Chapter Three

f you had inhabited the palace of Minos, you might have worked as a potter, a scullion or an agent exchanging articles with alien agents. Such appointments kept thousands of citizenry absorbed at Knossos. Life was not all work at Knossos, although. Frescos from the palace showed that it was a bold, animated locus, where people enjoyed banquets and compelling extravaganza. Knossos had an advanced water arrangement. Channels carried away rainwater, and other conduits coursed fresh water throughout the palace. Cleanliness was exceeding beneficial to the Minoans, so the palace had lots of lavatories.

Gann examined a potter's work. Could this truly have been all there were in the palace? Just potters, scullions and agents... He had seen some guards but he had seen no royalty. At least he didn't think he had.

"Potter, have you ever seen Minos?" asked Gann.

"I live in Knossos, I have seen him many times." Stated the potter.

"What does he look like?"

"Go to the throne room and take a look."

"I already checked the throne room. He wasn't there." Stated Gann.

"Well then in that case, he is old, bald and fat." Said the potter.

"Old, bald and fat?" asked Gann, perplexed. "Was he in better shape when he was younger?"

"Minos has never been in good shape but the amount of fat on him is good padding." Stated the potter. "He may never have been the fastest but his fat makes it harder for him to be given a deadly wound. Besides, in his old age it isn't like he leads military expeditions that much anymore and besides he only led the soldiers once."

"My grandfather has aged rather well." Said Gann. "Has Minos?"

The potter burst into laughter. "Minos aged well? Not really. I'd say the Minotaur looks better than Minos does."

"You have seen the Minotaur?" inquired Gann.

"No."

"Do you know someone who has?"

"No."

"Then how do you even know there is even a maze beneath this place if you have not even seen the Minotaur?"

"I have heard the Minotaur many times." Stated the potter. "We all have. You do not actually wish to see the beast do you?"

"Well, what is wrong with that?" asked Gann, perplexed.

"It eats human flesh!" exclaimed the potter. "What kind of a madman would you have to be?" The potter then took a look at Gann. "Sorry, forgot you are a Scythian."

"I am not a Scythian. I am a Gael."

"Of Scythian heritage." Said the potter. "Stay away from the Minotaur, don't go looking for the entrance to the Labyrinth. Go see the bulls!"

Gann rolled his eyes. Go see the bulls? Why would he want to do that? Bulls were the same everywhere.

Leaving the potter's chamber, Gann found himself bumping into a scullion girl and knocking her down completely. She had a light skin tone, reddish-brown eyes and straight red hair. She was his age. Her dress was scarlet red in color. She had been carrying a tray of food.

"So sorry." Apologized Gann as he helped her up.

"It is quite alright." Said the girl.

"Europa!" The girl turned to see who had called her. It was that fellow from earlier. The moment he saw Gann helping Europa up he turned antagonistic. "Get your hands off her, you barbarian!" He pushed Gann against the wall of the hallway quite roughly and only caused Gann to let go of Europa.

"Deucalion!" exclaimed Europa. "I swear you are an absolute brute! This gentleman was just helping me up."

"Gentleman?" asked Deucalion in complete disgust. "He is a Gael! Anyone who is not a Greek is a barbarian!"

Gann held his tongue. Due to Crete not being of mainland Greece then by that logic did that not mean that the Cretans themselves would be barbarians?

"Deucalion, as Minos' son I thought you'd be a bit more kind with dealing with foreigners." Commented Europa.

"When I am King of Crete, I will eradicate all non-Greeks!" exclaimed Deucalion. "And you shall be my queen, Europa."

Again Gann, held his tongue. If Deucalion were to eradicate all non-Greeks then would that not include his own people since they were not of mainland Greece?

"I'd rather marry the Cretan Bull!" countered Europa.

"Fat chance of that!" laughed Deucalion. "The bull has been sacrificed by some Athenian!" Gann had finally heard enough. Without saying a word he just punched Deucalion right in the face, knocking him down. Deucalion was not happy. "You foreign dog! You dare to strike me? The son of a king?"

"Goidel Glas, father of my race, was the son of Nel, son of Feinius Farsaid, Chieftain of Scythia and Goidel Glas' mother was Scota, daughter of Pharaoh Cincris! I come from an ancestry older than the monarchs of Crete!"

Deucalion went silent. He only stared at Gann with half-closed eyes. As he stood up and he walked away he said in a sinister tone: "So let it begin."

When Deucalion was gone, Gann turned to Europa. "A real piece of work isn't he?"

"That is putting it lightly." Admitted Europa. She then looked him over. "And not quite as easy on the eyes as you are." Deucalion wasn't exactly ugly but quite the opposite. However, it might have been a case of Europa being sick of seeing Deucalion so much. "You know me to be Europa I was named after Minos' mother. What is your name?"

"Gann, I wasn't named after anyone in particular." He then looked over Europa. "Have I met the most beautiful girl on Crete?"

