panicked. 'Um,' he said

Herakles noted his discomfit and smiled. 'We'll talk of Alkides no more, is that understood?'

Iolaos nodded and looked more relieved than he actually felt. His uncle's temper was legend and even common blood was not a shield against his wrath.

The somber mood between them did not last, however, and before long Herakles was laughing uproariously at his own bawdy jokes, which Iolaos had to admit were quite funny. That night, they feasted on deer meat and sacrificed the bones to Apollo.

(ii)

The following day, they set out after a leisurely meal of fruit and cheese. Herakles insisted on leaving the carcass behind.

'I'm not too fond of meat that's been carried around in a sack on a hot day,' he said as they were breaking camp, 'and the Gods prefer we not eat meat from a sacrifice too long after it has been killed.'

When they were both mounted, Herakles turned his horse to the south and urged him forward.

'Where are you going? The road is this way,' Iolaos said, pointing to the northwest.

'My plan is to ride along the coast,' Herakles said, without turning or even slowing his horse, 'are you coming?'

'Of course I'm coming,' Iolaos said, and urged his own horse forward. 'It's the long way, you know that?'

Herakles shrugged. 'It's also the quiet way. I have no desire to meet strangers at the moment.'

The two companions followed the coast as it meandered eastward, never travelling too far in one day and stopping often to hunt and gather food. The way was rocky and difficult to traverse, but the sea air was invigorating and sounds of the ocean soothing.

On the tenth day, their path turned southward, and on the eleventh day, they followed the coast as it turned to the southwest. Still Herakles shunned the roads and kept to the shoreline. Every afternoon, they feasted on the spoils of the hunt and sacrificed the bones to Zeus, and every morning they left the remains of their dinner for the scavengers.

Herakles's moods once again began to darken. By the time they left the sea behind at the point where the coast turned back to the west and their road was - Herakles's temper was as dark as the night.

'You're an amazing hunter,' Iolaos said in an effort to lighten his uncle's mood. It was the morning of the second day away from the sea and Herakles wore a face so angry and gloomy that Iolaos was beginning to fear for his own safety.

'I was very attentive during my lessons,' Herakles rumbled in reply.

'Really?'

'Yes, really. My teachers were all the finest exponents of their craft and gladly shared their knowledge. Your grandfather Amphitryon taught me to steer a chariot. Eurytus, the finest bowman in all of Hellas, taught me archery. The notorious thief Autolycos taught me how to fight with my fists and the centaur Kheiron taught me how to behave in company.'

'Wow. I just had old Ampelio, who taught me how to get bored. I've never even seen a centaur.'

'I had to travel a long way to receive Kheiron's lessons.'

Feeling a little braver, Iolaos thought to broach a subject that had been bothering him since they had left Thebes. 'One thing I don't understand,' he said as they rode slowly along. 'Why is it that you are held responsible for what happened when everyone knows that Hera sent the madness. You were just doing what any brave man of Thebes would do, which is to protect the city from enemy invaders.'

Herakles considered the question for a while, which made Iolaos nervous. The young man's mind turned to thoughts of escape because Herakles appeared to be on the verge of losing his temper. His relief was obvious when, after a few minutes, his uncle sighed deeply and turned to face him.

'It's because it is true,' Herakles said, 'and no matter how angry it makes me, I cannot escape the truth of what happened, be I Alkides or Herakles.'

'How is it true? I still don't understand.'

'It was my good fortune to be saved by Athena, who is the Goddess of wisdom and can see things that many others miss. Her eyes can penetrate into a man's heart and reveal what truly lies there. When she rescued me from Hera's madness and looked into my heart, she saw my true desire. She saw that I was tiring of the domestic life and that I wanted something, anything, to break me free. Only Athena saw what truly happened that day. Only she could see that even though Hera sent the madness, it was my desire for glory and battle that caused me to commit murder.'

'I'm not too sure I wanted to know that,' Iolaos said, after the two had ridden in silence for a few minutes.

Herakles burst into laughter, which was as unexpected as it was welcome. 'Well, you do know and I would be offended if you forgot. My penance is both punishment and lesson, and I can avoid neither.'

That night, they sacrificed the bones of the hunt to Athena, and it seemed to Iolaos that Herakles had finally regained some balance. He was not the maddeningly cheerful clown he had been after speaking to the oracle at Delphi, but neither was he the gloomy specter who looked on the verge of murder as he had been the past few days. Herakles had once again become the uncle Iolaos loved and admired, albeit with a new name.

The following morning, Herakles rose with the sun and kicked his nephew into consciousness.

'The time for dawdling is over,' the big man said, and dropped a handful of wild fruit into his nephew's lap. Iolaos, a notoriously late riser, looked down at the colorful collection of bits and pieces and groaned. 'I hate plums,' he complained, and bit into a tart green apple that they had found growing nearby. 'Why the hurry?'

'Twelve years is a long time,' Herakles said.

They rode faster now, and for longer, but Herakles still avoided making contact with others.

'We would make greater speed if we used the roads,' Iolaos pointed out. 'And we could buy food and not need to hunt every night.'

'If I was to see a man with his sons working together in the fields or playing a game of catch in the woods, then I am sure that I would fall to the ground and never rise again.'

They came that evening to the city of Mykênae, which they skirted, before continuing south towards Tiryns.

'Your grandfather, Amphitryon, was exiled from this place after he accidently killed King Elektryon,' Herakles said as they rode. Tiryns was still a day's journey to the south.

'Yes, I know, my father told me that he had been destined to marry Alkmena here, but it was ruined by a freak accident.'

'Did he tell you what happened?'

'No, he was always a bit vague about that. I thought it was because it may not have been as accidental as he claimed.'

Herakles smirked. 'A maddened cow charged at Amphitryon and he threw his club at it to defend himself. As fate would have it, the cow chose that moment to lower its head, which caused the club to bounce off its horns and strike Elektryon between the eyes.'

Iolaos looked sidelong at Herakles. 'A maddened cow?'

'It happened just before Elektryon was to ride off to battle. Barbarians had sacked the city of Tiryns and killed all of Elektryon's sons except one. The King was setting off to extract revenge and Amphitryon was to guard his cattle and protect his daughter Alkmena while he was gone.'

'My grandmother was Elektryon's daughter?'

Herakles looked sidelong at his nephew. 'How could you not know this? Did you sleep through all your lessons?'

Iolaos blushed. 'I probably wasn't as attentive as I could have been,' he admitted.

Herakles shook his head. 'After Elektryon's brother banished your grandfather and took the throne of Mykênae, your grandmother fled with him to Thebes, but said she would only lay with him if he avenged the deaths of her brothers.'

'Is that when your father, um, you know?'

'Yes, Zeus came to Alkmena disguised as Amphitryon while her husband was away avenging her brothers.'

(iii)

The last leg of their journey finished early the next day when they crested a small hill and the high, strong walls of Tiryns came into view.

'Why does Eurystheus have his throne here instead of at Mykênae?' Iolaos asked.

'Because he is a cowardly dog.'

'Dog? I thought he was a rat.'

'And a rat as well. He is both, in equal parts.'

Herakles urged his horse forward and Iolaos followed. They made their way in silence through the rocky scrub until they drew near the outlying shacks and shanties where the tradesman and peasants lived. Herakles dismounted and motioned for Iolaos to do the same.

'No doubt they are waiting for me,' the big man said, but Iolaos barely acknowledged him. He was staring up at the huge wall that surrounded the inner sanctum of the city.

Herakles smiled at the look of wonder on his nephew's face. 'It is said that the wall was built by cyclopes, for only they have both the strength and skill needed to fashion such massive stones.'

'Now I know why the King has his throne here. This is more fortress than city.'

Herakles led them through the cluster of buildings below the wall and onto a path that wound up the hill, at the top of which stood two guards before a huge bronze door.

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and I have business with the King.'

The soldiers looked the huge man up and down, and then turned their gaze to Iolaos. 'Wait here,' one of them said and went through the door. He returned a few minutes later with a richly dressed man who carried himself with an imperious air.

'The King is surprised you have taken so long to arrive,' the richly dressed man sneered. 'Unfortunately, he does not have the time to see you now. We have arranged a room for you and your,' he paused and looked at Iolaos with distaste in his eyes, 'companion. Rest there today and we will send for you tomorrow.'

The soldier who had gone through the door motioned to Herakles. 'This way,' he said, and walked off towards the village. Iolaos could see that Herakles was fuming, but his uncle kept his composure. He followed the soldier without a word, and Iolaos scuttled after him.

The soldier led them to a squalid little shack on the edge of the village. 'We will bring food for you shortly. Enjoy your rest.'

'What of our horses?' Herakles said. 'They are a gift from Poseidon himself and are each worth ten men such as you.'

The soldier made to answer back but something about the way Herakles was standing caused him to hesitate. 'They said nothing to me of horses,' he said.

'Maybe they did and you were too stupid to understand?' Herakles said. There was no mistaking the menace in his voice now.

The soldier looked to be weighing up his chances against the greatest warrior in Hellas. 'Maybe I should go ask them,' he said, and marched smartly back the way he had come.

Herakles watched the soldier until a bend in the path took him out of sight. He then donned the golden breastplate given to him by Hephaistos and the helmet given to him by Athena. With the unbreakable shield given to him by his father in one hand and the sword given to him by Hermes in the other, he followed the path back towards the gate. Not knowing what else to do, Iolaos took the reins of the horses and trailed in his wake.

To the guards at the door, it must have looked like a golden giant was advancing upon them with death in his heart and murder in his eyes. They looked at one another, exchanged a few short words and then went through the door, closing it behind them. Iolaos could imagine them in the passage beyond, wondering if the armored door would protect them.

The most frightening part, at least in Iolaos's eyes, was that the bronze plated gate barely slowed the son of Zeus. The huge man jammed his sword into his girdle as he approached and struck the door so hard with his fist that it came right off its hinges. Barely breaking his stride, Herakles stepped over the armored door's splintered remains and into the dark tunnel beyond, his huge frame filling it from top to bottom and edge to edge.

Iolaos followed behind his uncle with his heart in his mouth, expecting a challenge at any moment, but none came. Obviously, someone had told the soldiers not to get in the way. The tunnel mouth was dark and forbidding, and he paused a moment to look at the twisted remains of the armored door. The horses behind him pawed at the ground, as if eager to move on. For a moment, he thought that they would baulk at entering the dark hole, but quickly discounted the idea. Herakles had said these beasts were a gift from the Gods, bred by Poseidon himself; they would follow Herakles wherever he led. Still, he was amazed when they pushed past him into the tunnel, walking in single file through the narrow space. Feeling alone and exposed without even equine company, Iolaos scuttled into the tunnel behind them.

It was easy to see which way Herakles had gone after exiting the tunnel - a demolished gate stood at the top of a set of stairs to the left. The horses where milling about on the wide path and allowed Iolaos to take up the reins and lead them up the steps and into the wide courtyard beyond. They found Herakles standing, legs akimbo, in front of the imperious man, although he didn't look quite as assured of himself as he had when they met him earlier.

'This is the palace of the King,' Iolaos heard him say as he went and stood beside his uncle. 'Who are you to think you can smash your way in here?'

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and I have come to serve Eurystheus for twelve years, as was decreed by the Pythia at Delphi.'

'Even so,' the man began to say, but was cut off by Herakles.

'What do you think my father, Zeus, King of the Gods, would think of such an insult to his son?'

The man hesitated a moment. 'I will seek counsel from the King,' he said, and disappeared into the ornate building that lay beside the courtyard.

A few moments later, a knot of people emerged from the palace, clustered around a thin, richly dressed man wearing a sculpted black beard.

'I've been waiting for you, cousin,' the thin man said. Iolaos correctly assumed it was Eurystheus, the King of Mykênae.

'Then your hospitality is the worst in all of Hellas,' Herakles replied.

'I need not offer hospitality to a servant,' the King said, with a sneer on his face. 'You will do well to remember why you are here, Herakles, or do you still call yourself Alkides?'

'You will do well to remember just who I am,' Herakles said, quietly. 'And you can call me whichever name you please, King of cowards, but only one name does glory to the Olympian whose temple you have in your palace.'

'How dare you take that tone with me, your King!'

'Look to your armored doors lying in ruins. Look to your soldiers, who ran like cowardly dogs when they saw me approaching. I am armed and armored by the Gods themselves, King Eurystheus, and I give respect only to those who deserve it.'

'We shall see who deserves respect when you begin your tasks,' Eurystheus said, but Iolaos detected a tremor in his voice that could have been fear. 'You are fortunate I am a merciful man and do not want to offend mighty Zeus by dealing harshly with his son. More appropriate quarters will be arranged for you within the walls of the city, and your horses will be looked after as well.' The King turned to the imperious man. 'Kopreus, see to it,' he said. The man bowed and scuttled away.

Eurystheus turned back to Herakles. 'I will summon you tomorrow to set your first task. Get plenty of rest because you will need all your strength and whatever wits you possess to complete it.' He laughed maniacally, turned sharply on his heel and marched back towards the palace, taking his cloud of retainers and flunkies with him.

(iv)

Ten guards accompanied Kopreus when he came to take Herakles to the King the following morning. 'The King commands that you leave your armor and weapons behind and that you come alone,' he said, and went outside to wait with his soldiers.

'I have no problem with coming unarmed, but Iolaos must accompany me,' Herakles replied. 'He is to be my charioteer and must know exactly what I am to achieve and where I am to go.'

'That is impossible!' Kopreus exclaimed through the door. 'You cannot just ignore the wishes of the King.'

Herakles stepped out into the morning light and Kopreus took a backward step. Somehow, without the arms and armor, Herakles looked even more intimidating. His every move suggested violence; his eyes were dark with anger and his face was framed by wild, curly black hair and a thick black beard.

'I will explain to the King when we arrive,' he said.

Kopreus motioned and the soldiers took up position, five on either side of Herakles. The sound of marching boots was Iolaos's cue to slink out of the doorway and scuttle after his uncle.

The soldiers led Herakles through the courtyard, where he'd had the altercation with King the night before, and into the palace. They passed through a large room where beautiful tapestries hung on the walls and into the megaron where Eurystheus was waiting on his throne. He smirked when he saw the unarmed Herakles amongst the soldiers, but his face darkened when he saw Iolaos skulking along behind.

'Who is this unwashed peasant!' the King cried, and banged his fists on the arms of the throne. 'Did I not tell you to bring him here alone!'

'We conveyed your wishes to him, my King,' Kopreus said, 'but he chose to ignore them.'

'He chose? I am King! My word does not give choice!' Eurystheus thundered.

'Had your hospitality been more appropriate yesterday, oh King of ignorance,' Herakles said in a quiet voice that nonetheless silenced the King, 'I would have introduced you to Iolaos, my brother's son and descendant of Perseus. He accompanies me as my charioteer to remind me that I have a duty to my people and my family. Without his presence, there's no knowing what I might do.'

The King looked angry. 'Your insolence has gone too far,' he growled, 'but killing you now would deprive Hera the pleasure of watching you fail. Hear your first task, foolish son of Zeus. You are to hunt down and kill the Nemean Lion.'

'I have killed lion's before.'

'Your ignorance is amusing,' the King said. 'The beast you must kill is no ordinary lion. It is the offspring of the draikana Ekhidna and Typhoeus, the father of all monsters. Rumor has it that it finds the flesh of heroes especially sweet, and it carries off pretty girls from nearby towns in order to lure the brave to its cave where it devours them and sacrifices the bones to Hades.'

'Rumors and myths are no concern of mine,' Herakles said. 'If this is my task, then so be it. When I have killed this beast, what shall I do with it?'

'There is almost no chance that you will survive this challenge, but if you miraculously triumph over the monster, then you are to bring its carcass here for me to see. I wouldn't want you to kill an ordinary beast and try to pass it off as the monster.'

'Do not question my honor, weasel King? Unlike you, who orders men to war from the back of the lines, I have faced many men and beasts in mortal combat and triumphed.'

'Get this fool away from me,' Eurystheus spluttered.

Kopreus turned to Herakles and gestured towards the door through which they had entered, but the son of Zeus ignored him. Exasperated, Kopreus signaled to the soldiers, the nearest of whom turned and tried to push Herakles back towards the door, but the huge man remained unmoved. The soldier reached for his sword but his hand did not make it to the pommel. With inhuman speed, Herakles lashed out with a fist and struck him in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards. He then turned and struck two other soldiers before they had time to move, ducked beneath a clumsy sword swing from behind him and bounced back up with fists flying.

In the blink of an eye, all ten of the guards were sprawled upon the floor, in various states of consciousness.

Herakles faced the King on his throne. 'This time no one died. Next time I will not be so merciful.' He then turned to Kopreus. 'Fetch me my horses, lickspittle. I have a task to perform for the King.'

(v)

Iolaos scuttled after Herakles as he strode from Eurystheus's palace.

'Are you mad? The King has an army! You can't fight an army!' Iolaos said, and then looked concerned. 'Can you?'

'The cowardly weasel wouldn't dare kill me lest he bring forth Zeus's wrath. And Hera can meddle all she likes, but attacking me directly would cause her no end of trouble with her husband. They have pinned their hopes on the Lion of Nemea putting an end to me.'

'I'm glad you're confident of that. So all you have to do is kill the monstrous spawn of dragon-headed Typhoeus?'

'The lion will be the first of many and I don't doubt that they will have worse in store for me.'

Iolaos shook his head. 'My knees wobble just thinking of coming with you. Is there nothing you fear?'

'Only the sound of children playing,' Herakles said.

They walked the rest of the way to their room in silence. Once there, Herakles directed that they pack quickly and leave the city.

'What of the horses?' Iolaos asked.

'They will find their way to me in time.'

There were workers repairing the doors that Herakles had smashed the day before, but they stood aside to let them pass, as did the guards that patrolled up and down the pathway. They had almost reached the edge of the village when there was the sound of hooves behind them. They turned to see a mounted Kopreus bearing down upon them, dragging Herakles horses in his wake.

'The King has decreed that you are no longer to enter the walled city,' he said.

'But how will I present him the carcass?' Herakles asked.

Kopreus laughed. 'If you make it back alive, which I doubt, the soldiers in the towers will see you and bring word to the King. You will wait for him at the gate.'

When the Kings messenger had gone, Iolaos inspected the packs on the horses.

'They're empty. At least they took the time to saddle them up for us.'

Herakles mounted his horse and pointed him to the North. 'There is a valley to the north, beyond Mykênae,' he said. 'The city of Nemea lies there if I remember my lessons correctly.'

This time they travelled along the roads, and instead of avoiding people, Herakles actively sought them out. The first night, they stopped at a small shelter provided for travelers outside an unnamed village, and Herakles struck up a conversation with a travelling merchant who was also seeking a roof for the night.

'You look a well travelled man,' Herakles said as the three of them sat around a fire in the fading evening light.

'It is my doom,' the traveler said. 'A sad tale, and a long one. Suffice to say that there are few paths in Hellas that Lidas has not walked.'

'Tell me, then, in your travels, have you ever heard of the monster men refer to as the Nemean Lion?'

'Oh my yes,' Lidas exclaimed. 'It was in the village of Kleonia to the north, where all but a few old men had either fled or been devoured by the monster. It's a sad place, and Lidas sold very little there. Avoid it if you can, friends, for the misery of the place is contagious.'

'Ha, did you hear that nephew! I was right! The monster does exist,' Herakles exclaimed. He reached into his belt and withdrew a heavy iron coin. 'Tell me, friend Lidas, what road would take me to Kleonia?'

'Follow the road north out of Mykênae to Nemea where King Lycurgus rules,' Lidas said, his eyes glued to the coin. 'At the crossroads just outside Nemea, take the eastern road. Kleonia is no further than ten stadia along that road. The whole journey is two leagues, maybe just a little more.'

'Thank you, friend,' Herakles said and tossed the coin to Lidas.

'Who are you to give such a rich gift for so trivial a request?'

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus.'

Lidas's face first registered shock, then disbelief, then amusement. 'Ha! The son of Zeus? Here? About to spend the night in a cold stone hut? Where are your slave girls and your servants?'

'They are at home. I'm off to kill the Nemean Lion, you see, and slave girls will only get in the way.'

Lidas roared with laughter. 'Lidas has not laughed so well in many a day,' he said, when he had regained his breath. 'Thank you for the coin and the tale, my friends, but it is getting dark and Lidas needs his sleep. May lions never feast upon your entrails.' He stood up and wandered off towards the shelter, chuckling to himself.

The next morning, Herakles purchased enough supplies to last a week from a merchant in the village and they set off for Kleonia.

'Did anything about Lidas strike you as odd?' Herakles said, as their horses ambled along the road to Mykênae.

'He seemed alright, if a little mad,' Iolaos said. 'I was a surprised when you started talking to him. In the weeks since we left Thebes, it's the first conversation you've had with anyone but me and the rats at Tiryns.'

'Amphitryon once told me that there is much to be learned by listening to the travelers of Hellas, so I thought I would see if I could learn something about the monster we are pursuing, but after a few words with our friend Lidas last night I knew he was no traveler,' Herakles said. 'He was scrubbed clean, as if he'd just had a bath and there isn't a decent public bath anywhere near here.'

'I must admit, I was surprised he didn't try to sell us anything. Now that I come to think of it, his camp was small, and he had no pack animals,' Iolaos said, looking perplexed. 'Lidas was a merchant without merchandise.'

'I noticed that, too,' Herakles said, 'and he had a striking resemblance to Hermes in my eyes, just older.'

'Do you think the Gods are watching?'

'I have no doubt about it, nephew, none at all. I think Zeus wants to make sure we don't traipse all over Hellas looking for our lion. I think we will find our quarry quite close to the town of Kleonia.'

(vi)

The journey north was far easier than the one from Thebes to Tiryns. They stayed on the road and used their provisions rather than hunt for meat. Late in the afternoon on the third day after leaving Eurystheus's Court, the village of Kleonia was in their sights.

'It looks deserted,' Iolaos said. 'Which isn't surprising, really. I wouldn't hang around if a monstrous lion was eating people.'

'There's at least one person here,' Herakles said, and pointed to the left of the road, where an old man driving a small herd of sheep had just crested a hill. Herakles sat up in saddle and waved at the shepherd, who looked panicked for a moment and then hurried towards them.

'It is not a good time to be outdoors, friends,' he said. 'Come with me quickly while the sun shines.'

Iolaos looked at Herakles, who shrugged.

'Aren't you afraid that we're bandits?' Herakles said.

'The lion ate all the bandits around here long ago, friends. All that remains in Kleonia is despair, which is not worth stealing. Besides, bandits would not be riding such magnificent horses.'

Herakles and Iolaos followed the shepherd to a small stone hut that stood next to a huge stone shed. Only when they were all inside and the horses secured in a stone shed beside the hut did the old man relax.

'You are fortunate I found you when I did,' he said, as he lit an oil lamp on with a coal from the low fire in the middle of the floor. 'The beast will be prowling soon.'

'The Nemean Lion you mean?' Herakles said.

'Yes, the foulest beast in all of Hellas,' the old man said. 'I am Molorchos, and who is it that will be sharing my humble home tonight?'

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and this is my nephew Iolaos.'

Molorchos looked at the two long and hard. 'Well, you don't look like ordinary travelers,' he said, eventually. 'If you are looking for Nemea, you took a wrong turning at the crossroads.'

'No, no, we were coming to Kleonia,' Herakles said. 'I have been given the task of killing the Nemean Lion.'

Molorchos burst out laughing, but it was a dry, joyless sound. 'You are no doubt a formidable warrior, but this is no ordinary beast. Its hide will turn even the sharpest sword, and it loves nothing more that to torment its victims. Look at what we have been reduced to,' he said, indicating the gloomy hut. 'We skulk in the darkness while the sun still shines. Once, I lived in a home with a courtyard, and worked my fields until sunset. But the Lion leapt over the walls one day and snatched my wife while she sat in the courtyard, and instead of devouring her, he would bring her to us in the evenings and torment us. Eventually, my son could take it no more and he tried to free her.'

'It took your son?' Herakles said in a quiet voice.

'Yes. Yes it did. And sometimes it comes to my door to tell me how sweet his blood was,' Molorchos paused and ran a rough cloth sleeve over his face to wipe away the tears. 'Can you believe it? After all these years, the tears still flow.'

'I can believe it,' Herakles said.

'It won't kill me, although I have goaded it for years. It says the only thing sweeter than the taste of my son's blood is the scent of my misery.'

There was silence for a while, and then Herakles stood up and went to the pack that he had dropped by the door when they first entered. He withdrew his bow and a quiver full of beautiful arrows, which he slung over his back, then reached in again and brought out a heavy club made from hardened wood, inlaid with bronze.

'You really mean to attack the lion?'

'That is why I am here.'

'Well, Herakles son of Zeus, I wish you luck but have little hope that you will triumph. If the Gods smile upon you and you come back alive, then I will sacrifice a ram to Zeus, your father and Chieftain of the Gods. If you become another victim of this cursed beast, then I will sacrifice the ram to the memory of your bravery.'

'The contest won't be as one sided as you think,' Herakles said. 'I carry a sword given to me by Hermes, and Apollo gave me a bow and eagle-feathered arrows.'

Molorchos looked impressed. 'And the club?'

'I made it myself, after my victory over the Minyans. Hermes said to me that sometimes, an enemy can best be defeated using less refined weapons than those the Gods presented me, and I saw the wisdom behind his words.'

'Aren't you going to wear armor or take your shield?' Iolaos asked, looking a little panicked. 'Surely you aren't going to face this beast dressed in just your cotton tunic?'

'The shield is too clumsy to carry on a hunt,' Herakles said. 'Besides, I think Apollo's arrows may be enough to stop this beast.'

(vii)

The sun was setting behind the hills to the west when Herakles ventured from the safety of Molorchos's hut and jogged to where they had first encountered the old shepherd. Molorchos had told him that the Nemean Lion left its lair every evening and roamed the hills looking for victims, sometimes wandering into nearby villages to surprise the careless.

From the road, Herakles's sharp eyes caught movement beyond the hill that Molorchos had crested when he had first come into view. Even from such a distance, he could see that the animal was huge - easily the size of three men.

'At least you won't be hard to hit,' he muttered to himself and raced to the top of a nearby hill. Not only was it huge, it ran at an amazing pace. Obviously, it had spotted him and was hurrying towards what it thought was its next meal.

Herakles nocked one of Apollo's arrows, took careful aim, and, just as the beast came into range, let loose. He watched with some satisfaction as the dart flew fast and straight and hit the beast between the eyes. He wasn't so pleased when the arrow bounced harmlessly away. He had just enough time for a second shot, and this time he aimed for the flesh on its back, in case the beast's skull was too thick for an arrow to pierce. Once again, the path of the arrow was true. Once again, the dart bounced harmlessly off the Lion's hide.

Herakles threw down his bow and drew his sword as the beast crested the hill and pounced. He ducked beneath the huge paw that swept at him, and swung his sword up and out. By rights, it should have pierced the Lion's throat. Instead, the blade bounced off its hide and flew from his grasp.

The Lion landed behind him and Herakles was quick to turn to face it, bronze tipped club in hand. It sniffed the air and looked more closely at the son of Zeus.

'I smell the blood of Olympians,' it growled, 'the sweetest blood of all.' It lunged unexpectedly at Herakles, who dodged to the left, sprang up onto the beast's shoulder and brought the club down hard on its back, where he could see the shape of its spine.

Instead of collapsing in pain, the beast laughed and batted him off with a swipe of its paw.

'Do you not know that my hide is impervious to all weapons, little Olympian?' it growled.

Herakles, not the most loquacious of individuals at the best of times, answered the question by jumping forward and punching the beast between the eyes. Once again, it laughed and batted him away, sending him flying into a nearby boulder.

'Did they send you to kill me?' it asked, and pounced again. This time it landed on Herakles and pinned him down with its front paws. It dropped its head until it was only inches from Herakles's face so that when it spoke, he could see the rows of razor sharp teeth in its huge maw.

'It'll take more than one little Olympian to kill the Lion of Nemea.'

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus,' he said, then twisted to his left and simultaneously pushed up with his legs. The Lion lost balance and fell face first into the ground where Herakles's head had just been. He freed his arms, wrapped them around the Lion's waist and squeezed with all his might. The Lion shrieked in pain, spun its torso around and struck Herakles's shoulder with a paw, forcing him to let go.

Herakles tumbled forward, spun and bounced to his feet, expecting the Lion to pounce again, but when he looked up it was retreating the way it had come. Cursing under his breath, Herakles took up the chase even though he knew that he could not make up the distance. The beast bounded over the ground with huge, lopping strides and he could not even keep up let alone close the gap. When it finally vanished over a hill in the distance, he decided it was probably best to return to Molorchos's hut and rest.

(viii)

'It ran away?' Molorchos exclaimed while Iolaos tended to the wound on Herakles's shoulder. 'The Nemean Lion _ran away_? It has maimed. It has killed. It has mocked and sneered, but it has never, ever run away!'

'It has probably never been challenged before,' Herakles said. 'It may even be the first time it has experienced pain.'

'Are you saying that the Nemean Lion, the huge monster that has ravaged and pillaged our lands for years, is a coward?'

'It thought itself invulnerable, but I have found a weakness and it knows it. The problem now is that it will be very difficult to catch because it knows it is being hunted.'

'I know where its lair is,' Molorchos said.

Herakles jumped to his feet. 'Why didn't you tell me this before?'

'I didn't think it necessary. All you needed to do to find the Lion was wander out into the hills.'

'And find it I did, but the circumstances have changed. Where is the lair?'

'It's a difficult path during the night,' Molorchos said. 'The monster does not like the sun and shelters in its hole most days. When the sun rises, I will lead you there.'

'Can't you just tell me where it is?'

'You won't find it alone, and I must confess to being tired of living with misery. If you kill it, my family is avenged and I can continue my life with dignity and peace. If it kills you, then maybe it will kill me as well, for showing you its lair.'

'If it's alright with you, uncle, I'll stay here and make sure the horses stay safe,' Iolaos said. He had gotten a sense of just how big the lion was by the size of the wound on Herakles's shoulder and had decided it best he meet it after Herakles had killed it.

Herakles burst out laughing at his nephew's caution. 'Okay then, he said. 'We'll set out when the sun rises.'

(ix)

It seemed to Herakles that he had no sooner closed his eyes than Molorchos was shaking him awake.

'It's time to go,' the shepherd said. 'The journey will take us several hours by foot. The earlier we leave, the better our chances of finding the beast in its lair.'

Iolaos prepared them a quick breakfast of fruit and cheese that they ate in silence. Molorchos was just about to rise from the table when he noticed something strange about the wound on Herakles's shoulder. 'It is almost healed,' he said. 'How can that be?'

'I have the blood of Olympians in my veins, friend Molorchos. Why do you think the Lion fears me?'

'I thought I was doomed to spend the rest of my days in the shadow of this beast,' Molorchos said. 'If nothing else, you have given me hope.'

'Then let's go,' Herakles said, and rose from the table.

'Tell me you're going to take weapons,' Iolaos said, when he noticed Herakles had left his sword and club by his bed.

'They'll just get in the way.'

'How can a weapon get in the way at a fight? That's what they're for!'

'Forgive my nephew,' Herakles said to Molorchos, 'he worries about me.'

'I worry about you too, and I've only just met you,' Molorchos said. 'I know it is said that weapons cannot penetrate the Lion's hide, but I'd still be more comfortable if you went armed.'

'I hit it with two of Apollo's arrows and both bounced off its hide. The sword I thrust into its throat didn't even leave a scratch. The blow I struck it with the mace that should have shattered its spine didn't even leave a bruise. Believe me, weapons are useless.'

Iolaos shrugged and sighed and Molorchos looked worried.

'Why don't I carry your sword for you?' the shepherd said. 'Or your club?'

'Or both?' Iolaos suggested.

'Bring the club if it makes you feel better, for all the good it will do. Come on, it's time to go.'

Despite his elderly appearance, Molorchos was hale and strong, and led Herakles through the broken hills between Kleonia and Nemea at a quick pace. The sun had just reached its zenith, when the shepherd motioned to Herakles and pointed to a cave in a valley below them.

'There it is,' he said.

'It looks innocent enough,' Herakles replied. 'I was expecting more signs of death and destruction.'

'It may not use this entrance all that often, nor is it an ordinary monster,' Molorchos said. 'It sacrifices the bones of its victims to Hades, and then takes them back to their home village. It enjoys the misery it causes more than the meat it eats.'

'Where is the other entrance?'

'It's on the other side of the hill.'

Herakles looked concerned. 'If it gets wind of my approach, it may try to flee,' he said. 'Stay here.'

Molorchos watched as Herakles carefully climbed through the loose stones to the entrance of the Lion's lair. He almost swallowed his tongue when Herakles picked up a huge boulder as if it were a pebble and use it to block the cave entrance. 'Now I know why the Lion ran away,' he muttered to himself as Herakles disappeared around to the other side of the hill.

(x)

By stopping up the entrance, Herakles had blocked the beast's only avenue of escape and allayed his fear that, if it did escape, it would kill Molorchos. The old farmer had been invaluable in tracking down the Lion, and he deserved to live to see his son avenged. Thankful the wind had been in their faces as they had approached the lair, so the monster probably had no idea that they were there, nor would it know that there was a second man if the fight went sour.

He crept around the small hill carefully in case the monster was lurking outside, but the way was clear. The second entrance was high on the hill and had a commanding view of the lay of the land around it. It was also bigger than the one he had blocked, and far more sinister. There were human skulls scattered on the hillside outside, and a stink like death and decay hung in the air. A wisp of greasy smoke curled out of the cave mouth and added a grainy ash to the noisome atmosphere.

The son of Zeus was not one to sneak up on an enemy, and he found creeping around verging on distasteful. Despite the effort he had made to approach the lair quietly, now that he was here, he decided that the time for stealth was over. He walked to the cave mouth, cupped his hands over his mouth and called, 'I have come for you, spawn of Typhoeus.' There was the sound of movement from inside the cave and then a screech of outrage. 'You have no choice but to face me,' he added, and marched into the cave.

The cave mouth led into a large and gloomy cavern, but there was light enough for Herakles to see the Lion at the far end, desperately scrabbling at the boulder he had wedged into the other entrance. It sensed his presence, turned and sprung towards him, covering the distance between them in a matter of seconds, but Herakles was ready for the assault. He threw himself to the right to avoid the raking claws and sprung onto the Lion's back. Gripping the beast's flanks with his knees as if it were a flighty horse that he was trying to ride, The he pushed his mighty arms into its mane and locked them around its neck.

The monster twigged to his tactic, however, and jumped forward and up, crashing Herakles's head into the top of the cave entrance. When the big man didn't let go, the Lion threw itself backwards against a wall, which knocked the wind from Herakles's lungs and caused him to fall to the cavern floor.

The Lion's last encounter with Herakles had taught it caution, so this time it didn't try to pounce on him. Instead, it brought its right claw down and around, intent on opening Herakles's throat, but such was the big man's agility that he caught the paw as it flew towards him and grasped it in a both hands.

The son of Zeus jumped to his feet and dragged the Lion around in a great arc by its paw. The Lion flailed and twisted, but could not free itself from Herakles's iron grip. The momentum of its body lifted it off the ground and at the apex of its second revolution, Herakles let go and the beast flew through the air and crashed into the opposite wall.

Herakles hurried to where the Lion had fallen and wrapped his arms around its neck while it lay stunned. He squeezed with all his might and felt its windpipe snap under his arms, but still he held on until the last of its struggling had died away and he could no longer feel the beating of its heart.

(xi)

Iolaos stood outside Molorchos's hut and watched Herakles trying to skin the Nemean Lion. He had marveled at the size of the beast when he had first seen it. It was twice the size of the bulls some of the farmers in Thebes kept to service their cows, but with the stench of a carnivore hanging over it and huge paws that ended in razor sharp claws. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he had been a little afraid when he first saw it because the body was undamaged and he half imagined that the beast was only playing at being dead. In his mind's eye, he saw it spring to life and devour them all, beginning with his uncle. Now, after watching Herakles struggle with it for over an hour, alternately stabbing, kicking, and cursing it, he was prepared to concede that it was definitely dead.

'I give up,' Herakles said, and threw the skinning knife into the dirt. 'Nothing can break the skin of this evil beast, even in death.'

'Why do you want to skin it?' Iolaos asked.

'I thought it would make a fine cloak, but it's not to be. I'm off to find those two arrows I shot at it yesterday.'

'Do you mind if I try?' Iolaos asked. He had been looking at the beast's claws and an idea was forming in his head.

'Be my guest,' Herakles said.

Iolaos squatted down beside the dead beast and took a massive forepaw into one hand. He carefully pulled one of the claws out and pushed it against the Lion's neck. There was a momentary resistance and then the claw pushed through.

'You're a genius,' Herakles exclaimed, and clapped him on the back so hard that Iolaos fell sprawling onto the monster's corpse. Herakles took the paw from his hand and used it to cut off the other forepaw.

'Here,' he said, handing it to Iolaos, 'use this.'

'Great, thanks,' Iolaos said, suddenly regretting his stroke of genius.

Herakles laughed. 'It shouldn't take you too long to flay the whole thing. I'm off to get those arrows.'

Iolaos worked diligently and became so engrossed in his gruesome task that he didn't notice Molorchos return with a group of villagers. He jumped out of his skin when they issued a collective shout of joy at the sight of the dead monster.

'What are you going to do with the hide?' Molorchos asked.

'Herakles wants to fashion a cloak with it.'

'A wonderful idea,' Molorchos cried, 'and we have some of the finest tailors in all of Hellas here. It will be an honor for us to make a cloak for the hero of Kleonia!'

'But only the Lion's own claws can cut its skin,' Iolaos said. 'How will you work it?'

'Leave that to us,' Molorchos said, and took the claw from him. Four of the villagers joined the old shepherd and by the time Herakles returned, they had fashioned a wonderful cloak with part of the Lion's own skull as a bony hood.

The people of Kleonia honored Herakles, praising his strength and bravery until the big man blushed and urged them to stop. Molorchos sacrificed his best ram to Zeus as promised and they all feasted long into the night. The celebration would have continued for three or four days had not Herakles been eager to return to Tiryns.

'You are welcome to stay as long as you wish,' Molorchos said, while he and Herakles watched some of the villagers load the Lion's carcass onto an open cart.

'No, I must show my cousin that the first of my labors is done,' Herakles said. He reached into his pack and withdrew two iron coins. 'This is payment for the cart and mule.'

'No, please, it's the least I could do,' Molorchos said, but his eyes did not leave the coins in Herakles's hand.

'I insist!'

'Oh okay then. I will accept the money to avoid offending the hero of Kleonia.'

(xii)

From her window on Mount Olympus, Hera looked down at Herakles and fumed. 'The cursed buffoon! Who would have thought him capable of such a strategy?'

'He was lucky, my Queen,' Iris said.

'Have you looked to the heavens? My husband is so proud of his son's victory that he has trapped the Lion in the stars for all to see.'

'I have seen it, my Queen,' Iris said. 'Is that why you summoned me? I came as soon as I heard.'

'No, I did not summon you to show off my husband's bragging ways. I want you to go to Eurystheus and tell him of the second task that the dolt must perform.'

'And that is?'

'He is to slay another child of Ekhidna and Typhoeus. He must kill the Hydra at Lerna.'

'But you raised that beast yourself, my Queen!'

'And why do you think I raised it?' Hera snapped, and turned back to the window. She watched Herakles and Iolaos as they rode their newly acquired cart out of Kleonia. 'I nurtured the hydra specifically to be Herakles's bane. He'll need more than a lucky thought to best this beast.'

**The Hydra**

Four days after Herakles had vanquished the Nemean Lion, he and his nephew caught sight of the cyclopean walls of Tiryns. It was not a moment too soon as far as Iolaos was concerned, because the stench emanating from the carcass was overpowering. It was not the ordinary stink of decay, but a monstrous reek that fouled the air around until it was almost un-breathable. 'I'll ride ahead and let them know you're coming,' he said as soon as he saw the wall.

'Do you really think it's a good idea to show your face in my cousin's Kingdom without me beside you?'

Iolaos thought about the humiliation Herakles had visited on King Eurystheus just before they set off for Kleonia. He was right; it would be very dangerous to venture there alone, but the risk seemed worth it. 'It's better than hanging around with that stinking corpse.'

'Sit down,' Herakles said, but with no anger in his voice. He had been very mellow since his victory over the Nemean Lion - almost amicable. 'Why don't you have something to eat?'

'All we have left is the cheese Molorchos gave us. The people of Kleonia may be wonderful tailors,' Iolaos said, 'but they have a lot to learn about cheese making.'

'They had more to think about than cheese,' Herakles said. 'Their sons were being eaten by a monstrous lion!'

Iolaos sat silently for a moment, watching the walls of Tiryns grow as they drew closer. 'Poor Molorchos,' he said. 'He was so thankful when you killed the Lion despite the fact that he had nothing left to lose.'

'His son's murder was avenged,' Herakles said, his face darkening for a moment. 'Sometimes, vengeance is all the salve a soul needs.'

They travelled on in silence for a little while more.

'They have seen us,' Heracles said. 'Look, up in the tower to the left. The guards are behaving like bees when their hive is disturbed.'

A few minutes later, a cohort of mounted guards led by the King's herald Kopreus rode out to meet them.

'Do you think that wearing a lion skin cloak is enough to convince the King that you have slain the Lion of Nemea?' Kopreus said.

'Of course not, you dimwit,' Herakles snapped back, his mellow demeanor vanishing like dew in the morning sun. 'I have the monster's carcass in the back of this cart.'

'Show me.'

'I brought this back for the King to see, not his groveling lackey.'

Kopreus looked at Herakles with hatred in his eyes. 'Bring your proof to the outskirts of the village but no further. I will tell the King that you have returned, but cannot guarantee that he will greet you.'

'I don't want him to greet me. The Gods want him to greet me. It is they who commanded me to complete this task, and it is they who will judge if I have done as they bid.'

Without uttering another word, Kopreus wheeled his horse around and galloped back towards the city. The soldiers did not follow, however. Instead, they formed up into two ranks on either side of the cart and escorted Herakles to the outskirts of Tiryns.

King Eurystheus kept them waiting for some hours. The soldiers would not allow Herakles or Iolaos to leave the cart, so the two sat in its shade and shared a meal.

'This really is terrible cheese,' Iolaos complained. 'I wouldn't even serve it to that idiot Kopreus, even though he looks like he eats shit for a living.'

Herakles burst out laughing, which startled some of the soldiers. Most reached for their swords, but one or two made to run.

The sun was low in the sky before King Eurystheus finally put in an appearance. 'Your impertinence had better match your deeds, or things will go badly for you.'

'Lions do not fear rats. Why do you think your threat will frighten me?' Herakles said and stood up. 'I have brought you the carcass of the Nemean Lion, some of the hide of which was used to fashion this cloak.' He motioned to Iolaos, who went to the back of the cart and dragged the cloth of the monster's corpse. The King gagged at the smell and leaned back on his horse.

'What you have there is the corpse of a large animal. It could be anything.'

'Any man can see that this is no ordinary beast. I had to strangle it to death because its hide was impervious to weapons. If you doubt me, come down here and try to push a dagger through my cloak.'

King Eurystheus blanched at the prospect. 'Why? So that I would be near enough to your sword for you to cut me down before any of my soldiers can react?'

'I am unarmed.'

'So you say. No, one of the soldiers will do it. You there,' King Eurystheus said, and pointed to the soldier nearest Herakles, 'see if you can push your sword through the fool's cloak.'

The soldier swallowed a few times but, to his credit, stepped forward and drew his sword. 'Put the cloak against the cart,' he said.

'No need, just stab it where it lies,' Herakles said to the sweating man.

The soldier looked to the King, who lost his temper. 'Obey your King! Now!'

The soldier's struggle was visible on his face; he could either disobey his King or stab the son of Zeus. After a tortured moment, he poked half-heartedly at the cloak on Herakles's back with the point of his sword.

Moving with the speed of a coiled snake, Herakles flicked the sword out of the soldier's sweaty hand, vaulted over the cart and landed beside the King's horse. Eurystheus tried to pull the animal away, but the big man had grasped the reins with his free hand.

'If I wanted to cut you down, there wouldn't be a thing your soldiers could do to stop me,' Herakles said. 'This is the Nemean Lion. My first task is complete. What is to be my second?'

Eurystheus tried to regain control of his horse, but wasn't able to drag the reins out of Herakles's hand. 'If you do not let go of my horse, then not even your father will be able to save you from my fury,' he said, but the tremor in his voice gave his fear away.

Herakles did as the King bid, and even dropped the sword. 'I am not interested in killing Kings,' he said, 'only in finishing the labors set me by Hera. What is it that I must do next?'

'Iris came to me in a dream last night, but her words were unclear,' Eurystheus lied. 'I will sacrifice to Hera and ask her guidance. When she answers, I will send word with the Herald.'

'I won't stay in this place a whole night,' Herakles said. 'There is a small stream to the east of the city. I will camp there tonight and set the Lion's body on a pyre. Send Kopreus there with the news.'

(ii)

Two days passed before Kopreus arrived with the second task. He found Herakles sitting by the still smoldering ashes of the Lion's pyre, looking at the bones of what was once one of the most feared monsters in Hellas.

The Herald rode up to the son of Zeus, who ignored him. 'I bring you the second task set by the King,' he said.

'Set by Hera, you mean,' Herakles said, and stood. 'Where are your soldiers?'

'Would they make a difference if you decided to attack me?'

'No.'

'For your second task, the King commands that you kill the Hydra at Lerna.'

'Do I need to bring the body back as proof?'

'No, just one of the heads will do.'

'We will set off soon,' Herakles said.

Kopreus looked at him. 'You know of the beast that you must kill?'

'Yes, I have heard that it guards a doorway into the underworld, and that it has nine heads, the middle of which is immortal. Is it the immortal head the King wants?'

'No, just one of the mortal ones will do,' Kopreus said. 'Did you know that its breath and its blood are deadly poison and that no man has set eyes upon it and survived?'

'Then I will be the first.'

Kopreus shook his head and looked bemused. 'I doubted your ability when you were sent off to kill the Nemean Lion, but you proved me and many others wrong. But this monster? Surely not. No mortal man can hope to face it and live.'

Herakles shrugged and turned to stare once again at the bones of his fallen adversary. He did not see Kopreus ride away.

Iolaos returned from tending the horses a short while later. 'I thought I heard voices,' he said.

'Yes. Kopreus was just here with the second task. I am to slay the Hydra at Lerna.'

'I thought it a legend.'

'Not according to Eurystheus,' Herakles said, and sighed. 'It seems that only Gods and monster heads are immortal. Everything else becomes ash.'

'Very deep,' Iolaos said. 'I'm not even going to try and understand the philosophy behind it.'

'It is no philosophy, nephew, just an observation about the strangeness of life.'

'Great. More philosophy. I didn't think you were the philosophizing type.'

Herakles laughed. 'I'm not.'

'When are we going?'

'Soon, but first I want to build a home for us. Twelve years is a long time and I don't think my cousin is feeling particularly hospitable.'

Over the next few days, Herakles collected huge stones from far and wide, each taller than a man, and set them into the earth so that they formed the stout walls of a good sized house. On one side, he left a gap for a door, and for the roof, he used a huge, flat stone that he found in a dry riverbed. Iolaos marveled that he could lift it on his own for it looked big enough to trouble a titan.

'I will finish it when we return,' Herakles said on the night before they were to set out. He placed the bones of the Nemean Lion along with the remaining scraps of hide into the center of the floor, and blocked the door with a stone.

(iii)

They set off early the next morning, heading southwest towards the coast, which Herakles planned to follow down to Lerna, the city closest to the swamp where the Hydra had its lair.

'The sea runs in the blood of all Hellenes,' Herakles said, as they ambled along the shore. The journey was only three leagues, but Herakles was in no hurry and spent considerable time hunting and bathing in the ocean.

They finally arrived at Lerna after a week of leisurely riding and stopped at a traveler's shelter outside the city. Iolaos wanted to spend a little money and stay at an inn but Herakles wouldn't hear of it.

'What could be better than sleeping in the fresh air? There is a roof here, and we can start a fire. Even the best inns stink and the pots don't get emptied often enough for my liking.'

They were sitting by their newly laid fire when a familiar voice came from behind. 'Hello to you, son of Zeus. Lidas see's that you weren't eaten by the Lion of Nemea.'

'Quite the opposite, friend Lidas,' Herakles said, 'I now wear its pelt for a cloak.'

Lidas sat down next to Iolaos and laughed. 'And a fine cloak it is,' he said. 'Being so close to Lerna, Lidas would guess that you're after the Hydra now?'

'As a matter of fact, we are,' Herakles said.

'You know, there's one thing I don't understand,' Iolaos says. 'If no man has ever seen the Hydra and lived, then how do we know what it looks like.'

Herakles's brow furrowed. 'I had never thought of that.'
'It's not true that no man has ever seen it and lived. Lidas is sitting right here and breathing, isn't he?' Lidas said.

'Are you saying that you've seen it?' Iolaos said, sounding incredulous.

'Most definitely. It was several years ago, when circumstances necessitated that Lidas steer clear of the roads for a while. Lidas thought he'd set up camp near the swamp because everyone else avoided it.'

'A deal gone wrong?' Herakles said.

'Yes, you could say that,' Lidas conceded. 'Anyway, Lidas had just lit a fire because the day was cool when he heard a strange noise behind him. Lidas turned and there it was. Lidas thought at first it was a nest of snakes all moving at once, but then Lidas saw all the heads sprouted from one body, as thick as a man torso.'

'How did you escape?' Iolaos asked.

'Lidas thought his life was at an end and was determined to at least give it a scar to remember him by, so he grabbed a burning branch from the fire. No sooner had Lidas picked up the flaming club than the beast turned and slithered away.'

'Does it fear fire, then?' Herakles asked.

Lidas shrugged. 'Lidas is still here, isn't he? In a way, it makes sense. It is a beast of the swamp and spends all its time in fouled waters. Flame would be a foreign and unwelcome intruder.'

'Tell me,' Herakles said, 'this is the second time we have encountered you on the road, and yet we have never seen the merchandise you are selling.'

'And that, friend Herakles, is the reason that Lidas has avoided the roads around Lerna for so long.'

Herakles and Iolaos laughed. The three sat around the fire until well into the night, Herakles and Lidas taking turns to tell bawdy tales that made Iolaos blush and laugh at the same time.

The following morning, Herakles woke with the sun and found Lidas gone. He shook his nephew awake. 'Our friend the merchant has vanished once again.'

'I'm not surprised,' Iolaos said and yawned widely. His uncle's habit of rising with the sun was conflicting with his natural tendency to sleep until noon.

Herakles led them to the edge of the swamp and built a fire while Iolaos grumbled about mornings.

'Would you rather wait until the sun is out and has warmed the beast's blood before we got around to building a fire?' Herakles said.

'What do you mean? This monster also likes to sleep in?'

'If the Hydra is indeed akin to a snake then it will only come out when the sun is high and there is warmth in the air. I reckon it may be prudent to have a fire going before that happens, don't you?'

'Oh,' Iolaos said, and accelerated his search for firewood.

'According to Lidas, the beast has it's lair on a small hillock in the center of the swamp. I can see a place, just over there,' Herakles said and pointed to where a couple of scraggly trees poked up above the marsh grass.

'It's not that far away,' Iolaos said, and set a fire to the kindling that he had gathered. Herakles stood looking at the flames for several minutes as if mesmerized. He then snatched up a flaming branch and ran into the swamp.

(iv)

Herakles waded through the brackish water to where a few small trees stood on firmer ground. Thirty paces ahead of him, the ground rose again and he could see a dark crack in the earth that could be the Hydra's lair. He quickly gathered what wood and kindling he could find under the trees and set a fire, before drawing his bow. He nocked an arrow, set its point in the flame, and sent it flying into the dark hole in the earth.

When there was no reaction after a couple of minutes, he set a second arrow into the fire and sent it after the first. Still, there was no response. He sent a third and then a fourth. He drew a fifth arrow, which he determined would be his last at this spot. If five arrows couldn't find a Hydra, then there wasn't a Hydra to find.

Herakles nocked the flaming dart and was about to set fly when three snake heads appeared at the entrance to the hole. He readjusted his aim and sent the arrow arcing towards the central head. To his surprise, all three heads managed to move out of the way and the arrow fell harmlessly to the earth. Herakles hurriedly sent another flaming dart towards the Hydra as it came swiftly out its lair towards him. Once again, the monster was able to move out of the way. By now, its huge body was completely out in the open and all nine heads were looking at him. They were green in color, except for the central one, which glistened like copper in the morning sun.

Herakles sent another three flaming arrows towards the huge snake, whose body where the heads joined was thicker than his own torso, but they all fell harmlessly to the ground. 'I hate snakes,' he grumbled, and picked up his club and shield.

The monster wasn't attacking, probably because of the fire, and Herakles was not known for his patience. 'For Zeus!' the big man cried and vaulted over the flames. When the Hydra saw that there was no fire between it and its quarry, it slithered forward with deceptive speed.

Just before they met, Herakles vaulted into the air to his left and used the shield to block the attacking heads. He landed beside the beast and brought his club down hard onto its torso. There was a metallic boom and his club rebounded so fast that it spun him completely around.

Three of the Hydra's heads arced towards him while he was off balance, but he managed to fend them off with his club. A fourth head tried to get under his shield, but he saw it coming and brought the bottom edge down. The Hydra's was unable to react quickly enough and its neck became caught beneath the shield. Herakles pushed hard and felt the shield push through flesh and bone. There was a clang when it severed the neck of the beast.

Herakles didn't have time to celebrate this minor victory because the other eight heads were still circling around him, trying to find a way past his shield. He could see the headless neck swinging uselessly, but there was no blood spurting from the stump as he had expected. Instead, the blood congealed on the end of the neck; it formed bones, then muscle, then skin.

Before his very eyes, Herakles saw two new heads form on the end of the neck that he had severed. All ten heads attacked at once and he swung his shield in an arc across his body from right to left and pushed back the serpent. His club followed and struck the neck of the trailing head, pushing it down against the ground and sending another head flying into the fetid waters around the hill, where it sank without a trace.

To Herakles's horror, the blood congealed from this wound as well, and soon another two heads had grown on the stump of the severed neck. Now he faced an eleven-headed Hydra! Obviously, his methods were proving counterproductive and he needed to consider his tactics. Using his shield and club to hold back the attacking beast, Herakles retreated towards his campfire. The monster followed for a while, but stopped short a little after Herakles began to feel the heat of the flames on the back of his legs.

On Olympus, Hera looked down at the battle between the monster and the hero and she exalted. 'He is running. The buffoon has met his match!'

Iris didn't look convinced. 'But the Hydra was unable to strike, my Queen, and he now knows it has a weakness.'

Hera laughed aloud. 'He can only hide behind the fire for so long. Look, already much of it is embers and he has only a little more wood to feed it.'

In the swamp, Herakles caught his breath and dropped his club. A plan was shaping in his mind and it needed a sharp edge. 'Iolaos!' he called at the top of his voice. 'Come here, I have need of you.'

The Hydra was lying, coiled and alert, on the other side of the flames, apparently content to wait until the fire had died. Herakles was not that patient. He fed the last of the wood he had gathered to the fire except for one thick branch that he held back.

Iolaos arrived a few minutes later. 'I think all of Hellas heard that,' he said, and then froze in fear. He had caught sight of the monster beyond the fire.

'I have need of you,' Herakles said.

'It's got so many heads,' Iolaos said, unable to tear his eyes from the giant snake.

'Yes, and that's the problem. Every time I chop one off, two grow in its place.'

'I can see how that could be frustrating,' Iolaos said, flippant despite his terror, 'but how can I help?'

Herakles pushed the end of the last branch into the fire. 'If we can stop the blood flow it may not be able to grow new heads,' he said. 'What I want you to do is stay behind me and every time I cut off a head, seal the stump with fire.'

'Can I take the club?'

'Sure. Ready?'

'No, but let's go anyway.'

Herakles laughed. 'For Zeus,' he called out so loud that birds in trees hundreds of yards away took to the air in fright. He jumped over the fire closely followed by his nephew.

The Hydra, already coiled and ready to strike, attacked Herakles with all eleven heads but the big man fended them off with his shield, before bringing his sword around in a horizontal cut that sliced not one, but two heads off the beast.

Iolaos managed to sear the first without any problem, but the Hydra sensed its danger and one of its head struck at him. Iolaos fended it off with the club and managed to sear the second neck before the two heads could fully form.

On Olympus, Hera screamed in fury. 'No! How can this be? I will show that wretched fool Iolaos what it means to offend an Olympian!'

'What will you do, my Queen?' Iris asked. 'To attack him directly will enrage Zeus. If he were to abandon his agreement with you, he may cause Eurystheus to be overthrown and Herakles to take his place.'

'Nothing so obvious, Iris of the rainbows,' Hera cried, and turned back to the window. 'Quickly, a beast to attack his cursed companion!'

In the swamp, a giant crab crawled out of the muck behind Iolaos and scuttled towards him, massive pincers held high in the air. But its show of aggression was its downfall because Herakles saw it coming out of the corner of his eyes and brought a massive foot down onto it, cracking its carapace and killing it instantly.

Herakles was feeling elated by the success of his tactic but he knew that the battle was not yet won. The Hydra had nine heads remaining and was now breathing poison fumes into the air from its copper colored head.

'Back, behind the fire!' Herakles called and waited until Iolaos had retreated before following him. Once again, the Hydra would not follow beyond the flames.

Herakles tore two thick strips off his tunic and gave one to Iolaos. 'Cover your mouth and nose like this, he said, and tied the cloth around his head so that he was breathing through it.

'Ready?'

Iolaos nodded. Herakles, throwing all caution to the wind, dropped his shield and picked up a burning branch. He vaulted back over the fire and fell upon the Hydra. With three swift strokes of his sword, four heads rolled. When the snake turned its copper head towards him, Herakles brandished his burning branch at it and it swayed back and away from him.

Behind the son of Zeus, Iolaos came with club and fire. He seared the four stumps left by Herakles, and even managed to strike at the serpent's body with the flaming branch, which caused two heads to turn away from attacking his uncle. Free of some unwanted attention, the big man severed a further three mortal heads, while Iolaos crushed the last. Working quickly, they seared the stumps so that no other heads grew.

With only its immortal head remaining, the Hydra tried to flee back towards its lair, but Herakles jumped after it and cut the head from the body, which fell lifeless. Unlike before, the flowing blood of the Hydra did not congeal. Instead, it ran into the ground where it bubbled and frothed. Wherever it spread, all life died.

Herakles spiked the hissing immortal head on his sword like a piece of meat on a skewer and turned to his nephew. 'Well done,' he said. 'Now fetch me my quiver.'

Iolaos jumped behind the fire and picked up the quiver, which he tossed towards his uncle.

Herakles caught it without taking his eyes off the flowing blood. He knelt down beside the body of the massive snake and dipped the heads of twenty arrows, one by one, into the caustic liquid.

'We need to take back proof of our victory,' Herakles said, 'and a few of these heads will do nicely.' His eyes fell upon the crab he had stomped earlier and he bent down and picked it up by a huge pincer. It was easily as wide as a normal man was tall. 'I didn't know crabs lived in swamps.'

'Oh wow,' Iolaos said. 'That's huge. Have you ever eaten crab? They're delicious.'

The two men gathered up all the mortal heads of the Hydra they could find, and Herakles buried the immortal head under a huge stone. He then built a pyre upon which he burned the corpse of the Hydra, while Iolaos made a smaller fire at their camp outside the swamp upon which he cooked the crab.

That evening, they watched the sunset while feasting on crab.

'This is amazing,' Herakles said while sucking meat out of an enormous claw, 'truly delicious.'

'Yep,' Iolaos agreed. He was too busy stuffing himself to commit too many words to the reply.

On Olympus, Hera was beside herself with fury. 'My patience grows thin,' she said in a quiet voice that Iris found alarming. It was in moods such as this that Hera had committed some of her most extreme acts. 'It is time for him to die!'

'But my Queen, how will you kill him? Will you attack him yourself? And if you did, do you think you can defeat him? He has proven himself a cunning and resolute warrior. There is every chance that he will injure you! Did you not see him dip his darts in the blood of the Hydra? If he were to touch you with one of those, there is no knowing what will happen.'

'Then I will kill him with misfortune. A storm will drown him at sea, or a stone will fall on him in the mountains.'

'And what if Zeus learns of it? Are you willing to take such a chance?'

Hera threw up her hands in frustration. 'Then what am I to do? He has killed two of the most fearsome monsters ever to have lived. How can I kill this wretched bastard?'

'His body is strong but not so his mind,' Iris said. 'Already he feels aggrieved at his treatment by the Gods and frets about the sons he killed. You have tricked him once, my Queen. Surely you can do so again?'

Hera continued to stare through the window, down to where Herakles and Iolaos were finishing off the crab. 'This is true,' she said.

'Why not tell him that this task does not count because he had aid? That will surely annoy him. He may even do something stupid, like fly into a rage and kill Eurystheus when he is told, which would give you just cause to kill him in turn.'

'And if he doesn't? If he takes the news in his stride and continues on?'

'Then set tasks that don't play to his strengths, my Queen. We know he has murder in his heart and enjoys nothing more than killing. Set him a subtle task, one that forbids him to kill.'

An evil smile spread across Hera's face. 'You are a cunning one, Mistress of rainbows, and I have exactly the task. I will send him after the Golden Hind, a beast so quick that it can outrun an arrow.'

'Is it not sacred to chaste Artemis?'

'Yes. She has four such animals tethered to her chariot, but this one eludes her. Hopefully, he'll kill it and anger the Goddess of the hunt.'

'Shall I go and tell Eurystheus that this task will not count?'

'Yes, but before you go, I have something to show you.' Hera reached down, grasped the spirit of the crab and threw it up into the heavens, where it became a constellation. 'See, like my husband I glorify the actions of Herakles. Behold! The crab that was eaten by mighty Herakles.'

(v)

With the Hydra dead, Herakles was keen to move on to his next labor. 'I have twelve years to complete all ten tasks, but at this rate they will be all done within a year,' he said as they rode back towards Tiryns. His successes had given him a sense of urgency as well as a new tolerance for the presence of others, and he chose to follow the road from Lerna rather than travel along the coast.

'There couldn't be another eight such monsters in the world, could there?' Iolaos said.

Herakles considered this. 'Maybe not in Hellas, but who can say what lies beyond the oceans?'

'Great,' Iolaos said, sarcastically.

Herakles raised an eyebrow. 'I thought you'd relish the opportunity to sail the seas.'

'Sailing the seas I have no problem with. It's the prospect of being eaten alive by unimaginable horrors at the end of the voyage that concerns me.'

'Really? I thought you handled yourself very well against the Hydra. The way you used the club reminded me of Amphitryon. One of my favorite activities as a boy was to watch him train, so I know his methods and mannerisms quite well.'

Iolaos blushed at the compliment. 'Really? Amphitryon?'

'You look remarkably like your grandfather, and you fight like him as well.'

Herakles laughed at Iolaos's discomfit. 'Most young men would be proud of such a compliment and shout it from the rooftops. You look abashed.'

'Not all men are the same, uncle, as you should well know.'

'Ah ha! Philosophy! You are a Hellene after all!'

Iolaos blushed again, but was happy. He hadn't seen his uncle like this for many a day. Since he had become Herakles he had hardly been a fountain of joy, but this had not always been the case. In his earliest memories of his uncle, he recalled a man who laughed easily and often. But even before then, there had been changes, and others other than he had noticed. His memory dredged up images of his father talking to King Kreon about the changes in Herakles's moods after Megara gave birth to their daughter, Makaria. Herakles's smile had begun to fade and his good humor had curdled and turned sour; he played fewer games with his children and his nephews, and kept more and more to himself.

'What happened when Makaria was born?' Iolaos blurted out, almost unconsciously.

'What do you mean?'

'Um,' Iolaos hadn't really meant to have this conversation, but now that it had started, he might as well have it. 'You were different then,' he said, searching for words that would do justice to the memories. 'You played with us more and told silly jokes and laughed at them.'

Herakles considered this for a while. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I just remember that there came a morning where I woke up and felt trapped. There was my wife and my children, there were Kings and Gods, and everything just piled up and up until I couldn't move without thinking of who and what and why.'

They rode on for a while in silence, each man examining his unique memories of a shared history.

'It's a strange thing, but in the few weeks since I've left Thebes, this is the first time of thought of my wife,' Herakles said. 'My sons and daughter are constantly on my mind, and I think of my brother and sister quite a bit. But not Megara.'

'I haven't thought of anyone but Amperio my teacher. Whenever I think of the time we haven't spent together, I can't help but smile.'

Herakles laughed.

They covered most of the distance in two days, but Herakles did not lead them immediately to Tiryns. First, they went to the home Herakles had built and spent a night there. The following morning, Herakles bathed in the nearby stream, had a light breakfast of fruit and cheese, and then mounted up. Iolaos was about to follow suite, but Herakles stopped him. 'There is no need for you to accompany me this time,' he said. 'The less my cousin sees of you, the better it will be for both of us.'

Herakles rode into Tiryns alone, the bag of serpent heads bouncing on the rump of his horse. He had left his armor with Iolaos, safely behind a huge stone that not even three strong men could lift, and brought only sword and bow.

A commotion in the tower indicated that the guards had spotted him and, before long, Kopreus rode up flanked by ten mounted soldiers.

'The King comes,' Kopreus said when he drew near enough for Herakles to hear. Behind the herald and his retinue, Herakles could see a larger group of soldiers surrounding an ornate cart upon which stood a large, bronze pot.

'The King awaits you at the cart,' Kopreus said, and motioned for Herakles to move forward.

'I see no King, just a giant pot. What idiocy is this?'

'The King commands that you approach the cart,' Kopreus said, his voice growing impatient.

Herakles dismounted, threw the sack of serpent heads over his shoulder and walked the short distance to the cart. Four soldiers had stationed themselves across its front, so he was only able to get to within ten yards or so. The pot was even more ornate than the cart, carved with images of Olympians, with Hera prominent. While its bottom half was solid bronze, Herakles could see that the top half consisted of a fine bronze and iron mesh. Shadows hinted at movement within.

'Ah, if it isn't the son of Zeus, returned from an adventure,' said Eurystheus's voice from within the pot.

Herakles looked back at Kopreus, who remained stony faced, and at the soldiers in front of him, who did their best to avoid looking him in the eye.

'Is this some sort of joke? Surely the King is not in the pot?' Herakles said, a huge grin spreading across his face. 'He truly is a weed.'

'Silence! Why are you here?' Eurystheus said.

'I have returned from killing the Hydra as was requested by Hera.'

'And did you do this alone?'

'Of course I did. Who else has the strength to master such a beast? Certainly not you, King in a pot.'

'You lie.'

Herakles's face darkened. 'Don't think that hiding in a pot will save you from my anger if you continue to insult me.'

'Why are you insulted? Hera herself has told me that you had help in killing the Hydra. Do you think that I would believe your word over that of an Olympian?'

'I entered the swamp at Lerna and, with sword and flame, killed the Hydra. The only other person present was Iolaos, my charioteer.'

'And did he not also battle the Hydra?'

'He seared the necks to stop new heads growing in the place of the ones I had cut off.'

'Did he not also crush one of the heads with your very own mace?'

'What does it matter? The Hydra is dead at my hand. What is my third task?'

There was a short laugh from the pot. 'Hera commands that you capture the Golden Hind and bring it back undamaged to Tiryns, but she refuses to accept the Hydra's death as a task because someone aided you. If you succeed in capturing the Hind, only then will your second task be considered complete.'

Herakles, his face a mask of fury, threw the sack at Eurystheus's pot, where it exploded in a shower of serpent heads. Without uttering a word, he turned, mounted his horse, and rode off. The sound of the Kings laughter, given a hollow quality by the bronze pot, rang in his ears as he urged his horse into a gallop.

(vi)

When Herakles had not returned after several days, Iolaos went into Tiryns in search of him. It wasn't difficult to find out what had happened; all the traders in the market were talking of how Eurystheus had disallowed the second task. The rumors about where Herakles had gone and what he would do next swirled around Tiryns, jumping from tongue to tongue like a virulent disease - everyone whom the rumor touched passed it on to someone else. The most prevalent tale was that Herakles had gone to Mount Olympus to confront Hera directly, but Iolaos considered this unlikely. He knew his uncle, and if he had gotten angry enough to attack an Olympian, then there was no way that Eurystheus would still be alive. He was about to give up and go back to camp when he heard a familiar voice exclaim 'Ah, Iolaos. There is news of your uncle everywhere, but he himself is nowhere!'

Iolaos turned. 'Lidas? What are you doing here?'

'Looking for Herakles. Lidas has a proposition for him.'

'Then you'll be disappointed. He chose the path of virtue and now...'

'No, no, no,' Lidas said, 'not like that. There is to be a great voyage leaving from the beach at Pagasai, on a ship blessed by Athena herself and they are looking for heroes to be her crew. When Lidas heard that Herakles had actually killed the Hydra, Lidas thought Herakles would be an ideal crewmember.'

'You may be wasting your time anyway,' Iolaos said. 'He killed the Nemean Lion and the Hydra because they were tasks set for him by Hera through Eurystheus. If he finishes ten in the next twelve years, he will become immortal.'

'That may be, but Lidas wants to ask for himself to hear Herakles's answer himself. Where is he?'

'I don't know. He came here to give Eurystheus the serpent heads as proof that he killed the Hydra, and then he vanished.'

'How can a man that big just vanish?'

'I think he got upset at Hera disallowing the second task.'

'So he's having a bit of a sulk?' Lidas said. He put his hand on his chin and appeared to be thinking. 'Where have you looked?'

'Just here.'

'Do you think he's dead?'

Iolaos looked shocked. 'What? Herakles? No, definitely not. What would make you say such a thing?'

'Some men, when they are disappointed, look for solace in the world of the dead.'

'No, not my uncle. At least not without taking a bunch of people with him.'

'Then where could he be?'

Iolaos threw up his arms, made exasperated noises, and then stared at the heavens for a while. Herakles couldn't be dead, there just had to be another explanation. 'Actually, I have an idea about that,' he said. 'Do you have a horse?'

Lidas didn't have a horse, so Iolaos went back to his camp and fetched the donkey and cart that Molorchos had sold them to transport the corpse of the Nemean Lion.

'It smells!' Lidas complained when he first climbed aboard.

'You want to walk?' Iolaos asked.

'Can Lidas use the horse?

'No. If anyone is going to use the horse, it will be me.'

'Okay then, Lidas will ride the cart, but why does it smell so bad?

'We used it to carry a monster's corpse. I've scrubbed and scrubbed but the stench just won't go.'

They took a small path out of Tiryns towards the ocean. It wasn't the most direct route, but it was the only one that could accommodate their transportation.

'Herakles loves the sea,' Iolaos said when Lidas asked where they were headed. 'When we were on our way to Lerna, Herakles found a spot along the beach that was protected from three sides by rocky cliffs. He would have lingered there for a time had our quest not been so urgent.'

They reached the coast early the next morning and found Herakles a few hours later, swimming far out in the ocean.

'Herakles!' Iolaos called from the water's edge and his uncle turned and swam towards the shore. 'Come on, this way,' Iolaos said to Lidas.

'What of the horse and the cart?'

'The horse is intelligent enough to look after itself as well as the donkey. Come on.' Iolaos ran to a place on the rocky beach where a high cliff met the water's edge and dived into the ocean. He swam a little way out and disappeared behind the cliff.

Lidas followed in the young man's tracks, but hesitated at the water's edge. 'Where did you go?' he called out.

'It's just a short swim around. There's a beach in here that's above the tide line,' replied Iolaos's disembodied voice.

(vii)

Herakles took a while to reach the hidden beach in the cliff, by which time Iolaos had started a fire.

'I thought you'd go back to Thebes,' Herakles said. He was an imposing sight, standing naked in the fading light.

'No. Not without finding you first.'

'And what are you doing here, Lidas. There are precious few buyers for your mysterious goods here.'

'The people of Hellas can talk of nothing but the exploits of Herakles,' the merchant said. 'So you really are the son of Zeus?'

'You came all this way to tell me you believe me?'

'Not exactly. Lidas came to tell you of the Argo and the quest for the Golden Fleece.'

'What has it to do with me?

'Jason is gathering a crew of heroes to sail to the garden of Ares and steal the Golden Fleece. Since you are the mightiest hero in Hellas, Lidas thought you should know.'

' I have never heard of Jason or his quest, and I have too much worry in my head already,' Herakles said. 'I certainly don't want to add more.'

'Are you going to continue with your tasks, uncle?' Iolaos asked.

Herakles barked out a short, mirthless laugh. 'Why? So that Hera can deny me my due?' He threw himself down by the fire and took a deep breath. 'And what use would I have for immortality? So that Hera can torment me for eternity?' He looked into the fire and Iolaos could see only despair in his eyes. 'It is all madness,' the big man said.

Lidas was the first to break the silence that followed. 'Lidas must go now, friends,' he said. 'It's a long walk back to Tiryns.'

'Yes it is,' Herakles said.

'Take the cart,' Iolaos said. 'You can keep both cart and donkey so that least your trip here would not have been in vain.'

Lidas bid them goodbye and disappeared around the cliff.

'What of us?' Iolaos said.

'You will return to Thebes,' Herakles said.

'And you?'

'I'm going to leave Hellas.'

'Where will you go?'

Herakles shrugged. 'I don't know, but I will come with you to Thebes. I want to see my brother and sister before I go.'

(viii)

Once again, they set out across Hellas. Herakles withdrew back into his shell, but this time Iolaos was not afraid. The young man felt as if he was in mourning and too grief stricken for fear to take hold of his heart. They travelled quickly and talked sparingly. Herakles hunted every afternoon, but did not sacrifice to any God in the evening.

It was a relief when they were finally caught sight of the walls of Thebes.

'I am banished, so will remain here,' Herakles said. 'Go and tell your father that I wish to speak to him.'

'And Megara?'

'No, just Iphikles.'

With Iolaos gone, Herakles sat staring into the fire. So much had changed in a few short weeks that it seemed a dream. His blank face hid a roiling darkness that was barely under his control. Emotions, which were always close to the surface in his old life, had to be pushed back and down, lest they escape and lead him to do things that he would regret.

If he closed his eyes, he could see his heart darkening. Overcome by a poisonous anger that threatened to take away what little he had left. The darkness was calling. He needed to leave Hellas so that he did fall and then wake to an empty world.

Iolaos returned as the sun was setting, accompanied by Iphikles, Herakles's sister Laonome and her husband Polyphemos.

'It's good to see you brother,' Iphikles said, sitting down beside the fire. 'The tales of your exploits have spread throughout Hellas. Your name is spoken with awe and wonder by peasants and Kings alike.'

'That may be, but it's not the name I was born with,' Herakles said. 'Now I am named Herakles, to bring glory to one who hates my very existence.'

Laonome, who was standing nearby, threw herself onto her brother and wrapped her arms as far around his shoulders as she could. 'The Gods may insist on changing your name, but you're still the same old Alkides to me,' she said. 'I miss you.'

Herakles remained like stone. 'I have come to see you all one last time before I leave Hellas,' he said. 'Hera's hatred for me has not diminished and she still plots my downfall. For the sake of all of us, I must go.'

'But you are the son of Zeus!' Iphikles exclaimed, 'surely he protects and guides you.'

'My father has abandoned me.'

'That's not true!' Iolaos said, heatedly. 'At every turn, your father's hand is visible. How else did you find the Lion of Nemea so quickly? The valley in which it ranged is massive and yet we stumbled upon the shepherd Molorchos who guided you directly to the beast's lair. And how did we find out that fire was the Hydra's weakness? And after Hera denied your victory over the snake, why do you think Lidas came looking for you with news of the Argo?'

Polyphemos, who was standing silently behind his wife and looking down at the fire, looked up in surprise at the mention of the ship.

Herakles turned to his nephew. 'You are right. I should not condemn my father so easily. I know he has been watching over me. It was I, after all, who was first suspicious that Lidas was no ordinary merchant. But even if Zeus favors me, he has been unable to prevent Hera in her vendetta against me. I have ten tasks to complete, and if she rejects every second one, then they will be twenty. And what if she decides not to accept the last until after the twelve years are past?'

The four descendants of Perseus looked glum and gloomy. Only Polyphemos of the five did not wear a frown.

'Only Zeus can thwart Hera,' Polyphemos said. 'In fact, you can be sure of only one thing. Hera will try and thwart you at every turn. But why would this knowledge cause you to despair?'

'Why? Do you always display your stupidity so?' Herakles said, anger in his voice.

'I am not stupid, son of Zeus. In fact, I am known for my cunning as well as my strength of arms. But you, who is known as the greatest hero in all of Hellas, are a coward.'

Herakles jumped to his feet, which knocked Laonome to the ground, and drew his sword.

