Timothy Boggs - Hercules Legendary Joureneys 02 Read Online Free
Author: Serpent's Shadow
way inside.
"I'm not complaining, you understand," he added hastily. "I know what has to done. It's just that.. .
well, it's very hard these days. You know how they are. They have no respect for tradition. All they want to do is party, have a good time, and expect us to catch them when they fall." He shook his head in sorrow for the good old days. "Used to be, they wanted to grow up to be the queen. Used to be ..." He sighed, and smiled at the memory. "Used to be they'd sooner kill whoever they thought might be their competition than lose. They had more spunk then. More ambition."
He squirmed; the damn bench was hard, and his butt was getting sore. "It's not like that now."
The sea thundered.
A voice said, "This will be the last time."
Titus started and nearly slid off the bench. ' 'What? The last time?"
"Yes."
The voice was calm and quiet, yet not even the roar of the sea could smother it.
"The last time."
Titus wasn't sure how he felt about this news. For his entire life the festival had been the lifeblood of the city, had spurred its inhabitants to create bigger and better things, larger buildings, more contacts with other cities and towns, not to mention voyages across the sea to places that most never heard of.
On the other hand, the end of the festival would mean that he and his family would finally be free of the curse that made him a slave to this—
"The festival will go on."
He frowned. "But—"
"The other. That will end with this year."
"Ah." He understood. He thought he understood. He certainly hoped he understood, because he had no intention of being chomped in the middle of the night just because he got something wrong. "Ah."
Waves, split by the boulders, slammed against the cliff wall, and the chamber trembled. Clouds of loose dirt swirled down from the ceiling.
"But only," the voice continued, "if you do what you are told." .
Titus drew himself up and faced the eyes squarely. "Have I ever failed you? Ever?"
A moment. Then: "No."
"Then I won't fail you now," Titus said.
And thought: what choice do I have?
"You sound very sure of yourself, Titus Perical."
He wasn't, but he was sure glad he sounded that way.
"I am."
"And what about the rebels?"
He laughed without making a sound, and his expression hardened, his voice growing harsh. "Rebels?
They're not rebels, they're pests. They're not smart enough to try anything more than painting words on the walls, and their numbers are not large enough to frighten a newborn child." He spat dryly to one side.
"Rebels. 1 have been Council Head longer than most of them have been alive. They will be no trouble. No trouble at all."
"Will there be blood?"
He shrugged. "There's always blood." He certainly hoped there wouldn't be, but since that's what the voice expected him to say, he said it.
The chamber walls shook again, mildly.
The voice boomed, "And have you heard?"
"They're coming," he answered. "I've had word already."
"Good."
"I expect they'll be here in a couple of days."
"Wonderful."
He allowed himself a self-congratulatory smile, but not so big that he would make himself a target. You could never tell with the gods and their capricious ways. One day they were all friendly and kind and showing you how to make a dinar or two that wasn't exactly legal; the next, they were threatening you with earthquakes and pestilence and lopping your legs off so you had to crawl to Hades and hope he didn't turn you into a football.
Titus waited until there was a lull in the sea's thunder.
"There's ... if you don't mind, of course . . . there's one thing I'd like to know."
"Yes?"
"What about, uh . .. you know. Klothon."
The voice sounded impatient: "Klothon will do what Klothon always does."
"Of course, of course, naturally." Titus hunched his shoulders, and ducked his head again. "It's just that, well, if the ..." He almost choked, and ordered himself not to break down now. The meeting was almost over. "If the sacrifice isn't going to
"I'm not complaining, you understand," he added hastily. "I know what has to done. It's just that.. .
well, it's very hard these days. You know how they are. They have no respect for tradition. All they want to do is party, have a good time, and expect us to catch them when they fall." He shook his head in sorrow for the good old days. "Used to be, they wanted to grow up to be the queen. Used to be ..." He sighed, and smiled at the memory. "Used to be they'd sooner kill whoever they thought might be their competition than lose. They had more spunk then. More ambition."
He squirmed; the damn bench was hard, and his butt was getting sore. "It's not like that now."
The sea thundered.
A voice said, "This will be the last time."
Titus started and nearly slid off the bench. ' 'What? The last time?"
"Yes."
The voice was calm and quiet, yet not even the roar of the sea could smother it.
"The last time."
Titus wasn't sure how he felt about this news. For his entire life the festival had been the lifeblood of the city, had spurred its inhabitants to create bigger and better things, larger buildings, more contacts with other cities and towns, not to mention voyages across the sea to places that most never heard of.
On the other hand, the end of the festival would mean that he and his family would finally be free of the curse that made him a slave to this—
"The festival will go on."
He frowned. "But—"
"The other. That will end with this year."
"Ah." He understood. He thought he understood. He certainly hoped he understood, because he had no intention of being chomped in the middle of the night just because he got something wrong. "Ah."
Waves, split by the boulders, slammed against the cliff wall, and the chamber trembled. Clouds of loose dirt swirled down from the ceiling.
"But only," the voice continued, "if you do what you are told." .
Titus drew himself up and faced the eyes squarely. "Have I ever failed you? Ever?"
A moment. Then: "No."
"Then I won't fail you now," Titus said.
And thought: what choice do I have?
"You sound very sure of yourself, Titus Perical."
He wasn't, but he was sure glad he sounded that way.
"I am."
"And what about the rebels?"
He laughed without making a sound, and his expression hardened, his voice growing harsh. "Rebels?
They're not rebels, they're pests. They're not smart enough to try anything more than painting words on the walls, and their numbers are not large enough to frighten a newborn child." He spat dryly to one side.
"Rebels. 1 have been Council Head longer than most of them have been alive. They will be no trouble. No trouble at all."
"Will there be blood?"
He shrugged. "There's always blood." He certainly hoped there wouldn't be, but since that's what the voice expected him to say, he said it.
The chamber walls shook again, mildly.
The voice boomed, "And have you heard?"
"They're coming," he answered. "I've had word already."
"Good."
"I expect they'll be here in a couple of days."
"Wonderful."
He allowed himself a self-congratulatory smile, but not so big that he would make himself a target. You could never tell with the gods and their capricious ways. One day they were all friendly and kind and showing you how to make a dinar or two that wasn't exactly legal; the next, they were threatening you with earthquakes and pestilence and lopping your legs off so you had to crawl to Hades and hope he didn't turn you into a football.
Titus waited until there was a lull in the sea's thunder.
"There's ... if you don't mind, of course . . . there's one thing I'd like to know."
"Yes?"
"What about, uh . .. you know. Klothon."
The voice sounded impatient: "Klothon will do what Klothon always does."
"Of course, of course, naturally." Titus hunched his shoulders, and ducked his head again. "It's just that, well, if the ..." He almost choked, and ordered himself not to break down now. The meeting was almost over. "If the sacrifice isn't going to
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