The Sullen Face of a Forgotten God

CHAPTER NINE

Pericles recovered well from his wounds. Miriam felt nothing but relief. She had been worried that he would die. However, the monotony continued.
"I wonder how sailors cope with this," she complained one night to Pericles. "Every day is the same. Always the sea. No matter where you are, the sea always looks the same."
He laughed and ran his hand through her hair. "I suppose they find ways to cope. Surely being alone with me isn't that bad, is it?"
She smiled, embarrassed and didn't say anything. Was Cronos right? Would they become lovers? Or did Pericles just say that to all the females?
She bent her head and frowned, as she remembered something. "Pericles, when we found that thing in the galley and it was attacking you, you told me to use my thoughts. What did you mean?"
He looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was scared, the thing was attacking me, I thought I was going to die....I must have meant, think of something else to do because hitting it on the head wasn't helping!"
She nodded and then thought again. "You never asked me how I killed it; how it exploded like that. Why? Weren't you curious?"
He shrugged again and then looked away, uncomfortably. "I wasn't really thinking and....well I just assumed that it exploded because....well, it's not every day you're attacked by a creature like that. We don't even know whether it even had a name." He looked at her. "Why all the questions?"
Now it was Miriam's turn to look away. "I was just....I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't mean to put you on the spot."
"It was the will of the gods that it died." He cupped her chin and turned her head to look at him. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Miriam. It's the will of the gods that we're alive."
"What makes you think I'm afraid?" she asked him, unable to look away from his intense gaze.
He looked at her for a long moment, before answering. "Sometimes, I feel you are, that's all. And I wish you wouldn't be. It's as if you're afraid to live and afraid to die. You can't go through life like that. I said before that you're an amazing girl. But you're more than that. You're an extraordinary woman." And with that, he leaned over and kissed her.
She felt his tongue gently probe her mouth, she felt the obligatory shivers up and down her spine and she wanted more. She put her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer to him and she was able to smell his hair and his skin and it was something she'd never imagined before. She'd dreamt about such things, these feelings evoked by men but she never thought she'd experience them. She wondered what Deianera would think if she could see her now. Deianera and the rest of the women in the Temple had given up such feelings, such encounters with men and women, in order to become one with the shining ones, the gods. But had Deianera ever felt this rapture, this ecstasy from merely kissing a boy? Suddenly, a wave of homesickness hit her and with it, came guilt. She pulled away from Pericles and stroked his cheek.
"What's wrong?" he asked, seeming hurt by her rejection of him.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I have feelings for you but it's too soon. I should be going to bed."
He looked crestfallen but nodded his head. "All right," he said softly. Then he pulled away. "I'm going to lower the sails tonight. There's a mild breeze so I won't need to man the boat. Goodnight and sleep well." He left her without another word. She sighed inaudibly and rose from her chair to go back to her cabin. Please forgive me, Pericles, she thought desperately. It is much too soon.
It was the strangest feeling she encountered in the dream she had that night that made her wonder if it was merely a dream or real. She was used to such visions by now but since the captain had attacked Pericles, there had been no dreams. Until that night.
She was in the middle of a great battlefield and while men wearing armour and clashing their swords, grunted and fought around her, she remained quite untouched by it all. She could smell the blood of those fallen but remained curiously unmoved, a mere spectator, nothing more.
She sensed a presence behind her and turned to see her mother standing there, looking as beautiful as ever, with a sad expression on her face.
"Mama, mama!" she cried, the little girl again and threw her arms around her. Her mother held her for a few moments, then pulled her back.
"My Miriam," her mother said sadly. "My precious! Look at the pain around you."
The battlefield scene ended and she found herself sitting across her mother at a small table in a tavern  that overlooked the sea. They were near the front door which remained wide open and Miriam could see the moonlight playing across the water, where it shone from a clear sky. Two candles sat on the table, where her mother's face was dimly lit, looking as lovely as ever. Auburn hair framed her sea green eyes, and she smiled at her daughter, in the only way a mother can.  Miriam heard the murmur of voices from the other patrons and thought about how happy she was at this moment.
"What will you have," asked the owner of the tavern, approaching their table. "Something to eat? Something to drink, perhaps?"
Miriam found she was starving and requested some goat cheese, bread and grapes, with red wine to wash it down. Her mother, in an amused tone, ordered the same and then they began to talk.
"How are you enjoying your trip?" her mother asked, as she took some bread to dip into her olive oil, (the tavern keeper had even been generous enough to offer them a large bowl of olives, lovely ripe black ones, which contained all the juices.)
"Well....," Miriam replied. "It...." Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of something to say. She couldn't lie to her mother but it had been uneventful. Or....
"You can't think so," her mother said, warmly. "What about the encounter you had with Poseidon, the great god of the sea, who offered you that precious stone for protection? Or that thing which tried to kill you and Pericles? You saved his life, my child, I am so proud of you! You must really love him. I even know about your first kiss!"
