sideoftheke.

    15

    “Ah!”saidAmalia,noddingherhead,seemingtouand,butnotreallyprehending.SinceAmaliahadbroughtthissorespotinKingDimitri’sheartintotheopen,thebeautiesfelttheywerefreetopursuethesubject.

    “Cyclopsisreallyanenigma!”saidElina.“Howmuchstrengthdoeshereallyhaveinhisbody?

    Ishehumanorabeast?”

    “Heisparthuman,partbeastandpartgod”repliedMedusa.“Heisallthreebined.”

    “Ifhedecidestogoagainstus”entedQueenAisha,“Hewouldmakeaterrifyingenemy.Let’shopethatdoesn’thappen.”

    “Cyclopsisnotreallythatfearful”saidKingDimitri.“Heisphysicallystrong,butmentallyg.Iknowhowtodealwithhim.”ExgingalookwithMedusa,hetinued,“MedusaandIbothowehimsomewhat.Cyclopsisright.Itookhislove.ThenIkilledanotherwomanhelovedregnantwithhischild.ButIwasnotawareofitatthetime.Itwasthewrongthingtodo.Iamashamedofmyasandwillregretittherestofmylife.”

    “Thiswomanisreallyvicious!”excimedMegginn.“ShewaswillingtosacrificeherowhatenytomakesurethatKingDimitriwillregrethisashisentirelife.Itisreallyspitefundvindictiveofher.IcametotheKingdomteandsohaveneverseenthiswomaifusaflowerbutpoisonousasaviper.Ireallywouldhavelikedtohaveseenwhatshelookedlike....”

    “Oh,mygosh!”excimedDorna.“Mr.Fingersaidhehadawifewhoisvery,verybeautiful,andwhowasassmalshe.CouldthatlittlewomanbeAileen’s...?”Everyoneuoodwhomshemeant.

    “No,that’simpossible”saidElena.“Noembryocouldlivewheherisdead.That’simpossible.”

    “Iwouldbegratefulifamiraclehadhappened”saidKingDimitri.“andtheembryolived.Itwouldlessenmyguilt.Iwishtheembryolived...”

    15

    Itwasgrowingdark.KingDimitriorderedtheattendantstopullupanchorandheadhometothepace.

    Viocampeddownattheworksitetogetherwiththeothers.Thesesttwodays,shesawwithherowneyesCyclops’strengthandresiliendwastemptedtofollowhimintothedenseforestafterworktoscoutaroundandseewherehelived.ButKingDimitrigaveorderstosetupcampandtoldhistwopettigerstopatrondsecuretheareasothatthepeoplecouldrestinpeace.IfshesecretlyfollowedCyclopsintotheforest,thetwotigersmighttakeexceptiontoherfurtiveasahefiercebeaststheywere,itcouldcostherlife.Soshewasforcedtobepatientandwaitfortheopportunity.Shewentoverhermother’s3-steppnforrevengeinhermindanddecideditneededadjustment.Step1–stealingthemagicbowandarrowtoshootMedusa–washardtocarryout.Shedecidedtobeginwithstep2–Cyclops.Shemustsomehowtamehimandmakehimworkwillinglyforher.HeusehissupremestrengthtosubduethebarbariantribesaroundtheKingdomanduhemintooforheruse.ThatwouldbehercapitaltogoagainstKingDimitri.Right.Thatwasthewaytogo.Thehoughtsturhelittleman–Mr.Finger.Hewasanotherchipthatcouldbequiteuseful.

    “IwillimetopleteStep2and3,”shethought.“ThetaskoftamingCyclopsotbeaplishedinaveryshorttime,sobeforeIstartIhadbettergobacktotheothersideofthekeaohim.Wemustthinkofawaytounicate,otherouldlosetactofeachotherandthatwouldbealoss.Yes,Iwillwaittilltomorrowaaboattogobaetoseehim.”

    Vioyiuosleep.Allkindsofpnsandstrategiesweregoingthroughhermind.Daybroke.Shegotupwiththeotherstostartanotherday’sbusywork.Medusawasalreadyatthesite,seeingt

sideoftheke.

