Charon Unguarded (Ferryman Saga Book 1) Page 18

  Hermes, Charon and Dionysus just looked at each other, and then collapsed into a heap of laughing bodies. After several minutes on their knees crying with laughter. Well, Hermes and Dionysus were crying: Charon’s ability to cry was severely limited by his total lack of tear ducts.

  Yahweh stood with his gang looking like he was about to explode with rage. His hands were clenched into fists and his lips were pressed tight. ‘Laugh all you like, it won’t change the inevitable. You’ll all pay for laughing at me!’ Yahweh screamed and kicked sand in their faces.

  The laughter stopped abruptly, and Dionysus shot to his feet. ‘Hey! You can pack that in now, you spoiled little brat.’ He shoved the young god, who fell back into Gabriel, and they landed in a heap.

  Azrael and Baal stepped forward and shoved back but Dionysus had a slight weight advantage. Being outnumbered didn’t seem to bother him either. Baal was taking a fighting stance.

  ‘Go on, Di, smack him in the face!’ Hermes shouted while washing sand from his face and hair.

  The Nymphs had retreated to the safety of the dock to watch and were sitting on the edge, dangling their feet in the water and placing bets on who they thought would hit the ground first.

  Dionysus raised his eyebrows, cocked his head, shrugged, and then suddenly headbutted Baal hard on the nose, sending him flailing back into Azrael. As most who have ever tried headbutting someone can attest to, this is generally not a good idea. Dionysus did put Baal out of the fight, but he also very nearly knocked himself out. He staggered back swaying and, holding his forehead, fell back into the river. Much to Hermes’ amusement. Eventually Hermes heaved his friend out of the water and gave him a sharp slap to bring him around.

  Baal’s nose was bleeding profusely, and his chest was streaked with muddy water and blood. Not that this was much worse than he normally looked. Most of the time he looked like he’d spent a week being dragged behind a dung cart, and smelled about half as nice.

  ‘Hermes, get off me. I need to finish this.’

  ‘Nah, mate, you’ve had enough. Look, when I said smack him in the face, I didn’t mean with your own. Your eyes are all weird,’ said Hermes.

  ‘Yahweh! You worm, stop hiding behind your flunkies and face me like a man!’ Dionysus bellowed, pushing past Hermes. ‘Yahweh!’

  ‘What do you want, old man?’

  ‘This is settled now. I suggest a wager.’

  Oh gods.

  ‘Keep talking.’

  ‘It’s no secret that we’re all sick of you and your gang of grinning idiots, strutting around like you’re the next big thing. You’re not. Never will be.’

  ‘Is this going somewhere?’ Yahweh stepped just that little bit too close to Dionysus for comfort.

  Why does he do that? And the staring? Dionysus wanted to shudder. He could at least take a bath every now and then, the greasy little toad.

  ‘Well?’

  Dionysus held his ground, ‘I bet that you don’t have the wherewithal to convert even one human by yourself.’

  ‘Before I go off and prove you wrong, which human and what’s at stake?’ Yahweh asked, suspicious. There was a hint of a glint in his eye that told Hermes that Dionysus was playing right into his hands.

  ‘Suddenly cautious, are we? Hardly the stance of a great leader …’ Hermes jeered.

  ‘Shut up, Herm!’ Dionysus turned back to Yahweh ‘Let’s say, oh, how about Constantine?’

  Yahweh shrugged, ‘Fair enough. The stakes?’

  ‘If you fail, Yahweh, you will be banished to the mortal realm until the end of time.’

  ‘And if we win?’

  ‘We? You’re in this on your own, sunshine,’ said Hermes.

  ‘Fine. What’s in it for me?’

  ‘Control of the immortal realms—'

  ‘No!’ Yelled Charon and Hermes together.

  ‘Done!’ shouted Yahweh and grabbed Dionysus’s hand to seal the deal before anyone could qualify it.

  NOTES AND REFERENCES TO THE MORE OBSCURE DEITIES.

  Also known as the Spinners in Norse Mythology. These three goddesses lived at the bottom of Yggdrasil guarding the well, Urdar, from which they watered the world tree to preserve it. They were believed to preside over the fates of both gods and men. Previously there was only one, but two were later added. Urdhr (Past), Verdhandi (Present), and Skuld (Future) control fate by carving rune staves and casting lots.

  Greek Philosophers argued that the Promethean creation of man was not the same as the unknown and flawed version of earth-born man that was partially destroyed by Zeus. Refer to Hesiod’s Five Ages of Man.

  Reference is to the Deucalionian Flood

  The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on October 28, 312. The victory led him to convert to Christianity, and with him the rest of the Roman Empire.

  The Tower is commonly interpreted as meaning danger, crisis, sudden change, destruction, higher learning, and liberation. It is also a blessing in disguise Change, albeit forceful change is being thrust upon you now and though it may feel like it is happening against your will, you need to remember that this is for your own good. Change is the only way to unfold all the hidden, until now, possibilities of the ‘gold in the Shadow’.

  Protector goddess associated with Sekhmet and Mut. Known to the Greek world as Buto. Patron and protector of Lower Egypt prior to unification with Upper Egypt. Had her own oracle in Per-Wadjet and is thought to have been the cult responsible for transmitting oracular tradition to Greece. Her symbols were the sun-disc as displayed on the crown of the royal family, and the serpent. Sometimes shown coiled around the head of Ra to act as his protection. Another common depiction is a serpent coiled around a papyrus stem.

  She was closely associated with Hathor and other early deities bearing characteristics of mother goddesses (Mut and Naunet). The connection with Hathor also associates her with Horus. Like many other traditions, she was absorbed into the cult of Ra in her capacity as protector, not least in the belief that she was able to send fire against the enemies of Ra, earning her the title ‘Lady of Flame’.

  After Lower and Upper Egypt were reunited, her association with Sekhmet led to Wadjet’s diminution as Sekhmet was believed to be the more powerful of the two goddesses. Sekhmet was seen as the Avenger of Wrongs or the Scarlet Lady (in reference to bloodlust) and also depicted with the sun-disc.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  When she isn’t swinging an axe at Viking re-enactment events, A. H. Johnstone is busy experiencing silent dismay over the lack of honest pillaging in the world. They would dearly like to see an end to poverty and abuse and has wielded their fundraising sword in support of 'Responsible Charity' several times.

  It is their fond hope that education will become free for all as the opportunities for Viking raids are slim and don’t offer much of a career choice for modern school leavers.

  Website: http://www.ahjohnstone.com

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  * * *

  [1] Big, scary monsters.

  [2] Even bigger, scarier monsters. So strong they could only be imprisoned.

  [3] The offices were occupied but he didn’t know who/what by. Nor did he want to find out.

  [4] This roughly boils down to sitting on the sidelines until you see who’s winning, then backing the winning side.

  [5] This little treasure was brought with them before they crossed over. It probably caused more trouble than it cured, and more than one hero fell afoul of warring gods using mortals as pawns to harm their rivals. Poor Phaedra was not the only victim of Aphrodite’s jealousy and
rage.

  [6] As laid down by the Sidhe Courts. This is one of the few times the Dark and Light Courts of the Fae have ever acted in agreement.

  [7] This was mostly aimed at Zeus.