Pandora's Gift (Part 6)

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"I went at night," she said. "There were two reasons for that. One, I assumed, from what I'd heard about him, that Zeus was more likely to be preoccupied at night, so he'd be less likely to know what I was doing. And secondly, I didn't want to have to deal with that eagle."

She smiled grimly. "It was still pretty unpleasant, though. "

"Prometheus was, exactly as we'd heard, tied naked to a rock. It took me a very long time, and a lot of bribery, to find him, but I did. It wasn't a pleasant discovery. He was thin, his ribs sticking out of his skin in a way I had never encountered before. And he smelt. The smell was the horrific part. Suffice to say there wasn't a lot of cleaning going on. He was also, against all expectations, sleeping.

"I didn't want to touch him. He really was filthy. Fortunately, I had a staff I'd used to help me up the mountain, so I poked him with it gently, from a good metre away. He groaned. In that groan was clear all the pain and suffering he was undergoing, and I felt a pang of guilt disturbing him from the little rest he could get. But I knew he had the answers I needed, and so I poked him again, despite the pangs of conscience. This time he woke, and looked at me through bleary eyes. Against all expectation he knew who I was.

"'I suffer enough, rat,' he said, and closed his eyes. His voice was like sandpaper. Although I didn't know the description back then, it had a similar effect as nails on a chalkboard.

"'Please. I need your help.'

"He opened his eyes again.

"'My help? I have helped enough.'

"'I have water.' I had brought water as a purely compassionate move. I figured he'd be thirsty, tied to that rock. But now I realised I could use it as a bargaining tool if necessary.

"He grimaced. 'Do you seek to make it worse? I know what they made you for.'

"I sighed, unable to use the bargaining chip I'd just discovered I had, and walked over and dripped some water into his mouth, holding my breath against the smell, before moving away again hurriedly.

"'Ok. Listen to me. I also know what they made me for. To open your box. But I know I don't have to. I can choose. So, I am here to find out why they want me to open it. Or, more especially, why Zeus does. I have learnt a lot about him recently. He is not... what I thought he was. To be frank, I doubt his motives.'

"Prometheus chuckled rawly, and weakly motioned for me to continue with one bound hand.

"'I'm here because I want you tell me what's inside.'

"He was silent, in thought, for a long time. But eventually he told me."

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