Here's about half of a chapter in the manuscript at hand. I have debated whether or not to have a "cliff hanger" break in the middle, and decided to try it here. I already expanded this part to add some material about Theseus, who is my personal favorite among the Greek heroes. I first read about the Greek myths in elementary twenty-some years ago, and I don't recall if I read the cycle of the Labors of Hercules. But I can remember very clearly that even then, I loved Theseus.
To the south of Attica, the lands of Greece were split by twin gulfs, the Gulf of Corinth and the Gulf of Solon, with only the isthmuth that was the lands of Megaris and Corinth to join the north and south. With the division of the land by the sea came also a great division of power. To the north, Attica and Boethia led a coalition of kingdoms, a benign dominion built on learning, trade and mutual interest. But directly across the Gulf of Solon from Attica was Argolis, whose king had made himself Tyrant over the lands of Achaia, Arcadia and Elis. The combined lands were called Mycenae, and stretched from coasts of Argolis to the Adriatic, and southward all the way to the country of the indomitable Spartans. The tyrant was called mad King Eurystheus, and he was reckoned a cousin of Hercules, and madder than most mad kings.
In the early days of the reign of King Theseus, the lord of Attica had negotiated the peaceful ceding of Argolid land held by Corinth to the empire of Mycenae, and as a further gesture of good will, he had made it his first project to build two bridges which together spanned the Gulf of Solon from Attica to Argolis, as a token of enduring good will and mutual prosperity between the kingdoms. The twin bridges had been a marvel, colossal yet soaringly graceful. Theseus' first act as king had been to meet Eurystheus on an island where the bridges joined, to dedicate the bridges and pledge friendship between their realms. Theseus made a speech, praising Athena the Wise, and Zeus the Just, and asking the blessing of the Gods of Olympus to bless both kingdoms. Then Eurystheus cheerfully made his own speech. He declared that Athena was not Wise, Zeus was not Just, and the Gods of Olympus were not Gods and like as not were nothing. His realm, he said, would have no more gods who were no gods, and no more meddling by those who would serve them. Then he pushed down the plunger of a detonator, and blew the bridge behind him into the sea. Immediately thereafter, Eurystheus had lined the isthmus with bunkers, barricades and minefields, blocking every route save for a single, well-guarded bridge.
Then a spring flood washed the bridge out.
Hercules traveled along a rutted road from Corinth that was more ruts than it was road. The Jugo 45 handled the path about as well as a river barge on stormy seas, and every bump and drop was like a kick in the kidneys. Hercules swore heartily, but without any especial wrath. Theseus managed lopsided conversation beside him, and an armor bearer named Iolaus suffered in silence in the back. Their progress remained steady as the Jugo traversed the plains, but increasing numbers of urgently worded signs and blown-up vehicles suggested that it would be very prudent to switch to a route through the mountains, where the terrain might be less favorable to travelers but was equally unfavorable to laying mines in large numbers.
The road to the mountains was actually an at least marginal improvement, but the terrain soon took its toll on the little Jugo. The car slowed and soon began to struggle as it went up ever steeper roads. Then, as Hercules rounded an especially sharp turn curve on an especially steep path, the engine gave a final wheeze and died.
Hercules jumped out, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rock the vehicle. Theseus followed, which was fortuitous, as Hercules first lifted the front of the car, and then heaved the whole vehicle over his head. "You Hades-blasted machine!" he roared. "Vex me no more, or I swear, you shall accelerate from 0 to 60 in 15 seconds going straight down!"
Iolaus leaned out the hatchback and cried out, "Please sir, I don't want to die before my first battle!" Theseus was about to point out gently that this could not bring them to their destination any sooner, when the engine abruptly restarted.
"So, Hercules," Iolaus said as they drove onward, "what was your first adventure?"
"Ah," Hercules said expansively, "I suppose my first adventure was when two snakes crawled into my crib... I do not remember, of course. But my mother told me that she came when she heard me laughing. She says I had wrapped one snake around the other's neck and strangled them together."
"What of you, Cunning Theseus?" Iolaus asked.
"I waited to go adventuring until I was twenty," Theseus said. "I walked to Athens. But first, I had to remove my father's sword from under a rock. He had left my mother to go to Athens the day after I was born, and he said I could follow when I was able to remove the rock and pick up the sword..."
"But then, I suppose my first real adventure was when I slew the lion of Thespia," Hercules continued. "Not much to tell, really. Most of the work as finding the thing. I made my favorite suit out of it, and my favorite hat, too."
"Yes, that was the tale that made me decide to try an adventure," Theseus said. "I left three years later, as soon as I got that sword out from under that rock... It took me that long to get the saltpetre right. I could have taken a ship, but since it was supposed to be an adventure, I walked, and a few people tried to kill me on the way. There was Sinis, the one who bent down a pine tree and tried to make me hold onto it... And of course there was that inn keeper, Procrustes, who insisted on showing me his bed. Funny thing, he didn't think twice when I asked him to get in it... Then there was the cleverest one, I believe his name was Sciron. He was old but strong, and he had a clever trick: He stepped into my path on a narrow path on the edge of a cliff, limping as if he was weak, and knelt before me and announced that he would wash my feet, meaning to grab me by the ankles and throw me off the cliff. But I had heard of his tricks, and I kicked him off the edge."
"Wait a minute," Iolaus said, "I heard Sciron made people kneel down and wash his feet, then he kicked them into the sea."
Theseus paused, frowning. Hercules broke the silence: "But then I guess my first real adventure was when I saved Thebes from an army of Ant-Men. They looked pretty silly, with those fuzzy little feelers, but boy, could they march in formation..."
"You saved Athens?" Theseus grumbled. "I was the one who built the lens..."
"Oh," Iolaus spoke up, "and what about the voyage with Jason?"
There was a long, very awkward silence. "Ah... the Mighty Hercules prefers not to talk about that," Theseus said guardedly. There were miles of silence before the king of Athens spoke again, only to say, "Where's the border station?"
"Oh," Hercules said, "I'm sure we will know it when we see it..."
"And then what will you do?" Theseus pressed.
"Why, I will tell them I am Hercules," Hercules said happily, "and if they doubt me, I will prove it. Who would want to bar my way?"
"Not anybody who had to do it," Iolaus said nervously.
As he spoke, an ax head as wide as the car slammed down directly in front of the car.