To Crete

Arriving at the same port which had Art had arrived in a twelvemonth prior, the group looked into finding passage to Crete. Upon finding a merchant ship going that way, they inquired how long they had to wait. Upon learning that the ship was leaving at midday, the four waited patiently.

As they waited, Art inquired: "Who is this Minos?"

"The son of Zeus and the Phoenician princess Europa." Thebe answered, clad in only her breastband and perizoma and dipping her feet in the water. "Europa's father was Agenor of Tyre, son of Zeus' elder brother Poseidon and Libya of Egypt."

Libya of Egypt? No doubt the land of Libya was named after her.

"And what King of Egypt was the father of this Libya?" inquired Art. "Ramesses I? Seti?" It couldn't have been Ramesses the Great. He was only sixty.

"Epaphus, son of Zeus and Io." Timaeus answered.

"Epaphus?" Art asked, laughing. "The man must be made up, or what you Achaeans call one of the Kings of Egypt. "But who was this Io?"

"An ancestor of Perseus and Heracles, just as she is an ancestor Minos." Stated Thebe, not at all feeling insulted by Art's laughter, though Timaeus was somewhat. "She herself was the daughter of Inachus, Argos' first king."

"Making Europa of Argive descent." Art commented, rubbing his chin as he spoke. "Interesting."

"We Achaeans travel far, Art." Uttered Timaeus, tapping his cane against the ground out of boredom. "It isn't that interesting. Was not Andromeda's paterfamilias Cepheus, Belus of Egypt the son of Poseidon and Libya just as Agenor was?"

"Agenor?" asked Art, a blank expression upon his countenance. "The maternal grandfather of Minos?"

"The same!" Timaeus exclaimed with a smile.

His brow wrinkling, Art tried to make sense of it. Agenor was Mino's grandfather, but his brother Belus was the grandfather of Andromeda, who was the grandmother of Eurystheus and the great-grandmother of Heracles and Argus. Immediately, this caused the Young Gael to ask: "How old is Minos and how late was Agenor when it came to having children?" A look of uncertainty spreading across Thebe's face she looked to Timaeus. The Corinthian could do naught but shrug. Thus did Art then asked: "What about on Andromeda's mother's side?"

"Her mother Cassiopeia was the daughter of Coronus and the oceanid Zeuxo." Thebe answered.

"And who is Coronus?" asked Art.

"No one knows, probably a powerful Aithiopian chieftain." The Athenian Girl answered.

Looking down into the water, Art wondered aloud: "Perhaps Belus is your name for one of the Egyptian kings from before Ramesses I. Epaphus too!"

"It certainly sounds like that is the case." Stated Timaeus. "No doubt the Hittites have different names for our kings just as we do for the Egypt's."

Art could do naught but nod in agreement. It was strange that people from different lands gave names to foreign kings that made them sound like one of their countrymen, but perhaps that was all to make them seem less foreign.

As Art thought about various things, he noticed Thebe climb down from the dock into the water. With raised eyebrow, the Young Gael inquired: "Are you planning to swim all the way to Crete, Thebe?"

Laughing, Thebe answered: "Goodness, no! The sun is hot and a quick swim will do you and I some good. Come, Art! Join me!"

Looking down at Niall, Art heard Timaeus say: "Go on, lad. Your feline friend will be safe with me."

Removing his tunic, Art then rolled up his trouser legs and jumped into the water. It was indeed cool and a nice relaxing swim would indeed help with the wait.

Art had swum before, but never in the ocean. What was in the ocean, he knew not. It was a thing of mystery, just as much of the world was, but nothing was more mysterious than the ocean. What lived down there? If only he knew. The Achaeans could speak of Gorgons and of three-headed dogs, but Art had always heard people speak of sea monsters that baffled the mind. While he happily frolicked with Thebe, the thought of what lay beneath the waves never left him. Could it have been possible that the monarchs of island nations had sea monsters defending their shores?

As they frolicked, the Young Gael and the Athenian Girl proceeded to swim away from the dock. Dread filling his heart, Art exclaimed: "Wait!"

Pausing and turning to look back at her companion, Thebe asked: "What is wrong?"

"How do we know what is out here?" inquired Art. "What if there is another monster like Cetus that Perseus rescued Andromeda from or the sea serpent that Heracles rescued Hesione from? I'm no Heracles, I'm not even a Perseus. What could I possibly do against such a beast?"

Giving him a smile, Thebe placed a hand on the side of Art's face and said to him: "There is not a king or queen in all of Argolis that has done anything worthy of unleashing such a sea beast, Art. We are perfectly safe."

"I hope so." Art uttered, not entirely as sure as Thebe was.

Hearing Timaeus calling them, the two redheads swam back to the dock. As they swam back, Art constantly wondered if some monarch or consort had to do something for Poseidon to unleash some sort of monster or if the God of the Sea would unleash monsters solely for his own amusement.

Upon climbing up, Art put on his tunic and unrolled his trouser legs while Thebe picked up her dress, wanting to wait until she had dried off before putting it back on. Not even waiting for either of them to be dried off, Niall approached to two and rubbed himself against their legs. He may not have been much of one for swimming, being a lynx after all, but the water on their bodies would cool him down just as much as a cleaning would.

"The ship is about to leave for Crete." Stated Timaeus. "We had best get onboard."

And with that the Corinthian hobbled onboard the merchant ship. The Young Gael and the Athenian Girl could do naught but watch with amusement as Timaeus walked onto the wrong ship and then proceeded to walk onto the correct one.

Hearing Niall meow at him, Art knelt down and gave the lynx a pat on the head. "I'm sure Timaeus won't walk off the ship in the middle of the night and drown, Niall."

"We should probably tie him down just in case." Commented Thebe.

Trying to hold back a laugh, Art nodded and said: "Yes, probably." Turning his head to look at her, he then said to Thebe: "I have never been off the mainland before. I took a ship from Libya to Achaea, true, but I've never set foot on an island before."

Smiling at him, Thebe uttered: "Then we both have something in common. I too have never been off the mainland."