===
Click here to start at the beginning.
===
It had all gone fairly smoothly, and according to plan. Epimetheus was smitten. But, as much as Pandora wheedled and begged for him to let her peak into the box, it wasn't happening. Epimetheus was smitten, yes, but he wasn't stupid. Prometheus had told him not to open it, and that was good enough for him. No matter how Pandora fluttered her eyelashes, or sulked or pouted, he wasn't budging.
It was just as she was getting disheartened and frustrated, and ready to give up that Hephaestus went to see her. He found her sitting in the castle gardens, looking particularly downhearted and lost.
"Hi, lass," he said.
She grunted a pre-occupied greeting.
"You look down."
She sighed. "I can't do it, Heph. He's not going to give in. And..."
He sat down beside her. "This is me. What's worrying you?"
"I'm just..."
She glanced involuntarily at the sky.
Hephaestus chuckled, deep and rolling. "Don't worry. He's busy. There's a nymph in Crete he's gone to visit. He's not paying attention."
"It's just that... I am not sure it's right." She looked across at him, her brow knit. "I feel like... I mean I know it's fate and everything. It was all explained. But.. I don't... feel good about it." She threw up her hands in a gesture of frustration. "I can't explain."
"I know just what you mean."
"You do?"
He nodded. "But I can't explain it, either."
She raised an eyebrow (a habit which centuries would not overcome). "Can't, or won't?"
He sighed. "Not worth my job, kid. And, let's face it, no one else can do it." He smiled, trying to lighten the moment, but she wasn't having any of it.
"Heph. You... You're essentially my father. You owe it to me to help."
"Actually, I don't. But.. Look, it's something mortals have to figure out for themselves."
"But I'm not..."
"I know. Essentially you are not a mortal because you were never born. But you share their potentialities. Their possibilities. Even Zeus doesn't understand them all. But I do, because of... well, I guess because of the fire I made you from. So, in character, you are mortal enough."
"So... there is some potential I'm not using. Something which would enable me to get Epimetheus to open that blasted box?"
"Well, to get it open anyway. But it's more than just that."
"You're speaking in riddles, and I hate it. You gods! It's always these double meanings and roundabout ways of getting to things. After all, if Zeus wants the box open, why doesn't he just open it?"
"Why, indeed?"
she stopped suddenly. Looked at him with wide eyes. "He can't!"
Hephaestus said nothing.
"Am I right? He can't open it. I guess it has to be a mortal who opens it. That's why Epimetheus has to. That's why I can't just..."
She stopped as another wave of understanding hit her.
"But... I might be able to. You just said I was mortal in character. I've never tried because I was told to get him to do it. But why can't I just open it? I could stop manipulating Epimetheus, because believe me, I don't enjoy that. It would solve the problem, wouldn't it? The box would be open, Zeus would be pleased. No foul? Right?"
She paused as she noticed the look on his face. He was smiling, but something in his smile scared her. He looked so sad.
"What is it?"
"Well. Nothing you've said is wrong."
"But, you don't look happy. I thought you wanted it open? I thought it was a good thing."
"Why do you want it open, Pandora?"
"Well, because it's meant to be. I mean, Zeus said..."
Hephaestus snorted.
"What? He said it was part of the plan. That it needed to be opened, and I was to get Epimetheus to open it."
"That's it? Because Zeus says so?"
"Well, he is kinda the boss. Surely he knows what he's doing? And isn't it all fated anyway?"
"Firstly, it's quite an assumption to think he knows what he's doing. And secondly, if it's all so fated, why does he need you?"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he clamped a hand over it convulsively. "I mean... um..."
But it was too late. Pandora's eyes were wide with understanding. When she spoke her voice had changed. It sounded less like a frustrated girl, and more like the strong, smart woman he had created.
"It isn't, is it? Fated. We have..."
There wasn't even a word for it back then in the mortal world. Fate was the-way-it-is. Hephaestus, figuring he'd done the damage with the concept already, gave her the word.
"Choice."
