ebloodflowslowedandhecouldseethewoundclosingandmendinguntilithealedpletelyandseemedasifithadneverbeeninflicted．

    Afterrestingawhile，MedusaopenedhereyesandsawDimitrisittiendingherwound．

    "YoumustbecuriousaboutCyclops．Wouldyouliketoknowhisstory?"

    "Areyoubetter?Doyoufeeluptoit?"Medusanoddedpliantly．

    "OnthedayIwasstrugglingwithPerseusaoffmyheadandfleithittoOlympus,Cyclopshappeobepassingby．Hesawawingedhorse，Pegasus，springupfrommybloodandjumpedonitinpursuit．HewaitedpatientlyarouempleofAthenauntilonedaywhennoonewasguardingmyhead,heslippedinandcameawaywithit．HeputitbayheadandIwasresurrected.NotonlywasIaliveagain，Ihadregainedmybeauty．Buttherewardhecimedwasmyhandinmarriage.Ididnotwanttomarryhimbecausehewasduglyandtookpleasureinkillingandplundering．Ionlywishedtomarryakind,clevermortandliveahappyandpeacefullife.ButIfeltIowedhimmylifeandthereforeshouldmarryhimoutofgratitude．Oormynight,hewasstruckbylightningwhilehuntingandwasmortallywounded．Icouldnotabandonmysaviorinhishourofneedandleavehimtohisfate，thoughIdidmakeuseofthatextraordinaryopportunitytofastenhimtothewallofthecavewithstrongheavys．Hehadtohavevirgin’sbloodeveryyearforthe100yearsiocurehiswound,soIgotitforhim.99yearshavegonebyandthistimewouldbethest．ButImetyou,whotookarey．SuchisFate!Butnomatter．Iamwillingtousemybloodtotakethepceofthevirgin’storepayhimforsavingmeandkeepingmealive…”

    Uponhearinghersideofthestory,Dimitriwassilentforawhile,lostinption．Thenhesaidemphatically

    “Cyclopsgaveyoubackyourlife.Heisyoursavior.Youhaverepaidhimbystayingwithhimfor99years，tendingtohishoughmanyhavediedbecauseofyoutwo，theultimatefaultdoesnotliewithyou．Iwillsparebothofyou．ButletCyclopsremaininthecaveuntilIthinkofawaytotamehisirascibletemperandferociousnature.ThenIwillsethimfree,too.”Medusastruggledtositupsaying，

    "Imustseehimoncemore.”Dimitrihelpedhertoherfeetandgaveherasupparmwhileshewalkedfeeblytowardsthecave,stillweakfromtheenormouslossofblood．OnseeingDimitri,Cyclopsagaieandrushedtowardshim,shriekingandshoutingferociously，onlytobellowandstamphisfeetinfrustrationwhenheulledbackbythes.

    “Calmdown,Cyclops”saidMedusaasshewalkedtowardshim．Sheputherhandsonhisfadrepeatedthewailyandsoothingly．Athersofttoudgentlewords,Cyclopsstoppedstrugglingandturneddocileasifhypnotized．

    "MydearCyclops,”shetinued.“IknowyouhavelovedmeeversinceyousawmeinthedaysbeforeIwasturon．Butloveisspontaneousandotbeforced．Istayedwithyouforalmostaturyoutofgratitudefivingmeasedlife,andiurnIhavehelpedyouasmuchasIcouldinyourhourofneed．ButnowIhavemetamanworthyofmyloveandIamgoingtofollowhimwhereverhegoes．Youmuststayhereforthepresent．Iwilleandseeyouandtakecareofyoufromtimetotime．Ifyouarewillingtogeyourferociousnatureandexplosivetemper,you,toowillbefreeioodistantfuture．"ThisgenerosityoofDimitriwastocausehiminnumerabledisastersoneday,whichwillbedealtwithter．

    8

    MedusafollowedDimitrioutofthecave．Thethickfoghaddispersedanddawnlighteduptheskies．Shelookedupattheinfretchoftheheavensandwasdeeptymovedbythemajesticsplendoro

ebloodflowslowedandhecouldseethewoundclosingandmendinguntilithealedpletelyandseemedasifithadneverbeeninflicted．

    Afterrestingawhile，MedusaopenedhereyesandsawDimitrisittiendingherwound．

    "YoumustbecuriousaboutCyclops．Wouldyouliketoknowhisstory?"

