“That would be very strange. And how would that work with flight? I could only fly if nobody was looking? I’d have to stand by burning buildings knowing I could rescue people and let them burn to death?”

I started to cry. I didn’t mean to, but I was remembering Erinna in the storm. Porphyry put his arm around me, not awkwardly like Father but as if he was used to being comforting to people. “What’s wrong? Is the debate making you miss Simmea?”

“I do have divine powers, and I don’t know what to do about the responsibility,” I sniffed.

“What, really?” he looked down at me, astonished, but not disbelieving.

“Stand up and I’ll show you,” I said, getting to my feet. There was nobody around. I leaped into the air, and swooped down to scoop him up, as I had Kallikles. Porphyry went rigid for a moment, and then he started to laugh. My tears dried in the wind and in the face of his delight.

“Take me right up,” he called. “Take me so high I can see the city from above, like an eagle.”

“But then they’d see us,” I said.

“How about over the mountain then? Could we fly over the crater? That would be so great.”

“I don’t think I can carry you for ten miles,” I said. “I don’t know. I never have and I don’t want to risk dropping you.” I went up, so he could see the stream and the hill it ran down and the City of Amazons in the distance. Then I made a series of loops around the tree and set him down again. “Sometime we could meet up on the mountain and I’d fly you over the crater, if you want.”

“I’d love that! That was such fun. The wind on my face. It was amazing. How can you do that? And why can’t you tell anyone?”

“I can do it because Father is Apollo, and I went to Delos and it woke my power.”

Porphyry sat down again, and I sat down beside him. “Father is Apollo? Incarnate? Like Jesus?”

“Yes, pretty much exactly like, as far as I understand it,” I said, pleased that he’d understood so rapidly. “But he doesn’t want anyone to know except family. I didn’t know whether he’d told you, but when we were talking about Delos he said he’d take you if you wanted to go. And he asked me to tell you about the powers.”

“It makes so much sense that he would be Apollo. Why did I never think of that? And … how could I possibly try to compete! Did Simmea know? Of course she did.” He shook his head in wonder.