In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree . . .
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
"Kubla Khan"
By the time the sphinx had ferried them back to Olympus, rosy-fingered dawn was already painting the mountain. Their return was eagerly awaited.
"I thought you'd bought a farm that time, Liz!" said Mac. Then, grinning: "Sir."
Liz smiled weakly, pointing to her arm. "Close. But they wanted an arm and a leg for the farm. Jerry would only let them have one arm."
She reached out with the other hand and took Jerry by the arm and pulled him closer. "Our Jerry's something of a hero. If you can call saving me being heroic, that is. Between him, Throttler and Bes, they kept me alive."
"And you got rid of Selene so all of us stayed alive," said Jerry quietly, but firmly. "Now, Mac, come and look at this arm. I did my best, but I'd appreciate it if you checked it out."
Mac's grin widened. "So long as you don't want me to shave all over first."
The gods and goddesses of Olympus woke to a new regime. One that didn't want to be there. Prometheus had dragged the beds of the Olympians into the central square.
Oh. And also a net bag with two very unhappy occupants.
The sight of the Olympians sweating away in the bright sunlight greeted Medea's two children, when they arrived from Ortherys. With all the kindness and generosity of youth, they started bouncing on the beds and their occupants. It's a very effective antisoporific.
Prometheus quelled the groanings and querulous "what's-going-ons?" with a bellow. "Quiet!"
There was silence, except from the net bag. "Throw a bucket of cold water over them," said Medea to her older son.
Typhoeus allowed Zeus to sit upright. Prometheus cleared his throat. "All right, all of you. Zeus has some explaining to do."
"And Mother is very displeased with all of you," growled Typhoeus. "Very displeased indeed. Especially with you, Hera. As Zeus' wife, Mother expects you to keep him on the straight and narrow."
"He beats me if I try," Hera whined.
Typhoeus snorted. "I'm staying on here. Mother says I'm to sort him out."
"I foresee a new silver age for Olympus," said Jerry to Liz, sotto voce.
"What's that?"
"According to Hesiod, a time when men obeyed their mothers all their lives. It is interpreted by scholars as an age of matriarchal rule." Jerry grinned. "I think they got it wrong. I think it was a time when Typhoeus said: Mommy says."
Lamont grinned. "The monster's not Egyptian, is he?"
Bes shook his head. "Nope. I wonder whether he'd like a wrestling match?"
Bit by bit the story of how the Krim had misled the Olympians came out. Promises of power and glory, which had ended up with the Krim enjoying all the power and all the joys of the flesh, in their chosen representatives, while these became little more than prisoners in their own bodies. Finally an oath was sworn, on the Styx and by Gaea, by each and every Olympian that the Krim and its servants were to be hunted and harried hence.
"Hatchoo!" The net bag shook.
"This is all your fault!" hissed Amphitrite, her voice vibrant with anger.
"The Krim bade be do it," whined Hermes. "I don't even like you. And I'b caught a coad."
A meaty slap rang out from inside the bag.
"Egypt is a wise choice, my friends," said Prometheus. "Zeus has sworn not to harm or hinder you. Hera and Typhoeus will try to see that he keeps his promises. But I distrust him."
"Yeah, I think getting out of here before he's free is a smart move," said Lamont. "And we can do more with Egyptian myth-magic. Maybe even figure out a way home."
Prometheus smiled. "Good luck."
The former maintenance man and now part-time Greek-god repressor shook hands with the Titan. "You too. You're going to need it."
"You're sure that we can't somehow get Athena to transform Arachne back?" demanded Mac.
Prometheus sucked air through his tombstone-sized teeth. "We've tried. You saw how we tried. But she is vicious and vengeful. Even if we could kill her, she's not going to give way. Perhaps with Egyptian magic it may be possible."
Mac scowled ferociously. He'd advocated torturing Athena, earlier, but had been overruled. "Well, we've taken away her armor and spear. If she wants them back she'd better come to terms with us."
Prometheus shook his head sadly. "I doubt it. But at least it will stop her committing too many more military atrocities."
Their farewells said, the snatchees mounted one of the chariots of the gods, accompanied by Bes, Arachne, Medea, and the children. These chariots flew with more ease than Medea's and were also large enough for a garden party. The dragons were hitched up.
"I wafs thinking," mused Smitar, "what about Olympian fstew?"
"Eternal fstew," said Bitar.
There was a moment's silence. "I fsuppose it could maybe give you eternal runfs," said Smitar doubtfully.
"Eternal heartburn," added Bitar.
"Eternal fsquirtfs," shuddered Smitar.
Cruz took the reins. "Right. Mount Ortherys and then Egypt."
"Not flying all the way to Egypt again!" protested Bitar.
"Yefs," complained Smitar. "Not again. fSailorfs don't even tafste nifce!"
"The sphinx thinks that if we're all in contact, we can all go sphinx-to-sphinx-image travel," comforted Jerry.
Jerry looked back at the mountain. He wasn't instantly turned into a pillar of salt—but it was close.
"We're being chased!" he yelled.
Behind them, but gaining fast, were chariots bearing Ares, Apollo and Athena.
"So that's how Zeus keeps his promises," hissed Lamont.
"Yeah—to the letter. But not the spirit. He's not following us. Not himself."
"I'll jump before I let Athena catch me!" said Arachne, with grim determination.
"I'm going to put a doped arrow into the bitch first," snapped Mac.
Medea shook her head regretfully. "It won't work twice."
"Throttler!" yelled Jerry. "We need to all make contact and get to a sphinx image!"
Cruz grabbed his arm. "Does it work with any sphinx image?"
"Yes. Anywhere there was belief."
"I'm an idiot!" snarled Cruz. He grubbed frantically in his rucksack, scattering his belongings everywhere. Then, he hauled out a 5" x 3" painting which had once been a photograph.
"In Vegas you can always find somebody who believes in anything you could think of! Especially money! Here, Throttler. This is the sphinx statue we want to go to!"
Throttler nodded. "All link up. Athena is gaining fast. One of you dragons will have to take my tail in your mouth. Don't chew."
Athena closed with incredible rapidity. Dragons were not that fast at sky swimming. Hands and bodies were just linked, when she threw herself out of her higher chariot at them. "Got youuu!" she yelled in triumph.
The zip feeling was long drawn out. Something was clutching Jerry's shoulder as tightly as he held onto Liz's hand.