“Charge!” she screamed. “Take every last one of 'em down,” as she led her crew into the shallows.
The battle was joined and the cave was filled with sound of steel on steel – cutlasses sweeping through the air to strike tridents, with thrust and parry. The Mermen had a secret weapon as well. In their belts they had nets that they threw over each pirate as they tired in the water. The pirates were outnumbered two to one and were soon subdued. Matilda smiled to see them struggling against the netting and falling over in the shallows.
“You’ll pay for this, old man,” Bonny yelled at Neptune from her bonds. “Never think you won’t.” The rage in her voice would have put fear into the bravest heart if she hadn’t been tied up.
Cassius checked his men for injuries and, when he found none, raised his trident into the air and shouted “Victory!” The Mermen echoed his call.
Chapter 22
Traitors Exposed
The battle had only just finished when the group was surprised to see another sea scooter burst through the entrance with Husan at the controls. He quickly took in the scene and pulled up beside Matilda.
“I see I’ve missed all of the action,” he said with his usual confidence. After his last talk with Odon he had decided that it was prudent to change sides. “Sorry about that.”
Matilda was fed up with his cheekiness. “Stop playing games you traitor,” she growled. “I know exactly what you’ve been up to.”
“What do you mean?” asked Husan, innocently.
“Rubbish,” responded Matilda. “For example, tell us how you knew we were here.”
“Um . . . er . . . um,” he stammered. “What difference does that make? I’m here now and I’m on your side.”
“Always go with a winner, eh?” said Matilda. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused us, let alone putting everybody’s life in danger? You arranged for us to be here by sending messages to me through my dreams. You arranged for the Mermen to be away so that the pirates could capture Neptune. And that’s just for starters.”
“At least she doesn’t know I set them up with the Giant Squid,” he thought, but said, “I know I’ve been wrong. I can see that now and I want to make up for it. Give me another chance.”
Matilda was in no mood to put up with any more of his lies. “You pompous twit,” she shouted. “Do you really think we can forgive you after all you’ve done. The hide of you!”
Husan pulled out his ace card. “But I can help you get back the magic wand.”
Before Matilda could reply there was a giant roar and Odon charged through the opening to the cave. “There you are, you turncoat,” he screamed as he sighted Husan. “You ruined everything.”
“S-s-steady down,” stuttered Husan. It seemed that everybody was after his blood. “W-w-e can sort this out if everybody calms down.”
“Odon. What are you doing here?” said Neptune in a shocked voice.
“Don’t Odon me, old man. I’ve been waiting too long for you to be destroyed. You think I enjoyed being your trained animal. ‘Yes, sir, no, sir, where can I take you sir?’ The pirates promised me freedom once they had stripped you of your treasure,” he looked at Husan, “and they told that little twerp that he could join them if he helped.”
“Well, my great-grandfather was a pirate in the Mediterranean, you know,” said Husan, his false pride overcoming his sense of danger.
“Twerp is being too kind,” thought Matilda.
Still looking at Husan, Odon snarled,” I told you that you would pay horribly if things went wrong. Well that time has come.” Baring his teeth, the Killer Whale charged towards Husan. The Mermen and their prisoners were scattered to each side as Odon raced at the elf. When he seemed about to take Husan in his jaws the elf leapt high into the air and the Killer Whale skidded underneath. He had misjudged the distance and shot up onto the beach, carving a furrow through the sand. He lay there marooned.
Neptune made his way to the stranded whale. Standing beside him he said, “I trusted you. I thought you were my loyal friend and you betrayed me. I cannot forgive you for that. You will be cast out into the outer regions, never to enter these waters again. All sea life will be ordered to reject you. You will suffer a life of loneliness. Think yourself fortunate that you are getting away with your life. Do you agree or do we leave you here to die a slow death?”
Odon took no time to weigh up his options. “I agree,” he said mournfully.
