To each new dweller in Hades offers Pluto a goblet. In that goblet the limpid water of Lethe. The only kindness offered in the kingdom of the d.a.m.ned.

One bathed in those limpid waters, drank deep, and found no peace.

Pluto.

Master of the evil domain. Keeper of the Portals of h.e.l.l.

Cursed to minister to the punishment of the d.a.m.ned, forever.

And cursed yet more with a heart that bled for the poor fools whose actions had brought them to such sorry end.

The most d.a.m.ned of all souls in purgatory.

Pluto, master of that dread domain.

He had hoped with Persephone to escape in her arms the ever-present misery.

Her sorrow brought misery the more.

"I can give to others the waters of Lethe. Only to others. As for me, I must know all past evil deeds - and even more, must know the evil yet to come."

The waters of Lethe failed him.

13. The Anger of Zeus

"I will not have it! Dare he taunt the master of the universe!

I will swat him like a fly! No! Too easy! He shall change places with Prometheus! No, no! Even that is too easy. Boy, where are you, come here! Now, right now! I have a ch.o.r.e for you. Yes, such a ch.o.r.e!"

The sudden call to Olympus was unexpected. Not that Zeus ever sent out invitations. Normally - if one could consider a summons from Zeus to be normal - he had few cues and hints before Zeus summoned him. This unceremonious summons came as a complete, and not overly appreciated, surprise.

He noted immediately Zeus' red face, and the tumultuous tower of black clouds above Olympus. This was going to be a real task!

"Atlas! A vulgar name! Do you know it? I'll tell you of Atlas!

Condemned! Condemned to hold the world forever upon his shoulders! And he dares claim that I chose him for that task because I had not the strength and stamina to perform it! How dare he!"

Zeus paced back and forth, sputtering.

"He is to be punished. Right now, I have yet to decide the what that punishment shall be. You, my lad, shall decide. I want you to travel widely, to examine all the vilest, cruelest, most atrocious forms of torture. Select from these the very worst.

That torture shall be imposed on the impudent lout."

"But, Sire, I . . . "

"Enough! Begone. And do not linger, or you may join him."

Never had he seen Zeus so angry. Once more he started to speak, but with a wave of his hand Zeus dismissed him.

He landed in the midst of a patch of briars, extricated himself slowly and carefully. "My, but he is peeved!"

Two mighty brothers served Zeus faithfully and well. Yet there came a falling out, and the anger of Zeus could not be appeased.

One brother he chained to a mountain crag, and daily sent a great eagle to tear and rend his flesh.

One he placed in eternal servitude, to carry upon his shoulders the earth and heavens. And that was Atlas.

Torture, torment? More like Hades than Heaven! What a strange and obscene task was this!

"Mother, the G.o.ds at times have been cruel to man. What manner of cruelty have they applied, what devices or creatures that give pain?"

"A strange question. But, yes, the G.o.ds work in strange ways."

A sparkle lit her eye.

"There is a legend that once, in long ago times, there lived on earth only men. They grew proud and warlike, offended each the other and offended all the G.o.ds. Zeus became very angry, and called unto him all the G.o.ds. Long they parlayed, and angrily.

And at long last they decided on a torture so inhuman, so merciless, so enduring that they hesitated to loose it upon even these undeserving earthlings. At last Zeus authorized the punishment."

She paused, stirred the pot in which vegetables were beginning to boil.

"And that was?"

A smile crossed her face.

"A present was delivered to man. One that he looked on with delight, and took to his heart. A present that has punished him ever since. It was an object of unending torture; still, a torture that poor weak man courted."

"A present, Mother?"

"Yes, he sent to man Pandora. Pandora, the first woman. And since that day man has found himself unable to live without her.

She torments him, tantalizes him, arouses in him all emotions.

Yet he turns again and again to her." She laughed.

"Just as Athena torments you, yet you turn to her again and again!"

"You tease me, Mother?"

"No, the legends say it's true. Woman was man's first punishment. Disguised as a gift! Well, well, perhaps your Athena will be more the gift, less the punishment!" She tousled his hair, hummed to herself, glanced in amus.e.m.e.nt over her shoulder at him, and laughed.

Demo smiled. Such pleasant punishment.

Yet, truly, how much pain. The wanting, the loneliness, the feeling of emptiness when she was not near - before he met her they did not exist. Now they were his constant companions.

A coin has two sides.

Gift and punishment indeed!

The more he thought, the more reasonable it seemed. The punishment for Atlas, the ultimate punishment, would be to find him a mate.

Of course, it was difficult. For one such as Atlas, who might qualify?

There were children's' stories, tales, even legends, of women such as these. But reality knew none such.