Chapter 12: Dioscuri
"Do you remember which one of Heracles' tasks matched Gemini?" Alex asked.
"No, but the letter said something about the protégées of Hermes; if I remember correctly, he was the god of the land travelers," Jen said. "But my train of thought stops there, I can't think of anything else."
They were walking down a corridor that seemed endless. It was dimly lit, like all the places they had been lately, and was also underground. They had gotten out of the small room where they had been treated and had found themselves in that corridor, so they had followed it.
Despite the brotherhood's recommendation of investigating the Dioscuri, they hadn't done it, and had set out walking, trying not to waste too much time, because they were missing their children's first month of life, if not more, considering they had lost their sense of space and time.
"Perhaps we should investigate that deeper," Alex suggested, stopping to summon Buda from his officer glove.
"Yes?" the mouse asked in an obliging attitude.
"Can you run research on Hermes for us?" Alex asked.
"Sure." Alex held the robotic mouse in one hand and kept walking.
"Hermes -or Mercury as the Romans called him- was the herald of the Olympian gods. He was the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weight and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness, but most importantly he was the messenger of the gods. He was also a minor patron of poetry. Festivals in his honor were called Hermoea. According to several legends, he was the one who invented the lyre, the pan-pipes and is also accredited for the flute. In these versions, Hermes exchanged the lyre for part of Apollo's herd, and Apollo became very known for that instrument. Also, Hermes exchanged his flute for Apollo's golden shaft which Hermes later used as his herald's shaft. In other versions it was Zeus who gave him his shaft.
"As the herald of the gods it was his job to lead the souls to the underworld, and he was closely connected with bringing dreams to the mortals. The Greek name for his shaft is 'Kerykeion' and in Latin it's called 'Caduceus' and it's often shown as a staff with two white ribbons, although later they were changed to two serpents intertwined in the shape of an eight, and the shaft often had wings attached. Other symbols of Hermes, besides his famous winged sandals, were the tortoise, the cock and the purse or pouch.
"Hermes was believed to have three children: Pan, Abderus and Hermaphroditus. Pan was half man half goat, was the patron of fields, woods, shepherds and flocks. Abderus was killed by the mares of Diomedes after Heracles left him in charge of the terrible beasts--"
"Hold it!" Jen called, holding her hand up. "Say the last bit again."
"Abderus was killed by the Mares of Diomedes after Heracles left him in charge of the terrible beasts," the mouse repeated.
"The Mares of Diomedes," Alex said. "Search that one for us, please," he asked.
"In a sec," the mouse said. A few minutes passed, during which Alex and Jen walked ahead silently. "It was the eighth labor," the mouse began. "Heracles was ordered to capture and bring back the mares of Diomedes, a Thracian chief, who according to some sources was actually the king of Thrace. Diomedes kept four savage mares and he fed them the flesh of unsuspecting strangers and lost travelers. These mares were tethered by chains to a bronze manger.
"When he arrived at the palace, Heracles took the king prisoner and, knowing how cruel he had been, took him to the manger and fed him to his mares, which then became calm and subdued. Then Heracles took them back to king Eurystheus who dedicated them to Hera and set them loose in Argos."
"That doesn't match what you said earlier, about Abderus being eaten by the mares," Jen pointed out.
"I was getting there. There is another version of this myth. In the other version, Heracles took a group of volunteers with him. Abderus was among them, and Heracles made him his companion because he liked him a lot. The group captured the mares and fled because they were being pursued by the king Diomedes and his troops. When these troops finally caught up with the band that was with Heracles, the hero left Abderus in charge of the mares and went to fight the enemy off. But since Abderus lacked the strength and experience Heracles had, he was devoured by the savage beasts. When Heracles came back and found the remains of his friends, he became very angry, so he fed Diomedes to the mares, which became very calmed. Heracles gave Abderus a worthy burial and then founded the city of Abdera next to his tomb," the robot finished.
"Okay, so far so good. But how is all of this related to the sign Gemini? I don't see the relation, you haven't mentioned a single thing about twins," Jen commented.