'He's right,' Iolaos said. 'You're afraid.'

'How can you say this, Iolaos. You have accompanied me for weeks and know that I face death fearlessly.'

'Everyone knows of your deeds,' Polyphemos said. 'There can be no doubt that when it comes to battle, you are the most fearsome and courageous warrior in all of Hellas, and probably the world. Yet your greatest challenge is not on the battlefield. You must overcome the enmity of the Gods, and this makes you afraid, which is understandable. Only a fool would be fearless under such circumstances. If you were a brave man, you would face this fears and toil against it. But you're not. You are running away.'

Herakles sat back down, grim faced. 'Then what am I to do?' he said quietly. 'I know that you are right, but my heart tells me otherwise.'

'You say that you have twelve years, but it's only been a few weeks and already you have completed one task,' Polyphemos said. 'Maybe you should put your tasks to one side for a while. If Zeus has advised you to travel on the Argo and your heart tells you to leave Hellas, then it may be the wisest choice. I also am destined to sail on that ship with Jason, to help in his quest for the Golden Fleece. Come with me.'

The sun had set and Herakles looked up and saw that the Lion of Nemea filled the night sky. A father's pride in his son expressed as stars in the heavens.

'I will sail with Jason,' he said.

(ix)

Herakles looked up and saw a large eagle hanging in the morning sky above the city of Thebes. It flew high above the receding shapes of his brother and sister as they made their way back home, with his nephew Iolaos in tow. He and Polyphemos were to make the journey alone, despite the spirited arguments of Iolaos, who wanted to come along to take care of the horses.

'They will come back here of their own accord,' Herakles told his nephew. 'I will send word when I return to Hellas to continue my tasks. Until then, you are to concentrate on your lessons.'

The threat of lessons triggered another round of hand wringing from Iolaos, but it was all to no avail.

'How much do you know of Jason's quest?' Polyphemos asked as they rode north towards Iolkos where the heroes were assembling.

'Nothing much. Just that Athena herself blessed the building of the ship.'

Polyphemos nodded. 'Argos built it and named it after himself, but do you know why Jason is going?'

Herakles shook his head. 'No. I thought it was for glory alone.'

'It was prophesied that Pelias, King of Iolkos and a son of Poseidon, would come undone at the hand of a hero, and he thinks that Jason is the one. To try and save his own skin, he has decided to send Jason on an impossible mission, a quest upon which he will most probably die.'

'An interesting tale,' Herakles said. 'I always thought the Minyan's were a crazy lot. So we're going on a suicide mission?'

'Well, yes and no,' Polyphemos said. 'Jason has assembled a formidable crew, made even more so by you joining.' He paused a moment and took a deep breath. 'Also, the journey is sacred to Hera.'

Herakles stopped his horse. 'What! Are you mad inviting me on such an expedition?'

'But you said yourself that Zeus suggested it to you. And Hera can't possibly damage you without jeopardizing Jason's chances, and if you help him succeed you'll bring glory to her name.'

'This is insanity!' Herakles said, and turned his horse back towards Thebes.

'Where are you going?'

'Anywhere but the beach at Pagasai,' Herakles said.

In the sky above, the eagle turned and dropped down towards them. It circled above them twice, so close that its talons nearly touched the tops of their heads, and then alighted on a rock by the side of the road that lay between Herakles and Thebes.

Herakles stared at the giant bird. It was as tall as a man and covered in feathers that shimmered and changed color depending on how the sun caught them. In the sky, it had been the color of rich earth, a loamy brown, but here it appeared golden and silver. It regarded them with cruel red eyes.

'I don't think it wants you to go that way,' Polyphemos said.

'Who cares what a giant chicken wants?'

'I don't think it's an ordinary bird.'

'You don't say.'

'Yes, I do say. Doesn't Zeus sometimes roam the world as an eagle?'

Herakles sighed and turned his horse back around. Behind him, the eagle stretched its enormous wings and jumped into the sky. Both men watched it rise into the heavens until it was just a tiny spot in the sky. They resumed their journey northward when it had vanished completely.

Herakles the Argonaut

Herakles and Polyphemos arrived at the beach of Pagasai near the town of Iolkos and found it crowded with people. The Argo lay on the sand, supported by huge timbers and facing the sea. It loomed over all and cast a giant shadow in the late afternoon sun. There were a few workers scuttling about its timbers, but they were probably engaged in adding final touches or loading supplies because the ship itself appeared finished and ready to launch.

Many of the men on the beach had the bearing of warriors. Some could be seen sharpening swords or engaged in training exercises, while others took their ease beside fires that dotted the beach. By Herakles's reckoning, there would have been over a hundred men present, and at least half were fighters.

The two men sat on their horses on the slope of a nearby hill and watched the activity below them. Eventually, one of the people on the beach noticed their presence and ran towards the ship. A short while later a group of people made their way towards them. First amongst them was a beautiful young man who carried himself with an air of authority.

'Hello there, friends, I am Jason, son of Aison. It was at my bidding that Argus built this magnificent ship, and the greatest heroes of Hellas assembled to be its crew. We are going on a voyage to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Have you come to join us?'

Herakles dismounted and motioned for Polyphemos to do the same.

'Yes, we have come to join your crew of heroes. I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and this is Polyphemos, son of Eilatus.'

'If this is true then our voyage is truly blessed, but please forgive my cynicism. Many have come to us and claimed to be this or that. If you truly are Herakles as you say you are, then you will be able to wrestle any of us to the ground.'

Herakles shrugged. 'If that is all I need to do to prove myself, then bring forward your strongest man.'

'Excellent!' Jason exclaimed. 'Ankaeus, come forward. You are needed to test a hero's strength.'

A burly man wearing a bearskin tunic stepped out of the crowd. He looked Herakles up and down and seemed impressed. 'You certainly have the size of Herakles,' he said, 'for I have heard that he is taller than all other men in Hellas.' He dropped his shoulders and bent his knees. 'Prepare yourself.'

Herakles turned to face Ankaeus, but his stance remained relaxed. 'I am prepared,' he said.

Ankaeus snorted. 'We shall see,' he said, and charged. He hit Herakles in the midriff and the momentum of his charge would have sent any normal man sprawling on the ground. The only effect on Herakles was to compel him to take a small step backward with his left foot. Grunting with effort, Ankaeus wrapped his arms around Herakles's waist and pushed so hard that his feet sank deep into the sand, but he may as well have tried to shift a mountain.

Herakles took Ankaeus's arms and unwrapped them from around his waist with ridiculous ease. He forced them together in front of Ankaeus's chest and pushed back. The might of Herakles propelled Ankaeus backward through the air, and he ended up on his back several yards away. He got up, dusted himself off, and scuttled to where Jason was standing. 'That's Herakles,' he said, without a hint of doubt in his voice.

Jason's handsome face split in a grin. 'Welcome, Herakles and Polyphemos. Our crew is now complete!'

A cheer went up from the crowd and they surged forward to surround the newly anointed Argonauts.

'Friends, friends, calm yourselves,' Jason called with his arms in the air. The crowd stopped roiling and turned to the young hero. 'With the arrival of these two sons of Hellas, our crew is complete. It is time, I think, to choose a leader for our expedition.'

'Herakles,' Ankaeus shouted. Another voice in the crowd echoed his call, then another, and another. Those on the beach, hearing the ruckus, came over as well and joined in the call. Soon, nearly everyone on the beach was chanting 'Herakles!'

The big man raised his right hand until the chanting stopped. 'I am honored,' he said, 'but surely the man who inspired this voyage should be the one to lead it? What say you Jason? If you accept, then any man who challenges you will need to contend with my displeasure.'

Jason cast his eyes around and saw nothing but approval from his peers. He turned back to Herakles. 'If it is your will, and the crew agrees, then I will lead,' he said. The crowd erupted in cheers.

Jason lifted his hands in the air for silence yet again. 'Fellow Argonauts, for that is what we all now are, the time of preparation is over. We have a strong crew. We have a magnificent ship. We have supplies for many a day. Tomorrow, the voyage of the Argo begins!'

The following day, the Argonauts woke bright eyed and ready for adventure despite the feasting and flowing wine of the night before. After sacrificing to the Gods, the first order of the day was to launch the Argo into the sea. Argus commanded that the heroes dig a deep trench from the ship to the water's edge, and then line it with log rollers. He then set about reversing the oars and securing them. 'They will form handholds for us to push,' he explained.

With Tiphys the helmsman on board as guide, fifty of the Argonauts grasped an oar. 'Push!' Tiphys roared, and push the heroes did. Their first effort lifted the Argo into the trench. Their second effort set it rolling forward. It began slowly, but picked up speed as the heroes dug their heels into the sands of the beach and heaved with their collective might. By the time the mighty vessel had reached the water's edge, it was travelling as fast as a man could run and was throwing up a pall of smoke from the log rollers. It would have continued on its way through the water had not Argus had the foresight to run hawsers secured to rocks on the shore.

Once in the water, the ship itself called to the heroes. Argus had built a piece of sacred Dodonian oak into the keel and it spoke with a loud and clear voice. 'Come heroes, for our journey begins!' The Argonauts all dived into the water enthusiastically and clambered aboard. Fifty of them manned the oars, with Herakles and Ankaeus on opposite side to balance one another's strength. Sharp-eyed Lynkeus was the lookout, while master musician Orpheus, who had once been Herakles's music teacher before ceding the responsibility to the unfortunate Linos, played a rousing song while they rowed.

The Gods must have well liked the sacrifices made in their name because the Argonauts had barely been rowing an hour when a fair wind picked up. Argus supervised the raising of the tall mast, and the unfurling of the sail, which quickly filled with wind and drove the ship onward.

Once beyond the bay, Tiphys turned the Argo north and they sailed for many days with a fair wind at their back. In the evenings, they would find a suitable mooring and camp on the shore, where Herakles learnt more about his extraordinary crewmates. There was Euphemus, who was so swift of foot that he could outrun a deer, and Polydeukes, the most accomplished boxer in all of Hellas and a son of Zeus. But Herakles was drawn most to Hylas, a melancholy young man who was the son of King Theiodamas of the Dryopians.

At every camp, Herakles would take the boy aside and tutor him in weapons and fighting. When Polyphemos brought up Herakles's growing attachment to the boy as they sat around a camp fire one evening, the son of Zeus sighed heavily and looked down into the flames.

'He reminds me of the two sons I lost to Hera's fury,' Herakles said. 'Like them, he is innocent about the ways of the world and vulnerable to its wickedness. I could not save my own sons. Perhaps I can save him?'

Polyphemos said no more of the growing bond between the two and from that day forth, counseled others to ignore it as well. 'Some wounds are unseen and take a long time to heal,' he would tell them.

They sailed for many days along the coast until Mount Olympus had fallen behind them and when Tiphys saw the mountain on Akte, he turned the Argo to the West.

'The winds are favorable and that is rare in this part of the world,' he told Jason. 'We should press on through the night to the island of Lemnos which is not too far away.

Jason agreed and for the first time, the Argo sailed on through the evening and into the night.

Lynkeus, whose eyesight in the dark was as good as a normal man's in the day, was the first to see the island of Lemnos. He guided Tiphys to a safe mooring, much to the relief of the other Argonauts who were not looking forward to a cold evening meal aboard ship.

'There are cities near here where we can resupply,' Jason said after they had set up camp. 'Hopefully they will only take an hour or two to find in the morning. With luck, we can set out again in a couple of days.'

(ii)

The following dawn was bright and still, so there was no prospect of moving without oars. Sharp-eyed Lynkeus spied what looked like a city a few miles to the southeast, so the heroes bent their backs and the Argo went on its way. Soon, the city came into sight for all to see, as did the two vessels that came out to greet them.

'Who is leader here,' said a female voice, which caused all the rowers in the Argo to scurry to see who had spoken. They saw two small boats, crewed entirely by young women. The tallest and fairest was standing on the prow of the nearest boat and it was she who had called out.

'I am the leader of this quest,' Jason called out.

'Are there unmarried men in your crew?' asked the young woman.

'What sort of a question is that?' Jason said, sounding astonished.

'If you knew of our misfortune, you would understand why I asked it.'

'Then tell me the tale while we resupply our ship. We are in urgent need.'

'No, you do not have our leave to stop here as yet. This is Lemnos, where all the men have been put to death for their crimes.'

Herakles, who had been sitting at his oar, rose up and armed himself. 'Prepare yourselves, heroes,' he said quietly, 'I sense danger ahead.'

'Put down your weapons, son of Zeus,' Jason said, 'we do not yet know the full story.'

'Who are you and what is your business here?' the woman on the boat asked.

'I am Jason and this ship is the Argo. Together with a crew of the finest heroes in Hellas, I go to recover the Golden Fleece.'

'A crew of heroes? You may be welcome here after all, Jason, but that is for the parliament to decide. Come with me to ask them leave.'

'Allow me a moment to prepare,' Jason called down and fetched a gorgeous cloak from his pack.

'What are you doing?' Herakles asked. 'Going alone with these women is madness. They have told you that they have killed the men in their lives - brothers, fathers, and sons as well as husbands.'

Jason hesitated.

'There is no doubt that Jason will return,' said the sacred timber from the Argo's keel.

'Do not tarry,' Herakles said, mollified.

Jason clapped him on the back. 'Do not worry, great Herakles, I have a way with women.'

The crew busied itself about the ship while they waited for Jason, who returned just before dusk. 'Queen Hypsipyle and the parliament have granted us leave to stay in the city,' he said. 'They have made a request of us, however.'

'And that request is?' Herakles asked.

'We are to help them rebuild their population of men. I, myself, am going to try and give Hypsipyle a son.'

It took a few moments for the news to sink in. 'You mean they want us to ...' Argus the shipwright said.

'Most definitely,' Jason said with a wide grin on his face.

Herakles, however, was far from pleased. 'Go if you must,' he said, 'but remember your duty to your people and the Gods. The path of pleasure rarely coincides with the good.'

'But Herakles,' Jason said, 'this is one of the times when pleasure and virtue do coincide. These people need us! Without the sons that we can give them, they will fade away.'

'Let's hope they do not murder their sons like they did their husbands.'

Some of the Argonauts must have found Herakles's arguments convincing because nearly one third of the crew did not go with Jason. Instead, they made a camp on a nearby beach where they could keep an eye on the ship.

Days passed, and favorable winds came and went. After seven days, Herakles was becoming impatient. After a second week, he was nearly incandescent with rage. When Jason failed to return on the fifteenth day, Herakles donned his armor and took his sword and shield. He marched into the palace of Queen Hypsipyle where he found Jason and several of the Argonauts eating their morning meal.

'For this you assembled a crew of heroes,' Herakles said. 'Is this why Argus built a ship and installed a sacred timber to guide us? So that you can indulge in shallow intercourse with murderesses? I did not put aside my own labors to watch you get fat in some mad queen's palace. We have a quest to fulfill, or do you think that the Golden Fleece will come to us of its own accord?'

Queen Hypsipyle stood up. 'How dare you come into my home and insult me!' she said. Behind Herakles, two guards drew their swords. 'We know how to deal with men such as you,' Hypsipyle said and nodded towards the guards, who ran forward.

In one movement, Herakles drew his sword and spun on his heel. His vicious and unstoppable stroke severed the head of one guard, and took off the arm and half the torso of the other. They collapsed in a spray of blood; neither had time to utter a cry.

Blood dripping from his sword, Herakles turned back to the Queen. 'Twenty of the greatest warriors in Hellas await me on the beach. Do you think your city guards capable of besting such a foe?'

Jason sat and stared at the twitching bodies that lay at Herakles's feet, but the other Argonauts stood and came to stand beside the son of Zeus.

'He's right,' Euphemus said. 'We have been so blinded by our lust that we didn't even think to bring our weapons. Hurry, Jason, it's time to go.'

Jason looked at the Queen, who touched his cheek tenderly. 'Your violent friend is right, sweet Jason. The time has come for you to go on your way.' She turned to face Herakles and her expression cooled. 'A true captain would give us the head of an impudent crewman as a parting gift.'

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus and you are fortunate that I do not severe your head on the way out, but we are on a quest and have already been too long delayed.'

'Are you really Herakles? We have heard much of your exploits here. Perhaps we were wrong to delay you for so long, but that is past now. Go, and may the Gods smile upon your journey.'

Jason stood, and there looked to be tears in his eyes. 'If I have fathered a son, seek out my family in Iolkos. They will take care of you.'

Hypsipyle laughed. 'We don't need anyone to care for us or for our children, sweet Jason. Now go and find the glory that is your birthright. Do not concern yourself with our welfare.'

'There are only six of you here,' Herakles said. 'Where are the others?'

'Scattered throughout the city,' Euphemus said.

Herakles considered this. 'If harm has come to any of them,' Herakles said, his voice low and menacing.

'I can assure you that we did not invite the Argonauts into our beds to fight with them,' Hypsipyle said.

(iii)

The Gods again sent a fair wind that carried the Argo swiftly away from Lemnos. Despite their long stay on the island, they had not fully replenished their supplies and Tiphys decided to steer them to another island called Samothrace where lived the Doliones.

'King Kyzikos rules them,' he told Jason, 'and their city is one of order and happiness. We should be able to properly resupply there.'

But while Tiphys knew much about the winds and waters, he knew little of the ways of men. King Kyzikos was kind and treated them well, but was unable to provide the supplies they needed for the next part of the voyage. The Argonauts enjoyed his hospitality for two days, but their long stay in Lemnos had made them impatient.

As they were preparing to go, King Kyzikos came to the Argo and spoke to Jason. 'Your quest for the Golden Fleece is a noble one,' he said, 'and I am happy to give what help I can, but our island is small and we have little enough for ourselves.' He looked about at the impressive crew milling about on the deck and turned back to Jason. 'You have little to fear with such a fine crew, so I will tell you of a place near here where the trees grow thick and the hunting is good, but you must be cautious while you are there because it is cursed and the homeland of the six-armed  Gegeines. We call it Bear Mountain, and you cannot miss it if you continue on your journey east. Just remember to keep your ship well guarded and not venture too deep into the forest.'

Jason heeded Kyzikos's advice and two days later, Tiphys steered the Argo into a shallow bay in the shadow of a heavily forested mountain. They established a camp on a thin strip of sand between the sea and the forest.

'The King was a good man, but overly superstitious,' Jason said. 'If we all go foraging then we will gather what we need in no time at all.'

'But what of the curse the King spoke about?' Herakles said. 'There may be something in his words, and all the timber and game in Hellas would do little to compensate for a lost ship.'

Jason sighed. 'Must you always contradict me? Why did you insist I lead this quest if you keep undermining my decisions?'

'We would still be in Lemnos had I not,' Herakles said. 'But the guard here need not be many. I will stay behind with Polyphemos and Hylas. We should be able to handle any threat the ship faces.'

'So be it,' Jason said. 'The rest of us can hunt and gather wood, whatever each wants, and we will return here by sunset.'

The Argonauts dispersed, albeit reluctantly. Many came and spoke to Herakles and commended him on his wisdom, and some even offered to stay behind and guard the ship.

'No, no,' Herakles would reply, 'we three are sufficient.'

What none of the Argonauts knew was that eyes were watching them from within the forest. A group of giants had seen their arrival and had come to investigate. They had little need for the ship, but they marveled at all the weapons and materials it contained. When most of the crew disappeared into the forest, they decided the time was right. The  Gegeines numbered twenty and felt assured in their strength, so they did not call for more attackers from their village on the mountain.

'They are only three,' the leader said in the guttural tongue they used to communicate with one another, 'we will take them and all their goods, then destroy the ship. When the others return, they will not be able to escape and we will have them also.'

The three guards had just settled beside a fire on the sand just above the tide line and were sitting on logs with their backs to the ocean when the  Gegeines ran screaming from the forest, armed with clubs in four of their six hands.

Herakles turned to Polyphemos. 'There is no madness upon me and those are enemies attacking us?'

'Yes, I believe so.'

A smile spread across Herakles's face. 'Then they are in deep trouble,' he said. Taking his cue from his attackers, Herakles also charged, screaming. In his right hand he held his sword, and in his left, his mighty club.

The giants laughed at his bravery - they were twenty and each was twice his size and carried twice the number of weapons. The leader signaled for his troop to stop and ran forward alone. He tried to catch Herakles in his free hands, to make a joke of his death by twisting him in two, but Herakles spun away from his grasp and brought his sword up and around. The giant stumbled forward a few steps, dropped his weapons, and toppled onto the sand, where his head rolled from his shoulders.

The remaining giants looked shocked to see their leader fall so easily but arrows from Hylas and Polyphemos, which found the throats of two of their number, spurred them into action. The giants spread out in a line and tried to surround Herakles, and the big man responded. He moved like lightning and managed to cut down two before they were able to form a ring around him. A further two fell with arrows in their backs, and Herakles moved forward with such speed that those behind him could not bring their weapons to bear.

The giants only managed to close on Herakles when he slowed his advance, but they were fools to think it was their own doing. When they drew close, the son of Zeus became a whirling agent of death; his sword sliced through flesh and severed bone, and his club crushed skulls and mangled limbs. Two giants in front of him fell to the same sword stroke, while a third had his skull crushed by the club. He dodged beneath the clumsy blows of a  Gegeines to his left, and on his way up buried his sword to the hilt in its belly. A fourth giant loomed up behind, but Herakles's club blocked its arcing blows. He then turned and ripped his sword up and out of the belly of one giant and into the skull of another.

Herakles sprang clear of the corpses and chopped the legs out from an attacking giant in front of him, then used his club to ward it off as it fell forward. A sweep of his sword relieved it of its life, an act that barely slowed Herakles as he chased down two giants that had turned to run back towards the forest.

Polythemos and Hylas, who had abandoned their bows minutes before, fell upon the remaining giants from behind. Each killed his target and one other just as Herakles returned to complete the slaughter by running his sword through the eye of the last of them.

Jason and the others returned to the Argo late in the afternoon to find the heads of twenty giants mounted on sticks pushed into the earth halfway between the forest and the sea. The bodies were piled up high on a bed of wood and kindling, ready to be burned.

'Do you still think King Kyzikos was overly superstitious?' Herakles said when Jason approached him.

'What are you doing? If you set them alight, the flames may summon more!'

'Let them come,' Herakles said, his eyes dark with bloodlust.

Jason swallowed his fear down. 'You were right and you have my thanks for defending the Argo,' he said.

Herakles nodded his gratitude at being acknowledgement and moved on.

They kept a guard that night, but there was no need because the Gegeines stayed well clear. They reasoned that if three of these men could defeat twenty giants, then sixty could wipe out their entire race.

(iv)

The Argo sailed off on another fair wind the following morning but Herakles found himself growing uneasy. He was having his doubts about Jason and told Polyphemos so.

'I agree,' Polyphemos said. 'He is like a spoilt little princeling, pompous and arrogant and unhappy unless he gets his way.'

'Do you think he will succeed in his quest? And will Hera blame me if he fails?'

'How could she blame you? Any God who is watching would know that you have saved his voyage twice now.'

'I don't trust her, and I don't trust him either,' Herakles said. 'He is leader in name alone, and resents me for the respect others show me.'

The winds sent by the Gods propelled the Argo eastward at a good rate, which meant that the crew had little with which to occupy themselves through the long days. As a competition, they took to the oars to see if they could outpace the wind.

Jason furled the sail and the flashing oars propelled the Argo through the waters at such a speed that the wake of the boat was as high as a man. They rowed furiously for nearly an hour, enjoying the challenge when, suddenly, Herakles's oar snapped in two and one half fell into the sea. Herakles pitched back off his seat and landed with legs high in the air in the middle of the boat. The entire crew held its collective breath until Herakles burst out laughing, and then they joined him.

Jason unfurled the sail to catch the wind and Tiphys steered them onward.

'We will need to find a source of water soon,' Jason said, 'and to fashion a new oar for the mighty Herakles. Do you know of a place on the way?'

Tiphys nodded. 'The land of Mysia lies just ahead. It has few inhabitants, but is lush and has fresh water aplenty. We can reach there just after nightfall if the crew does not mind sailing on in the dark.'

The Argonauts gave their consent - although many of them waited to see what Herakles would say before venturing an opinion - and so Tiphys turned the Argo to its new destination. With the sharp eyes of Lynkeus to guide them, they found a mooring for the Argo in a small bay and made their way to shore for a frugal meal.

The morning sun revealed a rocky beach fringed by a sparse forest. After a light meal with his fellow crewmates, Herakles set out to find a suitable tree from which to fashion an oar. He traipsed about for an hour until he found a young pine that looked like it would do, and then used his club to loosen the roots. Once the tree was suitably free of its anchors, Herakles pulled it right out of the ground. It took him another three hours of working carefully with axe and knife to fashion a suitable oar.

When Herakles returned to the Argo, he found that all had returned but Hylas, who had gone to fetch water from the forest. Polyphemos said that he had seen the youth walking to the north, where they had found a spring while hunting.

Herakles thought nothing more of it until sunset, when Hylas had still not returned.

'He is a spirited lad,' Polyphemos said. 'He probably chased some game for too long and the night caught him unaware. He will be back in the morning, I'm sure of it.'

When the morning came and Hylas still had not returned, Herakles prepared to go out in search of him. He was about to set out when Jason announced that they would be resuming their journey immediately.

'There is a favorable wind that may not come again in many days,' Jason said. 'Perhaps Hylas was not destined to be one of the Argonauts.'

'How can you so easily abandon a companion when you spent countless days indulging yourself at Lemnos?'

'The witch must have cast a spell on me and we tarried for far too long. We have you to thank for getting us out, but our delay at Lemnos means that there is all the more reason to make haste now.'

'Then you will make haste without me,' Herakles said. 'I do not so easily leave allies behind.'

'I also will stay with Herakles,' Polyphemos said.

There was a collective intake of breath from the crew.

Herakles raised up his hands to stop any protests. 'I want no other companions than Polyphemos, who is my sister's husband. Good luck and good bye.'

With those words, Herakles disappeared into the forest followed closely by Polyphemos.

When they were out of sight of the Argo, Polyphemos took the lead and showed Herakles the spring where he had last seen Hylas. Sure enough, there were marks in the soft earth that indicated a scuffle, and a broken pitcher amongst the rocks to one side.

'But there is no blood,' Herakles observed, 'and it doesn't look like he struggled all that hard.'

There was a ripple in the water and an exquisite water nymph rose out of the spring. 'Do you search for the beautiful man named Hylas?' she asked in a voice like flowing water.

'Yes, where is he?' Herakles demanded, drawing his sword.

The nymph laughed. 'He told me you would come looking for him with swords drawn. He has decided to stay here and become my husband.'

Herakles looked at Polyphemos, who shrugged. 'There are worse fates,' he said.

'I cannot believe you until I hear it from Hylas himself,' Herakles said.

'As you wish,' the nymph said and disappeared back into the spring. A moment later, they saw Hylas swimming to the surface. Herakles reached into the water and dragged him out by the hair, with his sword held under the boy's chin.

'How many giants did we kill at Bear Mountain?'

'Twenty,' Hylas choked out. 'Polyphemos and I killed four with bows each, and two with swords. You slaughtered the rest with club and sword.'

'I am so glad you live!' Herakles said, and embraced the young man.

'You could have fooled me,' Hylas said, but his tone was light-hearted.

'So you've decided to stay?' Polyphemos asked.

'Yes, I've fallen in love with the nymph and we are going to share our lives together.'

The nymph rose out of the spring. 'Is your mind now at ease?'

'Yes, more than you could possibly believe. I thought you were in league with Hera and sent to torment me by taking another son from my hands,' Herakles said. 'But now that I can see that Hylas is happy in his choice, I can rest easy.' Herakles turned to the young man. 'I can think of no better way to spend life than in the arms of a lover. Goodbye, young Hylas.'

Hylas embraced the two men one more time and then splashed back into the water, where he vanishing into the depths of the spring. The nymph handed Herakles a small pendant that appeared to be made of water.

'Take this to the shipwright in the village to the north and he will see to it that you make it back to Hellas,' she said, and followed Hylas into the depths of the spring.

(v)

The village shipwright was more fisherman than artisan, but he did have a small boat for sale that looked like it would be capable of making the voyage back. Despite what the nymph had said, the pendant wasn't enough, and Herakles added an iron coin to the transaction. Polyphemos, known throughout Thebes for his frugal ways, was not happy.

'You gave him an iron coin! How could you give him an iron coin? You could have got three such boats, a horse, and the services of the best woman in the village for that much!'

Unlike the Argo, the little unnamed vessel did not have the blessings of the Gods, nor was there a fair wind to push it forward. But it did have Herakles, who was in no mood to dither. He rowed with all his might while Polyphemos manned the steering oar.

Their journey retraced the steps of the Argo, but they avoided people where possible. When Mount Olympus came into view, Herakles decided it was time to part ways. They stopped at a small coastal village, sold the boat and purchased two horses. The transaction so heavily favored the smiling villager that Polyphemos was almost frothing at the mouth.

'We are here to get home, not to turn a profit,' Herakles said after Polyphemos had harangued him for the better part of an hour.

'We could do both!'

'It is done now, and we have these two fine horses and enough food to get us both back home,' Herakles said. 'When you get to Thebes, send my nephew to the new home I built near Tiryns. The horses know the way even if he doesn't. Tell him I will be waiting for him there.'

It took Herakles many days to reach Tiryns, and he did little to hasten the journey. He was glad to be away from Polyphemos's money-related ramblings. His sister's husband was a fine man and an excellent warrior, but when he wasn't fighting his conversations were decidedly single minded.

The solitude gave Herakles time to pause and reflect upon his anger towards Jason for betraying Hylas at Mysia. How could one so favored by the Gods be so disloyal? Nor was Jason the only problem with the sea voyage. Throughout his time on the Argo, Herakles could feel the eyes of Hera upon him, wishing him harm and plotting his downfall. He was certain that she had done Hylas a mischief, which is why he had hurried to leave.

Herakles had never experienced relief like what he'd felt when he'd found Hylas alive. Had an evil fate befallen the boy, then he was certain that he would have pursued Jason to the ends of the earth for vengeance. The captain of the Argo and Eurystheus had too much in common for his liking; namely the blessings of Hera. He tried not to dwell on why Zeus insisted he go on the journey. It brought up too many uncomfortable questions and left him feeling that the Gods were playing an elaborate and deadly game with his life.

He was enjoying his solitude on the road so much, that it was almost a disappointment when he arrived at Tiryns. He busied himself with finishing the house while he waited for Iolaos to arrive. Although he was eager to begin the hunt for the Golden Hind, he had no idea where to start. The tales he had heard had it wandering all over Hellas and he did not want to spend weeks or months wandering about the land in a fruitless search. He'd considering going to Tiryns to ask Eurystheus for some guidance, but he had a feeling that he would not get much of an answer. The only option left was to await Iolaos and see if he had any ideas.

Iolaos arrived a few days later and, much to Herakles's surprise, he had their itinerant friend Lidas with him.

'So you're after the Golden Hind this time, eh?' the old merchant said as they sat around a fire in the cool evening air.

'It's to be my second task after Hera disallowed my victory over the Hydra, but I don't know where to begin the hunt.'

'And that is why Lidas has sought you out again. Lidas has heard rumors that a deer with golden horns has been grazing the grasses to the northwest of here, on the banks of the river Kernites, near where it enters the sea. As far as Lidas knows, there is only one deer in the world that wears such a valuable helm, and that is the Golden Hind.'

'Your last suggestion did not go so well,' Herakles said. 'Up until then, I had assumed you were a messenger from the Gods.'

Lidas's eyes sparkled in the firelight. 'Lidas is but a simple merchant.'

'Without any merchandise!' Iolaos pointed out.

'Not at the moment. Unfortunately, times have not been good for Lidas of late and he had hoped that the Gods would bless him for the aid he's given Herakles.'

Herakles laughed. 'The Gods are not kindly disposed to me at the moment, friend Lidas, but I am very grateful for your advice.' He reached into a pouch he wore on his belt and withdrew three iron coins. 'Take these and the horse I rode on my return journey. That should be enough to buy some merchandise to sell, and a beast to carry it.'

'Lidas cannot take your money,' the merchant said. 'You should be more careful with it. I can see no cattle and your horses are more friends than beasts of toil. In Thebes, Polyphemos was telling all and sundry about your profligate ways.'

'At least take the horse. Your advice helped me defeat the Hydra and find the Lion of Nemea.'

'Lidas thanks you for your kindness.'

'What did you do with the donkey and cart?' Iolaos asked.

'Lidas is a merchant! He sold it.'

'Even the cart?'

'Lidas is a good merchant,' Lidas said, and smiled.

As was his habit, Lidas was gone the following morning, along with the horse Herakles had given him.

'He popped up in Thebes just before Polyphemos arrived,' Iolaos said. 'Said he'd heard something of interest that you might like to know, but wouldn't tell me what it was. He just kept saying, "Lidas wants to talk to Herakles".'

'He's got to be in league with the Gods, possibly even Hermes himself,' Herakles said, his voice dark with bitterness. 'Only they would be arrogant enough to be so bad at disguising their true intentions.'

'But you always seem so happy to see him.'

'Of course I do. Could you imagine if Hermes got upset with me? It would be his style to beset my backside with boils.'

Iolaos couldn't help but smile. 'That would definitely be his style.'

'We'll sacrifice to Hermes tonight,' Herakles said, and sat down heavily by the embers of last night's fire. He could feel his enthusiasm for the hunt waning.

(vi)

One day followed the next, and it seemed to Iolaos that Herakles wasn't in any hurry to start his next task. Because he had had been stuck in Thebes while Herakles adventured across the seas on the Argo, he found that he was eager to begin the journey, even if his uncle wasn't. 'Are we going to just sit on our backsides until the end of time,' he complained.'

Herakles shrugged. 'You've been sitting on your backside in Thebes for weeks,' he said, 'while I fought giants and rescued allies from the clutches of evil. I would like a little time to enjoy this house I built before I get back on the road.'

'Ha! That's where you're wrong,' Iolaos said. 'I've been attending lessons.'

Herakles arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

'You told Eurystheus that I was your charioteer, so I've been learning to drive while you were gone.'

'I only told him that because he couldn't argue with me having a driver.'

'It doesn't matter. If you ever do get a chariot, I'll be able to drive it for you.'

Herakles sighed. 'You're right. It's time to go,' he said. 'Let's get our packs ready for an early start tomorrow.'

The morning that they set out was cool and clear, without a breath of wind.

'Good travelling weather,' Herakles said, after they had made a sacrifice to Zeus.

The plan was to travel to Aegium, a city near where Lidas had told them the Golden Hind had been seen, and begin the search from there.

As they travelled, it soon became clear to Iolaos that his uncle had other motives. 'You don't really care about catching the Hind, do you?' he said, on the evening of the third day of their journey, just after they had eaten their evening meal and sacrificed the bones to Zeus.

'What makes you say that?'

'We could ride back to Tiryns in a day from here! You spend most of your time hunting and eating!'

Herakles shrugged. 'You can't eat without food, young Iolaos, and you get food by hunting.'

'You know what I mean,' Iolaos said, exasperated. 'You're deliberately going slowly. It'll take three months to get to the coast at this speed. It's like you don't want the Hind to be there when we arrive.'

'I will not be made a fool of again,' Herakles thundered, his temper giving out suddenly and explosively. He stood up and towered over his cowering nephew. 'I was mocked by Hera when she sent the madness that killed my sons. I was mocked by Athena when she sent me to the witch at Delphi. I was mocked by Eurystheus when he denied me my victory over the Hydra. I was mocked by Zeus when he sent me to nurse that fool Jason. And I am being played for a fool yet again! What gives them the right to send me hither and thither, as if I am a slave? For what purpose do I labor? Is it just to satisfy their petty bickering?'

A bolt of lightning fell from the clear sky and shattered a stone near where they had set their camp.

Herakles ran to his pack and took out his sword and club. He jumped onto a nearby rock and screamed at the heavens. 'I know you're watching. If I offend you so much, come down and fight me face to face, or do you fear me, your son!' He jumped off the stone and brought the club down hard upon its apex, shattering it and sending fragments flying through the air. 'See? I can smash stone as well! Stop hiding behind eagles and merchants and face me!'

But when the dust had settled, there was only Herakles, standing alone and gazing into the heavens. Iolaos, who had scampered away to hide behind a rock, thought he could see an eagle high in the sky where Herakles was staring, but he couldn't be sure. Whatever it was, it wheeled about once and then vanished into the heavens.

'Uncle,' Iolaos said, after a few minutes of silence. He thought it best to stress the family connection. 'Are you alright?'

'No.'

'Is it safe to come out from behind these rocks is what I'm asking.'

'Do you think it is safe behind the rocks?' Herakles said, and kicked the debris of the shattered stone.

Iolaos thought about this for a moment. 'It's safer than not being behind the rocks,' he said.

Herakles sighed and sat down by the fire. 'Yes it's safe to come out. If the Gods want to play childish games with the lives of men, then who are we to argue?'

Despite being frightened nearly to death, Iolaos was glad that Herakles had brought his anger to the surface. The next day, they travelled far and delayed little and that pattern continued for the rest of their journey northwest - Herakles rarely hunted and was content to each cheese and fruit most of the time.

There was little evidence of their quarry in the tales told by the people who lived in Aegium or the surrounding villages, so Herakles decided to start at the mouth of the river where it entered the sea and work back inland from there. There were rumors that the Golden Hind enjoyed bathing in the rivers and springs inland and, because it was the only clue they could find about the beast, they decided to heed it and search near the river.

It was close to a month before Herakles finally saw signs that some sort of unusual beast was in the area. 'Do you see these prints in the mud here,' he said to Iolaos, pointing to a set of faint but large hoof prints at the river's bank where a small stream fed into it. 'The tracks of this animal show it to be as big as a horse, and yet it stands lightly and barely marks the earth. I think we have found the Hind.'

After sending Iolaos back to camp because he made more noise than a chicken stalking a worm, Herakles followed the stream as it wound its way towards two low hills. In a clearing just before a small valley, there stood the most beautiful creature Herakles had ever seen. It stood as tall as a horse, but slim and lithe in shape. Thin, golden antlers snaked out from its dainty head, but Herakles could see it was no stag.

An idea formed in his head and he moved quietly around the beast and to the back of the two hills. Working as quickly as possible, he built a wall of timber and stone at one end of the valley, twice as tall as he was.

With his trap set, Herakles moved back to where the Golden Hind had been eating sweet grasses by the stream. He was elated to see that it was still quietly grazing, and had even moved closer to the valley that he'd transformed into a coral. After a prayer to Zeus asking for forgiveness for his recent bad behavior, Herakles drew a deep breath and sprang out of his hiding place, yelling at the top of his voice. The startled Hind bounced along the shallow stream towards the valley and Herakles gave a whoop of joy and chased after it. The beautiful beast reached the artificial dead end, paused to brace itself, and then jumped high over Herakles's wall.

Herakles dropped to his knees in the shallow water of the stream and put his face in his hands, but the son of Zeus was not the sort to dwell impassively on misfortune. After a brief moment of despair, he screamed at the top of his lungs and then charged at his impromptu wall, hitting it with both fists at the same time and scattering the timbers and rocks all over the valley floor.

Iolaos was waiting expectantly at their camp when Herakles returned.

'What happened? I heard a crash in the forest.'

'It has a mighty leap,' Herakles said, and went on to explain how he had almost corralled the Hind. 'I'm going to have catch it with my hands if I'm to catch it at all.'

'What about using a net?' Iolaos suggested.

Herakles smiled and clapped his nephew on the back. 'Good idea. We'll go and buy one tomorrow then resume the chase. At least we'll know where to look for tracks.'

(vii)

Herakles and Iolaos tracked the Hind for a further three months through the rocky hills and forests of the Peloponnese. They finally caught up to the animal near the River Landon, where they found it grazing on the riverbank.

'When you see me at the other side of those trees over there,' Herakles said, indicating a small copse of trees a short distance from the river, 'I want you to walk to the riverbank and then along it towards our quarry.'

'But won't Hera say I helped you with this task as well?'

'What? Just by walking along the river? I'll kill Eurystheus if he so much as suggests it.'

Iolaos was reluctant to help, but couldn't see any way around it. He waited until Herakles had disappeared into the trees and began to walk along the bank towards the Golden Hind. As soon as it came into view around a bend in the river, the magical beast bounded away into the forest, directly towards where Herakles was hiding. Iolaos saw the net his uncle cast fall over the animal and bring it to the ground.

Herakles bounded out of the trees towards it. He was a scant yard away when the net parted over the Hind's golden antlers and the animal leapt over the approaching man and to freedom. Herakles cursed and chased after the beast, but to no avail. It was far too quick and agile and could jump over obstacles that Herakles had to run through or around.

Iolaos shook his head and returned to camp where his uncle joined him an hour or so later.

'It has stopped to rest further down the river,' Herakles said.

'Why don't you chase it?'

'Because it will elude me again. Chaste Artemis herself has been unable to trap this beast, so what hope do I have?'

Herakles sat down and stared at the fire, which Iolaos knew was a sure sign that he was unhappy. 'Hera knows that subtlety is not my strength. I am no thinker like Jason or Amphitryon. I excel in war, and strength of arms. I am unrivaled with sword and club, and no man in Hellas, save possibly my old teacher Eurytus, can match me with a bow.' Herakles said and suddenly jumped to his feet. He scooped up his bow and quiver and ran back towards the river.

Iolaos, aware that his uncle was not at his most stable, tried to follow as close as he could, but the big man was like lightning over the ground and soon disappeared into the scrub. The next time Iolaos saw Herakles, he was standing on a small hill, bow drawn and arrow nocked. In the distance towards the river, he could see the Golden Hind grazing on the bank. As he watched, his uncle loosed the arrow and Iolaos saw the Hind make to leap, but instead of flying through the air, it crumpled to the ground.

'Oh no, what have you done? It is sacred to Artemis and you've killed it.'

'Do not be so quick to judge,' Herakles called out and ran to where the Hind had fallen. He hoisted it onto his shoulders and brought it over to Iolaos.

'See?' Herakles said, pointing to his arrow. It had pierced both the Hind's forelegs without drawing a single drop of blood. The beast was alive and well, but its two front legs were pinned together.

'That's impossible,' Iolaos said

Herakles laughed. 'Almost impossible,' he said.

(viii)

Herakles's mood changed considerably after he had captured the Hind. 'There is no way that Hera can deny me this time,' he said as they rode towards Tiryns. He had hobbled the Hind so that it could not run, as well as attached a rope around its neck.

'I truly thought that you were going to kill it,' Iolaos said. 'Chaste Artemis would not have been happy.'

'And what makes you think that she is happy now?' said a female voice behind them.

Herakles sprung from his horse, sword drawn. Behind them was a beautiful woman dressed as a hunter in brown and green leather armor and riding a Hind that was the spitting image of the one Herakles had captured. Beside her, a tall and heavily armored man rode upon the biggest horse Iolaos had ever seen.

'With a trick like that, I'm surprised this beast has eluded you for so long,' Herakles said, his voice low and menacing.

'I did not shoot arrows at it, son of Zeus. If it is harmed then things will go badly for you.'

'It is unharmed, but your threats mean little to me, Chaste Artemis, because Hera's curse follows me wherever I go. What could you do that she has not already tried?'

'You would do well to treat Olympians with more respect, mortal. We do not suffer insults well,' said the tall man.

'If the Olympians had treated me with more respect, then perhaps I would be more respectful myself. But all I have seen from them is abuse and lies.'

'We have come to take the Hind,' Artemis said. 'It is mine by right.'

'I have no argument with you about it being yours by right, but you cannot take it from me now. Hera set me a task to return it unharmed to Tiryns. After I have completed my quest, then I will gladly hand it over to you.'

The man on the horse drew his sword. 'We can take it by force,' he said.

'Can you? I don't think so,' Herakles said.

'Enough Ares,' Artemis said. 'This is Herakles, son of Zeus and the most famous warrior in all of Hellas.' She turned to Herakles. 'Not all Olympians are the same, Herakles, and I will prove it to you. I am thankful to you for not harming this beautiful animal in your hunt, and respect that you captured it only because the Queen of the Gods asked it of you. Had you captured it for your own greed or desire for fame, then this reckoning would not have gone so well. We will ride with you to Tiryns and after you have presented the Hind to Eurystheus, it will come with me. Loose it now from its bonds for they cause it pain. I heard its crying heart all the way on Mount Olympus.'

Herakles released the Hind, half expecting it to bound away, but it didn't. Instead, it trotted over to Artemis and nuzzled her and the other of its kind affectionately.

'It is tame! Why have you not been able to capture it for so long?' Herakles exclaimed.

'It has a heart that yearns for freedom,' Artemis said. 'Every time I came close, it overwhelms me and I abandon the hunt.'

(ix)

The trip to Tiryns was the happiest time Iolaos could remember. The Olympian's who shared their fire were amazing travelling companions, full to the brim with tales of adventures and intrigues that they gladly shared.

'Your anger is well founded,' Artemis said to Herakles one night after their evening meal. The Gods ate nothing, but enjoyed the aromas of the cooking meats - with Artemis, Goddess of the hunt amongst their company, they hunted for meat every day.

'But do not doubt Zeus's devotion to you,' she continued. 'Without him protecting you, Hera would have sent more misfortune your way than she already has.'

'Then why send me to the Argo?'

'If Jason had failed, then Hera would have been furious. Zeus sent you along because he knew that with you at his side, Jason had more of a chance to succeed.'

'This is true. Without me, they would probably still be in Lemnos, or looking to rebuild the Argo at Bear Island.'

'I heard that you remained chaste at Lemnos despite the many temptations on offer,' Artemis said.

'And that you defeated twenty giants who attacked your ship,' Ares added. 'Do not think that your exploits are not noticed by those on Mount Olympus.'

Herakles stared into the fire, which made Iolaos nervous. His relief was visible on his face when Herakles next spoke.

'I am ashamed of myself for my recent outburst. I cursed my father's name and challenged him to battle. I can only hope that he forgives me and continues to protect me from those who wish me harm.' He then rose from the fire and disappeared into the darkness.

Herakles was sleeping by his horse when the sun rose the following morning and not even Ares, with whom he had struck a firm friendship, could draw him on where he had gone or what he had done. All he said was that he felt better now than he had for many a day.

It was late in the morning when they finally reached Tiryns. Herakles asked Artemis if he could put a rope on the Golden Hind so that Eurystheus would have no doubt that it was he who had captured it. Artemis nodded and the beautiful creature allowed Herakles to drape a rope around its neck. He then led them to the outskirts of the city, where the guards were sure to see.

A few minutes later, Kopreus came out to meet them, accompanied by an entourage of soldiers.

'Wait here,' he said curtly.

'Olympians are not used to waiting,' Ares said. 'Go back and tell King Eurystheus that Ares and Artemis have little patience for lackeys.'

Kopreus rode away hastily, and returned shortly after leading a wagon upon which sat a bronze vase.

'Ah, the King's pot,' Herakles said. Both Ares and Artemis laughed out loud and Iolaos did his best to look serious, but failed.

When the cart had drawn to a halt, Herakles got off his horse and led the Hind to the King. 'I have done as you asked and brought the Golden Hind to you unharmed.'

'With the aid of Ares and Artemis, no doubt,' the Kings voice sounded petulant from within the pot. 'This is even worse than the Hydra!'

'Know this, King Eurystheus, we had no hand in capturing this fine beast. Herakles alone completed this feat, one that I have been unable to achieve for many years. I merely accompanied him here because he has promised to gift the Hind to me when his task is done.'

'I must consult Hera,' Eurystheus said.

Artemis looked angry, and the sky above darkened. The screech of an eagle pierced the air. 'Do you doubt the word of Artemis, Chaste Goddess of the Hunt?'

'No, no,' Eurystheus said, his voice sounding hollow because of the pot. 'If you say that is so, then so it is. Very good. I will pray to Hera for your next task and Kopreus will bring it to you when she replies. Goodbye.'

Kopreus signaled, and the driver of the cart turned it around and sped back towards the walled center of the city. Herakles laughed and took the rope off the Golden Hind, which trotted obediently back to Artemis. The Olympians turned and rode into a shadow that had appeared behind them and vanished from the mortal realm.

(x)

On Mount Olympus, Hera looked through her window and fumed. 'He is proving more resilient than we had expected,' she said.

'Your husband is meddling, that's why,' Iris replied. 'He sent Ares and Artemis, I'm sure of it. Why else did they not strike him down when they met him?'

'You yourself counseled me not to attack him, Iris of the Rainbow. He is a formidable warrior who appears to be capable of besting a God. He cannot kill us, but he can certainly hurt us.' Hera turned back to the window and stared down at Herakles as he rode back to his home outside Tiryns. 'There are not many men or Gods who could have defeated the Hydra. Zeus, possibly Apollo, but none other.'

'Then what are we to do?'

'We will set the next task,' Hera said. 'He is not at home with subtlety, so we will set him another such task, but this time his target will be a little more belligerent. Go to Eurystheus and tell him that Herakles is to capture the monstrous boar that is ravaging Arcadia. Tell him also that it is to be found at Mount Erymanthus. Perhaps we can foil some of my husband's meddling by telling the oaf where he needs to go.'

The Boar of Erymanthus

After taking the Golden Hind into Tiryns to complete his third task, Herakles had spent much of his time hunting, apparently unconcerned by what his next task could be. Iolaos, on the other hand, fretted and worried.

'I wish they would just come and get it over with,' he said, on the evening of the third day after returning from Tiryns. Herakles just shrugged and changed the subject.

When Kopreus finally arrived, Herakles was far from welcoming. 'Ten days have passed since I delivered the Golden Hind to complete my third task,' he said. 'What has delayed you? Did the King get stuck in his pot?'

Kopreus ignored the barb. 'King Eurystheus commands that, for your third task, you capture and return to Tiryns, unharmed, the monstrous boar that has been ravaging the lands of Arcadia. In an act of kindness towards you, her husband's son, the Goddess Hera came to our King in a dream and suggested that we should let you know that the monster can be found on Mount Erymanthus.'

Herakles almost choked with laughter at the last sentence. 'Hera? It is less likely that Helios will drive his chariot backwards across the sky tomorrow than Hera perform an act of kindness towards me,' he said. 'And this is the fourth of eleven tasks that I must complete. The Hydra was no mean feat and I will acknowledge it, even if the pot-bound King does not. Now be on your way.'

They left the following morning, once again heading northwest into Arcadia. The approach of winter slowed them somewhat because they had fewer hours of daylight in which to travel, and food became more difficult to find. They were three days into their journey when Herakles spied a group of what appeared to be mounted men some distance ahead. He signaled for Iolaos to move into the scrub by the side of the road and went ahead to investigate.

Iolaos watched as Herakles rode on along the road, and then he saw him raise a hand. The group was nearer now and Iolaos's jaw dropped when he saw that they weren't mounted men as he had first assumed. As they approached, with Herakles in the lead, he could see that they were centaurs, huge and muscular, with torsos and shoulders that matched those of his uncle. All but one carried a bow and had a huge sword strapped to its back.

'Iolaos, come quickly!' Herakles called when he was near enough to be heard. 'We have had the good fortune to meet an old friend of mine.'

Iolaos urged his horse out of the scrub and down towards his uncle.

'This is my old friend Pholos,' Herakles said, indicating the unarmed centaur. 'I stayed with him while being taught by Kheiron. He has invited us to stay with him at his home for a few days.'

'A pleasure to meet you, young Iolaos,' Pholos said, in a deep voice. 'Your uncle and I spent many a happy day together while we were both students of the immortal Kheiron. I thought I would never add to those memories, but I was wrong.'

'I'm glad you remember them because they are faint in my mind. We drank far too much wine for clear memories.'

'Yes, those were good times. Unfortunately, things have changed and not for the better. Many of my people have become dark and turned away from the Gods, which is why we travel with armed escorts everywhere we go. Wine is rare, good wine even rarer.'

Herakles looked shocked. 'What? No wine?'

'I said it was rare, not absent. There is still wine if you know where to look.'

'And where would that be?'

'In my larder of course!' Pholos said, and they both laughed.

(ii)

As they travelled, Pholos told Herakles and Iolaos of the rise of an unruly tribe of centaurs, ruffians and thieves who made their living by intimidation, blackmail, and robbery.

'They have become the scourge of centaur society and make even the simplest of tasks difficult. As you can see, I require an armed escort for even a simple trip to sell my wares at market. And the problem gets worse if the renegades get a belly-full of wine. Their drunken rampages have caused most centaurs to stop keeping wine at all.'

'Are you saying that your larder lies outside centaur society?' Herakles said.

Pholos blushed. 'They still fear the wrath of Kheiron, and stay away from those he favors.'

Pholos led them to a fair sized town built into the side of a hill. The buildings were huge and open, just three walls holding up a roof. The centaur explained that this was where centaurs came to trade with one another, and that they lived in homes carved into the surrounding hills. Unlike human settlements, centaurs tended to spread out and the town extended many miles in all directions.

'Humans can tire after travelling a millon or two, but to a centaur that is no distance at all. Anything up to a league is considered short,' Pholos explained. He stopped briefly at a merchant where he bought some delicious looking smoked meats and then led them on into the hills where he had his home.

At the doorway, he had a brief exchange with the leader of his entourage. 'They will tell Kheiron that you are here,' he explained as he led them through a wide door built into the side of the hill, horses and all. Iolaos could see several such doors dotted around the hillside, and there were centaurs loitering outside many of them.

'Do all those doors lead to centaur homes?' Iolaos asked.

'All of them, yes,' Pholon answered, 'although I wish that weren't the case. Some of those living near here are renegades and make life difficult for the rest of us.'

Inside, the centaur's home was comfortable but sparsely furnished - furniture for horses wasn't all that common. What he did have in abundance was cups and several very large barrels that turned out to be full of wine.

'Never get into a drinking competition with a centaur,' Herakles said to Iolaos.

Pholon set one of the barrels on the only table in the house and pulled the bung. A rich, intoxicating smell filled the air that made Iolaos's mouth water.

'Have you never tasted centaur wine before?' Herakles asked his nephew, who shook his head and nodded at the three empty cups beside the barrel. 'And at the speed our host is filling our cups, it is possible that I will become an old man before I do.'

Pholon smiled and poured out three generous measures and the three drank a deep draught.

'Herakles leaned back and shook his head. 'Powerful stuff,' he said. 'If men could learn the secrets of centaur wine, then, then, ahh...'

'They would drink it,' Iolaos said.

'Lots and lots of it,' Herakles added.

'It goes better with a snack,' Pholon said, and put the smoked meat he had just purchased on a platter. He sliced three generous portions of meat and was in the process of pouring three more glasses of wine when there was a thunderous knock on the door.

'Pholon!' said a deep and hostile voice. 'Open up and share your wine with your centaur brothers.'

'My wine is for my guests. Now be gone before Kheiron arrives,' Pholon called out.

'Oh ho, so you're denying us a taste of your wine?'

There was a thud against the door, and another. On the third, it shattered into a thousand pieces and showered the three of them with splinters. A huge centaur stood in the open doorway, and there were several behind him.

'We don't fear Kheiron any longer, and we want your wine,' the centaur said, and drew a huge sword from its back. 'You'll regret not sharing your wine with us, but first, we'll deal with these filthy humans.'

Herakles pulled his bow from his pack, nocked an arrow, and shot it into the centaur's throat before any could make a move. 'Let's see how you handle Hydra's blood,' he growled.

The intruding centaur collapsed in a spray of blood. Behind it, the other centaurs drew swords and bows. From outside, a centaur cried 'Kheiron comes!' and they fell away from the doorway. Herakles ran outside and saw three centaurs charging with swords drawn towards his old friend, the immortal centaur Kheiron.

'What is this?' Kheiron said, and drew his own sword. 'Who dares attack me in my own home?'

'It is time for a reckoning, old fool,' one of the attacking centaurs said. 'It is time for your rule to end.'

Kheiron shook his head. 'Ahh, Nessus, I remember when you but a foul and we ran together through the hills hunting. Is this really necessary?'

'Yes,' Nessus said, and attacked, but it was a clumsy stroke and Kheiron parried it easily.

'Why do you battle when you know you cannot kill me?' Kheiron said. 'Lay down your arms and we can settle our differences like civilized people.'

Nessus attacked again, a cunning up-hand sweep that took Kheiron by surprise, but the old centaur showed remarkable agility and dodged out of the way.

'I don't want to kill you. I want to take off your arms and legs, blind your eyes and remove your tongue. I want to hang your useless flesh from the highest pole so that all our centaurs can see what happens to traitors who put the welfare of humans above that of their own people.'

'I am saddened that it has come to this,' Kheiron said, and suddenly jumped forward, sweeping his sword up and around. Neesus countered, fell back, and caught a second stroke on the flat of his sword.

The other two centaurs had not been idle, however, and as Neesus fell back and Kheiron followed, one of them got in a position where he could attack Kheiron's flank.

No!' Herakles yelled and sent a poisoned dart flying through the air. The arrow went through the flanking centaur's arm, killing it instantly, and struck Kheiron on the leg, causing him to fall to the ground screaming.

Neesus realized what had happened and pulled Herakles's toxic dart from Kheiron's leg. He quickly drew his own bow and sent it arcing back from where it came. It missed Herakles by inches and stuck Pholon, who was standing behind him, in the shoulder.

Herakles turned to see his old friend dead behind him. He screamed in fury, drew his sword and charged towards Neesus and his last remaining ally.

'Kill them both!' Nessus screamed and he and his ally turned towards the fast approaching man. As they closed on one another, Herakles sprang up and to his left. At the highest point in his arc, he swung his sword and opened a wound in the centaur's belly from which its guts spilled.

Nessus watched his ally fall to the ground screaming, and then swung a blow at Herakles just as he landed. The son of Zeus countered it easily and followed up with three lightning thrusts that Nessus only barely avoided. Realizing that Herakles had his measure, Neesus aimed a blow at his adversary to gain some time, and then turned and galloped away.

Herakles sheathed his sword and ran to where Kheiron lay.

'Thank you for saving me from a terrible fate,' the centaur said, obviously in pain.

'The Hydra's blood has poisoned you, old teacher, I am sorry.'

'The pain is terrible, but it is just pain,' Kheiron said and struggled up to his feet. 'It is better than having no legs with which to run or no eyes with which to see the world.'

'Pholon is dead,' Herakles said, his eyes dark and his voice cold.

'Then it has finally come to a head,' Kheiron said, and trotted to where Pholon lay with an arrow in his shoulder. He picked up the dead centaur and carried him through the shattered door and to a straw-filled corner of the house that looked like it was used as a bed. 'Not content with fighting everyone else, the centaurs are finally fighting one another,' he continued and poured himself a generous portion of wine that he swallowed down in one mouthful.

Herakles, walking like a man in a trance, came and sat on a low stool by the table. 'Do you know where Neesus has gone?' he asked, quietly.

'Ah, it's good to see that young Alkides has not changed in all these years. You're thinking of revenge and so you should. Neesus and his friends must be dealt with, and you are just the person to deal with them. They have a communal hall to the east where they gather. No doubt he will go there to be amongst friends.'

Herakles donned his armor and threw his lion skin cloak over the top. He took his shield, sword and club, but left his bow on the table. 'I want to feel their life draining away under my hands,' he said, and mounted his horse.

Kheiron poured himself another cup of wine. 'Leave none alive,' he said and drained the cup in one gulp. 'Wine dulls the pain,' he said in response to the curious look that Iolaos had upon his face.

'Where is this hall?' Herakles asked.

'Follow the hills to the east for two leagues. It stands on top of the tallest of them and should be easy to find.'

When Herakles had gone, Kheiron turned to Iolaos and smiled. 'Do not fear for Alkides,' he said, 'no mortal will ever defeat him in battle. He has the strength and speed of a God, and his skill with arms is unmatched in Hellas, by man, God, or centaur.' The centaur poured himself another glass of wine and drank it down. 'His weakness lies elsewhere. Hera found it once and drew him into a web from which he cannot escape. Let's hope that she doesn't find it again.'

Iolaos looked out into the fading evening light and sighed. 'Is there any of that wine left?' he asked.

(iii)

The sun had set by the time Herakles found the hall of the rogue centaurs. There were thirty or so gathered on the grounds outside, and it looked to him that they were preparing for battle. He patted his horse's neck, 'Await me here, old friend,' he said, and dismounted. The horse, bred by Poseidon himself, was no ordinary beast and shook its mane to show it understood.

Herakles ran quickly and quietly to a ridge of stone that ran towards the hill upon which the hall stood. If he was careful, he could use its cover to get close to the centaurs without them seeing him, an achievement made easier by the total lack of guards around the hall. It seemed that the centaurs were not overly concerned with defense tonight. From the look and sound of their activities, they were looking to spill as much blood as possible and did not care about when or where the slaughter would begin.

He could see Neesus galloping around the building and weaving in and out amongst the groups of centaurs as they made their preparations; he was the most vocal of them all and was screaming hysterically at the others, spurring them on to make haste so they could begin the raid.

Herakles crept along the ridge and, when he deemed himself close enough, ran out into the mass of centaurs, sword drawn. In the dim light of evening, the first centaur lost its head without knowing it was in danger, the second didn't have enough time to exclaim before Herakles buried his sword deep into its belly and bashed it in the head with his shield.

A nearby centaur saw its fellows fall and raised the alarm. 'Enemies! Enemies,' it shouted, and drew its sword, but Herakles had the advantage of surprise. The shadows of the campfires in the twilight hid him amongst the bigger and bulkier bodies of the centaurs as they milled about looking for someone to fight.

Those that strayed too far from the fires died as Herakles continued his grizzly work. The centaurs that remained became fearful because they could find no enemy and yet several of their number lay dead.

Finally, Neesus realized what was happening. He charged away from the milling herd to an open space.

'To me, centaurs,' he cried, and the centaurs all galloped towards him, leaving Herakles exposed in the flickering fire light, surrounded only by the corpses of those he had butchered.

'Bows!' cried Neesus, and the centaurs all drew bows and fired arrows at the son of Zeus, but the darkness made aiming difficult and the few arrows that found their mark were turned away by the skin of the Nemean Lion or Zeus's Unbreakable Shield. Nor did Herakles make their job easy - he dodged from side to side as he ran forward looking to close with his enemies and continue the butchering.

In his mind's eye, he could see his friend Pholon lying dead. The image stoked his desire for vengeance and his need to slaughter those responsible, but there was one thought that rose above all others. It screamed so loudly into his psyche that it overwhelmed all else and focused his rage to a needle's point - KILL NEESUS!

The centaurs once again drew their swords and looked to take the fight to Herakles, but he was as quick as a mongoose and as agile as a leopard. He ducked under their clumsy strokes, and came up hacking and stabbing with deadly precision. The first centaur to approach him lost an arm; the second lost its life. The others, seeing so many of their fellows dead, realized that they were no match for the murderous rage of the son of Zeus and fled from the battle.

Herakles gave chase, but centaurs can gallop faster than a horse and he soon lost them in the gloom. He screamed his frustration into the darkened heavens and smashed his fists into the ground. When his fury had spent itself, he returned to his horse and rode back to Pholon's home, his thirst for vengeance unquenched.

(iv)

Herakles found Kheiron outside Pholon's house, sitting by the smashed door in the pale moonlight. He could see Iolaos curled up on some straw in a corner of the room.

'Your young friend has learnt a thing or two about centaur wine tonight,' Kheiron said. 'Did you find them?'

'Yes, but Neesus escaped.'

'I'm not surprised. He's a cunning one and would have made sure there were always other centaurs between him and you,' Kheiron said.

Herakles could see the pain behind his eyes. 'The Hydra's blood cannot kill you but I see that it hurts you. Is there anything I can do?'

'Unless you can free my spirit from my immortal body, there is not much else that will help,' Kheiron said, and poured out two generous cups of wine, one of which he handed to Herakles. 'Wine lessens the pain and makes it almost bearable,' he said, and took a long draught. 'I have heard that you went on a voyage with a former pupil of mine, Jason his name is, and that you left on less than good terms.'

'I sailed on the Argo to Mysia, but did not go further. One of our allies was lost and I refused to leave him behind.'

The centaur nodded. 'That is what I have been told also, but I may know more than you think. The Gods sent Jason a dream that if he did not sail immediately, his quest would fail. His crew of heroes nearly mutinied after you departed but Poseidon sent a spirit to let them know that the Gods approved of your departure.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Then he should have said and I could have forgiven him and stayed behind as a favor so that it could not be said we abandoned a friend.'

Kheiron poured himself another cup of wine and gulped it down almost desperately. 'We all have flaws, Alkides,' the centaur said. 'Jason, you, me, even mighty Zeus and his wife the ageless Hera. All of us have weaknesses that reduce us and make us less than we could be.'

'And Jason's weakness is that he has no loyalty?'

'No. Jason's weakness is that he fears to fail.'

Herakles considered this. 'You are the wisest of my teachers and have never led me astray. Because you vouch for Jason, I will forgive him his indiscretion and if ever we meet again, I will offer my hand in friendship.'

'Thank you, Herakles,' Kheiron said, 'You have grown considerably since we last met. Now tell me, do you know your weakness?'

Herakles pondered this a moment. 'I know that people like Jason are more subtle of mind than I am,' he ventured.

Kheiron laughed. 'Your mind is sharper than you think, just not so well used. No, my young friend, your weakness is that you misunderstand where strength lies.'

(v)

By the following morning, the ravages of the Hydra's blood on Kheiron were becoming apparent. He was pale and drawn, but refused to submit to the pain.

'I cannot escape it, so I will make it my servant,' the centaur said. 'The burning in my blood will remind me that evil must not be allowed to fester. It was through my indifference that these renegades were able to flourish. Had I been more forceful when this evil first reared its head, then Pholon may still be alive today.'

Iolaos was somewhat worse for wear after his experiment with centaur wine, but eager to continue the journey. Waking up near a dead centaur had not done his constitution any good at all. 'When shall we continue your hunt of the Boar, uncle?' he asked.

'Ah yes, I have heard that you hunt the wild boar that inhabits Mount Erymanthus and I had intended to come with you to Psophis and introduce you to a friend of mine there. His name is Nikias and he is a merchant who has frequent dealings with the centaurs. Lately, he has been complaining that the ravaging boar is making life difficult for the people of Psophis and surrounding villages. Alas, I must see to the dead and will be unable to travel with you, but that should not stop you from seeking him out at the market in the town's center. He will tell you much about the monster and how to capture it.'

Herakles and Iolaos thanked Kheiron for the information and resumed their journey to the northwest.

Psophis was only a handful of leagues from the centaur village and they covered the distance in a few days. The town sat in the shadow of Mount Erymanthus, and a stout, whitewashed wall encircled it completely. The road into the city was busy with people coming and going - Kheiron mentioned that the market at Psophis was the best in Arcadia - but there were only two disinterested guards at the gate and the tower above it was empty save for a couple of jackdaws.

The market wasn't difficult to find, they just followed the flow of people to the center of town, where the road opened into an enormous square packed to the brim with people, livestock, horses, and donkeys. The noise was at pain threshold and the smell was even worse.

A few enquiries led them to Nikias, who was a plump, well-dressed man sitting in one of the larger stalls at the far end of the market.

'So, my old friend Kheiron has sent you to me, has he? He was one of my best customers until all this trouble started. Rogue centaurs and monster pigs! What is a man to do? How is he meant to make a living? No one can answer the difficult questions, can they friends? So what is it you need? Why has the wise old centaur sent you to me, the finest trader in all of Hellas? I can get anything you need at the best possible price. Anything! You name it, I can get it. So, what do you want? Rare incense? Spices from exotic lands? The finest centaur wines?'

Herakles, who had been trying to get in a word, seized the opportunity while Nikias was drawing breath.

'I am Herakles,' he said, 'and this is my nephew Iolaos. Hera has sent me to capture the wild boar that is terrorizing these lands and take it to Tiryns.'

Nikias looked dumbfounded, but only for a moment.

'Ah, what a wily old centaur Neesus is. Obviously, the increase in prices caused by all these troubles has spurred him into action! I knew he was well connected, but who would have thought he'd have the ear of an Olympian? Are you really Herakles? The market is awash with tales of your exploits. I thought they were all a bit farfetched to begin with, to tell the truth. If there is such a hero, I said, where does he get his income? We all know that slaying monsters is heroic and brave, but is there a profit to be made? Who pays for the swords and the armor? Where does he get feed for his horses?

Herakles put his hand up to try and stop the flow of words from the trader's mouth, but to no avail. The same gesture that silenced fifty heroes on the Argo had absolutely no effect on Nikias.

'You're certainly big enough, and so is the lad,' Nikias continued, 'and that's the scariest cloak I've ever seen, by Zeus! Hey! Is that the skin from the Nemean Lion? Does it truly turn away mortal weapons? Now there's a product that would sell itself.'

Herakles reached into his pouch and withdrew an iron coin. Nikias's eyes swiveled down to stare. Iron coins were rare and highly valued. The flow of words stopped.

'We need a place to stay and information about the boar,' Herakles said. 'If you provide them for us, I will drive away the rogue centaurs.'

Nikias snapped out of his money-induced trance. 'You will?'

'Yes.'

Nikias looked suspicious for a moment. 'How do I know you're really who you say you are?'

Herakles got off his horse and walked over to a stone statue of a local God that stood nearby. It was twice the height of a man and sat with an air of immobility in one corner of the square. Herakles wrapped his huge arms around its center and lifted it easily into the air.

'Ack! I believe you! I believe you!' Nikias exclaimed. 'Put that down! That's a statue of the river God Erymanthus, and if the King sees you doing that he'll have your head.'

Herakles put the statue down and Nikias disappeared into the hidden depth of his stall where they heard him barking commands. He emerged a few minutes later.

'Come on,' he said, and led them away from the market.

(vi)

Nikias led them to a large house by the eastern wall of the city. 'It's criminal what's been happening of late,' he said, as servants brought food and drink. 'I've had to hire guards to safeguard shipments of goods coming in. I even have to hire my own guards for the house here! Can you imagine that? Guards, paid for with my own money! Is that why we pay taxes to the city? So that we can hire our own guards?'

'When did all this start?' Herakles asked.

'The boar has been around for a while, but the centaurs are the real problem. There's always been a little bandit activity, you understand, but about a year ago it started to get really bad. Now, you can almost guarantee an attack just by stepping beyond the walls with a loaded donkey. You're going to get rid of them, right?'

Herakles looked uncomfortable.

'You can get rid of them, can't you? You said you could!'

'They're already gone,' Herakles said. 'I went to their hall last night to avenge a friend of mine that they'd killed.'

'Did you avenge him?'

'No, not really. I only killed about twelve or so. The rest ran away.'

Nikias looked shocked and then his face cracked into a wide grin. 'You're playing a joke on me now, aren't you?'

'No, I'm not joking. The bastard Neesus got away, but never mind that. I want to know how to find the boar.'

'Ah, well, the boar is a terrible thing that we've all had to learn to live with here in Arcadia. It digs up crops and devours livestock, but worst of all it has developed a taste for human flesh. Many people in Arcadia have lost a loved one to the pig.'

'Do you know where it is?' Herakles asked.

'Climb onto the mountain and you're guaranteed to find it,' Nikias said, and he leaned down towards them. 'It is rumored that it is King Phegeus's fault,' he whispered. 'He's got this thing about the river God and pays scant attention to Artemis. We all think she sent the pig as punishment for building that statue in the square instead of paying proper respect to an Olympian.'

'He disrespects Chaste Artemis!' Herakles said in a voice so loud that it made Nikias wince.

'Not so loud!' the merchant said, 'he's very touchy about it and takes a dim view towards anyone who brings it up.' The merchant bent towards them again. 'It's his personal bodyguard, you see,' he said in a conspiratorial whisper. 'They're a bunch of thugs and cutthroats he uses to keep the citizens in line. He won't pay a copper for decent soldiers to protect his citizens, but he pays those black-hearted bastards a small fortune to keep himself safe and in power.'

'If he's disrespecting Chaste Artemis, he's going to need more than a few thugs to save him,' Herakles said. 'Where's the palace?'

'Follow the road to the west. It rests behind a wall at the foot of the mountain.'

Herakles stood and stormed out of the house.

'Where's he going? He's not really going to the palace is he?' Nikias asked, and ran after Herakles. He returned a few minutes later and sat back down at the table. 'He moves fast, doesn't he?' he said, when he'd regained his breath.

'I'd say the King is about to get a little divine justice,' Iolaos said.

(vii)

Despite the crowded streets, the palace of King Phegeus was easy to find because it stood on the lower slopes of the mountain, well above the rest of the city. There was an unguarded gate in the surrounding wall and the palace beyond had a strange, empty look to it. The first resistance Herakles encountered was at the door to the palace itself, where two guards were standing in a very unmilitary way.

'Who are you,' asked the taller of the two. He was leaning against the wall with his spear leaning beside him.

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and I wish to speak with King Phegeus.'

'Oh ho, so you're the man of the moment, then, are you? I see you're wearing a Lion cloak. Did your mother make it for you?'

Herakles looked shocked for a moment - no one had ever spoken to his like this before. His surprise was only passing, however, and he punched the speaker in the head.

'No, I made it myself,' he said to the now unconscious guard, then turned to the other man who had wisely not reached for any weapons.

'The King's through there,' he said, and pointed towards the door. Herakles punched it open and stepped through into the courtyard beyond. Behind him, he could hear the sound of the guard's retreating footsteps.

'Smart man,' he thought as he crossed the yard and punched open the door that led into the palace itself.

Inside, it was like no palace he'd ever been in. The atmosphere was close and the light dim. Four guards were standing around another door at the far end of the room. All had their swords drawn and were carrying shields with a flowing river painted at their center.

'Come no further if you value your life,' one of them said. Herakles assumed he was the leader, but it was not obvious from their uniforms.

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus, come to speak with King Phegeus.'

'Very few guests assail guards when they visit.'

'Very few guards insult the sons of Olympians.'

'Put down your weapons and we will consider your request,' the guard said.

'I need no weapons to deal with the likes of you,' Herakles said, 'nonetheless, I will not relinquish them.'

The door behind the guards opened and a tall man dressed in fine robes stepped out amongst the soldiers.

'I am King Phegeus,' he said. 'Why are you here?'

'This is not the hospitality I would expect from a Hellenic King,' Herakles said. 'I have come to warn you of the troubles you will face if you do not abandon the worship of this river God and turn your devotions to Chaste Artemis, to whom Mount Erymanthus is sacred.'

'Oh, you have, have you?' the King said, and started to laugh.

'Are you mad?' Herakles said. 'Who else but a madman would laugh in the face of such a warning?'

'You are one man and we are over twenty,' the King said, and drew his sword. Behind him, Herakles could hear many feet running. He realized that the guard at the door hadn't been running away, he'd been running for help. Several heavily armed men spilled into the room behind the son of Zeus.

Herakles decided that the time for diplomacy was over. He drew his sword from his girdle, pulled his club from its sling on his back, and charged at the King. The four guards that surrounded him stepped forward to form a shield wall, and braced themselves for impact. Their tactic was to defend the King and allow their fellows to fall upon Herakles from behind, but their strategy assumed that they were facing an ordinary man.

Using his club as a battering ram, Herakles smashed into the guards like a bull smashing into a herd of sheep and scattered them in all direction. He then kicked the legs out from under the King, knocked the sword from his hand with the club and fell on top of him so that he was facing the approaching guards.

'I have already done the people of Arcadia a service by driving away the rogue centaurs,' he said. 'I can do them another by deposing a useless King.'

'Who are you and what do you want?' King Phegeus said, but his voice was low because Herakles had his sword pressed against his throat.

'Like I have said many times, I am Herakles, son of Zeus. Last night, I drove the rogue centaurs from their camp and killed twelve of their number, but I did it only in passing. I am here because Hera has sent me to capture the monstrous boar that ravages your lands and return it to Tiryns.'

'Then you have my thanks for the centaurs and my blessings for the boar,' the King said, 'but if that is all you came to tell me, was all this necessary?'

'Your guards insulted me at the door and doubted my word. This is my way of showing that I speak truth,' Herakles said. He took his blade from the King's throat and jumped to his feet.

The guards, who had stood frozen while their King was threatened, rushed forward.

'Stop!' the King shouted and the guards froze again.

Phegeus picked himself up off the floor and turned to Herakles. 'Is there anything else?'

'Yes. Artemis is the fairest of Olympians and the most worthy of your devotions. You must cease worshipping the river God and turn to Chaste Artemis, Mistress of Animals. Mount Erymanthus is sacred to her and your palace rests upon its feet.'

'And who will pay for this worship? Erymanthus the river God, who gave his name to the mountain, needs very little in the way of worship. He even carved the statue himself using flowing waters. Artemis will want far, far more. A temple, sacrifices, observations, priests. And every single one of these things needs money.'

'Is everyone in this city obsessed with money?' Herakles asked.

'We are traders. The flow of money is part of who we are.'

