He lay in bed, awake. It was morning, but morning dark and
gloomy. He could hardly see the doorway. The rain fell steadily,
the wind gusting, falling, then gusting once again. The air was
damp, cold, and clothes and bedclothes were soaked with moisture
from the humidity. He shivered, curled up tightly against the
cold.
Still, Rough tugged at the blankets as day broke, eager for his
master's company. Reluctantly Demo shooed the dog away, tucked
the covers more closely around himself.
"Well, mother, I shall sleep in this morning. Even Zeus is
hardly up and about on a day like this."
It was the wrong thing to say.
The rain suddenly increased, the wind grew stronger, and the
door flew open. Rough began barking excitedly, moved cautiously
toward the open door. As the rain blew in he retreated nearer
his master. Demo rose quickly to shut the door, but not before
a dark object blew in, fell upon the floor. Quickly Rough seized
it between his teeth, shook it from side to side.
"Hey, easy there." Demo approached the dog cautiously. In his
mouth Rough held A thin leather sheet. And burned on its surface
were some words. Slowly Demo deciphered them.
"The race is to the swift. Sometimes. Be at the Temple of Mars
at sundown. The white feather must . . . ."
He could not make out the rest. The heavy rain had soaked the
material, and the remaining words were smudged beyond
recognition.
Zeus! It could have come from no other!
"Mother, I must go quickly. Why the temple of Mars? There is no
way to reach it by sundown. Still, I must try."
She looked at the falling rain, thought to detain him. Finally
she sighed, quickly put more and fresher food in his pouch.
"Perhaps you should take the white feather. And do be careful. I
had a bad dream last night. I shall not repeat to you, but
beware of that which you cannot see."
She hugged him.
In spite of the rain he smiled. The first task was begun.
The race is to the swift. Sometimes.
What strange words these.
And to reach the temple of Mars by sundown! Beyond the ability
of any mortal.
Still, perhaps, if he could float on the swift waters of the
churning river it might be possible. The falling rain had turned
the gentle stream into thunderous torrents. And even as he
looked a huge tree floated down the stream, twisting and
rolling.
There seemed no other option. Quickly he located two fallen
logs, pried them slowly to the waters edge. There he knotted
vines around them, forming a single platform. Finally, with a
deep breath, he forced them off the bank into the stream.
Almost too late he waded out. The cold mud sucked at his feet,
the angry water stormed at his thighs. He leaped atop the
nearest log, slipped, fell across the logs awkwardly. He was on
his way to the temple of Mars!
What chance of success he had was quickly spoiled.
When he clambered onto the raft his pouch had opened. A sudden
gust of wind picked up the white feather, wafted it quickly
beyond his reach. In seconds it landed on the raging waters,
quickly disappeared from sight.
Rough bounded along the shore, barking furiously. He badly
wanted to board the raft, yet feared to dare the sullen waters.
Finally, as the raft moved to the stream's center the dog
stopped, whined, its tail between its legs. The dog shivered as
though in fear, then slowly turned to wend its way home.
Demo watched with regret as the Rough quickly disappeared in
the midst of the heavy rain shower. "Perhaps I should have taken
you with me. No, you must stay home, protect Mother."
Demo smiled. With a sigh he braced himself on the logs as the
tumultuous stream tossed the frail craft from side to side. What
a wonderful start he was making to perform the required tasks
of Zeus!
The white feather, lost to the wind and the rain! And his
chances of reaching the temple before nightfall almost
non-existent!
The watery trip, miraculously, was almost uneventful. Almost.
As the raft rounded a bend in the river the water narrowed,
flowed ever faster. And on the shore, obscured by the driving
rain and gathering fog, stood a creature of unearthly mien. It
neither moved nor spoke.
Demo had faced the bear that claimed the mountain ridges as
their own. The snarling night cats that dominated the forests
had stood before him. Of them all, none had aroused in him such
fear as now he felt.
For from this creature radiated a menace more fearsome than he
had ever known, an overwhelming evil emanation.
Demo gasped, eyes wide. "What is it! What manner of beast are
you . . . ?"
Almost immediately the creature disappeared in the swirling
mist.
It was gone! Though it disappeared from view he felt a
premonition. A premonition that he would see it again. He knew
not why, but knew it would be with him. A constant, unseen
companion. The chill that enveloped him now was not caused by
the cold, soaking rain.
Whether sundown was near, or had long past, he could not tell.
The dark, drear day had no sun, only the continuous rain.
Finally, there, on the cliff above, stood the temple, barely
visible.
