Mortal Gods

“You don’t know him. He’s just a kid caught up in your mess like the rest of us. He went mad with grief, and you called him evil.”

“He behaved like a god, but he wasn’t one,” Athena said, annoyed. “Maybe it was you who didn’t know him.”

She looked back out the window and tried to relax, focus on the changing scenery. All that sunlight and wind in the brush. After the war was over, maybe she’d come back. She and Hermes could stand on top of mountains. But no. Hermes would want somewhere with satin and wine. Shirtless boys and roast meat on silver platters.

Still, Australia was a country she wanted more of. If they were wrong, and the war didn’t save them, it would be an excellent place to die.

“What are you thinking about?” Odysseus asked.

Athena blinked. “Shirtless boys,” she said. “No. Not really. I was thinking of the time I was here last. Has to be more than sixty years ago. When there was more wild.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of bits of Australia that are still as wild as you remember.”

“I’m sure there are,” she said. “I loved it here. The quiet. I swam for days in the Adelaide River with the crocodiles.”

“I’ve never heard you sound so nostalgic,” Odysseus said. “Maybe back in Chicago, when we talked about my travels. About the old days.”

“Well. Swimming with crocodiles is a strong memory.”

“I bet.” He glanced at her and shifted in his seat. “Of course you know I’m imagining it nude.” She reached across and slugged him. “Ow. They never tried to bite?”

“Never,” she said. “I think they sensed that I couldn’t be touched. Or maybe they thought I was one of them.” She peered at the speedometer to make sure Odysseus wasn’t stalling, and he cleared his throat and signaled to change lanes.

“I should have told you about Calypso,” he said.

Athena chewed the inside of her cheek. She wished they weren’t stuck together in the car.

“You tried,” she said. “When I found you at the Three Sisters, you said that ‘she’ came to you in London. She. I remember that. I just didn’t think any more on it. There’ve been other things for me to think about.”

“We’ve been busy, I know. But not always. I should’ve said—”

“Why should you have said? It’s none of my business.”

His fingers clenched on the steering wheel. “I thought you might say something like that. Despite the tattoos and holey jeans, you haven’t changed. The bronze helmet and shield are still there in spirit.”

“In more than spirit. They’re in a safe in Zurich.”

“Damn it,” he said. “I’m being serious.”

“So am I. Anyone robs that safe, they’ll have me to deal with.”

“She’s not in my room,” Odysseus said loudly, and Athena’s mouth clamped shut. “She’s in the guest room. And that’s where she’ll stay, if you’ll just—” He paused. “When I saw her in London, it was like on that island. She was beautiful, and she has that voice. And there’s so much history between us. When I left her to find you, I didn’t know. I didn’t know how I was going to feel when I saw you.” He paused guiltily. “But I think she knew. That’s why she came. She knew I was never going back.”

Athena’s heart pounded. Joy raced through her all the way to her fingertips, hearing the words come out of his mouth. He loved her best.

“Calypso is a good girl,” she said softly. “She cares for you. And she can give you things that I can’t. That I can never.”

“Athena.”

“Odysseus. I don’t want you to think of me like this anymore.”

*   *   *

The Snowy Mountains loomed in the windshield of the Land Rover. Since Athena had turned Odysseus away, they hadn’t spoken. Nothing about a love that could never be made real. Nothing about why she shouldn’t kill an innocent boy, already living in exile. Odysseus eased up on the accelerator, but it was no use. Athena did what she said she would, without exception. So Odysseus didn’t say stupid things like, “You won’t be able to, when you see him.” And she hoped he wasn’t entertaining the notion that if he threw himself in front of Achilles, he could stop her.

They pulled off the highway, into the town of Jindabyne at the base of the mountains and drove straight through, to a Jeep trail he and Calypso had found. He drove up the winding path until it thinned out and cut off, then killed the engine.