'So that is why this palace feels so empty? You refuse to hire servants?'

'No, no, we hire servants and feed slaves, but not to excess. Everything here is done in moderation.'

'Except for your bodyguard, of course, who are many in number and well equipped,' Herakles said. 'Tell me then, how much has the rampaging boar cost you and your people? Or the bandits that prey upon your traders?' Herakles shook his head. 'You have been warned King of the purse strings. If your city does not turn to worshipping Artemis, then your reign here in Psophis will come to a premature end.'

The guards all bristled at this threat, but Phegeus raised his hands for silence. 'I have no doubt that you would make short work of all these very expensive guards, and your point about the cost of robbers and monsters is well made. It could be that your presence here is a sign. Erymanthus costs very little but he helps even less, so it may be wiser to seek the protection of an Olympian. We will begin making arrangements immediately after you capture the boar,' he said, and pointed to one of the guards that Herakles had knocked over. 'If you need anything to help you rid us of this menace, then Keteus will provide it.' The King turned to go back through the door, but paused. 'Within reason, of course,' he said, and closed the door behind him.

'So, what do you want?' Keteus asked, as the other guards dispersed.

'I will need some rope.' Herakles said. 'The thickest and strongest you have.'

(viii)

Herakles returned to the home of Nikias with enough rope to moor a ship.

'You're alive!' the merchant exclaimed. 'How much did you pay for the rope? It looks like poor stuff as well. I could have got you better, probably for half the price. How much did he charge you for it?'

'I went to a King's palace, not a market stall.'

'Yes, yes, we all know that. How much did you pay for the rope?'

'Nothing! He gave it to me.'

Nikias blanched and sat down. 'Nothing?'

'Yes. And he's going to turn to worshipping Artemis when I return with the boar.'

'You really are the son of Zeus. Only a divine miracle could part our King from our hard earned taxes.'

'It wasn't a miracle, it was a sword to the throat,' Herakles said. 'Tomorrow morning I'm going up to the mountain. Iolaos will stay here with the horses.'

'Most definitely. My hospitality is the most reasonably priced in all of Hellas.'

Herakles moved so fast, that he seemed to blur to the other two men.

Nikias swallowed. 'He can stay as long as he likes for nothing. And the horses as well. Food and board. Can you move your sword now?'

'See how persuasive an argument it is?' Herakles said, and shook his head. 'Even Polyphemos would think you are a tight fisted lot.'

'Polyphemos was born in Arcadia,' Iolaos said.

'Why am I not surprised?'

The following morning dawned crisp, clear and cool. Herakles set out for the mountain on foot, reasoning that a horse would prove a hindrance in climbing up the rocky slopes, and even more so when carrying his burden down. Nikias had told him that the boar stayed towards the far side of the mountain where it would often ambush travelers on the road below, or raid the farms that spread out from the mountains foot.

It took the better part of two days for Herakles to skirt the mountain's base and then start the journey up its rocky slopes. There were few travelers because only those who could afford an armed escort moved anywhere near the mountain, and many of the nearby farms were deserted - their owners had either fled from the boar or died to it.

Herakles considered that the boar's continued existence was a sad indictment on the reign of the King of Psophis. While monstrous, the boar was not immortal like the Hydra, nor was it particularly fearsome like the Lion of Nemea. A well-armed body of men could have killed it. In fact, a well-armed body of men should have killed it. The King's obsession with wealth was a madness of sorts, and had rendered him unable to see the damage the boar was doing to his city and his people. What purpose is a King if not to protect his people?

There were paths up the mountain, overrun and disused but still serviceable, and Herakles followed one as it twisted and turned through the rugged terrain. Winter had already come to the mountain and there was snow on the ground, which grew thicker the higher up he went. It was almost a relief when, without warning, the giant boar burst out from a thicket by the path and charged at him.

Herakles had almost no time to react before the pig was upon him. Giant curled tusks smashed into his side and threw him into the snow by the side of the road. He spun to the left to avoid the huge, tooth filled maw that came searching for his throat, and then lifted a fist up and to the right to fend it off when it followed. The beast swayed out of the way then brought its tusks around and down to smash into the side of Herakles's head.

Dazed and bewildered, Herakles held onto the boar's tusks to keep it at bay, but it was unimaginable strong. The son of Zeus, who could easily lift a stone twice his size, was struggling to push the boar back, and to make things worse, a stench emanated from it that made him gag and want to throw up the contents of his stomach.

He could feel himself losing ground, so he spun to his right and let go. The boar, which had been straining with all its strength, suddenly found itself without Herakles's might holding it back and it went careening forward. It tried to stop, but its momentum was too great and it slid sideways on the snow and smashed its flank against a stone by the side of the road. Herakles followed after it with his club drawn and smacked it hard, just between the eyes, as it was trying to regain its feet. The beast wobbled and collapsed in the snow.

Working fast while it was stunned, Herakles unwound the thick rope from around his waist and bound the monster's four huge feet together, and then wound the rope up and over its back, so that it held the beast's legs in an unnatural position under its belly. Thinking that the boar was secured and his task practically done, Herakles sat down opposite with his back against a rock, looking to regain his breath for the journey back to Psophis.

The pig lay still for several minutes, during which it regarded Herakles with surprisingly intelligent eyes. Disconcerted, Herakles decided it might be best to move on. The pig would be difficult to carry on his back, so he looked to some trees by the side of the road with which to fashion a sled or something similar so that he could drag it along behind him. He reasoned that it would get him down to the road at the very least, which was just below the snow line.

It was while Herakles was thus occupying himself that the boar broke its bonds and silently made its way up the mountain to freedom. He returned to find nothing but broken ropes and tracks in the snow. He could try to chase the boar - the tracks were quite easy to follow - but even if he did catch and subdue it again, how would he bring it back down the mountain? Cursing under his breath, he turned back towards Psophis. It was time to rethink his strategy and get hold of some stronger rope.

(ix)

Upon his return to Psophis, Herakles went straight back to the palace and sought out Keteus.

'Do you have stronger rope?'

The Captain of King's bodyguard looked at the shreds of rope that Herakles had brought back with him. 'It must be amazingly strong to have broken these ropes if you bound it as you described,' he said.

'Worse still is that it waited until I had my back turned before breaking its bonds and making good it's escape.'

'It is no ordinary beast, this,' Keteus said. 'Whenever we send an armed party to kill it, it runs and hides at the top of the mountain. And it raids farms at different times so that none can figure a pattern and lie in wait.'

Herakles looked impressed. 'I did not know that others had tried to kill the beast in the past. The traders told me that the King has done nothing.'

'Traders talk about the King and his inadequacies, but they themselves will do nothing to help. They are rich men, all of them, and that is because the King takes only what he needs and no more. He lives a modest life, with few extravagances so that his taxes are the lightest in all of Hellas.'

'I did not know all of this. What of the guards for the city? The centaur bandits were running amok and there was no one to oppose them.'

'There are many men on the farmlands that could be mustered into a guard capable of resisting the centaurs, but whenever the King suggests he raise taxes to pay for them, the traders kick up a stink. He is too soft on them, is what I think. Take what you need and let them leave as they threaten to. I am sure that none would.'

'Hmm, I did not know all this and may have judged your King harshly,' Herakles said. 'If you truly do want to rid yourselves of the boar, then help me to capture it. If there is no stronger rope, then what of chain? And I will also need a cart to carry it down with.'

'If you wanted to kill it, then you would find us more cooperative, but to capture it? There is too much chance it will escape,' Keteus said, and lifted the frayed rope.

'I will kill it, of that there is no doubt, but my task is to take it first to Tiryns as Hera has commanded.'

Keteus was far from happy, but bowed to Herakles's requests. 'I will give you what you need, but I still have doubts that the beast can be contained.'

Herakles went to Nikias's house when he left the palace. He had arranged for Keteus to send the chain and cart there as soon as possible, but needed some time to fill in Iolaos on his role in the plan.

'So I am to be bait, is that what you're saying? You want to use your own flesh and blood as pig food!'

'I will be in the cart behind you, hidden from view. I fear that if it were to see me, it would flee to the top of the mountain.'

'Oh come on. It's a pig. Surely it can't be that clever.'

'I told you, it waited until my back was turned and I was a good distance away before breaking the rope and running away. And it was quiet.'

'You hit it with the mace. It probably had a headache.'

'You're my charioteer, aren't you?' Herakles said. 'Now stop arguing and get in the cart.'

When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, Herakles jumped into the back of the cart and threw an old blanket over himself. It covered him totally, but he had pushed a small spy hole in the side of the cart earlier so that he could see out. 'Now follow the road up, but not too fast. We want it to see us,' he said, when he had settled in.

Iolaos urged the horses forward and they traveled slowly up the mountainside. By midmorning, they arrived at the place where the boar attacked Herakles, and then continued for several hours without sighting their quarry.

'Maybe it's run away?' Iolaos said, 'but even if it hasn't, the horses need a break.'

'Stop and make a fire,' Herakles said, 'but don't move too far from the cart. I'll stay hidden.'

Iolaos got out of the cart and unhitched the horses, then collected wood from the side of the road and started a fire. He was about to sit down by the cart when the horses whinnied and reared up. A few seconds later, the boar burst out of the scrub at the side of the road and charged at the cart.

Herakles sprang out from under the blanket and pounced upon the boar when its charge brought it near enough. He grabbed it by the tusk and threw it off balance, causing it slid on the icy surface and hit a tree so hard that the trunk snapped and fell forward into the flames, putting them out with a hiss of melting snow.

In the confusion of smoke and steam, the boar tried to make its escape but Herakles grasped a rear trotter and held the beast firm. He then took hold of a tusk and lifted it high into the air before driving it head first into the ground.

The stunned beast was surprisingly heavy and awkward to carry, so Herakles half dragged it to the cart where he bound its feet together with chains, and then chained it to the floor of the cart. Finally, he took the blanket and wrapped it around the boar's monstrous head, covering its eyes and ears, so that it could not see nor hear the world around it.

(x)

Herakles and Iolaos drove the loaded cart to the gates of the palace in Psophis. The boar screamed and squealed the entire way, and the citizens of the city lined the streets to watch them pass. King Phegeus was waiting for them, accompanied by twenty of his personal guard.

'You have been true to your word, Herakles, son of Zeus, and I will be true to mine. We will build a temple to Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, beside the palace and the citizens will be able to worship and sacrifice to an Olympian.'

'Thank you, King Phegeus,' Herakles said, 'but capturing the boar is only half of my task. I must now transport it to Tiryns as commanded by Hera, Queen of the Gods. I need the merchants of Psophis to give me a stout cage with which to hold the beast while we make a journey.'

Nikias, who was standing in the crowd, stepped forward. 'Speaking on behalf of the traders of this great city,' he said, 'I'm sure we could provide what you need for a reasonable price.'

'Alas, I have no money with which to pay,' Herakles said. 'It looks like I'm going to have to release the beast back onto the mountain.'

The boar suddenly stopped squealing and silence descended on the crowd.

'Allow me a moment to consult with my colleagues,' he said, and pushed into the crowd. Herakles could see half a dozen wealthy looking men talking to Nikias. They didn't look happy.

A few minutes later, Nikias again made his way to the front of the crowd. 'The traders of Psophis will provide a stout bronze cage for your use if you promise to leave and never return to our fair city,' he said. There was a commotion behind him, and a man whispered something into Nikias's ear. 'Oh yes, you must take the boar with you, of course,' he added.

(xi)

The road to Tiryns was long and arduous, and they had to contend with the near constant squealing of the boar, as well as sate its massive appetite.

'What are you going to do with it after you've presented it to Eurystheus?' Iolaos asked as they trundled along the road just outside Tiryns.

'If the cowardly King has no plans for it, I will sacrifice it to Artemis,' Herakles said. Behind them, the boar ceased its squealing.

'I think it can understand us,' Iolaos said.

Herakles nodded. 'It's probably more intelligent than many a man, and definitely smarter than Eurystheus. But it's still a monster and we cannot free it back into the world.'

They soon drew near enough for the guards in the tower to see them and, as was usually the case, the King's Herald Kopreus rode out to meet them with a company of soldiers.

'That's far enough,' Kopreus said, and Iolaos brought the cart to a halt. 'Have you come with the boar from Mount Erymanthus?'

'Yes, my fourth task is complete,' Herakles said.

Kopreus turned to one of the soldiers. 'Summon the King,' he said, and the soldier ran back into the city. Nearly an hour passed before they caught sight of the King's entourage and the cart upon which he rode in his bronze pot.

The soldiers leading the royal procession stopped and the King's voice came from within the bronze capsule. 'Bring it close that I may see, he commanded.

The boar, which had been quiet for some time, now began to squeal and struggle against its bonds, but to no avail. Herakles unhitched it from the cart and carried it to the King.

'Take it away,' the voice from the pot squealed. 'It's monstrous and stinks. Take it away!'

Herakles returned the boar to its cage. 'Is my fourth task done?'

'Your third task is done,' King Eurystheus said pointedly. 'I will send Kopreus with your fourth task when Hera deems it fit. Now get out of my city.'

(xii)

Herakles and Iolaos stood beside the burning pyre and watched the flames consume the corpse of the monstrous boar.

'How did you kill it?' Iolaos asked. 'I heard its squealing stop but did not come out to see. I felt compassion for the beast, which I know is wrong.'

'I felt compassion too, which is why I fed it some herbs given to me by Kreteus at Psophis. Soon after it devoured them, it fell into a deep sleep and I cut its throat with the sword.'

'Why would we feel compassion for such an evil beast, do you think?'

'It was monstrous, of that there is no doubt, but it was not evil. The Lion of Nemea was evil. It reveled in the pain of others and enjoyed making mayhem and causing death. The boar was just a beast with an appetite that could not be sated. It ate people not because it hated them, but to fill its belly. The people of Psophis saw it as evil in the same way that the animals I hunt see me as evil.'

'It smelt bad in life, but not in death,' Iolaos said, and inhaled deeply. 'I'm hungry.'

'Me too,' Herakles said, and went to fetch his bow and quiver. 'I'll be back soon.'

The Stables of Augeias

Hera looked down upon the world from her window and watched as the fire consumed the wild boar of Erymanthus. She saw Herakles take up his bow and run out into the forest to hunt, and Iolaos take a burning branch from the pyre to start a cooking fire. Normally, she would be fuming at Herakles's success, but another event had tempered her outlook of late. Jason had returned triumphant from his quest for the Golden Fleece. While Herakles's destruction was still her preoccupation, she allowed herself a short moment to savor the victory of a favored hero.

'Jason has returned and glory has been brought to my name by his success,' she said, more to herself than to the other occupant of the room - Iris, the spirit of the rainbow. 'What shall we do about this one?'

'Make him work, my Queen!' Iris said. 'Humiliate him with a chore usually done by the lowliest of the low.'

Hera looked intrigued. 'What do you mean?'

'Has not King Augeias returned from his journey with the Argo? He has one thousand head of cattle, fine healthy beasts that are divine in nature, living in a stable that has remained uncleaned for thirty years. Send Herakles there with the order that he clean it in one day.'

Hera laughed, a beautiful musical sound that did not match her intentions. 'Wonderful! Just wonderful,' she said, 'but I know how to make it even better. Send word to Augeias that Hera commands him to offer Herakles ten percent of his cattle to clean the stables. Then, when Herakles accepts, we will be able to deny him the task and say it is because he took a commission for its completion.'

'An excellent way to gain a victory even if we unexpectedly lose,' Iris said. 'He may be unbeatable on the battlefield and cunning beyond belief when hunting beasts, but I doubt his talents extend to farm chores.'

'In a way, it would be better if he manages to succeed in cleaning the stables than not. His mind nearly cracked after we denied him victory over the Hydra. If we steal another victory from him, there is a chance that his spirit will crumble.'

(ii)

Herakles was taking his ease by the fire when he spotted Kopreus, the King's Herald, approaching from the direction of Tiryns.

'The King has you running around doing all the work again, eh Kopreus,' he said when the Herald was close enough to hear.

'I am my King's humble servant,' Kopreus replied. 'It is my duty to serve him and no task is too onerous, even dealing with you.'

'Always remember, lickspittle, you live only because I am too lazy to kill you. Be careful that you don't spur me on to greater efforts.'

'I am protected by the laws of Hellas,' Kopreus said, but his arrogant air had deserted him. 'I bring you news of your next task. Hera has commanded that you go to Elis, where Augeias is King. There you will find stables for his cattle that no one has cleaned for thirty years. Your task is to clean them in one day.'

Herakles snorted in derision. 'A noble task indeed,' he said. 'And who is to judge when the day ends and when it starts?'

'You are to arrange that with King Augeias.'

'I sailed with Augeias on the Argo and have heard the whispers that Jason has completed his quest successfully. Perhaps he can fill me in on all the detail.'

'That is no concern of mine,' Kopreus said. 'When you have finished, return to Tiryns with a letter from King Augeias proving your task.'

'And what if Augeias won't provide the letter? Not all Kings of Hellas know the letters of Kadmos, who was the founder of Thebes, and most are uninterested in the art.'

Once again, that is no concern of mine,' Kopreus said. 'If he does not know, then you can teach him.'

(iii)

Herakles told Iolaos about Kopreus's visit while they ate their afternoon meal. 'They have me sweeping stables now,' he said, and shook his head. 'I am neither servant nor slave, and it is beneath me to do such work.'

'That's why Hera chose it,' Iolaos said. 'She is trying to humiliate you and make you lose your temper.'

Herakles looked up sharply. 'What do you mean?'

'It's obvious. First, she sent you to kill two unkillable monsters hoping that they would kill you instead.'

Herakles nodded.

'When that failed, she tried to get you angry by denying your victory over the Hydra.'

Herakles's face darkened and he nodded again. 'Yes, I can see that now,' he said.

'And the last two times, she's sent you on tasks that she thought would frustrate you and make you angry. Even I thought you had kill the Hind in frustration, after we'd been chasing it for so long and it kept getting away.'

'It was amazing animal, and you see true,' Herakles said. 'I was more frustrated than at any other time in my life and was thinking in that direction. Had that arrow not found it's mark, we would have been eating venison that night.'

'The boar was similar, but she hoped that it would keep escaping or make you angry because it was so wild,' Iolaos said. 'So what has she got left? She's tried to kill you, anger you, and frustrate you. All that remains is to humiliate you, and how better to achieve that than to send you to shovel shit for some obscure King?'

'King Augeias is a famed warrior, but I understand your point,' Herakles said. 'You've a subtle mind, young Iolaos. I'm glad to have you with me.'

They set out for Elis the following day after sacrificing to Zeus. The plan was to travel due west until they came to the coast and then head north from there.

'It's not the quickest way,' Herakles said, 'but it is easy to remember and we get to ride beside the sea for a few days.'

They travelled at a leisurely pace and the season was turning, which put Iolaos in mind of when they had first left Thebes. The only real difference was that he no longer feared his uncle would turn on him.

'I have known you all my life,' he said as they ambled along one afternoon, 'and never in all that time have I ever seen you daunted by a task.'

Herakles shrugged. 'We have had this conversation before, at the gate of Tiryns after I had insulted the King, if I recall correctly, as well as just before I left for the Argo,' he said. 'I told you then that I do know fear, but that what I fear is probably the same as for normal men. I fear no sword or fang or claw. None have ever bested me using these methods.'

'That's not really what I mean,' Iolaos said. 'Hera sets you impossible tasks, the likes of which leave me cold just thinking of you doing them, let alone me. And yet you just shrug and set off without a care in the world.'

'To show someone like Hera or Eurystheus fear is to lose half the battle,' Herakles said. 'She torments me, it is true, but what effect do I have on her? While we were with Kheiron, he told me that I had a problem in that I do not understand strength. At the time, I was skeptical because I am the son of Zeus and my strength defines me.'

Iolaos nodded. 'I remember him saying that. It seemed a strange thing to say to someone like you.'

'And yet, for all my strength, a pot-bound coward reigns over the cities that were to be mine, and sends me on fantastic errands for his own amusement. Is this not strength? And a far greater strength than that which I posses in my arm.'

'So what do you do to Hera?' Iolaos said, struggling to understand his uncle's argument.

'It came to me after we had talked of everything that Hera had done to try and break me. She and her pet King have sent me on impossible missions that no man should be able to complete, and yet I always succeed. Time and again she has tried to kill me, and yet I still walk the earth. Can you imagine what that does to her? She, an Olympian and Queen of the Gods no less, unable to destroy an annoying mortal? At the very least, her pride would be injured and to the Gods, pride is an overwhelming emotion.'

Iolaos nodded understanding. He was feeling melancholy, probably because of the routines they had been following while travelling. In the year or so since Herakles had exiled himself from Thebes, they had been on horseback more often than not, moving from one place to another, always chasing one thing or fighting another. This trip was no different - they rode through the rugged Hellenic countryside and stopped to hunt quite often. They ate meat every evening and always sacrificing to Zeus or Artemis, the later having become a favorite of Herakles since her graceful gesture with the Golden Hind.

'It is not an unpleasant way to live, roaming Hellas and living off her generosity,' Iolaos commented on the day they first caught sight of the sea. Herakles said nothing. He jumped off his horse, stripped off his clothes and dived into the clear blue waters.

By the time Herakles emerged from the ocean, Iolaos had started a fire on the beach. Without saying a word, his uncle took up his bow and disappeared into the forest. Iolaos watched him go and a realization struck him. He could see why Hera's mad and dangerous tasks held no fear for Herakles. His uncle was equally at ease in the forest as he was on the field of war. It was only in the presence of civilized men that Herakles found life difficult, probably because civility was a mask behind which men hid their true intentions.

Those who thought Herakles was unsophisticated in his thoughts, and they were many and included Herakles himself, did not truly understand the nature of Herakles's strength. He was a man of the physical world - a man who preferred to act upon a problem rather than ponder its intricacies.

Iolaos could see now that Hera was doomed to fail if she kept sending him on tasks that required physical prowess. If she truly knew Herakles as well as she thought she did, she would have known that his weakness was the subtle interplay of human politics. If she truly wanted him to fail, she should have sent him to the market to haggle for the best price on a horse, or negotiate a contract with a wily trader, or to sit and learn from an impatient teacher. The young man shook his head and said a silent prayer of thanks to Zeus that Hera was setting the tasks, and not the cunning Kheiron.

(iv)

Herakles led them slowly along the coast for four days, during which time he bathed everyday and insisted they catch crabs whenever possible. He'd developed a taste for crab when they were in Lerna and now he couldn't get them often enough. On the morning of the fifth day, they turned inland and travelled due west for three leagues before Herakles pulled them up short.

'Elis is just the other side of these hills,' he said, 'and I would like to scout the land before I commit to cleaning the stables. I only have one day and would like to know what I must do.'

'Should I come with you?'

'No, there is no need and I want to go as quietly as possible,' Herakles replied.

After leaving Iolaos to set up the camp, Herakles ran quickly along the valley between the hills and came upon a wide river. Upstream, a second river joined in a noisy clash of water and stone, but where he stood, the waters flowed sedately and quietly. On the other bank, after a short stretch of thick woodland, he could see a high earthen wall, which he judge to be the beginnings of the Elis farmlands. It took ten minutes to ford the river, which had a surprisingly strong current, and run through the forest to the earthen wall.

As he approached the wall, the smell of dung grew stronger. His heart sank when he hauled himself up to see what lay on the other side. The stables he was to clean stood nearby; a huge and imposing presence in the largely open area. Even from here, he could see that they were so full of dung that there was no way any animal larger than a mouse could step inside. In fact, there was dung everywhere. Huge piles of it dotted the wide slopping field that rose to a distant city. Hundreds of healthy looking cows wandered between the piles, eating whatever grass was uncovered and then adding to the piles.

Herakles returned to camp feeling dispirited. He told Iolaos of his discovery and for the first time, there was doubt in his heart.

'These are no ordinary cows,' Herakles said, 'they stand taller than a man at the shoulder and have a proud bearing. The stables meant to house them are huge and full of shit from the floor to the ceiling.'

'So what are you thinking?'

'Well, I have no doubt that I could move most of it out in a day, especially if I use a tree to make an extra big shovel, but there is so much that looks hardened and caked on. It will take lots of water and a brush to...' Herakles stuttered to a halt and his face split in a huge grin. He was remembering the clash of water and stone at the junction of the two rivers.

'Uncle? Are you okay? Uncle?'

'I have an idea,' Herakles said.

(v)

Herakles ate a hurried breakfast of fruit and cheese while Iolaos sat yawning by the fire. He then armed himself with his club, and placed an axe and a carving knife into a small pack before heading off to the banks of the river to look for a suitable tree. There were plenty to choose from in the wooded area between the river and the wall, and he chose the tallest to chop down. After an hour's work with axe and knife, he put the blades down and took his strange looking creation to the riverbank.

For an ordinary man, Herakles's design would have made an impractical and almost unusable shovel. For a start, it was far too broad at the bottom and would have required the strength of several men to push through the earth. Nor was there a handle; the wooden blade narrowed from the bottom, where it was as wide as Herakles was tall, to the width of a man's shoulders at the top. Moreover, it was too tall for a normal man to use properly and stood as high as Herakles's chest when he rested it on the ground.

Herakles, of course, was no ordinary man. He took the wooden blade and used it to pull out a huge divot of soil from the riverbank that left behind a cavity big enough for him to stand in. He jumped in and held the shovel in front of him so that it angled up and to the right.

With superhuman strength, Herakles pushed the shovel through the earth so that it dug out a deep channel that ran from the riverbank up to the earthen wall. Its path, littered by uprooted trees and loose earth, ran straight through the woodland and ended at a point on the wall that was above the dung-filled stables of King Augeias. He then walked some distance downstream along the wall and, using the same method, dug a second trench from the wall down to the rocky rapids where the rivers met.

Herakles then found three large, flat stones that were wider than the trenches he had dug and pushed one into the first trench he had dug near the riverbank and the other two in the trenches near the earthen wall. With the shovel, he collapsed the riverbank nearest the first trench and smiled when he saw the water flow into it up until the stone dam.

Feeling satisfied with his work, Herakles was about to return to camp and tell Iolaos his plan when two large beings rose out of the water. They looked like tall men, but were not made of flesh. Rather, their bodies were of water, as if the river had risen and taken shape. When they spoke, their voices sounded like the crashing of waves on stone

'What is this? Who dares disturb the flow of our rivers?' they said, almost in unison.

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and I have need of these waters for a day. They will be returned when I have finished my task.'

'Does Zeus know that his son is a thief? We are Alpheus and Peneus, the Gods of these two rivers, and we guard them against the whims of men. Take the waters at your peril!' the two said, again almost in unison.

'What has happened to the world that water spirits can call themselves Gods and lay claim over that which is not theirs?' Herakles said. 'I will take these waters whether you allow me or not, and should you try to stop me, then it will be you that will be in peril.'

Peneus, who was the closer of the two, threw a sphere of water at Herakles but the son of Zeus jumped to the side and it smashed harmlessly into the ground.

'Leave now and we will let you live. Linger, and we will send you to your Uncle Hades's domain,' the Gods said, almost as one.

Herakles pulled his club from its sling on his back. 'I have met nymphs more intimidating than you two,' Herakles said, and charged.

This time, it was Antheus who sent a ball of water flying towards the son of Zeus, but he dodged under it easily and didn't even need to check his speed. As he ran, he scooped up a large stone and hurled it at Antheus, catching him unawares. The stone smashed into the watery forehead and sent ripples through his entire body.

In the same movement, Herakles jumped high into the air, so that he was above Peneus. On his way down, he caught the God on the top of the head with his mace and crushed his watery skull. Water shot up from his body like a fountain, but it lasted only a moment before Peneus collapsed back into the river in a shower of droplets. For a moment, there was a darker blue stain on the surface of the river and then his body merged with the flowing waters.

'You cannot kill us,' Antheus said, 'we are immortal! He will rise again.'

'I know I can't kill you, but I can make you regret that you cannot die,' Herakles said.

Antheus shot two more balls of water at him, but they travelled slowly and in an arc so Herakles had no trouble avoiding them. The remaining river God cursed and made a complicated gesture with his hands. A sword made of water appeared in his right hand, and a shield in his left. He swung a fierce blow at the son of Zeus, who blocked it with his club and then pushed the God back with a flurry of blows that he was able to catch on the shield.

The separated a moment, each sizing up his opponent, before they came together again on the banks of the river. Antheus tried to force Herakles into the water with a series of forceful strokes; he planned to drag the man under the surface and drown him. But Herakles was too nimble and even managed to drag the fight further into the forest.

'Where is your immortal friend?' Herakles called out when Peneus failed to re-emerge.

'He will return, but I can take care of you myself,' Antheus said, and leveled a savage cut at Herakles's head.

'I think he's afraid,' Herakles said, and went on the offensive. He feinted to his left with the club and drew Antheus into a false stroke. With his sword and shield far to his right, the river God's head was exposed and Herakles took the opportunity to land a mighty blow with his fist. Antheus's watery skull warped into a strange shape for a moment, like a water skin after it has been hit by a rock, before it shattered into a thousand droplets. The rest of Antheus dissolved into a fine rain that fell to earth and flowed back into the river where it, too, merged with the flowing waters.

Herakles waited for a time but when neither of the two returned he assumed, quite rightly, that he had injured them severely and, immortal or not, they were not capable of continuing the fight.

'Bags of tepid piss should not call themselves Gods,' he called out over the river and headed back to camp.

(vi)

'That's just impossible,' Iolaos said, after Herakles had described his plan.

'Why? I've already dug the channels. All that remains is to release the waters and it should wash clean the stables and a fair amount of the surrounding fields.'

'Okay, assuming that somehow you can divert an entire river, what are you going to do with all the water when the stables are clean? Drowning Elis may make Augeias a little upset.'

'Ah, that is where luck has played a part,' Herakles said,' the land slopes downwards to the stables from the river, and then downward from the stables to where the two rivers come together. When the waters fill the fields, I can open another hole in the wall downstream of the stables and the second channel I dug will drain the waters back to where they belong.'

'And you're sure this will work?'

'The channel filled to the stone when I broke the riverbank into the first channel. If I remove the stone and then dam the usual path the river takes, I can't see why not.'

Iolaos shook his head. As crazy as Herakles's plan sounded, he had the feeling that the big man would make it work.

The following morning they sacrificed to Zeus to ask for his blessing and set off for Elis.

'Augeias is a friend who sailed with me on the Argo,' Herakles said, 'so once I complete the task, getting the letter for Eurystheus shouldn't be a problem.'

'I don't understand why you need the letter,' Iolaos said. 'It's not like Hera can't see what's going on. She knew of my involvement with the Hydra, and she probably watched you doing all the other tasks as well.'

Herakles was about to say something, but stopped to look suspiciously at the sky. 'Who knows why they do anything,' he said.

'I wonder how she knows.'

'There is a story of a window on Mount Olympus that looks out onto the whole of the world. She can look through and see anything on the Earth.'

Iolaos seemed taken aback, and then he, too, looked suspiciously up at the sky.

They found Elis by mid morning, and Herakles hurried to the palace. Iolaos waited at the traveler's shelter by the road leading to the gates.

'There is no need for you to come with me to the palace,' Herakles had told him before departing. 'I will do what I need to do and then meet you here.'

The guards at the front of the palace greeted Herakles courteously and escorted him to see the King as an honored guest.

Augeias was overjoyed to see him and bounced around like an excited puppy, which was quite amusing to see since he was a burly man with thick black hair and a sharp, manicured beard.

The two shared stories of their adventures since parting ways on the Argo, but a particular piece of news sparked Herakles's ire.

'He's taken up with Medeia? The sorceress? Surely not!'

'It is true. Jason was smitten when he first met her, and she with him. Without her magic, we would not have secured the fleece nor escaped with it back home.'

Herakles shook his head. 'Someone should have smitten Jason with a fist when he proposed to take a foreign sorceress for his wife. I hope I am wrong, but something in my bones tells me that no good will come of their union.'

'I am glad you have come to visit me, Herakles old friend,' Augeias said, for I have a problem that only someone like you can help me with.'

'Oh? What is that?'

'It is my oxen. They are immortal beings that bring me great wealth, but their vigor is also my bane. I know I am partially at fault for not keeping up with maintenance, but it is so dull and expensive as well that I needed no encouragement to let it slip from my mind.'

'What do you want me to do,' Herakles said, cautiously. He had an inkling of what Augeias was going to ask and did not want to give his hand away too early.

'It is the stables. Not too be crass, but they are full of shit; thirty years of shit, to be precise. They need cleaning, but my slaves and servants cannot clear them fast enough to make a difference. They take away three cartloads and the cattle add two, if you know what I mean.'

'Yes, I think I can see how that could happen,' Herakles said.

'Look, I know you don't have any real source of income,' Augeias said.

'Really? How do you know that?'

'Polyphemos told me while we were camped one evening. He worries about your levels of wealth, you know.'

Herakles made sure his face remained neutral. 'Yes,' he said, but there was no disguising his voice. 'I know.'

'Oh! I hope I haven't caused a rift. Anyway, I'm willing to offer you one hundred oxen if you can clean those stables for me, but it must be done quickly, you understand. So that the cattle don't refill it while you collect your payment.'

'Not only can I do it, I can do it in one day!' Herakles said. The prospect of enrichment had driven Hera and her task out of his mind for a short while.

'That's settled then,' Augeias said. 'Let's get this agreement witnessed so that it's all above board.'

'There's no need,' Herakles said. 'I trust you.'

Augeias paused for a moment and regarded Herakles. 'You do, don't you. Nevertheless,' he turned to one of the nearby servants. 'Fetch Phyleas, my son.'

The servant vanished and re-appeared a few minutes later, leading a young man who looked the spitting image of Augeias, but without the beard.

'This, my son, is Herakles, son of Zeus. I have told you of him in my tales of the Argo.'

The young man looked upon Herakles in awe. 'I have heard so much about you, Herakles. Is that the skin of the Lion of Nemea you wear on your back.'

'Part of it,' Herakles said.

'Now Phyleas,' Augeias said, 'we have summoned you to witness a deal Herakles and I have made. I have agreed to give Herakles one hundred head of cattle if he can clean the stables in one day.'

Phyleas nodded. 'Yes, father. One hundred cattle for clean stables in a day. I have witnessed the agreement.'

'Good,' Augeias said, and turned back to Herakles. 'When can you do it?'

'I will go out tomorrow and then send word when the stables are clean, but you must coral your cattle near to the city while I work. Any that stray in my path may be injured, and for that I will not be held responsible.'

'We will take them to the other side of the city to be on the safe side,' Augeias said.

(vii)

Herakles collected Iolaos from the travelers' shelter and together they rode to the river, where he showed him the work he had done the day before.

'In the morning, I'll dig holes in the wall where it meets the trenches, and then divert the river. What I want you to do is sit on the wall and watch what happens. When the stables are clean, come tell me and I will stop the flow.'

They made camp nearby and, because Herakles had not had time to hunt, they shared a cold supper of fruit and cheese.

'It's a strange task Hera has set you this time,' Iolaos said. 'I hope there isn't some trick that we have failed to see.'

'And if it is a trick, and we do see it, what would we do about it?'

'I don't know? React?'

'How? The best course, the wisest course, is to complete my task,' Herakles said. 'It has been a little over a year since we began this madness and I have completed three tasks already. Nearly eleven years remain, and even if she denies me some of my victories, I should still be able to do another ten.'

Iolaos nodded. 'She will try to frustrate you at every turn. She believes you have a weakness there.'

'Then I will turn it into a strength,' Herakles said. 'She will not fool me into anger again.'

The following morning dawned bright and clear. Herakles used his shovel to dig holes in the wall where the two trenches met while Iolaos watched on in awe. The young man then took up his position on top of the wall while Herakles pulled out the stones.

The flow came slowly at first, because only a small part of the water was flowing into the channel. It was only when Herakles waded into the river and used one of the huge flat stones to push most of the river flow into the channel that the waters became strong enough to tear the accumulated dung out of the stables and carry it towards the second opening in the wall.

Iolaos looked back towards the river and saw his uncle straining to hold the stone against the accumulated might of the water, pushing it away from its preferred path and into the course he had created. The water pounded and smashed against the stone, with the power that smashes cliffs and carves caverns in the rock, but Herakles held firm. It must have been a trick of the light, but Iolaos thought he could see shapes in the spray, like giant men who pounded on the stone with fists of water. He shook his head to dislodge the illusion and then looked out over the fields into which the water was flowing.

From his vantage point, Iolaos could see that the stables had been scoured clean by the raging waters and that most of the surrounding fields had been flooded and most of the dung swept away. He jumped down off the wall and ran back to the riverbank.

'They're clean!' he called out above the sound of the raging water.

Herakles nodded at him and lifted the stone above his head. The waters came rushing back and almost knocked Herakles off his feet, but he held strong. He dragged the stone back to the riverbank and pushed it back into the soils to block off the channel to the wall.

Together, they hurried back to the wall and watched the waters drain away back to the river and leave behind a clean stable.

'A job well done,' Herakles said, and clapped his nephew on the shoulder. 'I'm going to dry off by the fire and then head in to see Augeias. How are you at herding cattle?'

'I've never done it before,' Iolaos said, 'but how hard could it be?'

'You've got a bit to learn then,' Herakles said and vaulted off the wall. 'Wait for me at camp.'

(viii)

Augeias and a sizable retinue of flunkies, including his son Phyleas, accompanied Herakles to the stables. He gaped in amazement at what Herakles had accomplished.

'You are amazing!' the King said. 'I thought it an impossible task, even if you had a year, and yet you have finished and not even a day has passed.'

'As we agreed, I have cleaned your stables in one day, and now you will give me one hundred cattle as my payment.'

'We made no such agreement,' Augeias said, 'you cleaned these stables because Eurystheus set it as a task.'

Herakles felt tightness in his chest. 'How did you know of my task? I made no mention of it.'

'No, you didn't, did you?' Augeias said in an accusing tone. 'Hera came to me in a dream last night and said she had set you the challenge of cleaning my stables through King Eurystheus of Mykênae.'

'This is an act of treachery against one who was once your ally,' Herakles said. 'Does your word mean nothing?'

'There was no such agreement. You have my thanks for cleaning these stables, but slaves and servants could have done the job just as well, only a little slower.'

'Your son witnessed our agreement. Will you dishonor his word as well?'

'He is a dutiful son and will support his father.'

Herakles reached for his sword.

'Wait!' Phyleas said. 'Father, please. This is Herakles, a son of Zeus no less. Do not let your greed destroy your friendship with such a man.'

King Augeias turned sharply on his son. 'How dare you call your father greedy! Do you know what it takes to rule a kingdom? Or to nurture sons and daughters? To feed and clothe servants and slaves, as well as family.'

Phyleas looked angrily at his father. 'You gave your word, father! I heard it!' he said, and turned to Herakles. 'Please take your hand from your sword, mighty Herakles. The laws of the land allow for disagreements such as these to go to a King for arbitration. We can go to King Dexamenos, who rules Olenos, Boura and Dyme, for an impartial ruling'

'But you are his son!' Herakles said, 'what chance that you will speak the truth.'

Augeias, sensing that his life was in danger if the son of Zeus was to lose his temper, nodded agreement. 'My son is an honorable man,' he said. 'Arbitration will also put all disputes to an end.'

'Please,' Phyleas said, 'murder will solve nothing. I will speak the truth.'

Herakles took his hand from his sword and spat on the earth at Augeias's feet. 'I will not forget your treachery, King of cow shit, no matter what Dexamenos says. We will meet at Olenos.'

Without waiting for a reply, Herakles stalked off. The set of his shoulders made Augeias worried. 'Let's hope that Hera sets an adventure that will kill the fool,' he said to no one in particular. But a King is never alone.

'Don't worry, my King,' said one of his retinue. 'He may be a man of strength and courage, but few can withstand the rage of an Olympian.'

(ix)

Back at camp, Iolaos was not surprised when Herakles told him of the King's treachery.

'Hera came to him in a dream?' Iolaos said, and shook his head. 'It does not bode well. Not well at all.'

'Whatever it does or does not bode, I have done what was asked of me,' Herakles said, 'Neither Eurystheus nor Augeias can deny that I have done as they asked.'

'How far is Olenos?'

'Not far. We can travel there in a day or two if we make haste, but I doubt Augeias would be in much of a hurry.'

Because there seemed no need to make haste, they stayed one more day camped by the river so that Herakles could soothe his anger by hunting and sacrificing the bones of his quarry to Zeus.

The following morning dawned so clear that Herakles thought he could almost make out Helios in his chariot as he toiled across the sky. They set off after a quick breakfast.

'Hera is trying to play you for a fool again,' Iolaos said as they rode along. 'Don't forget the wisdom of Kheiron, and the true nature of strength.'

'If I had forgotten, King Augeias would be dead and we'd be herding one thousand cows back to Tiryns.'

The journey from Elis to Olenos was mercifully short. They spoke little and Iolaos was concerned by his uncle's mood, which seemed more melancholy than he'd ever seen before. Herakles had started so brightly, but his mood had changed as the morning faded into afternoon. It was as if hope was slowly draining out of a small hole in his soul.

Iolaos, however, was only partially right. Herakles was in a dark mood, but it was not melancholy. Rather, the son of Zeus was preoccupied with thoughts of bloody vengeance and every time he closed his eyes, he saw himself holding Augeias's severed head while the traitor's body lay in a pool of blood at his feet. What was upsetting him most was the understanding that he would be unable to follow through on his daydream. To kill the King of Elis would be to invite war with many, and alienate people who Herakles considered friends. To make matters even worse, starting a conflict that he could not possibly win would be playing directly into Hera's hands. And so he had to be content with vengeance only in his daydreams, which he found unsatisfying

They camped in a traveler's shelter outside Olenos that evening and went into the city early the following morning. It was a small city with a modest palace at its highest point. They headed directly to the palace and were welcomed with open arms by King Dexamenos himself.

'So you are the famed Herakles,' Dexamenos said. He was a big, brash man with a loud voice and boisterous manner. 'Your name is on everyone's lips, and your deeds are wagging many tongues. Why have you sought me out here, so far away from Tiryns? I can recall no monster worth slaying near here, save perhaps for the mother of my wife.'

'It is a monster, but not one with claws or venom,' Herakles replied. 'Treachery has reared its ugly head and I need you to arbitrate on a disagreement between myself and King Augeias of Elis.'

'No doubt to do with his cattle?'

'Why yes, how did you know?' Herakles asked.

'He's always getting into disputes about those wretched beasts, but he's a cunning one and has never lost even a single cow.'

Herakles turned to Iolaos. 'So Augeias has had experience with reneging on promises. Perhaps it wasn't all Hera's doing after all,' he said.

His nephew shrugged. 'He did say that she came to him in a dream.'

'Now, now, my friends. If I am to arbitrate, then we must await King Augeias before we discuss the dispute any further. Until then, you shall be my honored guests.'

King Augeias took another five days to arrive and, as far as Herakles was concerned, he could have taken five more if he so wished. Dexamenos's hospitality was like a balm for the big man's fraying soul, because the King of Olenos wanted very little from him. It seemed that all he asked of Herakles was a healthy appetite for food and drink, a patient ear and hearty laugh for Dexamenos's tall tales.

The week of peace ended on the sixth day after their arrival, when Augeias insisted that Dexamenos hear the matter. The court assembled in the megaron at the palace just after noon. Dexamenos sat on his throne and the luminaries of Olenos had assembled to witness events. After the Gods had been appeased with a sacrifice, Herakles and Augeias stood before the throne in turn and put their respective argument forward.

Dexamenos listened carefully to both sides of the tale, despite having already heard Herakles's complaint. 'So what we have here are two people with wildly differing versions of events,' he said. 'Both are men of standing and are respected throughout Hellas. In such a situation, when it is the word of one man against the word of another, it is generally very difficult to make a ruling for either. Unless there was a witness to the deal, then I must rule in favor of King Augeias.'

Herakles looked crestfallen. 'Phyleas, the son of Augeias witnessed our agreement but even though he has promised to speak truth, I would not expect a son to testify against his own father.'

'What have you to say, young Phyleas?' Dexamenos asked. 'Did your father and Herakles agree to such a deal or is it, as Augeias claims, a fiction?'

Phyleas looked at his father and then at Herakles. 'The bond between father and son should be strong, this is true, but what if the father commits an act of treachery motivated by greed? My father made an agreement with Herakles.'

There was a collective gasp from the audience - never before had the court heard a son go against the word of his father.

Augeias looked at his son with murder in his eyes. 'How dare you testify against me, your father? The man who gave you life and who nurtured and fed you!'

Dexamenos put up his hand for silence, and then motioned for Phyleas to continue.

The young man looked at his father with anger and sorrow in his eyes and then went on with his testimony. 'He said that he would give Herakles one hundred cattle if he cleaned the stables in one day and then, when Herakles had left, he bragged to us all that the son of Zeus had no chance of winning. He said Herakles would make a valiant attempt and that meant that Augeias would not have to pay servants and feed slaves for much of the work.'

When Phyleas had finished, Dexamenos stood from his throne. 'I hereby find in favor of Herakles, son of Zeus. Augeias is to give him one hundred head of cattle to honor the agreement they made and the work Herakles performed.'

Augeias became very red in the face and jumped to his feet. 'A foolish decision, based on the word of a feeble minded fool!'

'Who is your son,' Dexamenos said.

'He was my son, but no more. He is no more welcome in lands where I rule than that idiot who cleans stables better than a slave.'

Herakles moved so fast that his sword seemed to have arrived under Augeias's chin by magic. 'The only reason that you are still alive is that I still have need of you.'

'Then your need will remain unfulfilled. Nothing, not even the threat of death, can induce me to help you!'

'Uncle!' Iolaos said. Herakles looked towards his nephew and, with obvious reluctance, lowered his blade.

'I need you to write a letter to Eurystheus, saying that I cleaned your stables in one day.'

'Oh ho! So now we know. It wasn't a task that I commissioned. It was for the King of Tiryns that you worked.'

'We made an agreement!' Herakles said, exasperated. 'How can stand there and deny it! How can someone who sailed upon the Argo be so treacherous?'

'And you were not? You arrived at my door as if friendship had brought you there. Never once did you mention that Hera had set a task for you to clean my stables. You let me believe it was I who commissioned the work when, all along, you were laboring under another's yoke.'

'What does it matter? It was not on my word that I took the task up. I did not petition you, or ask for the job. I cleaned your stables after you asked me to do so. '

They both turned to King Dexamenos, who sat back down again. 'Hmmm, an interesting problem,' he said. 'Herakles made no mention of the task assigned by Hera prior to the deal being struck, but he did not offer or induce King Augeias to do the job. From the other side, King Augeias asked Herakles to clean his stables for an agreed payment, but the witness, his own son, says he knew of Herakles's debt to Hera.' Dexamenos stroked his chin. 'Tricky,' he said, 'but one path suggests itself as the fairest.' He turned to Herakles. 'Son of Zeus, you performed the task as given you and deserve payment. However, it is wrong that Augeias must pay you twice for the one job. You must decide whether you did the task for Eurystheus, in which case King Augeias will pay you with a letter, or you did the job for King Augeias, in which case he will give you one hundred head of cattle.'

All eyes turned to Herakles, who did not look happy. 'I will respect the decision of the arbitration,' he said after a short while. 'I ask that King Augeias pay me with a letter to Eurystheus.'

Augeias smiled. 'So I am justified, am I not?' he said. 'I will have the letter prepared for you before I depart for my own palace, if the gracious King Dexamenos would kindly provide parchment for the purpose?'

Dexamenos nodded and Augeias stalked out of the room, followed by his retinue of flunkies who had made up a considerable proportion of the audience.

Phyleas also made to leave, but Herakles stopped him. 'You are welcome to come with us to our home in Tiryns if you wish. It is not a palace, but it is warm and dry and there is plenty of game to hunt in the surrounding woods.'

'Thank you,' Phyleas said, 'I'm probably not safe in this part of Hellas until my father's temper cools.'

'You fear your father?' Herakles said, shocked. 'I can understand him being angry, but to murder his own son?'

'He is quick to anger and never lets an insult pass,' Phyleas said.

Herakles shook his head and turned to Iolaos. 'We will need a third horse for Phyleas,' he said, and then turned back to Dexamenos. 'It is time I returned to Tiryns.

'I hope you do not hold a grudge against me for my judgment,' King Dexamenos said. 'I must be fair in my dealings and cannot favor one over another because of friendship.'

'No, I understand. Your ruling was fair.'

'Good,' the King said, beaming. 'It always worries me when I must make rulings against people I like. Why don't you and your two young friends postpone going back for a day and join me for a celebratory dinner tonight? My daughter has become quite obsessed by you and has been worrying my ear since you arrived.'

'But what is there to celebrate? I lost the arbitration!'

King Dexamenos sighed. 'In my experience, celebrations are far more useful after a defeat than a win. The wine tastes the same and you need it more.'

(x)

There were many people at King Dexamenos's dinner that evening, none of whom Iolaos knew. He found himself sitting with Phyleas, who seemed equally ill at ease at the event. Herakles, however, was having no such trouble. Mnesimakhe, the King's daughter, had sought him out from the start and had been at his side throughout the entire night.

'She is amazingly beautiful,' Iolaos said. 'Looks nothing like her father.'

'They call her the Jewel of Olenos,' Phyleas said. 'Men from all over Hellas have come to woo her but she has refused them all. She likes to be the one to choose, and it looks like she has chosen Herakles.'

'She's going to be disappointed,' Iolaos said.

'Why?'

'Herakles took a vow of duty over pleasure. I have not seen him with anyone since he left his wife in Tiryns.'

'Really? How strange.'

'If you saw Megara, you wouldn't say it is strange. Even the beautiful Mnesimakhe would seem plain to you in comparison,' Iolaos said, and then blushed.

Phyleas gave Iolaos a strange look. 'I don't know much about Herakles, but the rumors have it that he killed his wife and children when Hera sent the madness. Is this not true?'

'It is true in part. The madness drove him to kill his two sons, my cousins, but not his daughter or his wife. They still live, but they may as well be dead as far as he is concerned. He has cut both from his life completely and all but scrubbed Megara from his memory. To Herakles, it is as if he has never been married.' Iolaos paused. 'Megara suffers now like none other I have seen. She carries both the grief of losing her sons, and the loneliness of losing her husband.'

Phyleas patted the morose Iolaos on the back. 'Do you love her?'

'It was while Herakles was sailing on the Argo and I was in Thebes that it happened. She was so lonely and hungry for news of her husband that was not rumor or hearsay,' Iolaos said, and he looked wretched. 'What could I do? She was so, so...' he said, searching for a word.

'Needy?' Phyleas ventured.

Iolaos completely deflated.

'The affairs of the heart are rarely simply,' Phyleas said. 'Just ask Herakles.'

Iolaos looked up at his uncle, who was staring soulfully into Mnesimakhe's eyes. While he watched, she leaned forward and said something into his ear. Herakles face registered shock, and then he smiled. The two got up and left the megaron hand in hand without saying a word to anyone else, as if they were the only two people in existence.

King Dexamenos caught Iolaos staring after the couple and laughed. 'I think your uncle has found a new friend in my daughter, don't you think?'

Iolaos closed his mouth, which he realized had been hanging open, blushed and turned back to Phyleas. 'Well, that was unexpected. For over a year, he's been going on about duty before pleasure, and then goes off with the first girl who smiles at him.'

'Didn't he forgo pleasure at the isle of Lemnos?'

'That's the tale he tells,' Iolaos said, 'but his behavior tonight would indicate his willpower may not be as strong as he says it is.'

Phyleas laughed. 'Mnesimakhe is a very beautiful and intelligent woman. She tends to get what she wants, and I think she wanted Herakles from the moment she laid eyes upon him.'

Iolaos looked far from happy. 'What about his choice of the path of virtue?'

'I do believe you're jealous!' Phyleas said.

'Don't be silly! He's my uncle.'

Phyleas smiled. 'This is good news for you,' he said. 'Your dalliance with Megara won't weigh so heavily on your shoulders.'

'I never said that! I comforted her, that's all!'

'That may be true or not, but your love for Megara is plain to see. Just because it didn't get physical, doesn't mean it's not real.'

Somehow, Iolaos managed to look even more miserable. 'Now I wish it had gotten more physical,' he mumbled.

The letter from Augeias came the next day, but they stayed at the palace in Olenos for several days after, during which time Iolaos and Phyleas hardly ever saw Herakles, and when they did, he was always in the company of Mnesimakhe. So it came as a surprise when he rounded them up one morning and told them it was time to go.

'We'll go back to Tiryns so that I can give Eurystheus his letter, then I'm coming straight back here to marry Mnesi. You two are welcome to come along, but I know that you probably want to stay away from your father for a while,' he said, pointing at Phyleas, before turning to Iolaos, 'and you probably want to go to Thebes to visit your family.'

Herakles's grin was so wide that Iolaos thought his uncle's head would flip open.

'You told him!' Iolaos said, pointing an accusing finger at Phyleas.

'Told me what?' Herakles asked.

Phyleas lifted his hands while shaking his head to indicate that Iolaos was on the wrong track.

'Oh,' Iolaos said, and calmed a little. 'I thought he told you that I wanted to go home to visit my father.'

Herakles looked bewildered. 'No, he didn't say anything about Iphikles. He told me you wanted to see Megara.'

Phyleas ducked under Iolaos's wild swing and made a run for it.

(xi)

The three were on the outskirts of Tiryns before Iolaos worked up the courage to talk to his uncle about Megara. The response surprised him.

'I have absolutely no problem with you courting Megara,' Herakles said. 'Besides, I could hardly ask Mnesi to marry me while I have another wife in Thebes, now can I?'

Iolaos could see the sense in this. 'It just feels strange,' he said. 'Is it wrong?'

Herakles shrugged. 'I don't think I can tell the difference between right and wrong anymore,' he said. 'Look at us. We have the blood of Olympians running through our veins, and yet we are nothing more than murderous vagabonds, traipsing around Hellas on the whim of a mad God.'

'Shhhh, what if Hera is listening?'

'And if she is? Could it possibly get any worse? Let her listen and look,' Herakles said, then leaned forward on his horse and released a massive fart. 'She can smell, too, if she wants.'

Iolaos couldn't help but laugh.

'I know if I had a window that could look out over anything, I wouldn't be looking at three grubby wanderers in need of a bath.'

Phyleas, whose horse was not an immortal beast bred by Poseidon and so lagged behind, called out from behind them, 'Please let me know the next time you release poisonous fumes from your backside. I nearly choked on that foul stench.'

'You should ride closer, then,' Herakles called out, 'and don't complain about your horse again. Only bad craftsman blame their tools.'

'It's a sorry beast as you well know, and the worst from Dexamenos's stables no doubt. The thing can barely raise a walk, let alone a trot. There is no way it can keep up with those imperious bastards you two are riding.'

Herakles's horse whinnied and skipped to the right.

Phyleas sighed. 'They can understand human speech, can't they? Great. Now I can count Herakles's horse amongst my enemies, who are rapidly multiplying.'

They soon came within sight of the cyclopean walls of the city, and Herakles motioned for them to stop.

'You don't need to accompany me to meet King Eurystheus if you don't wish,' he said to his two young companions. 'Already, he has little love for Iolaos, and you would add another King to your expanding list of enemies.'

'I will come,' Iolaos said. 'I have nothing left to lose.'

'And I will come as well,' Phyleas said. 'If I am to have enemies, they may as well be Kings.'

Herakles nodded and smiled. 'Come on, then,' he said, and urged his horse forward.

The guards on the tower took a while longer to spot them this time, so they were almost at the gates of the city when Kopreus rode out, leading a procession that included the King's pot on its wagon.

Kopreus signaled for the procession to stop as soon as Herakles and his companions came into view, and then rode out to meet them.

'I have the letter from King Augeias, as requested,' Herakles said and handed the Herald a roll of papyrus. 'It confirms that I cleaned his stables in one day.'

Kopreus accepted the letter without a word, and rode back to where the King and his entourage waited.

'This task is unacceptable,' Eurystheus said from within his pot, 'you took payment for its completion and therefore it has been judged by the Gods as a failure.'

'I took no payment,' Herakles replied. 'One was promised but never delivered, and I have the letter to prove the task done.'

'Once again, I cannot take the word of a mortal, especially one such as you, over the word of Hera, Queen of the Olympians. She came to me in a dream two nights ago and told me that you have failed and must do another task in its place.'

Iolaos, who was sitting astride his horse directly behind Herakles, saw the muscles in his uncle's back tighten and his shoulders move back as one hand fell on the pommel of his sword. He dropped his own hand to his sword as well and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Phyleas do the same.

Herakles's reaction surprised them both. 'If that is the will of the Gods, then so be it. I am to travel back to Arcadia for a short time. I will come for my next task when I return,' he said.

Kopreus turned to the pot where Eurystheus must have said something they could not hear and then called out to Herakles. 'Do not leave it too long. The King is not known for his patience.'

'No. It's for his pots that he is famed,' Herakles quipped, as he rode out of the city.

(xii)

Hera looked down from her perch on Mount Olympus and watched Herakles riding out of Tiryns. Her messenger, Iris of the rainbow, sat beside her and looked worried.

'He took it very well, my Queen,' Iris said, 'too well. Perhaps this tactic is not so effective after all?'

Hera looked lost in thought. 'King Augeias is a fool whose greed will surely consume him,' she said

'What are you going to do to him?'

'Nothing. He is fortunate that our plan was a success despite his greed. It would have been easier and more convincing had Augeias given Herakles the cattle as he promised, but the arbitration at Olenos was enough to allow us to deny Herakles's task.'

'He will go free then?'

'His time will come. If Herakles survives these twelve years then his mind will turn to vengeance. The son of Zeus does not seem like one to forgive treachery.'

'And what will Herakles's next task be, my Queen?'

'There is a lake in Arcadia where vicious birds have made their home. They roost in a tree near its center, surrounded by marshes that are treacherous underfoot. Safe in their home, these birds have been destroying the lands all around. They eat crops and livestock, and have killed and devoured many an unfortunate farmer. I will send Herakles there, and he will undoubtedly fail.'

Iris smiled. 'Disappointment upon disappointment would break even the most resolute of men,' Iris said.

'And Herakles is far from the most resolute,' Hera said with an evil smile upon her perfect face.

She turned away from the window and saw Zeus, her husband and King of the Gods, standing behind her.

'What are you doing here?' she exclaimed, looking flustered.

'I have come to warn you,' Zeus said, his voice filling the room despite its quiet tone.

'Warn me,' Hera said, composing herself enough to raise a sneer in her voice, 'about what? Have you fathered another illegitimate bastard to torment me with?'

'No!' Zeus said, and the power in his voice shattered Hera's window and sent Iris flying across the room. Zeus lifted his hand and the spirit of rainbows found herself thrown across the room once again. She smashed into the far wall and fell in a crumpled heap on the floor. Hera screamed and ran to her, but another gesture from Zeus stopped her dead in her tracks.

'We made an agreement, but your meddling is turning things to your favor. I will not have it!' The King of the Olympians boomed. 'You will not deny Herakles another victory. It does not matter how he finishes a quest. All that matters is the he finishes.'

Few can deny the will of Zeus but Hera was herself a powerful Olympian. She turned to face him, even though he was bending all his might to keeping her still.

'I have only denied him those victories in which he bent the rules and cheated,' Hera countered.

'What rules?' Zeus thundered. 'There were none told him when he agreed to do these quests. It is pure malice on your part and it will stop now!'

'And if it doesn't?'

'Then our agreement is void and I will tell Herakles to kill Eurystheus and assume the crown of Mykênae and Tiryns,' Zeus said, his voice powerful and angry. 'Do not test me any further, Hera. Herakles's quest for immortality will be unhindered, or else I will give him the gift he so rightly deserves, as well as the crown that would have been his had you not interfered.'

Hera looked for a moment as if she was preparing to defy Zeus, but only for a moment. 'You have my word that I will not deny Herakles another victory,' she said.

Zeus nodded and vanished from the room.

The Stymphalian Birds

The ride back to Olenos where he was to marry Mnesimakhe was a difficult one for Herakles. He could feel the disappointment of another task denied burning in his chest as if it was a physical thing, an internal fire that boiled his blood and made him want to tear down the world. The thought of interacting with others while the anger and frustration was so raw led him to insist that Iolaos and Phyleas not accompany him on this journey, not that either of them had complained too strongly. Phyleas had wanted to stay as far away from his father's vengeance as possible, and Iolaos was keen to return to Thebes to visit his family, or so he claimed.

Herakles rode out alone, and his mood darkened with every mile he travelled. Usually, after a couple of nights under the stars and far away from people, moods such as this would fall away from him and be replaced by a state of blank existence. The isolation reduced everything to its elemental form and stripped away the layers of human meaning that complicated everything.

Usually when he was isolated from human companionship, Herakles would cast aside any disappointment, but not this time. The black cloud over his heart persisted through several hunts and convinced him to veer away from his path to Olenos. As it was, his temper did not sit well with marriage, but he thought that the sound of waves crashing onto the shore might prove a balm against the scorching internal fires. Of all the elements, the implacable and untamable waters of the ocean seemed best able to wash the anger and madness from his soul.

The call of the waves was so strong that Herakles did not sleep that night. Instead, guided by the light of a full moon, he rode until the waves lapped at the hooves of his mount and the smell of salt permeated everything. As if in a trance, Herakles shucked off his clothes and ran naked into the cool embrace of Poseidon's domain, his worries and fears temporarily forgotten as he dived into the ocean's depths. He swam in the cool waters until the sun rose and Helios began his daily journey across the sky. But with the sun came an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, as if its rays were draining the energy from his blood. A strange tiredness overcame him, a weariness that sapped all the strength from his limbs and sent him struggling back to shore where he collapsed onto the shore. Within minutes, he was asleep.

Despite his fatigue, Herakles awoke soon after and found himself lying face down on the beach, coated in a fine layer of gritty sand. The sun had climbed a little in the sky and his horse was grazing on the grasses at the forest's edge. He was just about to re-enter the water to wash off the sand when a piercing cry came from within the forest. He turned to see a huge peacock with eyes of flame and a hooked beak charging out of the brush towards him.

Never one to let a challenge go unanswered, the son of Zeus made to run towards his horse for his weapons, but no matter how fast he willed his legs to run, they stayed firmly planted on the ground. He opened his mouth to call to his steed, but his voice deserted him. Unable to run or shout, he turned towards his assailant to do what he did best - fight - but the stench of the bird filled his mouth and nose, and penetrated deep into his lungs where it robbed him of breath. He could only wave his arms weakly while the smell of loam and dirt and decay reduced him nearly to tears.

Helpless, he looked up into the cruel eyes of the bird, and noticed that blood stained its beak and raw flesh was trailing from its talons. It was nearly upon him when a shadow crossed the sky. A giant eagle with feathers of gold slammed into the peacock's side and sent it tumbling across the sands. A sea breeze followed in the eagle's wake and drove the stench of dirt and decay back into the forest. Herakles, invigorated by the smell of the ocean, could feel the power returning to his limbs. His voice returned and he bellowed defiance at his assailant.

The peacock regained its feet and turned to attack, but Herakles would not let it have the initiative again. Screaming at the top of his voice, he charged at his monstrous assailant and struck it in the torso with his shoulder. He could feel bones crack within the monster and his hands sought its throat while they tumbled on the sand. Yet, for all this strength and effort, the beast somehow managed to slip from his grasp and flee towards the forest.

Herakles willed his legs to follow, but they had become rooted to the spot again. A shadow in the sky startled him and he looked up just in time to see the eagle, a scant yard from him, and falling like a stone. He closed his eyes against the expected impact and opened them a heartbeat later to see his horse standing over him on the sandy beach. He scrambled to his feet, took his club from its place in his pack and looked around for the monstrous birds, but all was quiet. He looked down at the sand and saw that it was untouched except where he had fallen down to sleep.

'It couldn't have been a dream,' he mumbled to himself while his horse nuzzled his shoulder. 'I can still feel the feathers, and the stench of earth still lingers in my nostrils. It couldn't have been a dream!'

(ii)

The strange dream seemed to lift the weight off Herakles's shoulders and he immediately resumed his journey to Olenos, with an image of his future bride in his mind's eye to motivate his steps. Naked lust drove him - it had been a long time since he had felt so mesmerized by another and he was eager to reacquaint himself with the pleasures of intimacy.

Mnesimakhe was a woman of delicate beauty and subtle words, which Herakles found remarkably attractive. Before he had met King Dexamenos's daughter, his experiences had been only with women who were backward about coming forward - their desires were obvious but their methods shy and understated. Mnesimakhe was the exact opposite - her desire was masked and hidden from the world, but her methods were open and brash.

She had been astounded when Herakles had suggested they get married after only knowing one another for a few days. After all, their first night together had been a brief and awkward affair that reminded Herakles of what it had been like when he had been a young man in Thebes, feeling his way through the twisted labyrinth of human interactions. The second night, however, was so intense that he could think of very little else for over a week. It was such a passionate night that it brought his choice of virtue into sharp relief - he reasoned that so much pleasure must surely fall outside the limits of a virtuous life. In fact, in order to stay true to his choice, Herakles felt that he had no choice but to propose marriage.

Olenos was a day and night's ride away for a normal horse, but Herakles urged Poseidon's gift into a gallop and they covered the distance in half the time, arriving just as evening was falling. The city was smaller than most, but made up for this lack by being a bustling hive of activity - the market was small but the touts were the loudest in all of Hellas - and there were people out and about even during the dead of night.

The silence that greeted him at the gates was concerning - the guards did not salute him but stared ferociously ahead, the narrow streets were muted, and the market empty. He was about to ask one of the guards why everything was so quiet when a man he recognized as Abreas, one of King Dexamenos's retinue, darted out of a nearby house.

'Herakles! This way, quickly,' Abreas said.

Herakles dismounted. 'What is going on?' he asked.

'There is a trap for you at the palace! You must not go!'

'What?'

'A centaur has come, a powerful creature that killed twenty soldiers on its own. Eurytion is his name and he has everyone afraid. The guards, the King, everyone! He plans to marry Mnesimakhe whether the King allows it or not.'

'Mnesimakhe is a very beautiful woman, but I do not think a centaur would come all this way to marry her. I have known many centaurs and know that they are not that discerning.'

'He says he came for you, as vengeance for you killing his friends Ankhios and Elatos. When he learned that you were to return to marry Mnesimakhe, he decided that he would marry her instead.'

Herakles rubbed his face with his hands and let out a sigh of frustration. 'Why is everything so complicated,' he exclaimed.

Abreas took a moment to consider Herakles's question. 'The Hellenic love of drama?' he ventured.

'Thank you for the warning,' Herakles said, and quickly donned his armor and threw his lion pelt cloak over all. 'Please take my horse somewhere safe. This won't take long but I'll feel better if I knew he was with friends.'

Abreas nodded and scuttled off, leading the horse.

Herakles's previous stay at the palace meant that he had a good idea of its layout and remembered a seldom-used back entrance. Well, seldom used by everyone except Mnesimakhe of course, who used it to escape quite often with Herakles willingly trailing behind.

The thought of a vile centaur forcing himself onto his betrothed drove the happy memories out of Herakles's head and left a dark anger in their wake. He skirted the courtyard, ran lightly through the evening shadows, and ducked into the hidden corridor behind a copse of trees. The corridor exit, partially obscured by a pot of fronds and a tapestry, ended opposite the throne in the megaron.

From his hidden position, Herakles looked out over a scene that made his blood boil. The centaur Eurytion, who was a giant even by centaur standard, was sitting on the floor by the throne surrounded by piles of meat on silver platters. Obviously, the evening meal was taking place and Eurytion had a liking for flesh. The centaur's dinner companions, however, did not share his appetite. King Dexamenos sat beside the centaur, which towered above him even though he was sitting with legs folded, while Mnesimakhe was standing opposite the two, tethered to a column and bound hand and foot.

'You should feed your daughter,' Herakles heard the centaur say to the King. 'She's going to need all her strength when we are married.'

The King looked like he was about to say something but the centaur cuffed him to the side of the head with a greasy paw.

That thoughtless act of violence was enough for Herakles. He charged out of his hidden corridor, wielding mace and sword and screaming at the top of his lungs. Despite his size, Eurytion was agile enough to stand and meet the charge. He drew a huge sword from the scabbard on his back and easily countered Herakles's sword and club, whipping the long sword through the air as if it were as light as a dagger. Using his tremendous height to his advantage, the centaur then pressed forward with a series of sweeps and jabs that put the son of Zeus on the back foot.

'At last,' Eurytion exclaimed, 'the murderer has surfaced!'

Herakles launched himself at the centaur a second time, but again Eurytion beat him back.

'Have you nothing to say for yourself?' the centaur exclaimed. 'No words of regret or sorrow? No words of triumph?'

'Shut up and fight,' Herakles said, and launched himself for a third time at the centaur, first feigning left with the club then coming up and to the right with his sword. Eurytion was nimble enough to evade both weapons, however, and then sent Herakles sprawling on the ground with a well placed kick to the shoulder. The impact was so great that sent it Herakles's sword flying through the air to the opposite side of the room.

The centaur laughed. 'So you are the mighty Herakles?' he said and sneered as the son of Zeus climbed to his feet. 'You must have taken my brothers by surprise when you killed them because if this is how you fight, then you would have been no threat to them.'

Herakles didn't respond with words. Instead, he threw his club with all his might and caught the Eurytion full in the chest. The blow sent the centaur back on his haunches and knocked the wind from his lungs. The beast clutched at his chest and struggled to draw breath through lungs ravaged by broken ribs.

Herakles saw his chance and bounded up to the centaur. He struck the wheezing beast with his fists - twice to the centaur's already battered chest and a third blow to the head. The final blow was hard and powerful, and Eurytion's skull all but exploded from the force, scattering bone and gristle in a wind arc behind him. The centaur fell dead at Herakles's feet, and he raised both fists into the air in triumph and bellowed a victory cry that shook the very foundations of Dexamenos's palace.

It was only when all the rage had dissipated that the rest of the world returned to Herakles's notice. King Dexamenos was standing with mouth agape, alternating his eyes from Herakles to the corpse of the centaur on the floor. Mnesimakhe, who was unable to move because of her bonds, stared in shocked silence at the scene.

Pausing only long enough to wipe the gristle from his knuckles, Herakles rushed over to his prospective bride and snapped her bonds with his hands. He was expecting her to collapse into his arms and was a little disappointed when she didn't. Instead, Mnesimakhe looked first to the dead centaur, second to the broken chains on the floor, and then to Herakles's face. 'You live an interesting life,' was all she could think of saying.

Herakles looked glum. 'It's the tasks,' he said, and sighed deeply. 'I'm sorry, Mnesi, but we can't get married until I finish my labors. Until then, my life is tied to the whims of Hera, Queen of the Olympians, and her pet rat Eurystheus.'

'It's probably for the best,' King Dexamenos said to Herakles, before a movement at the end of the room caught his eye. 'You there, I see you,' he called out to a servant who had poked his head around the door. 'Get some people in here to clean this up.'

'Father!' Mnesimakhe snapped and stamped her foot, an action that Herakles found strangely endearing. 'You may be King, but it is still my life! If I want to marry Herakles, then marry him I will!' She looked to the son of Zeus. 'What have the tasks got to do with your love life?'

Herakles sighed and sat down on the floor. 'Hera has set her sights on destroying me but cannot attack me directly because Zeus watches over me. If we were to get married, then Hera's wrath may fall upon you. A wife, especially one that I love with all my heart, would be too tempting a target.'

Mnesimakhe sat down next to Herakles and put her hand on his arm. 'You're probably right, but I'm not letting you go so easily.'

Dexamenos harrumphed. 'If he's right, then I'm right too!' he mumbled.

Mnesimakhe rolled her eyes. 'We should not be married, but does that mean you have to rush off right away?'

'Yes,' Herakles said. 'I chose the path of virtue! I have sworn off pleasure for pleasure's sake.'

'What a silly thing to do,' Mnesimakhe said, 'but tell me, what is pleasure and what is duty? '

Herakles looked perplexed. 'It is obvious,' he said. 'Pleasure is pleasure and duty is duty.'

'But cannot the two coincide? Is all duty so onerous that you can find no pleasure in it? Is it not your duty to sacrifice to the Gods, and do you not find pleasure in it? Do you not find pleasure in slaying the beats that ravage Hellas and kill its people? Do you find no pleasure in your duty to a friend?'

'But that's not the same thing! Pleasure from virtue and pleasure from indulgence are easily differentiated, and my vow is to forgo the later. I will not seek pleasure for the sake of pleasure itself.'

'Then it is your duty to stay with me because I need you here and now. My world is cold and lonely, and my suitors all chase me for the crown on my father's head. Give me what I need, mighty Herakles, or I will surely wither and die.'

'How can your pleasure be my duty? I do not understand.'

'It is not just pleasure. It is a yearning that boils deep down within all men and women that not even the Gods themselves can control or diminish. Stay with me Herakles.'

Herakles turned red, but he wasn't quite sure whether it was from anger or embarrassment, or a strange amalgam of the two. 'Do you make a riddle of love? Or are you having a joke at my expense? How can you compare the love that brings a child into the world with indulgence? I was once a father, as you well know, but that seems so very long ago. With you I was willing to try again, but my destiny will not allow it.'

'I'm sorry, Herakles,' Mnesimakhe said. 'Twelve years is a long time to wait and misfortune and tragedy are a constant threat in the short life of a mortal. If we do not act upon those opportunities when they fall to us, then they may be lost forever. Do not forsake me or make light of my need.'

A flood of memories caused Herakles to pause. He recalled the stench of death from the battlefield at Thebes where Amphitryon had died so many years ago, and the sorrow of his mother as she mourned the death of her husband. He saw the enemies of Thebes fall to his blows and knew them to be his children, and the thought almost brought tears to his eyes. But the most painful memory of all was not of tragedy or madness. It was of the comforts of his bed in Thebes and of all the nights that he had spent sleeping beside his wife Megara, the women who had, for so many years, loved and trusted him without question.

'Only ten years remain of my servitude now,' he said, in a voice thick with emotion, 'and I've already finished three tasks. Even if Hera denies two of every five as she has done so far, there is still have plenty of time. I can see no reason why I can't stay with friends and let the cares of the world fade into the background for a time.'

Mnesimakhe smiled and put her head on his shoulder.

(iii)

Iolaos was returning from a hunting trip with a small deer slung over his shoulder when he spied a man approaching on horseback. Despite the shadows of the setting sun hiding the rider's face, there was no doubt about his identity. Only one person in all of Hellas could create such a silhouette.

'Uncle!' Iolaos shouted and ran towards the mounted figure.

'I see you've learnt how to hunt,' Herakles said when he drew close enough for Iolaos to hear.

'Where have you been?'

'I sent a messenger. Did he not arrive?'

'That was two months ago!'

'Was it?' Herakles said, and looked surprised. 'It didn't feel that long.'

'How could it not feel like two months? Days come and go with monotonous regularity all over Hellas. They aren't that difficult to count!'

Herakles laughed. 'Meet me back at the house,' he said, and spurred his horse into a gallop. Iolaos looked up to the heavens and sighed before trudging after his uncle.

The deer over his shoulder felt far heavier by the time Iolaos made it back home, and the sight of Herakles and Phyleas sitting by the fire and laughing made it feel heavier still.

'You could have at least taken the burden from my shoulders,' he grumbled, and dropped the carcass on the ground beside the fire. 'So you're finally back. What kept you?'

'The lovely Mnesimakhe,' Herakles said.

'For two months! What about your vow of virtue?'

Herakles shrugged. 'What of it? For so long I had remained as chaste as Artemis and for what? To be remembered by men not yet born? For so long I have traipsed all over Hellas, chasing monsters and shoveling shit, and for what, to bring Hera glory even though she does her best to rob me of my life?'

'Your tasks are a penance for a crime you committed. There can be no reward other than absolution,' Iolaos said. He knew that he was pushing Herakles in a dangerous direction, but two months of worry and putting up with Phyleas had made him angry and reckless. He was almost disappointed when Herakles laughed.

'You're right and I have returned to complete them, but after a year of toil, much of which was fruitless, I needed a rest. That I chose to rest in the arms of a beautiful princess is no one's concern but Mnesimakhe's and mine.'

'So you intend to complete you tasks?' Iolaos said.

'Yes, but I'll need a good meal before I do and that carcass won't cook itself.'

Phyleas, who had watched the exchange between Herakles and Iolaos in silence, jumped up. 'I'll do it, and we'll sacrifice the bones to Chaste Artemis since you've mentioned her name,' he said, scooped up the carcass and ran into the stone cottage.

'That's the first time he's volunteered for anything in two months,' Iolaos growled.

Herakles laughed again. 'Has living with a prince tested your patience, young nephew?'

'Just a little.'

'Then rejoice! We'll be leaving for our next adventure as soon as possible. I'll go to Tiryns in the morning to learn of my next task and I can't see why we couldn't leave immediately after.'

