self.Hewouldhunt,fishandgatherwildfruitstobrewwine,livingalonelybutself-suffitlife.Atnight,hesleptinahenumerouscavesalroundthemountains.Lookingdownfromtheskieswhileshecircledthearea,Medusafoundsomecaveswhichlookedasiftheyhadbeenlivedin.ShedroppeddowntoseeifCyclopswasaround.Butaftercloseriion,sheonlyfoundhugepilesofwhiteanimalbohemouthofthecavesandbck,burntoutfireswherehehadgrilledhismeat.Fromtheashesleftatthefiresite,Medusacludedthatthesecaveshavelongbeeuninhabited.

    “Wherecouldhehavegoo?”shewondered,assheflewintotheskies,preparedtoseekfurtherelsewhere.Suddenly,shecaughtaglimpseofCyclopsasheclimbedupabarrenmountaintop.Hewavedandshoutedather.Medusaimmediatelyflewdownandalightedbeforehim.Cyclopstalkedauredexcitedlywithhishandsa,pointingattheskies,babblingaboutathickcloudyerandloudnoisesofbattleingfromthere.MedusaexpiohimitwasabattlebetweenKingDimitriandApollo,thesungodandhowbetweeheyslewninesuns,thepersonifionsters.Cyclopssoberedforamoment,buthisbativespiritandloveofdominationoncemoreexerteditself.Hesaiddismissively,

    “EventhoughKingDimitrihadhisflyinghorse,magicswordandbowandarrows,heonlymaofightApollotoadraw.IfIhadthosetreasures,withmysuperhumahandbybodywhichfearsherswordnorspear,IcouldeasilyhavedefeatedApollo.Astotheninesuns,it’ssimple!Icouldeasilykillthemsingle-handedly.Whoogotosomuchtrouble?”

    “Let’ssetasidethequestionofwhetheryoucouldolloatheninesunssingle-handedly”saidMedusagingthesubject.“Ieheretodaytoaskforyourhelp.Areyouwillingtodoso?”

    “Oh?”saidCyclops.“You,Medusaetoaskformyhelp?Don’tyourememberthatIwasdefeatedbyyou?”

    “Letthepastbepast.ThefavorIwanttoaskofyouissomethingonlyyouandnooneelsedo.”HearingherwordsofpraisewaslikeabalmtoCyclopsspirits.

    “Oh?Whatisthisfavoryouwanttoaskofme?”MedusathentoldhimofKingDimitri’spntobuildfuromelttheironingots,paveapathtothetopofthemountain,andneededhishelptocarrytheliquidironuptothetopandpoureditontothegoldpacetogilditaupforever.

    “Ireendedyouforthejobbecauseofyoursuperhumah.”Sheadded.“youdoit.”

    “Soit’sKingDimitriwhoneedsmyhelp,notyou!”Cyclopsexcimed.“ThisIwillhavetothinkover.YouknowKingDimitriandIarenotoofterms.Thereisadeep-seatedhatredbetweenusandIhavesomeoldscorestosettlewithhim.”

    “Realmen”saidMedusa“distinguishbetweenfavorandanimosity.Afavorisafavorandanimosityisanimosity.Don’tmixthemupaltogether.Talkaboutthepast.KingDimitriisdeeplyrepentantaboutthewayhetreatedIleen.Heshouldnothavehadherexecutedsosavagely.ButshestoleKingDimitri’sswordandgaveittoyou,sedugyoutodoherwilagainstKingDimitri.Sheledyouontothepacegrounds,causihofhundredsofKingDimitri’sloyalsubjects.YouevensoughttotakeallofKingDimitri’sbeautiestosatisfyyourlust.ThewholeKingdomwasalmostdestroyedbecauseofthis.Ileenisatraitoranddeservedtodie.KingDimitriknewyouwereseducedbyatemptress,sohewasleowardsyou.Notonlydidhenotkillyou,heallowedyoutoroamfreelyinhisrealmwithoutrestri.Haveyottenallthis?”Cyclopsthoughtforamoment,blinkingthesingleferociouseyeinthemiddleofhisforehead.

