Chapter 20

He found Yanni thrown into a little stream that ran between the trees. He was face-down in the water, his hands trapped under his body. Carefully, Prometheus rolled him over. His eyes were open and staring. His hands gripped a shaft protruding from his chest. He was quite dead.

Prometheus called to the others. One by one they came to the stream until all of them were standing in a circle looking down at the dead man. Slowly and with great difficulty Prometheus prised the fingers open to reveal the dart. A gasp came from the assembled watchers. The flight feathers were orange and black striped the feathers of the hoopoe bird ? the feathers that Atlas always used on his darts.

Prometheus looked up at the others. Their faces were horrified. There was no mistaking what had happened. It wasn't an animal who had raided the camp. Atlas himself had been here. They were looking upon murder and theft things that had never happened before in living memory. Atlas was now an outcast and nothing he could do would allow him back into the Tribe.

Wearily, with great care and reverence, the men lifted up the body of Yanni and carried him back to the camp.

The Mother would know what to do.

~*~

"So when do we start?" Athena could barely contain her impatience.

Artemis shrugged. "We need to liaise with Aphrodite. She's the anthropologist. We shouldn't deal with the Titans without her. And anyway, she'll have good advice about how to behave with them."

Athena felt vaguely disappointed. She didn't feel she needed any advice. These people were her friends. And Aphrodite was a bit odd. She was all right most of the time but she could suddenly do something unexpected, like whatever she was doing with Ares behind the kitchen tent that time and how she had shouted at Athena when she realised she was observed. She never felt completely comfortable with Aphrodite.

"I suppose so," she said morosely.

Artemis laughed at her. "Come on, you needn't look so depressed. She might not want to come. And even if she does, she probably won't want to actually hunt with us."

Athena brightened a bit. Artemis was right. Somehow she couldn't envisage Aphrodite running through rough forest or crawling on the ground. She liked to always look immaculate. Hunting wouldn't be her thing at all.

~*~

Pandora's eyes flashed with fury when they showed her the body of poor old Yanni. "This is an outrage!" she said. "Atlas has gone too far this time. I shall call upon the Mother. You " she pointed at Prometheus. "You track them down." And she disappeared into the cave.

~*~

Aphrodite was only too delighted. "I was going to visit them anyway," she said. "Zeus wants me to take some more DNA samples. I've got some work to finish up here and then I could be ready to go tomorrow."

Athena suddenly felt a terrible feeling of dread, like a hook pulling at her, urgent and compelling.

"We have to go now," she said. "We have to go right now. I think they're in trouble."

~*~

Prometheus looked at the little group of men left to the Tribe. He could not take them all. Some had to stay behind to bury Yanni and to guard the women and children. After some consideration, he picked out Demetrius, who was agile and skilled with the dart, Palaemon, who was strong and could wield a spear, and Andros, who was quick and clever.

"Come!" he said.

~*~

The girls flew low over the mountain, following the track they thought the Titans had taken. Then Artemis switched on the tracking device. "South and West," she said and Aphrodite altered course accordingly. A few minutes later they passed over some debris on the beach.

"That's their camp, surely," Athena cried, leaning out of the window and pointing down.

"Get back inside," Aphrodite said, "and belt up."

Athena did as she was told. "If it is their camp it looks like they left it in a hurry," Aphrodite said. "There's a broken cooking pot, look! And that pile of sticks? Could be drying frames for hides. All smashed up. I think you might be right, Athena. They're in some kind of trouble."

Artemis checked the tracker again. "Well they're still some distance ahead," she said. "Perhaps a day's journey on foot. We should catch up in a few minutes."

But when they came to the place indicated by the tracker there was no sign of them.

"I don't understand," Artemis said. "Maybe the device isn't working."

"I doubt it," said Aphrodite. "I think they don't mean to be seen. I'm putting the pod on camouflage and landing a little way ahead. Make sure you're suited up and keep your weapons on stun."

Athena felt a little spurt of panic. Surely Aphrodite didn't think they would have to fire on the Titans?

"We don't know what they're dealing with," Aphrodite went on, apparently reading Athena's thoughts.

A couple of hundred yards further on the pod touched down and Artemis climbed out. As she turned to look around she gave a little scream of surprise. Four of the Titans were standing staring at her with a look of horror on their faces. They reeled back, hissing with fear, then turned and ran out of the clearing. Athena caught sight of their retreating backs as she herself climbed out of the pod. "Prometheus," she called. "Stop!"

One of the figures stopped dead and looked fearfully over his shoulder.

"It's me, Athena."

Shamefacedly, he turned to face her and dropped to his knees.

"I am sorry," he said. "I knew Pandora had called you, but we did not expect you to just appear out of nothing."

Athena glanced back towards the pod. It was completely invisible and as she watched Aphrodite materialised first her hands, then her head, then the rest of her body. She had to admit it looked pretty impressive. Prometheus gave a sharp intake of breath but he controlled his urge to run.

"Are there any more coming?" he asked.

"Stand up, Prometheus. It's just us. What happened?"

"It was Atlas," he began. "He broke into the camp." And he sat and told them the whole story. As he spoke, Athena saw movement out of the corner of her eye and realised the other three were slinking back.

"And so," he finished, "we need to find them before they reach the winter camp. We don't know what they might do. My brother is there and the King. He may kill them as he killed Yanni. He may take everything the boys have caught. We could be left for the winter with no stores. Or worse. They may keep coming back and taking everything."

Athena looked at Aphrodite, who had sat quietly throughout. "He says" she began.

"I know what he said." She tapped the insert on her helmet.

"The enhancer! I thought it didn't work. I thought you'd thrown it away."

"I did. Then I thought better of it and gave it to Hermes. He fixed it."

"Oh." Athena didn't know whether to be pleased or sorry. She was no longer essential for communicating with the Titans.

"Pity we didn't have two," Aphrodite went on. She turned to Artemis and rapidly gave a résumé of what Prometheus had said.

"Can we fit them in the pod?" Athena asked. "We can be there more quickly and the others won't be able to see them as they pass."

Prometheus went pale and backed away. "We cannot go in that thing, Goddess. Please don't ask us."

"But we can take you straight to the camp. We can get you there before Atlas. You can have your men ready for them."

Prometheus stared back at her in horror, his whole body trembling. "Please," he whispered.

"It's no good," Aphrodite said. "To them this is sorcery. We haven't time to try to persuade them. They are so frightened, the fear itself might kill them. You must let them go at their own pace."

Athena still felt she was right. She felt they should try to persuade them but she knew Aphrodite knew best. It was her special area of expertise.

"I think," Aphrodite went on, turning to Athena, "it would be best if you two go with them and track the villains. I'll call Zeus and tell him what's going on, then I'll cover you from the air. Suits on at all times. Weapons ready. OK?"

She looked at the two girls, who nodded.

"Right. Better go, then. Do exactly as the Titans do. Keep absolutely quiet and look to them. Here ?" she broke off and handed Artemis the enhancer. "You'd better take this."

Artemis fitted it to her own helmet and a bemused expression spread over her face as she suddenly became aware of the Titans terror and their feelings of urgency. "Right," she said. "We go now." The Titans, led by Prometheus, sprinted past the invisible pod and into the forest, closely followed by the two girls.