stolightupthedarkness.Heseemedtohavendedinadeepcrevice.“CouldthisbetheentraoGehenna?”hethought.

    4

    “Look,Sire!”excimedVio,erchedontopofhishead,holdingontohissinglehorn.Cyclopslookedbadsawaweakgleamoflightasifingthroughthecrackofadoor.Hemadehiswaycarefullyinthedarkowardsthatcrackoflight,pushedatitwithhishandsandfounditwasindeedahugestonedoor.Cyclopswithhissuperhumah,hundredsoftimesstrohananormalman,pushedagainstthedoorwithallhismight,butmadeabsolutelynoimpait.Infactthedoordidnotevenbudge.Discedandangry,hepuhedoorfuriouslywithhismightyfists.Theboomingsoundoftheimpactresouhevalley,butthedoordidnotshiftintheslightest.TohaveesofarandreachedtheentraoGehenna,onlytobestoppedatthedoorwassomaddeningandinfuriatingthatCyclopsflewintoatrage.Viotriedtocalmhimdownbysaying,

    “Don’tbeimpatient,Sire”shesaid.“Letmehaveatry.Imaybesmallinstaturebutinthiscaseitmightbeastrongpointandhaveitsredeemingvalue.Letmetry.It’samethodofthestresort.”CyclopscarefullyliftedViofromhisheadandpcedherbeforethedoor.Shestoodontiptoesandsqueezedherbodysidewaysinchbyinchthroughthenarroerture.Thatfiningspacemiraculouslyallowedthepassageofhertinybody.Viodidherbesttosuppressthedeliriousjoyinherheartandtratedallherattentionherbodyinchbyinchthroughthenarrountilshegottotheothersideofthestonedoor.Whensheresumedherfullstaturesheimmediatelyrealizedthatshefaotherobstaclejustasdifficult,foracrossthedoublestonedoorwasargestologitiheboltwaslongandheavyandquitebeyorengthofayoungwomantolift,nottosayremove.Shekossibleforhertotrytoliftitbyhand,butwonderedifitwouldbepossibletousehershouldertodislodgeitandimmediatelyputherideatothetest.Pgherrightshoulderuhesto,sheusedallherstrengthtopushitupwards.Itactuallymovedalittle.Greatlyenced,Viotinuallyusedhershouldertoraisetheboltandpushittowardstheleft,owice,thrice….Whentheskinhtshoulderbecamebruisedandbloody,sheusedthesamemethodwithherleftshoulderuntilbothshouldersweregashedandbloody.Unbahestantnudging,theheavyboltatstleaowardsonesideandfellheavilytotheground.ViocalledloudlytoCyclopsohersideofthehugestonedoorsaying,“Sire,useyourstrengthandseeifyoupushopenthedoor.”mediatelypushedhardatthedoor,whichgaveoutharshscrapingsoundsandactuallycreakedopenseveralinches.Hisfidencefullyrestored,Cyclopsbuncheduphismightymusclesuntiltheveinsonhisforeheadandhislegsbulgedout.Pntinghisfeetfirmlyontheground,hepcedbothhandsonthedoorandpushedforwardwithallhismight.Thestonedooractuallycmoredopenwithathunderingdin.

    Thesebeforethemsuddenlyopenedup,startlingandsurprisingCyclopsandViowhocouldnotbelievetheireyes.Thefullmoonhungluminouslyinthesky,shiningoncalm,kewaterssocrystalclearthatyoucouldseerighttothebottom,withoutasinglewavetomarthemirror-likesurface.Thereweretwomoons,oheskyahewater,vyingforsplendor.Thesurroundingtreesandshrubswerequiet.Agentlebreezeruffledthetipsofthebrailtheyswayedslightlyinresponse.HowcouldthisbeGehenna?Wherearethefieryfiresofhell?Thisbeautifulseryseemedtobeaparadiseoh!CouldwehaveetothewrohisisnottheentraoGehenna?CyclopsandViowalkedonintending

stolightupthedarkness.Heseemedtohavendedinadeepcrevice.“CouldthisbetheentraoGehenna?”hethought.