“Take him away,” Neptune ordered the Mermen. Several came forward and secured a rope to Odon’s tail. They dragged him into the water and out of the cave with their sea scooters.
Chapter 23
A Cave Full of Notables
As Odon disappeared there was a loud clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. Out of the smoke two figures appeared on the beach. One was dressed in a white toga while the other wore a beautiful crimson robe and had a golden crown on his head.
“Zeus! Odysseus!” gasped Neptune, going white in the face. All of the Mermen bowed their heads.
“It seems that, now we have everybody together, this would be a good time to settle our problem once and for all,” said the man in the crimson robe.
“Zeus, I beg your forgiveness,” pleaded Neptune. “I did what I did because I felt that you weren’t showing me the respect that I deserved.”
“Yes, I understand your motive but not your action,” replied Zeus.
Matilda finally found the courage to speak up.
“What is this all about? I’ve been told that you’ve been harassing Neptune with the pirate spirits and endangering everybody else because you are carrying some grudge against him. Why is he begging for your forgiveness? It should be the other way around.”
Zeus turned towards her.
“Ah, Matilda and the little Persian fairy Peri, I’m afraid you have been badly misled,” he said in the gentlest of voices. “What you have been told is a bag of lies. Unfortunately your bravery has been misused in a cunning scheme. You will discover the truth later. For the moment let’s get rid of this riff raff.” He pointed at the pirates, still struggling against their bonds. “They’ve served their purpose in showing Neptune what a disasterous and dangerous situation he has created.”
Waving his hands in the air he produced a large flask and removed the stopper.
“No,” yelled Bonny. “You can’t send us back. We’ve been loyal to you, and you said we could have the treasure.”
Zeus ignored her. He waved one hand towards them, curled his wrist and beckoned them towards the bottle. Matilda watched the pirates disintegrate and join together in a column of thick black smoke that showed screaming faces as it swooshed towards the bottle and disappeared inside. The racket was frightening. Zeus smiled as he put the stopper back in place and threw the flask into the air where it vanished.
‘Now Neptune, I believe we have some unfinished business. I think we should retire to your cave where you can tell Odysseus,” he indicated the figure in the white toga, “the location of the chest and I can explain your treachery to our friends here.” He smiled at Matilda who was stunned by what she had heard. “As for you,” he snarled at Husan, “I’ll leave your punishment up to Maximilian.”
Neptune looked a defeated man. He seemed to have shrunk and aged even more. Cassius volunteered to remain behind with some of his men to check out the fort and seal it up.
“Return to your cave,” Zeus ordered them, “and I will join you shortly.”
Chapter 24
The Truth Will Out
The journey back to Neptune’s cave seemed to last for ages without a word being spoken. At last the cheerless group arrived at their destination. Even the Mermaids seemed to sense that something was wrong and didn’t swim out to greet them. Neptune walked slowly through the protective wall, followed by Matilda, Peri and Husan. They entered the Throne Room and sat on one of the settees to wait for Zeus and Odysseus. Matilda couldn’t bring herself to talk to Neptune or Husan..
/> There was another peal of thunder, a flash of lightning, and Zeus and Odysseus appeared in front of them. They had very serious looks on their faces that said they meant business. Odysseus walked over to Neptune and held out his hand.
“Come with me,” he said. “You have much to tell me.” Neptune took the offered hand, rose from his seat and walked out with Odysseus. Zeus came to sit beside Matilda.
“I ask you to recognise that everything that you have been told so far is untrue and invented only to have you assist in a foul plot,” he began. “You and your friend have been badly used by all sides for their own gain. Your courage is undoubted and I apologise that is has been abused. Now I believe you deserve to hear the truth.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” said a shocked Matilda. “I thought we were doing the right thing . . . ” She couldn’t continue as tears welled up in her eyes.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, little one,” said Zeus, taking her hand. “You followed a true path and, once again, displayed your bravery. It was not your fault that you were betrayed at every step. Please be patient and I will explain.” Matilda nodded.
