Part 56

One story was true.

Who drinks of those waters remembers no more.

Lost loves, friends, family - their vision fades away.

Hate, enemies, wars, catastrophes - all are gone.

Happiness, joy, taste of rare wines, flavor of good foods - all fade.

Victories, defeats. Catastrophes, triumphs. Gone, all gone.

A blessing or a curse?

To each new dweller in Hades offers Pluto a goblet. In that goblet the limpid water of Lethe. The only kindness offered in the kingdom of the damned.

One bathed in those limpid waters, drank deep, and found no peace.

Pluto.

Master of the evil domain. Keeper of the Portals of Hell. Cursed to minister to the punishment of the damned, forever.

And cursed yet more with a heart that bled for the poor fools whose actions had brought them to such sorry end.

The most damned of all souls in purgatory.

Pluto, master of that dread domain.

He had hoped with Persephone to escape in her arms the ever-present misery.

Her sorrow brought misery the more.

"I can give to others the waters of Lethe. Only to others. As for me, I must know all past evil deeds - and even more, must know the evil yet to come."

The waters of Lethe failed him.

13. The Anger of Zeus

"I will not have it! Dare he taunt the master of the universe! I will swat him like a fly! No! Too easy! He shall change places with Prometheus! No, no! Even that is too easy. Boy, where are you, come here! Now, right now! I have a chore for you. Yes, such a chore!"

The sudden call to Olympus was unexpected. Not that Zeus ever sent out invitations. Normally - if one could consider a summons from Zeus to be normal - he had few cues and hints before Zeus summoned him. This unceremonious summons came as a complete, and not overly appreciated, surprise.

He noted immediately Zeus' red face, and the tumultuous tower of black clouds above Olympus. This was going to be a real task!

"Atlas! A vulgar name! Do you know it? I'll tell you of Atlas! Condemned! Condemned to hold the world forever upon his shoulders! And he dares claim that I chose him for that task because I had not the strength and stamina to perform it! How dare he!"

Zeus paced back and forth, sputtering.

"He is to be punished. Right now, I have yet to decide the what that punishment shall be. You, my lad, shall decide. I want you to travel widely, to examine all the vilest, cruelest, most atrocious forms of torture. Select from these the very worst. That torture shall be imposed on the impudent lout."

"But, Sire, I . . . "

"Enough! Begone. And do not linger, or you may join him."

Never had he seen Zeus so angry. Once more he started to speak, but with a wave of his hand Zeus dismissed him.