Friday 4 April 2008
Thursday 3 April 2008
Pandora's Gift (Part 3)
===
Click here to start at the beginning.
===
"Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask."
"Did you love him?"
She spluttered on her coffee. We were sitting in a small, rather sleazy looking cafe next to the docks where I'd found her. An overweight man in a wife-beater who looked like he'd stepped out of a stereotype had leered at her when she ordered for about half a second, until she'd given him a look that shut him up and sent him bustling to meet her every demand. He probably didn't know himself what it was about this girl that had him wanting to keep her happy. I was amused to see she wasn't above using the gifts we'd given to get her way.
"Love him?" She played with her unused sugar packets absently. "I don't know."
I waited.
"I don't think so. I couldn't have, right? I mean, in the end, I..."
She trailed off, frowning into her coffee.
"In the end you betrayed him."
She looked up, hurt and a little shocked. "I didn't mean..."
"That's what you were thinking though, wasn't it?"
She frowned slightly. "I just meant that I didn't have any choice. Back then. You need choice for love, don't you?"
I laughed. "Most mortals would disagree with you there."
"That's because they don't understand what not having choice is really like." A pause. Her voice almost inaudible, "But Hephaestus did."
Click here to start at the beginning.
===
"Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask."
"Did you love him?"
She spluttered on her coffee. We were sitting in a small, rather sleazy looking cafe next to the docks where I'd found her. An overweight man in a wife-beater who looked like he'd stepped out of a stereotype had leered at her when she ordered for about half a second, until she'd given him a look that shut him up and sent him bustling to meet her every demand. He probably didn't know himself what it was about this girl that had him wanting to keep her happy. I was amused to see she wasn't above using the gifts we'd given to get her way.
"Love him?" She played with her unused sugar packets absently. "I don't know."
I waited.
"I don't think so. I couldn't have, right? I mean, in the end, I..."
She trailed off, frowning into her coffee.
"In the end you betrayed him."
She looked up, hurt and a little shocked. "I didn't mean..."
"That's what you were thinking though, wasn't it?"
She frowned slightly. "I just meant that I didn't have any choice. Back then. You need choice for love, don't you?"
I laughed. "Most mortals would disagree with you there."
"That's because they don't understand what not having choice is really like." A pause. Her voice almost inaudible, "But Hephaestus did."
Wednesday 2 April 2008
Poetic Interlude 2
In honour of my second sponsor. :)
(No, it's not meant to be you. I just tried to write something I thought you'd like.)
Jack of many hats.
He dances, merrily
flitting through trees
(streetlights?).
He hums
a toe-tapping
finger-snapping
mind-wrapping
tune,
quiet, insiduous.
He darts,
dash of colour,
flash of red diamond
blue diamond
green diamond.
Cane twirling,
Tails whirling,
Mist swirling.
He is story.
And myth.
And magic.
And laughter.
Trickster-god.
Player-man.
Grinning flash of teeth,
and he's gone.
Leaving a hint of song,
ideas floating,
story snippets,
waiting to be caught.
(No, it's not meant to be you. I just tried to write something I thought you'd like.)
Jack of many hats.
He dances, merrily
flitting through trees
(streetlights?).
He hums
a toe-tapping
finger-snapping
mind-wrapping
tune,
quiet, insiduous.
He darts,
dash of colour,
flash of red diamond
blue diamond
green diamond.
Cane twirling,
Tails whirling,
Mist swirling.
He is story.
And myth.
And magic.
And laughter.
Trickster-god.
Player-man.
Grinning flash of teeth,
and he's gone.
Leaving a hint of song,
ideas floating,
story snippets,
waiting to be caught.
Pandora's Gift (Part 2)
===
Click here to start at the beginning.
===
In the stories they paint her as a wilful, bored wife. Or worse, an evil, deceitful woman: the progenitor of all the banes of mankind. Given to man as a gift with a sting by Zeus. Pandora. The first female. They tell her in whiny tones. "But I wanna seeeee."
It wasn't like that.