He paddled with his hands, attempting to bring his raft to the
far shore. The water swirled, waves built up before the wind,
and currents formed and disappeared throughout the stream. His
paddling was almost to no avail. The makeshift raft swirled,
rocked, meandered randomly at the mercy of the river. By the
time the craft reached the shore he had drifted well beyond the
temple.
Clawing his way up the muddy bank he found a narrow trail and
began the climb. His ankle, which he had thought healed, began a
slow steady ache. Rock-strewn, and now covered with silt and
muck and murky water, the trail formed a slippery maze up the
mountainside. Rivulets gouged ever-deepening gullies across the
path. At times the entire path was but a stream, with swift
water washing away small plants and stones.
Midway in his climb he entered a wide clearing. A doe, in
attempting to flee from his approach, had slipped and its leg
hung useless as it stood, shivering in fear.
A ray of light appeared briefly from a sun very low on the
horizon. Time was running out. With a frown he avoided the doe,
continued his climb.
He could not help himself. He looked back, and its brown limpid
eyes, full of pain and fear, held him. Finally, with a growl, he
returned. He approached the beast carefully. Though it tried to
evade him, it was to no avail. Finally it stood motionless,
shivering.
"I have no time, little one. I must be quick. This splint will
hold, hopefully, until you heal." He bound the doe's leg with
wooden splints in place. With a growl he started once more up
the mountain. He noticed the doe following behind, timidly
maintaining its distance.
"Go away. The sun has certainly set. Ah, if you had only been a
full grown buck. My arrow would have quickly found its mark. And
I would already be at the temple!"
When he reached the temple it was indeed dark. The building
rose massively before him. Built over the years, at times of
wood, at times of stone, it had grown from a small shrine to its
current size. Cautiously he entered through the huge doorway.
The wooden doors were open, as though he were expected. There
was no sound. The temple was empty!
Plainly, Zeus had already departed!.
Demo sat down in the middle of the floor, his head bowed.
Finally he noted a white feather lying in an open space near the
temple's center. He picked it up, stroked it softly with his
hand. How like the one lost in the storm!
Dropping it, aloud he whispered, "Good-bye, Athena. It was not
to be."
The clatter of hooves on the floor caught his attention. The
doe stood by the door, pawing the stones. "Well, you have cost
me dearly, little one. Go on your way, there are hunters who
would not reject you."
A rumbling voice filled the temple. "The race is to the swift.
Sometimes."
The voice emanated from the doe!
Quickly he stood up. Zeus! It must be Zeus!
"Merely a little test, my boy. One must be sensitive to
suffering. Your bleeding heart has caused you to fail this
simple task, bringing the white feather to the temple.
Nevertheless, I'll certainly remember you kindly for the aid you
provided me. Well, boy, go on home now. It was nice knowing you."
His head bowed he walked across the temple, passed the doe on
his way to the downward path.
"Wait!" The voice was an angry growl. "What is this! How did it
get here?"
Zeus stood in the middle of the temple, in his godly form now.
In his hand he held the feather Demo had previously taken from
the floor, only to toss aside.
"I know not sire. For the feather I carried was stolen away by
the wind. This was here when I entered the temple."
"Ah, good, good. Then it couldn't be the feather. Good day, my
boy. Give my regards to your mother - and to any other kinfolk
you should meet. Lovely day, lovely." Zeus smiled happily as the
rain dripped upon him from a rent in the temple roof.
With drooping head Demo once more turned to go. A sudden
disturbance caught his attention. Once more he halted.
A beautiful owl floated on wide spread white wings through the
temple entrance.
"Zeus, Aeolus carried here the white feather. Even as you
required, it was delivered. Nought was said that the boy must
himself carry it."
"Athena, you shall have many children." He paused for a moment.
"And all of them shall be lawyers," Zeus growled. "Very well,
technically the task was done. Come back, my boy. Let us
celebrate your success. Here, have a sip of my most valued
nectar."
Zeus tipped the flask, burped, wiped his lips with the back of
his hand. "Here you are. Take a deep draught."
Demo smiled happily, looked at the rosy fluid for a moment, and
raising the flask to his lips, closed his eyes.
He drank eagerly. Oddly, the liquid had little taste. Not
noticeably different from the taste of water. Almost like
rainwater, really.
"Demo, you must fix that leak. The rain is all over your face.
How can you lie there!"
He opened his eyes wide. Indeed he was lying on his own bed.
And the only nectar was the drops of rain leaking through the
roof. With a start he sat up. It was only a dream!
Rough lay at the foot of his bed, eyes closed.
Lying beside the dog, half hidden by his form, something caught
Demo's eye. Something familiar!
Two white feathers!