    15

    “Alright.Iwillreturn

self.Hewouldhunt,fishandgatherwildfruitstobrewwine,livingalonelybutself-suffitlife.Atnight,hesleptinahenumerouscavesalroundthemountains.Lookingdownfromtheskieswhileshecircledthearea,Medusafoundsomecaveswhichlookedasiftheyhadbeenlivedin.ShedroppeddowntoseeifCyclopswasaround.Butaftercloseriion,sheonlyfoundhugepilesofwhiteanimalbohemouthofthecavesandbck,burntoutfireswherehehadgrilledhismeat.Fromtheashesleftatthefiresite,Medusacludedthatthesecaveshavelongbeeuninhabited.

    “Wherecouldhehavegoo?”shewondered,assheflewintotheskies,preparedtoseekfurtherelsewhere.Suddenly,shecaughtaglimpseofCyclopsasheclimbedupabarrenmountaintop.Hewavedandshoutedather.Medusaimmediatelyflewdownandalightedbeforehim.Cyclopstalkedauredexcitedlywithhishandsa,pointingattheskies,babblingaboutathickcloudyerandloudnoisesofbattleingfromthere.MedusaexpiohimitwasabattlebetweenKingDimitriandApollo,thesungodandhowbetweeheyslewninesuns,thepersonifionsters.Cyclopssoberedforamoment,buthisbativespiritandloveofdominationoncemoreexerteditself.Hesaiddismissively,

    “EventhoughKingDimitrihadhisflyinghorse,magicswordandbowandarrows,heonlymaofightApollotoadraw.IfIhadthosetreasures,withmysuperhumahandbybodywhichfearsherswordnorspear,IcouldeasilyhavedefeatedApollo.Astotheninesuns,it’ssimple!Icouldeasilykillthemsingle-handedly.Whoogotosomuchtrouble?”

    “Let’ssetasidethequestionofwhetheryoucouldolloatheninesunssingle-handedly”saidMedusagingthesubject.“Ieheretodaytoaskforyourhelp.Areyouwillingtodoso?”

    “Oh?”saidCyclops.“You,Medusaetoaskformyhelp?Don’tyourememberthatIwasdefeatedbyyou?”

    “Letthepastbepast.ThefavorIwanttoaskofyouissomethingonlyyouandnooneelsedo.”HearingherwordsofpraisewaslikeabalmtoCyclopsspirits.

    “Oh?Whatisthisfavoryouwanttoaskofme?”MedusathentoldhimofKingDimitri’spntobuildfuromelttheironingots,paveapathtothetopofthemountain,andneededhishelptocarrytheliquidironuptothetopandpoureditontothegoldpacetogilditaupforever.

    “Ireendedyouforthejobbecauseofyoursuperhumah.”Sheadded.“youdoit.”

    “Soit’sKingDimitriwhoneedsmyhelp,notyou!”Cyclopsexcimed.“ThisIwillhavetothinkover.YouknowKingDimitriandIarenotoofterms.Thereisadeep-seatedhatredbetweenusandIhavesomeoldscorestosettlewithhim.”

    “Realmen”saidMedusa“distinguishbetweenfavorandanimosity.Afavorisafavorandanimosityisanimosity.Don’tmixthemupaltogether.Talkaboutthepast.KingDimitriisdeeplyrepentantaboutthewayhetreatedIleen.Heshouldnothavehadherexecutedsosavagely.ButshestoleKingDimitri’sswordandgaveittoyou,sedugyoutodoherwilagainstKingDimitri.Sheledyouontothepacegrounds,causihofhundredsofKingDimitri’sloyalsubjects.YouevensoughttotakeallofKingDimitri’sbeautiestosatisfyyourlust.ThewholeKingdomwasalmostdestroyedbecauseofthis.Ileenisatraitoranddeservedtodie.KingDimitriknewyouwereseducedbyatemptress,sohewasleowardsyou.Notonlydidhenotkillyou,heallowedyoutoroamfreelyinhisrealmwithoutrestri.Haveyottenallthis?”Cyclopsthoughtforamoment,blinkingthesingleferociouseyeinthemiddleofhisforehead.

    15

    “Alright.Iwillreturn