Chapter 12

Just as she was trying to think of something else to say, Artemis's pod appeared behind him and landed with a faint swooshing noise. Prometheus leapt in the air and gave a little shriek. The beetles looked much bigger close at hand. The wing lifted and another girl stepped out. She was also dressed in butterfly wings and she was carrying a very large sack on her back. After briefly greeting Athena she placed the sack on the ground and pulled out a black stone. This she held over Pandora's head, then passed it down over her body very slowly. It lit up with ghostly lights as she did so and Prometheus could see strange phantom pictures appearing on the surface. He gave a little moan of terror but did not look away.

Artemis then passed the stone over each of Pandora's limbs, frowning as she did so. Prometheus held his breath as he watched the magic stone cast its spell of healing.

"No bones broken," said Artemis, rocking back on her heels. "It's probably just a concussion. She can be moved and should wake up in her own time. We should hang around until she does. Just in case."

"Are you sure that thing is working?" Athena squinted at the scanner's screen, which had now reverted to black. "I can't see how she could have fallen that far and not been smashed to a pulp." She looked up at the cliff face towering over them.

"Obviously she didn't," Artemis said. "She must have climbed down and just fallen the last little bit."

Athena felt foolish. That explanation had not occurred to her. She turned to Prometheus. "She's going to be fine. No bones broken. She should wake up soon," Prometheus threw himself at her feet and tried to kiss them. "Oh, thank you, thank you," he said over and over again.

"Sorry about this," Athena said, embarrassed. "He has got it into his head that I'm a goddess." She became aware that Artemis was looking at her strangely. "What? What is it?"

"You can understand what he says?"

Athena was taken aback. "Yes. Yes, of course. Can't you?"

"Of course I can't. He doesn't speak our language. He's a primitive, for God's sake. How can you possibly understand him?"

Athena stood stock still and tried to work it out. She realised that she didn't actually understand the words Prometheus was saying, as such. That the noises he was making were unintelligible. It wasn't his words she was listening to. It was his thoughts.

"I suppose," she said, looking down at her feet. "I suppose they are just natural telepaths."

"Then why don't I understand them?" Artemis looked quite fierce, standing with her legs spread wide apart and her arms crossed over her chest. "You haven't nicked Aphrodite's thought enhancer, have you?"

"Certainly not," Athena said hotly. "I don't steal things."

She was uncomfortably aware that that wasn't strictly true. She did occasionally snatch cakes or other treats from Hestia when she wasn't looking. But that wasn't the same thing as nicking an expensive piece of equipment.

A low moan came from the body on the floor. Pandora's eyelids fluttered weakly and then her eyes opened. She started at the sight of the two girls bending over her, her eyes rolling wildly from one to the other.

"It's all right, Pandora," said Prometheus. "It is the Mother. The living Goddess herself. She has told me her secret name and she has brought her handmaiden to heal you."

Athena looked over apologetically at Artemis, then remembered she couldn't understand him anyway.

Pandora frowned and reared back on her elbows.

"No!" Artemis put out her hand to restrain her. "Tell her to keep still while I check her responses."

"Be still, Pandora," Athena said in her gentlest voice. "My friend wants to make sure you are properly healed."

Pandora's eyes were still wide and frightened, the whites clearly visible all round the irises, but she stopped trying to shuffle away and lay still, quivering slightly, as she waited to see what would happen next.

"Ask her how many fingers I'm holding up."

Athena relayed the question and Pandora answered in a small, scared voice.

"And what is her address?"

The girl frowned and shook her head.

"I don't think she understands the question," Athena turned to Prometheus. "Where does she live, Prometheus?"

He also shook his head in confusion and spread his arms wide as if to indicate everywhere.

Athena tried a different tack. "Where do you sleep at night?"

He still seemed unsure. At last he said, "Which night? Last night?"

"No, where do you usually sleep?" Suddenly she got it.

"They don't live in one place," she said. "They travel about all the time."

"Oh right," said Artemis, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "Hunter gatherers. They move around following the game. Sleep in trees or caves."

Athena thought that was stranger than anything she could imagine. Fancy having no home!

After another two questions they gave up the struggle.

"I'm sure she's OK," Artemis said. "She might be a bit woozy for a couple of days. Find out where they're based at the moment and we'll drop her off and pop back tomorrow to check her out."

Both Prometheus and Pandora panicked at the prospect of getting inside the pod, so Artemis flew back alone. "Cover for me," Athena called and she and Prometheus each took one of Pandora's arms and made their way painstakingly to the cave.

~*~

The cave was small and dank. The little fire in the alcove hardly did much to make it feel more cosy. Athena shivered as she helped Prometheus lower Pandora to the floor.

A group of primitives huddled in a corner, mostly women, children and old men, but there were also one or two younger men and a few dogs. They all shrank away from her except one very old dog who crept forward to stand next to Prometheus and lean his head against his thigh.

"Yorgo." Prometheus bent to scratch the old dog's head.

"Is he yours?"

Prometheus shrugged. "He was going to be my brother's but he chose me."

Athena looked at the people cowering near the wall.

"No, my brother's not here. He is in the forest doing his training for manhood." He knelt in front of the old dog and let him lap his cheeks. "You're a good boy, Yorgo. Good boy."

As she spoke three more men and another dog entered the cave. Athena swung round to face them and they cowered back in fear.

"It is the Mother Goddess," said Prometheus. "Bow down and give homage."

Instantly the men fell upon their faces in front of her and all the other primitives did the same.

Athena looked at them helplessly. They showed no sign of moving.

She spread her hands before her, uncertain of what a goddess was supposed to say in the circumstances, then cleared her throat.

"I am come to help the" she gave Prometheus a questioning glance. "Titans," he supplied.

"Titans," she went on. "I give you my blessing. You may stand."

The primitives stood up but averted their eyes.

"Are they afraid of me?" she whispered.

"Of course they are. You are the Living Goddess. They know that if they look upon your face you will strike them dead."

"I would never do that. Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. It is what we believe."

She took another deep breath. "You may look upon my face. I will not strike you down. I come only to help the Titans."

Some of the men looked at her warily, not quite believing her words. The women kept their eyes downcast.

"Athena!" The voice crackled in her head.

"It's my father," she whispered to Prometheus. "I have to go."

Prometheus looked round wildly. "On myOh, never mind. I'll explain later."

Then, in a louder voice. "Yes, Daddy."

"Where are you?"

"Just getting some water from the spring, Daddy. I'll be right back."

And she ran hell for leather out of the cave, along the ridge and up to the spring.