“Kebes is the one I beat playing your gift upside-down,” Pytheas said. “He hates me. Worse, I was in time all the time he was alive. You’ll have to collect that piece. And it won’t be easy.”

“She must have wanted you involved,” Marsilia said, looking at Hermes. “You, or some other god at least.”

“I’m not going near this culture without a native guide,” Hermes said. He was looking at Thetis, but she was looking down at Hilfa and didn’t notice. Hilfa was rocking backwards and forwards slightly, his multicolored lids closed over his eyes.

“I said I’m staying with you,” Marsilia said to Hermes. “I’ve been to Lucia.”

“Good,” he said. Then he smiled challengingly at Pytheas. “How many pieces are there? Shall we divide them and meet back here with them?”

“I’ll manage Pico,” Pytheas said. “How are you with the Enlightenment?”

“You can definitely have that one,” Hermes said, with a little shudder.

“All right, then you can take Phila the daughter of Antipatros. Athene says she gave it to her after her wedding, so any time after that I suppose.”

“Who did she marry?” Hermes asked.

“She married Demetrios the Besieger of Cities,” Marsilia said. Then, when she realized we were all staring at her, “What? It’s in Plutarch.”

“You are going to be useful. Good!” Hermes said.

As I was drawing breath, Pytheas, Hermes, and Marsilia vanished.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by anyone except me, Thetis had slipped to the floor and put her arms around Hilfa, who immediately turned and clung to her like a baby.

8. Apollo

8

APOLLO

I generally enjoy emotions. I like transmuting emotion into art, every shade of feeling, every nuance and tone and note. But the wrath I felt now, the anger at Athene that burned through me, was too strong for that. Human emotions happen in the veins, in the gut, as well as in the mind. Divine emotions are a thing of mind and soul alone, but are neither less strong nor less passionate for that. You hear of Olympian calm, and we are calm, detached, distant—usually. When we do feel strongly there is nothing of mortal frailty to deter us in that feeling. A mortal heart or liver might overflow and burst with too strong an emotion, but never ours. When we are moved as strongly as I was moved by Athene’s letter there is no restraint—we are the anger, while the anger lasts.

I like feeling the heat of emotions. I do not like giving way before them and becoming the conflagration. Emotions should always be manageable, never overwhelming.