“To understand how events came about you must first know some of the background of the gods of mythology. Neptune is my brother.” Matilda gasped. “My other brother is Pluto and I am the eldest of the three. To Pluto was given the dwellings of the dead as his responsibility, to Neptune the dominions of the sea, and to me the glory of reigning over the heaven and earth. Neptune did not accept this. He believed he should be equal in honour to me and, in his anger, carried out some acts that were beyond his realm. He helped the Greeks in their battle with the Trojans which I had forbidden. He stranded Odysseus, a loyal and faithful warrior, on an island.”
“He told me that he did that because Odysseus blinded his son, Cyclops, and that you rescued him,” interrupted Matilda.
“True, but not the full story. Cyclops, he of the single eye, had developed a taste for human flesh and planned to kill Odysseus and his men,” Zeus continued. “What Odysseus did was in self-defence and was the only way he could save the lives if himself and his brave soldiers. When I sent a messenger to free Odysseus from the island, Neptune became even angrier. The bad blood between us continued to grow throughout the millennia.”
“This is a very different story to the one I was told,” responded Matilda.
“Yes, well you must remember that Neptune desperately wanted your help to keep me and Odysseus away. Anyway, to finish this part of the story, I realised that something had to be done to finish this divide between us so I sent an invitation to Neptune to visit me in my palace within Mount Olympus. I decided that I would do anything to calm his anger. Other lesser gods were invited and we made a celebration of the event. It seemed to work. Neptune enjoyed himself and the months of festivals and parties in his honour. I thought that I had achieved my goal – until he left and I found that he had broken into my private rooms and stolen my sword and shield, without which I am a lesser god. I knew then that his anger with me was greater than I had ever imagined and he had hurt me in the vilest manner. I sent messengers to him begging for the return of the sword and shield but all were rejected. That was when Odysseus, forever in my debt, offered to recover my treasures. He asked that I release the pirate spirits to help him and, unfortunately, I did.
It seems now that they believed that the treasure Odysseus spoke of came from ships and had their own plans for it. I’m sure your traitorous elf can fill you in on that part of the story.” Husan cringed.
“But why didn’t you just appear like you did today and demand the return of the sword and shield?” asked Matilda with a wrinkled brow.
“You don’t know my brother very well. He is very, very stubborn and that would have achieved nothing. He would have laughed in my face. The plan was to use the pirates to capture him and scare the truth out of him. They did manage to scare him, as you saw, and he is a broken man who realises that he has gone too far. I am sure he will tell Odysseus where he has hidden the treasures.”
“He told me that you wanted to destroy him and cast him out into the mystic world to float around for eternity,” explained Matilda.
Zeus laughed. “He really did turn on all of the sympathy taps for you, didn’t he? He would say anything to get your help. No, no, I only want peace with him – and my sword and shield returned.
Once that is achieved I will welcome my brother back . . . as long as he promises to behave himself.”
At that moment Odysseus and Neptune walked back into the room. Odysseus nodded to Zeus, indicating that Neptune had cooperated.
Zeus turned to Matilda and Peri. “I think that, after all you’ve been through, you deserve to be in on the conclusion. Would you do me the honour of accompanying us while we recover my sword and shield?”
“Oh, yes, please,” they said in unison.
Zeus stared angrily at Husan, “And you will remain here until we return! You still have something to do for my friends, I believe.”
Husan quickly nodded.
“How did you know that?” asked Matilda, amazed.
“I have been following events very closely,” replied Zeus with a gentle grin.
Chapter 25
An Old Foe
Looking at Neptune, Zeus announced, “My brother has told us where he has hidden my sword and shield. To get there quickly, we will have to use the gods’ method of transport. I ask you to form a circle and to hold hands.”
Matilda stood with Peri and joined the circle, holding a hand of both Zeus and Odysseus. Neptune stood on the other side of the circle. When they were ready, Zeus looked up towards the roof and shouted the word, “Olympus!”
