"I don't like him," Helen told me.

"Don't like who?" I asked.

"Odysseus. He's the thirteenth suitor. Just arrived."

"Oh. I haven't seen him yet. What's wrong with him?"

"He doesn't compliment me at all, and he hasn't brought any gifts or anything. The gifts would have gone to Father anyway, but it just seems rude."

"Just two days ago, you were complaining that all your suitors care about is your looks! Now, when one doesn't care, you're still upset. Make up your mind."

Helen tugged on one of her braids, and looked at her feet. "It's not that I desire the endless compliments, it's just that my beauty's all I've got. It's all I am," she whispered.

"Nonsense. You're more than that, and the man lucky enough to marry you will see that in time."

"Well, I won't marry this man. He keeps trying to make me feel stupid. I'll beg Father if I have to."

"Oh, come now. What cause would he have to make you feel stupid?"

"How should I know? Yet he must; why else would he ask such impossible riddles?"

I perked up at this. "Riddles? What riddles?"

"Oh, they didn't make any sense to me. Why should it matter?"

"I was just curious, Helen."

"Ask him yourself if you're so interested," Helen grumbled, yawning as she got into bed.

I set out the next morning with such a strong curiosity it scared me. Why should I care about one riddle? I couldn't say.

Most of the suitors were lounging about the courtyard. The only reason one stood out from the others was because he was pacing, staring into space, and mumbling under his breath. In short, he looked the way I did when I was deep in thought.

"My lord?" I called out, walking towards him. He looked up, and I swear to Athena that I did not notice his clear gray eyes, or his godlike frame. My analytical mind would not allow for such flighty sensibilities.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Of course not. Does it look like I'm doing something?" he snapped. I was taken aback by his manner, but recovered smoothly.

"A man may seem to be as busy as possible and not be busy. I'd argue most men who appear active are doing all of nothing. Is it so hard to believe the reverse?" Odysseus looked at me the way a man might look at his hound should it start reciting epic poetry.

"Well put. What did you want?"

"Lady Helen mentioned that you told her a riddle, yet she couldn't remember it. I was hoping to hear it for myself."

"You are so fond of riddles that you would actively seek one out?" he asked, confused and amused.

"I'm a woman of strange interests, my lord."

He suppressed a laugh. "No stronger than mine, apparently. It's a nice change to find one who actually wants to think."

"I know what you mean. So what was it?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, the riddle. It was a sphinx's riddle, so it's-"

"You've encountered a sphinx? What was she like?" I asked, interrupting him in my excitement. He laughed.

"No, I haven't met a Sphinx. This riddle was told to Oedipus: What creature walks upon four legs on in the morning, two during the day, and three at night?"

I smiled. "Sounds difficult."

"Would you like to hear the answer?"

I scoffed. "If Oedipus could answer it, so can I."

"You're too finely dressed to be a servant; who are you?"

I bowed quickly out of habit. "I'm Penelope, Lord. Tyrandeus is my honored uncle, and Helen is my cousin."

"Of course. Lady Penelope. Now I remember; King Theseus spoke very highly of you."

I bristled. "Theseus? That scoundrel—you're a friend of his?"

"Scoundrel, eh? He'd appreciate that," Odysseus laughed. "I happened to encounter him about a week before my departure for Sparta. He mentioned that you were clever." I snorted.

"He would. How is the arrogant pirate?"

"About to kill himself, naturally. The fool keeps trying to reclaim his adventures. Kidnapping Helen, and now this..."

"Now what?"

Odysseus waved a hand at me dismissively. "It would take too long to explain..."

"So summarize it."

"In a word? He's an idiot."

"Really? It had escaped my notice."

"All right, I'll tell you. This friend of his, Pirithous, made a bet with him that each would kidnap a daughter of Zeus; that was why he kidnapped your cousin. Money had nothing to do with it. Now the two of them are off to try and claim a second daughter: Persephone." I gasped.

"The wife of Hades? How will they reach the underworld? How will they trick Hades so?"

