BooksBarbecue
Back Bright Air Black
Chapters (53)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ALSO BY
  4. AUTHOR BIO
  5. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  6. EPIGRAPHS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. BOOK TWO
  39. 1
  40. 2
  41. 3
  42. 4
  43. 5
  44. 6
  45. 7
  46. 8
  47. 9
  48. 10
  49. 11
  50. 12
  51. 13
  52. 14
  53. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Is Acastus following? Medea asks.

No.

Why not?

He’s afraid of you. All will fear you, always, and we will never have lives.

That fear was your chance. Do you think any king has ever ruled without fear?

You know nothing about kings.

Medea laughs. I know nothing about kings. Stupid barbarian, woman-animal.

Jason doesn’t answer. He takes a goatskin from one of the sacks, tips back water, offers none to her.

That city was mine, Medea says. You have taken away the city I won.

Jason looks back toward Iolcus, away from her, mute. His arms streaked, small brown rivers removing the white silt of stone, his skin of the past six years washing away.

You were a slave, Medea says. You would have been a slave the rest of your life, and your sons, too. All that you owe me is becoming too large. Brother, father, family, home, golden fleece, the Thracians who would have overtaken, the death of Pelias who made you a slave. Our sons, royal heirs to all the kingdoms you refuse. How will you repay?

You have drowned everything in blood. Blood can be repaid in only one way. Your death will be a vengeance by all the gods greater than Hekate. They will scatter pieces of you to every corner of the world. They will do what you did to your brother and Pelias, but there will be a thousand pieces. And no one will mourn you.

Medea smiles. What gods? Where is Poseidon? The great waves Pelias promised, to wash us all away. And Athena, builder and protector of nothing. You stole your ship from the Egyptians. Your gods are mewling wet things without eyes.

Jason puts his hands over his ears. Enough.

6

6

Korinth. Jason says they are going to Korinth. The next city where he will not be king. Track that could be leading anywhere, night spent on the ground with snakes.

Sky without cloud, without shelter. She and Jason and their sons mute and stumbling along until they fall from hills into a great long valley. Shadow along its hidden edge, long trough running toward the sea.

This way, Jason says. Soaked in sweat, carrying the sacks of water and food. Kreon knows me, knew my father, knows generosity to friends. We’ll be welcome in his home.

Maybe we can be slaves, Medea says.

Jason continues down the path.

I like being whipped, Medea says, and Aeson and Promachus are old enough now. Their hands can harden to any task.

Valley that extends beyond sight, the world growing again. How many of these places exist without her?