'Great. I have to choose between a self-obsessed prince and the possibility of being devoured by a ravenous beast.'

'Who said you had a choice?'

The following morning dawned bright and clear and Herakles rode out to Tiryns leaving both Iolaos and Phyleas still asleep in their beds. He was spotted well outside the city by the soldiers on the tower and was met soon after by Kopreus and a company of mounted soldiers.

'We thought you had abandoned your tasks,' the Herald said.

'If only I could,' Herakles replied, 'but the will of the Gods is that I continue, so here I am. What task has the Rat King set for me this time?'

'Hera, Queen of the Gods, came to him in a dream soon after your failure at the stables. She told him that your next task is to clear the man eating birds from swamp around Lake Stymphalia.'

'And how will she deny me this time? Do I need to burn their nests and eat their eggs as well?'

'Do not make light of the judgments of Hera, nor think this task beneath you. These birds are monsters that stand nearly as tall as a man, with beaks of bronze and feathers that shoot from their wings like arrows. Many have perished trying to rid the lake of their curse, shot through with feathers and then devoured by the flock.'

Herakles nodded and turned his horse back towards home. 'Iolaos will be pleased,' he thought to himself as he rode away from Tiryns.

(iv)

Lake Stymphalia was to the northwest of Tiryns, which disappointed Herakles. He had been hoping to intersect with the sea before completing this task, but there was no coastline anywhere near their destination.

'We're going to fight a swamp full of man eating birds and you're worried about not being able to take a dip?' Iolaos said after listening to Herakles's grumblings for nearly an hour. 'What about having a swim in the lake?'

'It's not the same,' Herakles said.

The two travelled at a decent pace and on the first night, found themselves at the same traveler's shelter where they had first met Lidas, the travelling merchant.

'I remember this place,' Iolaos said.

'And I remember that face!' Herakles added. A head had popped into view from behind a tree, quickly followed by the rest of Lidas.

'What are you doing here,' the merchant exclaimed, 'you've already killed the Lion of Nemea. Is there another monster roaming around that Lidas does not know about? Or could it be that you are lost?'

'If we were lost, we would have accidently found ourselves at the ocean,' Herakles said.

'Ahhh, so you are chasing a monster of the sea? Lidas has heard that the seas are full of evil beasts who waylay ships and devour their crews.'

'No, no, not a sea monster,' Herakles said. 'We travel to the north to fight a nest of chickens on the shores of a lake. What were you doing, lurking behind that tree?'

'Modesty forbids Lidas answering that question, mighty Herakles, but it shouldn't take much imagination to figure it out. Come now, stop being suspicious! Lidas has a fire going on the other side of the shelter where the air is cleaner.'

Herakles laughed and he and Iolaos dismounted and followed Lidas to his camp.

'This lake you're going to, would it be Lake Stymphalia?' Lidas asked when they had made themselves comfortable by the fire.

'Yes,' Herakles said, 'how did you know?'

'Bad news travels quickly amongst those who call the road their home. Lidas has heard that a flock of killer birds has settled there after Jason displaced them from their original home while on his voyage to recover the Golden Fleece. Many have tried to drive them away since, but all have died.'

'Hera has sent me to kill them,' Herakles said. 'I was unconcerned until now, but maybe I should not be so casual. Have you heard if these birds have a weakness?'

'Lidas hears whispers, yes. Some men tried to set fire to the trees where the birds roost and they failed. Still others tried kill the bird with arrows and swords, and they failed as well. The few who survived tell of the sticky marsh that surrounds the trees, that makes it difficult for a man to move quickly when the birds attacked.'

'Well, what other way is there?' Iolaos said, 'you must get to the birds to drive them away. What other action could those men have taken?'

'Lidas is no warrior, but has heard the survivors say that if the men had been on dry land and been free to move, then they may not have died.'

'Yes, probably because the birds wouldn't have attacked them because they were too far away!' Iolaos said, exasperated.

'Not necessarily, my short tempered friend. Lidas has heard that the birds hate loud noises and will attack any who make a commotion near their roosts.'

Herakles stood up, went to where his pack sat beneath a tree, and returned a few minutes with his club and shield.

'Would this be loud enough?' he asked and struck the shield a mighty blow with the club. The resultant sound made Iolaos's and Lidas's ears ring and frightened animals a mile away.

Lidas took his hands from ears. 'That would do it, yes,' he said, even though he himself couldn't hear above the ringing in his ears that drowned out the sounds of the world around him.

Herakles slept fitfully that night because giant peacocks and eagles plagued his dreams, which had become quite common since his last swim in the ocean. Although the subsequent dreams weren't as intense as the first one he'd had on his way to Olenos, they were still quite powerful and this one did not go unnoticed.

'You were talking in your sleep last night, uncle,' Iolaos said as they ate breakfast beside the rekindled fire. Unlike previous occasions when they'd met, Lidas had not vanished. He sat sullenly by the fire and gnawed at a sour apple.

'Talked in his sleep?' the merchant exclaimed. 'He was not talking, he was yelling. Lidas has never met anyone who makes so much noise when he is asleep.'

Herakles sighed and sat down by the fire. 'It's all this bird nonsense,' he said. 'They won't even leave me alone in my dreams.'

'You dream of the Stymphalian birds at night? Lidas is impressed by your dedication to your labors.'

'Not those birds, other birds. An eagle and a peacock, to be specific. They come to me in my dreams and steal my sleep away.'

Lidas looked up. 'And what happens in these dreams?' he asked.

'The peacock attacks me but I am helpless to fight it, which is probably when the yelling happens. The eagle always arrives just in time to fend it off. Sometimes the dream ends there. Other times I get to fight the peacock, and yet others the eagle dives at me but I always awake before it hits.'

'You do know that the eagle is the symbol of Zeus,' Lidas said.

'Yes, I know that. And the peacock is sacred to Hera,' Herakles said.

'What do you think the dream means?' Iolaos asked.

'The first time it came to me, my mood turned from dark to light, so I think it is a sign from my father that he is protecting me from Hera.'

Lidas nodded. 'It would seem so.'

Herakles and Iolaos stayed another night at the traveler's shelter with Lidas, even though Iolaos wanted to stay at an Inn. Unlike the first night, Herakles slept well and was fully rested when they set off for Lake Stymphalia early on the following day. Lidas accompanied them as far as Nemea, where he claimed he was to meet a fellow merchant who had some goods for him.

'The birds are on the southern side of the lake, surrounded by a marsh. Remember not to become bogged down or it could be your doom,' the merchant said just before they parted ways.

'I'll remember,' Herakles replied, 'but before you go, won't you tell us who you really are?'

'Lidas is Lidas, mighty Herakles, and Lidas has been Lidas since the day of his birth.'

'In that case, good luck with your trading,' Herakles said.

'Lidas needs as much luck trading as Herakles needs slaying monsters,' the merchant said, and laughed. 'Lidas is sure our paths will cross again, so it is only a temporary goodbye.'

'He is proof that the Gods are truly crazy,' Iolaos said, as they watched Lidas's scrawny form recede into the distance.
'You live the life you do and you need further proof that the Gods are crazy?'

'Do you really think Hera is fooled by our friend,' Iolaos said, nodding towards the dwindling merchant. 'Surely she has noticed that we run into him at the most convenient of times.'

'I don't know. Maybe the Gods aren't all that observant, or maybe she doesn't want to upset the other Olympians by interfering,' Herakles said and turned his horse northwest. Iolaos sighed and followed.

(v)

The journey to the shores of Lake Stymphalia should have been quick because it was only two or three leagues from Nemea, but Herakles was not in a hurry and stopped often - sometimes to hunt, other times to eat, and sometimes to do nothing but sit on the earth and stare at the sky. Iolaos did his best to hide his impatience, but he finally snapped on the second day after they had parted from Lidas, during a stop in which Herakles decided to take a dip in a small clear, stream.

'Can't you wait until after we get to the Lake to have a bath?'

'My death may be waiting for me at our destination. You wouldn't want me to die dirty, now would you?' Herakles said. He was sitting in the shallow stream's center and enjoying the feeling of the water flowing around him.

'We've been doing this for over a year, and never once have you even considered that you may fail a task, or that your life may be in danger,' Iolaos said. 'Why has this changed?'

Herakles looked intently at his nephew. 'A beautiful woman wanted to lie with me before death claimed either of us,' he said

'So?'

'So? I may be the son of Zeus, but I am still mortal. Immortality will only be mine if Hera allows me to complete my tasks, which is no sure thing. While I lay with Mnesimakhe, I realized how stupid it would be if I let my anger and pain blind me. It would be even stupider to abandon the time that I have now, for a time in the distant future that may never come to pass.'

Iolaos harrumphed and sat down on a large stone by the stream's bank.

'And what of you, nephew? For twelve months, the only time you have ever been in a hurry was when you were fleeing your lessons. But since my return from Olenos, your impatience suggests a man who has somewhere else he wants to be. What has changed?'

Iolaos sighed and stared into the middle distance.

'Is there someone in Thebes that you want to return to?' Herakles asked.

'Yes,' Iolaos said, and looked miserable.

Herakles waded out of the stream and sat down next to his nephew. 'The stain that Thebes left on my soul will never fade,' he said, 'but I have learned to live with it. It sounds selfish, but in this matter, I can only think of my own pain even though I know that there are others in Thebes who must still be struggling with the darkness of that day. I cannot look at them, even in my mind's eye, because they bring back too much of the pain and anger. These people, although once dear to me, can no longer be a part of my life. Megara is one of them, and just thinking of her opens the wounds inside me anew. She was once my wife and may still be clinging to the idea that she must remain so, even though we will never see one another again. She should know that she is free to find another lover, someone who would bring her happiness. If this was to happen, then my heart would be lighter and the burden that I carry of that day of madness will be less.'

'Would it matter who this lover was?' Iolaos said.

'No, it would not matter as long as her pain is diminished.'

'Then I should tell you the truth. Megara and I have become lovers and I would like nothing more than to marry her, and she feels the same way.'

'Then you have my blessing, on the condition that you marry after I have completed my tasks.'

Iolaos blushed. 'That could take a long time,' he said.

Herakles stood up and whistled to the horses, who stopped their grazing and trotted over to him. 'Come on,' he said. 'The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can get back to Thebes to tell Megara of my blessing.'

Much to Iolaos's relief, Herakles stopped dawdling and, thanks to the amazing stamina of their steeds, they arrived at the southern shores of Lake Stymphalia just as the sun set. They sat on their mounts on the southern most shore of the lake and watched as helios steered his chariot behind the mountains and hills to the west. To their left, the banks of the lake broke and crumbled, and became a swamp that continued almost all the way to the foot of the distant hills.

'We must move back from the shore if we are to light a fire for the night,' Herakles said.

'Where do you think the birds are?' Iolaos asked.

'There are several tall trees over there,' Herakles said, and pointed to a part of the swamp that rose a little higher than the rest, 'but they could be anywhere. We'll find out for certain in the morning.'

They set their camp some distance back from the lake and soon had a small fire burning.

'I don't know how I fell in love with Megara,' Iolaos said after they had eaten their evening meal and were taking their ease by the fire.

'What's to know?' Herakles said. 'You're a man and she's a woman. It's quite common.'

'But why her? I've known her all my life and never felt the slightest bit of interest until you went on the voyage with Jason and I stayed in Thebes. Now she's all I can think of.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Maybe you had never seen her as a woman before, or maybe you were too young. It could even be that one of the Gods has decided to meddle in the life of a mortal - it wouldn't the first time and it surely won't be the last. In the end, what does it matter? You want her and she wants you. Who cares why?'

'Why didn't you marry Mnesimakhe?'

'Isn't it obvious? Look where we are,' Herakles exclaimed, 'camped on the shores of a stinking bog, waiting for morning to come so that I can fight a battle that no man has ever won.' He looked moodily into the heart of their little fire. 'When I returned to Olenos, a great centaur was waiting for me. He was a huge, powerful beast who had overpowered the city guards and was holding the King and Mnesimakhe hostage. If I'd been a good suitor, I would have been there to defend my bride-to-be, but I wasn't. Rather than protecting those who I loved, I was wandering all over Hellas, chasing the whims of a mad God.' Herakles paused once more and looked to be considering his next words.

'Before I killed that four legged bastard, he told me he was there for me, to extract vengeance for the death of his centaur brothers. But how did he know where to find me? Only you and I and that liar Augeias knew we were at Olenos. Was it a coincidence? I have known many centaurs and not one of them would have traipsed across Hellas to settle such a score. The only answer that makes any sense is that Hera sent him.'

Herakles paused again and then shook his head. 'I have no proof other than the feeling in my gut, but whether she sent him or not, the only thing that is certain is that my will is not my own. While I serve Hera and the rat King Eurystheus, I cannot risk a family. Too often, I am far from home and Hera watches my every move. She looks for weakness and in her fury would not hesitate to attack those closest to me, especially if I am not there to protect them. No, nephew, I cannot marry anyone until these tasks are finished, and neither can you. We will travel together until I am immortal or dead, and only then will we go our separate ways.'

In the glow of the meager fire, Herakles looked tired and melancholy, but only for a moment. Before Iolaos's eyes, his uncle's face hardened, and all traces of sadness disappeared.

'It's time to sleep,' the son of Zeus said and walked to the shadows a few yards from the fire, where he lay down.

A scant moment later, Iolaos heard him snoring.

(vi)

Herakles rose and donned his armor just as Helios began his journey across the sky. Armed with bow, club, and shield, and with his lion skin cloak draped over all, he left the still sleeping Iolaos and the horses at camp and jogged to the shores of Lake Stymphalia. All was quiet in the still morning air and he chose a spot that gave him a good view of the swamp as well as solid earth upon which to stand.

With the morning sun over his shoulder, Herakles lifted his shield high and struck it a resounding blow with his mace. The resulting explosion of sound sent ripples through the still waters of the lake and a flock of angry birds jumped into the sky from their roosts in the tall trees at the center of the swamp. Even from this distance, Herakles could see these were no ordinary animals. Their feathers glistened with a metallic sheen, and their cries were like the rasp of a sword on a grindstone.

The monstrous birds formed a raucous cloud above the lake that billowed and roiled in the air as individual birds swooped and spun, searching for the source of the noise that had roused them from their slumber. Herakles lifted his bow and sent three arrows into the midst of the screeching mass. He watched with satisfaction as three birds fell from the sky and into the waters below.

As if controlled by one mind, the other birds turned and sped towards Herakles, who had barely enough time to drop his bow and take up his shield before the first rain of bronzed feathers came his way. The wisdom in Lidas's advice became apparent as the first volley of feathered darts bounced harmlessly off his shield, and he dodged the second and third volleys by jumping first to the left and then to the right. The feathers weren't like normal arrows and moved slowly through the air. So slow was their flight that a nimble man would have no trouble moving out of the way, provided his feet weren't mired in a bog. Anyone unable to move swiftly, or who didn't have a stout shield to hide behind, would be in serious trouble.

After a fourth volley that Herakles easily evaded, the birds swooped down towards him, picking up speed as they half flew half fell downwards. The son of Zeus raised his shield above his head and the flock smashed into it, but Zeus had given his son an unbreakable shield and Herakles's arm was the strongest in all of Hellas. A full dozen birds smashed themselves to oblivion upon the immovable wall Herakles held above his head before the remaining flock broke off their attack and swerved away to either side. Herakles further thinned the flock by striking out with his club as the surviving birds sought to climb back into the heavens.

They flew until they were out of range of his bow, and then circled the skies above him for a moment before disappearing back into the trees. Silence returned and Herakles found himself standing alone in a circle of broken avian bodies; their blood stained the earth beneath his feet and their bronze feathers littered the landscape.

Raising his shield once more, Herakles gave it another resounding blow. Once again, ripples spread over the surface of the lake, but the birds did not leap into the air from their roosts. He waited a while before lifting his shield again for a third blow, when a shadow passed over his shoulder. Startled, he danced to the left a second before two sharp, golden feathers the size of spears stuck, quivering, in the tainted earth where he had been standing.

Herakles turned and looked up to see a huge, golden bird - easily twice the size of the others in the flock - turning in the air. Another two spears shot out from its wings towards him, but he dodged them easily even though they flew faster than the darts of the smaller birds. The giant bird turned again and climbed higher into the heavens until it was nothing but a golden speck as high as the sun. Herakles saw it pause a moment before it began to grow again.

The golden bird fell towards him, growing faster and more massive as it neared, and the sound of its flight was like a scream, as if the air was being torn in two by the talons that it had extended out in front. Herakles dropped both his shield and club and bellowed his rage at the plummeting beast. An onlooker would have thought that a madness had fallen upon the son of Zeus. What sane man would face such an adversary without weapons?

A split second before the talons would have pierced his chest, Herakles swung to the right. Having missed its target, the monstrous bird tried to regain altitude, but Herakles had thrown a massive arm over its back. He threw his body over the flapping beast and bore it to the ground before grasping a wing with both hands and twisting it until the brittle bone inside snapped.

Crippled and flightless, the huge bird screeched in anger and pain and brought a cruel beak around to snap at Herakles's face and arms, but he was too quick. He drew back out of reach, and then swung a fist down, around, and into one of the bird's eyes. It convulsed and screamed beneath him, but he held it down with both arms. When its rage was exhausted, he grasped its head with both hands and twisting with all his might. There was a snap and the bird's head separated from its body. A fountain of dark blood shot out of its neck and covered Herakles in a sticky, stinking filth.

Feeling sick to his stomach, Herakles threw the head onto the ground and dived into the waters of the lake to clean off the filthy muck. When he resurfaced, he saw the flock of birds wheeling in the heavens. Silently, they circled the corpse of the golden bird three times before flying off to the west. He watched until the dark cloud of the flock became nothing but a smudge on the horizon before he was satisfied that they were gone and his task was complete. Smiling grimly, he collected the golden bird's head and returned to camp.

Iolaos was still asleep when Herakles trudged back to the fire, but he woke with a start when Herakles dropped his gory trophy onto the ground by his head.

'I thought you were in a hurry,' Herakles said over Iolaos's scream. 'Don't worry, it's dead.'

'I can see it's dead,' Iolaos said, sitting up. 'Not the best thing to see when you first open your eyes in the morning,' he grumbled.

Herakles busied himself around the camp while Iolaos watched bleary eyed from beside the fire. 'What are you doing?' he asked, eventually.

'I am going to build a pyre on the shores of the lake and sacrifice the bodies to Zeus.'

'And then we can go home?'

'Yes.'

Iolaos jumped to his feet and together they rode back to the shores of the lake, where the carnage nearly made Iolaos sick. 'What sort of monsters were these, to have such foul, black blood.

'Foul ones,' Herakles replied and dismounted. 'Gather the corpses into a pile over there,' he said, and pointed to a clear spot near the water. 'I'm going to make sure they have nothing to come back to if they change their minds.'

Iolaos nodded, even though he was far from happy with his allotted task. He watched Herakles disappear into the marsh, sighed heavily, and gingerly picked up a shattered bird. A moment later, a crash from the center of the marsh caused him to drop the corpse on his foot, where it exploded in a shower of black blood. He looked up and could see that one of the huge trees at bog's heart had fallen to earth, taking some of its smaller brethren with it. A moment later, a second tree followed. Iolaos swore under his breath and raced off to collect the birds. He could already see Herakles's face if it transpired that the big man cleared an entire marsh of huge trees before Iolaos had dragged a handful of dead birds a few yards.

One by one, the trees in the marsh fell until there were none left standing at all. Herakles emerged from the scrub dragging one of the trunks in his wake. He soon had a pyre built and the dead birds arranged on it are rows of four, with the giant golden beast atop the rest. All in all, just over twenty birds had died in the battle, which surprised Herakles. 'I could have sworn I killed at least twice that number,' he said, 'there were feathers everywhere, and I was drenched in stinking blood.'

The wood was damp and resisted the fire for some time, but Herakles refused to surrender and by the time Helios had steered his chariot behind the hills to the west, the pyre was burning fiercely. Despite the rankness of their blood, the bodies of the birds burned with a sweet smell and Herakles hoped his father was feasting on his triumph.

'Why don't you sacrifice before you go out to battle?' Iolaos asked. 'Surely you want the Gods to bless your endeavors before you do them?'

Herakles turned to face his nephew and the burning pyre cast a strange and disconcerting shadow over his features. 'The Gods can share in my triumph, but the glory is mine and mine alone,' the son of Zeus said.

Iolaos grinned nervously. 'I don't think anyone could steal your glory,' he said. 'Shall I set up camp for the night? We've already got a nice fire burning.'

'Not here,' Herakles said. 'We could probably make it to our old camp before the light fails completely.'

(vii)

Herakles and Iolaos rode back for Tiryns early the next morning, with the head of the golden bird as a trophy to prove that Herakles had driven the monstrous birds from the lake. 'There is no need for you to accompany me to see the rat King,' Herakles said as they rode towards the rising sun. 'You should head straight to Thebes and tell Megara that she is free to live her life.'

They parted ways at Nemea; Herakles rode south and Iolaos continued east.

'Stay as long as you think necessary,' Herakles said at the crossroad, 'but remember that the sooner I finish my tasks, the sooner we will be free of this curse.'

Iolaos nodded and waved to his uncle before they both turned towards their respective destinations and urged their mounts forward.

Just outside Tiryns, Herakles dismounted for a moment and donned his armor, over which he threw his lion's skin cloak. He was a fearsome sight with his shield on his left arm, his club on his back, and the sword given him by Hermes hanging down from his waist. He was even more terrible to behold when he mounted the magnificent horse bred by Poseidon, and it seemed to grow in size when he mounted as if drew strength from its rider and looked as if it feared no spear or lance while the son of Zeus sat astride its back.

The guards on the tower atop the cyclopean walls of Tiryns saw him approaching and hurried to tell their King that Herakles had returned, and was approaching, armed and in armor. No less than one hundred men met him on the outskirts of the village, and all of them stood between Herakles and King Eurystheus in his pot.

The son of Zeus stopped outside the city and Kopreus rode out to meet him.

'Why have you come armed as if for war to the city of Tiryns?' the Herald asked. 'You are a servant of the King, not his enemy.'

'I have come to tell King Eurystheus that I have cleared the birds from Lake Stymphalia as requested by Hera. As proof, I bring him this trophy,' Herakles said, and dropped a sack on the ground between himself and the Herald.

'It is the head of the largest of the birds from the lake. When I killed it, the others flew away.'

'How do you know that did not return?'

'I tore down the trees in which they roosted and sacrificed to Zeus the body of the golden bird and twenty of his flock. They will not return.'

Kopreus dismounted and picked up the sack.

'Tell King Eurystheus that I shall await my next task at my home outside the city,' Herakles said and without waiting for an answer, turned his horse and rode away.

(viii)

Hera gazed out of her shattered window and frowned. 'Is there no stopping this vicious animal?'

'There is still time, my Queen,' Iris said. 'He still has many years of service left and many tasks still to perform.'

'But my husband shields him and watches over him like an overprotective mother bear watches her cub. I dare not interfere with his tasks any longer.'

Iris moved to stand behind Hera and looked over her shoulder. She could see very little through the window since Zeus had smashed it in a fit of rage. Only Hera had the power to use it now. Everyone else could only see fragments of what she saw.

'He has performed admirably, has he not?' Iris said, in a voice that sounded like a cat's purr.

Hera turned suddenly and fixed her messenger with an angry look. 'Admirable?'

'Yes, there are no monsters left in all of the Peloponnese,' Iris said, and smiled. 'You'll have to send him further away, to complete tasks in far off lands. He'll have to travel all over Hellas, and maybe even beyond.'

Hera smiled and turned back to the shattered window. 'The sea is a dangerous place for mortals, is it not?'

'Yes, my Queen. It has claimed the lives of many men, but Herakles loves nothing more than to immerse himself in its deep blue waters.'

'We shall see,' Hera said. 'I think for his next task, we shall send the vicious oaf to Crete, to bring back the bull Poseidon gave to Minos.'

'But Minos was meant to sacrifice it once he became King! Won't taking the bull anger Poseidon? You can ill afford more enemies, my Queen.'

'No, I don't think so. Poseidon had his sacrifice, although it was a lesser beast. He has also had his revenge when he made Pasiphae, Minos's wife, fall in love with the beast.'

Hera paused a moment to watch Herakles ride away from Tiryns.

'Herakles's next task will be to bring the Cretan Bull to Tiryns unscathed and give it to King Eurystheus.'

'When should I deliver your message, my Queen?' Iris asked.

'You won't. I will deliver the word of this task to Eurystheus myself,' Hera said. 'I have another task for you.'

'I will do anything you ask of me, my Queen.'

'You must be careful, for I don't want my husband to learn of this ploy,' Hera said, and turned back to the shattered window. The scene shifted from showing Herakles riding away from Tiryns to a small city amongst rocky hills.

'King Theiodamas of the Dryopes mourns his son Hylas, who did not return with Jason on the Argo,' Hera said after a short pause. 'He has heard that Herakles was the last to see his son and despite being told that he stayed behind to find Hylas, believes that the misbegotten son of Zeus may have murdered his son out of jealousy for his great beauty. Go to this King and convince him that his dark thoughts are true. See if you can make use of his anger and grief.'

Iris smiled and vanished in a swirl of color.

The Cretan Bull

The room was gloomy despite the sun being high in the sky. The light of day seeped through the curtained windows but could not chase away the darkness as it could in the world outside; it was as if the rules of light and shadow applied differently here. In this room, light could only trespass upon shadow's domain, and it became tainted in the process.

The room's sole occupant, King Theiodamas of the Dryopians, sat hunched on a mat at the room's center and stared with red-rimmed eyes at nothing in particular. He was ever a pessimistic man, but his heart had plunged when the Argo had returned without his son Hylas. Since that day, he had barely left the darkness, except to hear the rumors that circulated about what had happened to his son. It was never good news, and even the falsehoods and half-truths had become rarer of late, as people moved on and left him and Hylas behind.

There was a burst of color and Iris, spirit of the rainbow, appeared before the King.

'Why do you sit so wretched in the darkness?' she said.

The King's eyes barely registered the presence of another being. His only action was to turn away from the corona of color that surrounded her and look again into the gloom.

'Is your heart so far gone that you cannot accept help even from the Gods?'

The dry, hacking noise that emanated from the King's throat was laughter, but with all humor and joy stripped away. 'Help from the Gods? No, I don't need help from the Gods. I needed help once, when my son was in danger, but the Gods were absent. What use is their help now that the worst has happened? What use is their blessing now that beautiful Hylas has been taken from me?'

'Your son is beyond the reach of even the Gods,' Iris said. She knew it was an untruth, but the knowledge that the lie could lead to the demise of a hated enemy made it easier to say. 'We cannot bring him back to you, but your anguish has not gone unnoticed. There are those on Mount Olympus who are appalled at what happened to Hylas and they have sent me with a message for you.'

The King straightened a little, but kept his eyes on the gloom. 'Who are they and what is their message?'

'They are best unnamed, for the perpetrator of the crime is a son of Zeus himself, but they sent me to offer you an opportunity at revenge.'

'The son of Zeus you say? One of the tales I have heard is that Jason abandoned my son and only Herakles and one other stayed behind to find him.'

'Herakles's tale is a lie, a ruse to hide the black murder he had committed,' Iris whispered, 'even he fears the wrath of the Gods where murder is involved, but some on Olympus were watching and they witnessed his evil act.'

'If they saw the crime then why do they not tell Zeus?' King Theiodamas said, and turned to face Iris. His eyes were wide with anger and his voice hoarse with pain. 'Why do they not expose the murderer for his crimes?'

'You are a father yourself and should well know that a father who loves his son will not turn against him on words alone. None other witnessed the act, and Zeus would not take the word of one witness over that of his son.'

'Then what can you offer me? What use is a message of support but to reinforce the pain I feel in my heart?'

'The knowledge that there are Olympians on your side should give you strength.'

'But what can I do against the man who is said to be the greatest warrior in all of Hellas?'

'You need not face him yourself. You have an army and wealth enough to do the job. His venal nature will draw him here, if you offer the right reward.'

'Are you the spirit of madness come to tempt me in my darkest hour? To use an army against just one man sounds like madness to my ears, and even that would be useless if some of what I hear is true. It is said that Herakles cannot be killed with mortal weapons, and that his strength is greater even than that of Zeus his father. And even if I did as you say, what reason can I use to lure Herakles here that will not arouse his suspicions? And what if I do manage to defeat him? Will that not enrage Zeus, who will come to wreck vengeance upon me for the death of his most famous son?'

'Herakles is a man just like you. Swords will cut him and a spear to the heart will kill him as surely as it would kill you. He thinks himself more clever than he actually is and is convinced that his lies have won through. In his mind, he is sure that all accept as truth that Hylas lives on with his water nymph wife. If you offered to reward him for staying behind when Jason abandoned Hylas, he will be sure to come. As for Zeus, what father can deny another father vengeance for the death of his son? Kill Herakles and those who are silent now will rise up and tell the world the truth, and that truth will protect you from Zeus's wrath.'

King Theiodamas sat bolt upright and released a scream of pain and frustration, the echoes of which bounced off the walls and ceiling of the darkened room for too long to have been a simple cry. He turned to Iris with eyes wide and glowing with an unhealthy sheen. 'I knew the moment I learned that Hylas had not returned with Jason on the Argo that he had come to grief. Always I suspected the son of Zeus, but all spoke so highly of him that I doubted my own heart. Now, that the Gods themselves have confirmed his guilt, how can I not act? But what can I do? If, as you say, he is not immortal then his deeds speak of a very resourceful and fortunate man.'

'His exploits are greatly exaggerated,' Iris said, her voice soothing and assured. 'Had his father not been watching over him, he would not have fared so well.'

'Aha, it is as I thought. He is a charlatan hiding behind the fortune of his blood.'

'And he can hide no more! Lure him here and we will ensure that Zeus has his eyes elsewhere when you strike.'

'Yes, yes! Hide no more. I will send an envoy and offer him a reward. One hundred oxen and fifty iron coins will be his as a token of my gratitude for not abandoning Hylas. His greed will draw him here to me and when he arrives, I will call the fury of the Dryopians upon him! We will show him what happens to evil hearted men who murder innocent young boys simply because they are beautiful!'

Iris looked into the King's crazed eyes and a smile touched her lips. 'The Gods are with you in this exploit, great King of the Dryopians, as are all the right thinking people of Hellas.'

'Yes! I am justified. My anger and my grief have festered in this dark room too long. It is time to destroy this monster in the form of a man, and who could deny me? I seek only justice and who could deny a father justice?' the King said, and stood to his full height.

'Go now,' Iris said. 'It is time to put your plan in motion.'

'Yes, it is time,' the King said, and strode from the gloomy room.

Iris smiled again and then vanished in a swirl of color.

(ii)

'Herakles! Herakles!' Iolaos shouted as he burst out of the scrub and came dashing towards the house. 'There are men, a dozen or so, coming this way.'

Herakles, who was polishing his shield, didn't look up from his task. 'It's been a while since we have returned. It's probably Kopreus with the message for my next task.'

Iolaos drew up beside his uncle and paused a moment to catch his breath. 'These men are not from Tiryns. The armor they wear is unfamiliar to me. What if they've been sent by King Augeias to kill Phyleas?'

Herakles put down his shield and took up his sword, then slung his club over his back.

'Let's go greet them, then,' he said.

Iolaos nodded and took up a bow and a quiver of arrows. 'They are camped to the west, by the stream,' he said and turned back towards the forest.

They walked quickly through the scrub for a mile or so before Iolaos motioned for them to stop. 'They are on the other side of this rise,' he said, but it was not necessary. Whoever the strangers were, they were not overly concerned with stealth and secrecy. Herakles looked at Iolaos, who shrugged.

'Keep an arrow in your bow and stay out of sight,' Herakles said, and then strode up the rise. Iolaos stayed a little way behind and tried to keep to the shadows. At the top, the scrub parted into a clearing that ran down to the banks of a stream beside which several armed and armored men were preparing to ride out from what had obviously been their camp for the night.

'Hello friends,' Herakles called, which caused all but one of the men to hastily turn and draw their swords.

Herakles smiled. 'There is no need to draw your weapons, I have no quarrel with you.'

'Then why is your sword drawn?' asked the only unarmed man in the clearing. He sat atop a fine stallion and his armor was richer and more ornate than his peers, which led Herakles to assume he was the leader.

'I am one and you are more than ten.'

'Isn't that fellow with the bow hiding behind the bushes over there known to you?' the mounted stranger asked.

Herakles sighed. 'He is my nephew,' he said, and sheathed his sword. Although armed, the strangers were not threatening or aggressive and there was something familiar about the design on their shield. He was sure he had seen it before but could not remember where. 'I am Herakles and this is Iolaos. I am sorry for the poor welcome, but we are not used to friendly visitors.'

Iolaos came to stand by his uncle, but he kept his arrow nocked. 'We're not used to visitors at all,' he chipped in.

'Then the Gods must have well liked the sacrifices we made on our journey. I am Lykos, herald of King Theiodamas of the Dryopians, come to find you and extend the King's thanks for not abandoning his son Hylas when he left the Argo.'

A smile lit Herakles's face. 'That's why your shields looked so familiar! The design was on Hylas's shield when he boarded the Argo,' he said, and turned to his nephew. 'Put down the bow, Iolaos, for these people are our friends.'

'We are most definitely your friends,' Lykos said. 'King Theiodamas has asked that you accompany us back to Asine where he plans to reward your loyalty.'

'I need no reward to do what honor demands,' Herakles said, and the tone of his voice became more edged.

'We mean no offence,' Lykos said, 'it's just that the King loves his son and wants to speak to the man who last saw him. The reward of one hundred oxen and fifty pieces of iron is to demonstrate to you, and to all of Hellas, how much he loves Hylas and his regard for those who aid him.'

'Regardless of the richness of the reward, I will come to meet your King. Remake your camp and wait for my return. If you are willing, we can set off for Asine early tomorrow morning.'

'We travelled for many weeks to find you, from Thebes to Nemea, and even as far as Olenos. What is one more day, especially since we have found you on our very doorstep.'

(iii)

Herakles arrived at the camp of the Dryopians early the following day, fully armed and armored and with his lion skin cloak thrown over all. Lykos and his retinue, who had already broken their camp and were ready to go, appeared unnerved by this.

'Why do you come here dressed as if for war?' Lykos asked.

'I am a warrior above all else and want to be seen as such. Nor is this simply a soldier's uniform I wear - the breastplate was given to me by Hephaistos, the shield by Zeus, and the cloak is made of the skin of the monstrous Lion of Nemea and will turn even the sharpest blade.'

'Do you think it wise to greet a King dressed in such a way?' Lykos said, and looked unhappy. 'He may take your fierceness as a threat.'

'The father of Hylas has nothing to fear from me. His son was a close ally of mine when we sailed on the Argo, and we stood side by side in battle against the giants of Bear Mountain.'

'As you wish,' Lykos said, and motioned for his retinue to mount their horses. 'Our home is two leagues to the south east. I sent someone ahead after we met you last night to say that we will be there tomorrow morning.'

'Why tomorrow? We can easily make it today.' Herakles said.

'The King wants a splendid reception for you, and will need time to prepare,' Lykos said.

'In that case, I want to ride to the coast just outside you home city,' Herakles said. 'There is a place near there where two small streams meet and run into the ocean, and I think it would make a splendid place to camp for the night.'

'I know of the place you speak,' Lykos said. 'How do you know our lands so well?'

'Hylas told me of it. He said it was his favorite place to go hunting when he was a boy. When I returned from the Argo, I went to see for myself how good it was.'

They rode the short distance to Dropis at a leisurely pace, and all the while Herakles regaled Lykos and his retinue with tales of his adventures, as well as some of the bawdier stories he had heard while on the road, most of which had been passed on by the Lydas, the travelling merchant.

The men of Dropis were well entertained on their short journey, alternating between awe at Herakles's monstrous battles and laughing so hard at the comic stories that some nearly fell off their mounts. It was mid afternoon by the time they arrived at the place where they were to spend the night and all the soldiers - Lykos included - had grown to like and respect the son of Zeus

While the soldiers prepared a camp, Herakles stripped off his armor and ran out into the cool and inviting waters of the ocean. When he was well out of earshot, one of the soldiers approached Lykos.

'I know what the King intends for Herakles,' the soldier said, 'and it is wrong.'

Lykos nodded. 'I agree with you, Aratus,' he said. 'He talks of Hylas as if he were a close friend and still alive. I cannot believe that such a man as Herakles would murder another for no reason other than that he is jealous of his beauty. Nor can I believe that he would hide from the consequences of his action. He does not seem the sort to skulk around hiding his guilt for such a crime.'

'If that is your mind as well, then we shall tell him what the King plans and warn him against going to Asine now or ever again,' Aratus said.

Lykos sighed. He could see Herakles far out to sea and even at this distance he looked huge and menacing. 'And what if he does not take it well? What if he is offended and decides we are his enemies.'

Aratus followed Lykos's eyes. He stood a moment and watched Herakles cut through the waves with the ease of a porpoise. The soldier grimaced and shook his head. He suspected that even acting together, they were no match for the son of Zeus in battle. Only an ambush like the one King Theiodamas planned would give them a chance at victory, and then only if the hero was unarmed and not wearing his cloak.

'I do not want to face the judgment of Aeacus and Radamanthus as the man who betrayed the greatest hero of Hellas,' Aratus said.

'They are both sons of Zeus, are they not?'

Aratus nodded.

'What do the others think?' Lykos asked.

'They are all of one mind. We are men of Hellas and will not slavishly obey the commands of a mad King, especially if that command is to betray a great hero such as Herakles.'

Lykos nodded. 'No man should be asked to do such a deed,' he said and turned to the knot of men beside the fire. 'Men of Asine,' he said loudly so that all could hear. 'I have spoken with Aratus, your captain, and have heard his concerns. Now I want to know what you all think of our situation, I will put the question directly to you. Do we betray Herakles to his death, or do we warn him of the ambush King Theiodamas plans? Those who would betray Herakles, raise your left hand. Those who would betray King Theiodamas, raise your right.'

'It is a sad day when soldiers of Hellas must choose between treacheries,' Aratus said, and went to stand by the fire where he raised his right hand.

Emboldened by their captain, the others made their wishes known.

'Either way, we are shown in a bad light,' said one of the soldiers and raised his right hand.

'The city will be better with a new King,' said another, and raised his right hand as well.

Soon, all ten men had their right hands in the air.

'It is decided then,' Lykos said. 'I will take it upon myself to tell Herakles of the danger he faces. The rest of you must return to Asine and seek out Phyrrus, the captain of the guard. I know that he is fast running out of patience with our mad King, and has the support of many of the nobles in the court. Whatever happens with Herakles today, King Theiodamas's rule must end.'

All the soldiers were well gone before Herakles left the water. 'Where are your guards, Lykos?' Herakles asked when he came to sit by the fire. 'I was looking forward to hearing their tales by the fire tonight.'

Lykos came and sat beside him. 'I have something I must tell you,' he said, 'but I am not sure how you will react.'

'Tell me and we will find out,' Herakles said.

'It is about the true purpose that King Theiodamas has summoned you to his palace. He believes that you murdered Hylas and he seeks vengeance.'

Herakles looked up sharply. 'Despite what many think, I do not murder everyone I meet,' he said, 'which makes you a fortunate man. I treated Hylas as a son. When we first met, he seemed a boy on the cusp of manhood who needed guidance and encouragement to ease his way. I did not kill him. I taught him to use a sword and to shoot a bow so that he could better make his way in the world.'

Lykos sighed. 'It is no wonder that Hylas needed guidance. His father loved him too much and tried to keep him from all danger. All but the King could see that the boy was being smothered, and none save the King were surprised when Hylas finally left to escape his father's obsession.'

"Obsessed he may be, but how could he come to believe that I murdered Hylas?'

'None have seen Hylas since he left the Argo.'

'It was no secret that Hylas stopped in Mysia. Did the King send anyone to see if his son still lives?'

'Yes, he sent more than one. They travelled all over Hellas and beyond and all returned but the one sent to Mysia, which only made the King more suspicious.'

'I see,' Herakles said. 'So why have you told me this? It is obvious you were once part of King Theiodamas's plot. Why have you betrayed him?'

Lykos shrugged. 'I do not act alone. After we found you, it became obvious to us that you held Hylas in high regard and had left him alive and well. None could see any sense or reason in the King's command and it is not the Hellenic way to follow orders unquestioningly.'

'All of you decided this? Then why is it only you who has remained to tell me?'

'You have a fearsome reputation,' Lykos said, 'and from the tales you have told us, it seems well earned. We could not know how you would react to the news that we were leading you into a trap.'

Herakles nodded. 'It saddens me that King Theiodamas thinks me the murderer of his son. I consider Hylas a true friend and would defend him even against the Gods themselves. Still, I am not surprised. There is an Olympian who seeks my downfall and I see her hand in all of this.'

'It would bring great relief to our people if we could say the Gods brought on our Kings madness, but I doubt it,' Lykos said. 'Madness has plagued him for many years, even though he was able to keep it at bay when he was a young man. It was only when Hylas left that he succumbed to it completely.'

Herakles shrugged. 'The one who torments me is cunning and wise, and would not hesitate to take advantage of any situation that could lead to my death. She may not have brought on King Theiodamas's madness, but she may have encouraged in him the idea that I am a murderer.'

'Whether this is caused by the Gods or not means little if you do not go to Asine,' Lykos said, 'and now that you know it's a trap, you won't go.'

'How can I not go to Asine?' Herakles said. 'I have been invited by the King himself.'

Lykos looked incredulous. 'But I just told you it's a trap! Why would you insist on walking into a trap?'

'The trap is set for tomorrow, but I will go tonight.'

'If that is your wish, then I must go and warn the soldiers of your coming. None will bar your way, or attack you when you reach the palace.'

'No,' Herakles said, and his tone of voice suggested that his mind was set. 'You will ride with me to Asine and present me to the King as you were asked to do.'

Lykos looked unhappy but could think of no alternative. He could feel the anger in the big man and refusing to abide by his wishes could bring it to the surface. 'Hopefully, the others will have spread the word,' he said.

'I was hoping you'd not object,' Herakles said, and clapped Lykos on the back. 'Come, we will ride out immediately.'

(iv)

The sun was sitting on the western horizon when Herakles and Lykos reached the city of Asine. There were several guards at the main gate, but they did not acknowledge the two men as the rode through, nor did the guards at the palace door. The first to acknowledge them was the heavily scarred man who stood beside the empty throne in the palace's megaron.

'Where is King Theiodamas, Phyrrus? I have brought Herakles to him as he requested.'

Before the guard could answer, a door behind the throne opened and the tall figure of Theiodamas stepped out from the darkness. 'What is the meaning of this, Lykos? I have not had time to prepare a proper reception for our guest.'

'I know of your reception, King Theiodamas, and have come to tell you that I did not kill Hylas,' Herakles said. 'As far as I know, he still lies in the arms of the nymph who took him for a husband.'

King Theiodamas looked from Herakles to Lykos and then to the solitary guard standing at the foot of his throne. He seemed about to say something, but thought better of it. Finally, he drew himself up to his full, impressive height. 'You can cast aside your lies, murderer. I know what you did and why you did it. You think none saw you, but the Gods have eyes everywhere and they witnessed your low crime. Your punishment is long overdue! Guards, kill this evil murderer.'

Both Lykos and Phyrrus stood still as statues.

'Hylas still lives,' Herakles said. 'If you so wish it, I will travel with you to the spring in Mysia where I last saw him.'

'No!' Theiodamas cried and rushed at Herakles with sword drawn. Herakles reacted with lightning speed and drew his own sword. He easily countered the King's ungainly, headlong rush with a sweeping stroke that saw the King's sword clutter to the ground, closely followed by its wielder.

'There is no need for this!' Herakles said. 'I never did your son any harm, nor do I wish harm upon you. Leave your sword where it is.

'Liar! You killed him and now you want to kill me!' the King screamed. His eyes were wild and spittle flew from his lips when he talked. 'You think that your father protects you, but you are wrong! Even he cannot save you from my wrath, murderer! I will kill you first, and then the I will kill the treacherous dogs who refuse to fight for their King in his own palace.'

Theiodamas rose and charged Herakles once more, and again Herakles easily countered his blow, but this time he did not just send the King sprawling to the ground. With a deft flick of his wrist, he brought his own sword up and around as the King passed him by in his mad rush. The God-made blade severed Theiodamas's neck and caused his head to part from his body and roll to the foot of the throne, while the rest of him continued forward a short way spouting blood and gore, before collapsing in a heap near the door to the darkened room.

'One chance was enough,' Herakles said.

'The King is dead,' Phyrrus said, 'and not a moment too soon. I am only glad that I did not have to do the deed myself.'

'He promised you a reward of one hundred oxen and fifty iron coins,' Lykos said. 'We will honor his word, even though he meant to do you harm.'

'I need no reward other than to have the slur on my name cleared,' Herakles said. 'My reputation is dark enough already without rumors spreading that I murder my friends as well as my family.'

'But how? We have already searched for Hylas and he was nowhere to be found.'

'I want you to go to Mysia,' Herakles said to Lykos, 'but you are to pass through Thebes on your way. There, you will find Polythemos, my sister's husband. He was with me the last time I saw Hylas and he can guide to the spring where we left him.'

'But what if he won't help?'

'Offer him money. For five coins, he will dive into the spring and drag the boy up to the surface himself.'

'The deed is done. If you want no reward, it's best you were on your way,' Phyrrus said. 'We must organize for King Theiodamas's burial and summon the nobles to decide who will become the next King.'

'I understand,' Herakles said, and turned to go. At the door, he paused a moment. 'If you can tear him from the arms of his wife, Hylas would make a good King,' he said, and walked from the palace.

A clamor rose in Herakles's wake as the news spread of the King's death. Like an earthquake with its epicenter at the throne, the shockwaves spread out into the city and disturbed all and sundry. It came up behind him as he rode through the streets and had overtaken him by the time he reached the gate. The guards saluted as Herakles passed through, and then closed the doors behind him.

(v)

Herakles arrived home from Asine to learn that Kopreus had come the day before to give him his next task, but had refused to leave it with Iolaos.

'I'm getting tired of Kings and their puppets,' he grumbled when his nephew had given him the news.

'They don't like you very much either,' Iolaos said. 'Kopreus was overjoyed to find you gone.'

Herakles laughed. 'It's good to know that they dread seeing me as much as I dread seeing them,' he said. 'Let's go pay him a visit and take the smile from his face.'

They rode out less than an hour later. As usual, the guards on the tower spotted them approaching and summoned Kopreus, who met them at the gates in the cyclopean wall.

Iolaos was feeling uneasy because the enmity between Herakles and King Eurystheus was great and growing greater by the day, and the son of Zeus did little to ease the tension.

'Ahh, the pot King's lickspittle,' Herakles said as Kopreus rode through the gates. The King's herald did his best to ignore the barb, but Iolaos could see that it angered him.

'I have been sent by King Eurystheus to give you your next task,' Kopreus said through gritted teeth. 'Hera asks that you travel to the island of Crete and bring back alive the bull that fathered the Minotaur.'

'You want me to bring back a cow? Aren't there enough cows in the King's court already?'

'It is no ordinary bull that you must capture, but a magical beast sent by Poseidon to be sacrificed by King Minos, but Minos became greedy and sacrificed a lesser beast instead. As punishment, Poseidon made the bull wild and none have been able to kill or tame it since. Like you, King Minos was disrespectful to the Gods and he and his people have suffered greatly for it. You should learn from their misfortune.'

'Mocking you and the King of rodents is not being disrespectful to the Gods,' Herakles said. 'If it were, most of the people of Tiryns would be guilty of it.'

Iolaos, who had been quietly watching the exchange, decided it was time to intervene before the situation deteriorated even further. 'Come, uncle,' he said, 'we must prepare for the journey.'

Herakles nodded. 'You're right,' he said, and turned back to Kopreus. 'You can tell the King that I am leaving for Crete immediately.' Without waiting for Kopreus to reply, Herakles turned his horse and headed back home. Iolaos gave Kopreus a wan smile and hurried after his uncle.

(vi)

As was Herakles's way, he chose a path that allowed him to spend as much time as possible near the sea. 'We'll travel west until we find the coast, and then follow it south to a place called Troizen,' he said. 'From there we can get a boat to Crete.'

'Why don't we just go to Navplion?' Iolaos suggested. 'Phyleas could come with us and bring back the horses.'

'The horses can make it back on their own,' Herakles said. 'I have a bad feeling about getting a boat from nearby. I would not be surprised if the King in a pot has seen to it that any boat we travel on will not make it to Crete.'

'Would he do such a thing?'

'Why not? He has Hera's blessing to obstruct me where he can, and I haven't met a sailor who could not be swayed by a handful of coins,' Herakles said. 'If we go to the opposite coast and take our time, I'm sure we can find a ship to carry us across the sea whose captain has not been tainted by Eurystheus.'

The journey west to the coast was swift, but the road south along the water's edge was slow and leisurely. Herakles insisted on bathing in the ocean every morning and evening, and on hunting game for fresh meat every day.

As they rode from camp to camp, Iolaos found himself disturbed by a new habit that Herakles had fallen into.

'Why do you no longer make sacrifices to the Gods?' he asked, as they sat around the fire one morning.

'Are there any Gods deserving of my devotion?' Herakles replied.

Iolaos shrugged and let the matter lie. He could not think of an answer that would satisfy his uncle. However, he was relieved that evening when Herakles sacrificed the bones of his hunt to Zeus.

Unfortunately, Herakles's lack of devotion wasn't the only source of concern. They had meandered southwards for a full six days without seeing another human being, let alone one who owned a boat. On the morning of the seventh day, Iolaos made his concerns known.

'I don't want to swim to Crete,' he complained while they ate a morning meal of wild fruit. Much to Iolaos's annoyance, Herakles had insisted that they not eat the meat of an animal sacrificed on the previous day.

'Don't worry, it's not that far and the water is quite warm this time of year,' Herakles said. A full week of travelling along the water's edge had left him in an exceptionally good mood.

'It's not a joke,' Iolaos said, but Herakles's grin was infectious and he couldn't help but smile.

'The city of Troizen is just to the south,' Herakles said. 'Tomorrow, we should be able to find a ship to take us to Crete.'

'Thank the Gods,' Iolaos said, and stood up. 'I'll go fetch some fresh water,' he said, and hastened off.

Herakles, who'd stretched his lion-skin cloak over a log to make it more comfortable to sit on, watched him go. Not for the first time nor for the last time did he think his life would be much simpler if he abandoned civilization and chose an elemental existence by the sea's shore, but he knew it to be an impossible dream. Still, the ocean called and if he could not let himself go forever, he could at least revel in its freedom on occasion. With a surprisingly boyish yelp, he jumped from his log and ran joyously into the waves.

What neither Herakles nor Iolaos knew was that they were within a league of the city, and that a group of older boys was nearby, out for their first hunt without their teachers.

'Was that a cry for help?' said the tallest of the boys. His name was Theseus and, although he was barely sixteen years of age, he already towered over most of the men in the city.

'It didn't sound all that distressed,' said one of the smaller boys, 'but we should go and see.'

Theseus, who was the unofficial leader of the young troop, nodded and headed through the scrub in the direction of the sound, followed closely by his fellows. They moved silently through the woods, as their teachers had taught them, and soon came to a break in the trees through which they saw the rising smoke of a campfire. The smallest boy scampered up a tree for a better view, and then scampered down again.

'Theseus,' he said quietly, his face white with fear, 'there's a huge lion by the fire.'

Theseus nodded and nocked an arrow. 'No lion can live through a hail of arrows,' he said, and made to move out of the cover of the trees.

'No! Theseus! Don't go! It's the biggest lion I've ever seen!'

Theseus paused. 'When have you ever seen a lion?'

'One was preying on my father's sheep before the King sent soldiers to kill it. They brought it back to the house for us to see because it was the biggest lion anyone had ever seen before. And this lion is twice the size of that one,' the boy said. 'I'm going back to tell our teachers. This is not a job for boys such as us.'

'Maybe this is the day we become men, then,' Theseus said, and turned back to the hunt. The boy who had climbed the tree squealed with fear and vanished back towards the city with surprising speed.

'Let it be Theseus,' one of the others said, 'Philos is no coward. If he is frightened by what he saw, then I think we should be more careful. Let's go and get help. We can still hunt the lion, but our teachers can watch over us while we do it.'

Theseus, however, was either beyond hearing or beyond wanting to hear. He stalked quietly through the grasses towards a straggly copse of trees on a small, raised mound that lay between the woods and the smoking fire. He only realized his peers had not followed when he got there, but the sight of the lion basking by the fire drove all other thoughts from his mind. Philos was definitely not exaggerating its size.

Despite his desire to be a hero, Theseus considered such a beast might just be beyond him, especially as his only weapons were a hunting bow and a skinning knife. If he did not kill the beast at a distance, then he would probably end up in its belly. He was about to move back when he saw a big man emerge from the sea and walk towards the campfire.

Theseus had no idea who the stranger was, but he could not let him walk blindly into the lion's maw. Without a moment's hesitation, he let fly an arrow that bounced of the lion's skull and then ran out of the trees and towards the fire, yelling at the stranger to run away. He knocked a second arrow and let fly. This one also found its mark and, just like the first dart, bounced off harmlessly. It was then that the young man realized that not all was as he thought it appeared. The lion, if that was what it was, hadn't moved despite being hit by two missiles, and the stranger, who initially looked alarmed, was looking towards him and laughing.

When he saw the first arrow fall on the lion-skin cloak, Herakles thought that bandits were attacking. It was only when he saw a young man launch a second arrow and heard his cry of warning did he realize what was going on.

'It's okay,' he called out, 'it's only a skin!'

The young man lowered his bow and crept cautiously towards the fire. When he saw the skin stretched over the log he dropped his bow and began to laugh so hard that tears welled up in his eyes. By the time Herakles arrived, the boy was laughing so hard he appeared to be choking.

They sat together by the fire until Theseus finally got himself under control. 'We thought it was a lion,' he said when he could draw breath again, 'and it looked so big from the forest. I'm sorry if I caused you alarm, traveler, but I thought you were walking to your death.'

'I am gratified that you would have risked your life for me, a complete stranger, even though the lion was actually my cloak,' Herakles said.

Realization suddenly dawned in Theseus's eyes. There were few men taller than he in Troizen, but the stranger dwarfed him in height and was so massive across the shoulders that, from a distance, he looked stocky. 'Are you Herakles?'

'You know of me?' Herakles said. 'I am flattered.'

'You're flattered?' was all Theseus could think of saying.

Just then, Iolaos came through the scrub with two skins of water slung over his shoulder. 'At last, another human being,' he said. 'You wouldn't know where we could get a boat to Crete by any chance?'

Theseus looked from one to the other. 'Can I sit down, please?' he asked.

Most definitely,' Herakles said, and indicated the lion skin covered log. 'What is your name?'

'Oh, my name is Theseus,' he said and sat down on the log. Iolaos offered him the water skin, which he gratefully accepted.

Herakles turned to Iolaos. 'Young Theseus mistook my cloak for a lion and shot it full of arrows,' Herakles said. 'He thought I was walking to my death and risked his own life to save me.'

Iolaos looked impressed. 'The world is full of selfish people who wouldn't lift a finger to help others,' he said. 'It's refreshing to meet a young man who would sacrifice himself for another.'

Theseus took a drink from the water skin and stood up. 'I must return and tell the others that it wasn't a lion that we saw, but the cloak of the famous Herakles.'

'Wait,' Iolaos said, 'I wasn't joking about the boat.'

'It would help us immensely if you could lead us to someone who can take us to Crete,' Herakles added.

'We only need a moment to put out the fire,' Iolaos said. Herakles whistled and the horses, which had been grazing in the scrub, trotted over to him.

An hour after they had met Theseus, Herakles and Iolaos were standing beside a sturdy wooden jetty on the outskirts of Troizen talking to Plion, a merchant who spent most of his time on the ocean between Crete and the mainland.

'So you are Herakles,' Plion had said when Theseus had first introduced them. 'You are even bigger than the stories say. I hope you're as strong as you look because the bull you seek to capture is no normal beast.'

Herakles nodded. 'Yes, we know that it was bred by Poseidon, as were these two fine horses we ride. But divine or not, it is something that I must do. '

'I wasn't planning to go to Crete again for a while because the Bull has made doing business there very difficult, but if there is a possibility that you can fix the problem, then it would be in my best interests to take you, don't you think?'

'I will do my best. When can we go?' Herakles asked.

'Come back at first light tomorrow. If the winds are fair and the Gods smile upon us, we will be in Crete within ten days.'

A sour look crossed Herakles's face. 'A day rarely goes by when the Gods don't do something to me,' he said, 'but I don't recall being smiled upon all that often.'

Plion laughed and Theseus looked unsure, but it was Iolaos's scowl that made Herakles laugh. 'My nephew does not like it when I make jokes at the God's expense,' he said.

'No doubt he is right, we shouldn't poke fun at them, but sometimes it cannot be helped,' Plion said. 'Now I must be off to gather my crew. They will be unhappy to learn we will be setting off so suddenly, but I'm sure that will change when they learn who will be joining us on the voyage.' He scuttled off towards the town.

Herakles dismounted and turned to Theseus. 'I have one more favor to ask of you, young Theseus,' he said. 'Our horses will want to return home and know the way themselves, but I would be most gratified if I knew someone was travelling with them. My home is not far, just a few leagues to the north. Will you do this favor for me?'

Theseus beamed. 'It would be an honor,' he said.

(vii)

The journey to Crete with Plios and his crew was unremarkable, but it took considerably more than ten days. Much to Herakles's frustration, and mounting suspicion that Eurystheus had bribed Plios, they stopped often to take up or set down goods. When his frustration had become too much to bear and he despaired that they would never make it to Crete, he asked one of the sailors whom he had befriended about the time it was taking and about Plios's ten day estimate.

The man laughed and shook his head. 'The whole trip usually takes us sixty days or more,' he said, 'but this trip has been by far the fastest ever. It's technically possible for us to get to Crete in two or three weeks with a good wind and if we didn't stop to trade, but I think it would be easier for old Plios to stop breathing that to sail past a port where he could make a profit.'

The sailor's words put Herakles's mind to rest and he was able to enjoy the remainder of the voyage.

When they finally arrived in Crete, Herakles was pleased to learn that King Minos knew Plion very well, and that the merchant could take them directly to the palace without bothering with the etiquette usually associated with royal courts.

'You have much in common with the King,' Plios said as they hurried towards the palace. 'He is also a son of Zeus, to the mortal woman Europa, and he also has been having a hard time of late,' his face fell and he shook his head. 'But his people are becoming restless and he is becoming despondent. Do not expect a bright and cheerful reception.'

King Minos was a tall, gaunt man with a care-worn face and flowing black hair that was graying at the fringes. 'It was a moment of idiocy on my behalf that has caused so much pain for my people and my family,' he said when the purpose of Herakles's visit was made known to him. 'I don't know what overcame me that day when the bull first emerged from the sea. It was huge, noble, and handsome, and its pelt shone brighter than the sun. Like a fool, I thought it too beautiful to sacrifice and thought only of the calves it could sire. In my mind, I imagined the people of Crete blessed with the biggest and most beautiful cattle in all of Hellas.' The King buried his face in his hands for a moment. 'What a fool I was,' he said when he re-emerged. 'I told myself that one cow tastes like another, and that Poseidon would not know if I sacrificed a lesser bull and kept the one he sent me,' Minos paused again and shook his head.' His wrath was justified and his punishment dreadful. My wife has given birth to a monster and my people are driven from their homes and farms by the very bull that was to make us the envy of all of Hellas! '

'The wrath of the Gods can be terrible,' Herakles said, 'and sometimes it is underserved or too harsh. My own plight is a testament to this, which is why I can understand your pain more than most. Hera has commanded that I rid you of this beast, but know that I will do so gladly, and as quickly as I can. Can you tell me where I can find it?'

Minos looked gratified, but unconvinced. 'I am glad for your help, and have heard many tales of your exploits,' he said. 'You are the most famous person in all of Hellas and the stories that I hear are wondrous and wonderful, but I'm afraid that not even you, mighty Herakles, will be able to tame this beast.'

'We will see,' Herakles said, and furrowed his brow. 'I do not like to think myself defeated before the battle has even begun.'

'You don't understand,' Minos said, and his face took on a desperate and hunted look. 'None can kill it, though many have tried. I tried myself and did not have the strength to push a blade through its thick hide. And none can restrain it for it is stronger than ten men working together. We tried to tether it with chains of iron, and it snapped them as if they were cotton! We tried to corral it with high fences, but it broke through them with ease. It tears up fields and smashes down homes and we are powerless to stop it. It has trampled dozens of men to death and almost killed me when I faced it with sword and shield. It is a curse sent by the Gods to punish me for my greed and I am convinced that only the Gods can stop its rampage.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Just because you have failed, does not mean that I will,' he said. 'I strangled the Lion of Nemea when men said it could not be killed. I slew the Hydra when men said that it was death even to lay eyes upon it. I captured the Golden Hind that had eluded even Chaste Artemis. Tell me where the bull is and I will succeed where you have not.'

Minos sat back down in his throne. 'It is to the east at the moment, but it moves fast and can cross the island very quickly. If you wish to find it soon, you will need to hurry.'

Herakles nodded. 'I will need a chariot,' he said.

The King nodded. 'One will be made ready for you. When will you need it?'

'Now,' Herakles said.

The King smiled. 'Where does confidence end and arrogance begin?' he said. 'Maybe one son of Zeus can succeed where another has failed,' he said, 'but you must know that you are our last hope. If you fail, then only the Gods can succeed.' He nodded to a guard by his throne. 'Organize a chariot for Herakles,' he said.

The guard saluted and marched out of the palace, with Herakles and Iolaos close on his heels.

(viii)

Herakles and his nephew travelled east from Knossos, where the King had his palace, and everywhere they looked, there was evidence of the bull's devastation.

'How could one animal do so much damage?' Herakles wondered while Iolaos steered the chariot. 'It is as if war has come to the land.'

Iolaos took his attention away from the road for a moment to look out over the scarred fields and ruined orchards. 'It's very big?'

Herakles nodded. 'Big and angry,' he said.

They had travelled the better part of five leagues and were considering stopping for the night when a knot of men on the road ahead of them waved them down.

'Turn back, friends,' said a grey bearded man as they approached, 'Minos's Bull is just ahead and it is best avoided.

Iolaos stopped the chariot and Herakles climbed out fully armed and armored.

The greybeard looked at him in awe. 'Only one man in all of Hellas can stand so tall,' he said, 'and there can only be one reason he is here! Are you Herakles and have you come to kill the animal which has made our lives a misery?'

'Yes, my friend, I am Herakles,' the son of Zeus said. 'I have come to take the bull away.'

The old man looked taken aback. 'Killing the Bull would be a near impossible task,' he said. 'I would think it impossible for a man to capture it. It is stronger than one hundred men and smarter as well.'

'The decision was not mine,' Herakles said. 'Hera has commanded that I capture it and take it back to Tiryns. Do you know where it can be found?'

'Just follow the road,' the old man said. 'It is in the fields beyond the city of Malia. You can't miss it although you may want to once you have laid eyes upon it.'

Herakles nodded at the old man and turned to Iolaos. 'Wait for me here,' he said and jogged off down the road.

'It's going to kill him.' the old man said as they watched Herakles vanish into the distance.

Iolaos sat down on the end of the chariot and shook his head. 'That's what everyone said when he went to fight the Nemean Lion, and then the Hydra that guarded a door to the underworld. If a giant lion and a poisonous, nine headed snake can't kill him, what chance does a cow have?'

'Only someone who hasn't seen the Bull with his own eyes would say something like that,' the old man said.

(ix)

Herakles jogged along the road eastward for another league or so before the walls of Malia loomed up on his left. The gates to the city had been shut tight, and all was silent save for the sound of the sea to the north. It was as if the city was deserted, which was possible. Plios had told him that whenever the Bull appeared in an area, the people left in droves. But to abandon an entire city? Were the people of Crete so cowed?

While standing and staring at the gates, Herakles realized that there was a sound other than the sea. There was a strange grinding sound coming from the hills to the south of the city. The absence of any activity, human or otherwise, led Herakles to suspect that the sound could be the Bull, even though he had never before heard a bull make such a sound. He unslung his club and made his way up the hill towards it.

The view from the crest was breathtaking, not for the landscape or some manmade wonder, but by what stood within it. In the small valley between two low hills was the biggest bull Herakles had ever seen. At the shoulder, it was easily taller than he was and huge muscles bulged and writhed under its white hide, which glowed in the evening sun. It had not seen him yet because its head was facing down and it was dragging its horns over a flat rock in the grass, much like a man would sharpen a knife or a sword.

Herakles dropped down into a crouch and moved slowly down the hill towards his quarry, using the sparse scrub for cover, but his ploy failed. The bull flared its nostrils and raised its head to look directly at Herakles. It fixed him with eyes that were both intelligent and crazed before it bellowed a challenge and galloped towards him. Not being one to shirk a challenge, Herakles issued a challenge of his own and charged at the lumbering beast.

Both man and beast picked up speed as they sped towards one another, Herakles with his club held high above his head and the Bull with its sharpened horns lowered. At the last moment, just before a collision seemed inevitable, Herakles spun to the left and delivered a shattering blow onto the Bull's flank as it passed him by. It bellowed in pain and staggered to the side.

Herakles dropped his club, spun, and jumped onto the Bull's back, where he wrapped his arms around the beast's neck. His plan was to starve it of air to pacify it, but the bull had other ideas and began to buck and spin violently.

Herakles held on for as long as he could, but the momentum of the Bulls movement was too great even for his mighty arms, and it threw him to the ground, where he lay on his back, winded and dazed. When the Bull felt its enemy fall from its back, it turned and charged again, intent on trampling Herakles into the earth. For an ordinary man, this is how the fight would have ended, but Herakles was no ordinary man. He caught the Bull's foreleg as it came down towards his head and held it with a grip stronger than iron. With remarkable strength, the son of Zeus stood up and brought the Bull's foreleg up with him, causing it to rise onto its hind legs, lose its balance, and fall onto its flank on the ground.

Seizing his opportunity, Herakles grabbed the Bull by the horns and twisted its head so that it was facing at a strange and unnatural angle. The Bull tried to move away but the man's strength was too great. Even in its crazed state, it knew that it could not break the man's grip and trying to do so would most cause it to snap its own neck.

Herakles, muscles straining, looked into the Bull's crazed eyes and saw fear. 'Understand me, beast,' he said, sure that an animal bred by Poseidon could understand human speech, 'I, Herakles son of Zeus, have been sent to save the people of Crete. I have you at my mercy and can kill you here and now. You are a fine beast, however, and it would be a shame to kill such a valuable property. Submit to me now, and I will let you live. Keep up your struggle and I will twist your neck until it breaks.'

The Bull knew full well who it had battled and that it had been beaten - and easily beaten at that. Despite its huge size and great strength, Poseidon had not bred the Bull to be a fearsome beast and so had not given it courage in abundance. Like all of its type, it preferred to run rather than fight when threatened by a predator, so it was very afraid of the man who now held its life in his hands. It lowed a plaintive cry and let its body become limp.

'I have bested you but not killed you because I wanted to give you a chance to submit,' Herakles said. 'No ordinary man has the strength to push a sword through your hide, but I have the blood of Olympians in my veins. If you test me, I will not hesitate to skewer you with the sword Hermes gifted me.'

Herakles released his grip on the Bull's horns and it staggered to its feet. He was half expecting it to attack him again, but it stood placidly beside him, chewing its cud. He patted its neck and then vaulted onto its back. Even though he was sure none had ever ridden it, or taught it how to carry a person, it moved forward when he kicked its flanks lightly with his heels, and responded to pressure from his knees to turn this way and that.

'Poseidon breeds amazing animals,' Herakles said, as he rode the Bull back towards where Iolaos was waiting.

The Bull travelled surprisingly fast and its footfalls were silent despite its enormous size. Herakles steered the Bull on to the road just beyond the city of Malia, and then onwards towards where Iolaos was waiting with the chariot.

When the villagers saw the Bull come over a rise, running at a furious speed, they screamed in terror and ran for their lives. Only two stood their ground - Iolaos, who had noticed Herakles astride the beast's back, and the grey bearded old man, who seemed disinclined to run for whatever reason.

'You were right, old man,' Iolaos said. 'Had I known it was so big, I would not have been so confident. But look, Herakles rides it like it was the tamest of horses.'

The old man nodded. 'He rides it, yes, but does he control it?'

As if he had heard the old man's question, Herakles pulled back on the Bull's horns and caused it to slow down. It trotted up beside the chariot behind which Iolaos and the old man were cowering, and stood, chewing its cud passively, while Herakles climbed off its back.

'That's a big cow,' Iolaos said, peeking around the chariot. 'Is it safe?'

'Probably,' Herakles said. 'If he wanted to kill you, that chariot you're hiding behind wouldn't be much of an obstacle.'

Iolaos crept out from his hiding place behind the chariot and looked the Bull up and down. It snorted at him and pawed at the ground two or three times, making it clear that he did not approve of the young man, but otherwise stayed docile.

'See old man,' Iolaos said, looking around. 'I told you the Bull would be no problem for my uncle.'

'Who are you talking to?' Herakles asked.

'The old man who told you where to find the Bull. He was here just a moment ago.'

'I didn't see anyone but you as I rode up,' Herakles said.

'The sight of this big bastard was probably too much for him,' Iolaos said, and jumped back in surprise because the Bull had stamped it's front hoof on the ground very near his feet.

'He can understand you,' Herakles explained.

'Oh? He can? Sorry. No offence meant,' Iolaos said.

Herakles laughed and shook his head. 'I'm going to ride him to Knossos,' he said. 'You follow in the chariot.'

'But it's getting dark!'

'There's plenty of light. Look, the moon is already on the rise and it's full. Or would you rather have a nap with this fellow wandering around your camp,' Herakles said, and patted the Bull's neck, which snorted and pawed at the ground.

'Good point,' Iolaos said. 'After you.'

(x)

The ride to Knossos was uneventful but long, and they arrived just before dawn. Herakles sent Iolaos ahead to the palace while he and the Bull stayed on the outskirts of the city so as not to alarm the citizens. Feeling tired from the overnight trek, Herakles stretched out on the grass to rest for a few moments. He had barely closed his eyes, or so he thought, when Iolaos called his name and shook his shoulder.

'Can't a man close his eyes even for a moment?' Herakles grumbled.

'You've been asleep for over two hours, uncle,' Iolaos said. 'Come on, King Minos has arranged for a ship to carry us across the sea. We need you to lead the Bull onto it.'

Herakles cleared the sleep from his eyes and looked around. The sun was certainly higher than when he lay down, and the day far brighter. The Bull was peacefully grazing on the grass by the side of the road. To the North, he could see a fine ship in the shallows, with a ramp extended to the beach.

'I hope it doesn't take another month to cross,' he complained and got to his feet. With some trepidation, he approached the Bull, but it seemed to have accepted its fate and was almost placid. Only a fire in its eyes betrayed the crazed anger of Poseidon that still burned inside its mind, albeit contained by its fear of the son of Zeus.

Herakles used the thick rope that Iolaos had brought back with him to make a harness around the Bull's head, which he used to lead it to the ship. But when he tried to lead it up the ramp, it refused.

'Come on,' Herakles said, and pulled on the harness. The Bull again refused, but its fear of Herakles was so acute that a third prompting from the son of Zeus broke its resolve and he was able to lead it to the front of the boat, where a space had been cleared.

All was well until the oars hit the water and the boat began to move. The swaying of the ship on the gentle waves was enough to send the Bull into a frenzy and not even Herakles could contain it. It lashed out with its hind legs, smashed the side of the ship away, and then jumped into the water through the gap.

Herakles swore as he watched his quarry swimming away and dove in after it. Although it was a creature of Poseidon, the Bull was no match for Herakles in the water and the big man soon caught it up. He grabbed the harness he had put around its head and swung himself onto its back. 'Back to the beach,' Herakles bellowed into the Bull's ear, and struck it a mighty blow to the back of the head. The Bull lowed in pain and fear and turned back towards land.

On the shore, Herakles jumped off its back and drew his sword. Iolaos, who had jumped into the sea after Herakles, made it to shore just in time to intervene. 'Uncle! Stop! What are you doing?' Iolaos shouted as he ran along the sand.

'Making meat,' Herakles said.

The Bull, realizing Herakles's intention, tried to run away, but Herakles held it firm by the harness.

'No! Wait. I have an idea!'

Herakles looked at his nephew and reluctantly lowered his sword. 'What?'

'This is a creature of Poseidon, right?' Iolaos said, after he had regained his breath.

'Yeah, so what? We'll sacrifice the bones to the God of the sea like the fool Minos should have done when first it arrived.'

'You saw it swim! It carried you on its back without any problem at all. Why don't you ride it back over the sea?'

'Don't be stupid,' Herakles said, and raised his sword.

'We'll tie it to the back of the ship and lead it to the mainland. With you on its back, it will be too afraid to try to flee. Just don't kill it! Hera will win if the Bull dies before you deliver it to Tiryns.'

Herakles looked at his nephew then at the Bull, then back to his nephew. 'Okay, we'll give your plan a chance,' he said, after a moment's thought, and then pressed the point of his sword against the Bull's chest. 'But if it doesn't work, it's the end for you.'

The damage to the ship was superficial, and they were able to get the journey under way before the sun had reached its zenith. As planned, Herakles rode on the Bull's back, which, in turn, was tethered to the back of the ship. The breeze was fair and the ship made good progress. They stopped that night on a small, uninhabited island, which had grass for the Bull to graze upon and small cave for the crew to camp in.

'Your plan worked,' Herakles said, during the evening meal. 'Once again, you have proved yourself a valuable companion.'

Iolaos blushed. 'Thank you uncle, but it was an act of selfishness.'

Herakles raised an eyebrow. 'How so?'

'The sooner we finish these accursed tasks, the sooner I can get back to Thebes.'

'Oh, in that case, be more selfish. I would also like a speedy end, if only to rid myself of Eurystheus once and for all.'

(xi)

The rest of the voyage followed a similar pattern, and took far less time than the trip with Plios to Crete. When they reached the mainland, Iolaos bought a horse for the journey home, but it could not keep up with the divinely bred Bull. Herakles, who was eager to end the task as soon as possible, did not want to slow his progress by having to wait for the horse to catch him every night. 'There is no pressing need for you to accompany me to Tiryns,' he said. 'I will ride ahead and deliver our prize. You can meet me at home, if you wish, or ride to Thebes to visit your friends and family. After riding a bull across the sea, I think I need to rest a while before embarking on the next task.'

The trip to Tiryns was remarkable only in that every traveler on the road stopped and stared at Herakles as he rode past. The sight of a huge man wearing a lion-skin cloak and riding a huge white bull was enough to make even the most hardened and cynical Hellene stop and stare in wonder.

His arrival at Tiryns was seen far earlier than usual, probably because the Bull shone in the sun and was visible almost a league away. Kopreus and King Eurystheus met him at the gates, the latter in his bronze pot atop an ornate cart.

'I have brought you the Bull that was terrorizing Crete, as Hera requested.'

There was a muffled stream of words from the pot, which Herakles could not quite understand. He turned to Kopreus the Herald. 'What did he say?'

'The King accepts your task done and commands you to dismount and hand the Bull over to him,' Kopreus said. 'It will make a fine addition to his herd.'

'Tell him to leave,' King Eurystheus said, but clearly this time, so that all could understand him.

'The King commands that you leave the city,' Kopreus said. 'We will send word with your next task.'

Herakles smiled. 'As the King commands,' he said, and sprung lightly from the Bull's back. 'My task is done,' he said, and patted the Bull's flank. 'You are now the responsibility of King Eurystheus.'

The Bull, which did not quite believe that it was free of the man who it thought would be its executioner, watched Herakles turn and jog away. Relief flooded through its system, followed by the crazed anger that Herakles had tamed. When a soldier stepped forward to grasp the harness that still hung around its head, the Bull bellowed in rage and turned its head sharply towards him, tearing through bronze armor as if it were cotton and leaving a deep gash across his chest.

With maddened eyes that glowed from within, Minos's Bull bellowed defiance again, lowered its head and charged towards the King's cart. The soldiers that clustered around the cart barely had time to react before the Bull was upon them. It trampled and gored all who got in its way, but the soldiers were not its main concern. It struck the cart at full speed and sent it tumbling back, dislodging the King's pot and sending the horses harnessed to it into a screaming frenzy of foaming mouths and flying hooves.

In the confusion that followed, the Bull made its escape, running to the south as fast as its massive legs could carry it. An astute observer would have noted that it ran in the direction opposite to that which Herakles had taken.

(xii)

From her perch on Mount Olympus, Hera looked down at the chaotic scene. She watched as soldiers freed King Eurystheus from the mangled remains of his pot. She looked on as men skilled in the healing arts tended to the wounded and carried away the dead.