Matilda had closed her eyes and, when she opened them, she saw that they were on a small rocky island with sheer cliffs on three sides. A boulder-strewn slope led up a hill and, in the distance she could see a cave.
“Another cave,” she thought. “I hope it’s friendlier than the last one.”
“Here we are,” said Zeus. “The island of Mykalos. And this is where we will find my treasures. Follow me.” He began walking up towards the cave.
It was quite a steep slope and they had to scramble up using their hands. As they approached the cave they displaced small stones which rolled down towards the sea. They made quite a noise.
“Who goes there?” roared a voice from inside the cave. “Name yourself or suffer the consequences.”
Odysseus reached inside his tunic and produced a short sword. Zeus looked at Neptune.
“Is this another of your tricks, brother?” he asked. “Leading us into a trap?”
“No,” replied Neptune. “That is Cyclops. After he was blinded I had to find somewhere safe for him to live. Then, when I needed to hide your sword and shield, I thought of this place. Nobody would risk going inside when they heard his voice, and they wouldn’t know he was really blind and harmless.”
“Mm-mm,” muttered Zeus. “Speak to him.”
Neptune approached the mouth of the cave. “Do not fear my son, it is I, Neptune. I have brought some friends to retrieve the treasures I stored in the chest.”
There was another dull roar and Cyclops appeared at the entrance. Matilda shrank back in fear. He was enormous and his arms hung by his sides almost to the ground. He wore a sheepskin around his body and no shoes on his feet – and he was filthy. The single eye set in the middle of his forehead was a milky white and sightless. He was an awesome figure.
“Welcome, father,” the monster said in a surprisingly soft voice as he stepped to one side. “And welcome to your friends. Enter.”
The small party stepped past the giant and entered the cave. The smell was unbelievably bad. Matilda had to cover her nose with a handkerchief. There were animal bones scattered across the earth floor and a well with a bucket attached to a windlass.
“Friends bring sheep over to him regularly,” explained Neptune. “He is comfortable enough here.”
“Whe
re is the chest?” asked Zeus, wanting to remain there as briefly as possible.
“At the back of the cave,” said Neptune, leading the way.
Odysseus remained with Cyclops, his sword at the ready. He was remembering his last encounter with this colossus and did not trust him.
When they reached the rear of the cave, Matilda saw a large chest with brass trimmings and a golden latch. Zeus moved forward and released the latch. He cautiously lifted the lid. Suddenly the cave was filled with a spectacular light. Matilda fell backwards with the shock of it. Zeus reached into chest and drew out the most beautiful shield and sword. They glowed with power and spoke of strength and justice. The sword was amazing. It was in the shape of a lightning bolt.
“At last,” whispered Zeus. “My supremacy returned.”
His face glowed with happiness as he raised the two objects into the air. Turning to Neptune he said, “Thank you brother, all is forgiven.”
The party made their way back to the shoreline. Zeus had given Matilda his shield to carry. It was surprisingly light as she carried it with her arm through the large hand-piece on the back. Its brilliance made her eyes ache. When they arrived at the bottom of the hill they formed the circle again. Zeus looked to the heavens, shouted “Olympus!” and they were back in Neptune’s cave.
Chapter 26
Confession Time
Zeus addressed Neptune again. “Now that everything has been restored to its rightful place I would wish that we could resume the natural order. Do you agree?”
Neptune was shocked by his brother’s generosity. “Do you mean that I will remain ruler of the seas?”
“Yes,” replied Zeus. “And, if you will come, we shall soon have another celebration at Mount Olympus to bind our new relationship.”
“Certainly,” replied Neptune, bowing his head in recognition of Zeus’ superiority. “your generosity is truly befitting of the god of gods. I will be there.”
“Now I think you have some explaining to do to our brave friends here,” said Zeus, indicating Matilda and Peri. “And I have a small gift to remind them of how much I appreciated their help.”