"The Dioscuri, that's Castor and Pollux, the symbol of the sign Gemini, were brothers to Helen, the cause of the Trojan war. Castor was very good at managing and taming horses, while Pollux was famous for his skills in boxing. Do you get the connection now?" Alex asked.
"The horses and the mares, I get that." She remained silent for a few minutes, thinking. "And Hermes invented boxing!"
"That's right, and remember what the letter said; 'be careful not to get lost'--"
"The mares ate lost travelers, the protégées of Hermes."
"Castor and Pollux were inseparable, and were united by the warmest affection. They were part of the Argonautic expedition. After the expedition, they were involved in a war, that resulted in the death of Castor. Pollux was inconsolable after the death of his brother, so Zeus, their father, granted Pollux eternal life. However, Pollux asked if he could share his gift with his brother, and Zeus agreed. In consequence, they spend one day as gods in Mt. Olympus, and one day in the Underworld as dead mortals," said Buda, who had researched the twins for them. "And, listen, there is a version of the myth that says Zeus rewarded the Twins closeness by placing them among the stars as Gemini, the twins."
"Thanks Buda," Alex said. The mouse returned to his dimensional pouch. "That's about everything we need to know."
"Let's eat, I'm hungry," Jen said, sitting down on the floor. Her shoulders were a little slumped, and her face was sad.
"Jen, are you okay?" Alex asked.
"I miss my family," she said simply, not looking at him.
"Your family?" he asked.
"Yes. I miss Adam and Andrew, and Katie, Trip and Lucas, and Dad," she said. "I miss you," she said after a few moments of hesitation.
"Me?" he asked. "Baby, I'm right here, for everything you want," he assured her, moving closer to her.
"It's not the same having you here, loving me and caring for me in this way, as having you loving me and caring for me at home, in a different way." She was still avoiding looking at him.
"I'm not following," he admitted.
"I just don't like having you caring for me because if you don't I might die," she said at last, looking at him.
"Jen," he began, taking a deep breath. "The situation is different."
"I know. I guess that's what I miss, the old situation," she said, shrugging and summoning something to eat.
Alex took her hand, interrupting her. "It will be the way it was before," he promised. "No matter what the cost, it will be the way it was before."
"I know," she said, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It will be the way it was before, because we are going back to the Force."
He looked at her, his eyes wide. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," she said. "It's about taking and giving. I wanted to quit and you gave; now you want to go back, it's my turn to give. So I'm giving." She swallowed hard and looked at him with a small smile, waiting for his reaction.
"Jen," Alex began not knowing what to say. He caressed her cheek and saw her smile grow. "Thank you," he heard himself say as he smiled back.
The conversation didn't die, but took a different direction from there, as they continued to discuss and connect the three corners of the triangle formed by Hermes, the Dioscuri and the Mares of Diomedes. They researched Diomedes and discovered that he had also taken part in the Trojan War, among other interesting data, such as his victory over the Greek god of war, Ares. The last connection the made was between Mercury, the planet that rules Gemini, and Mercury, the roman counterpart of Hermes.
They walked down their dimly lit corridor until they reached what seemed to be a gate.
It was made of iron and was gigantic, covered in flourishes and Greek-like decorations that were made of gold that shone against the almost black iron of the gate. In front of them, about 25 feet ahead and illuminated by a light that seemed to have no origin, there was a manger, and tied to it were four savage yet frozen mares, statues of the Mares of Diomedes.
"We have to get to them," Alex said, opening the gate. He walked forward, not taking his eyes off the mares. He suddenly felt Jen's hand on his arm stopping him and pulling him back. He turned and could have sworn he saw the gem of Jen's necklace, the one that blocked away her powers, glow slightly. But he shook away the thought.
"What is it?" he asked.
Suddenly all around them, a bright white light appeared, making them close their eyes for a few seconds until they got used to it. "The floor," Jen said hoarsely. "Look at the floor," she instructed.
He looked down and found himself swallowing hard. If he had taken the next step he would have met a horrible death. The floor was nothing but a series of marble paths about four feet wide, suspended at god-knew what height, and creating a maze around the mares and their manger.