"You think they've thought it through? No matter how clever he is, Theseus is a hero above all else. Heroism runs deeper than blood or brains. He can't help it. It's his curse."

"Being a hero is a curse?"

"You never thought so?"

I shrugged. "I never thought about it. Their lives seemed to have some meaning. For you, it's something to aspire to. Me? I'm a woman, and I'm not beautiful. If I wanted singing bards to remember my name, I'd have to be raped by Zeus."

"Yes, and if I wanted to be remembered I'd have to kill some great monster or fight a god or something. My point is that a hero can't help it. Jumping into idiotic situations is as natural to a hero as breathing, however clever he may be. Theseus' days of adventure are over. If Fate were really kind to him, he would have died in a suitably heroic manner a long time ago. It's tragic, if you consider it."

"You'll forgive me, Lord, if I'm less than sympathetic to the man. You make a good point, though. What are you doing here?"

Odysseus blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You don't seem like a courting man. You're certainly nothing like the rest of Helen's suitors. Why are you here?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you that I greatly desired the hand of the most beautiful woman ever known?"

"In a word? No."

"Smart girl. Honestly, I'm here for the challenge."

I folded my arms. "My cousin is a challenge?"

"Isn't she? There are twelve men who would kill for her. To figure out how to secure her hand from Tyndareus and not be instantly murdered would require such cunning, such diplomacy..."

"You'd bargain with your life that you could pull that off? Isn't that just a bit arrogant?"

Odysseus smiled. "Not if I do."

"You're no different than a hero, then. Throwing yourself into life-threatening situations..."

"Perhaps. We all have our weaknesses, whether it's for battle or for riddles. You have that weakness, too. Isn't it dangerous for an unmarried woman such as yourself to approach a man the way you have?"

"No one really cares what I do. When I get married off, it won't affect anyone's life."

"Not even your husband's?"

"He'll be upset that I'm not Helen, then he'll get over it. No, I doubt it would affect his life very much."

"You don't seem too bothered by it."

"It's the way of things, isn't it?"

My uncle came out into the courtyard just then and announced that another hunting trip was being held shortly. Odysseus slammed a fist into a nearby tree.

"That's the fourth trip in two weeks! We have time for these leisure expeditions, yet your uncle still claims he's too busy to speak to me!" He glared at me, as though I should have better control over my uncle. I laughed.

"You'd best have a very specific, error proof plan for protecting both his neck and yours when he tells twelve men that they can't have Helen before you try to approach him. It's the only way to get his attention. Do you have such a plan?"

He sighed. "No, not yet. Be sure, though, I'll have one before any other man."

"Lord Odysseus," Tyndareus called as he walked over, "if you'd move along to the stable, we'll be-Penelope! What on earth are you doing here? Lord Odysseus, I apologize for my niece. We overlook her, and sometimes it makes her much bolder than a woman her age should be."

I started to defend myself, but Odysseus stopped me. "The fault is mine, Lord. I'd heard of this woman's knack for riddles, and I'd hoped to see if she could help me with it. You haven't figured it out yet have you?" He fixed his gaze on me for a moment, and then gestured surreptitiously at my uncle. I understood immediately.

"I fear I have not, my lord. It's truly a difficult riddle."

"Well, I'll just have to speak to you tomorrow, won't I? Tyndareus, I know other uncles might object, but you don't mind your niece being seen with me, do you?"

Tyndareus never had a chance. "Of...of course. I see no problem."

"Excellent. Give me one more moment with your niece, and I'll be on my way to the stable."

"Yes...yes, very good."

As my uncle walked away, I sidled up to Odysseus. "By the way, the answer is 'man'," I whispered, keeping my voice low so that only he could hear me.

"You figured that out the instant after I told it, didn't you?"

"Half an instant," I murmured.

"You're an amusing woman, you know that?"

"I think I'll take that as a compliment."

Odysseus grunted in response as he left, but I saw him smile to himself, too.

It dawned upon me, while heading back to my quarters, that I had just made a rather unusual friend.