'Our mistake was to ask for an animal that did not eat meat,' she said to Iris, who sat beside her.

'How so, my Queen?'

'For all its anger, Minos's Bull was a fearful creature, and it was only one. The next task will not involve such a timid beast.'

'Where will you send him?'

'There is a King in Thrace, a giant who has bred four horses that eat human meat,' Hera said, and then returned her gaze to the chaos in Tiryns. 'I will send Herakles to bring them to Eurystheus. At least they would not nibble on the grass while their captor takes a nap.'

**The Mares of Diomedes**

After his return from Crete, Herakles spent several weeks alone. Iolaos had gone to Thebes, Phyleas had judged his father's wrath cool enough for him to move on. The only break from his isolation - in which he reveled - had been when the Herald of King Eurystheus had come to him regarding his next task. Unlike previous occasions, he had not given Herakles the labor directly. Instead, Kopreus had come to summon Herakles to appear before King Eurystheus, who wished to tell him of his next quest in person.

The way that Kopreus had smirked all the way to Tiryns had pushed Herakles to the edge of murder. 'Your grin is that of a mad fool,' the son of Zeus said, but the Herald just smiled wider and rode on ahead. Eurystheus had met him at the cyclopean wall without his pot, which the Bull had ruined a week earlier, so Herakles could see the glee on his face as he told him of Hera's command.

'She wants you to retrieve the flesh eating mares of the giant Diomedes, King of the Bistones in Thrace,' Eurystheus said. 'He is the son of Ares, I believe, and a magnificent warrior, and the people he leads are hardy and belligerent. This task will surely be too much for you, which is why I wanted to give it to you personally. It could be the last time I see your face. It could be the last time anyone in Tiryns sees your face!'

Herakles bristled at the King's sneering tone. 'Make sure you have a new pot ready for when I get back,' the big man said. 'Horses are frightening creatures that terrorize the dreams of children.'

Despite his bravado, Herakles returned home with a heavy heart. He knew of Diomedes, and he knew of his habit of feeding his horses the flesh of unsuspecting guests - Kheiron the centaur had taught him well about all the lands and their rulers, both within Hellas and beyond. The trip would be a long one, both coming and going, especially if he did it in the heart of the summer, and the task at the end of the outward journey would be a difficult one.

Iolaos, when he returned from Thebes, had no such anxiety and was remarkably upbeat when Herakles told him of the task.

'What do you think?' Herakles had asked at their first meal together after his return. 'Should we wait out the summer and travel when the weather cools, or do we go as soon as possible?'

'We should go now,' Iolaos said, without even a moment's thought. He was keen to return permanently to Thebes and the arms of Megara, but could only do so when Herakles had completed all his tasks.

His uncle laughed at his haste. 'I knew your answer before I even asked the question,' he said. 'Not even a murderous giant and flesh eating horses can stand between a young man and his love. We will leave next week and travel overland the whole way. I had my fill of the nautical life on our last adventure.'

Iolaos nodded agreement. His trip to and from Crete had been his first - and hopefully last - ocean voyage.

When the day to depart finally arrived, they sat upon their horses ready to go, but neither wanting to be the first to step forward. Iolaos's lust had cooled and he had begun to worry about the giant and his carnivorous horses, while Herakles grumbled about travelling in the heart of summer when the sun's heat was at its most intense.

Eventually, the big man sighed and urged his horse forward, followed shortly after by Iolaos. They were heading north to the coat, which they would follow to Thrace, many leagues away to the north and east.

(ii)

The journey to Thrace along the coast was over one hundred and fifty leagues but the heat of the summer made it seem far longer. They spent much of the time seeking shelter from the sun and travelled only during the relative cool of the morning, before the sun reached its zenith and scorched the land. On most days, they would travel two or three leagues as soon as the sun rose, and then Iolaos would set up a camp while Herakles hunted for meat and for sacrifices to offer the Gods.

The son of Zeus had once again become careful in his observations to the Gods, but Iolaos had grown so confused by his uncle's ever-changing relationship with the denizens of Mount Olympus that he refrained from commenting. It was, he thought to himself, a matter that Herakles could only resolve within himself. So while Herakles did not allow Iolaos to consume the meat of an animal sacrificed the night before, traveling in summer meant there was plenty of fresh, ripe fruit for his morning meals.

Only when they passed within sight of Thebes did Iolaos feel a sense of urgency, but that soon faded. Herakles barely acknowledged the place of his birth, which did not surprise his nephew. The city was the site of Herakles's darkest hour, when his name was still Alkides and he had a wife and family to care for.

Despite their slow pace, Thebes soon fell far behind as they continued their journey north. The peak of summer came and went and they were still on the road, clinging to the coast, as was Herakles's way. Mostly, they slept beneath the stars, but every now and again Iolaos would crave civilization and he would drag a reluctant Herakles to a traveler's shelter near a city, where there was always someone to sell them cheese and bread.

It was while they were setting up camp just outside such a shelter that a large man with shorn head and wearing mourner's robes walked past them, looking totally bereft. Herakles, who had been reluctant to engage with strangers on the trip, was so moved by the man's wretched state that he could not help but speak to him.

'Your loss must have been great, indeed,' Herakles said as the man shuffled past, 'you walk as if the burden of the heavens has been moved from Atlas's shoulders onto your own.'

'My loss is no greater than any other man who has lost a wife in the prime of her life,' the man said.

'You make it clear to all who see, Gods and men alike, that you mourn the one who has died,' Herakles said. 'Come sit with us a while in the shade.'

'Thank you, friend,' the man said, and sat down beside Herakles on the lion skin cloak that he had stretched out on the ground. 'It is always in times of sorrow that a man learns to appreciate the company of others.'

Herakles nodded and offered the man a skin of water. 'I am Herakles,' he said, ' and this is my nephew Iolaos.'

The mourner took a long pull of the water and handed it back. 'A famous name,' the mourner said, 'and from your size you are no charlatan passing himself off as a great hero. I have heard many tales about your exploits. What are you doing so far from your home in Tiryns, son of Zeus?'

'Hera has set me a task to bring the flesh eating mares of Diomedes back to King Eurystheus of Mykênae.'

'Many would thank you if you could accomplish this task,' the mourner said. 'And I feel honor bound to help you. I am Admetus, King of Pherae, and would be most honored if you could come and stay at the palace rather than this vagabond's shelter.'

'But you are in mourning!' Herakles said.

'That I am, but my servants and court are the best in all of Hellas. Death comes to all eventually, and we should not use it as an excuse to act dishonorably. I will not have it said that I allowed the greatest hero in all of Hellas to stay in a traveler's shelter at the fringes of my city!'

'When you put it like that, then I must accept,' Herakles said, 'but I want to go and hunt for a time. Iolaos can come with you now and I will follow later.'

Admetus nodded and smiled at Herakles. 'Know this, friend Herakles,' he said, 'I slipped away from my own palace in secret to be alone a while. Hunt as long as you wish and come to my palace whenever you are ready. I will let the guard know that you are coming.'

(iii)

Herakles lost himself in the woods to the north of Pherae for several hours, reveling in the solitude they provided. When the sun was an hour or so from setting, he built a fire in a stony clearing and sacrificed all he had caught to Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt.

'Admetus is a fine man and probably deserves better than to lose one he so loves,' he said to no one in particular while he watched the sweet smoke from the burning deer carcass rise to the heavens.

'One such as you could do something about that,' said a voice in his head.

Herakles jumped up and looked about, but could see no one about. He sat back down again and cast his gaze back at the smoke, within which he thought he could see the shadow of a feminine face.

'And how would I do that?' he asked, again to no one in particular.

'Thanatos, the specter of death, comes to the last breath of those destined for the underworld. If you could stop him, the dead would live again.'

'But surely a specter is beyond the sight of men.'

'To most men, yes, but you are both God and man, and neither God or man. You straddle both worlds, so the specter is within your sight.'

Herakles grabbed his bow and raced away. He ran as fast as he could to the tomb from where he had seen Admetus emerge earlier in the day. It was some distance, and he arrived with only enough sunlight left in the day to cast shadows. The door to the tomb was open and Herakles ran inside.

At the center of the room, lit by braziers hanging on each wall, was the body of a young woman, fair haired and beautiful, anointed to make her look her best for the mourners that would visit her over the next two days. Scattered around her on the floor of the tomb were jewels and jewelry that must have been dear to her in life, and at her feet was a meal left for the one who was to usher her soul to the underworld.

A sense of urgency filled Herakles as he gazed down on the woman, and he ducked behind a large chest in the far corner of the room. He had barely settled into his hiding place in the shadows when a tall, cowled figure strode through the door.

Herakles watched in horror as a skeletal hand reached out and grasped a goblet filled with wine while the other hand lifted the cowl to reveal a fleshless skull beneath. The specter raised the goblet and drained its contents.

Above the woman, the air wavered as something nearly invisible rose to greet the angel of death. Herakles knew that if Thanatos reached out and touched the wavering air, then it would be too late. He threw his bow to the ground and launched himself at the specter, crashing into its chest with a satisfying crunch of bones, and then landed two massive blows with his fists on either side of the skeletal head.

Thanatos threw his arm into the air and a sword appeared in his hand. He swung it down and around but Herakles ducked clear, then spun to the right with his fist and punched the skeletal head hard enough to knock the specter to the ground. Before Thanatos could react, Herakles was upon him again; he picked the specter up off the floor and threw him with great force into the nearest wall. The specter clattered to the ground where he lay a moment before he vanished.

His enemy vanquished, Herakles turned to the dead woman just in time to see the wavering air sunk back into her body. She took a gasping breath and opened her eyes.

'It's okay,' Herakles said, 'Death has left you. Come. Your husband will be delighted to see you are breathing again.'

The woman swung herself off the table and looked around. She picked out a few pieces of jewelry - obviously her favorite pieces - and put them on. Finally, she took a delicate veil from a stand beside the table and affixed it to her headscarf.

'Can you not speak?' Herakles asked when the woman came over to him and nodded towards the door.

She shook her head and raised three fingers.

'Three?' he said, and then realization dawned. 'You must wait the three days?'

The woman nodded and beckoned to Herakles to lead her out of the tomb.

'Your husband looked heartbroken when I encountered him today,' Herakles said 'and yet he would not let his grief stand before his honor. Such a man deserves compassion, which is why I came to see if I could rescue you from the clutches of Death. It is obvious he loves you dearly.'

The sun had set, but a half-moon lit their way as they hurried towards the palace. The guards let them pass as if they did not see them, and it was only when they encountered Admetus, who was walking restlessly through the halls still in his mourner's robe, did anyone acknowledge their presence.

'Ah, Herakles,' the King said, 'I see you have found a companion for the night. You will probably want to retire to your rooms as soon as possible. I instructed the captain of the guard to lead you there as soon as you arrived. Where is he?'

'Good King Admetus,' Herakles said. 'You are right on one count. I have secured a companion for the night, but she is not for me. As for the guard, we walked past all of them as if we were invisible.'

'Come then. I will lead you myself. It's not as if I have been able to sleep since the death of my beautiful Alkestis.'

'Before you do, friend Admetus, know that I won this beautiful lady in a contest with a worthy adversary, and I won her for you.'

'For me?' the King said, and shook his head. 'No, I cannot accept such a prize. My love was for my wife and I want no other until the pain of her death subsides, even if the ache stays with me until I join her in Hades's domain.'

'But I insist,' Herakles said. 'As a man of honor, you know it is impolite to refuse the gift of a guest.'

'If you insist, then I have no choice, but she will sleep in a cold bed tonight.'

'I doubt that,' Herakles said, and looked to Alkestis, who lifted her veil.

For a moment, King Admetus just stared. 'Surely this is some illusion. I led the funeral procession myself. I anointed her body and placed Charon's coin on her lips. Is it you, my love.'

Alkestis nodded and threw herself into her husband's arms. He resisted a moment, then the two melted together as they were meant to be.

'When you next sacrifice, give thanks to Chaste Artemis,' Herakles said. 'I am sure it is she who told me that Thanatos had yet to arrive at your wife's side, and that I could fight him for her soul.'

'Thank you, Herakles,' was all the King could say. Herakles smiled and wandered off to find the guard.

(iv)

Herakles and Iolaos did not see the King at all the next day, but a member of his court sought them out and begged them to stay at least one more day. The King desperately wanted to speak with them before they departed. Herakles laughed and Iolaos looked confused.

'What happened last night? I was expecting a somber atmosphere because of the funeral, but everyone seems to be smiling and making merry.'

'Queen Alkestis has revived! Everyone is rejoicing.'

'You mean to tell me that the Admetus's wife recovered from death? Is that even possible?'

'She did not recover, nephew,' Herakles said, and then recounted the events of the night before.

'You killed Death?' Iolaos asked in an exasperated voice. 'How can you kill Death? Wouldn't he have to come for himself?'

'Not killed him, he is an immortal so not even the Gods can kill him, but he is not invulnerable. I chased him away with several blows to the head that I hope he will remember for all time. When he was gone, Alkestis's soul returned to her body. She is whole again, and no doubt lying in her husband's arms as we speak.'

Iolaos shook his head. 'Of all the impossible things you have done, this is by far the most strange.'

Herakles laughed and clapped his nephew on the shoulder. It was a testament to the young man's growing strength that he stayed on his feet.

'You are more dangerous to your friends when you're in a good mood,' Iolaos grumbled, and rubbed his shoulder.

The following morning, King Admetus greeted them while they were having their morning meal. 'I'm glad you're still here,' he said, and seated himself at the table beside Iolaos. 'I have some information that may be of use to you in your task for Hera. The giant Diomedes and his people are a danger to us here even though his home is more than sixty leagues away. The Bistones often raid our lands and take our people as slave or worse, as food for those accursed horses. I consulted a wise man recently, to see if there was a way to defeat this evil son of Ares and he told me that I must separate him from his horses, which seemed more difficult than just killing the giant himself. The wise man told me that the horses are how they are because Diomedes has cast a spell on them to make them fierce and hunger for human flesh.'

Herakles looked up. 'So they are not meat eaters by nature?'

'No, not at all. They were once normal horses, just bigger and more spirited than most. It was the giant who turned them into monsters, but that is not all of it. The wise man also told me that it is the giant's flesh that can return them to being just beasts.'

'So if someone can kill him and feed his flesh to the mares, then they will no longer crave human flesh?' Herakles said. 'That gives me some hope for I thought it would be difficult to take them so many leagues without feeding them. I was afraid they might die of starvation before they reached Tiryns. Have you tried to fight Diomedes or tried to steal away his mares?' Herakles asked.

The King looked grim. 'Many times. Many men have gone but not one has returned. In the past, we have intercepted his raiding parties when they have crossed over into our lands to loot and pillage. They were not particularly big so as to overwhelm us with numbers, nor are the Bistones particularly fierce, despite their reputation. They would have been no threat at all if it were not for Diomedes himself. He is a powerful warrior, and uses the mares to drive his chariot into battle. No one has been able to stand before him.'

'You say you have sent men to try to steal the horses. Where is his palace? In tales, I have heard it is by the sea beyond the river Nestus.'

'The tales tell true,' Admetus said, and his voice took on a bitter tone. 'The river is the very edge of Hellas, and over on the other side Thrace begins. Diomedes's palace is just beyond, half a league or so. I have no doubt he built it there to make it easier to raid our lands.'

(v)

Herakles and Iolaos left Pherae the following morning, their packs stuffed with the finest food the King could find, as well as pouches heavy with coins. When Herakles tried to refuse, Admetus became offended. 'You have given me something which I thought was lost forever, and was far more valuable to me than everything else in this world. These coins make up but a fraction of what I owe you and I insist that you take them.'

Alkestis also came to bid them goodbye and it was the first time Herakles had seen her since he had rescued her from death's clutches. In the light of day, her beauty shone as bright as the sun, but Herakles suspected it was not for her beauty alone that the King loved his wife so. Now that she could talk again, her eyes shone with laughter and her words were fair and well considered.

'I owe you my life,' she said, 'but more than that, I owe you my gratitude for the years of joy I would have missed had death taken me from my husband's side. Nothing can ever repay such a debt.'

They traveled along the coast once again, but this time they moved far more quickly. The weather had cooled and they could now make good time even through the middle of the day when the sun was at its hottest. It took a mere ten days to cover the sixty leagues to Thrace where the giant had his palace.

At the river Nestus, Herakles instructed Iolaos to wait for him and continued the journey alone and on foot. The giant's palace came upon him suddenly, barely half a league from the river. It stood atop a small hill around which the giant had cleared the forest. There were several building on the hill, but two stood out. The first was a magnificent palace and the second stood beside it and looked to be made of bronze.

Herakles crept as close as he could while remaining within the screening trees. From his vantage point, he could see that the bronze building was a stable that was only partially roofed. It was broken into two areas - the first held horses and chariots just like a normal stable. The part closest to the palace, however, housed only the four horses Herakles was to capture. They were bigger than all the horses had ever seen - save for the two that Poseidon had bred and given to him as a gift - and they looked far wilder. Thick, iron chains tethered them to the bronze walls, and they pulled and fought against their restraints furiously the entire time Herakles watched.

There was considerable activity around the stable, with men walking to and fro, but Herakles noticed that most were workers and there were only two guards that he could see near the stables. It could be that the giant was becoming arrogant and careless, sure that none could assail him or his terrifying beasts.

The beginning of a plan was coming together in his head, but he needed to make preparations first. He had seen a small peninsula not far from the giant's palace that would suit as a prison for the horses while he dealt with Diomedes. He returned to Iolaos's camp and explained what he had seen to his nephew, before outlining his plan.

Iolaos was uncertain. 'Are you sure you can do something like that?' the young man asked. 'It sounds farfetched and difficult.'

'It will be easier than when I diverted the rivers to clean Augeias's stables.'

'But you didn't have to watch four horses who each want to eat your liver while you were doing that.'

'Don't worry, they will be sated,' Herakles said, 'and I will tether them to a stake at the center of the island as a precaution. It will hold them for long enough for me to finish what I have planned.'

'When will you do this?'

'The horses must be taken after nightfall, when all but the guards are asleep. If I could, I would wait another day, but I don't want to camp so close to Diomedes's palace. It will have to be tonight.'

'I will come with you,' Iolaos said. 'If nothing else, I can shoot arrows at the giant and his friends from the tree tops.'

Herakles nodded. 'I was hoping you'd accompany me, but our horses must return.' Herakles whistled and the two horses ceased their grazing and trotted to him.

'My friends,' Herakles said, 'your work has been done on this task. You have carried us to the very edge of Hellas and beyond. Return now to Pherae and wait for us there. We won't be long.'

The two shook their manes in acknowledgement and galloped back along the coast towards the city ruled by King Admetus.

Herakles watched them until they were out of sight, and then turned back to Iolaos. 'Leave everything but the axe and your weapons here,' he said.

Iolaos busied himself around the camp. He used branches and leaves to hide the rest of their belongings, including their food. It was impossible to starve with Herakles around because he was always hunting, but the young man had grown tired of game, and was enjoying the fine cheese and preserved fruits that King Admetus had given them.

'Come on,' Herakles said, growing impatient. 'There is every chance the ants will have your fine foods before we get back, if ever we do.'

Iolaos sighed and stood up. 'Lead on,' he said.

Herakles led them to a small peninsula of sand that jutted out into the sea from a beach very near the giant's palace. First, he found two large flat stones and pushed then into the sand on either side of the narrowest section of the peninsula. He then used the axe Iolaos had brought with him to fell a huge tree and carve a shovel from its trunk.

With amazing strength, the son of Zeus carved a deep channel between the two stones and then opened one side up to the sea, which poured in but stopped at the stone Herakles had wedged deep in the sand. The sand from the excavation he piled in a line behind the trench. 'It will form a wall to stop the sea rising too much,' Herakles said as Iolaos watched. 'We don't want our prizes drowned before we can return them to Tiryns. He then went and cut down another tree and sharpened the bottom into a point, which he pushed deep into the sand beyond the channel.

Iolaos marveled as he watched Herakles work. Huge muscles moved under the big man's skin, and the sweat poured off him in the hot afternoon sun, but he worked in silence without quarrel or complaint. 'It was a plan both cunning and impossible,' he said, when Herakles had secured the stake onto which the mares would be tethered. 'Now, it's just cunning.'

Helios had all but driven his chariot below the western horizon by the times Herakles finally put down his shovel and axe, and took up his sword and club. 'It will be the dead of night before I return with the horses,' he told Iolaos in between drinks from a water skin. 'There will be a trail behind me so that Diomedes will not take too long to find us, so be ready. If he turns up before I can flood the channel and cut off the horses, then you will need to defend my back while I work.

'I will build a fire to help you find this place in the dark and to help me find targets when the attack comes,' Iolaos said. 'His eye will sprout arrows if he dares arrive too soon.'

'The giant will not come alone, but he must die because we need his flesh to tame the horses,' Herakles said. 'I will try and kill Diomedes as soon as I see him, but you must not use all your arrows too soon. Save some for his allies, for some might get behind me while I am distracted with the giant. A sword in the kidney is just as fatal from a man as it is from a giant.'

Iolaos nodded understanding. 'I will be in those trees to the east. If they focus on you and the horses and I am out of their line of sight then they may miss me entirely, at least until one of them takes an arrow in the ear.'

Herakles nodded. 'Good thinking,' he said. 'You have two hours before I return. Use them wisely.'

(vi)

Night descended quickly and Herakles moved quietly through the forest, grateful for the light of the full moon and the cloudless sky that made it possible to see his way. There was no need to hurry; in fact, it would be counterproductive to reach his destination too soon. He needed to give the people in the palace time to fall asleep and leave only the guards that patrolled the stables awake and alert.

He doubted that those guarding the grounds at night were keen-eyed and vigilant; Diomedes was a powerful figure and those in his employ would be apathetic because of that power. Not many would dare attempt to rob the giant of his greatest treasure, and those few heroes who were brave enough or mad enough to try had probably never bothered the guards - the very beasts that they had come to steal would devour any who came near. None had ever succeeded, obviously, but none had ever had the strength or cunning of Herakles, son of Zeus.

It was nearing midnight when Herakles reached the palace of Diomedes. From the same vantage point he had used earlier in the day, he could see that there were two guards stationed at the stables. There was no one else moving about as far as he could see, even though there were undoubtedly guards in the palace itself, as well as at some of the smaller buildings. His best chance would be to act quickly and quietly. He unhitched his bow and readied a normal arrow - those dipped in Hydra blood were unsuitable for what he planned to do.

Even though the guards stood well out of range for an ordinary bowman with a good bow, Herakles had strength unmatched and a bow that was a gift from the Gods. He took careful aim with his first arrow and sent it on its way to the guard farthest from him, followed closely by another arrow destined for the guard nearest him. Both darts found their mark within seconds of one another, and each man fell dead with an arrow lodged in his left eye.

Running as quickly as he could, Herakles crossed the distance between his hiding place in the trees and the bronze stables. He grabbed a corpse in each hand and dragged them into the stables. The mares, sensing the intrusion of a stranger, strained and kicked at their chains to try and get to him.

'Silence your noise,' Herakles said, softly yet sternly. He threw the two dead guards into the pen that held the carnivorous mares and watched, horrified, as the horses feasted on the still warm flesh. He noted that the beasts had teeth like those of a lion, and there were claws on their hooves and sharp spurs like those on a cockerel protruding out from their forelegs. Their pelts shone like metal and their eyes were red from edge to edge.

After a few moments, their frenzy subsided and the horses became placid and looked like they were about to fall alseep.

'Pah, call yourselves monsters? You haven't even eaten all that was offered,' Herakles said, and opened the gate to the pen. One of the beasts made to rear up, but Herakles grabbed its head and twisted it until the beast had either to kneel down or break its neck. Its sisters cowered back in fear. No man should have such strength - even the giant could not treat one of their number with such disdain.

'You are magical beasts and I am sure you understand my speech, so know this. My task is to bring you back alive, but there was nothing said about you having limbs or eyes.' He released the mare and it skittered back and away from him.

Herakles grabbed the chain that tethered the beats to the wall, braced himself against the bronze wall, and pulled with all his might. For a moment, the only signs of struggle were Herakles's bulging muscles. Then, slowly, the bronze eye that the chain ran through began to stretch, before it suddenly parted from the wall.

Using the iron chain as a lead, and ensuring that some of it dragged behind to leave a clear trail, Herakles led the cowed beasts out of their stable and towards the peninsula where Iolaos waited. They resisted a little at first, but resisting Herakles was akin to resisting the pull of the earth. A man capable of tearing bronze with his bare hands was not going to have trouble with a few reluctant beasts, especially since their recent meal had left them passive and disinclined to fight.

The trek through the forest was fast and direct, and Herakles made sure the trail he left could have been followed by a blind man. Iolaos was out of sight when Herakles finally dragged the horses into the firelight on the beach near the peninsula, which was a good thing. He escorted his reluctant charges through the gap he had left in the trench and tethered them to the tree stump, then picked up his shovel and opened it all to the sea. Finally, he lifted the two stones that sat on either end of the trench and let the waters of the ocean flood in.

While he was working, he could hear the sound of men crashing through the forest following in his trail. He finished his work none too soon, for as soon as he put down his shovel and picked up his bow, four chariots crashed through the forest and onto the beach. In total, Herakles counted fifteen men on three of the chariots. On the fourth rode only the giant Diomedes, for there was no room for anyone else.

Two men dropped with arrows in their throats while Herakles watched, and he dropped another with a well-aimed shot. Because he was the only one in sight, the giant and his men assumed he was their only foe and came charging at him. They abandoned their chariots at the trench, where Herakles took the opportunity to shoot two more, while another three had fallen with arrows in their backs.

The men all jumped into the water, but Diomedes leapt over without even getting his feet wet, which forced Herakles to abandon his bow and take up his sword and shield.

'You have trapped yourself, little man,' the giant roared, and swung his huge club at Herakles. The son of Zeus caught the blow on his shield and pushed it back at Diomedes, who stumbled backwards, and then laughed.

'A little man who thinks he is big,' Diomedes said, and attacked again. Herakles spun away from the giant's clumsy slash and brought his sword up and around. Diomedes was quick enough to get himself out of the way and tried to parry Herakles's stroke, but the sword was sharp and the arm that wielded it strong. It caught the giant's club at its center and sliced it in two.

Behind Diomedes, Herakles could see the giant's two remaining allies struggle out of the water. The rest were floating out to sea with arrows in their backs. The giant, seeing Herakles distracted, turned and followed the man's gaze. While he watched, the final two men fell to the unseen archer.

Diomedes bellowed in rage, threw what was left of his club to the ground, and charged at the son of Zeus determined to squeeze the life out of him with his bare hands. Arrows arced across the water and stuck in the giant's skin, but they were like mosquito bites on an ox.

Herakles stood still as a statue until the last possible moment, then spun left, jumped in the air and, as the giant passed by, dug his sword between Diomedes's shoulder blades. The giant stumbled a few feet further and then fell, face first, onto the piles of sand from the trench.

Thinking his enemy vanquished, Herakles walked to where the giant lay and reached out to grasp the sword that was stuck in his back. Diomedes lashed out with a hand and knocked Herakles from his feet. The giant then grasped both the man's ankles and spun him around in the air twice before smashing his body into the ground with such force that the earth beneath the sand cracked. The giant then grasped what was left of his club and held it high in the air with the intention of turning Herakles's head to jelly.

It was at that moment that Iolaos stepped in front of the giant, the water of the ocean still running down his face, and shot an arrow into his eye. The giant screamed in pain, teetered back and forward a moment, and then fell heavily onto Herakles, who was only just regaining consciousness.

'This bastard is heavy,' Herakles said, and pushed the giant's body to one side. He stood up, obviously in pain. 'What happened?'

'I got him just before he crushed your head,' Iolaos said.

'Really?' Herakles said, and looked at the giant again. The feathers of an arrow shaft protruded from an eye. 'I'm glad you decided to come along, then.'

Herakles, who looked groggy and unfocussed, cast his eyes about the darkness for his sword.

'Maybe you should lie down for a while,' Iolaos suggested.

Herakles's face lit up as if he'd remembered something and he rolled Diomedes's body over. His sword was still there, lodged between the giant's shoulder blades. 'No time for that,' he said, and pulled his sword free. He used the blade to cut off one of the giant's arms, which he carried to where the carnivorous mares pulled against their tethers and fed each a piece of the arm.

Nothing happened. Each horse devoured her allotment of meat and then looked about for more. When ten minutes had passed and still nothing had changed, Herakles let out a sigh of frustration. 'King Admetus must have consulted the stupidest wise man in all of Hellas,' he said, and went to find his shovel. 'We'll feed them as much as we can then tie their mouths shut,' he said. 'Hopefully they'll survive the journey back to Tiryns.'

Iolaos, who hadn't taken his eyes off the horses, said nothing. He just stared with his mouth agape. A strange red light rose from the beasts and lit his face with an eerie glow. Herakles turned back around and his mouth fell agape as well. All four mares were lying on the ground, their bodies twitching and convulsing. Strange red shapes, that glowed with a metallic sheen, floated above each of them, attached to each of the horses.

As Herakles watched, the shapes detached themselves from the horses and floated up into the air where they formed a single giant, red shadow, and then suddenly winked out. The red light had been brighter than he had thought and its disappearance left him blinded for a moment.

When Herakles's eyes had re-adjusted to the dim moonlight, all four horses were lying, motionless, on the ground around the spike to which they were tethered. 'I hope they're sleeping,' he said, and ran to where the horses lay disturbingly still. He breathed a sigh of relief when he touched one and found its skin warm, and felt its heart beating and its lungs drawing breath. Now that he was close, he could see that the horses no longer had mouths like lions. 'It worked!' he exclaimed. 'They're just horses now.'

The plan had been that once the battle was over and the mares captured and tamed, they would move along the beach back southward because there was a chance that more men would come looking for the horses and their giant King. But both men felt too tired to move to another camp, and decided the best course of action would be to get some sleep.

'Swimming that channel would be difficult enough with the horses awake and alert,' Herakles said. 'But they seem dead to the world and I don't want to carry them to a new camp on my shoulders. I'll fill the channel in the morning and we can cross without even getting our feet wet.'

'We could leave them here and sleep in the forest,' Iolaos suggested. He wasn't quite convinced that the mares were tame now they had eaten of the giant's flesh. Watching horses devour a giant's arm had unnerved him. 'But if we do have to stay here, we should pile some of the corpses between us and the horses.'

Herakles gave his nephew a withering look. 'Why?'

'What if the wake and feel hungry? A meal between us and them could save us from waking inside a horse's belly.'

'Bah, these things have no appetite,' Herakles said, and threw himself down onto the sand. 'They hardly took a mouthful of the two guards I gave them in the stables. The Nemean Lion would have stripped the bones clean and then looked for more.'

Iolaos was about to respond when his uncle began to snore.

(vii)

Iolaos woke the next morning to find neither his uncle nor the mares of Diomedes on the island. Nor was the island still an island. Herakles must have filled in part of the channel through the night. It was only after Iolaos had risen from his sandy bed that he realized the sun was already high in the sky, which would explain the gnawing hunger in his belly.

'Ah, you're awake at last,' Herakles said as he appeared from behind one of the sand hills he had made the night before. 'I've hitched up the mares to Diomedes's chariot. The time has come for you to demonstrate your chariot driving skills to me.'

'What's to eat?'

Herakles laughed. 'We've still got some of the food the King gave us. Come on. You eat while I drive.'

Iolaos followed Herakles around the hill of sand and across the narrow sand bridge. He could see the horses waiting patiently near the forest. 'Why are they so calm?' he asked.

Herakles shrugged. 'I woke just before sunrise to find them standing. After I filled in part of the channel to allow us to cross, I went to free them. I was expecting trouble but instead of trying to tear me to pieces like hungry lions, they've been following me around like faithful dogs.'

'These couldn't be the same beasts that ate the flesh of the giant last night,' Iolaos exclaimed when they got closer. 'They look just like ordinary horses.'

'And they are as tame as any horse I have ever seen,' Herakles added. 'King Admetus's wise man must have been very wise indeed to know of such a cure.'

Iolaos gathered some items he had left behind in the forest before the battle, and then gingerly jumped into the chariot beside Herakles. The big man smiled, flicked the reins, and set the horses in motion

Safely on their way back to Pherae, Iolaos finally began to relax. 'You did the King a magnificent favor when last you were in Pherae,' Iolaos said, 'and now you have vanquished the Giant Diomedes. You will be doubly welcome in his city this time.'

Herakles laughed. 'And yet, my battle with Thanatos was as much a help for me as it was for the King and his wife. His misery reminded me of my own, and his joy at the return of his wife showed me that even misery has its end. We both owe much to Chaste Aphrodite, who came to me when my heart was at its darkest and the thought of speaking and treating with others filled me with dread. It was she who reminded me of who I was and the destiny that I chose.'

'I don't understand. How could you forget who you are?'

'I was once Alkides, but he was just a man. Now, I am Herakles, a true son of Zeus! I am no longer just a man, for the blood of Olympians flows through my veins and my name brings glory to the Gods. Many years ago, I chose the path of virtue so that my name will never fade from the memory of men, and I must pursue this destiny even if it means fighting death himself.'

The mares of Diomedes may have looked just like normal horses, but they were as fast and as tireless as the wind and they travelled the sixty leagues to Pherae in only two days.

'It will be a shame to give such beautiful animals to Eurystheus,' Herakles said as they rode into the city.

'Maybe he'll let them go like he did the Bull, and we can take them back,' Iolaos said.

Herakles considered this. 'He's certainly not the smartest King in Hellas,' he said. 'It's possible that he may do something that foolish.'

'It's Herakles,' yelled a voice from the tower above the city wall, and a score of riders came thundering through the gate led by King Admetus.

'Ha ha, mighty Herakles! You live! What of the giant? Is he dead or did you steal his chariot?' King Admetus yelled when his horse had drawn level with the chariot.

'Diomedes is dead thanks to my nephew Iolaos who put an arrow in his eye!'

'All of Hellas will celebrate his downfall. It's good to see you, my friend. When your horses returned without you, we feared the worst. And then the guards saw Diomedes's chariot approaching the city and we thought he was coming to attack us.'

'Alone?' Iolaos said.

'He was always a foolhardy fellow. What of his mares?'

'These are them,' Herakles said. 'We fed them the flesh of the giant as you advised and they lost the taste for human flesh. They eat grass now, like normal horses, but each is as fast as the wind and as strong as an ox. They brought us the full sixty leagues from the river Nestus in two days.'

Herakles and Iolaos enjoyed the King's hospitality in Pherae for over a week, and when the time did come for them to leave, Admetus and his wife Alcestis were reluctant to let them go.

'No, my friend, it is time,' Herakles said as he and Iolaos prepared Diomedes's chariot for the trip back to Tiryns. 'I must complete my task by returning these mares to Eurystheus, but more importantly, Iolaos is becoming fat and soft. It's only been a week and he is sleeping in past noon. If we stay much longer, he'll be getting up just an hour before it is time to sleep again.'

Iolaos, who had heard the exchange, shook his head. He would have raised his voice to object if there hadn't been more than a little truth in his uncle's words.

When he finally accepted that his guests were going to leave, the King gave them gifts of gold and silver, and stocked their chariot with fine food and several skins of wine. He insisted that the three of them hunt together one last time and sacrifice the catch to Chaste Artemis who had brought them together as friends. Finally, he sacrificed his finest ram to Zeus, and the two men went on their way.

(viii)

For the first time ever, other horses outshone Herakles's stallions. The mares of Thrace sped across the land as swiftly as an arrow speeds from a bow and even unburdened, the stallions were hard pressed to keep up.

The journey home to Tiryns took less than a week, even though Herakles stopped often to hunt and swim in the ocean. On the eighth day from Pherae, the cyclopean wall of Tiryns loomed into sight and, as usual, the guards on the tower spotted Herakles approaching from a long way off.

Kopreus led the delegation that greeted them at the wall, while the King and his entourage stayed well back. He was without his pot and wary after the destruction caused by the Bull of Crete.

'Are we to believe that these beasts are the flesh eating mares of Diomedes?' Kopreus said. 'They are fine animals, no doubt, but they don't look particularly monstrous.'

'These are them, but they no longer crave human flesh,' Herakles said. 'Diomedes was maddening them with a spell that was lifted when we fed them his flesh.'

'So you killed the giant as well?'

'Yes.'

'Wait here. I will seek the King's counsel,' Kopreus said, and rode back to where Eurystheus was waiting. A few minutes later, he returned. 'If these are truly are Podargos, Xanthos, Lampon, and Deinos, then your task is considered done. If not, Hera will learn soon enough and your punishment for lying to the Gods will be terrible.'

'They have names?' Herakles said, and looked shocked. 'No one told me they had names, but whatever they are called, they are pregnant now. Poseidon's stallion's saw to that.'

Hera, on mount Olympus, fumed as she watched the scene below. Her fury was somewhat mollified when King Eurystheus released the mares into the wild, and dedicated their offspring to her. 'Their descendants will one day carry a King and conqueror far beyond Hellas,' she said, 'but this small honor in no way can make up for the accursed buffoon's continued success.'

'He is proving most resourceful, my Queen,' Iris said. She could not see through the window, but Hera's anger made it clear that Herakles had acquitted himself well.

'The time has come,' Hera said. 'No more can I rely on others. Herakles is an insult given me by my husband, and it is time I wiped him from the world.'

'But my Queen!' Iris exclaimed, 'if Zeus learns of such a plot then your pact with him will be broken. His vengeance will be cruel and brutal.'

'Then we will make sure he will never know. For the next task, we will send the wretch far from his beloved Hellas where all the people love and honor him. We will send him far across the sea, where there are no friendly Kings to aid him, or merchants to guide him. His next task will be to the river Thermodon to fetch the golden girdle of Queen Hippolyte of the Amazons.'

'How will the Amazons succeed in killing him when so many others have failed?'

'The Amazons will not need to kill him, I will! We will lure Herakles far away from his home with this task and surround him with enemies. We will disguise ourselves as Amazons and when he is alone and unprepared for an attack, we will strike!'

'But my Queen, this is no ordinary man. He is a warrior without equal who has triumphed over monsters, men, giants, and centaurs. Is it wise to attack such a man? Do we have the strength and cunning to match him?'

'I am Hera and I will triumph!' the Queen of the Gods thundered.

'I will follow wherever you lead, my Queen, but please reconsider,' Iris said. 'He cannot kill you, but he can maim and disfigure you. Please, send others to do the butchering.'

'No! It must be me for I can trust no other to remain silent. Do not worry, we will not be alone. Just before we attack, I will cast a spell that will make the Amazon's think he has murdered their beloved Queen. They will join us in the attack and our disguises will make it look like the Amazons took offense at his request for the belt and killed him. They are fierce warriors and none will question the circumstances.'

### Against the Amazons

The summer was drawing to a close when Kopreus arrived to give Herakles his ninth task. 'You are to travel to the land of the Amazons and bring back the golden girdle that Ares gave Queen Hippolyte,' the Herald said. 'Great King Eurystheus, favored of Hera, will give it as a gift to his daughter Admette.'

'Another sea voyage awaits us,' Herakles said to Iolaos later that evening, as they were sharing a meal. 'If I recall my lessons correctly, the land of the Amazons is far to the east. The Queen has her palace in the city of Themiskyra, which lies on the river Thermodon. They suffer no man to live amongst them, and when they have children, only the girls are kept.'

'Can we ride there?'

'It is possible, but the distance over land is more than two times that by water, and most of the journey would be through uncivilized lands. It would be far easier and quicker to sail across the sea.'

'I see,' Iolaos said glumly. 'When shall we go?'

'Themiskyra is a long way and few men make the journey, so we should leave as soon as possible. We will travel first to Athens, which is home to many merchants and traders and has the finest port in all of Hellas. It is the most likely place where we will find someone willing and able to take us across the sea.'

They set off the next day, heading west towards the coast, which they planned to followed to Athens. While they did not set out on the road, it soon found them, much to Iolaos's delight. The land between Tiryns and Athens was thick with people and the road busy with traders, so they rarely had to eat game or wild fruit. Herakles still hunted every day, but sacrificed all he caught to his father Zeus and Chaste Aphrodite. Iolaos also noticed his uncle paying tribute more often to wise Athena.

'It was Athena who stopped me when Hera sent the madness,' Herakles explained when Iolaos questioned him about it. 'As bad as that day was, it could have been even worse had she not thrown a stone and knocked me senseless. I am ashamed to admit that I neglected her and her wisdom for many years. Every time I thought of her, anger filled my mind as if it was she who was responsible for the evil I committed that day. I can only hope that she can forgive me and accept these sacrifices I make in her name.'

Just outside the city of Eleusis, while Iolaos was trying to convince Herakles that the inn in the city was the best in all of Hellas and deserved their patronage, a familiar voice floated across the crowded road.

'Do Lidas's eyes deceive him, or is that his old friends Herakles and his nephew Iolaos?'

'Ha! It's Lidas,' Herakles exclaimed, 'and what are you doing here, in the center of the world? This is far too likely a place for such a meeting.'

'Lidas is hurt at Herakles's sarcastic tone,' the merchant said, looking anything but.

'Hello Lidas,' Iolaos said, in a deflated voice. A night at the inn had just become a little less likely because Lidas shared Herakles's enthusiasm for sleeping in the open.

That night, the three travelers set up camp just outside Eleusis and Herakles caught a deer that they shared with the Gods.

'So what are you doing here, Lidas?' Herakles asked when all were sated.

'Lidas has just been to Athens where he concluded a magnificent trade that will make Lidas comfortable for many a month.'

'So why are you on the road?' Iolaos snapped. He blamed Lidas for the fact that he wasn't sleeping in a bed tonight.

'Lidas is comfortable on the road. If Lidas was to stay in an inn, he would be comfortable for a shorter time,' the merchant said. 'Why are we talking about Lidas, who leads a dull life compared to you two heroes? Taming bulls and killing giants! Your names are on everyone's lip, but you're not alone anymore. Lidas heard of another hero. A young man from Athens, Theseus is his name. He killed the Bull of Crete that Eurystheus released. Killed it dead and sacrificed the bones to Zeus!'

'Theseus!' Herakles exclaimed. 'We met a young man on our way to Crete. He thought my lion skin was a real lion and tried to warn me off. Could it be he?'

'Lidas does not know his life story, just that he killed the Bull where others failed, including you, mighty Herakles.'

'My task was to bring the Bull back to Tiryns, not to kill it,' Herakles said, testily.

'Lidas does not wish to offend,' the merchant said, hurriedly. 'Just letting you know what others are saying.'

'Enough of the past, it concerns us no longer,' Herakles said, 'it is with the future that we are currently occupied. Tell me, my friend, do you know of any ship's captain in Athens that can take us to Themiskyra, on the river Thermodon?'

'Yes, Lidas knows many who own ships that could take you there,' the merchant said, which made Herakles smile. 'However, Lidas does not know any that will take you.'

Herakles frowned. 'Why not? We can pay the captain most handsomely.'

'Yeah, with the money we haven't spent on inns,' Iolaos muttered, but the other two ignored him.

'Dead men have need for only one coin,' Lidas said. 'The Amazons are fierce and unpredictable. No man will sail there if he can help it, regardless of the riches that are on offer.'

Herakles looked annoyed. 'Surely there must be a boat that can take us?'

'Ah, now a boat is another matter. Lidas knows where you can get a good boat, and Lidas will even waive some of his commission.'

'I don't understand,' Herakles said, and looked at his nephew.

'I think Lidas means that a ship is not the problem, it's the crew,' Iolaos said.

'Lidas has heard tales of your journey with Jason. Maybe you can find some of them to help you get to the land of Amazons.'

'Of course!' Herakles exclaimed. 'We will assemble our own crew of heroes, but not too many. We are going to retrieve a belt, not wage war on the Amazons.'

(ii)

The following day, the three split up. Herakles went in search of Tiphys who was the helmsman of the Argo, and Lynkeus who had the sharpest eyes in all of Hellas and was the best man to guide them on their voyage. He was also to find Phyleas, who had lived with them after falling out with his father Augeias.

Iolaos went to Thebes with strict instructions not to linger longer than necessary, but to return as quickly as he could with his father Iphikles, who was Herakles's brother, and Polyphemus, another member of the Argo's crew. Finally, Lidas went to Athens to find a suitable vessel for the voyage.

'Not so big that the crew must shout to hear one another from one side to the other, but not too small to carry enough supplies to drive us three of four days without stopping on land.'

'Lidas will get a magnificent deal for a magnificent hero,' the merchant exclaimed, but no matter how much he praised the son of Zeus, he could not get him to relinquish all the money for the purchase up front.

'Here is part of your commission,' Herakles said, and handed over an iron coin. 'The rest will depend on the quality of vessel you find for us.'

The journey to collect his crew took Herakles four weeks in total, but he had the good fortune of finding his friend and Argonaut Telamon on the way. Iolaos took a week longer than Herakles, despite his instruction not to linger. When they were all together, Lidas led them down to the docks to see the ship.

'Isn't this ship too big for the eight of us?' Iolaos said.

'No, we need it to store food. We will be sailing through the night where possible,' Herakles said. The others reacted with surprise.

'Isn't that too dangerous,' Iphikles said, turning to his brother.

'Not when we have keen eyed Lynkeus to see in the darkness and Tiphys who is the best helmsman in the entire world,' Herakles said. 'With Jason, it felt to me that we were more often than not on shore than on the water. On this journey, we will stay as long as we can on the water and traveling. Have faith in these two, for Tiphys knows the waters well and can take us the quickest way and Lynkeus who can see what lies ahead and steer us clear of danger.'

'Lidas can see a problem, mighty Herakles. There are eight heroes here, but one is to be helmsman, leaving an uneven seven to row when there is no wind.'

'I have easily the strength of two,' Herakles said.

'It is not just strength that matters, mighty Herakles. Why not take a ninth,' Lidas suggested. 'Young Theseus sought out Lidas when it became known Lidas was buying a boat to take the mighty Herakles over the seas. He was very keen to join you.'

'He was but a boy when we met him less than one year ago.'

'He has grown and is more man than child now,' Lidas said. 'Not many men possess the strength to drive a blade through the thick hide of the Bull of Crete. Lidas thinks that deed alone would make him worthy of joining you.'

Herakles thought a moment. 'You are right,' he conceded. 'Any man capable of killing Minos's Bull is welcome at my side. Fetch him here if you know where he is.'

'Lidas does not need to do that,' the merchant said. 'Theseus is waiting for you on the boat.'

It took a week more to load the boat with all the necessary supplies for the trip, and while the days and nights were still relatively warm, the air had begun to feel crisp in the mornings - a sure sign that winter was drawing in.

The voyage itself was free of trouble. Herakles had learned much when he traveled with Jason in the Argo, and so was an excellent captain. He pushed the crew hard, but made sure that all had adequate rest and food. His commands were sharp and concise, so all knew his mind and what he wanted them to do.

Still, the trip took many weeks to complete, and the winter had driven the warmth from the air by the time Lynkeus sighted the river Thermodon.

'Should we sail in?' Iphikles asked as they put in to shore. 'We may need to beat a hasty retreat if things don't go our way, and having the ship in their harbor may make things difficult.'

Herakles, who hadn't even contemplated the need to retreat, nodded at his brother's wisdom. 'You are right,' he said, and turned to Lynkeus. 'How far are we from the city?'

'Not more than three leagues,' Lynkeus replied. 'I saw it early this morning, when the mists cleared from the land.

'I couldn't even see the land until but an hour ago, let alone the mists that clung to it,' Iolaos said, incredulously. 'Can you really see that far?'

Lynkeus nodded.

'Amazing,' Iolaos said. 'So, what is your plan, uncle?'

'We will stay here the night as intended, but tomorrow morning seven of us will march to Themiskyra. Tiphys and Lynkeus will stay behind to guard the ship. It may take some time for us to return, but if thirty days pass and you have heard no word, then we are probably lost.'

(iii)

Morning came too quickly for Iolaos's liking, and he grumbled all through the morning meal of venison roasted over a campfire - Herakles had spent much of the morning hunting and had brought back several deer carcasses before Iolaos had even opened his eyes.

'These are to be shared with the Gods,' he said while they dressed the meat.

'I don't remember you being so keen in you devotion to the Gods,' Iphikles said, as they readied themselves to leave camp.

'Definitely not while we were on the Argo,' Telamon added. 'I always worried that we would be struck by a thunderbolt while pissing off the edge of the boat because of it.'

'Yes, but you also worry you'll get eaten by sharks while pissing off the end of the boat, or being carried away by harpies, or being turned to stone by Poseidon,' Polyphemos said.

'I'm not comfortable at sea,' Telamon admitted. He was a big, quietly spoken man who carefully considered his words before releasing them into the world. Nothing flustered him, or at least that's the way it appeared to Iolaos. For Telamon, to say that something made him uncomfortable was the same as another man gibbering with fear.

Their devotions to the Gods over, the seven heroes set off for Themiskyra, all fully armed and armored, with Herakles wearing his magnificent lion skin cloak leading the way.

'Just follow the coast,' Lynkeus told them from atop the mast where he often climbed if he wanted to see as far as possible. 'I can see the city from here, and already the port is busy.'

The going was slow on the sand, but the forest was impenetrable. 'It is too thick to walk through,' Herakles told them when Theseus suggested the trip would be easier if they could find firmer ground. 'I ranged far and wide in my hunt this morning and could find no clear way through.'

Just after midday, the forest fell away and they could see the city walls in the distance.

'We must not look like a rabble when we arrived,' Herakles said. 'I will lead and the rest shall follow in three rows of two behind me. Iolaos and Theseus will follow directly behind, then Polthemus and Eurytos. Iphikles and Telamon shall guard our backs. These women are warriors who appreciate strength and mastery of arms. While we have come with peaceful intent, they may prove belligerent and want to test our resolve.'

The seven men marched to the gates of the city, where guards armed with long spears and square shields challenged them.

'Who are you to come dressed as for battle to Themiskyra, city of the Amazons?'

'I am Herakles and these men are my companions. I have come to ask a favor of Queen Hippolyte.'

'Put down your arms and you may enter the city,' the guard said. 'If you are who you say you are, then the Queen may grant you an audience.'

'No. We will not relinquish our weapons. We are warriors and our weapons are as much a part of us as our arms and legs.'

From behind the wall, someone made a ribald comment that the men didn't quite hear, but sent a wave of laughter through the knot of guards at the gate.

'Then you must wait for us to ask the Queen if you can enter, but you must stay here unmoving until the Queen finds time to consider your request.'

'We will wait,' Herakles said then, in a quieter voice. 'They mean to test us. No one is to move for whatever reason.'

Several hours passed and the sun had begun to set before a tall beautiful woman came through the door. She was alone and dressed like a warrior, in bronze armor and with a beautiful jeweled belt at her waist that held two finely crafted bronze bladed swords. The seven men had stood like statues the entire time and were the subject of whispered compliments from the warrior women behind the wall.

'You must be Herakles,' the tall woman said, 'for I doubt there is another man so big in all of the world. And these others? They are strong, no doubt, for their honor held them like statues for so many hours, but what are their names and why have they come?'

'They are my friends, great warriors all, but I will not stand in the cold and tell you the story of each and every one. In Hellas, a Queen would not leave guests standing on her doorstep while she considered their worth.'

'This is not Hellas,' the Queen said, 'but you are right, and right to say so. Many would have been too afraid to talk to a Queen in such a way, or to advise her when she is wrong. We do not welcome such people. We reserve our hospitality for those with strength in all its forms, be it strength of character or strength of arms, and you appear to have both. Bring your men inside and enjoy the hospitality of Queen Hippolyte of the Amazons.'

At those words, the guards flung open the gates of Themiskyra to allow Herakles and his crew to enter. They followed after the Queen as she led them through narrow streets towards a towering palace on the other side of the river.

'You walk without a guard, Queen Hippolyte,' Herakles said. 'Is this wise?'

'I cannot expect guests to my city to show strength while I hide behind armed soldiers. Just as I expect strength in you, so should you expect strength in me.'

'The King who sent me here would do well to come and study how a true ruler behaves,' Herakles said.

The palace they were led to was similar in many ways to other's Herakles had seen except for one detail. The megaron was open to the city and the throne upon which the Queen seated herself looked out over a huge public square that ran down to the river, and to the city beyond.

Herakles was about to speak, but Hippolyte lifted her hand to stop him. 'Whatever your quest, no matter how urgent the matter is, it can wait for the morning.' She clapped her hands and two servants appeared from behind the throne. 'See that these men are fed and rested,' the Queen commanded and the two servants bowed.

'Come this way,' the taller of the two said and indicated for Herakles to follow.

'Thank you, Queen Hippolyte,' Herakles said, 'we have traveled a long way and have stood outside your city for many hours. Our business can definitely wait for a bath and a meal.'

The Queen smiled. 'Rest tonight,' she said. 'You'll be glad of it tomorrow.'

Herakles bowed and turned to the servant girl, who led him and his crew back through the door behind the throne.

(iv)

The Hellenes did not see the Queen until well into the afternoon on the following day, when they were summoned to the megaron. 'Are you well fed and rested,' she asked when they had all assembled before her, with Herakles at the fore.

'Yes, your hospitality has been most generous,' Herakles said. 'Had we not been confined to the palace, it would have been better still.'

'Amazons do not take kindly to men wandering through the city, even a man such as yourself,' Hippolyte said. 'You would not have been welcome, and may well have been killed.'

'Many have tried to kill me, including Olympians, and none have succeeded so far.'

'Obviously,' the Queen replied, 'and now that you are rested and fed, will you tell me why you have come all this way? The journey from Tiryns is far too arduous to be undertaken lightly.'

'You know from where I came?'

'Even here, far away from Hellas, we have heard of the exploits of Herakles, son of Zeus,' Hippolyte said.

The you will know that I am tasked to perform ten labors for King Eurystheus, which are given to him by Hera, Queen of the Gods,' Herakles said. 'And it is one of these tasks that has brought me here. King Eurystheus has asked that I bring him the girdle upon which you hang your swords.'

Hippolyte said nothing for a while. 'You know that the girdle was given to me by Ares as a symbol, to show that I was the best of the Amazons.'

Herakles nodded. 'Yes.'

'And what are you willing to give in exchange?'

'I have gold and iron,' Herakles said, sounding uncertain. 'Do you need anyone killed?'

The Queen laughed. 'We are Amazons! We do our own killing, and often and well.'

'Then I have nothing for you.'

The Queen laughed again. 'Don't be so hasty to judge what I want,' Hippolyte said. 'As I said, we have heard stories of your exploits, and one such tale always caught my imagination. Is it true that you stayed fifty nights with King Theseus and left each of his fifty daughters with child?'

'No,' Herakles said, and the Queen looked disappointed. 'It was only forty nine,' Herakles continued. 'The fiftieth loved another.'

The Queen smiled. 'And is it true that you chose the path of virtue over pleasure when your destiny was presented to you.'

'Yes, though sometimes I doubt it ever happened. It seems like a dream to me now, as does much of what happened to me before I left Thebes.'

'Then this is my price,' the Queen said. 'You will stay with me for seven days. I want to test some of these myths personally.'

'What of my men?'

'They can choose to stay in the palace or await you outside the city. The choice is theirs to make.'

'I will stay,' Iphikles said. 'Herakles is my brother and I have missed him since he went to Tiryns.'

The other six joined Iphikles almost instantly.

Herakles turned to look at his crew and then turned back to the Queen. 'I think they are staying out of loyalty for their captain, and not because of the women who helped them bathe last night.'

Hippolyte laughed. 'It is rare we have men stay in Themiskyra,' she said. 'Many of the women in this city have never known a man and are interested to learn.'

(v)

The week passed too quickly for Herakles's liking, but the Queen was adamant that their stay was drawing to an end. 'This is a city of women,' she said to him as they lay together on the last night. 'Having men wandering the corridors of the palace would be seen as a betrayal by many who live here. No, you and your men must go in the morning.'

'It's a strange world we live in,' Herakles mused, 'when the greatest threat we face comes not from disease or sickness or monsters, but from the people with whom we share our everyday lives. Here I am, hundreds of leagues from home, and why am I here? Because of jealousy and madness. But it is not so bad here and it would be pleasant to linger a while and allow the cares of the world to wait for a time, but I cannot stay. And why must I leave? Because of politics.'

Herakles lay back and looked at the ceiling upon which someone had painted a beautiful mural depicting Hippolyte leading the Amazons into battle.

'I have wandered all over Hellas and beyond,' Herakles continued, 'and have faced death many times, but the greatest threat I feel is from King Eurystheus, my cousin, and Hera, my father's wife.'

'If you so yearn for the quiet life, why did you choose the path of duty over that of pleasure?' Hippolyte asked.

'I chose duty because pleasure is hollow and fleeting. A good life can only come through good works in the service of the people with whom you spend every day. The problem I have found is that so many men and women are mean or corrupt or set upon a course that will end in evil.'

'And you yourself are not corrupt?'

Herakles threw back his head and laughed. 'I am the most corrupt of all,' he said.

(vi)

What followed was a night in which Hippolyte learned what it was to be helpless and impotent. Herakles's confession of corruption had unleashed a beast within him that wanted to prove the words were not mere posturing. Nothing she said or did through the night swayed him from his course or softened his demeanor.

At first, she was angry, then she was afraid, and then she was just numb. When she realized that nothing could stop Herakles because there was nothing that he feared - not the armed guards outside the palace, not the thousands of Amazons who lived in the city, not all the monsters in all the lands, not the Gods, not even death - her body and mind shut down and she just hoped to endure the ordeal.

When morning came, she thanked the Gods that she was still alive and that Herakles hadn't crushed the life from her just to prove that he could. As memory flooded into her mind and threatened to overwhelm her again, she realized that only a thin veil of humanity separated Herakles from the monsters he had vanquished. If that veil were ever to fall away, he would become the greatest monster ever to roam the earth.

He was gone as were his armor and weapons, and she was both thankful and afraid. Hippolyte was herself a great warrior who had led armies and triumphed over those who sought to destroy her city and her people. She had faced death on the field of battle many times, but she had never felt fear like this. She knew that the hulking brute who had shared her bed last night could, on a whim, tear her city apart and leave nothing and no one standing.

When he had first come seeking the belt, she had thought of toying with him, lulling him into a sense of comfort and then sacrificing him to the women of the city. The Amazons expected her to do nothing less; every woman in the city believed that the seven men would never leave Themiskyra alive, but his words last night felt like a warning. He talked about corruption and humanity, but his word had taken another meaning in her head; betray me and your city will burn.

Hippolyte cursed herself for her blindness - she should have seen Herakles for what he was instead of allowing her lust to control her actions. He had not come wooing her, but to take away a gift given to her by the Gods.

Herakles would have known she would not easily relinquish it, and yet he had made as if he had believed her and even granted her wish of seven days of carnal pleasure. His mask had slipped last night and he had let her see who he really was. Now, what had begun as an amusing indulgence in pleasure that she had planned to end this evening by severing the heads of seven fools, could potentially become a nightmare that could cost her life. After last night, her overwhelming impulse was to give Herakles the belt and get him out of her city, and she hurried off to tell her soldiers of the changed plan.

(vii)

Herakles rose before the sun and quietly put on his armor. He did not know what had happened to him last night, but it had begun with an overwhelming feeling of dread tying a knot in his stomach. Creeping along as stealthily as he could, he went to rouse the others. First, he went to Iphikles, and found it strange that his brother was alone, and difficult to rouse.

'What are you doing? It's still dark,' Iphikles had complained when Herakles finally got him to open his eyes.

'We must be ready when they come for us this morning, brother,' Herakles said in a hushed voice.

Herakles's urgency sobered Iphikles and he dressed hurriedly. Together, they went to Iolaos's room and he, also, was alone and had difficulty rising.

'I think they had planned to do us a mischief this morning,' Herakles said, and the other two nodded in agreement.

Working as quickly as they could, they roused the others, and each was alone and in a deep sleep. Not once did they see a guard, which made Iolaos even more suspicious, if that were at all possible. 'Where are they? Why would they drug us and then leave us alone like that?'

'There are none in here, this is true,' Telamon said, 'but I would wager an iron coin that all the exits are heavily guarded.'

'That is where we will surprise them,' Herakles said. A dark anger had been rising in him since he had left Hippolyte's bed. Snatches of memory from last night flashed across his mind and it felt as if something within him had known of her treachery all along. He suspected that, for a few hours, his humanity had left him and he had become a true son of his father. 'We aren't going anywhere,' he rumbled and the others took fright at the sound of his voice, which was deep and echoed with strange harmonics. 'I will give the Queen of the Amazons a chance to redeem herself and if she doesn't, I will kill her.'

The men followed Herakles to the megaron, which was also empty, but the city beyond the river was alive with women going about their daily lives. The seven men stood and stared out into the city as the sun rose behind the palace and sent rays of golden light to chase away the shadows.

'It is strange, a city of women,' Telamon said. 'If my eyes had not seen it, I would not say it is possible.'

'You were with us when Jason stopped at Lemnos with the Argo,' Polyphemos said. 'They had an entire island populated just by women.'

'But that was because they executed their men for the crimes they had committed. These ones want nothing to do with men. We are simply a curiosity to them.'

'I agree with you, Telamon,' Theseus said. He was the youngest of the eight and the most beautiful. 'Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would meet such women. They were so hungry...'

On the ship, this would have been greeted by raucous laughter and ribald comments, but here it could only draw a nervous laugh from everyone but Herakles, who stared moodily out over the river.

'They gather on the river banks to watch what will happen to us,' he said, when the laughter had died down. 'All knew what was to be our fate except the seven of us, who were blinded by our lust and ready to succumb to pleasure for pleasure's sake.'

There was the sound of many of metal on metal and the seven men turned to see twenty or so Amazon warriors enter the megaron, led by the most beautiful woman any had ever seen. She was tall and broad of shoulder, with delicate cheekbones and dark brown eyes that were the color of freshly turned earth.

'They have betrayed us and killed our Queen,' the beautiful woman screamed and pointed her sword directly at Herakles. 'Kill them,' she cried, and her voice carried out beyond the river and all in the city heard it as if she were standing beside them.

The Amazons charged with the beautiful woman in the lead. She swung her sword at Herakles, who was able to parry the blow. Beside him on his left, Iphikles drove his blade deep into an Amazon's heart, and on his right, Telamon crushed an Amazon's skull with his club.

The beautiful Amazon swung her blade again with cunning and strength, and forced Herakles back. Caught unprepared, he could not bring his sword into play, so he lifted his shield and struck the woman full in the face, and then used his shoulder to push her to the ground.

Herakles's battle would have ended there had not Theseus stepped between the son of Zeus and an assailant that had moved behind him. The young Athenian used his shield to block the blow aimed at Herakles's back and then swung up and around with his own sword, cutting the woman from her waist up along her torso and over her left cheek, stopping just below her eye.

The beautiful woman screeched in rage, abandoned her attack on Herakles, and launched herself at Theseus, but Telamon chose that moment to swing his club and sent her crashing to the ground at Herakles's feet. The son of Zeus raised his sword to strike off the woman's head when the Queen's voice cried out over the sounds of battle.

'ENOUGH!'

Everyone stopped as if frozen and Herakles looked up to see Hippolyte holding the girdle Ares had given her above her head.

He looked about him and smiled. Of the Amazons that had attacked Herakles and his group, only a handful remained standing while all of his companions appeared uninjured.

'I have the belt you came for,' Hippolyte continued in a more normal voice. 'Take it and leave.'

Herakles looked down at the Amazon he was about to kill, but she had vanished, as had the one Theseus had wounded. A grim expression set on his face and he looked up at the Queen. 'You had planned to betray us, Queen of cunts. Why should we believe you now?'

'Do not think I am offended to be the Queen of cunts?' Hippolyte said. 'I see it as an honor, but you are right, I did mean to have you executed today. What sort of a fool would come to the Queen of the Amazons and ask for her girdle? There is only death for men in this city, and death would have been an appropriate reward for such stupidity.'

'For a woman whose life hangs on a spider's thread, you show no remorse for your crime.'

If you kill me, every woman in this city capable of holding a sword will come to kill you, even the oldest of crones and the youngest child. The outrage of a man killing their Queen in her own palace would shame and humiliate the Amazons so that only your death or theirs would wipe satisfy their anger. Would you do that? Would you kill an old crone or murder an innocent child that swings a sword at you?'

'When has innocence ever stayed the hand of a God?' Herakles said.

'Or the hand of a monster?'

Herakles hesitated. 'I came for the belt. Give it to me.'

Hippolyte strode forward with the girdle held before her in shaking hands. Herakles snatched it from her and tucked it into his sword belt.

'Now that I have it, can I trust you not to send your bitches after me, even if it would mean that they would all die?' Herakles said. 'There are boats at the end of the courtyard. We will take one and you will accompany us. If any try to follow, I will part your head from your shoulders.'

He grasped Hippolyte by the elbow, and she jumped. She had expected him to be harsh, but his grip was gentle. Still, she could feel the underlying strength of his hand that suggested he could tighten it enough to snap the bones within her arm if he so wished.

The other men formed lines on either side of Herakles, and he led them down to the river through the open court beneath the megaron. Most of the Amazons were on the opposite bank, but a few had forded the river when the fighting began. They sneered as the men passed but did not draw their weapons.

Herakles walked to a small boat that had two sets of oars on either side. He stood at its center holding Hyppolyte by the arm with one hand and holding his sword at her throat with the other. Beside him stood Iolaos with his bow at the ready, while Iphikles took the tiller and the others manned the oars.

They bent their backs and the boat sailed out of the mouth of the river and into the open sea. Behind them, Amazons launched boats and trailed in their wake

'They will follow all the way to the ship,' Herakles grumbled and unceremoniously threw Queen Hippolyte into the water. The others were shocked, but he was unconcerned and didn't even look to see if she surfaced or made it to shore.

Instead, he walked to the middle of the boat and sat down between the two sets of rowers. The boat was small and the oars were long, so it was possible for a man to sit at its center and row on both sides.

'Remember when we tried to out run the wind?' Herakles said to Telamon.

'Yes, and I remember a broken oar as well.'

'Give me two oars,' Herakles said. The men obeyed and then stepped back. Those who had sailed with Herakles on the Argo held onto the boat's side.

'They have fished her from the water,' Iolaos called out and nocked an arrow, but he needn't have worried. After two or three strokes to warm himself up, Herakles picked up the tempo and pushed all the strength in his massive shoulders into the oars. The first surge knocked everyone onto their backs - even those holding onto the sides - but the weather was fine and the sea smooth, and Herakles powered them forward faster than any had ever traveled before. All the crew, save for Iphikles who was grimly clutching the tiller to keep them on the right course, whooped with delight as the boat flew across the water.

The furious Amazons could not hope to keep up, and Herakles and his crew left them far behind. The boat moved across the water with such speed that the sea seemed to break beneath its hull, and it sent a fine white spray into the air that stung each man's face where it hit and caused his hair to stream out behind him as if someone was pulling it back.

What should have taken half a day was over in less than an hour. Herakles stopped rowing when the ship was in sight and Iphikles guided them safely to the shore, where Tiphys and Lynkeus were waiting.

'I saw a boat flying over the waters and knew instantly it was you,' Lynkeus said as they jumped out of the stolen boat, somewhat unsteadily. 'You are alive, so it must have gone well.'

'It's a long tale that will best be told around a camp fire many leagues from here,' Herakles said. 'The wind is fair, is it not? And we have adequate provisions to sail a night or two?'

'Yes, we have not been idle,' Tiphys said.

'Then let's go. The Amazons will not give up the chase after the humiliation we visited upon their Queen.'

(viii)

Herakles and his companions sailed with less urgency on their way home, even stopping for a while on a sheltered beach while the worst of the winter passed them by. When they resumed their journey, they sailed west until they came to the city of Troy, from where Tiphys had planned to sail to Lemnos, but Herakles had objected.

'One city of women is enough for this journey,' the son of Zeus had grumbled. 'Is there no other way we can go?'

So Tiphys set the course south for the island of Tenedos. As the boat turned, the beach beyond the cliffs of Troy became visible and sharp-eyed Lynkeus called out.

'There is a crowd of people by the cliffs on the beach,' he called from a small platform half way up the mast where he liked to sit when there was a fair wind. 'They are richly dressed and well armed, but they are acting strangely.'

'What do you mean, acting strangely?' Herakles asked.

'It looks like they are hammering iron into to the cliff face, and one of them, a most beautiful woman, is naked and in chains. I can see her crying and looking imploringly at an old man, who also weeps.'

'Tiphys,' Herakles called, 'can we get to the beach?'

The helmsman didn't answer, but again changed the course of the boat.

'They have chained her to the cliff!' Lynkeus called out. 'To the oars!'

The heroes scuttled to their places and swiftly rowed the ship to shore.

'Telamon and I will go and see what is happening,' Herakles called, as he stood from his position and beckoned to his rowing mate. 'Secure the ship and follow when you can.' Stopping to pick up his sword and club, Herakles dived into the water followed closely by Telamon.

The two men raced along the beach and soon reached the place where the crowd had chained the woman to the cliff. She was crying hysterically, which didn't surprise the men, but she screamed even louder when Herakles reached for the chains.

'I am going to free you,' Herakles said.

'No, please, no! I must stay and die for my father and the city of Troy.'

'What?' Herakles said and looked at Telamon, who shrugged.

The crowds of people who had been standing on the beach came running to the cliff side, led by a richly dressed old man.

'Come away!' he yelled at them. 'A monster sent by the Gods comes for my daughter. If you stay there, it will get you too.'

'Why would the Gods send a monster?' Herakles asked. 'And why would you sacrifice your daughter to it?'

'It's a long and terrible tale, not for the ears of just anyone who happens to wander by on the beach. You have been warned,' the old man said, and turned to go.

'Wait, I am not just anyone. I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and this is the famous hero Telamon. We are on our way home from the land of the Amazons, where we captured the girdle of Queen Hippolyte, at the command of Hera, Queen of the Gods.'

The old man stopped mid stride and turned. 'You certainly have the size of Herakles,' he said. 'Very well, I will tell you. I am King Laomedon of Troy and mine is a sorry tale. I had the misfortune of hiring workmen who were actually Apollo and Poseidon in disguise. They built the walls around the city that you can see, but their work was poor and they themselves were tardy, so I dismissed them without pay. A foolish gesture, I know, but they were but lowly peasants to my eyes. Olympians are quick to anger, as it turns out, and they visited my poor city with misfortune to avenge their insult. Apollo sent a plague, which killed half the city, while Poseidon sent a sea monster to ravage our shores. I knew nothing of the God's anger until I consulted an oracle on how we could get rid of the monster and it was he who told me why such misfortune had befallen my city, and that I must expose my daughter Hesione to the monster in order to satisfy Poseidon's anger.'

Herakles looked at the woman chained to the cliff. 'She is exposed, no doubt about it,' he said. 'If you are the King of Troy, then you would have the mares my father Zeus gave to Tros for the abduction of Ganymedes.'

The King's face lit up. 'Yes, beautiful animals,' he said, 'they are prized by all in Troy, but why do you ask?'

'When I captured the mares of Diomedes, my own stallions that are bred by Poseidon joined with them and made them pregnant. Alas, King Eurystheus set the mares free and dedicated their freedom to Hera, so the fouls were lost to me. With your mares, it may be possible for me to recover what I have lost. So I will make you a proposition. I will save your daughter from Poseidon's monster if you give me those horses in return.'

The King looked confused for a moment, as if he could not comprehend what Herakles was saying. 'How will you save my daughter? Even I can unchain her, but that will not drive the monster away.'

'I will kill the monster.'

'If it wasn't such a terrible thing, I would laugh at your suggestion. It's huge! Why, it could swallow you whole and still have room for your friend.'

'Then what have you to lose? Surely you don't value your horses more than your daughter?'

The King hesitated a moment, as if torn between two loves. 'Of course not!' King Laomedon said. 'I will accept your offer, and our agreement has been witnessed by Telamon. Kill the monster before it devours my sweet Hesione and I will pay you with the mares that Zeus gave to Tros.'

The other members of Herakles's crew arrived as King Laomedon strode back to where the rest of his court was waiting.

'What's happening?' Iolaos asked.

'We are going to fight a sea monster,' Telamon said.

'No. I am going to fight a sea monster,' Herakles said. 'This is not a God given task, but a transaction for which I am to be paid. Take yourselves away to safety while I deal with this beast.'

'Can I shoot arrows at it?' Iolaos asked.

'No. I don't want to chase an enraged monster up and down the beach while it chases you because you pricked it with a dart.'

Herakles's companions joined King Laomeden's court about a bowshot and a half from the cliff and everybody waited with baited breath.

The monster did not leave them waiting for long. It came roaring out of the sea some fifty yards from the beach and stared at the naked women chained to the stone. It was a huge beast, and only a part of it was out of the water, but even that was as long as Herakles's ship. Scales that dripped slime covered its body and it dragged itself around on land upon four muscular legs that ended in webbed toes tipped with venomous claws. A huge, gaping maw dominated its head, but there were no teeth in evidence - just a huge, ragged, black hole that led to oblivion.

Perhaps it wasn't prepared for Herakles to be there as well, or perhaps it was just its method, but it sunk back under the waters to the murmured delight of the watching people. Herakles looked back at the King, who shrugged. The son of Zeus had barely turned his head back to look out over the sea when the huge beast lunged out of the water and swallowed him whole.

The assembled crowd gasped in shock. Herakles's crewmates ran towards the beach, led by Iolaos who was screaming with rage. He charged towards the water, arrow nocked. A few seconds later, the beast resurfaced and threw itself onto the beach. This time, all eight of its legs were visible, and it thrashed from side to side as if trying to dislodge its own head.

Iolaos let loose an arrow but it bounced harmlessly off a scale on the monster's back. The beast didn't notice, and continued to shake to and fro. As the crowd watched, a fist punched out of the side of the monster's head, followed closely by a second.

Iolaos could see that Herakles was far from dead so he stopped, nocked an arrow, steadied himself, and let fly. The dart flew straight and fast and pierced one of the monster's plate sized eyes. It screamed in pain and clawed at its damaged face. A second later, Herakles's fist punched another hole through the side of the monster's neck, followed by another, and then a third.

The holes in the monster's flesh spread as Herakles continued to attack it from inside its own body. His punches came fast and hard, and perforated the beast's neck, so that its head fliped almost completely off. A moment later, Herakles stepped through the ragged gap and Iolaos sent a second arrow after the first. It disappeared into the beasts already damaged eye, but the monster was beyond screaming. Its body lay convulsing on the beach and dripping black filth onto the clean white sands.

Herakles pulled his sword from its belt and brought it around in an arc that completely severed the monster's head from its body. Once the body had stopped convulsing and the son of Zeus was sure it was dead, he dropped to his knees and added the contents of his stomach to the already fouled sand. Then he stood up and walked into the sea.

'I think he wants to get clean,' Iolaos said when the others arrived by the monster's corpse. It was unlike nothing else they had ever seen - there didn't seem to be any bones, just a strange shell. And it seemed to be dissolving before their eyes - shell and all - and leaching a black, viscous liquid into the pure waters of the sea. The King and his entourage appeared shortly after and, without uttering a word to the heroes assembled on the beach, quickly unchained Hesione and all but ran back to the city.

Herakles resurfaced shortly after. 'Where have they gone?' he asked.

Iphikles shrugged. 'They unchained the girl and went back to the city,' then he looked at his brother. 'Um, are you feeling alright?'

'Better now that I've washed the filth off. It was so tight in there I couldn't free my sword,' Herakles said, and started to disrobe. 'Thank the Gods it had a brittle shell.'

'Um, uncle,' Iolaos said, 'you have no hair.'

Herakles automatically reached up and to his head and then let out a cry when he found nothing but a baldpate. He picked up his bronze breastplate that never lost its shine and stared into it. 'My hair! My beard! My eyebrows! Oh no!'

'They'll probably grow back,' Iolaos said, in what he hoped was a soothing voice.

Herakles sighed and dropped his breastplate. 'I hope those horses are worth it,' he grumbled, stripped off completely and dived back into the ocean.

By now, the monster's corpse had all but vanished, leaving only a black stain on the sand that the incoming tide would probably wash away. 'It was the most fearsome beast I have ever seen,' Telamon said, and looked out over the sea. 'Do you think there are others out there? The King did say it was sent by Poseidon as a punishment.'

'I have spent most of my life travelling the seas,' Lynkeus said, 'and I have never before seen its like. It looked to me to be made of the filth of the sea, all that falls to the bottom and rots. If there are others, then they probably lurk so deep that none can see them, and only the Gods can cause them to rise.'

'I hope so,' Telamon said, 'because it's far worse than a shark.'

No one wanted to stay too close to the stain on the sand, so the heroes moved up to where they had watched the battle and established a camp. Soon after, a completely hairless Herakles joined them. 'I am off to claim my payment,' he said after he had dried himself beside the fire.