Miriam blushed. "How did you know that? Did you see it all? Can you read my mind?"
Her mother smiled that laconic smile which Miriam was beginning to love. "I suppose being dead has its advantages," was all she offered.
"I suppose then it has been eventful," Miriam laughed and touched her necklace from Poseidon to make sure it was still there. She wasn't sure why but she needed to feel reassured. She was sharing a meal with her mother. A mother she'd lost as a child. How could she not be feeling the way she was?
Her mother leaned across the table and took Miriam's hand in her own. "Miriam, I am here for a reason," she began. "I'm here because I love you and want to look out for you." She sighed. "You are in great danger."
Miriam looked at her questioningly. "From whom? You don't mean Pericles?"
"No!" her mother exclaimed. "Not Pericles. You must trust him with your life, Miriam. He is the only one on your side." She looked hard at her. "I mean Cronos, that imp who has been raping your mind and soul for many moons now. Him!"
Miriam looked at her and her heart started to pound. "But why?"
Her mother frowned. "That foul being has been your companion for a while now. I don't blame you, child. You were taken advantage of. But be careful around him!" Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. "He has sent you on this quest but has told you precious little else. Why does he want the stone so much? What's in it for him? In a word, power."
Miriam nodded her head. "I know he is selfish. Not vicious but selfish."
Her mother shook her head. "Being selfish is a human vice. He is evil. Make no mistake of it, Miriam. Once you get that stone for him, he will kill you. You must not trust him."
Miriam tried to overcome her shock by instead asking. "What is that stone anyway? What's so special about it?"
Her mother leaned back and looked at her before replying. "They say it is timeless, ageless, that it was fashioned by a great and powerful being, more powerful than the gods of Mount Olympus."
"A god?" Miriam asked.
Her mother nodded. "Yes, a god. But one whose name shall not be spoken, for if men ever knew his name the skies would rain hell fire and the earth would shatter in many pieces." She nodded at Miriam's expression. "Yes. It has no name like its maker but it holds the balance of the entire world. Whoever owns it will rule the world and any other world as well. The pantheon of Mount Olympus would collapse, if it fell in the wrong hands. Now, I am no Achaeon but I do understand how precious the gods are to them. Can you imagine a being like Cronos owning something so precious? That battle scene I showed you before....why, it's child's play when you compare it to the misery that would unfold because of him!"
She'd raised her voice slightly and then looked around her, before continuing in a much softer voice. "I am sorry. I just can't bear the thought of such a creature using you for his own purposes like that. He has some powers now, yes, but luckily, they're minor. You already know some of them. He can read thoughts and can heal," She paused to sneer, "and he can read minds but he can't enter dreams yet. That is why I've entered your dreams to warn you. He can't possibly know about us meeting. When you speak to him, shield your thoughts. I know you can do it. You must let him think you are still doing this for him."
Miriam sighed. "Do you know where the stone actually is?"
Her mother nodded. "On an island, far flung from any other country in this world. It is ruled by a king and queen and the population is one of great thinkers. They are the most advanced beings amongst the living."
Miriam gasped. "Like Atlantis."
Her mother nodded, smiling. "Yes, like Atlantis. It is a place that you can reach by ship but you need to know a certain route through the sea. It is not a place that can be reached by conventional means. The stone sits in a Temple in this place and the local population worship it as a great divine gift from the gods." She leaned over, smiling. "Such a thing would make you great and powerful. Why give that to Cronos? Why give him such pleasure? What has he done for you? Nothing!" She smiled again and Miriam noticed how her smile had changed somewhat. She wasn't sure how but it had. When her mother continued to gaze at her intently, she dropped her gaze and then looked up at her again.
"You want me to pretend with Cronos?" she asked.
"Yes," her mother whispered. "It is for your own sake, my sweet. Think of all the riches you will have. You will be like Queen Selena, your other self, only better...."
"Don't mention her!" Miriam cried out. "Selena is dead, I am not Selena and I don't want to be like Selena." The feeling of well being dissipated and she broke down in sobs.
Her mother soothed her hair and waited for her sobs to subside. When Miriam finally looked up again, she cupped her chin  in her hand and stroked her hair. "My darling, no," she soothed. "That's not what I meant. I meant where Selena was cruel and corrupt, you will be good and just."
She wiped the remainder of her tears away. "Hurry, morning has come and you will wake soon. Remember to pretend with Cronos, the fool, and think of yourself because nobody else will." She kissed her cheek then.
Miriam rose from the table. "Thank you, mother. I love you and will do all that you ask." She turned and went towards the land of the living.
Her mother remained seated, watching her go and she folded her hands on the table. Her smile continued to change, so it was not so warm anymore and a hardness crept in her eyes, replacing the tenderness that had only been there a moment ago. She gave a great sigh. "That's all right, my darling, I know you'll do the right thing. All in good time." And she laughed.