    4

    “Look,Sire!”excimedVio,erchedontopofhishead,holdingontohissinglehorn.Cyclopslookedbadsawaweakgleamoflightasifingthroughthecrackofadoor.Hemadehiswaycarefullyinthedarkowardsthatcrackoflight,pushedatitwithhishandsandfounditwasindeedahugestonedoor.Cyclopswithhissuperhumah,hundredsoftimesstrohananormalman,pushedagainstthedoorwithallhismight,butmadeabsolutelynoimpait.Infactthedoordidnotevenbudge.Discedandangry,hepuhedoorfuriouslywithhismightyfists.Theboomingsoundoftheimpactresouhevalley,butthedoordidnotshiftintheslightest.TohaveesofarandreachedtheentraoGehenna,onlytobestoppedatthedoorwassomaddeningandinfuriatingthatCyclopsflewintoatrage.Viotriedtocalmhimdownbysaying,

    “Don’tbeimpatient,Sire”shesaid.“Letmehaveatry.Imaybesmallinstaturebutinthiscaseitmightbeastrongpointandhaveitsredeemingvalue.Letmetry.It’samethodofthestresort.”CyclopscarefullyliftedViofromhisheadandpcedherbeforethedoor.Shestoodontiptoesandsqueezedherbodysidewaysinchbyinchthroughthenarroerture.Thatfiningspacemiraculouslyallowedthepassageofhertinybody.Viodidherbesttosuppressthedeliriousjoyinherheartandtratedallherattentionherbodyinchbyinchthroughthenarrountilshegottotheothersideofthestonedoor.Whensheresumedherfullstaturesheimmediatelyrealizedthatshefaotherobstaclejustasdifficult,foracrossthedoublestonedoorwasargestologitiheboltwaslongandheavyandquitebeyorengthofayoungwomantolift,nottosayremove.Shekossibleforhertotrytoliftitbyhand,butwonderedifitwouldbepossibletousehershouldertodislodgeitandimmediatelyputherideatothetest.Pgherrightshoulderuhesto,sheusedallherstrengthtopushitupwards.Itactuallymovedalittle.Greatlyenced,Viotinuallyusedhershouldertoraisetheboltandpushittowardstheleft,owice,thrice….Whentheskinhtshoulderbecamebruisedandbloody,sheusedthesamemethodwithherleftshoulderuntilbothshouldersweregashedandbloody.Unbahestantnudging,theheavyboltatstleaowardsonesideandfellheavilytotheground.ViocalledloudlytoCyclopsohersideofthehugestonedoorsaying,“Sire,useyourstrengthandseeifyoupushopenthedoor.”mediatelypushedhardatthedoor,whichgaveoutharshscrapingsoundsandactuallycreakedopenseveralinches.Hisfidencefullyrestored,Cyclopsbuncheduphismightymusclesuntiltheveinsonhisforeheadandhislegsbulgedout.Pntinghisfeetfirmlyontheground,hepcedbothhandsonthedoorandpushedforwardwithallhismight.Thestonedooractuallycmoredopenwithathunderingdin.

    Thesebeforethemsuddenlyopenedup,startlingandsurprisingCyclopsandViowhocouldnotbelievetheireyes.Thefullmoonhungluminouslyinthesky,shiningoncalm,kewaterssocrystalclearthatyoucouldseerighttothebottom,withoutasinglewavetomarthemirror-likesurface.Thereweretwomoons,oheskyahewater,vyingforsplendor.Thesurroundingtreesandshrubswerequiet.Agentlebreezeruffledthetipsofthebrailtheyswayedslightlyinresponse.HowcouldthisbeGehenna?Wherearethefieryfiresofhell?Thisbeautifulseryseemedtobeaparadiseoh!CouldwehaveetothewrohisisnottheentraoGehenna?CyclopsandViowalkedonintending