Just Missed Him

Months passed and Art continued to stay at Tiryns, learning of Heracles, his great-grandfather and paternal half-brother Perseus and the Achaeans in general. He grew closer to Thebe as well and during that time had more than one clash with her envious intended Argus and so one day after a particular clash, the Young Gael approached Eurystheus to ask him to release Thebe from her arranged marriage to his son. Alas, Eurystheus already had an audience with someone so he would have to wait before presenting his petition to the Argive King.

Who was it that the Grandson of Perseus was talking to? Art had no idea. He did not even get to see inside the throne room before a guard stopped and informed him about what was going on. So it was that Art sighed and paced. He knew patience was a great virtue, but on the other hand he really wanted to get this taken care of immediately. The clashes with Argus were becoming annoying and this time he had outright attempted to force himself on—

"Good day, lad." Looking up, Art saw it was Timaeus, looking a little bit older. "How are you?" Then looking down at the lynx Niall by the side of the Young Gael, the Corinthian asked: "And how is he?"

"One part annoyed and one part furious, I'd say, Timaeus." Art answered.

"Argus?" inquired Timaeus.

"Aye, Argus." Art replied, crossing his arms as he explained what had happened. "I saw Thebe to her dwelling and together we explained everything to her father Pandion and stepmother Melia. Pandion says he will be here himself once he is done asking Atreus to stand guard at their abode and make sure Argus doesn't try anything."

"And you really think Eurystheus would really listen to your petition that Thebe's marriage to his son be called off?" asked Timaeus before chuckling and adding: "It will never happen, Art. Wherefore should a monarch call off a marriage to their own child? The whole thing is hippoposterous!"

"That is 'preposterous', you fool, and there are as many fair monarchs in the world who will not play favourites as there are unfair monarchs who will."

"And do you honestly tell me, Art, that you believe Eurystheus to be one of the former?"

Art wished he could find a voice to say he did. Alas, the fact was he did not. He knew his petition that Thebe's marriage to Argus be called off would be rejected, so wherefore did he come to present it to Eurystheus? Some dim hope that against all odds Eurystheus would prove a better monarch in comparison to Ahmose who had expelled the Gaels from Kemet after what the Hebrews called the Exodus?

The Exodus… How Art hated that. It took four decades for the Hebrews to find a nation of their own, but for his own people the Gaels it was to take that and an additional four centuries? Three centuries had already passed since then while the Gaels had yet to reach their homeland, there was something quite funny about the thought that the Hebrews, who had left Kemet, were now living under Kemet rule since Seti had conquered them. Perhaps a journey of four hundred and forty twelvemonths was not quite so bad, perhaps the land that would be his people's home was so far away that the great empires of the world such as the Assyrians, the Kassites and, of course, Kemet, had never even heard of it. Perhaps it was so far away that an expedition to conquer it would run out of provisions before they were even in sight of it. Sighing, Art supposed that the host would simply hunt, forage and pillage for provisions, but still, it was a thought.

Though Art had no way of knowing this, between his own people and the Hebrews, the future ultimately belonged to the Gaels. In the decades to come, Seti's grandson Merneptah would wipe out the Tribe of Israel. For the Hebrews, they who called themselves the chosen people of their deity, there was nothing but oblivion, though other Semitic tribes would act as their successors.

Not waiting for an answer, Timaeus walked off, but not before hearing Niall hiss at him. Immediately, the Corinthian froze in his steps, turned and stared at the lynx. Never before had Niall hissed at him, wherefore should he do so now?

Taking a seat on the floor, Art gently stroked Niall's fur as he waited for the current audience with the Argive King to end. His thoughts returning to the Hebrews, he thought of what he had heard of them from the Gaelic elders. The Hebrews had come from a land called Canaan, or at least Art thought that was what it was called, during the reign of Mentuhotep II, led by a man called… something or other. Some time later during the reign of… some king of Kemet, Art couldn't remember who, by that time Kemet was a land divided, there had been an order to—

Hearing someone exit the throne room from behind him, Art stood up. Running a hand through his hair, the Young Gael looked down to his lynx companion and said: "Well, here we go, Niall, my friend. Here is hoping everything goes well." Entering the throne room, Art saw Eurystheus with a mixed expression upon his countenance. Art's paterfamilias probably would have described it as "equal parts fearful and equal parts hopeful" and the Young Gael would have agreed with his father.