'And I will come with you. I witnessed the exchange at its beginning and should see the transaction complete,' Telamon said.

Herakles walked to the gates of Troy, but found them shut. He looked at Telamon, who shrugged. At a loss for what to do, he cupped his hands around his mouth 'King Laomeden,' he called out, 'open your gates! I have come for my payment.'

'Payment for what?' came the Kings voice from up on high.

'I killed the monster!'

'What monster? I see only a stain on the beach.'

'Now I see why Apollo and Poseidon cursed him,' Telamon said.

'Your betrayal of Poseidon and Apollo almost cost your daughter's life. Your betrayal of me will definitely cost you your own,' Herakles called out. 'I will return with armies to destroy you and your city!'

The laughter of many voices drifted down from the high walls that Apollo and Poseidon helped to build. 'Are you saying that the vengeance of a man will cause more devastation than that of the Gods?' King Laomeden called down. 'Will you batter down the walls with your head now that it is empty of hair?'

Herakles shook his head. 'With you as my witness,' he said to Telamon, 'I vow that I will return to this place and throw that bastard down from his own wall.'

'And I will be by your side when you do,' Telamon replied.

(ix)

Herakles grumbled about the treacherous nature of the barbarians beyond Hellas from the moment he returned to the ship. 'Untruths and deceptions fill their lives, and then they wonder out aloud why civilized people treat them with caution and mistrust,' he would say, and he would say it often and to anyone who was about, regardless of whether they were listening to him or not. The journey took several weeks, but the grumbling faded as his hair began to grow back and his humor returned.

'That was the ninth labor,' he said to Iolaos as they journeyed back to Tiryns on horses they had bought in Athens. They had parted company with Iphikles and Polyphemos the day before and were heading west towards Tiryns.

'But Hera disallowed two of those nine,' Iolaos reminded him. 'I cannot see her having mercy at such a time, especially if you really think it was her who led the Amazon's in the attack against us.'

Herakles nodded, but his smile did not fade. 'There is no doubt it was her. She vanished just after Hippolyte stopped the battle.' The big man sighed. 'You are probably right, my cynical nephew, but after so many years and so much effort, I cannot help but feel glad that the end is in sight, even if the number of tasks remaining is three and not one.'

They rode on a while longer in silence, which Herakles eventually broke.

'I am surprised you did not go with your father to Thebes. I can take the girdle to Tiryns myself and summon you when I receive word on the next task.'

Iolaos shrugged and looked up at the horizon. The horses were ambling along and neither man felt it necessary to hurry them up. 'There are three tasks remaining,' he said, 'and after that, who knows? I will have a lifetime with Megara but my time with you may well be limited. Besides, I spent a goodly amount of time in Thebes before we set out.'

(x)

From her perch atop Mount Olympus, Hera looked down at the two men riding slowly towards Tiryns and her anger was without measure. 'Again he escapes, and kills another monster to boot,' she said to Iris, who stood behind her. A scar marred the spirit of the rainbow's beautiful features. It wound up out of her multi-colored robe, along her ivory neck, past her full mouth and petite nose, and came to a stop just beneath her left eye. It shimmered and shone in all the colors of the spectrum whenever she moved.

'He is a difficult man to kill,' Iris said. 'Even together we could not hurt him.'

'Bah, who would have thought he'd bring a troop of heroes along for the ride?' Hera said, spitting out each word with venom. 'We would have had him had he been alone.'

'I'm not so sure, my Queen. He seems more than human, somehow. Is it pride that makes him seem so fearless, or does he know that he cannot be defeated. I used to think it was the former, but my mind is changing and I'm beginning to think that he cannot be defeated. His heart may drive mortal blood through his body, but something within him is beyond us. Even you, the Queen of the Olympians, could not lay a blade on him. Had he not been distracted by Hippolyte, you too may have been scarred by him.'

Hera looked grim. Had anyone but Iris said those words, she would have flown into a rage. But she knew that Iris would never utter words that were not to Hera's benefit. 'I fear you are right,' she said, and looked back down at the ambling heroes. 'What shall we do now? We have but three tasks with which to subdue him.'

'We should send him so far away that none would be willing to go with him,' Iris said, her eyes glowing as brightly as her scar. 'Send him further than any Hellene is willing to go. Is there not a giant with three bodies in the red lands far to the west? He has a prized herd of cattle that he guards jealously, with the help of the hound Orthros who is the brother of Kerberos who guards the gate to the underworld.'

Hera smiled. 'You are a clever one, my loyal friend,' she said, and laughed. 'We will charge him with the task of bringing the entire herd back to Tiryns. Amphitryon once sent him to herd cattle after the murder of Linos. Let's see if he can remember how it is done.'

The Cattle of Geryon

The journey to bring back Hippolyte's girdle had been long and arduous, and Herakles was glad when he finally handed it over to King Eurystheus in Tiryns. And while relief was the overarching feeling of the day, he could not help but feel a little annoyed when the King gave the hard won treasure to his daughter as if it were a mere trinket.

'Make sure you send a guard with the stinking dog when he delivers my next task,' Herakles said as he turned to leave. The sight of the smiling King and his daughter had stuck in his craw and was tainting his words with anger. 'Last time he tested my patience but I was generous and let him live. Next time I will not be so kind again and will crush his thick skull if he annoys me.'

'You are not in a position to make threats,' King Eurystheus sneered. 'Kopreus does as I command, like all good citizens of Tiryns. Your task is complete, although I have my suspicions that you did not complete it on your own. You may go, and I will send the herald with your next task when Hera deems it time.'

Herakles returned home to rest, but his peace did not last long. Hera was impatient to see him come to an end and within days of his return, Kopreus arrived with the next task. Judging from the number of soldiers who accompanied him, he had obviously taken Herakles's threat to heart. Despite both Herakles and Iolaos being unarmed and eating their afternoon meal, Kopreus refused to dismount from his horse or to come forward. He shouted Herakles's next task from behind three lines of mounted and heavily armed soldiers.

'King Eurystheus, guided by the glorious Hera, Queen of the Gods, has decided your next quest. You are to go to Erytheia, the red island, far to the west and bring back the famed cattle of Geryon,' the herald called out.

'I can barely hear you from back there, lickspittle,' Herakles joked, 'but you are wise to be cautious. I came back from that last journey in a foul mood and the stench of your breath may drive me to murder.'

'Don't torment him so,' Iolaos said, but without much conviction. He pitied anyone whom Herakles had decided to bully, if only because he would intimidate even the Gods. It was a pity of the intellect, however, rather than of the heart - Iolaos thought pity for Kopreus rather than felt it - and it was no surprise. The Herald of the King was such an arrogant bore that most people took an instant dislike to him.

'See what you have done, lickspittle? You have turned my own nephew against me! Be gone before I wring your neck.'

Despite having given Herakles nearly all his tasks over several years, the Herald still found space in his heart to be offended when Herakles mocked him. He shook his head in exasperation, turned his horse and rode off in a huff, with his entourage trailing behind him.

'Do you know where the red lands are?' Iolaos asked when the dust from the herald's departure had settled.

'Yes and no,' Herakles replied. 'The red lands are near where the sun sets, or so I have heard. To get there we will need to travel as far west as we can, and then a bit further.'

'When will we leave?'

Herakles stared out over the small stream that ran by their home while he considered his next move. 'This is the tenth task,' he said, 'and it should be the last. The sooner we finish, the sooner I will be free of Hera's manipulations and you will be free of mine.'

The preparations for their journey took a few days because it was going to be unlike any other they had undertaken. After all, few men from Hellas travelled to the end of the world.

'We should take Diomedes's chariot,' Iolaos said when he realized just how far they were to travel. 'It was built for a giant and can hold food to last us weeks at a time even if we cannot hunt.'

Herakles agreed, and they packed the chariot with as much food as they could, and took care to favor rations that would last.

The journey started easily enough. From Tiryns they headed north west to the city of Olenos where Mnesimakhe introduced Herakles to his son, Telephos, who was conceived when the son of Zeus stayed with her after cleaning Augeias's stables. Her father, King Dexamenos, provided them with a ship and crew that carried them across the Adriatic seas.

From there, they continued north west through Etruria until they reached the city of Arretium, where an old man waved them down as they rode past.

'Please, please help me,' the old man begged. Bandits have driven me from my home and taken everything I have.'

'Where are they?' Herakles asked.

'My house is just around the next bend in the road. It is small and wretched, but it is all I have left.'

Herakles vaulted down from the chariot and trotted along the road, holding his club at the ready. When he was a hundred yards from the chariot, a cry came from the side of the road and three men charged out from the brush beside the road waving heavy bronze swords. He didn't even pay them the courtesy of sneering, and crushed their skulls when they were within reach.

The incompetent display of banditry caused Herakles to shake his head and sigh. He turned back to see how his nephew was faring and was just in time to see Iolaos push his sword into another bandit's gut. There were three bodies already on the ground beside the chariot, and a fourth at the side of the road with an arrow in his eye.

'Ha, nephew!' Herakles said, 'when you fight, you are the spitting image of your grandfather Amphitryon.'

The old man was cowering beside the chariot, too old and scared to run.

'Please don't kill me!' he gibbered. 'They made me do it! They would have killed me if I hadn't.'

'Who were they?' Herakles asked, jogging back to the chariot.

'Ligurian bandits,' the old man said. 'They captured me some weeks ago and have used me as bait to make their crimes easier to commit.'

'Do you have a home to go to?' Iolaos asked.

The old man nodded and pointed back at Arretium. 'I have a house on the outskirts of the city,' he said. 'You should return there, too, if you have any sense. There is nothing in Liguria that could interest anyone, even the Ligurians.'

'We are headed beyond Liguria,' Herakles said. 'To the red lands beyond the Great Ocean.'

The old man cast a critical eye over the two travelers and then looked at the corpses scattered about the road. Now his panic was over, it was beginning to dawn on him that these two weren't ordinary travelers.

'Your business is your own,' the old man said, 'but the Great Ocean is still hundreds of leagues to the west. If you truly want to find it, then keep to the coast as much as you can and don't go into any of the towns or villages. There is little civilization beyond Etruria.'

Herakles searched the bodies of the bandits and found a handful of coins, which he gave to the old man. Then he and Iolaos jumped back on to the chariot and continued their journey.

'Do you believe his story?' Iolaos said as they rumbled along the sandy track.

Herakles shook his head. 'Not a word of it, but I think we should do as he says and stick to the coast.'

'Why?'

Herakles shrugged. 'I like the coast,' he said.

(ii)

The journey to the great sea was arduous and long, made more so by the many settlements dotted along the coast that they avoided, but finally they stood upon a hill that was the westernmost land before the Great Sea.

'Has any civilized man ever been this far,' Iolaos asked as he stared out over the sea. 'It looks like the end of the world.'

'We may be the first men of Hellas to be here, but the Gods have come before us. Helios rides his chariot even further west than here before setting down and returning to the east during the night.'

'Gods are Gods, we are men,' Iolaos said.

'Are we?' Herakles said and strode down to a huge stone further down the hillside. Using his fists, he smashed it from the Earth while Iolaos watched.

'What are you doing?'

'We should make a monument for all to see that we were the first men to come this way.'

Iolaos watched as Herakles toiled through the heat of the day. He carved a huge monument with his fists, then began the arduous task of dragging it up the hill. But the heat of the setting sun was oppressive this far west and even Herakles found the task difficult. Half way to the top, his uncle cursed into the sky, drew his bow and sent an arrow skyward towards the burning sun. Apparently satisfied that he had done what he could to fight the heat of the day, he turned back to his task of dragging the stone up the hill.

It was night by the time the stone was in place to Herakles's satisfaction, and he walked down to the beach where Iolaos had built a fire. 'If ever a civilized man comes this far west, he will see the pillar of Herakles and know we were once here,' he said

'Do you think that anyone will ever come this far west? If not for Hera's command, we would not be here.'

'The Gods play all manner of games with the lives of men,' Herakles said. 'We may not be the last to come this way.'

Iolaos nodded and turned towards the sea. 'Um,' he said. 'Is it meant to be so bright out there?'

Herakles looked to the west, then stood up quietly and took up his club and shield. A few moments later, a wave surge hit the beach followed by a ship the likes of which neither man had seen before. It was half a sphere, like a bowl carved from wood, and hollow in the middle. At its centre was a chariot to which were tethered eight giant horses, and atop the chariot was Helios, God of the sun. Behind him was the sun itself, but muted and cool as was necessary for night to come to the earth.

As the two men watched, Helios reached down, pulled an arrow from the side of the chariot, and came towards them. He walked directly to Herakles and held up the arrow. 'Is this yours?'

Herakles nodded, and Helios smiled.

'Only one man in all of the world could shoot an arrow as high as the sun. You are Herakles, son of Zeus, are you not?'

Herakles nodded again.

'I have heard that you are going to the red lands beyond the Great Ocean,' Helios said and pointed behind him. 'You'll need a ship.'

Herakles nodded again. 'We were going to try and find a village to buy one, but the barbarians here are not very friendly.'

'No, they're not friendly, and they don't make very good boats, either,' Helios said. 'Take mine. We will ride back to the east until you no longer need it.'

'What of a crew?'

'It needs none. Just get on board and tell it where you want to go,' Helios said, and then looked up at the pillar Herakles had built. 'Nice,' he said. 'You should do another on the other side of the strait.'

'I will,' Herakles said. 'In the morning.'

'Ah, I'd better get a move on, then,' Helios said. 'Don't want to be late. Oh, and the boat will not sail beyond the strait. I cannot allow it to get too far from me or I may lose it forever.'

Herakles and Iolaos watched as Helios climbed back onto his chariot and rode it up off the boat. Helios laughed down at their shocked faces as his chariot floated past. 'Don't look so bewildered,' he called out. 'The sun is in the sky so the chariot that carries it must be able to fly.'

(iii)

The sun rose on time the next morning, so Helios must have made it back. Herakles jumped into the ship of the sun followed closely by Iolaos. After hunting around for a tiller or an oar and finding nothing, the two men looked at one another and shrugged.

'It's a funny shape for a ship,' Iolaos said. 'It's more like a bowl, but one that a giant would eat out of.'

'Helios said we should just tell it where we want to go,' Herakles said, 'but what if we don't know?'

Iolaos shrugged. 'Where do you want to go?'

'I want to go to the other side of the strait,' Herakles said aloud and the ship pulled itself of the shore and sped across the waters. Moments later, it came to rest on the opposite beach.

'Make a camp,' Herakles said, 'this may take a while.'

Iolaos set a fire, and then decided to go hunting while Herakles labored. He had to go a fair distance, because the pounding of fist on stone frightened much of the game away, but eventually he managed to shoot a deer that he carried back to camp.

Herakles had finished his second pillar and was dragging it up a nearby hill when Iolaos returned.

'You've done it much quicker this time,' the young man said.

Herakles paused a moment and mopped his brow. 'I want to get it finished while the sun is high in the sky.'

When he was finished, Herakles came down and joined Iolaos by the fire where they ate the meat of the deer and sacrificed the bones to Helios.

'The Pillars of Herakles,' Iolaos said. He could see both monuments even in the fading light. 'Do you think anyone will know?'

'If my name is remembered then so will these pillars,' Herakles said. 'Stories have a way of spreading and growing. Many already know my name - even Helios knew of me and the task Hera has set me.'

'When shall we go?'

'When the sun rises tomorrow,' Herakles said. 'The boat can travel across the earth in one night, so I wouldn't be surprised if it took only a short while to reach the red lands.'

(iv)

The two travelers rose with the sun and boarded Helios's boat.

'To the red lands,' Herakles commanded, and the boat moved swiftly out to sea, heading due west.

They flew even faster than when Herakles rowed away from the Amazons, but the journey was not as easy. Huge waves rose beneath the ship, coming first from the north and then from the south.

'What is happening?' Iolaos called to Herakles, as their boat crested a particularly tall wave from the north. Herakles looked to where another wave was coming from the south and saw a Titan, a giant from the old world with horns on his head, clap his hands and send another wave in their direction. The Titan then dived under the waves and surfaced to the north, where he clapped his hands once more.

Seeing that they had a tangible enemy and were not simply victims of the implacable ocean, Herakles took his bow and sent an arrow straight and true at the Titan's chest, but the giant laughed and clapped its hands, sending another wave their way.

'I am Okeanos, God of the Great Sea that encircles the world. Your arrows are to me like a mosquito sting is to an ox.'

'And I am Herakles,' the son of Zeus called back. 'My next arrow will carry the blood of the Hydra. Whether you are Olympian or titan, mortal or immortal, it will boil your blood and fill you with such pain that you will long for death.'

The titan boomed a curse at all Olympians, who had thrown down the Titans when the world was still young, but he sent no more waves. The two men watched him subside beneath the waters, which became as calm and as smooth as a pond in a sheltered valley.

'The Hydra's blood is as dire a threat as can be made to an immortal,' Iolaos said. 'To exist forever in excruciating pain must be a terrible fate.'

'Yes,' Herakles agreed. 'After seeing what it did to Kheiron, I can think of nothing worse.'

'What happened to Kheiron was terrible,' Iolaos said, and shook his head. 'Is there nothing we can do to help him? Immortality should never be a curse.'

'Only relinquishing his immortality can help him,' Herakles said, 'and for that he needs someone willing to give him his place in the underworld.'

The journey did not take much time although the distance they travelled was immense. Helios's ship beached itself in a sandy bay barely two hours after they had encountered Okeanos. Herakles and Iolaos unhitched their horses from the chariot and rode out to search for the fabled cattle of Geryon. A series of low hills hid much of the island from their eyes, but all seemed natural and normal to Iolaos, who was secretly expecting a place where everything was the color of blood. 'Why do they call it the red lands?' he asked.

Herakles, who had long ago accepted that his nephew had not been the most attentive of students during his lessons in Thebes, had been expecting such a question. 'Those who have been here say that the setting sun colors the island red in the evening.'

'Oh,' said Iolaos in a slightly disappointed voice as they crested the nearest of the hills. The land beyond was flat and the grass was so thick that it looked as if the island was covered in a thick green carpet. In the distance, they could see a forest rising above the plains, and green hills rose in the distance.

The two men could see two herds of cattle grazing the plains. The nearest herd was to the south, and while the grazing animals looked healthy and vital, were just ordinary cows. To the north, however, grazed a herd of cattle that looked not unlike those kept by Augeias in Hellas, save that they were red in color.

'The ones to the north are Geryon's,' Iolaos said, 'but what of the cows to the south? Are there two settlements on this island?'

'There is an entrance to the underworld near here, so those probably belong to Hades. The two have an agreement, if I remember my lessons correctly,' Herakles said. 'Hades grazes his cattle on the island and in return, Orthos, the brother of Kerberos, guards Geryon's herd.'

Iolaos pulled his horse up. 'Kerberos? The hound that guards the gate to the underworld? With three heads and serpents for a tail? That Kerberos?' Iolaos said.

Herakles nodded. 'Yes, but Orthos has only two heads.' He turned and looked at his nephew. 'Why would you expect anything less?'

Herakles and Iolaos were so intent on Geryon's herd that they did not see the man sitting on a rise just beyond Hades's cattle. His name was Menoites and, being familiar with the underworld and all who passed through it, could recognize trouble when he saw it. He mounted his horse and rode as fast as he could to the home of his friend, which was near the forest at the edge of the plain.

'Geryon!' he called out when he arrived. 'Geryon,' he called again as he dismounted and ran to the palace where the giant lived with his family. 'Thieves! Thieves! Hurry, your cattle are in danger.'

Geryone burst out of the door. 'What are you talking about, Menoites!' said the head above the middle of his three torsos. 'What manner of fool would dare steal cattle guarded by a son of Ares and a fierce beast such as Orthos?'

'Only one man in all the world would attempt such a crime, and he wears a lion's skin for a cape!'

An old woman came out of the door behind Geryon. Although her skin was withered with age, she stood tall and proud and the beauty of youth could still be seen in her eyes.

'My son!' she said. 'If it is Herakles, then stay here and let him have the cattle. His destiny is to stay in the memories of men for all time. Such a man cannot fall in battle to anyone, mortal or immortal. Stay here and let us pray to the Gods that Eurytion survives his attack.'

Geryon turned. 'Honor demands that I go. If it is not Herakles, then there is neither danger nor glory and we will deal with the fool who presumes that he can steal from us. If it is Herakles, then I must stand with those who guard my herd and whether I live or die becomes irrelevant. Whatever happens, my name will live alongside his forever as either his vanquisher or his victim.'

The triple bodied giant took only a moment to arm himself and then ran as swiftly as the fastest horse to his herd.

While Geryon ran, Eurytion, son of Aries, confronted Herakles and Iolaos, who were trying to herd Geryon's cattle to Helios's golden ship.

'Hey! Stop that,' the son of Ares said, and by his side was Orthos, the monstrous hound, who bristled and hissed at them with his snake tails.

'Stand back!' Herakles commanded. 'I have been sent by Hera, Queen of the Gods, to take these cattle back to Tiryns.'

'What sort of man would use the Gods as an excuse to steal another's livelihood?' Eurytion said, and changed the grip on his spear to make it easier to throw. His plan was to throw the spear and take out one of the thieves, and then engage the other with the sword hanging from his belt and the shield on his back.

Iolaos, seeing what his opponent was planning, nocked an arrow to his bow, which caused Orthos to turn towards him and growl.

'Believe me or don't, but I am here for the cattle. You can try to stop me and die, or you can stand aside and live. The choice is yours.'

'It is you who will die!' Eurytion said, and threw the spear. At the same time, Orthos bounded towards Iolaos, who loosed his arrow and struck the beast in the leg, slowing its charge.

Herakles was more concerned for his nephew than the spear thrown by Eurytion. He leaned back enough to allow the projectile to pass over him and then jumped from his horse to land between the limping Orthos and his nephew, holding his sword in his right hand and his club in the left. The hound snapped both its jaws at the son of Zeus, who jumped to the right and then brought his club down and around and crushed one of Orthos's heads. Before the beast had time to react, Herakles brought the sword around and severed the other.

Iolaos nocked another arrow and let fly at Eurytion, who had drawn his sword and was charging towards them, but it sailed wide. Herakles turned and faced the new threat and the two sons of Olympians met with a clash of bronze on bronze. Eurytion was a skilled warrior, but he was no match for Herakles. The big man smashed down on Eurytion's shield with his club, and the force of his blow was so great that it shattered both the shield and the arm holding it. The son of Ares fell to his knees and the son of Zeus brought his sword around in a flat sweep that decapitated him.

Iolaos looked down at the two corpses and almost felt a tinge of pity. They had no chance against the mighty Herakles. Still Hera had sent them here, and it was she who Iolaos believed was ultimately responsible for these deaths. Very few survivors of war ponder philosophy on a battlefield and Iolaos quickly turned his mind to the problems at hand, which came in the form of a triple bodied giant running towards them, armed with sword, spear and bow.

'Herakles,' he called and pointed towards the new threat.

'You start rounding up the cows,' Herakles said. 'I'll deal with him.'

Iolaos nodded and urged his horse forward, while Herakles braced himself. The giant, however, stopped short and began firing arrows at him, all of which bounced harmlessly off Herakles's cloak and breastplate. The big man cursed and ran for his own bow, which was still on his horse. He had only enough time to pull it and his arrows onto his back before Geryon was upon him.

'You have come like a thief but your actions show a murderer,' the giant yelled and swung his sword at Herakles head while simultaneously stabbing low with his spear and shooting an arrow with his third set of arms.

Herakles ducked beneath the sword and knocked the spear away with his club. The giant backed away and then jumped forward again, but the son of Zeus was waiting. He spun to the left and crushed one of the giant's heads, and the spear fell from a lifeless torso.

Geryon screamed in anger and pain and tried to bat Herakles away with his shield, but the lifeless body that hung down from his waist encumbered him and he could only push the son of Zeus away. Still, it bought him enough time to shoot an arrow, but again it bounced of Herakles's cloak.

Geryon cursed and threw down his bow. In a display of agility and strength that few could match, the giant forced Herakles back with a flurry of sword strokes and then picked up his spear. When Herakles countered with a cunning upward chop with his sword, Geryon blocked it with this shield, and followed it with a sword swing that pushed Herakles back and then took the legs out from under him with his spear.

The son of Zeus fell backwards and the impact with the ground knocked his weapons from his grasp. Geryon was instantly upon him, chopping with his sword and stabbing with his spear. Herakles scrambled back and in desperation grabbed the only weapon that remained within his grasp - his bow. Between dodging the giant's blows, he was able to nock a Hydra-blood tipped arrow and shoot it at his adversary. The Gods must have smiled at Herakles in that moment, for the poorly aimed dart sprang from the string like a hare released from a trap and passed through all three of the giant's bodies. Geryon screamed in pain and fell to his knees.

Herakles scrambled to his feet and knocked another arrow to his bow.

'Are you Herakles?' the giant asked and dropped his sword and shield.

'Yes,' Herakles said and lowered his bow

'Then my glory is assured. Strike me down for I can fight you no longer. My blood boils in my veins and I can feel my flesh melting from within. Kill me so that my name will follow yours into the minds of men forever, but do it quickly.'

Herakles stood as if paralyzed.

'What are you waiting for? Kill me and be done with it, but leave one head for my mother to kiss when she mourns me.'

Herakles picked up his sword and stabbed the giant at the point where all three bodies met. An instant later Geryon fell dead.

'Come on,' Iolaos called out, 'these cows won't walk themselves onto the boat.'

Herakles sighed and mounted his horse. Together with Iolaos, they swiftly loaded the red herd onto Helios's golden ship and headed back to the Pillars of Herakles.

(v)

'Why can't we ride the golden ship all the way to Tiryns?' Iolaos asked, as they herded the stolen cows onto the shore. 'We can bring it back once your task is complete.'

'I have enough trouble with the Gods without making a firm ally into an enemy. We should be thankful Helios chose to aid us at all, rather than thinking of ways to take advantage of that generosity.'

'It's just such a long way, and the barbarians who live in this land would slit our throats for no reason at all. Imagine what they'll do to get these cows.'

'But to get to these cows,' Herakles said, 'they have to deal with the guards, and that is no mean feat. We'll stay near the coast so that we can face any threat with our backs to the sea.'

'Great,' Iolaos grumbled. 'A choice between drowning or a sword to the belly.' But the weather was warm and they encountered neither civilized man nor barbarian for days at a time, and those they did encounter scuttled off the moment they sighted them.

The journey was a long one and made even longer by the need to care for the cows. Nor could they stay near the coast for much of it because the cattle needed to eat and the only good feed was inland. So easy had the journey become that neither man thought anything of the ten or so barbarians that scuttled away one morning as they traipsed along the beach looking for a way inland to lead the cattle to feed. And they were overjoyed when they found a series of cliffs near the beach that were backed by long, shallow hills covered in thick, long grass.

'These Ligurians aren't as fierce as I expected,' Herakles said, as they herded the cattle up the first of the narrow hills and past an abandoned campsite.

'Perhaps they know who you are,' Iolaos said. 'The tales of your exploits seem to have travelled far across the world. Even Geryon knew of you.'

The hill was long but shallow, and the two men drove the cattle to its very top before taking shelter from the hot morning sun beneath a shady knot of trees nearby. Iolaos was just getting the fire started when he looked down and saw a horde of barbarians - at least two hundred strong - at the base of the hill.

'Um, uncle,' he said to Herakles, who was dozing under one of the trees. The big man opened his eyes and then jumped to his feet.

One of the horde stepped forward. 'Surrender your cattle and we will let you live!' he called. Herakles snorted, picked up his bow, and nocked an arrow. At the base of the hill, a ripple of laughter ran through the assembled army for they were well out of bowshot. Herakles raised the bow and sent an arrow arcing across the sky towards the laughing men, who stopped laughing when the arrow ended its journey in the speaker's throat.

This display of strength did not have the effect upon the barbarians that Herakles had hoped. They had stopped laughing, true, but they did not back away. He nocked and sent another arrow, just so that the assembled horde knew that it was no lucky shot, and another man died. Still, the horde remained unmoved. Annoyed, Herakles loosed yet another shaft, and yet another man died. He followed this with another, and then another, and another. Eventually, all that remained in Herakles's quiver where the Hydra-blood tipped arrows, which he would only use if there was no other choice.

It was only when the arrows stopped that the horde advanced, and then only to within bowshot for an ordinary man. All two hundred or so raised their bows and sent arrows flying towards the two men. Herakles reacted quickly and managed to cover both himself and Iolaos with the skin of the Nemean Lion and together they scurried out of range. One arrow, however, managed to whistle past the cloak as they ran and lodge in Herakles's shoulder

The son of Zeus screamed in pain and threw back his head, but his cry stopped abruptly. High in the heavens he saw a soaring eagle, and then came the sound of thunder. From the cloudless sky, hundreds of stones fell onto the hillside. Some were no larger than pebbles, while others were bigger than the cows they were herding.

The son of Zeus let out a cry of triumph and picked up the largest stone he could find. He set his feet firmly in the hillside and threw the stone with all his might at the massed Ligurians. The boulder landed full in the middle of the pack and killed no less than twenty men, but it's momentum was so great that it skidded on and killed at least another twenty before it came to rest. Herakles picked up another stone, but the barbarians had broken and were running. This time, his throw only managed to kill ten or so as they tried to make their escape. He picked up a third rock, but there were no targets left. Only the dead remained on the narrow hill.

Herakles slumped to the ground beside the chariot and pulled the arrow from his shoulder. It had dug in deep and the blood flowed freely from the gaping wound until Iolaos stemmed the flow.

'We have but chased them away,' Herakles said when Iolaos had finished bandaging his shoulder. 'They will not attack us so openly again, but will probably wait for us to fall asleep or drop our guard. Move quickly now, we must get as far away from here as possible before the sun sets.They gathered as many arrows as they could from the field of battle and then herded the cattle off the hill and back to the coast.

(vi)

The setting sun found Herakles and Iolaos two leagues from the hill where the Ligurians had attacked. It wasn't far enough for Iolaos, but the cattle would go no further so they set up camp on a rise that gave them a good view of the land all around.

'It's impossible to hide when leading so many cows,' Herakles had said when Iolaos suggested they set up camp in a cave they had found near the beach, 'and they would have certainly sent someone to follow us. No, we are far better off being able to see from where they will attack than we would be if we skulked in the shadows.'

Iolaos reluctantly agreed, even though he thought it wise to have stone at their backs if they Ligurians attacked again. Regardless of whether it was wise or not, he knew his uncle was not the sort of man that would skulk anywhere, regardless of what threatened him.

'My father sent those stones to aid us,' Herakles said as they sat beside the campfire in the gloom.

'I'd assume so. I've never seen rocks fall from a cloudless sky before.'

'There was an eagle circling up high before the stones fell,' Herakles said, and ran his hand over the shoulder where the arrow had pierced it. Iolaos couldn't help noticing that the bandage was dry as if there was no injury beneath.

'We should have a good look at that wound before you go to sleep tonight,' Iolaos said, and undid the cloth holding the bandage in place. The tear left by the arrow was dry and clean and well on the way to closing.

'Had I not seen the arrow plucked from your shoulder with my own eyes, I would not believe that this happened but a few hours ago,' he said and threw the bandage onto the fire.

Herakles shrugged. 'There was pain only for a moment when the arrow struck and then when I pulled it free. Now it just itches.'

Iolaos shook his head in amazement. 'You take the first watch,' he said, and stretched out by the fire.

Although the Ligurians did not attack again, Herakles and Iolaos travelled more carefully. They rarely went without a watch and made sure that they camped in places that were defendable. This made their progress slow, however, and they rarely travelled more than a league a day. The weather, while still warm, was becoming more unpredictable. Their proximity to the sea exposed them to violent and sudden storms, but the worst was a rainstorm that lasted three long, uncomfortable days.

'Look, Herakles, there are caves in the cliff here and feed for the cattle. Let's stop here until the rain stops and the ground becomes firm underfoot again. I've had my fill of squelching in the mud.'

For once, Herakles agreed. It's not that the rain was particularly strong, or even cold. But it was steady and unstopping and eventually felt like it was somehow falling through the skin and pounding directly onto the nerves beneath. They busied themselves gathering wood for a fire and, even though Iolaos almost tore out his hair in frustration trying to get it lit, the warmth it provided was worth the effort.

'I can't remember when I last felt dry,' Iolaos said, as they sat in the mouth of the cave and looked out over the grazing cattle and horses.

Herakles, who was lying on his lion skin cape, nodded in agreement. 'You take first watch,' he said, and promptly fell asleep.

'How do you do that?' Iolaos asked, but Herakles only snored in response. 'No one can fall asleep instantly like that,' he grumbled. 'It's weird.'

The hours passed but Iolaos could not tell how many because heavy clouds hid the stars and the moon. At one point, he thought he heard a something in the distance, like a heavy body sliding over rough ground, but he could make out nothing in the darkness beyond the light of the campfire.

'Uncle,' he whispered and nudged Herakles with his foot. 'Uncle, I thought I heard something.'

Herakles woke instantly and jumped to his feet. 'Where?'

'Over there,' Iolaos said, and pointed into the darkness. 'It's probably nothing, but it's your turn to keep watch anyway.'

Herakles sat back down on his lion skin. 'It doesn't feel like it's my turn yet but as I am already awake, I may as well stay that way.'

'Thanks,' Iolaos said, and curled up on the bearskin he used as his bedroll. He was asleep within moments.

Herakles sat staring out into the darkness and then, he too, heard a sound, and it was accompanied by a gentle whinny from one of the horses. He was tempted to rouse Iolaos, but there would be little point in stumbling around in the darkness. Besides, the horses were more intelligent than most of the people Herakles had met and would have raised an alarm if they were in any real danger.

Morning seemed to take an eternity to arrive, but eventually the clouds to the east became the color of roses and light from the rising sun pushed away the night. Herakles looked out over the grassy plain where the cattle were already grazing and let out a curse. He kicked Iolaos into consciousness.

'Wake up! The horses are gone?'

'What? Huh? The horses?' Iolaos said, after spluttering into wakefulness. They've probably gone looking for sweeter grass or something.'

'I heard something in the night, but it was too dark to see,' Herakles said. 'And one of them whinnied, as if he was welcoming someone he already knew.'

Herakles strode to where he heard the sounds the night before and there were found that the grass had been trampled down, tracks in the mud to the east looked like those made by a snake.

'That would be the biggest snake ever,' Iolaos said, after Herakles pointed them out to him. 'Bigger even than the Hydra. But look, the horses tracks are over the top of it, like they came later.'

'Or they were following whatever it was.'

'But they would have said something,' Iolaos said. 'It's not like them to wander into danger without including us!'

'No, it's not,' Herakles agreed, 'but wherever they went, I'm going to go as well. 'You stay here and watch the cattle.'

Herakles took his sword and his bow and followed the tracks left by the horses and the unidentified snake-like creature. They led to a small copse of trees in a nearby marsh. It was an unnerving place; the trees grew so close together that they seemed to form a wall of green timber, except in one place that was as wide as a man was tall. A strange glow came from the gap and Herakles was not at all surprised to see the tracks disappear into it. He tightened his grip on his sword and stepped through.

It was only after he had passed through that he realized the gap was actually a doorway, and the boughs of the trees that made up the wall intertwined above his head to form a roof of foliage. The rain drumming on the leaves above made a strange hollow sound on the very cusp of hearing. The flickering light that he saw from outside was coming from a brazier in the center of the space, and illuminated his two horses and a beautiful woman who had the body of a serpent where her legs should have been.

Despite her fearsome appearance, the woman did not strike Herakles as particularly dangerous, especially since one his horses was nuzzling her shoulder. 'Who are you and why have you led my horses here?' he asked, but he lowered his sword.

'They wanted to get out of the rain and there was no room in your cave,' the woman said. 'You are Herakles, are you not?'

'It no longer surprises me when people know my name,' he said, 'but who are you?'

'I am Skythia and I have been waiting for you for many years. I had an oracle that told of our son.'

Herakles swallowed. 'Our son?'

Iolaos was beginning to worry when he spotted his uncle strolling towards their camp leading the two missing horses.

'Where have you been?' he scolded. 'It's past noon!'

Herakles laughed, threw his arm around his nephew's shoulders and led him to the fire. 'I can't tell you and even if I could, I doubt you'd believe what happened. I don't really believe what happened and I was there.'

'Oh come on! What could be more unbelievable than a three bodied giant and rocks falling from the sky?'

Herakles laughed, rummaged in his pack for a hunk of bread and some cheese, and began to eat as if he'd never eaten before. Try as he might, Iolaos could not draw any more information from him about the events of the morning.

(vii)

Despite not encountering any more trouble from the barbaric Ligurians, Herakles and Iolaos were glad when they finally crossed into the comparatively civilized land of Etruria.

'We will follow the coast south until we get to Campeva,' Herakles said as they sat by the fire one evening, 'and then head due east to the opposite coast where we will try to find a ship capable of taking us and the cattle across to Hellas. If we can't find one, I'll stay with the cattle while you go to seek help from King Dexamenos.'

'Do we still need a watch?' Iolaos asked. 'The people around here seem very civilized for barbarians.'

'Even civilized men would be tempted by such cattle,' Herakles said, and looked around. 'This land is so empty of people that it makes me nervous. The last farmhouse we passed was a league to the north, and even that looked deserted. Yet the land seems fertile and the hunting has been good. Why are there no people here?'

'Do you think is has anything to do with that smoking mountain in the distance?'

Herakles looked to the east where a series of hills rose above the lands. He could just make out a plume of smoke rising into the sky from the central peak.

'Not much of a mountain, really,' Herakles said, 'and the smoke looks like it's rising from cooking fires rather than from boiling earth within the mountain's heart. It could be that there are barbarians living in those hills and have driven everyone else away, which is even more reason to keep a guard through the night.'

A gibbous moon in a cloudless sky meant that the night was a bright one, and Herakles was thankful for it. He had decided to allow his nephew a few more hours of sleep, not from any generosity, but because he was feeling strangely ill at ease. For some unexplainable reason, his skin crawled as if he was in the presence of a grotesque horror and his nerves twanged like the strings on Orpheus's lyre. It had kept him alert and awake through most of the night, and he had just about convinced himself that he was possibly being overly dramatic when a panicked whinny came from the east.

'Something is wrong to the east,' he said as he kicked Iolaos awake, then he grabbed his club and ran off in the direction of the sound. Again, his horse called out to him and this time he could hear that the sound came from behind a nearby copse of trees, and a second followed shortly after, which meant that both the horses were in the same place. An urgency took him and he sped across the grass and broke through the covering trees, where he saw a giant dragging one of the cattle backwards by the tail. The horses were harassing it by getting behind and impeding its progress, but they were unable to stop it completely.

The giant turned its evil red eyes to him, bellowed defiance and then opened a blackened maw wide enough to swallow a sizable dog. There was a pause, and then a roar accompanied by a cone of red flame that missed Herakles by a fingers breadth and ignited the trees behind him.

Herakles dived behind a stone as the giant roared a second fiery breath at him, then he stood and threw his club, which smacked the huge beast in the middle of its forehead. The force of the blow knocked the giant backwards and forced him to release the cow. Herakles seized his opportunity and bounded towards his enemy, picking his club up on the way. He swung a lusty blow at the giant's head, but it lifted a huge hand and snatched the club out of the air, grasped Herakles around the waist with the other hand and then, without so much as a grunt of effort, it threw man and club into the blazing trees.

The son of Zeus crashed into a blazing tree trunk and slid down to the ground. Almost miraculously, he managed to avoid the flames and bounced back to his feet with only a singed beard. Still grasping his club, he looked up to engage his foe again, but the giant was running to the east, covering the ground at an amazing speed with long, loping strides.

The sun was rising as Herakles walked back to camp pulling tufts of singed hair from his beard.

'What happened,' Iolaos asked, looking past his uncle to the burning trees.

'Another giant,' Herakles said. 'This one was able to breathe fire.'

'Oh. Did you know that eight of the cattle are missing? Four cows and four bulls.'

'What? Are you sure?'

'I've been staring at the same bunch of cows for nearly a year,' Iolaos said. 'Yes, I'm sure. I've never been surer of anything else in my entire life, including my own name.'

Herakles shook his head and quickly donned his armor and cloak. 'He's strong and fast and his breath is flame,' he said. 'You and the horses had better stay here and watch over what's left of the cattle. I will go and rescue the other cattle, if they still live.

'What of the giant?'

'I will douse the bastard's flames with his own blood.'

(viii)

Although he hadn't seen where the giant had run to, Herakles was confident he would find him in the smoking hill to the east. At least now he knew why there were no people within a league of this place - who would want a fire-breathing, cattle-stealing giant as a neighbor? Herakles's plans for retrieving the missing cattle - if they still lived - would have the side benefit of making these hills far more attractive to settlers in the very near future.

The hills were closer than they appeared from their camp, as well as being taller. There were seven peaks in total, but it was to the tallest at their center that Herakles made his way. It wasn't difficult to find the giant's lair - a fence made of bones surrounded a bone strewn paddock in which the eight missing cattle huddled together. They stood as far away from the hill as the enclosure would allow them.

A path of stone led to a huge door in the hillside that was covered with human heads in various stages of decay. At the very top, the heads were skulls of bleached bone while those towards the bottom of the door still had flesh on the bone and eyes in the sockets.

From the top of the peak, Herakles could see that smoked poured up into the sky. Because subtlety was not one of his strong points, the son of Zeus marched up to the door and struck it such a blow with his club that it all but disintegrated. Beyond the door was a cave lit by dozens of small fires dotted about in pits in the floor. The biggest of the pits had been dug directly in front of the door and was full of wood and cloth, presumably from the clothes of the giants victims.

The stench of burning flesh and decay was overpowering, and underlined by another unidentifiable smell that made Herakles's head spin and reminded him a little of the temple to Apollo at Delphi. He made to move forward, but hesitated - a movement that probably saved his life. The giant opened its maw and spewed fire towards the door, but he had not aimed at Herakles. Instead, the giant directed his fiery breath at the pit before the door, which exploded and sent up a silent and white-hot fireball.

Had Herakles taken one more step, he would have been at the center of the explosion. But even at a distance, the heat from the fireball singed his skin and burnt all the hair off his head. He could hear the giant laughing beyond the flames, oblivious to the fact that Herakles had survived.

Herakles did not even consider just taking the cattle and leaving the giant be. His skin was red and raw, his hair gone again, and his anger burned even hotter than the giant's fires. The heat of the pit made it impossible to assault the giant through the front door, so he decided to try going through the hole at the top of the hill. To ensure his quarry did not escape, Herakles took a huge stone from the path and wedged it across the doorway. Inside, he could hear that the giant had stopped laughing. There was a crash against the stone, but it was too heavy even for a giant to lift away.

Confident that he had trapped his quarry in the cave, Herakles bounded up the slope of the hill to where smoke poured out through a gap. It was a small hole, as wide as his head, but a few blows from Herakles's fist opened it enough for him to hurl a boulder through. The giant looked up and saw Herakles framed against the sky. It sent a searing gout of flame through the widened chimney, but Herakles stood back. When the flame expired, Herakles picked up a rock the size of his head and threw it with all his might at the giant, but the beast skipped out of the way. Another burst of flame came Herakles's way, and he jumped back from the hole. This time, he nocked an arrow and stood over the hole long enough to shoot it, but the giant breathed fire and the shaft disintegrated almost as soon as it left the string.

Annoyed, Herakles threw down his bow and jumped through the hole. He landed atop the giant's shoulders and wrapped his powerful arms around its neck. The giant tried to claw at the son of Zeus to dislodge him, but Herakles clung on with a grip stronger than iron. He kept one arm wrapped around the giant's throat and with the other, punched it in the back of the head. The giant slowed its bucking and scrabbling and dropped to its knees. Herakles squeezed even harder and the giant thrashed about, but it was weakening. Herakles punched it a second time and heard the skull crack. The giant stopped thrashing entirely and lay still, but Herakles's anger was not fully sated. The third blow smashed the giant's head open and sent blood and gore scattering even up to the ceiling of the cave.

Now that his opponent was dead, Herakles took a moment to take in his surroundings. What he saw sickened him, even though he was a veteran of many a battlefield. It is one thing to kill a man in battle, but quite another to gnaw at the flesh on his bones for days after his death. The fire at the door was still too hot to cross, so he dropped the giant's body over it and climbed out into the clean air and sunlight.

Despite the stench of giants-blood that covered Herakles, the cattle clustered around him when he left the cave and followed him obediently back to camp. Even the dimmest animal would have been eager to escape the giant's clutches, and these were more than ordinary animals.

'Your hair!' Iolaos exclaimed when Herakles arrived at camp. 'It's gone again.'

Herakles said nothing. He just stripped off and headed to the ocean that was a stone's throw from their camp. He spent the entire day bathing, but the stench of burnt flesh would not leave him.

(ix)

They stayed one more night so that Herakles could sacrifice one of the cattle to Zeus, his father. He chose the finest of the cows and led the beast to a flat stone near the giant's cave to slay it, and then built a pyre to burn the carcass and the bones.

'Won't Hera say the herd is incomplete?' Iolaos asked.

'Not even Hera could deny such a sacrifice to her husband,' Herakles said, and he was right. Hera had watched the sacrifice and could do nothing. She knew that she could not object to such an action, but a plan had presented itself.

'The young one is right, the herd does need to be complete,' she hissed, and cupped her hands. When she opened them again, a huge gadfly sat perched on her palm. 'You have a job to do, my little friend,' she said. 'The biggest bull would have the sweetest blood. Go now.'

Herakles and Iolaos did not tarry long and left to continue their journey south along the coast while the sacrificial pyre was still smouldering. After a league or so, they came upon a small coastal village. An old man herding sheep saw them pass and was curious about Herakles's lack of hair.

'It looks like you've been in a fire, friend,' the shepherd said.

'Of a sort. It was the giant who lives in the hills to the north,' Herakles replied.

The old man chuckled. 'Kakos must be getting old to let you escape with only singed hair.'

'He did not let me escape,' Herakles said. 'I killed him.'

The shepherd laughed again, and then stopped when he saw the look on Herakles's face. 'You're not serious, are you?'

'How else would I have become so burnt?'

'You fell into your campfire?'

'It doesn't matter if you believe my tale or not,' Herakles said, 'we need a boat to transport these cattle to Hellas. Is there anyone nearby who could help us?'

The shepherd considered this. 'There are some fishermen to the south, but their boats are too small,' he said. 'You'll probably need to go to Cannae or Tarentum for something that will suit.'

'What shall we do?' Iolaos asked, after the shepherd had wandered away with his sheep.

'It's getting late and there is good feed here,' Herakles said. 'Let's stay here the night and head east in the morning.'

Iolaos nodded and busied himself lighting a fire while Herakles went hunting for their evening meal. A couple of hours passed and the sun was setting when they heard the drum of hooves from the north. Herakles picked up his club and went to stand by the chariot while Iolaos nocked an arrow on his bow and went to stand in the lengthening shadows cast by a small copse of trees.

No sooner had they taken their positions than two riders crested a nearby hill and came into view.

'There he is,' called the lead rider and pointed at Herakles. Both horsemen reined in their mounts and trotted to where the big man was standing.

'Kakos is dead, just like you said!' said the first rider, who was the shepherd they had met earlier. Both men dismounted and came to stand before Herakles.

'I am Gaius and this is my brother Livius,' the shepherd said, 'and who are you who has killed the evil Kakos?'

'I am Herakles and that man in the trees over there is my nephew Iolaos. We were herding these cattle to Tiryns at the command of Hera when that giant tried to steal some of them.'

'If he only stole cattle, he would not have been so feared. He had a taste for human flesh as well,' Gaius said.

'I gathered from the heads on his door and the carcasses in his cave,' Herakles said. 'Now I have helped you, perhaps you can help me. I need a boat to take these cattle to Hellas. Can you help me find one?'

'When word spreads of your great deed, every captain and fisherman in Etruria will be eager to carry you wherever you want to go just to be able say that they helped the man who killed Kakos,' Gaius said.

Just then, a bull that had been grazing on the grass near a sandy beach screamed in anger and pain. It bucked and then threw up its head in pain again, before running as fast as it could towards the sea. Herakles ran after it but it was too late. The bull was swimming as if a pride of hungry lions were on its tail and had vanished into the distance before Herakles even reached the beach. He screamed a curse and ran back to get his club, which he strapped to his back. 'Watch the cattle until I return,' he called to Iolaos and then ran back to the ocean's shore.

'Where's he going?' Gaius asked of Iolaos, who had come to stand beside the two men.

'To get the bull. He must return the whole herd to Tiryns or Hera may deem the task a failure.'

'Is he really Herakles?' Livius asked. 'I heard in stories that Herakles was as tall as a giant and was accompanied by a huge lion.'

'Who else but Herakles could have killed Kakos?' Gaius said, and then turned to Iolaos. 'When he comes back, bring him to my home which is to the south along the road. It is the first you'll encounter as you travel. While he is gone my brother and I will spread the word that Kakos is dead, and that he was killed by the mighty Herakles.'

(x)

Herakles's pursuit of the bull lasted for many days. Had it stayed in the trackless sea, he would never have found it. Thankfully, it came to shore quite often and grazed on the grasses by the sea. It was as if a temporary madness would grip the bull's mind and make it flee headlong into the sea, but when the madness passed, the bull would return to land. Eventually, he tracked it to an island south west of Eturia, in a fenced paddock amongst a dozen or so cows.

The son of Zeus breathed a sigh of relief that it was unharmed. The bull must have recognized him and lowed a greeting, but just as Herakles approached, it began to buck and scream again, and bashed itself against the confining fence. Not willing to lose his prize again, Herakles grasped it by the horns and held it still. It was only when he was close enough to hold the bull that he saw the reason for its madness - there was a huge gadfly on its back, chewing on its hide. He reached out and crushed the fly between his fingers and immediately, the bull became passive again.

'Hey, you, what are you doing?' a voice yelled behind him and Herakles turned to see ten or so armed men running towards him, led by a large muscular man.

'I'm taking my bull back,' Herakles replied. 'A gadfly sent it mad and it ran away.'

'That bull belongs to me, King Eryx, son of Poseidon.'

'No, it belongs to me, Herakles, son of Zeus. Now get out of my way before I lose my temper and you lose your head.'

'Ha! Look at you. There is not a hair on your head and you expect me to believe you are the famous Herakles? Chasing a cow?'

'The giant Kakos burnt off my hair just before I killed him, and this cow once belonged to triple bodied Geryon, who I also killed.'

'Oh come now, not even Herakles could kill Kakos, but you amuse me so I will make you a deal. We will have a boxing match, you and I, and the bull will go to the winner. Agreed?'

Herakles nodded and released the bull, which emptied its bowels on Herakles's foot. Eryx laughed and then made to punch the big man in the head, but Herakles ducked beneath the blow.

'Ah, you are quick for such a big man,' Eryx said, 'but can you box?'

Herakles responded with a blow so hard that it cracked his opponent's skull and sent his lifeless body flying over the paddock fence.

'Your King had a soft head,' he said to the soldiers who had been watching on. 'Now I don't care if you fools believe I am Herakles or not, but know this. If someone does not get me a boat very soon so that I can leave this stinking rock, then I will kill every one of you.'

(xi)

'Did you find your bull?' Gaius asked, when Herakles and Iolaos knocked on his door.

Herakles nodded. 'It was on an island to the south.'

'Thrinacia? Where King Eryx rules?'

'He rules no longer. The idiot would not give me the bull back willingly.'

Gaius nodded. 'He has a reputation as a fool,' he said. 'Or had, but that is no matter. You will be glad to know that we have found a boat for you, to show our gratitude for killing Kakos. I will accompany you to Cannae where an old friend of mine is a merchant who trades often with the people of Hellas. He has sent word that he would gladly take you and all your cattle.'

The three men set out the next day, after Herakles sacrificed another cow to Poseidon as thanks for his smooth journey back with the bull, and it seemed that his sacrifice was well received. A fair wind made the journey from Cannae to Olenos smooth and quick. They stayed a while with King Dexamenos because the King knew of Gaius's friend - the merchant Aetius - and often shared a meal with him when he came to trade.

From Olenos, Herakles and Iolaos herded Geryon's cattle to Tiryns without incident.

'You've probably killed most of the giants in the world,' Iolaos joked when they caught sight of the walls of Tiryns. 'And those that still live must do so in fear of ever meeting you.'

Herakles smiled and shook his head. 'As long as they don't try to steal the cows, they have nothing to fear from me.'

As usual, the guards on the tower saw Herakles approaching and warned Kopreus the herald, who greeted them at the city's walls.

'Are these the cattle of Geryon as Hera requested?' Kopreus asked. Accompanying him were no less than thirty mounted soldiers, and an equal number of archers lined the wall above.

'Yes, where is the King?'

'He will come when he is ready,' Kopreus said, but even as he spoke, there came a rumbling sound behind him and the King's cart rumbled through the city doors. A new pot had been fashioned for the King to sit in, but this one was open at the front so that others could see his face and hear his voice when he spoke.

'So, Herakles, exile of Thebes, have you done as Hera commanded?'

'Yes. These are the cattle of triple-bodied Geryon. All of them survived the trip but for those few that I sacrificed to the Gods,' Herakles said. 'Many years have passed since I first came to Tiryns and this is my tenth completed task. By my reckoning, my penance is over and I should be free to go.'

'Do not be so eager to excuse yourself from my service,' King Eurystheus snapped. 'Hera counts only eight tasks complete, so you must complete two more before your service comes to an end.'

Herakles glowered at the King, but his words were conciliatory. 'Who am I to question the will of the Queen of the Gods?'

'Who indeed,' the King says, 'and already Hera has come to me in a dream and given me your ninth task.'

'I will hear it,' Herakles said.

'You are to go to the Garden of the Hesperides and return with three golden apples from the tree that Gaia gave Hera on her wedding day.'

Everyone within earshot was shocked to hear such a task - even Kopreus was surprised at the audacity of sending a mortal to such a place. Everyone that is, except for Herakles. His face remained impassive and he asked only one question: 'Where can I find the Garden?'

The King laughed. 'All I know is that it lies to the west, beyond the sunset and where Atlas holds up the sky.'

Herakles sighed and then clapped Iolaos on the back. 'Ready for another long journey?'

Iolaos laughed and turned the chariot towards home. 'Can we have a bit of a rest first?'

Herakles shrugged. 'For how long?'

'Five or six years?'

'We will sacrifice these cattle to Hera,' King Eurystheus said to cover his embarrassment that Herakles had left without asking his approval. 'It will be a fitting devotion to so great an Olympian.

Atlas and the Golden Apples

Although impatient to finish his service to King Eurystheus, Herakles decided to linger a while in Tiryns after delivering Geryon's cattle. He reasoned that the journey to the red lands had been a long one, and the one to the Garden of the Hesperides promised to be even longer, so a good rest would serve both he and Iolaos well. His nephew was keen on the idea because it gave him to visit his family and Megara.

Despite his resolve, a few days after Iolaos had gone Herakles found himself feeling restless and impatient. He hunted the forests around the home he had built, and even went as far as travelling to the ocean for a few days to swim in the cool waters, but even that offered no relief from his nagging restlessness.

Iolaos's return from Thebes several weeks early was a welcome development.

'I know we were going to wait until winter had come and gone,' his nephew said, 'but is there any point in waiting, other than fraying our nerves? After just a few days in Thebes, I had a feeling that I should be somewhere else, but it would have been impolite to leave too early. So I waited ten days, and by the end, it felt like agony.'

'I'm glad you followed your heart and returned,' Herakles said. 'I also have been feeling impatient and want to set off as soon as possible. But the problem remains. Where are we going?'

Iolaos shrugged. 'We should just head west and see where it will lead us.'

Herakles considered this. 'As good an idea as any I have had,' he said, eventually.

They left the next day after loading Diomedes's chariot with all manner of supplies, but when they finally got on the road, it soon became apparent to Iolaos that it might have been a wasted effort. 'Why do you insist on hunting when we have so much food?' he said after Herakles announced they would stop to hunt after they had travelled no more than a league that day. As far as Iolaos could judge, in the four days since leaving Tiryns they had travelled no more than five leagues.

Herakles shrugged. 'I like hunting,' he said, and then laughed at the look of frustration on his nephew's face. 'I know you are frustrated, but I find it difficult to be urgent when we don't know our destination let alone the road we must take.' Iolaos seemed unconvinced, so Herakles offered a compromise to soothe his nephew's frustration. 'If it will make you feel better, we can stay at an inn at the next city we come to, instead of at the traveller's shelter.'

This offer mollified Iolaos somewhat and he was content to travel at a snail's pace as long as there was a bed in the not too distant future. His mood rose to a point where he very nearly smiled when they reached the outskirts of Tegea, but a familiar voice that floated across the road dashed his hopes.

'Does Lidas see his old friends Herakles and Iolaos on the road again? Obviously off on another adventure that would be beyond the capabilities of most men.'

'Lidas!' Herakles exclaimed. 'Just when we need guidance, we meet a man who seems to know more than most!'

'We're not staying in an inn tonight, are we?' Iolaos said.

Herakles laughed and clapped his nephew on the shoulder. 'There will be many more nights for inns. Tonight, we need to ask a few questions of a man who seems to know everything.'

'I'll get the fire started, shall I?'

That evening, after sharing a meal with the merchant, Herakles asked Lidas what he knew of the Garden of the Hesperides.

'Lidas knows of it,' the merchant said. 'His father used to tell him tales of the old Gods when he was a lad. It is where the Hersperides, the daughters of the evening star, spend much of their time. It is said that it lies beyond the sunset and that the tree Gaia gave her daughter Hera as a wedding gift grows at its heart. The unsleeping serpent Ladon guards the tree because the daughters of Atlas are fond of eating the golden apples it produces.'

'So you don't know where it is?' Herakles said, and shook his head in frustration. 'We may be doomed to roam the world forever searching for this place!'

'Do not despair so easily, mighty Herakles. Lidas said he did not know where it lies, but Lidas did not say he could not help you find it.'

'If you don't know where it is, how can you help us find it?' Iolaos asked.

'The garden is a place known only to the Gods, so you must find a God who will tell you where it is!'

'Olympians are difficult people to coerce and are easily offended,' Herakles said.

Lidas laughed. 'Of all the people in the world, Lidas thinks Herakles is the most qualified to say such a thing, but Herakles has misunderstood. Lidas is not talking about Olympians! Lidas is talking about the old Gods, those who were in the world before Zeus usurped his father.'

'Like Okeanos, who menaced us on our voyage to the red lands!' Iolaos exclaimed.

'Exactly! Herakles and Iolaos must find such a God and ask him where to find the Garden.'

'I'm not sure Okeanos would help us unless I threatened to shoot him with a hydra-blood arrow,' Herakles said, uncertainly.

'There are quite a few of the old Gods still persisting in this world,' the merchant said. 'In his travels, Lidas has heard of one who lives to the north of Hellas, in Illyria. His name is Nereus, God of the sea, and it is said that he spends much of his time in the river Erydanus. Lidas thinks that Nereus would be far easier to find than Okeanos.'

'And if Lidas thinks that, so does Herakles,' the son of Zeus said.

(ii)

After they parted ways with Lidas, Herakles and Iolaos decided that the best course of action would be to travel to Olenos to the north west, where good King Dexamenos was always too happy to see them and help them out. He was especially fond of Herakles, who had provided him with a healthy and robust grandson without the messiness of bridegrooms and unstable alliances. From Olenos, Herakles was hoping to find a ship - or, more accurately, to borrow one from Dexamenos - to take them across the waters to Illyria.

The first part of the journey was trouble free; Iolaos's badgering finally wore Herakles down and they stayed at an inn more often than not while travelling across Hellas. They lingered a while at Olenos, before boarding one of Dexamenos's boats to cross the sea. The problems only began after the ship left them in Illyria, near the river Erydanus where Lidas had told them they would find Nereus.

'There's nothing here at all,' Herakles complained as he looked out over the empty landscape.

'Maybe he lives up stream?' Iolaos suggested.

Herakles shrugged. 'Let's go and see,' he said.

So they journeyed west and north along the river for two days, but still they found nothing.

'This is a strange place,' Herakles said on the afternoon of the third day since leaving the ship from Hellas. 'There aren't even any animals to hunt.'

Iolaos, who had taken a liking to the fat fish that teemed in the river waters, did not share Herakles's disappointment. 'The fish make up for the lack of game,' he said, as he prepared to grill four freshly caught fish for their dinner.

'The sea God chases away the animals,' said a feminine voice from behind them, which caused Iolaos to drop their unprepared dinner into the fire and Herakles to bounce up and draw his sword.

A few yards from the riverbank, a beautiful young woman sat on a stone in the river and smiled at them.

'You're Herakles, are you not?'

'Yes,' Herakles said, and lowered his sword. 'And who are you?'

'I am Erydanus, who else would I be?' the woman said. 'You are just as Hylas described.'

'How do you know of Hylas?'

The nymph laughed, and it sounded like the tinkling of a waterfall. 'All waters are connected under the earth,' she said. 'I met him at his wedding where I was a guest with my sisters. It was there he told us of your time together on the Argo, and how you refused to abandon him when Jason decided to sail.'

Sensing that there was no danger and that their death was not imminent, Iolaos turned to the fire to try to rescue their dinner but it was too late. The flames had so blackened and burnt the fish that only the most ravenous of men would want to eat them. Erydanus saw what he was doing and laughed. A moment later, four fat fish jumped out of the water and flopped around on the bank.

'Why has the famous Herakles come to my river, which is so far away from Hellas?'

'We come seeking the sea God Nereus,' Herakles said.

Erydamus stopped smiling. 'Your need must be great indeed,' she said. 'Nereus is not one to seek the company of others. He is of the sea and the water and chases away any animal that prefers the land, including men such as you.'

'Where is he?'

'He is at the mouth of the river, near his beloved sea.'

'But we've just come from there and it's empty of everything but trees and fish. There are no birds flying above and no animals anywhere to be seen,' Iolaos said. He was gutting the four fish that had sacrificed themselves for their dinner and ignoring a sudden craving for meat.

'You may not have seen him, but he was there. Perhaps he knows who you are because usually he attacks any who come near.'

'You mean he is invisible?' Herakles said.

'No, he is always in plain sight,' Erydamus said, 'but he can change the way others see him.'

'That makes it difficult, but we have no other choice,' Herakles said. 'We need to speak to Nereus because we are seeking the garden of the Hesperides. If someone else can tell us, then we can avoid the sea God completely. Do you know how we can get to the garden?'

'Yes, there is a spring near there that is connected to all the waters of the world. But only nymphs and the likes of Hylas can use it.'

'Can you take us?' Herakleas asked.

Erydamus laughed again. 'No, I cannot unless you agree to marry me and stay with me in the waters forever.'

'There are worse fates,' Herakles said, and sighed. 'It seems we have no choice but to find and confront Nereus.'

(iii)

They left the glade of Erydamus the nymph early the next morning and headed back east towards the sea.

'What if he is disguised as a fish, or a stone?' Iolaos said. 'How are we to find him if he is deep under the water or disguised as a grain of sand.'

'Could he really be a grain of sand?'

'Why not?'

'From what I have seen of Gods, they would never willingly make themselves smaller than they are,' Herakles said. 'Remember Okeanos? He would have killed us just for the sport of it such was his love of power, and I am sure all Gods share that love. I have an idea about how we will find our friend Nereus, and I need your help.'

'What do you need me to do?'

'I'm going to yell insults at Nereus as if I did not know he could disguise himself. You should try to make me see reason and not mock a God who could be near.'

'But why?' Iolaos asked.

'I want you to remind him that he is a God and should take offense. Tell me how Zeus or Apollo would be angry and smite me for such insults, and why would Nereus be any different.'

'Ha ha!' Iolaos said, 'what a wonderful idea. What God can swallow his pride enough to ignore a stream of insults?'

At the river mouth, Herakles made a show of looking for Nereus, and called his name at the top of his lungs several times. 'I doubt this Nereus fool even exists,' he said loudly to Iolaos in a frustrated voice. 'Probably just some tepid bag of piss like those two fools that lived in the river near Augeias's stable.'

'Please uncle, calm yourself,' Iolaos said. 'This is a God and he should be respected as such.'

'Pah, there is no Nereus, and if there is then he is a craven coward. No doubt he has heard of my exploits and is hiding away from me.'

'Please, stop! Would you insult Apollo in such a way, or Athena?'

'Ah, but there you have it. Apollo is a God worthy of respect, as is Athena, but who is Nereus? Why should I respect him, if he exists at all?'

'You should respect him because he will wash your guts out through your ears if you don't,' said a booming voice behind them. They turned to see a tall man with large blues eyes and bleached white hair, but his most striking feature was his skin that seemed to reflect the water's surface and shimmered white and blue.

'How do we know that you are Nereus old man?' Herakles asked.

'I need not prove anything to you, misbegotten son of Zeus,' Nereus said.

'Everyone knows my name - even the nymph Erydamus has heard of my exploits - so that is no proof, and your false bravado is a mark against you,' Herakles said. 'If you are truly a God then you will know how to get to the Garden of Hesperides. Tell us the way and we will acknowledge your existence.'

Nereus laughed and the sound was like ocean waves washing onto a sandy beach. 'Do I look a fool to you?' he said.

'Yes!' Herakles said, and pounced on the old God of the sea and wrapped his huge, muscular arms around his neck. Nereus screamed and struggled, but was unable to dislodge his tormentor. Then his skin shimmered and he became a huge crocodile covered in the organic slime that gathers at the bottom of a swamp, but Herakles still clung on to his neck. Nereus's skin shimmered again and he became a man-shaped flame, but Herakles refused to relinquish his grasp despite his own skin blistering from the heat. In a final, desperate play, Nereus changed into a wild boar and tried to run away, but Herakles planted his feet and kept them both in one spot.

'Enough! Enough!' Nereus called out after changing back to his original shape. 'Why do you torment me? What do you want from me?'

'I've already told you,' Herakles said, still holding on tight. 'We need to know how to reach the Garden of the Hesperides.'

'The Garden is not a place for mortals, but I will tell you if you vow to leave this place and never return.'

'I vow it, in the name of Zeus my father, I will never return to this river willingly if you tell us how to reach the Garden,' Herakles said.

'Release me, then, and I will tell you.'

'If you attempt to flee, I will fill you with the blood of the Hydra,' Herakles said, but he relaxed his grip.

'Why would I attempt to flee? You are asking me directions to your own death. Do you not know that Ladon, the unsleeping serpent, guards the Garden against the likes of you? Now be silent and pay careful attention, for I will tell you just once,' Nereus said. 'The Garden lies to the west, that is true, but it is hidden from mortals so that only one path will lead there. You must travel to the east with the ocean on your right, through the mountains where Prometheus is imprisoned. Walk along the ocean shore until you reach the land of the Amazons. From there, you must travel south until your path once again meets the sea. Once again you will walk with the ocean on your right, but you will now be travelling west. Your path will lead you through Egypt and the desert lands. If you can survive these hostile and barbaric places, then it will lead you to the Garden of the Hesperides where the titan Atlas holds up the heavens.'

Iolaos looked at Herakles. 'Did you get that?'

'I think so. Keep the ocean on the right and avoid the Amazons, which we will have to do anyway.'

'I have held up my end of the bargain, now hurry away and never return as was your promise,' Nereus said.

(iv)

Herakles and Iolaos did as Nereus had instructed and journeyed to the east with the ocean on their right. A new urgency had come upon Herakles and Iolaos was relieved that he no longer insisted on hunting every night or avoiding people and settlements.

'I think we should take Nereus at his word and travel east, instead of following the coast south east,' Herakles had said when they had first set out from Erydamus. 'It will add at least one hundred leagues to our journey and take us back through Hellas.'

'It's not like you to avoid the sea,' Iolaos had said. 'In times past, you looked for any excuse to go to the ocean shore.'

'I have completed ten tasks and two more remain,' Herakles said. 'My freedom is close at hand and I want no more delays.'

They followed the river Istrus through Illyria and into Dacia where lived the Getae. It was near the mountains here that Herakles and Iolaos began to hear a cry of pain and anguish every morning, and the closer they got to the mountains, the louder the cry became. After a week, Herakles's nerves snapped. 'How can people live in a place where they are awoken every morning by a cry of pain?'

On the morning of the next day, Herakles was up before the sun and waiting for the cry on his horse.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Iolaos had asked. His task was to guard the chariot while Herakles was away. 'Prometheus was bound by Zeus, your father. Would you really free a Titan who caused so much trouble for the Gods?'

Herakles shrugged. 'Prometheus paid dearly for helping mortal men at the expense of the Gods. It was he who convinced Zeus that men should sacrifice to the Gods only the parts of an animal that they could not eat, and he saw that without fire, men would not last long in the world so he stole it from the Gods. He has suffered enough for someone whose crimes were for the benefit of others, and I'm sure my father would agree.'

When the cry came - as it had every morning for thirty thousand years - Herakles urged his horse forward. Being an intelligent beast, it knew where its master wanted to go and bounded across the mountainous landscape like a goat. The lungs of a titan are strong, however, and the cry came from deep in the mountains. The journey took Herakles and his God-bred mount five days to make, riding all through the day and resting only when the night was at its darkest, but the call was closer every morning and its mournful tone spurred them on.

It almost came as a surprise when Herakles rounded a thin track running along the curve of the mountain and saw Prometheus bound to a stone. The day was fading and the wound in the Titan's side had all but healed.

'Who are you that have made such a difficult journey to see my misery?' Prometheus said.

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus and I have come to free you.'

Prometheus snorted. 'You, the son of my tormentor, come to free me? I think not. Come to gloat more like it.'

Is that the bird that feeds on your flesh?' Herakles said, nodding at an eagle soaring high in the sky.

'It is,' the Titan said. 'It tolerates no other birds for fear that they will take its replenishing supply of liver.'

Herakles drew and knocked an arrow.

'Ha, fool. Not even a Titan has the strength to shoot an arrow so far.'

Herakles stood as still as the mountain for a moment and then loosed the arrow. It flew from the bow, straight and true, and struck the distant bird in the throat.

Prometheus looked impressed as he watched the eagle spiral into the shadowy darkness between the mountain peaks. 'Even if you cannot free me, I owe you much, friend Herakles,' he said. 'At least I will be free of pain until Zeus can send another eagle.'

'Why won't I be able to free you?'

'Why? Surely, you have eyes! I am an immortal Titan. If I have not been able to break these chains in the thousands of years I have been here, what chance does a mortal man have of accomplishing the same feat?'

Herakles grasped the chain that was holding Prometheus's left arm to the wall, braced himself against the mighty stones of the mountain, and heaved with all his might. At first, nothing happened but, as the skeptical Titan watched with growing wonder, the metal began to stretch and become hot against his skin. Then, all of a sudden, the chain snapped in two.

'For the first time in my existence, and it's been a long one, I can honestly say that I am glad that I was wrong.'

Herakles smiled and quickly broke the remaining three chains. 'There, you are free to go wherever you wish.'

The Titan stood up uncertainly and shuffled around the small ledge on the mountainside where he had spent five hundred generations of men. Once he was sure of his footing, he stood up straight and stretched his arms and legs.

'You simply cannot know how good that feels,' Prometheus said. 'It's a pity that I will soon find myself back on the wall. Zeus is a difficult person to hide from.'

'I don't think you have anything to worry about,' Herakles said.

'Why? Not even you could hope to stop Zeus getting his way,' Prometheus said, and then looked down at the chains hanging from his wrists. 'Probably,' he added.

'If my father had not wanted me to free you, I'm sure he would have stopped me.'

'Even so, he will not let a Titan roam the world, especially one who has thwarted his will so often. I will probably be sent down to the underworld with the rest of those who opposed him.'

A light of realization dawned in Herakles's eyes. 'Even though you're immortal, when you go down to the underworld you will became as one dead?'

Prometheus shrugged. 'I'm not sure how it works, but I don't think Hades likes having the living in his domain.'

'Then I know what you can do to redeem yourself in my father's eyes! You can give your place in the underworld to Zeus's half brother, the immortal centaur Kheiron. An arrow dipped in the Hydra's blood struck him and now he lives in constant pain. I know he would welcome the idea of going to the underworld and leaving the pain behind. He would gladly take your place and my father would not refuse something that would end his brother's pain.'

'It's certainly worth a try,' Prometheus said, 'but why are you doing this? Why did you free me?'

Herakles shrugged. 'I was passing through the mountains in my search for the Garden of the Hesperides and heard you cry out in pain every morning. After such a long time, I thought it was time you were freed.'

'You have my thanks, then,' Prometheus said, 'but why would a mortal want to go to the end of the earth? The Hesperides are beautiful, no doubt, but is it wise to travel so far and brave so many dangers just to get eaten by a snake with insomnia?'

Herakles shrugged. 'It is not out of curiosity I go,' he said, 'but because Hera, Queen of the Gods, has sent me to fetch three golden apples from a tree that grows there.'

'Why?' Prometheus said, and looked perplexed. 'They are her apples. Couldn't she just fetch them herself? Could it be that Ladon has become overly cranky at missing out on so much sleep?'

'It is a long tale and if ever we meet again, I will tell it to you in full,' Herakles said, 'but for now, I must go. My nephew awaits me and he gets anxious if I'm away too long.'

'He worries about your safety? A man who can break the chains that bind a Titan?'

'Yes, in a way. He worries about my temper and the trouble it can cause.'

'Ah, family,' Prometheus said, and rolled his eyes to the heavens, 'but I have some advice for you before you go. Whatever Hera is up to, it certainly isn't looking after your health and well being. The wall around the garden cannot be scaled, nor can it be knocked down, even by you.'

'Then how would I get the apples?'

'The Titan Atlas holds up the heavens and he is very near the walls of the Garden. If you relieve him of his burden for a moment, he could reach over and pluck the apples for you.'

'Would he be willing to help me?' Herakles asked.

'I'm not too sure, but he isn't very bright. You could probably trick him into helping you if he is at all reluctant.'

(v)

Iolaos's impatience had grown to frustration by the time Herakles returned. 'What took you so long?' he asked before his uncle had even dismounted from his horse. 'It's been ten days without a word from you.'

'The cries of a Titan carry a long way in these mountains,' Herakles explained. 'It took five days of hard riding to get to where Prometheus was imprisoned so that I could free him.'

'He has not cried out for many a day, so I knew you had freed him. I was concerned that he may have tried to extract vengeance against the son of his jailor.'

'I broke the chains that held him to the mountainside and killed the eagle that feasted on his liver every morning,' Herakles said. 'And I convinced him to try and help Kheiron. Hopefully his freedom will help our friend as well.'

The two set off again early the following morning, and this time Herakles took them to the coast. 'These are inhospitable and uncivilized lands that we are passing through,' he said, 'but the Amazons lie ahead and we should avoid them at all costs. Queen Hippolyte is not known for her forgiving nature so she would still be angry at losing her girdle. When the coast turns to the west, we will continue due south for four or five leagues and then turn southwest. If the maps I saw were correct, we will find the sea again in Phoenicia.'

The journey was trouble free as they trekked through Phoenicia and into Egypt. After they crossed the Nile and their journey had turned to the west, Herakles suggested they stop for a while and rest.

'We have been travelling so long that everything has become a blur in my mind. I think we should stop for a few days and recover our wits.'

'I agree,' Iolaos said, 'but this is a difficult and unfamiliar land, and gathering our own food has not been easy. We should stop near a city or village and restock our supplies.'

Perhaps it was that the people they had encountered had not been as wild or as savage as they had expected that made them relax their guard, but they no longer took watch at night and treated the people they met on the road as they would fellow Hellenes in their homeland. But whatever the reason, when they rode into a quiet village to replenish their supplies, neither noticed that there were only grown men to be seen - no women or children walked the streets. Nor did they notice the strange garb that the villagers wore - jet-black robes with an eagle motif on the chest, and in its claws was a stylized human skull.

Instead, Herakles asked directions from a stranger to the nearest inn and despite the language difference managed to make himself understood. The man pointed towards a nearby building and gabbled something. Herakles looked at Iolaos, who shrugged. Not knowing what else to do, they went in. The door led to a large and dimly lit room, with a ceiling so low that Herakles could not stand up straight. Directly in front of the door was a low table, and behind it there stood a large, bald man. 'Hello strangers,' he said in broken Hellenic, 'what brings you to this part of the world?'

'I am Lidas and this is my nephew Iolaos,' Herakles said. 'We are merchants on our way to Libya,' Herakles said, 'but our journey has fatigued us and we wish to rest for a few days. Do you have beds that we could use?'

'Most certainly,' the bald man said, 'and food fit for a King."

'Ah yes, food. We will eat and then you can show us where we can sleep,' Herakles said and stepped forward. He produced an iron coin and placed it on the table in front of the bald man. 'Will this do as payment?'

'How long do you intend to stay?'

'A few days, no more.'

