In the depths of the Underworld Seph wearing a white robe put down a scroll she'd been reading and got to her feet. She frowned. Was that teeth she heard gnashing? She entered the throne room and saw Ish sitting on the royal chair. His teeth were gnashing together and his looks were more like the old Hades. She hurried up and put her arms around him. "Darling, it's time I think for an early spring."

He glared at her and then shook himself, becoming Ish again. He got to his feet and yelled. "Hey, guys, we're going on vacation."

"All right!" Shouted Pain as Panic and the two girls scurried around packing their bags. "I know just where to start."

As Ish and Seph stood there watching them, the Boatman came up and said. "Sir, who'll be in charge while you're gone?"

Seph whispered in Ish's ear and he grinned. He turned and called out. "Philip and Alexander of Macedon, come here. I have a job for you."

"Oh, no." Said the Boatman as two ghostly Greek warriors in armor entered the room.

"What do you want with us, Lord of the Dead?" Philip asked with a small bow which his son repeated.

"I hope it's something more than more garrison duty." His son said. "That's a waste of our talents. I want to conquer worlds."

Ish smiled and for a moment his teeth were Hade's shark teeth. "Right now Kali is in a weakened state and cannot hold the gate against you for long and we owe her big time." Both ghosts grinned. Ish continued. "I know you reached India in your conquests, Alexander. How would you like to conquer its version of our Underworld?"

Alexander crashed his fist into his chest. "Say no more, my liege. We will bring you her head."

Ish made a shooing motion with his fingers. "Yuck. No, taking over parts of her realm and letting her demons know that there is more to the afterlife than pain will give her more trouble than she can deal with. Besides, don't overextend yourselves. We still have the Aztec death god, Micatin, to pay back. Now, go and have fun."

He turned back to the Boatman. "Charon, you looked white there for a moment, at least more than usual." He chuckled. "You'll be in charge, of course.

As the Boatman wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow, Mercury flashed into view. "I have a message for the goddess of spring, Persephone."

"Don't expect a request for flowers after calling me Persephone." Seph growled.

"The message is from Zeus and Hera. There's been a major earthquake in Sparta and you need to go and be a hero as Hercules is all tied up dealing with an eruption from Vesuvius." He held out his hand for a gratuity.

Seph ignored him and putting two fingers in her mouth whistled. In an instant Black Devil was flapping his wings before her. Now totally clad in her fighting gear she sprang onto his back. "I'll catch up with you." She called to Ish but he was no longer below her.

The black lion flapped up beside her and Ish with a pair of sunglasses on said. "You'll need your publicist of course."

Pain and Frenzy appeared in back of Seph holding on tight to her while Panic and Fear were mounted behind Ish. At Seph's raised brow as she looked over her shoulder, Pain shrugged and said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can relax. Besides it'd be something different, keeping people out of the Underworld."

"Let's not get sappy." Ish said with a grin.

She smiled at him and then pressed her legs into the horse's sides. With a roar of wings they were gone.

Mercury sniffed. "Where's my tip?" He said plentifully.

The Boatman grinned. "I'm following the Fate's advice and investing in indoor plumbing companies. Will that do?"

"Hmmph." Mercury threw up his nose and was gone in a streak of light.