To be continued.
"Do you remember which one of Heracles' tasks matched Gemini?" Alex asked.
"No, but the letter said something about the protégées of Hermes; if I remember correctly, he was the god of the land travelers," Jen said. "But my train of thought stops there, I can't think of anything else."
They were walking down a corridor that seemed endless. It was dimly lit, like all the places they had been lately, and was also underground. They had gotten out of the small room where they had been treated and had found themselves in that corridor, so they had followed it.
Despite the brotherhood's recommendation of investigating the Dioscuri, they hadn't done it, and had set out walking, trying not to waste too much time, because they were missing their children's first month of life, if not more, considering they had lost their sense of space and time.
"Perhaps we should investigate that deeper," Alex suggested, stopping to summon Buda from his officer glove.
"Yes?" the mouse asked in an obliging attitude.
"Can you run research on Hermes for us?" Alex asked.
"Sure." Alex held the robotic mouse in one hand and kept walking.
"Hermes -or Mercury as the Romans called him- was the herald of the Olympian gods. He was the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weight and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness, but most importantly he was the messenger of the gods. He was also a minor patron of poetry. Festivals in his honor were called Hermoea. According to several legends, he was the one who invented the lyre, the pan-pipes and is also accredited for the flute. In these versions, Hermes exchanged the lyre for part of Apollo's herd, and Apollo became very known for that instrument. Also, Hermes exchanged his flute for Apollo's golden shaft which Hermes later used as his herald's shaft. In other versions it was Zeus who gave him his shaft.
"As the herald of the gods it was his job to lead the souls to the underworld, and he was closely connected with bringing dreams to the mortals. The Greek name for his shaft is 'Kerykeion' and in Latin it's called 'Caduceus' and it's often shown as a staff with two white ribbons, although later they were changed to two serpents intertwined in the shape of an eight, and the shaft often had wings attached. Other symbols of Hermes, besides his famous winged sandals, were the tortoise, the cock and the purse or pouch.
"Hermes was believed to have three children: Pan, Abderus and Hermaphroditus. Pan was half man half goat, was the patron of fields, woods, shepherds and flocks. Abderus was killed by the mares of Diomedes after Heracles left him in charge of the terrible beasts--"
"Hold it!" Jen called, holding her hand up. "Say the last bit again."
"Abderus was killed by the Mares of Diomedes after Heracles left him in charge of the terrible beasts," the mouse repeated.
"The Mares of Diomedes," Alex said. "Search that one for us, please," he asked.
"In a sec," the mouse said. A few minutes passed, during which Alex and Jen walked ahead silently. "It was the eighth labor," the mouse began. "Heracles was ordered to capture and bring back the mares of Diomedes, a Thracian chief, who according to some sources was actually the king of Thrace. Diomedes kept four savage mares and he fed them the flesh of unsuspecting strangers and lost travelers. These mares were tethered by chains to a bronze manger.
"When he arrived at the palace, Heracles took the king prisoner and, knowing how cruel he had been, took him to the manger and fed him to his mares, which then became calm and subdued. Then Heracles took them back to king Eurystheus who dedicated them to Hera and set them loose in Argos."
"That doesn't match what you said earlier, about Abderus being eaten by the mares," Jen pointed out.
"I was getting there. There is another version of this myth. In the other version, Heracles took a group of volunteers with him. Abderus was among them, and Heracles made him his companion because he liked him a lot. The group captured the mares and fled because they were being pursued by the king Diomedes and his troops. When these troops finally caught up with the band that was with Heracles, the hero left Abderus in charge of the mares and went to fight the enemy off. But since Abderus lacked the strength and experience Heracles had, he was devoured by the savage beasts. When Heracles came back and found the remains of his friends, he became very angry, so he fed Diomedes to the mares, which became very calmed. Heracles gave Abderus a worthy burial and then founded the city of Abdera next to his tomb," the robot finished.
"Okay, so far so good. But how is all of this related to the sign Gemini? I don't see the relation, you haven't mentioned a single thing about twins," Jen commented.