The gist is right. Hephaestus, at Zeus' command, designed her to open that box. He used her to trap them. Turned their betrayal to folly. But he designed her wrong. Sure, the result was essentially the same. But he had never expected her to have a will. A mind. And the ability to use it.
He certainly hadn't expected to like her so much.
When she appeared at his castle, Epimetheus was enthralled. Pandora was beautiful. She was, after all, designed that way. Beautiful and witty and completely engaging. She had been given gifts by several of the deities. Aphrodite had given her beauty, not to mention other skills. Artemis had gifted her with endurance. Apollo had sungs songs into her ears, gifting her with music. I, in absence of wisdom, which comes only with experience, gifted her with a quick mind and the urge to learn. But it was her designer, Hephaestus who ultimately gave her the greatest gift. Only that was where all the trouble started.
When she walked up those stairs towards Epimetheus, and looked into his eyes as she bowed, submissive, and yet completely in control, announced herself his by Zeus' command, something in him broke. He wasn't stupid. Again, the legends paint him stupid. He wasn't. He knew she was a trap. He had heeded his brother's warnings and he knew that if Zeus had sent her, there was a catch. But looking into those smiling green eyes, he didn't care. Hephaestus had done his job well. Pandora was irresistable.
What people never bother to ask, is what she was thinking. She was formed, not born. She was given gifts by the gods to make her a more efficient trap. But Hephaestus loved her, like a father does. Which was what eventually led to him doing what he did. When she arrived there, she knew her task. She knew she was required to make Epimetheus open that box. She didn't know what was in it, and because she was new, she hadn't yet learned about Zeus' malicious angry streak, so it didn't occur to her to ask. She didn't yet know how vindictive he could be. Or how short-sighted.
I don't know why she did what she did. That was part of why I was here now. To find out her side of the story. And explain a little why we had all helped in the ways we did. Even the Goddess of Wisdom who, perhaps, should have known better.
Click here to start at the beginning.
===
In the stories they paint her as a wilful, bored wife. Or worse, an evil, deceitful woman: the progenitor of all the banes of mankind. Given to man as a gift with a sting by Zeus. Pandora. The first female. They tell her in whiny tones. "But I wanna seeeee."
It wasn't like that.
The gist is right. Hephaestus, at Zeus' command, designed her to open that box. He used her to trap them. Turned their betrayal to folly. But he designed her wrong. Sure, the result was essentially the same. But he had never expected her to have a will. A mind. And the ability to use it.
He certainly hadn't expected to like her so much.
When she appeared at his castle, Epimetheus was enthralled. Pandora was beautiful. She was, after all, designed that way. Beautiful and witty and completely engaging. She had been given gifts by several of the deities. Aphrodite had given her beauty, not to mention other skills. Artemis had gifted her with endurance. Apollo had sungs songs into her ears, gifting her with music. I, in absence of wisdom, which comes only with experience, gifted her with a quick mind and the urge to learn. But it was her designer, Hephaestus who ultimately gave her the greatest gift. Only that was where all the trouble started.
When she walked up those stairs towards Epimetheus, and looked into his eyes as she bowed, submissive, and yet completely in control, announced herself his by Zeus' command, something in him broke. He wasn't stupid. Again, the legends paint him stupid. He wasn't. He knew she was a trap. He had heeded his brother's warnings and he knew that if Zeus had sent her, there was a catch. But looking into those smiling green eyes, he didn't care. Hephaestus had done his job well. Pandora was irresistable.
What people never bother to ask, is what she was thinking. She was formed, not born. She was given gifts by the gods to make her a more efficient trap. But Hephaestus loved her, like a father does. Which was what eventually led to him doing what he did. When she arrived there, she knew her task. She knew she was required to make Epimetheus open that box. She didn't know what was in it, and because she was new, she hadn't yet learned about Zeus' malicious angry streak, so it didn't occur to her to ask. She didn't yet know how vindictive he could be. Or how short-sighted.
I don't know why she did what she did. That was part of why I was here now. To find out her side of the story. And explain a little why we had all helped in the ways we did. Even the Goddess of Wisdom who, perhaps, should have known better.
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