Week Twenty:
November 15, 2025: The rest of the story, starting in the City of Mount Olympus. . .
Pan, newly respected hero from the War Against Hunger, is drafted into the scheme to entrap the malevolent rogue force known as The Power! His part seems simple enough: take his baby half-brother P. B. for a walk to lure The Power (one of P. B.’s two fathers) out of hiding. P. B.’s other father, Hermes, is reluctant to give the baby up even though the little brute has just given him a shiner. But Pan prevails- -only to learn from Zeus, who leads the plot, that he, Pan, must carry P. B. to his destination! Artemis detects The Power nearby. Zeus orders Pan to follow Heracles, who will lead the way to the entrapment site. Zeus and Artemis follow behind.
No time to protest! Pan bundles P. B. to his chest and runs after Heracles for all he’s worth. They exit through the wall that encircles the city. Heracles rolls a boulder away from the mouth of a cave and tells Pan to jump!
They land on a pathway in the Underworld and dodge the violent souls of Tartarus, trailed by a disembodied voice that shouts Mine! Heracles loads Pan and P. B. onto his back. He flies through the chaos and out a low arch. They alight on the steps of Hades’ palace, the disembodied voice faint but still audible.
Heracles orders them up the stairs, through the entrance, fifth door on the right. “Stand behind the big chair but don’t touch it, either of you. Hold the baby up so he can be seen. I’ll delay It for as long as I can.”
Heracles assumes a fighting stance as Pan, with P. B., scurries away. The fourth door swings open. They encounter flaxen-haired Persephone! She scolds them for not telling her they were coming, would have had Cook make breakfast for three, but- –
Pan shoves her back into the room and speeds to the fifth door. He ducks inside and slams the door behind him, locates a sinister-looking chair carved with mysterious symbols as big as a throne, and edges behind it, perilously close to the back. A hiss comes from the door and liquid oozes underneath. The puddle shivers toward the chair. Pan raises P. B. high.
Mine! Mine! Mine! The voice echoes around the room. Defying gravity, the puddle slides up the big chair’s legs and onto the seat, edges up the back, is inches from enveloping P. B.- –
“Huh?” The voice abruptly loses its edge. “That’s strange, I know I have something important to do, but. . .”
Persephone bursts through the door and gives Pan a thorough scolding for bringing a baby into the chamber of The Chair of Forgetfulness! She seizes P. B. from him and carries him away, making ridiculous cooing noises and calling him her Little Manikin.
And The Power? It’s bound to The Chair for all eternity. . .
Meanwhile, in Seattle, Veronica leads a strategic session aboard the Ms. Zeta with Jim, Poseidon, and Clifford’s second-in-command, Heinrich. Poseidon, still dripping in his blue and green iridescent wet suit, will expand his body to block the sinkhole; Jim, presently returned to human form, will resume the shape of a seal, observe Poseidon’s process, and report back when it’s complete. Heinrich will monitor the vital signals of Poseidon, Clifford and Ralph. Once the sinkhole and all vitals stabilize, Clifford will be reconstituted and join the team in assessing overall impact, with Ralph to be reconstituted when it’s determined Poseidon’s seal will hold. Poseidon experiences an unspoken moment of doubt; he’s saved thousands of ships using this method, but, though fit, he’s not a young god anymore. He half-prays, half-swears to Heaven and Earth that his luck holds.
Back in the Underworld, Hades, too, is cursing. Persephone is home at last and what does he have to do? Look at a bizarre change in the ceiling of Elysium! The blue-painted rock sports a large green patch. Hades’ valet, Anatole, hands him a pair of binoculars. The sparkling blue-green patch has an unusual shape, like a gigantic butt. A familiar voice calls Hades’ name inside his head. Poseidon! Hades emits a low growl, determined that Poseidon and his big butt will receive a stiff repair bill for pulling this stunt.
Topside, in the City of Mount Olympus, Stella awakes from her coma, hungry as a warhorse but remembering nothing of her possession by The Power.
Hera has received a three word text from David: I’ve found him. The only way to minimize the damage of the discovery of Saul Crispin, and her breaking of a Great Law by making him immortal, is to come clean with Zeus.
Elle monitors Monique’s convalescence. It will be a long recovery, as many of her internal organs were damaged during P. B.’s birth. Suspecting her patient will be frustrated by the six-month leave Apollo recommends, Elle contacts a colleague at WomanFront, the humanitarian aid organization she leads in the mortal world, to inquire about a fulfilling but low-key position for Monique as she recuperates.
In Seattle, Clifford and Ralph immediately feel the change in pressure when Poseidon expands into the sinkhole. Clifford is furious about Veronica’s order that he will be reconstituted before Ralph, feels she’s been overriding his professional judgment ever since their engagement last June. . .He’s also bitter that his girl genius fiancée solved the problem he’s been mulling for months!
Down in the Underworld, the team of Zeus, Artemis, Heracles and Pan are enjoying an impromptu brunch. Persephone cradles P. B. in her arms, unwilling to accept their explanation that he is the Son of Evil. Zeus notices the baby’s demeanor has changed. P. B. shows glimmers of sweetness and delight! Their mission appears to be a success- -until Persephone refuses to give the baby up. Pan gently explains that P. B., half-fathered by Hermes, is his little brother. The baby reaches for him; Zeus orders Persephone to surrender P. B. to Pan.
The rescue party makes their way back to the City of Mount Olympus. Monique’s household and the attendant Hermes seem at ease for the first time since P. B.’s birth. Weary, Zeus heads for the penthouse condo he shares with Hera.
Clifford, reconstituted and aboard the Ms. Zeta in Seattle’s Elliott Bay, brusquely asserts his authority over the seawall project. Though she despises the tactic, Veronica shifts into ego-soothing mode and patiently deflects his anger. She also reminds him that sometimes jobs and responsibilities shift during a crisis. He doesn’t take it well, snaps that she’s Little Miss Perfect, and whines that of course she was the one to solve the seawall problem, not some common bloke like himself!
“Is that what you think?” Nonplussed for a moment, she tries to explain it was Poseidon who- -who- -and bursts into uncontrollable laughter! Clifford is alarmed. She collapses on him, laughing until she’s sobered enough to explain the key role of Poseidon’s butt.
High atop a penthouse condo in Mount Olympus, Zeus downs two cold beers and splits a bottle of Chardonnay with Hera while she explains the fate of her one known extra-marital lover, Saul Crispin. At the end, Zeus has two questions:
What was she planning to do with him once he was immortal?
“Get rid of him, of course!” She adds that she had no experience in jilting lovers, unlike some people. . .
Zeus, stung and knowing he deserved it, also asks:
“Is he better-looking than me?”
The question seems to bewilder her.
“No, of course not. Nobody is, you know.”
It’s a start. . .
But where do the consequences of the immortalization of Saul Crispin end? Much more to come in book four, “Crisis in Big-G City” https://www.susandmatley.com/crisis-in-big-g-city/ and upcoming “Judgment in Big-G City” (from WolfSinger Publications, hopefully in 2026/27). . .
