Erinyes Game
The nine remaining Olympians gather around the table for judgement. The fourth seat, belonging to Demeter, is empty. The eighth seat, Ares’s, is also vacant. There aren’t even any burn marks left on the table.
“All right Olympians! Let’s have a civil conversation today, yes?” Hades sounds as if he’s smiling. You don’t know what he looks like, but you’d like to imagine he has a very punchable face.
“I’ll start us off,” you say slowly, getting everyone’s attention. You recount exactly what you saw last night, and those who hadn’t heard it from you are shocked. Athena, the twins, and Hephaestus all look from you to Zeus questioningly.
Zeus opens and closes his mouth, speechless. “What…what does that have to do with anything?” He says finally. “I didn’t actually do anything. And?”
“And I know for sure that you’d want her dead, Zeus.” Hera says calmly, turning to look at him sitting right next to her.
“Why is that, Hera?” He keeps his voice carefully level, but you can hear the tension.
“Because she’s your side chick. You two knew each other before, and not only did you date, but you also got her pregnant.”
Everyone now gapes at Hera.
“What is this, a soap opera?” Artemis whispers.
“Not a very good one,” Apollo whispers back.
“And you knew that if she survived this game, she might give birth to your child, and you didn’t want me to know,” continues Hera as if no one had said anything. “So you killed her and her unborn child. Problem solved.”
Desperately searching for something to say, Zeus grips the edge of the table until his knuckles turn white. “How did you know any of this?”
“Does it matter? I have sources, Zeus. You were foolish to think you could hide from me.” Her tone is ice cold, no sympathy at all. “And now that I know you’re both a cheater and a murderer, I can’t stand to be with you anymore. Consider this my break up message.”
“Oh, my gods.” Athena mumbles.
“Hades! We’re ready to vote already,” Hera shouts.
Your mind is racing. Hera’s story didn’t seem fake, but she was strangely eager to kill her own boyfriend…
“Very well, Hera.” Hades’s voice breaks through your thoughts. “Please point to the guilty one among you. And…begin.”
“All right Olympians! Let’s have a civil conversation today, yes?” Hades sounds as if he’s smiling. You don’t know what he looks like, but you’d like to imagine he has a very punchable face.
“I’ll start us off,” you say slowly, getting everyone’s attention. You recount exactly what you saw last night, and those who hadn’t heard it from you are shocked. Athena, the twins, and Hephaestus all look from you to Zeus questioningly.
Zeus opens and closes his mouth, speechless. “What…what does that have to do with anything?” He says finally. “I didn’t actually do anything. And?”
“And I know for sure that you’d want her dead, Zeus.” Hera says calmly, turning to look at him sitting right next to her.
“Why is that, Hera?” He keeps his voice carefully level, but you can hear the tension.
“Because she’s your side chick. You two knew each other before, and not only did you date, but you also got her pregnant.”
Everyone now gapes at Hera.
“What is this, a soap opera?” Artemis whispers.
“Not a very good one,” Apollo whispers back.
“And you knew that if she survived this game, she might give birth to your child, and you didn’t want me to know,” continues Hera as if no one had said anything. “So you killed her and her unborn child. Problem solved.”
Desperately searching for something to say, Zeus grips the edge of the table until his knuckles turn white. “How did you know any of this?”
“Does it matter? I have sources, Zeus. You were foolish to think you could hide from me.” Her tone is ice cold, no sympathy at all. “And now that I know you’re both a cheater and a murderer, I can’t stand to be with you anymore. Consider this my break up message.”
“Oh, my gods.” Athena mumbles.
“Hades! We’re ready to vote already,” Hera shouts.
Your mind is racing. Hera’s story didn’t seem fake, but she was strangely eager to kill her own boyfriend…
“Very well, Hera.” Hades’s voice breaks through your thoughts. “Please point to the guilty one among you. And…begin.”