Scattered Seeds

Chapter Nine

The African night sky, black and unpolluted by big city lights, was a portal of fascination for Harry and Jess.

They walked silently for a while, both of their heads craned back as they searched the vastness of Space.

"Do you recognize any of these constellations?" Jess asked.

She seemed withdrawn to Harry, and he was glad that she chose to start a conversation. He squinted as he stared at the Heavens, and tried to recall his college astronomy class.

"Of course, they're different in the Southern Hemisphere, but I believe...." Harry paused and traced out a pattern in the sky. "That is Aquarius." He reconsidered his calculation, and then nodded. "Yes, it's mid-March," Harry assured himself. "That is Aquarius."

Jess peered up in curiosity to where he pointed. "Show me again," she said softly.

Harry drew his finger over the lines of the Water Bearer so the American woman at his side could identify him clearly. Jess studied the collection of stars, leaning back against the hood of the pickup truck.

"Do you know the story of Aquarius?" she released into the night air.

Harry joined her by the truck and shook his head when Jess looked to him for an answer.

"Ganymede was a young prince, and the most beautiful man in Troy," Jess told Harry. "Zeus transformed himself into a giant eagle and swooped down from Olympus to steal Ganymede away to be his servant."

Harry remained mute, captivated by her tale and the rich pictures Jess's smooth voice painted in his mind's eye.

"Zeus made Ganymede his cupbearer, to bring him drinks whenever he pleased," Jess continued. "He offered the prince's father a herd of the finest horses in the land as compensation for taking his only son, and that seemed to appease the king enough."

She paused here, contemplating for a moment about the man just inside their building who was born under this very sign.

If one so desired, they could see many similarities between the tall young Englishman and the pilfered prince. If Tom was Ganymede, then his career was Zeus. It flew him away from the trappings of a normal life, and made Tom its servant in the heavens of Stardom.

"Ganymede eventually had enough of being pushed around," Jess went on. "So he decided to pour out all of the water, ambrosia, and wine of the gods. He refused to be Zeus's cupbearer any longer."

She made the correlation between the prince's outburst and Tom's frustration at always maintaining his reputation, being summoned for appearances, and having every public action scrutinized. Perhaps that's why he exploded in such a manner when Luke, also a servant of Zeus, kept Tom from a simple pleasure he'd been stolen away from enjoying at liberty.

Harry held his breath. "What happened?"

Jess looked over at Harry, and a small smile graced her otherwise saddened countenance. "Legend goes that the water all fell to Earth, causing inundating rain for days on end which consumed the planet in a great flood."

"Huh," Harry grunted. "So even the Greeks have a version of the Flood?"

"Mm-hmm," Jess nodded. "Zeus was furious at first, but then he looked into his heart and saw he'd not been very kind to the prince. As recompense, he made Ganymede immortal by hanging him gloriously in the Heavens for all eternity."

They shared a quiet solace, rolling the story over in their heads while exploring the cosmos above them.

"What happened in there?" Harry's voice broke the silent night.