Journal XII: The Deaths that Followed
I turned to Antinous first, drawing another arrow. "Your time is up. You are the vagabonds, not I!" Antinous disregarded me and took a long draught from a cup filled with choice wine. I pulled back the arrow, and again I aimed. "Help me Apollo." I muttered. I loosed the arrow and it plunged into the bared neck of Altinous all the way to the feathers. He dropped the cup, splashing the wine. A look of surprise and pain crossed his face, and he fell off his chair and knocked the table over. Blood pored from the wound, and from his open mouth and nostrils. It fell and mixed with the wine on the floor, and Antinous stopped moving.
The suitors stood and stared for a moment in shock. Then they realized what had happened, and they fled screaming. They ran to the room where their weapons were kept, but the servants had taken them as instructed by Telemachus and had locked all of the doors. They had also escorted the women out of the room after I had taken my place at the throne.
The suitors were frantic, and went cowering in a corner. Telemachus, and the swineherd and cowherd now joined me. One of the suitors, Eurymachus came forward to plead with me. He said that it was all Antinous' fault because he was the leader, and to at least spare my maidservants.
I looked at them my heart filled with contempt and revulsion. "No, you shall all pay a due fine for your actions during my absence, and this debt will be paid for in blood."
Then a vision of the aegis shield of Athena came above us the head of Medusa in its center surrounded by snakes, and dragon scales. Athena then removed my beggar disguise completely. The suitors whimpered and the slaughter began. One after another they fell, and I and my son took them down. "Three for Parnassus, three for Tydeus, three for Eurylochus, and the rest for the others who inhabit the Underworld." I shouted. "These are my sacrifices, may you drink the blood that is spilt as they join you!"
Soon all were dead, and the floors were stained red. The battle was over. I went to the room where all of the women were. I began calling the unfaithful, one by one to the front of the room. They knew not why and I could see the confusion in their eyes. When I had called them all by name, and a great number there were, I ordered them to go clean up the mess left by their lovers. They still did not understand, and some jumped when I mentioned 'lovers.' I sent them into the hall, and heard many of them shriek and moan. Telemachus came into the room, as bloody and disheveled as I was. He beckoned me to the door and inquired what he should do once the maids finished cleaning.
"Hang them." I said in finality in a voice so low that none other than Telemachus could hear. He looked at me with surprise, then averted his eyes and nodded.