'Then it is enough. Sit and Akhon will bring you a meal.'

Herakles and Iolaos shuffled to an empty table at one corner of the room and soon their host came to them bearing a platter overflowing with meat and fruit. 'Enjoy your meal, friends,' he said, then bowed and retreated back to stand behind his table.

'Why did you make us merchants,' Iolaos said, reaching for a choice piece of meat on the platter.

'It's hard to explain exactly where we are going,' Herakles said, snatching the meat from under his nephew's fingers. 'It's easier if we're just merchants.'

Iolaos grimaced. 'This meat, does it taste funny to you?'

Herakles tried to nod, but his head didn't seem to want to respond, and the world began to rise and fall like the deck of a boat. When he saw Iolaos fall face first in the platter of food, he tried to stand and draw his sword, but the world was pitching too violently and his legs buckled beneath him.

When next Herakles opened his eyes, he found himself chained to a pillar at one end of what looked like a temple. Iolaos was a few yards away, and was similarly bound. Both he and his nephew's chains hung off columns that were fashioned to resemble eagles. At the temple's center, hundreds of men - over a thousand if Herakles was any judge - were standing in concentric circles around a fire pit, each holding a burning torch in one hand and a fine blade shaped like a thunderbolt in the other. Each man stared into the flames as if nothing else in the world existed, and all chanted in a chattering tongue that set Herakles's teeth on edge and raised his hackles, even though he could not understand the words.

Herakles looked to his nephew and hoped he was asleep as he himself had been just a moment before, but the way his nephew slumped against his chains suggested he might be dead. The thought spawned a cold fury in Herakles's stomach. Not caring if his captors heard, he snapped his chains, dropped them to the floor, and raced to where Iolaos lay. Despite the noise, the men in the temple remained rapt in the flames and oblivious to everything else.

Thankful that his nephew was warm and still breathing, Herakles broke his chains as well. He threw the limp body over his shoulder and was about to run out when he noticed that the two eagle columns were different from the rest. They were at the end of the temple and obviously took no load from the roof.

Herakles considered them for a moment and then put his nephew gently on the ground behind him. He strode to the nearest column, wrapped his arms around it and lifted with all his might. The roof above groaned, rocked, and threatened to fall. Again, Herakles braced himself and - just as the temple worshippers were noticing that something was awry - he pushed up on the column and forward as well. The roof tilted up and forward, and slowly began to slide off its supporting columns.

With one final effort, Herakles lifted the eagle column so that it rose above his head, which caused the roof to come away from its supporting columns completely. There was a panicked outcry followed by a mighty crash. Then there was silence.

Herakles turned to pick up his nephew, but Iolaos was awake and standing.

'Hades is going to be busy tonight,' his nephew said.

There was a cry from behind them and Herakles and Iolaos turned to see ten or so men, dressed in flowing black robes and wearing helmets shaped like eagle heads.

'Not all the rats were in the nest, it seems,' Herakles said. He picked up a length of chain and snapped it in two, so that a length of metal hung down from each massive fist.

'Wait, what has happened here,' the man leading the cultists said. It took a moment, but Herakles recognized him as Akhon the innkeeper.

'I pushed over your temple,' Herakles sneered, and launched himself at the group. The chains in his hands were instant death to any he struck. They smashed and ripped and tore at flesh and bone, and reduced those in their path to unrecognizable mounds of meat. The slaughter was over before Iolaos could even think to join the battle.

Herakles stood in the middle of a circle of blood and gristle, covered head to toe in gore. Iolaos, despite being no stranger to battle, almost felt sickened by what the lengths of chain had done to Herakles's opponents.

'I need a bath,' the big man said. 'Come on, the village is this way. Hopefully, there'll be more of the bastards for me to kill.'

Iolaos nodded and trailed after his uncle as he led him along the tracks of the ten men he had just killed. He couldn't help noticing that Herakles's tracks were colored red by the blood and gore that fell off him as he walked.

Much to Iolaos's relief, the village was empty of people, but there was a dead man in the coral where their horses were waiting for them. A thief, Iolaos thought, who did not know exactly what he was trying to steal. The horses had turned on him and, judging by the way he was lying, it looked like he had tried to get away but they had knocked him down and crushed his head into a pulp with their hooves.

Herakles opened the gate to the coral and the horses obediently filled out and followed him into the inn, which was also deserted. First, he located all their gear and then he went around the inn smashing open doors until he found what he wanted. 'Ah, a bath,' he said after the third door fell. 'There is a well near the coral with buckets nearby. Fetch me water to fill the tub with.'

Iolaos hurried to obey - he judged, quite correctly, that Herakles was in no mood to tolerate people questioning his directions. He raced outside to the well, picked up a bucket and was about to plunge it into the water when a movement in the distance caught his eye. He looked up and dropped the bucket.

'Uncle!' he called, 'Uncle! Come quick'

Herakles ran out of the inn and came to stand by his nephew. 'That's a big army,' he said.

'Let's go, Iolaos said, and turned to run back into the inn. 'They'll never catch us on Poseidon's horses.'

Herakles stood still. 'No,' he said, and picked up the bucket. He drew water from the well and used it to wash off the blood, and then walked calmly back to the inn.

Iolaos followed. 'We're going to die!'

'You don't have to stay,' Herakles said.

'I know I don't have to stay,' Iolaos snapped, 'I want to. If you're going to die, then so am I.'

(vi)

King Bosaris was unsure of what he was seeing. 'Am I going mad?' he said. 'I was expecting masses of deranged cultists, but I can see only two men and one is wearing what looks like a lion's head for a hat.'

'You're right, my King,' said the soldier beside him. His name was Nakhti and he was a veteran of many a battle against the cultists of Zeus. He was also expecting a screaming horde because in all his years of service to his King and nation, he had never known the cultists to shirk a fight. 'There are only two men and, yes, one is wearing a lion's head for a hat.'

'Come, the bodyguard only. We will ride out to learn what is going on,' Bosaris said.

Nakhti looked unhappy. 'It could be a trap, my King. I will go alone.'

'Do you really think so? In all your years as a soldier, have you ever met cultists who would resort to such subtle tactics?'

Nakhti shook his head and sighed. 'Lead the way, my King,' he said. Bosaris gave a signal and twenty horsemen fell in behind he and Nakhti as they rode out to meet with Herakles and Iolaos.

'You there,' the King called out when they were within earshot. 'Who are you and what are you doing here?'

'I am Herakles, son of Zeus. If you seek those who once lived here, then you are out of luck. I killed them.'

The King looked amused. 'I'm not talking about one or two thieves,' he said and pointed towards the dead man in the coral. 'There was an army here. A rebel force determined to force their bloodthirsty rituals upon the people of Egypt.'

Herakles looked at the dead thief. 'I didn't kill him,' he said. 'My horses killed him. I killed everyone else. They are at what is left of their temple.'

The King nodded at a man behind him, who rode hard in the direction that Herakles had indicated. He returned a few minutes later, with a look of horror on his face.

'There is a collapsed temple, My King,' he said, 'and the sand around it is stained red as if the ruined building itself is bleeding. And there is also a pile of dead men, eight or ten or so, but it is hard to determine the exact number.'

'It's not the temple that's bleeding, fool,' Herakles said. 'It's the men I crushed under the stone ceiling.' He strode off in the direction of the carnage and the King and his men followed. They gasped when the saw what was left of Akhon and his minions, and the blood that seeped into the sands around the collapsed temple that stained them a deep red.

Herakles grasped one corner of the stone slab that had once been a ceiling and braced his legs against the solid earth. For a moment, he stood still as the stone itself, muscles straining against the weight of the massive rock. Then, slowly at first, the slab rose off the ground with a strange sucking sound made by the blood and gore that had stuck to its underside. In an awe-inspiring display of superhuman strength, Herakles spun his arms and flipped the stone over as a lion might flip a turtle to get to the soft meat hidden under the shell. None who witnessed what lay beneath would ever forget the horror of what they saw - beneath the stone lay the crushed remains of at least a thousand men, all leeching their blood into the sandy earth around the temple floor.

'The people of Egypt are in your debt,' the King said, after he had recovered from the shock of what he had seen, 'were you sent by the Gods?'

'Our mission is one inspired by the Gods, but it had nothing to do with these fools,' Herakles said. 'We have been tasked by Hera to retrieve three Golden Apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. The dead men poisoned us when we stopped at their inn to rest. We awoke to find ourselves chained to pillars while they sang songs around the fire.'

'They were going to sacrifice you to Zeus,' King Bosaris said. 'It is their way, and they were seeking to spread it across the land. We have been battling them for years but only recently did we learn of this place.'

'Sacrifice us? To my father? That is barbaric! Zeus would not stand for the sacrifice of a man in his name. I would not be surprised if he led me here to bring an end to their madness.'

'Well, you've certainly put an end to it,' the King said, casting an eye over the bloody scene before him. 'Had I not seen you lift that stone with my own eyes, I would have doubted your tale. In my mind, the Gardens of the Hesperides are just a myth to make children laugh. What is obvious, however, is that you are no ordinary man, and if you say that you are going to the ends of the earth to tickle Atlas's toes, then I, King Bosaris of Egypt, have no right to doubt you. I will grant you a reward for the way you dealt with the enemies of my people. Name it and if it is within my power to give, it will be yours.'

'We just want to continue our journey unhindered,' Herakles said.

'So be it,' The King said. 'I will send a group of soldiers ahead to sweep the road clear of anything that could impede you from here to Libya.'

'Some un-poisoned food would b nice,' Iolaos said, almost without thinking. His stomach was growling despite the scenes of horror before him.

King Bosaris laughed. 'I will arrange it,' he said, and signaled for his bodyguard to return to the main body of his army.

(vii)

The journey through Egypt became an almost surreal experience for Herakles and Iolaos. At the end of every day, they would find an already prepared camp courtesy of King Bosaris, complete with a lavish tent for cover and a feast that satisfied even Herakles's infamous appetite. At its border with Libya, Iolaos looked back and sighed. 'I will miss Egypt,' he said.

'You will miss the big meals and soft cushions in the tent,' Herakles said.

'No doubt,' Iolaos said, and urged the horses forward.

After their encounter with the cultists, Herakles was wary of the towns and villages that dotted the landscape.

'I hear that a giant rules here,' Herakles said while they rested after their first day's travel in Libya. 'Antios is his name and he is a son of Poseidon. It is said that he is fond of wrestling.'

'That doesn't sound so bad.'

'He always kills his opponent, or so I was told, and then nails the head onto a temple dedicated to his father.'

'Has there ever been a nice giant?' Iolaos asked. 'Why do they have to be such bastards, each and every one?'

Herakles shrugged. 'Maybe they get headaches because they are so tall. I know I'm difficult when my head is throbbing.'

'Yeah, but you don't nail someone's head to a temple to Zeus because you beat them in a race, now do you?'

'No, but when the headaches get really bad, I kind of want to nail my own head to a temple. The holes may let the pain out.'

The journey was incident free until they reached a large city nestled amongst low hills by the sea.

'Do we risk it?' Iolaos asked, 'the road through the hills looks long and difficult.'

'It is more goat track than road,' Herakles said, 'and I am tired of sneaking about to tell the truth.'

The wall around the city was low by Hellenic standards, and constructed of a pale stone that looked as soft as chalk, but the gates were well guarded.

'You are not of Libya or Egypt,' the guard said as they tried to ride through. Herakles noticed that another of the guards behind the door had scuttled away.

'That's right, Herakles said. 'We are traders from Hellas.'

'That you are Hellenes I have no doubt,' the guard said, 'but I doubt that you are traders. All traders to Libya from Hellas come by sea.'

'Pirates stole our ship when we were within sight of the coast,' Herakles said.

A likely story,' the guard said, and turned around briefly at a commotion coming from behind the gate. 'And one you will need explain to the King.'

A moment later, a huge figure ducked beneath the gate. 'Ah, you must be the famous son of Zeus,' he said. 'My spies in Egypt warned me of your coming. I am Antios, son of Poseidon and King of Libya. You are most welcome in my lands, and all that I ask is that we have a friendly wrestling match before you leave.'

'I have heard of your wrestling matches,' Herakles said, 'and none have walked away alive.'

'Pah, they were puny fools. You are the mighty Herakles, famed for your strength throughout the world. Surely it will take more than a friendly grapple to break your bones?'

'When shall we wrestle?'

'After you have rested from your journey,' Antios said, and sneered. 'We want the battle to be fair, do we not?'

'I am rested now,' Herakles replied with his own sneer. 'My charioteer does all the work when I am travelling, is that not so Iolaos?'

'True, I do most of the work, but it is fair. You do most of the killing,' Iolaos replied.

Antios laughed. 'A spirited opponent at last! Come, then, son of Zeus. Let us go to the arena and fight!'

Herakles jumped from the chariot and followed the giant into the city. He was led to its very heart where stood an arena that could seat thousands. Behind the two combatants, a stream of people flowed through the streets and into seats around the combat area.

Iolaos drove the chariot behind Herakles and stopped at the gate leading to the arena floor. He was concerned because, despite having seen Herakles kill several giants already, the big man had always been armed and wearing armor crafted by the Gods. In a wrestling match, a giant might just have an advantage.

Iolaos watched through the gate as the two combatants squared off in the middle of the arena and their first clinch put him at ease. Herakles was easily the stronger of the two and had no difficulty handling the giant's immense bulk. The two separated and Antios looked shaken - he probably had not been expecting such strength from a man. They circled one another carefully for a moment before Antios pounced. He threw himself full stretch at the man, hoping to crush him under the weight of his body, but Herakles caught the giant and held him aloft as if he were made of feathers. The son of Zeus then smashed the giant down onto the ground, picked him up again and threw him across the arena into the stone wall at its end. There was a horrible crunching of bones and Antios collapsed with his neck obviously broken.

Herakles sneered at his defeated opponent and turned to make his way back to the chariot, but Iolaos rose and pointed. 'He is not dead yet!' he called. The crowd roared and Herakles turned to see Antios climb painfully to his feet, but his wounds seemed to be healing - cuts and abrasions were closing and bones obviously broken in the collision with the wall were mending themselves beneath the skin.

The giant laughed at Herakles's horror and bounded across the arena. This time, instead of pouncing on the man, Antios threw a mighty fist at Herakles's head. Herakles easily evaded the clumsy blow, and aimed his own punch at the giant's belly. The force of Herakles's blow pushed the wind from Antios's lungs, and Herakles followed it with a punch to the giant's head that all but crushed his skull. Antios staggered a few steps and then collapsed onto the ground.

Again, Herakles sneered and turned back to the chariot, but Iolaos shook his head. The anger was obvious on Herakles's face when he turned back to the giant. 'Why won't you stay dead!'

'You haven't killed me yet, little man,' Antios said, 'just scratched me a little here and there.'

An infuriated Herakles charged at Antios, who easily got out of the way, and the giant lashed out with a fist that struck Herakles in the middle of his back and sent him sprawling. Antios then turned and tried to stomp on Herakles's head, but the son of Zeus caught the foot as it was coming down and used it to push Antios to the ground.

With a twist of his hand, Herakles shattered the giants shin and then all but broke the leg in two when he kicked down on the knee. He grabbed Antios around the throat with the other hand and lifted the giant's entire body off the ground.

Antios squirmed and struggled to free himself, violently throwing his arms about and catching Herakles with several blows, but the son of Zeus held firm and the giant's struggles slowly lessened. After a few moments, Antios stopped flailing and seemed to be trying to touch the earth with his hand. Herakles's iron grip did not loosen, however, and soon the giant stopped moving altogether. Still, Herakles held him aloft until a full half hour had passed and the giant was surely dead.

With a cry of triumph, Herakles threw the giant's body violently onto the ground and then threw his hands up in the air, but all were silent. No one cheered Herakles's victory, save Iolaos, and he was keeping his cheering to himself. Herakles walked slowly to the chariot while the guards from the gate came and took the body of King Antios to prepare it for burial.

The crowd in the arena slowly filed out as Herakles and Iolaos drove the chariot out of the arena, then out of the city and into the desert plains beyond.

'Well, that was probably faster than going around,' Iolaos said, after a while.

Herakles shrugged. 'I hate giants,' was all he had to say.

(viii)

Herakles and Iolaos continued to follow the coast westward through Libya and into the wild lands beyond. The further west they travelled, the fewer people they encountered until they stopped seeing people at all. Eventually, even the days faded one into the other and neither man could recall for how long they had been travelling.

After a time, a series of tall mountains rose above them and they came to a path that wound along the cliffs and into the high mountains above. Without knowing why, both understood that this was the path that they had been seeking and that, somehow, they had moved from the world of men into the realm of the Gods.

'We have been travelling for so long and yet have not come to the western most part of the land where you erected the pillars.'

Herakles shrugged. 'I remember that there were mountains on the southern side to the east of the pillar, and this is probably them. It seems we have come the long way around,' he said, and shook his head. 'Nereus must have played us for fools.'

'I don't know about that,' Iolaos said. 'We asked for directions to the Garden of the Hesperides, and somehow I know that this is that path. Could it be possible that it would not be open to us had we come any other way?'

'It would be like the Gods and their friends to devise such a trick,' Herakles said. 'The path is too narrow for the chariot, so I shall go ahead alone. You should find a good place to camp, somewhere sheltered, and await my return.'

'Wouldn't it be better if I came with you?' Iolaos said. 'We could leave the chariot here and pick it up on the way back. There seems to be no one about to steal it.'

'The way home would be far easier with a chariot,' Herakles said, 'but if you wish to accompany me then I won't stand in your way.'

The sun, which set very near to where they were, was almost touching the western horizon so they decided to set out on the path in the morning. Despite not having seen anyone for several days, Herakles insisted on keeping a watch. 'Something does not feel right to me,' he said.

'Really? Then you take the first watch,' Iolaos said, and promptly fell asleep.

Shortly after the sun had set and the light had faded from a sky, a glow appeared on the horizon and the boat of the sun drew up to the shore. A moment later, Helios jumped down and strolled over to the campfire. 'You show up in the most unusual places,' he said.

'I have been sent by Hera to fetch three Golden Apples from the Garden of the Hesperides and take them back to Tiryns,' Herakles said.

'So I have been told, which is why I am here. Traveling across the world with the Golden Apples in hand would be a difficult task, even for one such as you. They are not for the hands of mortals and you should hand them back to the Gods as soon as your task is done.'

'Will I have to bring them back again?' Herakles asked, and his face was a mask of dismay.
'No, no! Of course not. Athena will come for them in Tiryns,' Helios said. 'You have done Zeus a great service by destroying the cultists who were blackening his name in Egypt, so he asked me to grant you a favor. When you have plucked the Apples from the tree, return to this beach and I will lend you the ship to take you back to Hellas.'

'Will Hera not object?'

'No. We will not help you get the Apples, just speed you on your way home.'

'You have my thanks,' Herakles said.

'And I will have a few of your sacrifices,' Helios said, pointedly.

(ix)

The sun rose and its rays woke Herakles from a dreamless slumber that was the most refreshing he'd had for weeks. The sun was travelling across the sky a little faster than usual, if he was any judge. It was as if it was hurrying to catch up to a late morning, which brought on an early morning grin. Even the Gods sometimes struggle with mornings.

After Helios had departed, the feeling of disquiet had fallen away and Herakles had decided that a watch was not necessary after all. Still, he had woken before Iolaos and thought he would make the most of it.

'A giant could have trodden on your toes last night and you would have slept through it,' he grumbled after he had shaken the young man awake.

'I woke for my turn and you were snoring like an old man,' Iolaos complained. 'Obviously, you weren't taking the need for a watch seriously, so I went back to sleep.'

Herakles harrumphed. 'Did you know that Helios paid us a visit last night?'

'Really?'

'Yes! If we get the Apples, he'll lend us the ship of the sun to return to Hellas.'

'Well then? What are we waiting for? The sooner you acquire the divine fruit the sooner we can get back home. Let's get going!'

They packed what they could of their supplies onto their horses and rode up onto the path leading into the mountains. After a handful of paces, Iolaos looked back and gasped in surprise. 'The beach is gone!'

Herakles looked back and shrugged. 'What does it matter? Our way is forward and it's not yet time to think of our return.

'Maybe staying with the chariot wasn't such a bad idea after all,' Iolaos mumbled, but without conviction.

The journey into the mountains was surreal. The sun rose and fell as usual, but they rarely felt hunger or fatigue and they only stopped when it was too dark to carry on. After four days of riding, they had somehow managed to reach the highest and central peak.

Iolaos looked back and there was a sea of mist behind them out of which poked one or two rocky mountaintops. 'It wasn't like this,' he stammered. 'We have been on a narrow path that rose the entire time. I don't remember scaling mountains or riding downhill.'

'Looking back is confusing,' Herakles said, 'but looking forward is enlightening. Look, Iolaos, can you see him?'

Iolaos turned and stared ahead. At first, he could see nothing but a craggy stone rising up from the mountaintop. 'It's a rock,' he said, 'a very big rock that looks like a man with...'

'It's Atlas,' Herakles said, as Iolaos stared at the Titan upon whose shoulders the heavens rested.

Herakles dismounted and walked to stand beside the Titan. 'Hello Atlas, I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and I have a favor to ask of you.'

Atlas turned to look at Herakles and smiled. 'Ah yes, the man who killed Antios, the son of Gaia.'

Herakles looked perplexed. 'How do you know of my battle with Antios? Surely you couldn't see it from here.'

'My daughters bring me news of the world,' Atlas said, 'and you have figured prominently of late.'

'Then you know why I am here?'

'You seek three Golden Apples from the tree in the Garden here,' the Titan said, 'but I doubt you will be able to get them. The walls that surround it are unscalable, the gate is unbreakable, and Ladon is always hungry.'

'So Prometheus told me when I freed him,' Herakles said.

'My daughters told me that he had descended from the mountains,' Atlas said.

'How did you have daughters?' Herakles asked. 'Without you, the sky would fall.'

'In times gone by, when the Titans ruled, there were those who would carry my load for a while, but the Olympian's sent most of them to the underworld.'

Herakles considered this a moment, and a thought occurred to him. 'If I were to carry your load for a while, would you get the Golden Apples for me? You can easily reach over the wall.'

'For a moment's relief I would do almost anything, but Ladon would bite me and fill my blood with venom.'

'What if I kill Ladon?'

The Titan laughed, which caused the heavens to shake. 'You cannot even scale the wall! How will you kill the sleepless one?'

'What sort of monster hides behind a wall?' Herakles said and strode past the Titan. Just beyond where the Titan stood the mountain fell away down into a small valley, where the walled Garden of the Hespirides stood. From his vantage point, Herakles could see right into its heart and it truly was a thing of wonder. Unearthly flowers grew within its walls, and wondrous shrubs and bushes were home to exotic birds and insects that shimmered and shone as they flew from place to place. At the Garden's center was a beautiful tree with leaves that glowed with all the colors of the rainbow. Between the leaves, Herakles could see the golden apples that the Gods loved so much. He could also see, coiled around the tree's trunk, Ladon, the dragon who never slept.

The tree was well beyond bowshot, but Herakles did not even consider the distance. He took the bow from his back, nocked an arrow that he had dipped in the blood of the Hydra, and took careful aim. He stood a moment to steady himself against his own breathing and the beating of his heart. When he judged the moment right, he let loose the arrow, which flew in a high arc and struck Ladon in the right eye. The serpent screamed in pain and fell to the ground where it writhed and contorted in an effort to dislodge the dart, but the poison was too potent and its struggles soon waned.

Herakles returned to Atlas. 'It is done,' he said. 'I need three Apples. Will you get them for me as you promised?'

'Come stand beneath me,' the Titan said, and then carefully placed the heavens on Herakles's shoulders. Iolaos, who had stayed back a short distance shook his head in wonder. Surely, the heavens should have crushed a normal man, even one as strong as Herakles. His uncle seemed to be growing in power with each passing day.

Free of his burden, Atlas strode over to the walled garden, plucked three apples that looked like grains of salt in his huge hands and then returned to Herakles.

'I have the Apples for you,' the Titan rumbled, 'but I want to help you even further. It will take you many weeks to return to Tiryns on those tiny little legs while I can make the journey in a few days. I will deliver the Golden Apples for you so that your task will be finished sooner and you will not have the burden of carrying such a precious cargo such a long way.'

'What a splendid idea,' Herakles said, 'but I'm not quite as strong as you and my shoulder's ache with the weight. I have my lion skin cape in my pack. If I could just put it on, I should have no further trouble.'

'Of course,' Atlas said. He carefully placed the Apples on the ground and took the heavens off Herakles's shoulders. The son of Zeus picked up the Golden Apples and returned to Iolaos, who was staring at him in amazement.

They rode back along the way they had come with the Titan's curses ringing in their ears.

(x)

On Mount Olympus, Hera looked through her window and her fury was indescribable.

'One task remains, dearest Iris,' she said. 'What remains in the world that could possibly challenge this indestructible oaf?'

'There is one task, my Queen, but it is so outrageous that I am unsure of it in my own mind.'

'What can be more outrageous than sending him to steal Apples from the garden of the Gods?'

Iris paused and licked her lips. 'You could send him to fetch Kerberos from the underworld where your brother Hades rules.'

Hera looked shocked for a moment, and then shook her head in amazement. 'I would never even have considered such a task, and yet, why not? He must bring the hound to Tiryns to succeed. Surely even he will founder with such a task.'

(xi)

The ride back to the beach at the foot of Atlas's mountains seemed shorter than the journey to the Garden, as if the world of the Gods was eager to be rid of them.

'Ah, the boat of the sun awaits us,' Herakles said, 'and no one has stolen the chariot.'

The boat flew over the waters at a disconcerting speed and had them back in Hellas before Helios had dipped beneath the western horizon.

'Had Helios lent us the boat on the way, the whole task would have taken just a week,' Iolaos said.

Herakles shrugged. 'It was you who pointed out that we may not have found the path had we not taken the route we did. If the path into the mountains did not appear, then we may have spent even longer wandering about on that beach scratching our heads.'

The boat came to shore near Tiryns and as soon as Herakles and Iolaos disembarked it shot off to the west, probably to save Helios and his horses a long ride home.

Herakles and Iolaos camped the night where the boat had left them, and then made their way into the city. Because of the divine nature of the prize Herakles had returned with, King Eurystheus himself had to leave his pot and take them from the son of Zeus. 'They are so beautiful,' he said, 'but not meant for the mortal world. You must return them to the garden from where they came.'

'Is that the next task?' Herakles asked, as Eurystheus scuttled back to his pot. Only when in the comparative safety of his bronze shell did he laugh at Herakles's suggestion.

'No, no, definitely not,' the King said. 'For your tenth task, Hera wishes you to descend into the underworld and bring back Kerberos, the guardian of the gate, alive.'

Iolaos gasped but Herakles just nodded his head. 'It will be done,' he said, and turned his horse to leave, but a shadow appeared before him and caused him to pause. A moment later, Athena stepped out of the shadow, carrying spear and shield and with a helm on her head. She took the Golden Apples from Herakles and spoke to him in a voice that only he could hear.

'Return home now, son of Zeus, and make sacrifices to the Gods who have aided you on your journey of penance,' she said, 'and remember that not all Gods share Hera's antipathy.'

**Kerberos**

After journeying to the very end of the world and back, Herakles and Iolaos found the comforts of home a relief. Their first few days back in Tiryns were spent hunting, and they made regular and generous sacrifices to the Gods as Athena had instructed. But it wasn't long before Herakles began to worry and fret.

'I don't know how I can do this. Apart from the entrance in Lerna which is now closed, I know of only one other entrance to the underworld,' he said to Iolaos as they sat around the fire one evening. 'Am I to make my own way there and drag the dog up? What will Hades think of such an action?'

Iolaos shrugged. 'It's not unheard of for people to go to Hades domain,' he said.

'There have been some mortals foolish enough to brave the world of the dead, but how many have made it out again?' Herakles said.

'Hello friends,' said a familiar voice behind them, causing both men to grasp whatever weapon was at hand and turn to face whoever had spoken.

'Lidas?' Iolaos asked, but uncertainly because the firelight hid the man's face in shadow.

'No, not your friend the merchant,' the voice said, and the stranger stepped into the circle of light around the fire. 'My name is Hermes and I'm sure you've heard of me.'

Iolaos looked the newcomer up and down and while he did bear a striking resemblance to the merchant, the man before them was younger and something about his bearing suggested that there was more to this man than was apparent to the eye.

'There are few enemies that you could overcome with that wooden spoon, young Iolaos,' Hermes said. 'Sit back down by the fire and let's talk about the madness of the Gods.'

'Hermes? Are the Gods to meddle directly in my affairs now?' Herakles asked.

'The Gods meddle in everyone's affairs. It is through us that mortals understand and experience life, and it is only through me that men can enter into the underworld with the blessings of the Gods. If you must go into the underworld, then it is my duty to escort you there because I usher all the souls of the dead to their judgment.'

'But he's not dead!' Iolaos said, and his voice was hot and angry. He unconsciously brandished his spoon as if it were a sword.

'Unless you have had training in using that, I suggest you put it down and be silent while I explain myself more fully.'

'I share my nephew's anxieties,' Herakles said. 'I have thought long and hard since the rat Eurystheus gave me this quest, but I can't think of a way that I, a mortal, can safely go into the underworld.'

'There is a way,' Hermes said. 'Not many know it and you will need my aid to do it, but it can be done.'

'What must I do?' Herakles asked.

'First, Iolaos cannot accompany you on this adventure.'

Iolaos looked confused. 'I am both saddened and heartened by your words,' he said, eventually. 'Unlike my uncle, fear is my constant companion and the thought of coming face to face with Hades chills my blood.'

'You can go to Thebes if you wish,' Herakles said and clapped his nephew on the back. A lump had formed in the back of his throat but he refused to allow his emotions to show.

'No, I'll stay here until you return.'

'I'm heartened by your loyalty,' Herakles said, and turned to Hermes. 'And where am I to go?'

'You must come with me to Eleusis,' Hermes said. 'We are fortunate that it is the right time of year so there will be no delay. When we get there, I must initiate you into the Eleusinian Mysteries.'

'I have heard tell of this ceremony,' Herakles said, 'but why must I submit to it in order to travel to the underworld?'

'The reasons are difficult to explain, but for a mortal to survive a descent into the underworld and maintain his sanity, then he must understand the conflict between the body and the soul.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Whatever I must do, I must do,' he said.

(ii)

Herakles and Hermes set off early the following morning with only light provisions. The ritual was still ten days away and Athens was less than ten leagues from Tiryns, so their pace was leisurely - Herakles hunted often and sacrificed most of what he caught, but Hermes laughed when he offered to sacrifice to him. 'We are sharing a meal together, which is sacrifice enough for me.'

Herakles found that he often forgot that he was traveling with an Olympian because Hermes was not all that different from Lidas.

'It is in my nature to enjoy the road,' Hermes said, when Herakles told him of the similarity. 'I have always had a soft spot for the traveler and the rogue, and Lidas is both. Perhaps all merchants have something of me in their make up.'

'He claims to be a merchant but I have never seen him with merchandise!'

Hermes laughed. 'There you have it. Only a man prepared to bend the laws of decency can ever hope to make a living from such a vocation, and as long as they only bend and not break the rules, then there is a place for them in my heart.'

Despite their deliberately slow progress, the walls of Athens loomed up on the horizon six days after they left Tiryns.

'The road to Eleusis is just ahead,' Hermes said, 'but we have a few days yet. We should set up a camp at the traveler's shelter just outside the city and wait for the ceremony to begin.'

'I have heard that an initiate must sacrifice a pig at the start of the ceremony,' Herakles said. 'We'll have to stop at a market if I am to get hold of one.'

'No, that is only for those who are truly mortal,' Hermes said. 'Anyone who has heard your tale would know that your soul lies somewhere between the two worlds.'

'I don't understand.'

'You know that Hades, with the help of our father, captured Persephone and took her to the underworld to be his bride?'

'Yes, of course. Everyone in all of Hellas knows the tale, save possibly for Iolaos who was lax in his lessons.'

'And you know that in her daughter's absence, Demeter mourns, which causes the earth to become dry and inhospitable?'

Herakles nodded. 'Yes, and it is because Persephone ate the four seeds that she must spend four months in the underworld every year. I know this, but what has this to do with my journey to the underworld?'

'You obviously paid attention during your lessons,' Hermes said, 'but sometimes, a good student must be able to see the story behind the tale, if you understand my meaning.'

'No,' Herakles said, 'not at all, if I were to be honest.'

Hermes laughed long and loud. 'It is true then, what Kheiron said of you,' the Olympian said. 'Your mind is not made for duplicity and politics. Tell me, brother, how many other tales can you recall where someone returned from the underworld?'

Herakles screwed up his face in concentration. 'None.'

'Precisely,' Hermes said. 'Only Persephone returns every year, and she brings the beating heart of the earth with her. These rituals you are about to undertake will open your eyes to the wonder of life eternal that springs from one generation to the next, and infuse your soul with the knowledge of immortality.'

'But will I not have immortality if I complete my tasks? It was promised me by Zeus himself.'

'Ha! The bluster of Olympians,' Hermes said, in a mocking tone. 'There will always be a part of you that is mortal, and it will remain so even if you complete your tasks. What Zeus is offering is a gift beyond all others. Your soul will be immortal and you will continue on with it on Olympus, while those who are mortal descend into the underworld for judgment.'

'If I were truthful, I would tell you that I understood only half of what you have said, and that only vaguely. Still, if completing these tasks take me to Olympus where Hera resides, then I'm not sure I want to go.'

Hermes laughed so hard that he almost fell off his horse. 'I pray that you complete your final task, dearest brother,' he said when he finally regained his breath. 'Olympus would be a far more entertaining place with someone such as you striding about.'

In all, Herakles's initiation into the Greater Eleusinian Mysteries took ten days and culminated in him pouring libations onto the earth in commemoration of the dead. Once the ceremony was over, the big man cast himself on the ground and buried his head in his hands.

Hermes, who had accompanied Herakles on the ceremonies, became concerned. 'Why do you look so downcast, my friend,' he asked as they walked towards their camp together.

'There has been much death in my life, but that is normal for a warrior and a soldier whose livelihood is battle and war. But these ceremonies are for those who are not bloodstained, and I do not fall into that category.'

'But why,' Hermes said, 'you have never been convicted as a murderer, despite all that has happened.'

'No, the law says that I have no blood on my hands,' Herakles said, 'but I am of a different mind.'

'You have committed a crime, of that there is no doubt,' Hermes said, 'but for that crime you are serving a penance that has seen you triumph against the most overwhelming of odds. Your penance is nearing its end now, so do not lose heart and sink into a sea of sorrows. One task remains, and the way is open to you now. We will leave for the underworld tomorrow morning. The best way is through the door at Cape Tainaron in Lakonia.'

(iii)

Journeying with an Olympian was a stress free way to travel and Herakles was almost disappointed when they reached the temple to Poseidon at Lakonia, beneath which the gate to the underworld lay. They had ridden leisurely across Hellas in the heat of summer, but somehow it wasn't as hot as summer should be. Nothing much happened, but the hunting was exceptionally good and there was always a shady place to camp, usually near a river or stream. The trip took three weeks but it seemed to Herakles to have passed in just three days.

'I would suggest a sacrifice to Poseidon and Zeus,' Hermes said as they were taking their ease by a shaded stream near the temple. 'You'll want both of them on your side when you go in.'

'What about Hades?'

'Nothing you do or say will ease Hades's hostility towards you when you violate his domain,' Hermes said. 'To be honest, I still think it annoys him that he got the underworld when they carved the place up after defeating the Titans.'

'So I have heard,' Herakles said. 'Should I offer game, or buy an animal do you think? I saw a goatherd a while back who might be persuaded to part with a beast.'

'I know that they both enjoy the aroma of a good ram, so they would probably be most grateful if you buy an animal,' Hermes said.

The goatherd was at first unwilling to part with one of his beasts, but was convinced when Herakles pulled out an iron coin and offered to pay ten times the value of the goatherd's finest.

That afternoon, Herakles feasted on goat meat while the Gods enjoyed the aroma of the sacrifice.

'Will I need to ask Hades permission to take Kerberos?' Herakles asked while gnawing on a rib.

'Probably,' Hermes said. 'He knows you're coming so he'll be on the lookout for you.'

'How would he know I'm coming?'

'How? Everyone knows what you're doing,' Hermes said. 'You are famous. The whole of Hellas is talking about you, and many a coin has been wagered on your success or failure.'

'I was hoping to sneak in and out without anyone noticing.'

Hermes looked surprised. 'Kerberos guards the entrance to the underworld! He has three canine heads and a serpent for a tail. Believe me when I tell you that if he goes missing, someone will notice.'

They entered the caves beneath the temple the following morning, with Hermes leading the way and Herakles following somewhat nervously behind.

'Iolaos said you were fearless,' Hermes said, 'yet every step you take seems reluctant.'

'I fear no man or monster, mortal or immortal,' Herakles said, 'but this is the land of the dead and there are ghosts in my past that fill my heart with pain.'

'You speak of your children, do you not?'

'Yes, my two sons Deicoon and Therimachus whom I have not named since the day the madness took me.'

'Why do you wish to forget them?' Hermes said. 'To keep them in your mind makes them stronger in death. It is wrong of you to deny them this.'

'I think of them every day without fail. Every morning when I wake and every night before sleep takes me. My two horses I have named in their honor and none are dearer to me than they except for Iolaos my nephew. I have not forgotten them. I just don't want to remember what I did to them.'

'You are paying a penance for your crime, and that is almost complete,' Hermes said. 'And Persephone took pity on your sons when they arrived here and she, together with Athena, convinced Hades to send them to the Elysian Fields where they will reside in the sun forever.'

'Their souls are immortal?'

'Yes, they are immortal,' boomed a voice in front of them and the lord of the underworld, the Olympian Hades appeared before them. 'Your task is to usher the souls of the dead to the underworld for judgment, not escort fools on a trip from which they will never return.'

'Good day to you, Lord Hades,' Hermes said, 'this is your nephew Herakles who has been sent...'

'Who sent him means nothing to me!' Hades cried and drew his sword, but before either Olympian could react, Herakles had drawn his bow and shot an arrow tipped with the blood of the Hydra into Hades's shoulder. The Olympian screamed in pain and collapsed onto the ground.

'None can stand in my way,' Herakles said, and nocked another arrow.

'No!' Hermes yelled and stood between Herakles and Hades. 'Lower your bow, son of Zeus!'

Herakles looked for a moment as if he would not listen to Hermes, but then did as asked.

'Lord Hades,' Hermes said, 'that poison will reduce you to a shadow if you do not hurry to Olympus and seek out Paieon to heal you.'

Hades clutched at his shoulder and stared at Herakles. 'I will deal with you when I return,' he said, but his voice was weak.

Herakles raised his bow and put Hades in his sights. 'I will be waiting,' he said.

When Hades had vanished, Hermes turned a look on Herakles that was equal parts anger, admiration, and fear. 'Come on, we will travel to where Queen Persephone would be sitting on her throne,' he said and turned to lead the way forward, but paused. 'When we get there, don't shoot her,' he added, 'even if she says something you don't like.'

'We will see,' Herakles said. 'Lead on.'

Hermes continued down into the depths with Herakles at his heels. The way was dark, but Hermes produced a golden wand that lit their way. Eventually the path through the cavern ended and they found themselves on a wide plain. In the distance, he could see people, but all but two fled from the light that Hermes carried. The closest was an evil gorgon that Herakles recognized as Medusa, whom Perseus had slain long ago. He raised his bow to shoot the monster but Hermes restrained him.

'There is no need for that here,' the Olympian said. 'These are the unburied souls. They can neither touch nor hurt you.'

They walked past Medusa who hissed at them but fled back when Herakles feigned to lunge at her. The second figure stood alone and forlorn just beyond Medusa, and Herakles recognized him as his old friend and fellow Argonaut Meleagros.

'What happened to you, Meleagros?' Herakles asked when they drew close.

'Tragedy struck my family,' the shade of Meleagros said. His voice was light and difficult to hear. 'We hunted a boar sent by Artemis to punish my father. My brother and my uncle quarreled with me when I awarded the prize for its death to a woman. She had drawn first blood with an arrow before I killed it, so the kill was hers by right. Atalanta was her name and I have never loved another like I loved her.' The shade dropped its head and wept for a while. 'But Toxeos my brother would not believe she had scored the first hit and he called me a liar and a fool, as did my uncle Plexippos. They cursed her name and cursed mine for being a fool. They insulted her and then me, and it came to blows. All knew I was the better warrior, but the fools would not cease their attacks and I killed them. My mother Althaea despaired at my action and burnt the brand that she had hidden because she knew it would be my doom, and so it was.'

'I don't understand,' Herakles said. 'If you killed them, why are you here?'

'Meleagros's mother received an oracle when he was born,' Hermes explained. 'When a brand in the fire was finally consumed by the flames, then Meleagros would die. So Althaea wrapped the brand in leather and hid it in a safe place away from all flames. But when news reached her that Meleagros had killed both her own brother and her son, she was engulfed by grief and rage. She retrieved the brand from its hiding place and threw it into the flames, and the oracle was fulfilled.'

'Please, Herakles old friend,' Meleagros said. 'When you return to the world above, seek out my sister Deianira at my father's house. I left her unwed and the knowledge weighs heavily upon me.'

'It would be an honor to wed the sister of a man such as you, my friend,' Herakles said, 'but now I must continue my journey to the palace of the Lord of the underworld.' He motioned for Hermes to continue and they left the pitiful shade behind.

(iv)

Hermes led Herakles along a path that skirted a deep black pit.

'Here is the fabled Tartarus,' Hermes said, 'it is as deep below the underworld as the heavens are above the world.'

Herakles stood on the lip of the pit and looked down into the darkness. There was not much to see. 'Is this where the Titans are imprisoned?'

'Yes, they are still a danger to the Gods,' Hermes said, 'but they are not alone. The fool Sisyphus is also down there, whose crimes included killing guests at his palace and being a general pain in the ass. He must roll a stone up a hill every day, only to watch it roll back down again.'

'An evil fate. What did he do to deserve it?'

'His was a lifetime of crime,' Hermes said, and there was conviction in his voice. Herakles got the impression that however bad was Sisyphus's fate, if it were up to Hermes, it would be even worse.

'I once had to drag him back down here after he had convinced Queen Persephone to let him out for a day,' the Olympian said.

'He got out? Is that even possible?'

Hermes sighed. 'Sometimes, I think Persephone is far too kindhearted to be Queen of the underworld. It is fortunate for you that we are making this journey while Persephone is here and not up in the world with her mother. Hades will be somewhat softer with her sitting beside him, which is why you should not, under any circumstances, shoot her with one of those poisoned darts of yours. There's a good chance you'll end up down there if you do.'

Herakles peered down into the pit again. 'Who else is down there?'

'There is Ixion, who displeased our father by making love to an effigy of Hera,' Hermes said. 'For his unashamed lust for Zeus's wife, he is to spend eternity tied to a burning, spinning wheel.'

'Seems appropriate,' Herakles said, and then a look of concern crossed his face. 'Is Kheiron down there?' he asked. 'If Prometheus the Titan was true to his word, then he would have offered Kheiron his place in the underworld so that the centaur could cure himself of the Hydra's poison.'

'Prometheus did as he said he would when you released him from his penance,' Hermes said, 'but Zeus would not have his friend down in the Pit. When Kheiron relinquished his immortality, Zeus placed him up in the heavens to reside for eternity amongst the stars.'

Hermes came and stood beside Herakles and together they contemplated the darkness of Tartarus. After a few minutes, the Olympian turned and made back for the path. 'There is another here that you know,' he said, 'and he still lives.'

'Oh? Who?' Herakles asked and came to stand beside Hermes.

'Theseus.'

'Theseus? Surely not! He saved me from the sword of an Amazon not that long ago.'

'He came to the underworld to help Peirithoos kidnap Persephone.'

'He tried to capture the Queen of the Underworld? What a fool!' Herakles exclaimed. 'Lead me to him.'

Hermes led Herakles off the road a little way until they came to a small rise in the dark plain. At its top, Theseus sat upon a strange chair-shaped stone, although it was obvious that no man had ever carved it.

'Theseus, what have you done?' Herakles exclaimed, but Theseus did not answer. He looked at the son of Zeus with curious eyes and his brow furrowed. 'Who are you?' he asked after a moment. 'Have we met before? I'm sure I would have remembered meeting a man such as you.'

Herakles looked at Hermes, who shrugged. 'He sat on the chair of forgetfulness and has been unable to rise ever since,' the Olympian said. 'He can remember nothing of his life - not his father's name, not the city where he was born, nothing. All he knows is his name and that he cannot leave the chair.'

'This is a chair?' Herakles said, 'it looks like a big rock.'

'What does it matter? If someone sits on it, it's a chair,' Hermes said.

Herakles did not answer. He stared at the back of the chair for a moment, and then struck the stone a mighty blow that caused a crack to open along its center. Heartened, by this, Herakles punched the chair again, and again, and again.

Hermes stood with his mouth agape as he watched Herakles slowly reduce the stone to rubble. The last blow that he struck knocked Theseus off his seat and sent him sprawling onto the ground, where he promptly lost consciousness.

'Is it a chair still?' Herakles asked, picking pebbles and shards of rock from his knuckles, 'or is it the rubble of forgetfulness now?'

There was a groan from Theseus and he opened his eyes. As if suddenly remembering where he was, he sprung to his feet and grasped the sword hanging from his belt. 'Herakles?' he said. 'What are you doing here? I thought nothing could kill you, and yet here you are traipsing through the underworld.'

'I'm not dead, you buffoon, and you should be thankful for that. You were as good as dead until we came upon you,' Herakles said. 'What sort of fool would come to the underworld and attempt to kidnap the wife of an Olympian?'

'I was honor bound,' Theseus said. 'Peirithoos and I had an agreement. He would help me capture Helen and I would help him capture Persephone. But if you are not dead, why are you here in the underworld? And where is Peirithoos? And who are you?' Theseus turned to Hermes and realization dawned in his eyes. 'Hermes? Are you escorting Herakles to judgment?'

'No, I'm not,' Hermes said. 'Herakles is not dead and neither are you, but tell me now, do you know what has happened to you?'

Theseues looked down at what was left of the chair of forgetfulness and then at Herakles. 'I sat down here for a rest,' Theseus said, 'but it wasn't a pile of rocks. It was a chair just a moment ago.' It finally occurred to Theseus that all was not as he thought it was. 'What has happened?'

'This was the chair of forgetfulness until our friend here smashed it to rubble,' Hermes said, 'and you have been sitting on it for some time now.'

'And where is Peirithoos?'

'He suffered the same fate as you,' Hermes said, 'but I don't think we should free him. We are on our way to meet Hades and his bride, and I don't think bringing along a man who lusts after Persephone would ingratiate us to our hosts.'

'Do I have to accompany you?' Theseus said. 'Persephone probably wouldn't look too kindly upon me either, nor would Hades for that matter.'

'Your only chance is to come with us,' Hermes said. 'If you try to leave here, Kerberos will tear you apart, and if by some miracle you evade his jaws, Hades will find you and bring you back. Your only chance is to beg Persephone for forgiveness and hope that Hades is in a good mood.'

'How long until he returns, do you think?' Herakles asked.

Hermes looked at Herakles a moment and sighed, before turning back. 'You are doomed, if I am any judge,' he said.

'What? Why?'

'Oh don't worry about him,' Herakles said. 'He's just being melodramatic because I shot Hades with a poisoned arrow. If he won't release you, I'll shoot him again.'

'Confidence is one thing,' Hermes said, 'but arrogance in the face of the Gods is unwise.'

Herakles snorted. 'For nearly ten years I have labored against the odds to complete the mad quests Hera set through her trained monkey-king,' he said. 'I am now close to an end, and yet I cannot believe it will happen. At every turn, Hera has stood in my way and I'm sure she was amongst the Amazons who tried to kill me.'

'And? You have borne the brunt of an Olympian's anger and you still live,' Hermes said. 'That alone should give you confidence. But you forget that your father watches over you and has sent me to guide you on more than one adventure. Don't let your fear guide you into recklessness now that immortality is within your grasp.'

'You talk about Herakles finding immortality when he completes this quest, but I say he has already achieved it,' Theseus said. He had been listening carefully to the exchange between Hermes and Herakles and disagreed with both. 'Every man, woman, and child in Hellas knows his name, and a good number outside Hellas as well. And you say you shot Hades with a poison arrow? How many other men would get away with such a thing?'

'None,' Hermes said, 'but just because he is strong and skilled at war, does not make him immortal.'

'He is not only immortal,' Theseus said, 'but he is indomitable. None will ever defeat him in battle. Only through treachery and deceit have his enemies brought him down in the past, and only through treachery and defeat will they succeed in bringing him down in the future.'

Hermes tried to laugh at Theseus's argument, but there was some logic to it. Herakles had done things that would have been difficult even for an Olympian to achieve. 'But how did this happen. Immortality is not easily found by mortals,' he said.

'Because he was never just a mortal,' Theseus said. 'We have traveled long and far together, you and I,' he said and gestured towards Herakles, who nodded in agreement. 'We spent many a night by the fire on the voyage to the land of the Amazons, and it was on one of those nights that you told me of the vow you took when you were a young man. Have you honored that vow?'

'As well as I could,' Herakles said. 'Never did I seek out pleasure or subjugate my duty to pursue it.'

'Fate does not offer every man a chance to choose his own destiny, yet you were given such a chance. And it is because of the path you chose that you have become what you are,' Theseus said. 'I saw you change at Themiskyra, as if the mortal within you was fading and receding, and the immortal within you was emerging.' He turned to Hermes. 'The path Herakles chose fated him to remain in the minds of men for all time, and not even the Gods can dictate to the Moirai.'

'You may be right, Theseus, and your logic is difficult to fault,' Hermes said, 'but there is one thing we must all remember. Herakles may continue to live on in the minds of men even if he were to die tomorrow. If he has already achieved his immortality through his presence in the minds of men, then it would not matter if he completes eleven near impossible tasks or twelve. His legend would not be any the less if he were to fall at the end. Hellenes love tragic tales as much as they love heroes, if not more.'

'I am more than a tale,' Herakles rumbled, 'I am a man of flesh and blood, and can die just as easily as any other. And immortality in the minds of men is not the immortality I have been pursuing all these years. I will complete these twelve tasks and then my father will ensure that I live forever.'

'All this talk is getting us no closer to our destination,' Hermes said. 'I think it would be wise to reach Hades palace before he returns, for Persephone has infinitely more patience than her husband and has great influence over him.'

'Lead on, then,' Herakles said.

(v)

Hermes led the way once again, his glowing wand held high to light their path. Before long, they came upon a man just off the road who was pinned to the ground by a huge boulder.

Hermes walked past, but Herakles insisted they stop. 'Who is he?' he asked an exasperated Hermes.

'That is Askalaphos, who was a gardener in Hades's palace,' Hermes said.

Herakles looked surprised. 'What could a gardener do that would warrant such a punishment? How can he withstand such a stone? Surely it should have crushed him to death.'

'It is not Hades who gave him this punishment, but Persephone's mother Demeter. He was the one who told Hades that Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds. If not for him, Demeter's daughter would have joined her mother for the whole year, and not just a part of it.'

'And what would have happened if he hadn't told Hades?' Herakles said, and strode to the stone. 'He would have been betraying the Olympian he served.'

'You can't move that stone,' Hermes said, 'it was placed by a God!'

Herakles ignored Hermes and grasped the stone in his two mighty arms. He lifted with all his strength and for a time, it seemed that Hermes had been right - the stone appeared unmovable. But Herakles was not to be deterred. Such was his effort as he strained against the stone that Hermes and Theseus thought that his muscles would come off the bone and tear through his skin.

Then, just as both thought that Herakles must surely give up, the stone on Askalaphos moved an inch. It wasn't much, but it was enough to give Herakles hope. The son of Zeus redoubled his efforts and strained even harder against the stone. It moved another inch, and from beneath came a voice.

'Thank you, whoever you are. A moment's relief in an eternity of pain is better even than ambrosia to a thirsty man.'

Herakles said nothing. He just strained against the stone and moved it another inch.

Theseus looked at Hermes to seek approval and the Olympian nodded his head slightly. The young man scramble next to Herakles and called to Askalaphos. 'You can crawl out from under it,' he said. 'Quickly, take my hand.'

Askalaphos did not need Theseus to ask him twice. He grasped the proffered hand and used it to drag himself out from under the stone that had been crushing him for so many years. When he was clear, Herakles released the stone, which fell to the earth so hard that it shattered into a thousand pieces.

'You're certainly good at making rubble,' Hermes observed.

'Thank you, friends,' Askalaphos said. 'For too long have I been trapped under the stone, unable even to scream out against the pain that it brought. What are your names so that I may know who has freed me from my torment?'

'I am Herakles, and this is Theseus, and we are accompanied by Hermes the Olympian,' Herakles said. 'He is guiding us to the palace of Hades.'

'You have my eternal thanks,' Askalaphos said. 'Not many who visit my master come away happy, but I will let him know that you aided me. I know that he was unhappy that Demeter trapped me under a stone but was reluctant to act against the mother of his wife.'

'Scurry back to your orchard now, spirit of the underworld' Hermes said. 'If Demeter discovers you are free then she might visit an even more horrible fate upon you.'

'As you say, Lord Hermes,' the daimon said and disappeared into the darkness.

'If he is a spirit and not a mortal, couldn't he have freed himself from the stone? Theseus asked.

'It was not the stone that kept him pinned, but a curse from a God,' Hermes said. 'Only another God should have been able to move that rock, and even then only a few Olympians would have been capable.' Hermes sighed. 'Perhaps you are right and Herakles is beyond even the Gods, but we must still tread carefully. It would be unwise to offend Hades in his own realm.'

'I have heard your warning,' Herakles said, in an impatient voice. 'I regret shooting an arrow at him but not because he will look at me unkindly when I ask him to release the hound to me, but because you won't stop complaining about it. What's done is done and cannot be undone.'

Hermes shook his head. 'No one but you would take that tone with an Olympian, and yet I cannot help but admire you for it,' he said. 'Freeing Askalaphos will count in your favor because Hades is fiercely loyal to his servants, especially since the one you helped was so useful to him in the past. But enough chatter, we should head to the palace now. Unless, of course, there is someone else you want to release from torment.'

(vi)

Hades palace was not far from where Askalaphos had been imprisoned and Herakles was a little disappointed. 'This is it?' he asked. 'Just about every other palace in Hellas is more majestic than this, and a good many in the barbarian lands as well.'

'It serves Hades well,' was all Hermes had to say as he led them through the gardens to the entrance. 'He has yet to return, so we will have a chance to speak to Persephone on her own. Leave the talking to me and whatever you do...'

'Don't shoot her,' Herakles finished for him. 'I know, I know.'

The palace was far more impressive inside than out. The doorway was of a black stone that Herakles had never before seen, and small lights winked on and off on its surface like stars in the night sky. Inside, a path of the same black stone led to the megaron and the two thrones upon which Hades and Persephone usually sat.

The thrones were carved from the same glittering black stone, but precious metals and stones had been inlaid into each to form magical images that shifted and changed as the trio came closer, not that either Herakles or Theseus had much time to look at the art of Hades's palace. They stared with wide-eyed wonder at the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, who sat radiant upon her throne and outshone even the most spectacular of gems.

'So this is the man who has disturbed my husband?' she said.

'This is Herakles, son of Zeus,' Hermes said. 'He has come to ask a favor of Hades.'

'He freed a man who would have taken me from my husband's side, then he freed a daimon that displeased my mother, and still he expects a favorable hearing?'

'I came here to fulfill a task set me by Hera, Queen Persephone,' Herakles said, 'but it means nothing now. The only treasure I need take from the underworld is the memory of your beauty.'

'Your flattering words may be your salvation yet, son of Zeus,' Persephone said, and smiled. 'Truth be told, I thought my mother was too harsh on Askalaphos. No man should be punished for loyalty. As for you, Theseus, I will turn a blind eye to your freedom as long as your collaborator does not go free as well.'

'Thank you, kind Persephone,' Hermes said, 'it is gestures of good will such as these that show why you are loved throughout Hellas. But we have one more favor to ask of you. Herakles needs to take Kerberos back to Tiryns to fulfill his final task and thus become immortal. Will you support his cause with Hades, your husband?'

'No, I will not, despite his fair words,' Persephone said. 'It is up to Herakles alone to complete this task, and my petitioning Hades on his behalf would infuriate Hera.'

There was a sound like a hundred voices crying out in pain and Hades appeared on his throne beside Persephone.

'Your path through my world is littered with destruction, son of Zeus,' Hades said. 'First you attack me, and then you attack that which is mine. Tell me, why should I let you live?'

'Because if it were possible for you to kill me, then you would have killed me by now,' Herakles said. 'You have attacked me once already and yet I still live. If you could kill me so easily, then I believe I would already be dead.'

Hades laughed. 'Have you learnt nothing through your journey here? This place is where the dead congregate. To remain here is to be dead, even if blood still flows in your veins. Just ask your friend Theseus who entered the underworld with evil intent. Had you not smashed his chair, he would have been lost to the living world forever.'

'But I smashed the chair,' Herakles said, his voice low and menacing. 'And I wounded you when you attacked me at the entrance. I am no ordinary mortal whose fate you can twist, and you know this already. I am Herakles, and I have come because Hera sent me. You can either help me, or hinder me, but either way I will triumph.'

'You threaten an Olympian?'

'I am tired of Olympians!' Herakles said. 'An Olympian sent me to the underworld, an Olympian guided me to this palace, and now an Olympian bars my way.' He drew his bow and knocked an arrow. 'Deny me at your peril,' he said and sighted his bow on Hades.

Hermes turned and tried to push Herakles's arm down, but Herakles remained unmoved, as if carved of stone.

'Please, husband,' Persephone said. 'This is your nephew! Your brother's son and he may well one day join the ranks of immortals on Mount Olympus.'

'Then why does he behave like an enemy?' Hades said.

'Because Hera has made him one,' Persephone said. 'Eleven impossible labors he has performed already, when only ten were first required of him for his penance, and still Hera torments him. He is not like Peirithoos who stole into your domain motivated by lust! Herakles did not plan this journey for himself, but came because Hera compelled him. She set him a task that no mortal could ever hope to complete in the expectation that he would not survive the attempt. '

'It is payment for his crime,' Hades said.

'A crime that was inspired by a madness sent by Hera,' Persephone shot back. 'Even his name does Hera glory, but she refuses to bend. She, an Olympian, vents her fury at her husband's infidelity on a mortal simply because he is Zeus's son, and still he survives. She sent vipers to his cot when he was but a child, and has concocted many a devious plot to kill him over the years, and yet here he is. Think carefully, husband, for this is no ordinary man and not even the Gods can command fate.'

'I will not be threatened!' Hades roared.

'Then I will not threaten you,' Herakles said, and lowered his bow. 'What is your decision?'

'You are a warrior by trade, are you not?' Hades asked.

Herakles shrugged. 'In the years before moving to Tiryns I was protector of Thebes,' he said.

'And I have already seen how capable you are with weapons. No mortal should have been able to shoot an arrow well enough to catch me, and yet you did,' Hades said, and leaned back on his throne. 'What are you like without your weapons, I wonder?'

'Does the Nemean Lion not reside in your domain? You could ask it.'

Hades smirked. 'It was a monster, true, but very generous with its sacrifices,' Hades said. 'I will make a deal with you that will satisfy both our needs,' the King of the Underworld continued. 'Pacify Kerberos without your weapons and I will allow you to take him to Tiryns.'

'Can I take Theseus with me?'

Hades looked confused and then burst into laughter. 'If you can pacify the guardian of the gate, then you can take whomsoever you choose with you when you leave.'

'Just Theseus,' Herakles said. 'He saved me from an Amazon blade, and I want to repay the favor.'

(vii)

Hermes led them away from the palace soon after Hades had issued his challenge. There seemed no point in extending their stay in the underworld because the host had not been in the most hospitable of moods and Herakles was anxious to come to grips with Kerberos.

'Persephone was so amazingly beautiful,' Theseus said as they walked. 'I am ashamed that I participated in a plot to kidnap her.'

'Peirithoos was a fool,' Herakles said. 'There are countless beautiful women in Hellas that he could have chosen. Why chase after the wife of an Olympian.'

'He would have chosen Helen, but I chose her first,' Theseus said. 'No mortal in the entire world is more beautiful.'

'Tell me, Hermes, how long have we been down here?' Herakles asked as they trooped along.

'Four days.'

Herakles stopped suddenly. 'Four days? How can this be? You are an Olympian and so may not need to eat, but I am a man of some appetite. Why am I not hungry?'

'Reason and logic are not always welcome in the underworld,' Hermes said. 'For some, time crawls, for others, it flies. It is apart from the world above and it is unwise for a mortal to indulge in any pleasures of the flesh here. Look what happened to Persephone, who ate a few seeds.'

'Then let's hurry and get this over with so that I can return to the surface and have something to eat,' Herakles said.

Hermes sighed. 'One minute you are challenging the Gods and the next complaining about an empty belly,' he said. 'Don't worry, Kerberos has his lair very near here so your meal - or possibly his meal if you fail to subdue him - will not be long coming.'

'What if Hera takes offense at Persephone speaking up on your behalf?' Theseus asked.

'Let's hope that it does not come to that,' Hermes said, 'and it's not like Hades gave Herakles the hound to lead away. He must still face the beast in combat and must not kill it, while it can still kill him.'

A deep, menacing growl from ahead of them on the path interrupted Hermes

'Do you think that's him?' Herakles asked, although he wasn't sure why. There couldn't be too many dogs in the underworld, and even if there were, not many could growl with such menace.

'Yes,' Hermes said. 'Give me your weapons,' but he may as well have been talking to the stones set in the path. Herakles had dropped his weapons and completely disrobed.

A moment later, he let out a roaring battle cry that echoed across the entire underworld. The spirits of the dead fled from the booming challenge, while in Tartarus, Sisyphus paused in his eternal quest to roll a rock up a hill and the Titans looked up towards the world that they had lost.

When the echoes had faded, three headed Kerberos bounded into sight with his serpent tail poised like a cobra and the serpent heads growing out of his back hissing and spitting. Venom dripped form the jaws of two of his heads that snarled and snapped at the air, while the third lifted high into the air and howled a challenge that froze Theseus's blood.

Herakles sneered at the monster's display of aggression, spat on the ground towards the beast, and charged. Kerberos, not to be outdone, lowered all three heads and charged as well. Man and beast met midway. Kerberos tried to use his momentum to pounce onto Herakles's chest and push him onto his back where the heads could sink their teeth into the soft flesh of his throat and torso, but it underestimated the man's strength.

Herakles withstood the beast's charge and swung a punch that caught its left head and sent the monster spinning back along the path. He sprang after it but Kerberos was able to regain its footing and turn all three snapping heads towards the man.

They circled one another for a while, each wary of the other's abilities, but neither had the patience for defense. Almost simultaneously, both sprang to attack again, Kerberos with his powerful jaws and Herakles with his rock hard fists. Again they came together, and again Kerberos tried to knock Herakles off his feet, but this time Herakles was waiting for him.

The son of Zeus moved to the left as Kerberos pounced and caught him around the torso. Although the viper heads along the beasts back sunk their fangs into his flesh, Herakles held on and squeezed hard.

Kerberos yelped in pain and thrashed his heads around but could not turn them far enough to bring its jaws within reach of Herakles. The viper tail coiled and was about to strike when Herakles threw the beast into the earth as hard as he could.

Stunned though he was, the hound was able to regain its balance and get back up onto its paws, but was unable to get out of the way of Herakles's fists that slammed down onto its heads, one after the other.

Seeing his opponent so weakened, Herakles wrapped his massive hands around the hound's throat where the three heads joined and began to choke it. Kerberos thrashed and struggled but could not break free. Slowly, its struggling became less and less until Hades appeared and intervened.

'Enough!' the lord of the underworld called. 'You have pacified the beast enough. Take it to Tiryns, but be quick. It does not do to have the entrance to my domain unguarded. Hermes will bring the beast back when Eurystheus is satisfied your task is complete.'

Herakles released his grip and turned to Hades. 'Thank you,' he said.

'I did not think it was possible for a man to defeat Kerberos, but you have proved me wrong,' Hades said, and vanished.

Hermes led them out of the underworld and into the world of light and air above. Although he couldn't remember his time on the chair of forgetfulness, Theseus whooped for joy when he felt the sun on his face, while Herakles dragged a reluctant Kerberos on a chain supplied by Askalaphos. The daimon had come to bid them goodbye just before they ascended out of the land of the dead.

'Words cannot convey my gratitude,' he said. 'I have heard much about you since you freed me from my torment. There are many who admire you and a few who fear you, but none wish to see you fail. Take this chain. It will help keep the gatekeeper under control when you take him to the surface.

(viii)

The journey to Tiryns had the same unreal quality Herakles had first felt when traveling with Hermes to the underworld. There was always a good place to camp, with trees full of ripe fruit and a meandering stream nearby, and the hunting was always good.

'It's strange,' Theseus said one evening when Hermes had vanished into the night leaving the two men alone. 'But I know this area fairly well and have never come across this spot before.'

'Then you feel it as well?' Herakles said. 'It seems that whenever I travel with Hermes, the hunting is excellent and there is always shelter at the end of the day.'

'And I'd wager that if you came looking for this place without him, you wouldn't find it.'

Herakles nodded and turned to look at Kerberos. The hound must have felt his eyes upon him, for he growled with all three heads despite all appearing to be asleep. Even the serpents seemed to be slumbering.

'How does it feel to have three heads, I wonder,' Herakles said. 'Does one dominate the others, or are they democratic? And what if you disagree with yourself?'

Theseus shrugged. 'I don't share your curiosity,' he said. 'The sooner that beast gets back to where he belongs, the better I will feel.'

Kerberos opened the eyes of one head and bared his teeth at Theseus, but the young man was not easily intimidated. In the half-light of evening, he looked so alike Herakles that they could have been brothers. 'What are you complaining about?' he said to the monster. 'You probably wish you were back home as well.'

Herakles laughed. 'Tomorrow we will arrive in Tiryns and my labors will come to an end. It's a pity that Iolaos won't be there to share my triumph,' he said.

'I think the news of your triumph over Kerberos precedes us,' Theseus said. 'I would not be surprised if we find him waiting for us at Eurystheus's palace, along with half of Hellas.'

(ix)

Theseus had been right. Iolaos was waiting for them outside Tiryns and, while it wasn't quite half of Hellas, there was a huge swell of people lining the roads outside the city. Hermes, who had returned half way through the night, led them towards the city with a smirk on his face. 'You are truly the most famous man in all of Hellas,' he said. 'I can imagine Hera's face right now, and it isn't a pretty picture.'

And Hermes was right. The anger on Hera's face as she looked through her window and watched the scene below would have matched - and exceeded - Hermes's imagination.

The Queen of the Gods was furious. She watched as Herakles presented King Eurystheus with the chain that bound Kerberos, and she heard Eurystheus's voice echoing from with his bronze pot as if she were standing beside him.

'You can consider your tenth and final labor complete,' she heard Eurystheus say to Herakles. 'Your penance is paid and you are free to live your life as you see fit.'

'Look at him,' Hera snarled. 'He didn't even celebrate his victory. As if to triumph over an Olympian is so small a thing that it is not worth noticing. Now my husband can fulfill his prophecy and the buffoon will become immortal.'

'He was fated, my Queen. No mortal could have accomplished what he has without a power watching over him, a power greater even than the Gods.'

'Immortal or not, this fool will not escape my wrath,' Hera said. 'When things fall silent and my husband's eye is elsewhere, I will strike.'

(x)

'What will you do now?' Iolaos asked Herakles after they had sacrificed to Zeus. It had been two days since Herakles had finished his labors and the last of the well-wishers had gone.

'I don't know,' Herakles said and stared distractedly into the fire.

'Does it feel any different? Being immortal, I mean?'

Herakles shrugged. 'Not that I can tell. I slept a little longer on the first night after presenting Eurystheus with Kerberos, and I had a strange dream that I can't remember, but apart from that, I feel no different.'

Iolaos stared into the flames beneath the bones that they had just sacrificed. 'I'm off to Thebes to marry Megara tomorrow,' he said after a while.

'That's a good idea,' Herakles said. 'I should get married as well, now that Hera can no longer send me on mad quests, but Mnesimakhe has made it clear she no longer wants a husband now that she has a son.'

'There will be others, I am sure,' Iolaos said. 'You are Herakles, famed throughout Hellas and the world beyond. You'll need to employ your infamous club to keep them all at bay.'

Herakles laughed, but the joy in his voice was superficial. Iolaos could sense that not all was well with his uncle, but could not understand why. Perhaps the pressure of the twelve tasks had taken more of a toll than what showed on the surface, or perhaps becoming immortal did things to a person's soul. But whatever was troubling him, Iolaos knew that he had played his part in freeing him from the curse of Hera.

'For many years, you have ridden one of my horses, but I never told you his name,' Herakles said. 'Know that he is named Therimachus after my own son. He is yours to keep, as a wedding present from me.'

Iolaos nodded. 'Thank you, uncle,' he said. 'I could want no greater gift.'

(xi)

With the last of his tasks completed, Herakles was free from his bondage to Eurystheus. Immortality was his, apparently, even though he felt no different. His labors had washed clean the blood of his murdered children from his soul and for the first time since their deaths, he felt that he could mourn his sons as their father and not as their murderer.

When Iolaos had left for Thebes, Herakles stayed only one more day at Tiryns before he too departed. For years, he had dreamed of going to the ocean's shore and cutting himself adrift from the world of men. Now he was finally able to act upon that urge.

Within days of arriving at the secluded beach that he had chosen years ago to be his haven, Herakles became lost in the natural world. He existed like a wild animal, living from day to day without a thought for the passing of time. Without the discipline imposed by the society of men, there was nothing with which to differentiate one day from another. The sun shone and the wind blew, and all else was trivial. But time did pass, and days did become weeks, and weeks did become months.

Herakles did not know why he had craved solitude so much, nor could he understand how or why that craving ended. It was while he was sitting on the beach listening to the ocean roar that he began to yearn for the company of others. There was neither rhyme nor reason that he could understand—or at least identify—for why his heart had changed. There was just the certain knowledge that his thirst for solitude had finally been sated.

Along with his yearning for the company of others came several other desires and needs that jockeyed amongst themselves for prominence. They were all urgent in their own way, but there was one desire that rose above all others. It occupied his consciousness completely as he gathered the few possessions he had brought with him, his armor and weapons, although only the bow had found any use here. It was the need to find a wife. He had paid his penance and after all that he had achieved, not even Hera could begrudge him a domestic life.

Herakles's first port of call when he returned to Tiryns was the market. After so long living on the land, he had a yearning for something made by another's hand. He would never admit it to Iolaos, but he missed the taste of cheese. He would also learn of the world there. Events had certainly moved on since he'd gone on his pilgrimage to the ocean's edge, and if anyone knew the current lay of the land, it was Miltiades the merchant. The man sold some excellent cheeses, but what he truly specialized in was gossip.

'Ah, Herakles,' Miltiades said, when he spotted the big man sauntering over to his stall. 'Where have you been? None have seen you for nearly a year.'

'I took a holiday, friend Miltiades,' Herakles said, 'and how is business?'

'Difficult, as ever,' the merchant said. 'I'm surprised to see you here. Eurytos has announced a big archery contest in Oikhalia and everyone was expecting you to show up there. He's been bragging to all who would listen that he is the best archer in all of Hellas, and that is challenge none thought you would be able to resist. He is so confident that he's giving away the hand of his daughter as the prize, and all that have seen her have said she is a real beauty.'

'You were right,' Herakles said. 'I was just dropping in to pick up some supplies before heading off for the contest that you have just told me about. Do you know when it will begin?'

Miltiades looked confused for a moment as he tried to work out what Herakles had said, and then a big grin split his face. 'At the start of the summer some sixty days from now,' he said, 'and I have a wedge of cow's cheese that will see you through to the very day that it starts.'

Herakles returned to his home outside the city with his newly acquired cheese that he devoured as if he had not eaten in a week, but his homecoming was not a happy one. He found that the memories of his servitude to King Eurystheus were stronger here and he woke ever morning angrier than the day before.

'If I stay here, the Rat King will haunt my dreams,' he grumbled to himself every morning. It was obvious that Fate had summoned him back to the world of men. and it was the Moirai's love of drama that betrayed their hand. If there was to be a contest, then who better to win it than the son of Zeus? And if the prize was to be the hand of a beautiful woman, then who better to marry than an immortal who was famed throughout the world for his bravery and heroism? But was he fated for a good life, or did the Moirai have other intentions?

Herakles the Murderer

Delivering Kerberos to King Eurystheus marked the end of Herakles's penance but it took several weeks for him to accept that he was truly free. Even then, it seemed to him to be a hollow prize unworthy of the trials he had to endure to attain it. His sons were still dead and the shame of their deaths remained with him. Nor could he find any comfort in the newfound immortality granted him by his father. All he could see was an eternity of empty days before him, massing together to form hollow years.

There was an anger burning in his heart, but it differed from the white-hot fury that, for so many years, had driven him through his labors. It was melancholy in nature and did not cause the blood to burn in his veins. Instead, it sapped him of strength and made him feel broken and weak. There had been days recently when he could not muster the energy to hunt, or to sacrifice to the Gods. On those days, he did not enjoy the taste or aroma of meat and shunned all nourishment, which left him feeling even weaker.

It was as if a dark fire burned within his chest, its flames fed by the loss of his sons, and his wife, and his name. Its dark tendrils were slowly devouring him - burning away the humanity and leaving a void where was once his soul. Strangely, despite being nearly overwhelming, the melancholy anger rarely burned alone. Memories of his past life often sprang out at him when he was in his darkest moods and chased the gloom away.

The flashes of light were fleeting and far between at first, but grew in length and intensity as the days passed. Soon, he found himself spending most of his time looking back over his shoulder to when the world knew him as Alkides, or father, or husband. Eventually, there came a day when the gloom was all but gone and the son of Zeus decided it was time to find another wife in the hope that he could recapture the simple but unrecognized joys that had filled Alkides's life.

With this goal uppermost in his mind, Herakles rode back out into the world, heading for the city of Oikhalia where his old teacher Eurytos was offering the hand of his daughter to the man who could defeat him in an archery contest. As he rode away from Tiryns, the memory of Alkides outshone all others and the years of penance had fallen so far behind him that he felt that they were not really a part of him - as if he had been a witness to the life of another man. So it came as a shock when he encountered Lidas at a traveler's shelter outside Nemea.

'Ha, Lidas knew he would meet the mighty Herakles again,' the merchant said with his usual enthusiasm.

'What are you doing here,' Herakles exclaimed. 'My tasks are over and I owe nothing more to the Gods or to Hera.'

'What? Lidas does not understand.'

'Come now, do you still need to maintain your disguise? I know you are Hermes, sent by my father to guide me through my tasks.'

'Lidas? Hermes?' the merchant looked shocked. 'If Lidas were an Olympian, would he peddle sub standard wares from city to city?'

'What wares?'

Lidas looked a little taken aback, but recovered quickly. 'The ones Lidas just sold in Nemea,' he said. 'If Lidas were honest, he would tell Herakles that there was a suspicion that Hermes and Lidas's mother were quite good friends, but Lidas is not known for his honesty. Still Lidas's life is a dull one while yours is full of excitement and adventure. Lidas has heard you have completed all the tasks Hera set for you and he thought that you would be reclining in a golden throne somewhere, as befitting a son of Zeus.'

'I should be, but that rat Eurystheus has my throne,' Herakles said, and there was bitterness in his voice. 'No, I am off to find a bride.'

'Lidas thinks you should not be too harsh on King Eurystheus for your plight,' the merchant said. 'He is no more responsible for Hera's anger than you are for Zeus's infidelity.'

'If he were more gracious then perhaps I would be more forgiving, but the rat took pleasure from my plight and wanted me to fail as much as Hera did.'

'Lidas can understand Herakles's feelings, but still thinks Herakles should be more forgiving of the rat. Lidas also thinks that, although Herakles has completed his tasks, he may still have to contend with Hera's wrath. She is not one to take defeat graciously.'

Herakles nodded and his face took on a grim expression.

'Ack, Lidas is a fool. This is a time for celebration, not gloominess. Tell Lidas of your plans for the future.'

'I plan to marry a great beauty. She is Iole, the daughter of my old friend and teacher Eurytos,' Herakles said, and his expression lightened a little. 'He is holding an archery contest and the prize is her hand in marriage.'

'Lidas knows of Eurytos. He is a fine archer but no match for you, even if he does wield a bow given to him by Apollo.'

'I love my old teacher and he is undoubtedly a skilled archer, but his greatest flaw is that he thinks his skill is greater than it actually is.'

'What does it matter? Surely he won't compete for the hand of his own daughter?'