"The Dioscuri, that's Castor and Pollux, the symbol of the sign Gemini, were brothers to Helen, the cause of the Trojan war. Castor was very good at managing and taming horses, while Pollux was famous for his skills in boxing. Do you get the connection now?" Alex asked.
"The horses and the mares, I get that." She remained silent for a few minutes, thinking. "And Hermes invented boxing!"
"That's right, and remember what the letter said; 'be careful not to get lost'--"
"The mares ate lost travelers, the protégées of Hermes."
"Castor and Pollux were inseparable, and were united by the warmest affection. They were part of the Argonautic expedition. After the expedition, they were involved in a war, that resulted in the death of Castor. Pollux was inconsolable after the death of his brother, so Zeus, their father, granted Pollux eternal life. However, Pollux asked if he could share his gift with his brother, and Zeus agreed. In consequence, they spend one day as gods in Mt. Olympus, and one day in the Underworld as dead mortals," said Buda, who had researched the twins for them. "And, listen, there is a version of the myth that says Zeus rewarded the Twins closeness by placing them among the stars as Gemini, the twins."
"Thanks Buda," Alex said. The mouse returned to his dimensional pouch. "That's about everything we need to know."
"Let's eat, I'm hungry," Jen said, sitting down on the floor. Her shoulders were a little slumped, and her face was sad.
"Jen, are you okay?" Alex asked.
"I miss my family," she said simply, not looking at him.
"Your family?" he asked.
"Yes. I miss Adam and Andrew, and Katie, Trip and Lucas, and Dad," she said. "I miss you," she said after a few moments of hesitation.
"Me?" he asked. "Baby, I'm right here, for everything you want," he assured her, moving closer to her.
"It's not the same having you here, loving me and caring for me in this way, as having you loving me and caring for me at home, in a different way." She was still avoiding looking at him.
"I'm not following," he admitted.
"I just don't like having you caring for me because if you don't I might die," she said at last, looking at him.
"Jen," he began, taking a deep breath. "The situation is different."
"I know. I guess that's what I miss, the old situation," she said, shrugging and summoning something to eat.
Alex took her hand, interrupting her. "It will be the way it was before," he promised. "No matter what the cost, it will be the way it was before."
"I know," she said, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It will be the way it was before, because we are going back to the Force."
He looked at her, his eyes wide. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," she said. "It's about taking and giving. I wanted to quit and you gave; now you want to go back, it's my turn to give. So I'm giving." She swallowed hard and looked at him with a small smile, waiting for his reaction.
"Jen," Alex began not knowing what to say. He caressed her cheek and saw her smile grow. "Thank you," he heard himself say as he smiled back.
The conversation didn't die, but took a different direction from there, as they continued to discuss and connect the three corners of the triangle formed by Hermes, the Dioscuri and the Mares of Diomedes. They researched Diomedes and discovered that he had also taken part in the Trojan War, among other interesting data, such as his victory over the Greek god of war, Ares. The last connection the made was between Mercury, the planet that rules Gemini, and Mercury, the roman counterpart of Hermes.
They walked down their dimly lit corridor until they reached what seemed to be a gate.
It was made of iron and was gigantic, covered in flourishes and Greek-like decorations that were made of gold that shone against the almost black iron of the gate. In front of them, about 25 feet ahead and illuminated by a light that seemed to have no origin, there was a manger, and tied to it were four savage yet frozen mares, statues of the Mares of Diomedes.
"We have to get to them," Alex said, opening the gate. He walked forward, not taking his eyes off the mares. He suddenly felt Jen's hand on his arm stopping him and pulling him back. He turned and could have sworn he saw the gem of Jen's necklace, the one that blocked away her powers, glow slightly. But he shook away the thought.
"What is it?" he asked.
Suddenly all around them, a bright white light appeared, making them close their eyes for a few seconds until they got used to it. "The floor," Jen said hoarsely. "Look at the floor," she instructed.
He looked down and found himself swallowing hard. If he had taken the next step he would have met a horrible death. The floor was nothing but a series of marble paths about four feet wide, suspended at god-knew what height, and creating a maze around the mares and their manger.
To be continued.