    15

    “Ah!”saidAmalia,noddingherhead,seemingtouand,butnotreallyprehending.SinceAmaliahadbroughtthissorespotinKingDimitri’sheartintotheopen,thebeautiesfelttheywerefreetopursuethesubject.

    “Cyclopsisreallyanenigma!”saidElina.“Howmuchstrengthdoeshereallyhaveinhisbody?

    Ishehumanorabeast?”

    “Heisparthuman,partbeastandpartgod”repliedMedusa.“Heisallthreebined.”

    “Ifhedecidestogoagainstus”entedQueenAisha,“Hewouldmakeaterrifyingenemy.Let’shopethatdoesn’thappen.”

    “Cyclopsisnotreallythatfearful”saidKingDimitri.“Heisphysicallystrong,butmentallyg.Iknowhowtodealwithhim.”ExgingalookwithMedusa,hetinued,“MedusaandIbothowehimsomewhat.Cyclopsisright.Itookhislove.ThenIkilledanotherwomanhelovedregnantwithhischild.ButIwasnotawareofitatthetime.Itwasthewrongthingtodo.Iamashamedofmyasandwillregretittherestofmylife.”

    “Thiswomanisreallyvicious!”excimedMegginn.“ShewaswillingtosacrificeherowhatenytomakesurethatKingDimitriwillregrethisashisentirelife.Itisreallyspitefundvindictiveofher.IcametotheKingdomteandsohaveneverseenthiswomaifusaflowerbutpoisonousasaviper.Ireallywouldhavelikedtohaveseenwhatshelookedlike....”

    “Oh,mygosh!”excimedDorna.“Mr.Fingersaidhehadawifewhoisvery,verybeautiful,andwhowasassmalshe.CouldthatlittlewomanbeAileen’s...?”Everyoneuoodwhomshemeant.

    “No,that’simpossible”saidElena.“Noembryocouldlivewheherisdead.That’simpossible.”

    “Iwouldbegratefulifamiraclehadhappened”saidKingDimitri.“andtheembryolived.Itwouldlessenmyguilt.Iwishtheembryolived...”

    15

    Itwasgrowingdark.KingDimitriorderedtheattendantstopullupanchorandheadhometothepace.

    Viocampeddownattheworksitetogetherwiththeothers.Thesesttwodays,shesawwithherowneyesCyclops’strengthandresiliendwastemptedtofollowhimintothedenseforestafterworktoscoutaroundandseewherehelived.ButKingDimitrigaveorderstosetupcampandtoldhistwopettigerstopatrondsecuretheareasothatthepeoplecouldrestinpeace.IfshesecretlyfollowedCyclopsintotheforest,thetwotigersmighttakeexceptiontoherfurtiveasahefiercebeaststheywere,itcouldcostherlife.Soshewasforcedtobepatientandwaitfortheopportunity.Shewentoverhermother’s3-steppnforrevengeinhermindanddecideditneededadjustment.Step1–stealingthemagicbowandarrowtoshootMedusa–washardtocarryout.Shedecidedtobeginwithstep2–Cyclops.Shemustsomehowtamehimandmakehimworkwillinglyforher.HeusehissupremestrengthtosubduethebarbariantribesaroundtheKingdomanduhemintooforheruse.ThatwouldbehercapitaltogoagainstKingDimitri.Right.Thatwasthewaytogo.Thehoughtsturhelittleman–Mr.Finger.Hewasanotherchipthatcouldbequiteuseful.

    “IwillimetopleteStep2and3,”shethought.“ThetaskoftamingCyclopsotbeaplishedinaveryshorttime,sobeforeIstartIhadbettergobacktotheothersideofthekeaohim.Wemustthinkofawaytounicate,otherouldlosetactofeachotherandthatwouldbealoss.Yes,Iwillwaittilltomorrowaaboattogobaetoseehim.”

    Vioyiuosleep.Allkindsofpnsandstrategiesweregoingthroughhermind.Daybroke.Shegotupwiththeotherstostartanotherday’sbusywork.Medusawasalreadyatthesite,seeingt