Standing before him, the Young Gael studied the Argive King. He was picking at his beard, looking diagonally at the floor and overall did not seem to be aware of Art's presence. Clearing his throat, Art watched as Eurystheus ceased picking at his beard and turned his head in the direction of the Young Gael.

"Ah, yes…" His eyes narrowing and his brow wrinkling, Eurystheus seemed to struggle to remember the Young Gael's appellation.

"Art."

"Yes, yes, of course! Art!" Chuckling, Eurystheus nodded, held up a hand and exclaimed: "Art the Gael! What can I do for you? I just sent Heracles on his final labour would you like to go on some adventure? Perhaps… Uh… I'm so sorry, I can't think of anything at the moment. What can I do for you? Has Argus been pestering you again?"

"Pestering me?" Art asked incredulously. "He has tried to kill me multiple times and just today tried to force himself on Thebe!"

"Yes, well, if he had killed you, it would not mean anything, you are only a foreigner after all. A weak one at that. When you first defeated Argus, I thought him a disgrace to the House of Perseus, but since you have done so multiple times without killing him, I would say the real disgrace is the one who does not slay his opponent."

"According to the ways of my people, in order to be strong, one must be fair."

"And for that reason, you refuse to kill in defense?" asked Eurystheus. "One of these days my son will kill you unless you show the strength to finish him. Now, what is it that you have to ask of me?"

"I come here to petition you to call off the marriage between Argus and Thebe." Replied Art. "She doesn't love your scion, she does not even like him, she abominates him and with good reason! Would the goddess Hera sanction such a marriage? Would Aphrodite allow such a loveless marriage to exist?"

Standing up, Eurystheus roared: "What do you know of our gods? The gods of Scythia and Egypt are not your gods!"

"I know something of the Egyptian gods." Commented Art, crossing his arms. "Is it not said both here in Achaea and there in Egypt that Zeus and Amen-Ra are one and the same? Aphrodite and Hathor? Demeter and Isis? If know something of the Egyptian gods, then I know something of the Achaean gods."

Looking almost impressed with Art's argument as he sat back down, Eurystheus responded with a wave of his hand: "Gods will behave differently depending on who their worshippers are. Achaeans are not Egyptians after all. Now, if you are quite done let me establish some facts for you. Thebe will marry Argus they will marry the day after Heracles returns with Cerberus and she will suffer a loveless marriage. Now, if that is all…" Noticing Pandion enter the room, the Argive King gave the Athenian a glare. Alas, the glare did a little for the fact was Eurystheus was a known coward so the glare did little to chase Pandion away. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, the Grandson of Perseus said to Pandion: "Your daughter is marrying my son. No petition from you or some foreigner is changing that. Now get ye gone before I assign you to a task that only Heracles could accomplish."

Nodding, Pandion exited, thus leaving the Young Gael and the Argive King alone.

Curious about this Cerberus, Art asked: "What is this thing that you have sent Heracles after?"

"The three-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld." Eurystheus replied.

Art had heard of a city called Tricarenia, which meant "three-headed". Perhaps Cerberus was merely a dog that had originated from there… Or a man native to Tricarenia whose emblem was a dog? Alas, he knew not. Perhaps Cerberus really was a three-headed dog, though unless Art was to see the beast, how could he be certain?

Returning to the previous topic, Art uttered: "If Argus dares to harm or try and force himself upon Thebe again, I really will kill him."

Placing his hands behind his head and resting his right leg upon his left knee, Eurystheus merely replied: "So let it be written. Now get ye gone. This audience is at an end."