    "Areyoubetter?Doyoufeeluptoit?"Medusanoddedpliantly．

    "OnthedayIwasstrugglingwithPerseusaoffmyheadandfleithittoOlympus,Cyclopshappeobepassingby．Hesawawingedhorse，Pegasus，springupfrommybloodandjumpedonitinpursuit．HewaitedpatientlyarouempleofAthenauntilonedaywhennoonewasguardingmyhead,heslippedinandcameawaywithit．HeputitbayheadandIwasresurrected.NotonlywasIaliveagain，Ihadregainedmybeauty．Buttherewardhecimedwasmyhandinmarriage.Ididnotwanttomarryhimbecausehewasduglyandtookpleasureinkillingandplundering．Ionlywishedtomarryakind,clevermortandliveahappyandpeacefullife.ButIfeltIowedhimmylifeandthereforeshouldmarryhimoutofgratitude．Oormynight,hewasstruckbylightningwhilehuntingandwasmortallywounded．Icouldnotabandonmysaviorinhishourofneedandleavehimtohisfate，thoughIdidmakeuseofthatextraordinaryopportunitytofastenhimtothewallofthecavewithstrongheavys．Hehadtohavevirgin’sbloodeveryyearforthe100yearsiocurehiswound,soIgotitforhim.99yearshavegonebyandthistimewouldbethest．ButImetyou,whotookarey．SuchisFate!Butnomatter．Iamwillingtousemybloodtotakethepceofthevirgin’storepayhimforsavingmeandkeepingmealive…”

    Uponhearinghersideofthestory,Dimitriwassilentforawhile,lostinption．Thenhesaidemphatically

    “Cyclopsgaveyoubackyourlife.Heisyoursavior.Youhaverepaidhimbystayingwithhimfor99years，tendingtohishoughmanyhavediedbecauseofyoutwo，theultimatefaultdoesnotliewithyou．Iwillsparebothofyou．ButletCyclopsremaininthecaveuntilIthinkofawaytotamehisirascibletemperandferociousnature.ThenIwillsethimfree,too.”Medusastruggledtositupsaying，

    "Imustseehimoncemore.”Dimitrihelpedhertoherfeetandgaveherasupparmwhileshewalkedfeeblytowardsthecave,stillweakfromtheenormouslossofblood．OnseeingDimitri,Cyclopsagaieandrushedtowardshim,shriekingandshoutingferociously，onlytobellowandstamphisfeetinfrustrationwhenheulledbackbythes.

    “Calmdown,Cyclops”saidMedusaasshewalkedtowardshim．Sheputherhandsonhisfadrepeatedthewailyandsoothingly．Athersofttoudgentlewords,Cyclopsstoppedstrugglingandturneddocileasifhypnotized．

    "MydearCyclops,”shetinued.“IknowyouhavelovedmeeversinceyousawmeinthedaysbeforeIwasturon．Butloveisspontaneousandotbeforced．Istayedwithyouforalmostaturyoutofgratitudefivingmeasedlife,andiurnIhavehelpedyouasmuchasIcouldinyourhourofneed．ButnowIhavemetamanworthyofmyloveandIamgoingtofollowhimwhereverhegoes．Youmuststayhereforthepresent．Iwilleandseeyouandtakecareofyoufromtimetotime．Ifyouarewillingtogeyourferociousnatureandexplosivetemper,you,toowillbefreeioodistantfuture．"ThisgenerosityoofDimitriwastocausehiminnumerabledisastersoneday,whichwillbedealtwithter．

    8

    MedusafollowedDimitrioutofthecave．Thethickfoghaddispersedanddawnlighteduptheskies．Shelookedupattheinfretchoftheheavensandwasdeeptymovedbythemajesticsplendoro