Wrath of the Gods Page #21

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it has the amazing property that its length exactly matches

whomsoever lies upon it.”

What Procrustes didn’t volunteer was the method by which

this “one-size-fits-all” was achieved, namely that as soon

as the guest lay down Procrustes went to work upon him,

stretching him on the rack if he was too short for the bed

and chopping off his legs if he was too long. Theseus had

made it his motto to do unto bad guys what they made it

their evil habit to do unto others. In the process of adjusting

Procrustes to fit his own bed, Theseus killed him.

Theseus had developed his heroic credo in the course of

his very first adventure on the road. Having set out from

Troezen (TREE-zun), his birthplace, the first community of

any size through which he passed was Epidaurus (ep-i-DAWrus).

And here he was waylaid by the ruffian Periphetes

(per-i-FEE-teez). Periphetes was nicknamed Corynetes (kor-i-

NEE-teez) or “Club-Man,” after his weapon of choice, a stout

length of wood wrapped in bronze to magnify its impact

upon the skulls of his victims. Theseus merely snatched this

implement from Periphetes and did him in with it. Some

say that this incident was manufactured to account for

depictions of Theseus carrying a club like his cousin (HURa-

kleez; Roman name: Hercules), one of a number of instances on

Theseus’s part of heroic imitation.

You’ve just walked into the stadium, where the Barker

and Periphetes are standing. If you talk to Periphetes he

just growls and the crowd cheers. When you talk to the

Barker, he gestures towards Periphetes and begins his

announcement:

BARKER:

And now the defending champion, Periphetes!

Periphetes raises his arms to great applause and steps

forward. The Barker also moves toward you.

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BARKER:

(continues)

Who will dare take on the champ? Say, you look

like a contender. Could I interest you in a little

sport? The prize is fabulous.

The Barker holds out a club toward you. If you take it in

your hands, the cursor becomes a club icon and you click on

Periphetes to spar with him. He soon knocks you down. The

Barker holds up Periphetes’ hand in victory.

BARKER:

How about that! Still the champeen—

unvanquished, undefeated, and unscored upon!

(helping you to your feet)

Want to go again? Look, kid, you’re alright. You

got no style, you got no strength, you got no

staying power…but I like you. So let me give you

a piece of advice…gratis. You need to get you a

club with some wood on it.

If you heed this advice and get a heavier club from the

Graeae (page 88), you are able to knock Periphetes down.

BARKER:

How about that! A new champeen! Theseus

himself couldn’t have done better.

(handing you something)

Here’s your prize: a fabulous lump of lead.

You turn to camera, your expression suggesting that a lump

of lead isn’t your idea of a fabulous prize.

BARKER:

(continues)

What, you expected gold? You greedy,

newfangled, upstart heroes… Why, when I was a

boy, a lump of lead was a real big deal.

Mt. Pelion Chariot Stop

CHARIOT TERMINAL. Like the other two stations for

dragon chariots, the Mount Pelion (PEEL-ee-un) stop offers

a chance to save a lot of sandal leather. Instead of walking

103

FOREST GLEN. To the sound of hoofbeats, Chiron (KYE-ron)

the Centaur (SEN-tawr) enters the scene. This is the kindly

horse-man who raised you when you were abandoned as an

infant (page 10).

Most centaurs were governed by the bestial half of their

double nature—part horse, part man. Their behavior was

uncouth, and a very small amount of wine drove them

wild. When Heracles (HUR-a-kleez; Roman name: Hercules) was

entertained by Pholus (FOH-lus), one of the few civilized

centaurs, he made the mistake of demanding the guest’s

prerogative of a beaker of wine. Pholus could not refuse,

though he hesitated before unearthing a jug of the liquid

Archery

you can buy a ticket and fly to Mycenae (my-SEE-nee) or

Hesperides (hes-PER-i-deez).

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which he kept buried underground for fear of just the sort of

consequence that now ensued. As soon as Pholus uncapped

the jar of wine, his brothers caught sent of it on the wind

from more than a mile away. Driven instantly to madness,

they attacked Heracles, and the hero barely succeeded in

driving them off with flaming arrows. On another occasion,

a centaur named Nessus (NESS-us) offered to ferry Heracles’s

wife across a torrent on his back. Midway, his animal nature

got the better of him and he tried to force his attentions on

his passenger. She shrieked and Heracles came running. He

killed Nessus with a single arrow through the heart.

Chiron was not an ordinary centaur, having ended up with

his horsely half by virtue of his father, the god Cronus

(KROH-nus), taking the form of a horse when Chiron was

conceived. Chiron became renowned for his civility and

wisdom. He served as tutor to many famous heroes,

including Heracles and Jason. He taught music and

medicine, as well as the skills of the hunt.

CHIRON:

Well, my pupil, we meet again. Rumors have

reached me of your success. I’m glad you’ve

learned to use your wits as well as your

strength—your parents would be proud.

(pause)

There’s one final skill I can teach you… But first

you must prove yourself by bringing me a single

golden apple.

When you return with the apple from the Midas Touch scene

(page 139) and give it to Chiron:

CHIRON:

Well done, my pupil. It’s time I taught you

archery. Take out your bow.

The bow in question can be obtained from the Graeae (page

88). If you select it in your inventory and click it on yourself,

there’s an automatic transition to a view in which your

arm extends forward on the horizontal plane, your hand

gripping the bow, a bold vertical line. You try to aim where

the top of your thumb meets the shaft of the bow. An arrow

goes automatically into firing position.

105

CHIRON:

Now, about my dinner tonight… Quick, there

goes a boar!

The boar runs across the scene, followed by an assortment of

other creatures. As you shoot, new arrows are automatically

loaded. Though a single hit of a moving target chalks the

adventure up to you, practice continues until you click the

walk cursor to leave.

BLEAK LANDSCAPE. You enter a gloomy landscape with

a choice of directions. Straight ahead leads to the Gorgon

Medusa (GORE-gun meh-DOO-suh).

Gloomy Landscape

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BLEAK LANDSCAPE. When Perseus (PUR-see-us) was

challenged to bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa

(GORE-gun meh-DOO-suh)—a monster who could turn you

to stone just by looking you in the eye—clearly he had his

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