BrokenTune

She lifted her spear from the floor. It did not shine now. It flowed like liquid darkness in her hand. I stepped back against the woven side of the crib, my mind scrambling.

‘It is true, you might harm me.’ I said. ‘But I have a father too, and a family. They do not take lightly the careless chastising of our blood. They would be angry. They might even be stirred to action.’

The spear still hovered off the floor, but she did not heft it.

‘If there is war, Titan, Olympus will win it.’

‘If Zeus wanted war, he would have sent his thunderbolt against us long ago. Yet he holds off. What will he do to you for destroying his hard-won peace?’

I saw in her eyes the click of counters, stones tallied on this side and that.

‘Your threats are crude. I had hoped we might discuss this reasonably.’

‘There can be no reason as long as you seek to murder my child. You are angry with Odysseus, but he does not even know the boy exists. Killing Telegonus will not punish him.’ ‘You presume, witch.’

Wow. A stand-off between Circe and Athena!!!

Also, it is probably a good thing that I am out adventuring all day tomorrow. At this rate, it really looks like I will struggle to save the last page for 1st September to qualify this book for the Halloween Bingo game.