'Ahh, there you have it. The winning archer must defeat King Eurytos himself in order to claim the prize. He thinks himself the greatest archer in all of Hellas and is sure that none can take his daughter away from him.'

The merchant nodded understanding. 'Eurytos will not be the first man to be undone by his own arrogance, nor will he be the last.'

'Iole is famed for her beauty and I mean to make her mine, even if it means humiliating her father by exposing him as the second best archer in Hellas,' Herakles said.

The two men sat beside the fire long into the night and, as often happened whenever they met, the tales they told one another became bawdier by the hour. Nor was Herakles surprised to find that there was no trace of Lidas the following morning.

Taking his lead from the merchant, the son of Zeus also set off early that morning. The night with Lidas had lifted his spirits and he was keen to begin the next part of his life - a life free from obligation to Hera and King Eurystheus.

Although Herakles had spent years travelling all over Hellas and beyond to complete his tasks, the journey to Thessaly was unlike the many he had made with his nephew Iolaos while under King Eurystheus's yoke. There was no impossible task or ravening monster at the end of it. Instead, he was going to meet an old friend. It took a while because Herakles still enjoyed bathing in the ocean and eating freshly caught meat but at the journey's end, King Eurytos greeted him with enthusiasm.

'It is good to see you again!' the King boomed out after the guards had escorted Herakles to the megaron. Eurytos was a big man, with a big black beard that had developed a few grey streaks over the years, and his voice was even bigger. It filled the chamber with echoes and those standing near him would often wince when he became excited. 'Have you come for the contest? Hah! Don't think that the student has surpassed the master just yet!'

'Yes, I've come for the contest. How could I miss it when the prize is the hand in marriage of the most beautiful woman in all of Hellas?' Herakles replied.

'Some would dispute such a bold proclamation, but because she's my daughter, I agree with you. Iole is indeed the most beautiful woman in all of Hellas, but she is off limits to all because I cannot see anyone who has entered capable of claiming her as a prize.' The King paused a moment and contemplated the huge man in front of him. 'I remember when you were named Alkides and there was a look in your eyes as of one who was thinking of conquering the world. I have heard many tales about your exploits over the years, and even if only half are true, then you have done just that,' Eurytos said. 'But however much your skills have grown, you will still fall short and taste defeat at the hands of the master with his bow.' Eurytos said, and placed his hand on the intricate bow that leaned against the throne.

'Do not put too much faith in that bow given to you by Apollo,' Herakles said. 'I have a god given bow as well, and none can match me. Not even you.'

The King roared in appreciation of Herakles bravado and the two of them talked of their days together in Thebes. Such was their friendship that they conversed long into the night, and then came together early to share their morning meal the next day. Because it was some time until the contest was to begin Eurytos offered Herakles the hospitality of his palace, which the son of Zeus graciously accepted.

The arrangement worked well for the King. Herakles was at hand to greet all the other entrants to the contest, many of whom found his presence awe inspiring, and his boisterous and friendly nature made him a favorite in the court. Iphitos, who was Eurytos's eldest son, was especially fond of the son of Zeus. The young man hung on Herakles's every word and laughed the loudest at his ribald jokes. He made it quite clear that he would not be at all disappointed if Herakles defeated his father and married his sister, which drew his father's ire.

(ii)

As the weeks passed, Herakles felt a weight lift from his shoulders and he found himself able to laugh more easily, as well as enjoy the company of others. The dark mood that had accompanied him through many of his tasks was dissipating, and he felt that it was just possible that he could rediscover some joy in his life once more. Which is why he was surprised that he felt ill at ease when the day of the contest finally arrived.

The day was perfect for archery - not a breath of wind stirred the trees - and all the contestants had arranged themselves on the field of battle.

'Competitors,' Eurytos said, 'these shall be the rules of the contest. This is a competition for the skilled, and so we shall start where at the very edge of a normal man's capabilities,' he paused a moment to let his words sink in, and then continued in his great, booming voice. 'We will stand at thirty dekapous from our targets and shoot five arrows. The top eight scores shall then move out to forty dekapous and shoot another five arrows. The top four shall then move out to fifty dekapous, and from those skilled archers the top two will move back to sixty dekapous to decide who will win the contest.'

There was an intake of breath from the assembled crowd. Shooting with any accuracy over such a distance was unheard of, and yet here was King Eurystheus suggesting that he, at the very least, thought himself capable of such a feat.

The King waited a few moments for silence and then called the first two archers. 'My two sons, Iphitos and Clytius, will begin the competition.'

The two young men shot admirably, as did all the other who followed and very little separated the best of the archers from the worst. The final two contestant, however, were easily the most skilled - King Eurytos and Herakles - and these two would set the standard for the others.

'As the host, I will leave it to my guest to choose who of us shall shoot first,' Eurytos said, and nodded towards Herakles.

'If the choice is mine to make, then I ask that you precede me,' Herakles said.

The King took up his bow, but instead of walking to the thirty dekapous mark, he walked back to the sixty dekapous mark and set his arrows.

'Why waste time on all the rounds? I will set the mark from here and let all who would challenge me do so.'

There was a roar from the crowd at Eurytos's audacious move and then all fell silent as he nocked his first arrow. It sailed straight and true and struck the exact center of the target, as did the four that followed.

Eurytos looked to Herakles, who inclined his head in acknowledgment. The son of Zeus then walked to the sixty dekapous mark, turned and strode away from the target. The crowd behind him parted to let him through and he made his way to twice the distance from which Eurytos shot.

All watched as Herakles nocked his first arrow and then stood still as stone. To those watching, it seemed that the son of Zeus had become petrified like a statue and would stand in Eurytos's field for the rest of time. The murmurings of a few in the crowd spread until all the voices had joined and become a roar which stopped abruptly when Herakles let go of the bowstring and released the arrow. It flew straight, true, and struck the center of the target so hard that only it's feathered end remained visible. For a moment, there was silence, and then the crowd erupted.

Beside Herakles, Eurytos erupted in anger. The King knew that he could not match such a shot and would no doubt loose his daughter to the man famed for murdering his own children. 'Enough,' he cried. 'This is travesty of the rules of fairness! The competition is cancelled!'

Herakles looked astonished. 'You cannot just cancel the contest because you look to be losing! This is a game between friends and not a life and death struggle. All that will be hurt will be your pride.'

'That is where you are wrong,' Eurytos said. 'We all know how you came to be in King Eurystheus's service. You murdered your own children and your service was a penance. I fear that if you marry beautiful Iole, she will face the same fate as Megara and become the mother of murdered children.'

Herakles's brow darkened, but he brought his anger under control, albeit with some difficulty. 'I am disappointed with you, Eurytos. Your arrogance is what led to this, and now you have publicly humiliated the both of us. Consider yourself fortunate that I hold you in such high esteem that I will forgive this indiscretion.'

'I will carry the shame if it means Iole remains safe,' Eurytos said. 'I apologize if my words have angered you and opened old wounds.'

'And what does Iole have to say about this?' Herakles said, and both men turned to where the Kings daughter stood with her brothers.

'I will do as my father bids,' Iole said, which brought a smile to Eurytos's face.

'Beautiful and wise,' the King said.

For a moment, Herakles looked like he was going to speak again, but he decided against it. Iole was indeed beautiful and he thought it prudent to bite his tongue. Not since his infatuation with Mnesimakhe had Herakles felt such a desire for a woman, and he meant to make this one his wife, one way or another. If he could not win her in a contest, there was always the chance that he could woo her in a more traditional way.

Iphitos, who was standing beside his sister, exploded with anger. 'You are both fools!' he said. 'Herakles is a son of Zeus and the most famous hero in all of Hellas, and yet you treat him like some goat herd who has wandered into your palace by mistake. There is no danger here. He would make a fine husband for Iole. He won the contest fairly and easily, and he deserves the prize.'

'Silence!' Eurytos said in a voice like thunder. 'The competition was won by no one and there will be no prize. Herakles is our guest and will remain so as long as he so desires, but he cannot have the hand of my daughter!'

'You are a fool, father,' Iphitos said, and stormed off back towards the city.

Eurytos watched him for a moment, and then turned to Herakles. 'My apologies, friend Herakles,' he said, 'I have been indulgent with my children, especially my first born son. They still throw tantrums when they don't get their own way.'

'He will grow to be a fine man,' Herakles said, 'but since the contest is no more there is no need to linger any longer on dark thoughts of who should have won or could have won. I know you had planned for a feast after the competition, and there is no need to cancel it because there is no winner. A little food and wine amongst friends would be the perfect antidote for this acrimony.'

(iii)

On Olympus, Hera had watched the drama unfold. 'He is immortal, or so my husband tells me, yet I can sense no change in him,' she said.

'Perhaps nothing has changed,' Iris said. She was brushing Hera's hair and with each stroke, the scar that ran down her face shimmered and shone with all the colors of the rainbow. 'Any man who can best Kerberos is likely more than mortal.'

'His tasks are done and he is a free man,' the Queen of the Gods said, 'but still his anger burns. It is there, just below the surface, waiting to explode and commit more crimes against the people of Hellas.'

Iris paused in her brushings and smiled. 'What do you have planned, my Queen?'

'The son of Eurytos is an excitable young man who has been spoiled badly by his father,' Hera purred. 'Once he has set his mind to something, no one can change it.' She paused a moment and looked down at Herakles and Eurytos, who were making their way back to the palace followed by the rest of the competitors and the children of the King. 'He also has a love of his father's horses that borders on obsession. I want you to arrange for those horses to be stolen, and for Iphitos to be convinced that Herakles is the thief.'

'Yes, my Queen,' Iris said, and vanished in a swirl of colors.

(iv)

Iphitos ran into the megaron where his father was hosting a feast to honor the end of the archery contest that hadn't been contested. 'Father,' he called as he ran, 'the horses are gone!'

Eurytos looked unimpressed. 'This can wait until after the feast,' the King said. 'Our guests have been put through enough already.'

'No it can't!' Iphitos exclaimed. 'Our beautiful horses are gone! My beautiful horses are gone and it was Herakles who stole them.'

'What are you talking about? Herakles has been by my side the entire day,' Eurytos said.

For a moment, Iphitos looked confused. 'I saw him! He rode away with them all in his wake. I saw him.'

Herakles, seated on the King's right, looked concerned. 'This is madness,' he said, 'so I will ignore the slur on my honor. Come, Iphitos, put away your accusations and take a seat beside me. We will feast together.'

The young man looked for a moment as if he would do as Herakles asked, but the madness returned to his eyes and he pointed at the son of Zeus. 'Bring them back,' he said, his voice high and strained. 'You're the one who took them away, so you can bring them back!.'

'Iphitos,' Eurytos barked. 'Stop making baseless accusations against our guests. What has gotten into you?'

'I saw him,' Iphitos said to his father, then turned again to Herakles. 'I saw you, thief! Just because you are the son of Zeus, you think you can get away with it. My father may turn a blind eye, but not I!' He drew his sword and made to charge Herakles, but one of the guards intervened and snatched the sword from the young man's hands.

'Thank you Ariston,' Eurytos said. 'Take this fool away and don't let him return until he has regained his senses.'

'You can take him wherever you like,' Herakles rumbled and the anger was apparent in his voice. 'This day, which promised to bring much joy into my life, has turned sour. I am not in the mood for feasting with the people who claim to be my friends but behave like they are my enemies.' The big man stood up from his seat and strode out from the megaron.

(v)

The cool evening air was a tonic for Herakles after the closed and stifling atmosphere of the megaron. It had not been a good day and he could feel the fury rising and his blood begin to boil. Iphitos's fraudulent accusations galled Herakles because they were obviously untrue, and it added to the humiliation visited upon him by Eurytos —a man who was meant to be his friend. It almost felt as if there was a conspiracy in the palace of his old teacher to try to goad Herakles into acting unwisely.

The words of caution that Lidas had spoken to him on the road rose up in his mind. Could this be Hera's doing? Could she have arranged the archery contest and all that went with it, and know that Eurytos would renege if defeated? While possible, Herakles considered it unlikely. His old teacher was an arrogant man who thought he could do as he pleased, and often did just that. While Hera might be enjoying his discomfit, it was unlikely that she would concoct such a convoluted plan.

Even outside the palace, Herakles could still hear Iphitos's strident voice accusing him of a crime he could not have committed and it drove him onward, away from the palace and up onto the wall that surrounded the city. He braced himself against the edge and looked out to the west, where Helios was driving his chariot down below the horizon's edge to where the boat of the heavens waited.

Still, Iphitos's voice assaulted his ears, pouring false allegations into the evening sky, and it seemed to be getting closer. Every minute that passed pushed Herakles's temper to the edge, and when Iphitos appeared behind him still spouting falsehoods, his anger overwhelmed him.

'Silence you fool!' Herakles roared. 'I did not take any of your accursed horses, nor would I want the flea bitten nags. I ride a beast bred by the Gods! Of what use would your poor animals be to me!'

'They are the finest animals in all of Hellas,' Iphitos cried, and flecks of white foam sprayed out from the corner of his lips. Behind him, two guards stood and watched the exchange with swords drawn.

'Your King's son has succumbed to madness. Take him away before I throw him from the wall.'

'We have not the power to command a Prince,' the taller of the two guards said, 'and if you throw him from the wall, then you will be committing murder. The boy is unarmed and no threat to you.'

'No threat!' Iphitos screamed. 'I need no sword to chastise a thief,' he said, and threw himself at Herakles. He managed to land a blow on the big man's face, but the only effect it had was to enrage the son of Zeus further.

Herakles could contain his fury no longer. He grasped Iphitos by the throat and pitched him over the edge of the wall. What was strange was that the young man did not scream or cry out in fear. Instead, he kept his mantra of accusations against the son of Zeus until the rocks at the wall's base silenced his ranting forever.

The two guards looked at one another, and then at the furious man before them. Both knew that they were no match for the son of Zeus, even though he was unarmed and they were fully armed and armored.

'He struck you first,' the tall guard said.

'Aye, it was not murder,' his companion said. 'He was obviously mad and could not be controlled.'

'But the King may not see it as anything other than murder,' the tall guard said, and looked to his friend. They appeared to reach an unspoken agreement. 'Go and collect your things and flee the city. We will wait a while before reporting this incident to the King,' the tall guard added.

Herakles hesitated for a moment. A part of him wanted to leave the city in ruins, to spill the blood of Eurytos and all his cronies for the humiliation they had visited upon him, but he decided to let the matter pass. One murder in a night was enough. He nodded at the guards and vanished into the fading light. A moment later, the sound of hooves galloping away rang out in the courtyard near the palace and then faded as they passed through the gate and out into the wilderness. Only when they were completely beyond earshot did the two guards leave the wall.

(vi)

Herakles rode until the sun set and then bent down low over his horse's neck. 'To the sea,' he whispered into its ear. In a world where treachery was the norm, he knew he could trust Deicoon, the friend who had carried him all over Hellas and beyond. The horse turned its head this way and that, and then set off at a gallop. The night was moonless, but Deicoon was undeterred. Bred by Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, he knew always how to reach its waters. His hooves flew over the earth as if it were the middle of the day and soon the gentle susurration of the oceans waves filled the air.

Herakles breathed deeply and the tangy salt air entered him and soothed his jaded nerves. The big man dismounted and stood on the grainy sand of a beach. Before him, the ocean waves shone with a strange blue glow as they rolled into the shore. By their faint light, Herakles was able to gather enough driftwood to start a fire above the high tide line. It's was a warm night, but the strange luminescence of the waves unnerved him and the light of the fire felt more human and of this world.

'You already had a good horse,' Iphitos said, 'why did you have to steal mine as well?'

Herakles spun around and there was the young man, sitting beside him, but his body was broken and bleeding from where Herakles had thrown it against the rocks.

'I,' Herakles said, and reached for his sword, but it was not there. 'I,' he said again, but his throat dried up and he could no longer speak. He tried to reach forward and strangle the life out of the broken body, but his arms were like blocks of ice and his feet seemed to have become rooted in the earth. Iphitos laughed at Herakles's obvious discomfit and drew a sword from a girdle at his waist. 'I'm going to steal your life from you, just like you stole my horses from me,' the young man said.

Paralyzed, Herakles could only watch as Iphitos, with a manic smile on his broken lips, drew back his sword. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Herakles watched his tormentor bring the blade around in a flat, wide sweep. He could do nothing but watch the bronze blade arc through the air on the end of a shattered and bleeding arm, and he knew that, immortal or not, its sharp edge would be the end of him.

The blade's journey took an eternity and while Herakles waited for his life to end, he saw images of his father Zeus and his tormentor Hera. They sat side by side on thrones of gold and their union burned hotter than the sun. Together, they watched as the blade that would take Herakles's life crawled through the air towards its journey's end.

Herakles tried to call to his father, but his voice refused to sound. He felt the cold bronze edge bite into the flesh of his neck and it brought a scream to his lips, but his throat refused to release it and his voice remained silent. The only action that remained was to close his eyes and wait for oblivion. When he next opened his eyes, Iphitos was gone.

Confused and afraid, the son of Zeus jumped to his feet and looked about for signs of the mad prince, but the beach was empty of all but sea birds and a concerned horse. He sat back down by the embers of the fire he had made last night and waited for his heartbeat to return to normal.

Deicoon wandered over and nuzzled the big man's shoulder.

'It was a nightmare, nothing more,' Herakles said and patted the horse's nose. 'None could blame me for the mad fool's death. He followed me to the wall and was probably planning to sink a knife into my back the moment my eyes were turned.'

The horse whinnied softly and nuzzled Herakles's shoulder before wandering back towards the forest's edge to graze. The big man watched him for a while, then stood and ran into the ocean waves, where the cool waters soothed him and washed away the memory of the broken man in his dreams.

Despite the cleansing nature of Poseidon's domain, Iphitos returned to Herakles's dreams that night, with his false allegations and broken body. And again the night after, and the night after that. Tired and unable to rest, Herakles mounted Deicoon on the fourth day after he had thrown the boy from the wall and headed towards the nearby city of Pylos where King Neseus ruled.

The guards on the wall recognized him instantly, and led him to the palace where Neseus greeted him with respect, as befitting a famous hero and son of Zeus.

'I have come to you for help,' Herakles said. 'Several days ago, I was forced to slay a mad man and now he haunts my dreams. As a King in Hellas, you can purify me for the killing and let me sleep in peace again.'

The King's face was grim. 'I know of your crime, for Eurytos is a friend of mine and news of his misfortune has spread across all of Hellas. Why would I purify you for such a crime? Iphitos was just a boy, and those who found his body say he was unarmed. What threat could he have been to someone such as you? A man who has defeated some of the most horrible monsters and belligerent giants to ever walk the earth? You did not kill the boy in self-defense, as you claim, but threw him from the wall in anger. You are a murderer, and the nightmares that haunt your sleep are proof of that.'

'Fool, what do you know of the circumstances of that night?' Herakles said, with anger in his voice. 'Iphitos followed me from his father's table, spouting lies and false accusations, and his father even admitted such. Murderer you call me, but you are wrong. Eurytos is the murderer, not I. Had the liar kept his word and given me the prize for winning the archery contest, then Iphitos would still be alive today, but he let his pride overrule his duty. And even after he had humiliated me so, Iphitos's fate was not set. If Eurytos had been a true father and King, then he would have silenced the false allegations coming from Iphitos's mouth.'

'Are you telling me that Eurytos is responsible for his son's death,' Neseus said. 'Even if all you said is true, it does not excuse you from throwing an unarmed boy to his death. Even with Eurytos's treachery and Iphitos's accusations, you are still a murderer and I will not purify you. You are a famous hero and son of Zeus and are welcome to stay here as long as you wish, but my hospitality ends there.'

'I do not need your hospitality, fool,' Herakles said and his hand went to the sword that hung at his waist. Behind him, the King's guards all drew their weapons. 'Even the company of the lowliest peasant would be preferable to yours,' Herakles continued, 'and tell your curs to put away their weapons or I will kill you all.'

A look of fear crossed Neseus's face and he motioned for his guards to stand down. 'Perhaps this is not the place to seek purification,' the King said, trying to sound conciliatory, 'politics being what it is, I could find myself at war with a man I hold as a friend. Perhaps you should seek absolution from a temple or an oracle. Someone who can grant you what you need without exciting the ire of his neighbors.'

'For all your foolishness, perhaps you speak some wisdom,' Herakles said, and his hand fell off the pommel of his sword. 'I have had dealings with the oracle at Delphi before, and she showed me the way. Perhaps she can show me again.'

'A wise choice,' Neseus said, and the atmosphere in the room relaxed.

'Your counsel has spared you and your curs from death,' Herakles paused and looked about him with scorn in his eyes. It was obvious that he thought little of the armed men surrounding him. 'But do not think that I have forgiven you for not offering me aid.' Still sneering, Herakles turned sharply and strode from the palace where Neseus had his throne.

(vii)

By the time Herakles reached the temple to Apollo in Delphi, he was haggard and almost delirious from lack of sleep. Deserted though it was, there was an air of expectation about the temple, as if there was an unseen audience that was watching to see the hand of fate at work. Herakles burst into the temple and fell to the floor. Shadows created by the brazier at the room's center danced about him like dark flames. The air was thick and difficult to breathe, with a strange texture that made him light headed.

The Pythia was waiting for him on the seat behind the brazier. 'So the murderous son of Zeus has once again come to seek purification for a foul deed,' she said.

'No, I have never been here before, hag. You must have me mistaken for another, a man named Alkides who murdered his family. I am Herakles and have come seeking purification for an act that was forced upon me.'

The Pythia coughed a haggard and humorless laugh. 'I advised you to take the name Herakles to soothe the Queen of the Gods, but a change of name cannot hide the corruption within you. Twice you have come to me, and twice it was murder that drove you here.'

'I have not come here to bandy words with you, hag of Apollo,' Herakles said, and his voice was low and menacing. 'I killed a man who threatened me and now he haunts my dreams. What must I do to free myself of him?'

'A man? You did not kill a man. You killed a boy,' the Pythia said, 'and not just any boy, but a grandson of Apollo. Why would I, a priestess of Apollo, help one such as you, a murderer of his family?'

'Because I am in need,' Herakles exclaimed, 'and Apollo and I share a father. And how am I a murderer? The foolish boy accused me of a crime I did not commit, he followed me to the top of the wall, spouting lies and accusations. And his father did nothing to stop him. Eurytos just sat farting on his throne while his son smeared the name of an honored guest. He did not discipline the boy, or offer words of caution, or admonish him in any way. What sort of father spoils his children so much that they cannot show respect to the guests in his house?'

'The sort of father that does not murder his own children,' the Pythia said, and sneered.

For a moment, Herakles stood still as stone. 'Do not think yourself safe from my wrath, hag,' Herakles said after a moment, the anger obvious in his voice.

'And why not? I have no fear of death, false hero, and that is all that you have to offer.'

Herakles strode forward and pushed the Pythia off her seat before the brazier. 'Death? For you? You are right in that it has no meaning to one such as you. But it is not your life I will take,' he said, and grasped the smoking brazier from which the priestess drew her power of foresight.

'Fool!' the Pythia said from where she lay upon the ground, and then broke into a coughing laugh. 'Do you think yourself strong enough to wrest Apollo's brazier from his very own temple?'

Herakles did not reply. Instead, he braced his powerful legs against the earth and lifted with all his might. The sound of metal under stress filled the noisome cavern and then the iron legs that held the brazier to the earth stretched and broke.

The Pythia looked on in shock as Herakles upended the brazier and dumped the coals to the ground before he dragged it to the door, its weight a burden even to him. 'No, you mustn't! No!' she screamed and dragged herself towards the door.

'Your life may not be precious to you, but Apollo's favor most certainly is,' Herakles said. 'I will take this and start another temple nearby, with a Pythia that does not think too highly of herself to refuse the request of a son of Zeus.'

'No,' the Pythia cried again, but Herakles ignored her. He dragged the brazier outside and whistled for Deicoon, who was grazing at the bottom of the hill upon which the temple stood.

'Let none take this,' Herakles whispered into his horse's ear and then set about to fashion a sled with which to carry the brazier away, but the Gods were watching.

'Son of Zeus, why do you torment my priestess and steal my property?' said a booming voice.

Herakles looked up and saw Apollo, perched on the temple roof.

'It is the Pythia who has caused this trouble,' Herakles answered. 'I came for an oracle to ease my dreams and she refused me. I am taking the brazier to start another oracle, with a more respectful priestess.'

'No, I forbid it. This brazier is mine and I alone can say where it will reside and who will receive my gift of foresight.'

'Go away, fool, I have much to do,' Herakles said, his voice contemptuous.

'You talk like that to an Olympian?' Apollo said, and drew his bow. He shot two arrows in quick succession at Herakles, but the big man swatted them away as if they were mosquitoes.

'You shoot like your grandson Eurytos. Do you have more honor than he, I wonder, or did he learn his deceitful ways from you?'

'Do not compare me to my grandson,' Apollo said and drew his sword, 'the fool brags that he is a better archer even than me. It brought a smile to my face to see you defeat him. Now, return the brazier to its rightful place and we can put this foolishness aside.'

'Will the Pythia grant me an oracle?'

'That is up to her.'

'Then I will continue on my way,' Herakles said.

Apollo screamed with rage and flew down from the temple roof with his sword held before him, but Herakles was waiting and spun away at the last moment. The big man's speed surprised Apollo, who flew past his target. What surprised him even more was the massive fist that Herakles brought around which struck the Olympian in the back of the head, sending him sprawling onto the ground and his sword flying into the scrub.

The God of truth and prophecy scrambled back to his feet and turned again to face Herakles. 'You move surprisingly quickly for one so large.'

'And you look like a boy whose balls have yet to drop.'

Apollo bristled, but this time his caution tempered his anger. 'My sister Artemis speaks most highly of you,' he said, and then launched himself at Herakles, hoping to take him by surprise. Herakles didn't even bother to get out of the way. He deflected Apollo's blow and then threw a punch of his own that he thought would end the battle, but Apollo was as agile as a mongoose and skipped away. He returned a heartbeat later and took the legs out from underneath Herakles, and then wrapped his arms around the big man's neck.

For the first time in his life, Herakles found himself in a grip that he could not break. He twisted this way and that, but Apollo held on tight. Finally, he was able to get his own arms around the God's chest. So evenly matched were the two that neither could use his strength to claim victory over the other. Instead, they two combatants lay in the dirt beside the temple, grunting and groaning for hour after hour.

The sun was dipping towards the west when Zeus, who had watched the battle from his seat on Mount Olympus, decided to intervene.

'It is time to make peace with one another,' he said from above Apollo's temple where he had appeared, but neither Herakles or Apollo seemed to be aware of his presence. They continue to grapple with one another in the dirt, oblivious to all about them.

'My sons, I command you to stop fighting and make peace,' Zeus said, but more forcefully this time. The result was the same, and the combatants continued to ignore his presence.

Zeus's brow furrowed. 'My sons,' he cried, 'cease your fighting!' This time, to add weight to his words, a bolt of lightning arced down from the heavens and struck the earth beside the two brawlers. Herakles and Apollo ceased their brawling and scrambled to their feet, but both wore a petulant face, like a small child whose elders had caught him stealing.

The King of the Gods smiled upon his two sons, but even Zeus's favor wasn't enough to ease the enmity between them. Both men thought to take advantage of the lull to surprise the other, and both swung a punch at the other's head at exactly the same time. A heartbeat later, both were once again lying in the dirt and locked in a violent embrace.

'I will send you both to Tartarus to keep company with the Titans if you do not stop fighting!' Zeus said, and his anger was apparent. A second bolt of lightning grounded itself a mere inch from the two brawlers.

'He's trying to steal my brazier,' Apollo complained as the two men got to their feet.

'That's because the Pythia has no respect for the sons of Zeus,' Herakles said. 'And anyway, I was going to set up a temple for you, even finer than this one.'

'Silence!' Zeus roared. 'I know why you are fighting. You,' he pointed to Apollo, 'command the Pythia to give Herakles the oracle he needs to purify himself. And you,' he pointed at Herakles, 'return the brazier to its rightful place in the Temple of your brother.'

Both Apollo and Herakles looked as if they wanted to continue the dispute, but the look on Zeus's face made it apparent that he was not in the mood for a debate.

Apollo bowed. 'Yes, father,' he said.

Herakles, not to be outdone, also bowed. 'As you command,' he said and began to drag the brazier back towards the temple.

'Let me help,' Apollo said, and took one side of the brazier. For a moment, it looked like Herakles was going to object, but a look towards Zeus made it clear that would be unwise. The two carried the brazier into the temple where they found the Pythia slumped on her chair.

'Three years in slavery is the price you must pay,' she said, before anyone could speak. 'Three years of obedience and labor will cleanse you of the taint of murder, for murder it was, no matter how much the boy provoked you. The money from your sale must go to Eurytos, to compensate him for the loss of his son.'

'Once again freedom eludes me,' Herakles said, and sighed.

'Slavery or death is the lot of the murderer,' the Pythia said.

'And what of the liar? What is the lot of the dishonorable man? The one who breaks his word? What of him,' Herakles said. 'It was Eurytos's lies that led to the death of his son, and he is to receive compensation? It is madness. He should be punished, not compensated.' Herakles turned to Apollo. 'And what of King Laomeden? He betrayed you after you helped build his wall, and then refused me payment when I killed the monster that was to devour his daughter. What is his lot?'

'They will be judged when the time comes,' Apollo said. 'You have been to the underworld and seen the fate of those who live dishonorable lives.'

'Would it be murder if I killed either of those two for their treachery?'

'Of course,' Apollo said. 'They are both Kings and should be treated with respect. Wage war upon them if you must, but don't sneak into their homes and stick a knife in their belly when they are not prepared for it.'

Herakles shook his head. 'It is madness, nothing but madness,' he said.

'Madness it may be, brother, but that is the price you must pay,' Apollo said. 'Are you willing to forsake your freedom for three years?'

'I have no choice. The fool haunts my dreams and denies me rest. If it means he no longer taunts me in my sleep then I will forsake my freedom for a time. After all, what is a time to an immortal?'

Apollo nodded. 'Return now to your home in Tiryns and Hermes will come for you when all has been arranged.'

Herakles nodded and turned to leave, but paused at the door. 'Again I will pay a penance, but this is the last. When freedom is mine again, I will set out for vengeance against all those who have betrayed me. They will all die by my hand.'

(viii)

Herakles returned to Tiryns and settled down to wait. To his immense relief, Iphitos no longer plagued his sleep and life settled into a familiar pattern. It was several months before Hermes arrived at his home.

'I was beginning to hope that you had forgotten me,' Herakles said, when the God of Vagabonds wandered into his home.

'The Gods do not forget such things,' Hermes said. 'I have had to travel far and wide to find the right place for your penance, and then I had to go to Eurytos to offer him the payment for compensation.'

'It annoys me that he is being compensated because it was his treachery that started this whole affair.'

Hermes shrugged. 'He may have acted dishonorably, but it was you who pitched his son off the wall.'

Herakles sighed and looked into the fire.

Hermes laughed, and then a sly smile crossed his lips. 'I am fond of you, Herakles, so I have made this as pleasant for you as possible. I know a Queen who has need of a strong arm, and there is none stronger than yours.'

'Of all the Olympians, you are the most gracious and I was pleased when I learned you were to arrange my penance,' Herakles said, 'but there is something wrong with a man being enriched by the death of his son. If the rat Eurytos is to receive the money raised by selling me into slavery, then I will not go. I will live with Iphitos haunting my dreams, and will add his father to the ghosts in my mind.'

'Then you will be glad to know that Eurytos refused the money,' Hermes said. 'He would not take payment for the life of his son.'

Herakles nodded. 'That is good,' he said. 'It will not save him when the time comes for my vengeance, but at least I will not hate him when I take his daughter from him and slice him open from gullet to groin.'

'I'm sure he would be happy to know that,' Hermes said. 'But the time for idle chatter is over. Rest now, for tomorrow we will leave for Lydia, where Queen Omphale rules. If she is willing to pay the price, then you will serve her for your penance.'

(ix)

As always, travelling with an Olympian was a surreal experience and it felt to Herakles that he woke up after a dream to find himself outside the city of Sardis where Omphale had her throne.

'It would be best if the Queen did not know that you are Herakles, son of Zeus,' Hermes said.

'Why not? Surely the son of an Olympian would command a better price.'

'True, but your value as a slave is irrelevant, especially as Eurytos refuses to take the money. Your fame is great throughout the world, even here far from Hellas, and having such a hero as a slave would make many a ruler nervous. What if you got it into your head to usurp the throne? Or decide that you'd had enough of taking orders? An ordinary slave could be punished or even executed, but not Herakles who is the famed son of Zeus and is above reproach in the eyes of many.'

'I see,' Herakles said. 'So who should I be?'

'While you serve Queen Omphale, you should use the name Alkides. It is familiar and you will not be lying when you tell the Queen that is who you are.

Herakles shrugged. 'I would have thought that my being a slave would bring much happiness and Glory to Hera, but who am I to question the wisdom of an Olympian?'

Hermes shook his head and sighed. 'Not all is as it seems, my friend. There are those who are surprised that your penance was so light. A crime such as the one that you committed should require a greater sacrifice.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Not even the Gods can control Fate, which is probably for the best. If they could, Hera would have made sure my fate would have been dark indeed. My penance is my penance and I will do what I must do to cleanse this crime from me.'

'There are rumors swirling in the world,' Hermes whispered. 'Some say that Iphitos was behaving in a strange way, as if madness had taken him. They say that his death was not your work alone, even if you did not know your collaborators.'

'Mad or not, he is dead and I must pay the price asked of me,' Herakles said. 'Why do you whisper?'

Hermes rolled his eyes. 'Because there are those that do not need to be present to hear words that are spoken. Come, let's get this over with. Remember, you are Alkides while you serve Omphale.'

Once they made their task known to the guards at the gate, the two men were escorted to the palace where Queen Omphale greeted them in the megaron. She was delighted when she saw Herakles. 'No price is too high for such a man!' she exclaimed. 'Are you part giant?'

'No my Queen,' Herakles replied, 'both my parents were human, and their parents before them.'

'And for what crime are you doing penance, Alkides of Thebes?' Omphale asked.

'Accidental murder, my Queen,' Herakles replied. 'I accidently pushed a man off the city wall and he died on the stones below.'

'Three years of slavery well suits such a crime,' the Queen replied and there was hunger in her eyes. 'You will start tonight. Go and bathe and then the guard will show you to my chambers.'

'But my Queen! I made a vow to forsake pleasure for duty!'

Omphale laughed. 'You are bound to me and so it is your duty to serve me as I see fit,' she said. 'And it is with my pleasure that I am concerned, not yours.'

Hermes, who was grinning like a madman, bowed to the Queen. 'If that is all Queen Omphale, then I shall take my leave. A lazy merchant soon becomes a poor merchant.'

'I was hoping to see you in the morning,' Queen Omphale said. 'The tales of Lidas the merchant are legend here in Lydia.'

'I would like nothing more but sadly I cannot,' Hermes said, and turned to Herakles. 'Goodbye to you, Alkides. Enjoy your time here with the most beautiful Queen in all of Anatolia. There are men who would gladly pay handsomely to take your place.'

Herakles glared at Hermes. 'I did not know there was a second Lidas wandering Hellas, but you are obviously the better storyteller.'

One of the guards prodded Herakles on the shoulder, which drew a snarl from the big man. 'A slave I may be, but not forever and my memory is long.'

'Do not threaten my soldiers, Alkides, although I have no doubt that you could easily best them even unarmed. Lidas told me you are a warrior and leader of men and we need someone like you,' Queen Omphale said. 'There are bandits and monsters besieging my lands and my soldiers need a captain to lead them in my defense. You will be that captain.' She paused a moment and there was a twinkle in her dark eyes. 'But first, we have other matters to amuse ourselves with.'

Herakles the Slave

Many weeks had passed since Herakles had arrived at Omphale's palace where he was to be a slave for three years. The oracle he had received at Delphi was that he was to serve, but he was sure that neither the Pythia nor the Gods anticipated that he would be serving in such a way. 'You paid so much money for a consort? Surely there are men in this city worthy of your affections, and at a much cheaper price as well.'

Omphale laughed and stretched back amongst the thick woolen cloaks and pillows covering the bed on which they lay. 'None like you,' she said, 'and the men of my city come with families and histories. They would cost me quite dearly in blood.'

'What?' Herakles said, and looked shocked. 'Is this some strange barbarian ritual that you haven't told me about?'

'No, my love, it just means that I would have been obligated to treat them as allies or enemies, engage with them on a political level. With you, I am a woman and nothing more and you are a man and nothing less.'

'More barbarism? I am a slave and you are a Queen,' Herakles said, 'and although I find you desirable, my vow would not have allowed such an indulgence if you did not have the power to compel me.'

'There are benefits to being a Queen,' Omphale said, and stretched before rolling over onto her side. 'But power is the same, whether in Hellas or here amongst us barbarians.' Her eyes lingered on Herakles's body for a moment, and then she smiled. 'You are the most fearsome man I have ever met, and yet so easily disturbed.'

'It's the strangeness of your customs that disturbs me, and the fact that there are so few people in your palace who can understand me or I them,' Herakles said. 'I find it frustrating that I have to hunt around for someone who speaks Hellenic whenever I want or need something.'

'What did you expect? We are barbarians, after all,' Omphale said and laughed. 'Some of the soldiers speak your language. I will send the most senior to accompany you wherever you go. He is also a warrior and a leader of men, so the two of you should have much in common.'

Herakles sighed and lay back on the bed. It wasn't big enough to fit his enormous form and his legs hung over the end.

'This kline came all the way from Hellas and it cannot accommodate the only Hellene to ever lay upon it,' Omphale said, 'but you are right. I did not pay so much for a bedroom companion, dear Alkides, regardless of how magnificent you are. The time to leave the bed has come, however reluctant I am to let you go. What you must do for me is difficult and dangerous.'

'Command me and it will be done.'

'This task is nothing to be sneered at, however big and strong you are,' Omphale said in a stern tone. 'There is a monster, a giant serpent, ravaging my lands. I have sent many men to kill it, but few have returned. It is said that it is too large for mortal men to fight, and that its scales turn away sword and spear.'

'A snake? You want me to kill a snake?' Herakles said. 'I've never had a problem with snakes. Just tell me where it is and I'll kill it for you.'

'Weren't you listening, foolish man?' Omphale said, sounding more like a Queen than the love struck woman of a few minutes before. 'It's not a snake, it's a monster. It will take more than a blow from your club to bring it to an end.'

Herakles looked at his club leaning on the wall beside his armor. 'Will it? What if I hit it really hard, on the top of its head?'

'Don't mock me,' Omphale said, 'many have died facing this beast.'

'Then there is no time to lose,' Herakles said, and stood up off the bed. 'Tell me where the snake was last seen and I will go and kill it.'

'The soldiers will take you there when the time comes,' Omphale said.

'I don't need a guide. Just tell me roughly where it is and I will find it.'

'A guide? Do you think I am sending you on such an errand accompanied by just a guide?' Omphale said in an incredulous voice.

Herakles shrugged. 'Yes. Why not?'

'However impressive you may appear, child of Thebes, you are just one man and this monster is well beyond the capabilities of a single warrior. You are to lead a squad of soldiers, fifty men in all. Hopefully they will be enough.'

Herakles looked shocked. 'Fifty barbarians,' he said in an incredulous voice. 'That is far too many. They will drive me to madness. No, I will not have it. If I must be accompanied, then I want only civilized men to travel with me.'

'You are full of demands for a slave,' Omphale said, 'and there are only a handful of men in the city who speak Hellenic. They are not enough.'

'If the monster's skin turns away sword and spear, then one man is as good as fifty,' Herakles said, and picked up his club. 'I will travel only with civilized men, and I will not take sword or spear. I will take my club, which crushes bones and cracks skulls. We will see if this monster's head is as hard as its skin.'

Omphale watched the huge man prowl around her bedroom for a moment and knew that, despite his status as a slave, she could deny him nothing. He had a presence that extended well beyond his imposing bulk. A restless energy that denied him peace and made him seem, at all times, to be on the edge of violence. In his presence, she felt aroused and excited, but not safe.

'You are a fool, Alkides,' she said, 'and it seems your foolishness extends to those around you. Only a fool would allow such a valuable property to venture into such danger, but I will accede to your request. Those who accompany you on this task will all be able to speak Hellenic. Now, come back here. I am not yet finished with you.'

(ii)

Although Herakles wanted to set off immediately, Omphale forbade him to leave.

'I want Kalias to accompany you,' she said, by way of explanation, 'he knows your language well and is a trusted protector and advisor of mine.'

'A protector should be by your side, not wandering here and there.'

'I sent him to deal with some bandits that have been a thorn in our side for many years. They call themselves the Itonoi and raid our lands from the walled city of Perinthos, which many say is impregnable. They strayed farther than usual in their last raid and Kalias thought he might be able to catch the rats before they ran back to their hole.'

'Impregnable? There are few cities that are so well protected that a determined army cannot break through the defenses,' Herakles said. 'Perhaps I should be going there instead of chasing snakes.'

'No, the snake is more dangerous to my people, and there is no hope that you could assault Perinthos with the men we have. The city is on a hill and there is only a narrow road leading to a fortified door. If we were to assail it, most of our men would die to the arrows and rocks launched by the defenders atop the wall.'

When Kalias finally showed up, Herakles was none too pleased to see he was the man who had prodded him with a spear when he first arrived.

'You would be well advised to keep away from me while we travel,' the son of Zeus said. 'If you so much as look at me askance, I will take that spear of yours and make you eat it.'

'You betray yourself as a fool, Alkides,' Kalias said. He was just as unhappy about accompanying Herakles, as Herakles was of being accompanied. 'If my Queen commands that I spend the whole time looking at you askance, then that is what I will do, regardless of your threats.'

Herakles looked for a moment as if he was going to strike the young soldier, but instead turned to Omphale. 'My Queen, why must you send this idiot with me? It will be a difficult enough task without having the likes of him getting in my way.'

'Enough!' the Queen said, in a firm voice. 'You have taken far too many liberties already. You are a slave in my service and you will do as I command. Kalias will go with you and you will do him no harm.'

'As you command, my Queen,' Herakles said, but with a sour expression on his face.

Omphale sighed. 'You are two of my most valuable servants and I will not have you quarreling,' she said, and turned to Kalias. 'How many of our soldiers speak Hellenic?'

'A handful only, my Queen, ten at most'

'That is not enough but I have already given my word to Alkides that only soldiers who speak his language will accompany him. Gather them together and arrange for provisions. Tomorrow, you will accompany Alkides on his quest to kill the snake.'

'Ten men and this baboon? Against a monster that can devastate an entire village? We will be slaughtered!' Kalias blurted out.

'That is my command, and keep a civil tongue in your head when you refer to Alkides. Now go!' Omphale said.

'Have no fear, little soldier, I will protect you from the snake,' Herakles sneered.

Queen Omphale turned on him. 'Hold your tongue or I will have it taken out!' she said, her anger obvious. 'Kalias has battled this monster before and knows what he must face. It is you who is the fool, to be so assured of your victory against an unknown opponent.'

Herakles bristled, but kept his anger under control. 'My apologies, my Queen,' he said when his blood had stopped boiling. 'Words have never been my strength and anger has often led me astray. In future, I will hold my tongue and swear to you that I will never again utter a disparaging word against the brave soldiers of Lydia.'

(iii)

Once they were on the road, Herakles's mood lightened and he became more amicable. The snake had last taken a victim near a village several days march to the east and by the third day of their journey, the son of Zeus had become the preferred storyteller around the evening fire. His companions especially liked the many bawdy tales that he had learned from Lidas the merchant, but they also enjoyed hearing of the his own exploits that he told as if another had done the mighty deeds.

'I know well the tales of Herakles,' Kalias said as they sat by the fire one evening, 'but hearing them again bolsters my courage and makes me feel that perhaps we could be like the great hero and kill a monster. I fear, however, that this beast will be too much for mortal men.'

'But Herakles was a mortal when he did all his tasks,' the son of Zeus said. 'If he could do it and he was but one man, then so can we.'

'Herakles is a hero and a son of Zeus. He has the blood of Olympians running through his veins and is the bane of monsters and giants,' Kalias said. 'We are just soldiers doing our duty for our people and our Queen.'

'You do not have the bearing of a simple soldier, nor do any of those who accompany us on this quest,' Herakles said.

Kalias shrugged. 'It makes little difference, but you are right. My father is King of a city to the north, and all of those who ride with us are the sons of nobles. Who else can afford to educate their sons in the language of civilization? But none are like Herakles as you describe him. Even you, the biggest man I have ever seen, must admit to being less of a warrior than the legendary son of Zeus.'

'I admit to nothing,' Herakles said, and laughed, 'but it is time to put aside tales and turn to more pressing matters. How much longer will we need to travel to find this snake of yours?'

'If we set out early tomorrow, we will arrive at our destination by the time the sun is at its highest,' Kalias said, and his face darkened. 'The last time I encountered the monster, we waited until nightfall to attack. Like fools, we assumed that because it had never taken anyone at night then it would be weaker when the sun went down. And, like fools, we stumbled about in the dark while the monster killed us at will.'

'Until tomorrow, then,' Herakles said, and stood up. 'We will rise with the sun and move as fast as we can. If the beast is as strong at night as it is by day, then we may as well grapple with it while Helios and his chariot are above us.'

(iv)

Herakles, who had taken the final watch of the night, roused his companions just as Helios's chariot appeared over the eastern horizon. 'Awake,' he bellowed as he went from makeshift bed to makeshift bed, kicking the occupants.

'Breaking the bones of your companions while rousing them from slumber is hardly the ideal preparation for facing a monster,' grumbled Kalias as he rubbed the small of his back where Herakles's foot had connected.

'Pah, you are all soft,' Herakles yelled. 'I have caressed lovers with more force. It's time to forsake your dreams of willing nymphs and flowing wine. Rouse yourselves for we have work to do this day.'

Helios had barely reached the zenith of his daily journey when the ruins of a village came into sight. 'The snake came upon this place just a few week ago and devoured many of those who lived here,' Kalias said. 'The survivors have fled back to the capital.'

Herakles dismounted and unhitched his club from its strap across his back. 'Follow behind me, no closer than ten paces,' he said.

'What of the horses?' Kalias asked.

'Deicoon will keep them together.'

There was a general murmuring amongst the men, and Kalias looked from one to the other. 'Come, Alkides, what madness is this? Who is Deicoon? Is there some spirit of whom you have not told us?'

'Deicoon is my horse. He is as intelligent as any man, and more trustworthy than most.'

'You want us to trust our return journey to a horse?'

Herakles turned to his companions and his face caused many to recoil with fear. It was no longer the face of an amicable companion, but one of a monster intent on causing death. 'Once I was Alkides, but that was a long time ago. I am Herakles, son of Zeus, and I am paying a penance for my foolishness,' he said, and turned back to the ruined village. 'Glory awaits those who follow me.'

The soldiers were obviously afraid, but Kalias was their captain and they turned to him for guidance. When he dismounted and drew his sword, they put their fear behind them and followed his lead.

'You are either a madman or a god, but either way we will follow,' Kalias said as the soldiers formed into two lines behind him. 'Horses are wiser than men and will probably flee this place the minute the monster appears.'

Herakles let out a humorless laugh that sounded more like the barking of a mad animal than the utterance of a civilized man. 'Hopefully it is still here and has not gone in search of fresh meat,' he said, and the set of his shoulders hardened. 'Stay ten paces behind until I engage the beast.'

If any of the soldiers thought that the son of Zeus would advance stealthily to seek out his quarry and take it by surprise, then they were disappointed. Herakles let out a bellow that shook the foundations of the few buildings that were still standing and then charged at full speed into the center of the village.

Kalias smiled at the audacity of the man and raised his sword. 'Death or glory!' he screamed and charged after Herakles. Behind him, nine others raised their weapons and charged after their captain, but with considerably less enthusiasm.

Herakles's charge ended at an open space where, judging by the shattered carts dotted about the open space and the rotting fruit littering the ground, there had once been a market. He stood still and silent while his companions came to a clattering halt a small distance behind him.

One of the soldiers opened his mouth to say something, but Kalias raised his hand to quiet him. The silence that engulfed them was almost complete—no birds sang, no animals brayed or barked. The only sound was the wind whistling through the shattered buildings.

'Nothing moves for fear of the monster,' Herakles said. 'No birds have come to eat the abandoned fruit; no dogs have scavenged through the abandoned buildings. The monster is here, but where is it hidden?'

There was a movement to Herakles's left and the giant snake erupted from the rubble of a building. Its body was impossibly long, as black as night, and twice as thick as the torso of the mightiest man. Its great size, however, did not hinder its speed and it moved so quickly that Herakles had no time to react. In the blink of an eye, the serpent's coiling form had completely enveloped him.

Herakles hardened himself against the suffocating strength of the monster as it tried to squeeze the breath from his body. It tensed itself and the force with which it pressed upon him would have been enough to crush the life from a normal man, but Herakles had the blood of Olympians coursing through his veins. He resisted the snake's tightening coils and even managed to push back against its incredible strength.

Although he was blind to the world and could not see past the beast's body, Herakles heard Kalias command the soldiers to attack and the dull sounds of their swords and spears as they fell uselessly against the monster's rock hard scales. He could feel the beast's confusion as it realized its quarry was able to resist its attack, and felt it redouble its effort to crush him with its winding coils.

While the snake's body wound around him, Herakles could feel that the pressure was less where to coils met. He waited patiently until he felt the slight lessening of the pressure on his arm, and then a mighty roar escaped from his throat. He pushed out with all his might and so great was his strength that he forced his club away from his body and between the serpent's coils. Despite having little room to swing, he was able to bring his club down hard upon the snake's body.

The blow from Herakles's club made a sound like thunder and shattered the rock-hard scales that covered the beast's body and crushed the bones that lay beneath the skin. The monster screamed with pain and loosened its coils enough to expose Herakles to its venomous fangs, but before it could strike, the big man brought down another blow on its spine. Again, there was a sound like thunder as scales shattered and bones cracked. The beast screamed again and this time its body uncoiled completely and threw the son of Zeus onto the earth.

As agile as a cat, Herakles landed on his feet and sprung at his prey. The club smashed into the monster's head so hard that it pushed a venomous fang into its eye. It screamed in pain and reared up to escape its tormentor, but the son of Zeus was irresistible. With the battle lust upon him, he fell upon the injured beast and struck it hard and often, until the head of the beast became an unrecognizable lump of gore.

Kalias looked to his companions and shrugged, then turned back to the battlefield. 'Alkides,' he called out, 'it is dead. There is no need to strike it any longer.'

Herakles stopped his gruesome task and turned to his companions. He dropped his club to the ground and then sat down beside it. 'I told you Deicoon would take care of the horses,' he said, and pointed to where the horses stood huddled together. 'He was bred by Poseidon and given to me as a gift after I led Thebes to victory against the Minyans.'

'I have battled this monster many times and lost many a companion to its murderous coils,' Kalias said. 'I hoped that one day a hero like Herakles would come and slay it for my Queen, but I never did believe that such a man existed. I thought the tales of his mighty deeds were just stories: rousing myths with which to delight children.' He paused a moment and looked at the bloodied remains of the snake. 'Obviously, I was wrong. Our Queen will be most pleased to learn that her slave Alkides is, in truth, the mighty Herakles.'

'No,' Herakles said, his eyes dark and his voice still echoing with the madness of battle. 'Hermes himself told me she is not to know that I am Herakles.'

Kalias again looked to his companions, and this time it was their turn to shrug. 'As you wish,' he said, and his compatriots murmured their agreement.

(v)

They made camp in one of the demolished buildings at the village's southern edge. Herakles seemed oblivious to the corpse of the monster and busied himself with searching for a sacrifice for his father. The others were not so comfortable with the dead snake being so close.

'The serpent frightens me even in death,' Kalias said. 'I don't want to turn my back on it lest it re-grows a head and strikes me from behind.'

'It was an evil beast and I would not be at all surprised if it was related to the serpent I slew at Lerna,' Herakles said, as they sat together by the fire and watched the flames slowly consume the bones of a small deer. 'The wretched beast had nine heads and every time I lopped one off, another would grow. Only fire could stop them re-growing.' The big man sighed and it seemed to Kalias that a tension finally left him. 'One of them was immortal,' Herakles continued. 'I had to bury it under a rock to stop it staring at me.'

'I know the tale of the Hydra,' Kalias said, 'and until now, that's what I thought it was. A tale. And yet the man who vanquished such a monster is sharing a fire with me.' He shook his head and looked into the glowing coals. After a moment, he looked up again and sighed. 'If you tell the Queen who you are, I'm sure she will release you from your bondage. You have slain the beast that was ravaging her lands and, in her eyes, that would mean your debt to her is paid.'

Herakles shrugged. 'My penance for the death of a fool is paid, true, but not my debt to the Queen. I feel that there is more to do if I want to repay her kindness.'

'Is that what you call it? Kindness?' Kalias said, and smirked.

Herakles blushed, which amused Kalias greatly. 'You find it easier to kill monsters than to talk about affairs of the heart,' he said, 'but if you want to do more for our Queen, then there is one task that would surely repay any debt, be it physical or emotional.'

'And what is that?'

'If you could defeat the bandits who reside in the walled city of Perinthos, then the Queen would be greatly pleased. For too long they have laughed at us from atop their hill.'

'Is their army strong?' Herakles asked.

'It is no army at all,' Kalias said, and sneered. 'I would not call that motley collection of thieves and murderers an army. No, we could defeat them easily in battle, but they refuse to engage us. They raid our farms and steal our people to be slaves, and then run to the safety of their city.'

'A wall is only of use if it can be defended,' Herakles said. 'If they are a disorganized rabble as you say, then surely your men have the strength to overcome them. Just these few here showed their worth when they followed you into battle when death was the only ending they could see. Such soldiers should be more than a match for the type of scavengers you describe.'

Kalias shrugged. 'That they are a more than a match is beyond doubt, but the city stands atop a steep hill. There is only one gate in the entire wall, and only one narrow path with which to approach it. The city is a fortress that could be defended against an army of ten thousand by ten men with slings and ten thousand stones.'

Herakles pondered this for a moment. 'And if the door was to be opened?'

'It is impossible to open the gate without being slaughtered, but if it were to be opened then just a handful of my men would be able to take the whole city.' Kalias said, and grimaced. 'Given the chance, we would fall upon them like your club fell upon the head of the snake.'

Once again, Herakles sat quietly for a moment, and stared into the fire. 'I will open the gate for you.'

'I was hoping you'd say that,' Kalias said, and turned to look at the monster's corpse where it lay in the ruins of the village. 'If any one man can achieve such a thing, then it is you.'

(vi)

Although he had agreed to help the Lydians in their war against the bandits of Perinthos, Herakles refused to return to Sardis to muster the Lydian army for the attack.

'I have had my fill of palaces and courts,' the son of Zeus said. 'You go with your men. I will await your return at the river's edge to the east of here.'

'The Queen would think poorly of me if I returned without you,' Kalias said. 'We were not the best of friends when we set out and she will think that I left you behind out of spite.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Then you stay and send your men back. Either way, I'm not going.'

'With the stinking body of a monster so close? Why not come back with us and rest in a civilized place for a few days.'

'A palace full of barbarians who cannot speak Hellenic is not civilized,' Herakles said. 'As for the carcass of the beast, it will make a fine sacrifice for my father. The snake has frightened off everything bigger than an ant, except for that one mangy deer that was too weak to flee.'

'Very well, I will stay with you to help you set a fire big enough for the corpse, but once that is done and we are awaiting the return of the army, I have an idea of something else you could do to help our Queen.'

'Go tell your men then meet me at river,' Herakles said.

'The river? Why the river?'

'Because you will be of no use to me until I drag the corpse to where I can burn it.'

'Not even you could move such a beast on your own,' Kalias said but his words were unheard. Herakles was already by the dead beast's side and had grasped it by the tail.

The young soldier watched in amazement as the son of Zeus began to drag the corpse to the east. 'To think I wanted to start a quarrel with this man,' he mumbled to himself before trudging back to where his men were preparing to ride out.

Evening found Herakles and Kalias sitting by the glowing embers of the sacrificial fire on the river's bank.

'It is hard to believe that this is all that remains of a monster that had terrified my people for so long,' Kalias said, as they watched the smoke from the burning corpse ascend into the heavens.

Herakles shrugged. 'At least some good has come from my sorry circumstance.'

'I am amazed that the Hellenes could bring themselves to sell someone like you into slavery,' Kalias said, and shook his head. 'A mighty hero and a son of Zeus should not be treated in such a way.'

Herakles snorted a humorless laugh. 'It was not the people of Hellas that sent me here. It was the price demanded by the Moirai to cleanse me of the crime of murder. It is right that I perform a penance because the boy I killed was an innocent and did not deserve to die at my hand.'

'Even though I have known you for only a short time, I cannot believe that you would kill someone in cold blood.'

This time Herakles's laugh was full and genuine. 'You are either lying to spare my pride or are a very poor judge of men,' Herakles said, once he had gotten his mirth under control. 'I am more than capable of murder when the fury takes me, as it did with this lad. He hounded me with false accusations of theft, but that was no reason for me to kill him, especially as he was unarmed and obviously mad. No, my penance is well deserved.'

'If you think your punishment fair, then it must be so.'

'My punishment is appropriate, of that there is no doubt,' Herakles said, 'but what galls me is that I seem to be punished. Eurytos, the boy's father, was just as responsible for his son's death as I. After all, it was his broken promise that led to his son accusing me of theft, but the Moirai are silent on his punishment. And he is not the only one. The King of Troy refused to honor his promise when I rescued his daughter from a monster, and Augeias refused to pay me for cleaning his stables. Where are their punishments? Why aren't they subject to a penance?'

Kalias sighed and looked into the embers for a moment and then looked back at Herakles. 'Tell me,' he said, 'is it true that you chose to live a virtuous life?'

'It is true. It was many years ago now, and I was still known as Alkides. The nymphs Virtue and Pleasure came to me and offered me a choice. If I chose the lusty Pleasure, then my life would be pleasurable and easy, but I would be forgotten by men. If I chose the chaste Virtue, then I would toil long and hard, but would men would remember my name for all time.'

'Could it be, then, that your choice of Virtue over Pleasure is the reason you are punished more harshly when you commit a crime?' Kalias said. 'You named two Kings of Hellas, and I don't know either of them. But I know of Herakles, as does almost everyone else, and all want to hear of your exploits. Maybe it is because your name will be in the minds of men for all time that you pay dearly where a normal man, or even a King, would not pay at all.'

Herakles considered this for a moment, and then sighed. 'This may be so, and perhaps my vow to Virtue is why I am punished more harshly for my indiscretions. It is not the first time that I have wondered what my life would have been like had I chosen differently that day. But that does not mean that those who betray me should go unpunished.'

The big man paused and it seemed to Kalias that the world paused with him. When Herakles next spoke, his voice was hard and uncompromising. 'When my penance here is done, I will seek out all who betrayed me and I will kill them. They must pay for their treachery, even if Fate turns a blind eye to their crimes,' he said, and looked into the embers of the fire. When Herakles resumed speaking, it was in a more familiar tone. 'The Gods tell me that war is the only way that I can extract my revenge without committing the crime of murder, but I have my doubts about that. I think the Gods like to see men at war.'

'I wish to accompany you on your quest for justice if you think me worthy,' Kalias said. 'My people owe you a debt of gratitude for slaying the monster that had killed so many of us and would have killed many more.'

'Your men were willing to lay down their lives on your command,' Herakles said. 'How could I turn down such a man? Now tell me, what of this task you wish me to perform while we wait for the soldiers to return?'

'There is another bandit who lives not far from here,' Kalias said. 'His name is Syleus and he waylays travelers that pass near his home. We have ignored him while we fought the monster and the Itonoi bandits, but he is still a thorn in the Queen's side.'

'You have an army at your disposal. Why can't you deal with one man?'

'I did not say he is a man,' Kalias said. 'No, he is a giant and no easy victory, even with an army.'

'Hah!' Herakles exclaimed. 'A giant? I have killed nearly as many giants as I have killed snakes! Lead me to him, and I will make sure he will cause no more trouble.'

(vii)

The home of Syleus was less than a day's ride from the ruined village near where Herakles and Kalias were camped. They had set out before the sun had risen, and the evening found them atop a small hill that overlooked a house nestled in the middle of a well-maintained vineyard.

'Don't let the serenity of the land fool you,' Kalias said, 'the owner has a thirst for blood as well as wine.'

Herakles took his club from Deicoon's saddle. 'Wait here,' he said, and strode down the hill towards the house. He had barely crossed into the vineyard when a booming voice from within the thicket called out to him.

'Ah, help at last, and from someone strong enough to make a difference if I am any judge. '

Herakles turned towards the voice. 'And how do you know I'm here to help?' he called.

'Because all who pass this way are here to help, whether they want to or not,' said the voice, and the head and torso of a giant rose out from the greenery. 'And then they join me for dinner,' the giant continued, and hoisted a hoe over his shoulder.

'Ahh, you must be the famed Syleus,' Herakles said. 'I am here to kill you.'

The giant burst out laughing. 'How do you think you'll do that?' Syleus said. 'You are big for a man, but still puny for someone such as I. Get to work and I may let you live a little longer.'

'My club is for cracking skulls not turning soil. Give me your hoe if you want me to work.'

This brought another round of laughter from the giant. 'This is too big for you, little man. It is a tool for giants, not squeaking mice.'

'Are you afraid I will show you up?'

The giant roared with laughter again. 'You are a most amusing fellow,' he said, and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. 'I may let you live just so I can laugh at you some more.'

'Give me the hoe.'

Syleus strode forward and threw the huge implement onto the ground at Herakles's feet. 'Here you go,' the giant said. 'If you can lift it, I won't kill you tonight.'

Herakles strode forward and picked the hoe up off the ground with one hand. 'What weakling would think this is heavy?'

The laughter died while still in the giant's throat and he drew the heavy sword that was hanging from the girdle at his waist. 'That's not funny,' he said, and swung the blade at Herakles's head.

The big man easily parried the blow with his club. 'There are old ladies in Thebes that can wield a sword with more venom than that. How can you be so big and yet so feeble?'

'You are obviously no ordinary man,' Syleus said, 'but that is no matter. I will still cook your flesh for my dinner tonight.'

'Feeble in mind as well as in body,' Herakles said, and swung his club at Syleus's head. The giant blocked the blow with his sword, but was unable to stop the hoe that followed close behind. It struck him in the chest and threw him into the vines.

Herakles again swung his club, thinking to bring an end to the giant as he lay amongst the shattered vines, but Syleus rolled to his left at the last moment and the blow swung wide.

With an agility that belied his size, Syleus leapt to his feet and grabbed the club as it sailed past. He slammed it to the ground, which unbalanced Herakles who fell forward and ended up face first in the dirt.

The giant laughed and grabbed Herakles's ankles. He swung the son of Zeus up into the air and then slammed him, head first, into the ground. Syleus then put his knee into Herakles's back as he lay on the ground and reached down to grab his head with the intention of ripping it off the man's shoulders. Much to the giant's surprise, Herakles was able to push himself up off the ground despite the weight of a giant pushing down on his back.

Syleus stumbled backwards and picked up his sword, while Herakles regained his feet and picked up the hoe.

'What manner of monster are you, who has the strength of ten giants in the body of a man?'

'I am Herakles,' the son of Zeus said, and swung the hoe in a horizontal arc that was as unstoppable as the will of the Gods. It struck the giant in the chest, just below his right shoulder, and shattered bones and tore flesh. So powerful was the blow that it tore the giant's torso away from his body and sent it flying onto the hillside below where Kalias was waiting. Syleus's legs dropped to the ground where he had stood, while his head bounced a short distance before coming to rest at the foot of a vine.

Herakles dropped the hoe and stooped to retrieve his club, which was fortunate because a large stone came hurtling out of the greenery and passed through the space where his head had been. As it was, it passed harmlessly over him and fell among the vines. Surprised by the flying stone, the big man dived forward just as a scantily clad giantess burst out of the greenery.

'Father!' You killed my father!' she screamed, and charged at Herakles.

'He wanted to eat me!' Herakles countered as he nimbly sidestepped the massive woman. He could not help but notice that she was exceedingly beautiful, despite being over ten feet tall.

'I'll kill you!' she screamed, and picked up her father's sword, which was lying only a short distance from where his head had come to rest.

Herakles did not wait for his furious adversary to reach him. Instead, he squared his shoulders and threw his club with all his might at the charging giantess. It struck her full in the face and with such force that it took the head from her shoulders. The headless body stumbled back a few steps before falling to the ground, while her head rolled a short distance and came to rest near the head of her father.

Kalias burst into the clearing with his sword drawn just as Herakles was stooping to pick up his club for a second time.

'Stop! It's me,' the soldier cried out as Herakles lifted his weapon to strike a blow. 'I heard a woman screaming and thought I'd better come down and see if you needed help.'

'He had a daughter,' Herakles said. 'She was the most beautiful giant I'd ever seen.'

Kalias surveyed the carnage. 'I didn't know he had a daughter,' was all he could think of saying.

'We should burn the place down,' Herakles said. 'We want everyone to know what happens when the Queen's rule is challenged.'

Kalias hadn't been able to take his eyes off the headless bodies. 'How do you decapitate someone with a club?'

Herakles shrugged. 'I used the hoe on him.'

'What about her? How did her head come off?'

'How should I know? I threw my club at her and her head came off when it hit. Maybe it's because she had a big body and her head is almost normal size?'

'Was,' Kalias corrected. 'Her head was normal sized. It's hard to tell now.'

'Whatever. Maybe giants have weak necks. All that matters is that the bandit is dead.'

'I'll send someone to deal with this,' Kalias said. 'Let's go to where we are to meet the others and wait.'

'No, we must finish what we start,' Herakles said, firmly. 'The army is many days away and the battle with the Itonoi could take a week or more. And what if this bastard has more giant spawn in his cottage?'

'That's what I'm afraid of,' Kalias said, and then sighed. 'Men hold no fear for me, but monstrous snakes and man eating giants freeze the blood in my veins.'

'Men are just as monstrous,' Herakles said quietly, 'they are just better at politics than the likes of Syleus here. Come, let's check the cottage first.'

There were no others giants in the cottage, so Herakles and Kalias set fire to the building and then spread the flames into the vineyard. By the time they had finished, the glow of the rising sun was lighting up the eastern horizon.

'I don't want to stop here,' Kalias said. 'The horses should be rested enough to take us back to our old camp for the day. We can head off to the meeting point tomorrow morning.'

Herakles smirked. 'I thought you felt uncomfortable near the snake?'

'After today, giants are worse than snakes in my eyes. At least the snake didn't cure the meat of its victims and hang it in a cupboard.'

(viii)

While they waited for the Lyidan army to arrive, Kalias led Herakles to the city of Perinthos so that he could see for himself why it was unassailable for normal men.

'I see what you mean,' Herakles said, from their hidden vantage point on a hill near the road that led to the city. 'How did bandits create such a place? The gate looks bound in bronze and the path cunningly devised to maximize an attacker's exposure to the defenders on the wall.'

'The denizens of this place were not always outlaws and raiders. Once they were a great people but the passing of time has seen them greatly reduced. Stories tell of an arrogant King long ago who refused to honor the Gods and this is their punishment,' Kalias said. 'But how it came to be like this is meaningless. The men of old may be gone, but the defenses they built are still strong. How would you assail such a place?'

'Do you know the tale of the Nemean Lion?'

Kalias shrugged. 'Of course. A beast with a skin that was immune to all weapons. The tale tells that you killed it by choking the breath from its body.'

Herakles nodded. 'I made its skin into a cloak that will easily turn the stones and arrows of those on the wall, so my plan is a simple one. I will cover myself in the cloak, charge to the door and smash it down. Once it falls, your soldiers will have easy access to the city and those within.'

'The slingers and archers atop the wall will still kill many before we can reach the gate.'

'Some will die, of that there is no doubt,' Herakles said, 'but I can help there as well. Once the door is down, I will climb the wall from the inside and kill as many of the defenders as I can. If your men charge quickly enough, your casualties should not be great.'

(ix)

Eight days after Herakles had slain Syleus, the soldiers of Lydia arrived at their camp to begin the attack on the city of Perinthos. Although they had marched a great distance in a short time, an impatient Herakles pressed them into action almost immediately.

Kalias led the soldiers to the foot of the hill upon which Penthios stood, and arranged them for battle just out of bowshot. Herakles, dressed in his lion skin cape and carrying the unbreakable shield given him by his father, jogged to the front of the assembled soldiers and turned to face them. He drew his sword from the girdle about his waist and turned to face the enemy. With a cry that caused many to cower, both friend and foe alike, he started to run slowly up the path towards the city with his shield held above his head.

'Why don't they shoot at him?' Kalias asked when Herakles was half way to the city gate.

'Why should they?' the soldier on his right said. 'What can one mad man do against the entire city? Look, they are cheering him on.'

'Then they are fools, Patros, and so are you,' Kalias snapped. 'You did not see him battle the monstrous snake, nor kill the giant Syleus. He is no ordinary man.'

'The snake was a beast of blood and bone,' Patros said. 'The wall is of stone and wood.'

'Be silent, fool,' Kalias said, 'and be ready to charge when the gate falls. This man has already delivered Lydia from two monsters, and is about to eliminate a third.'

By this time, Herakles was near the gate and his slow jog had begun to pick up pace. The defenders on the wall laughed and jeered even louder when he lowered his shield and began to run at full pace. However, when the son of Zeus struck the door with an ear-shattering crash and caused it to explode into a thousand splinters, the laughter stopped.

At the bottom of the hill, Kalias raised his sword into the air and screamed 'Attack!' before running forward at full speed. The Lydian soldiers followed closely, all screaming at the top of their lungs.

On the wall, the defenders stood, shocked and unmoving; none could believe that one man had been able to breach their defenses and open their city to the wrath of the Lydians. The defenders had been so assured of their safety that there was no guard behind the gate, so the son of Zeus was able to run up the path to the wall unchallenged.

The sight of the huge man who had thrown down their defenses so easily drove fear into the hearts of the defenders and they cast aside their weapons and took to their heels rather than risk his fury.

At first, Herakles was confused at the sight of the retreating bandits and thought it a ruse, but when no attack materialized and all he could see were men streaming along the path down from the wall and into the city's center, his caution turned to mirth. He threw back his head and laughed until the tears streamed down his face.

Kalias found the son of Zeus at the top of the wall, looking down at the soldiers of Lydia herding the shackled Itonoi towards the shattered gate. 'Here you are,' he said. 'A mighty victory, if a little strange. It is a pity there was no battle because I was looking forward to spilling Itonoi blood. After monsters and giants, fighting men would have been a relief.'

'You were right, these bastards are not soldiers,' Herakles said, and looked out over the hundreds of men, women, and children in chains in the city below. 'The Queen won't be spending money on slaves for a while, if I am any judge,' he observed.

Kalias smirked and sat down beside the son of Zeus. 'No, she won't. I don't know how much she paid for your service, but whatever the price, she has profited from it.'

They sat silently for a moment and watched the soldiers empty the people out of the city that had protected Lydia's enemies for generations.

'What will you do to this place,' Herakles asked.

'Burn it to the ground and then smash down the walls. The Queen wants nothing to remain that will show a city ever existed up here.'

A Lydian soldier saw the two men on the wall and made his way to them. He spoke urgently to Kalias in the Lydian tongue, bowed to Herakles, and then returned to his duties.

'What was that all about?' Herakles asked.

'That was Patros, and he was apologizing for thinking you were a madman.'

Herakles nodded his head and stood up. 'A man should not apologize for speaking the truth,' he said. 'Come, we must return to Syleus to see if there is anything else I can do for the Queen.'

'Before we set off, there is something you should know,' Kalias said. 'The Queen is with child.'

Herakles, who had been ambling towards the gate, stopped dead in his tracks. 'My child?'

'None other has been with the Queen for over a year.'

Herakles sighed. 'I cannot say that I am displeased,' he said. 'Come, this news means that haste is called for.'

'Are you going to tell her your true name?' Kalias asked.

'I don't know. I will think upon it while we ride.'

(x)

Kalias was unused to riding with Herakles and was surprised at the leisurely pace the big man set.

'I thought you were in a hurry to get back,' the soldier said one morning when Herakles had decided that hunting fresh game to sacrifice to Zeus was more important than riding to Sardis to see the Queen.

'I was,' Herakles replied, 'but there is much to think about and I would not want to make the wrong decision.'

'Has the coming of a child thrown doubt into your mind about leaving Lydia?'

Herakles smiled. 'No, I must go and the time for my departure approaches quickly. Ever since the oracle told me of my penance, I have desired nothing more than to see the blood drain out of those who betrayed me. All that stands between me and my revenge is my duty to the Queen. If she is carrying my child, I can no longer hide my true identity from her,' he said. 'And when she learns who I am, I have doubt she will release me. And if she releases me, then there is nothing standing between me and my vengeance. What troubles my mind is not whether I will stay or go, but how I will kill King Laomedon of Troy. Should I go back to Hellas to muster an army or should I just go directly to Troy, which is not far from here, and stick my sword into the bastard's belly?'

'The Queen will want to keep you by her side, but you are right. She won't force a man such as you to stay,' Kalias said. 'As for going to Troy directly or going to war, did you not say the Gods advised war?'

'Most surely. Apollo was quite adamant that I must wage war and my father, who was also present, did not object.'

'Is it wise, then, to go against such counsel?' Kalias asked. 'Would you risk the wrath of an Olympian?'

Herakles sighed and nodded. 'I have been on the wrong end of the anger of the Gods for too long,' he said. 'It would be unwise to ignore Apollo's words, and no doubt Hera would exploit any ill feeling towards me to make mischief.' The big man paused a moment. 'You are right, friend Kalias, and my decision is made. If the Queen discharges me from her service, I will return to Hellas to raise an army with which to attack Troy. Will you accompany me?'

'If the Queen allows it, then I would be honored to join you.'

(xi)

News of Alkides's triumph over the monstrous snake had preceded him, and the people of Sardis were excited to see the return of the Hellenic hero. The guards flung open the gates the moment Herakles and Kalias had come into sight, and scores of people poured out of the city to meet them.

The cheering crowd escorted them to the palace where they found Queen Omphale waiting on the threshold.

'I have heard of your triumph over the monster,' she said in Hellenic, 'and no doubt your return heralds more good news. Have the bandits of Perinthos been defeated?'

'Yes, my Queen, the bandits have been defeated,' Kalias said, 'but that is not all. Alkides also killed the giant Syleus and burnt his vineyard to the ground.'

'You have done much that many once thought impossible,' the Queen said. 'Could it be that the whispered rumors are true? Are you more than just a warrior from Hellas?'

Herakles shrugged. 'I also have heard a rumor,' he said. 'I have heard that you are with child, and that I am the father.'

'It is hardly a rumor,' Omphale said, and smiled. 'I have proclaimed it to all.'

'In that case, my Queen, I cannot withhold the truth from you any longer. Once I wore the name Alkides, but that was in my youth. For many years now, my name has been Herakles. It was given to me by the Pythia at Delphi and is a name that brings glory to Hera, the Queen of the Gods.'

Omphale turned to the soldier beside her and spoke in the language of the land, then she gestured to the two me to follow her into the temple. As they walked, Herakles could hear the soldier behind them call out to the people assembled outside the palace, and with every word, the cheering grew louder.

'The people think they have found a King to sit beside their Queen,' Omphale said, as they walked to the megaron, 'but I don't share their confidence.'

Herakles looked at Kathias, who shrugged. All three were silent until the Queen had made her way to the throne. 'I cannot keep a son of Zeus as a slave, even if he were not the most famous hero in all the world.'

'Which is why Hermes insisted I come to you as Alkides,' Herakles said.

'Hermes?'

'Yes, my Queen. You know him as Lidas the merchant.'

'Lidas? A God? His disguise is a remarkable one, for I never suspected.'

'There may be more than one Lidas,' Herakles said. 'I've also known Lidas for years and have never been able to get to the truth of who he is. But the man who accompanied me was definitely Hermes, for he was at Delphi when my penance was set.'

'Will you not stay?' Omphale said, but there was little hope in her voice. 'I will command my entire court to learn Hellenic if you do. We could rule Lydia together.'

'One day I may return, my Queen,' Herakles said, 'but there is a burning in my blood that must be answered.'

'Then the people of Lydia will have to be happy with a child of Herakles as a future King or Queen for I do not believe that you will ever return.'

Herakles shrugged. 'Even the Gods cannot control Fate.'

'Then you will stay in my service until the end of summer before I will free you,' Omphale said, and a mischievous smile lit up her face. 'You seem a man in a hurry, but you will need to indulge your mistress a while longer before freedom is yours.'

Herakles looked shocked and unsure of how to react. Beside him, Kalias's whole body shook as he did his best to contain his laughter.