Europa could only blush. "Me? Princess Ariadne is so much more beautiful than me."

"Well, I haven't seen her so to me you are the most beautiful girl on Crete." Gann's flirting ceased when he realized what this Ariadne's title was. "Wait, princess? You mean she is Deucalion's sister?"

"She certainly isn't his cousin." Replied Europa. "If she was then maybe he'd leave me alone."

"Is Ariande... I mean, Ariande... I mean Ariadne... Is Ariadne as bad as her brother?"

"She is actually quite gentle." Stated Europa. "What brings you to Crete?"

"I want to see Minos and the Minotaur." Answered Gann. "As a scullion of the palace have you ever seen Minos?"

"Oh, yes, lots." Said Europa. "I have seen him every day since I was three. My family used to live in one of the villages outside of Knossos. Your people live in Scythia right? What is it like there?"

"Very grassy." Gann answered. "Good grazing for horses. I like horses. It seems everyone has a need for horses: kings, warriors, gods, the horse it the great unifier of divinity and mortal since both alike have a need for them." Have you ever seen the Minotaur?"

"No but I've heard him." Stated Europa. "Sometimes his roars enter my dreams."

"Why exactly is Minos called the Ruler of all the seas between Greece and Rome?" That was something Gann should have asked the guard he admitted but he had forgotten. As Deucalion was hostile to him, asking Europa seemed like a good idea.

"Because Crete controls the essential trade routes." Answered Europa. "We are quite literally the most powerful nation in our part of the world and it is because of that I cannot leave. Where would I go that Deucalion would not be able to sack?"

"Surely Crete cannot be greater than Egypt! Ramses the Great has forged a mighty empire, surely not even Crete cannot defeat the might of Ramses and his noble son Merneptah."

"I dare not risk it." Said Europa, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I am resigned to my fate. Upon Minos' death Deucalion shall become Lord of Crete, Emperor of Knossus and Ruler of all the seas between Greece and Egypt and then he shall force me to be his queen or worse!"

"I believe we all have the right to make our own destiny and that fate is just something that that was made up to keep people from thinking differently." Gann said this loudly and with pride.

"Not so loud." Hushed Europa. "There are some around here that are not so open to new ideas. Minos is one of them. If someone were to bring this information to him he'd have you taken to the Labyrinth."

Gann just shrugged with a smile. "Why not? I'd like to see the Minotaur and if he eats the flesh of Athenian boys and girls then surely he won't harm a Gael from Scythia but if it worries you then I will be quiet about it."

Europa gave a smile. "Oh, thank you. You are the first person to have ever struck Deucalion and I feel safe with you. Surely, you are a gift from the gods to protect me from him."

"Perhaps I am in a way." Mused Gann. "Whom are your gods? Is the Minotaur truly an animal or is he a god as well?"

"The Minotaur is not a god. He is a monster!" explained Europa. "They say Minos was fathered by Zeus... if that is so then he his half-brother to Heracles."

"That is interesting but who are your gods?" asked Gann again.

"Our gods are the gods of Greece." Replied Europa. "But come, I must deliver this food to Ariadne and then I am going to see the bulls."

"See the bulls?" asked Gann, perplexed. "What is so fascinating about these bulls? The potter told me to go see them?"

"It is magnificent!" was all Europa said. "You shall understand when you see them."

Following Europa, Gann came to see more of Knossos. When he saw Ariadne, he thought she was a goddess come to earth that could make him immortal with a kiss. But why would he want her to kiss him he thought? If she were truly Deucalion's sister then would she not be as hostile to him as Deucalion was?

Ariadne was nine and twenty twelvemonths old. She was black haired and dressed in blue. The moment she saw Gann, she cocked her head to one side.

"So... This is the Gaelic barbarian Deucalion spoke of." She walked around Gann looking him over. "You dared to strike my brother. Why?"

"He said he would force Europa to be his queen." Stated Gann.

Ariadne turned her gaze to Europa who merely looked away. "This? He would make this Crete's queen?" asked Ariadne. "It is an insult to my family! My father Minos is the son of Zeus and her namesake, a Phoenician princess. My mother Pasiphae is the daughter of Helios, the Sun himself, and Perse, eldest of the sea nymphs! My brother Deucalion should find himself a wife worth having not this lesser girl from the villages. I shall marry Theseus and I shall become queen when his father Aegeus has died. Theseus, son of Aegeus, bull-slayer! He who shall one day become King of Athens! The Sun's ichor shall flow through the veins of the Kings of Athens from then on all thanks to our union!"

So, Theseus was the name of the mysterious bull-slayer from Athens. The son of its king Aegeus...

"We shall be going, your Highness." And with that Gann and Europa left. As they left he said to her: "I thought you said she was gentle."

"She is with her hands." Said Europa, her voice broken. "Just not with her words."