Read Online Artemis the Brave by Suzanne Williams, Joan Holub - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Williams, Joan Holub
Tags: Fiction, General, Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues, Girls & Women, Friendship, School & Education, Courage, Legends; Myths; Fables, Emotions & Feelings, Greek & Roman, Artemis (Greek deity)
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her instead of all the other girls he might have chosen? That was nothing short of, well, mega-mazing!
“Okay,” she agreed quickly.
Nearly two weeks later, Artemis sat in the amphitheater after school watching rehearsals for The Arrow . Aphrodite and Orion were onstage acting out their parts, with Zeus sitting in the front row giving direction. She hadn’t seen Orion shoot yet, but tomorrow was the first dress rehearsal with arrows and costuming, and she was a little worried about what would happen.
“But I don’t love you, Eros,” said Aphrodite, reciting her lines. “Not really. And you only think you love me. If you hadn’t accidentally shot yourself with one of your love-tipped arrows, neither of us would have fallen in love in the first place.” She paused, wrinkling her brow like she was trying to remember her next line. The rehearsal was nearly over, and this was the first time she’d faltered.
“I must tell you that I have sworn never to marry,” Artemis called out from where she sat, third row center, with a script in her hand. Orion had asked her to cue him if he forgot a line. So far he hadn’t, but she’d cued the other actors as needed.
“Thanks!” Aphrodite called down to her.
After Aphrodite said her line, Orion continued with his. “That is only because you have been bespelled by a cruel goddess into mistakenly believing you cannot love.”
Aphrodite whirled toward him and opened her mouth, preparing to speak her next line.
Only before she could utter a word, Orion went on, “I know you trust me not, for I am a god and you are but a nymph and therefore not immortal.”
Artemis sat up straighter, confused. He had changed Aphrodite’s line slightly so that it made sense for his character to say it instead of hers! Then he kept going, well past the part he was supposed to recite.
“Those are Aphrodite’s lines,” Artemis and Principal Zeus corrected him at the same time.
“Yes, I know,” Orion told Zeus, flashing his smile. “But don’t you think it would be more effective if my character says them instead?”
Zeus shook his massive head of unruly red curls. “Nope.”
“But the pathos of it will ring truer if it comes from me, don’t you think?” insisted Orion.
“Nope,” said Zeus.
“Sounds like Orion is trying to steal Aphrodite’s lines,” a voice whispered from behind her. Artemis turned to see that Persephone had come to sit behind her.
“He’s not stealing them,” she protested. “He and Zeus are simply having an artistic difference of opinion.” During her script-reading sessions with Orion the week before, he’d explained all about artistic differences of opinion. Apparently, it was something he encountered a lot with temperamental directors. And Zeus wasn’t exactly easy to get along with. History was littered with stories of the troubles his mood swings had wrought in the world.
“One other thing, Principal Zeus,” Orion said, drawing her attention. “In the scene where Poseidon is supposed to walk on water, I was thinking it might be more interesting if my character did the waterwalk. It would emphasize my godliness. And in the place where Dionysus battles the dreaded scorpion— I think that might work better if I did the fighting.”
Behind him, Artemis could see Poseidon and Dionysus glaring daggers at Orion’s back. Their faces were so angry that she wouldn’t have been surprised to see fire curl out of their mouths, like the dragon Hades had painted on the backdrop.
“For now, let’s just carry on according to the script,” Zeus told him.
“But—,” began Orion.
Zeus held up a big beefy hand. “I’ll think about it.”
That seemed to pacify Orion for the moment, and the rehearsal continued. When Zeus dismissed them at the end, Orion went to speak to Aphrodite. Gesturing animatedly with his hands, he said something that made her frown. A minute later she stomped off the stage. Seemingly unaware of his effect on her, he
“Okay,” she agreed quickly.
Nearly two weeks later, Artemis sat in the amphitheater after school watching rehearsals for The Arrow . Aphrodite and Orion were onstage acting out their parts, with Zeus sitting in the front row giving direction. She hadn’t seen Orion shoot yet, but tomorrow was the first dress rehearsal with arrows and costuming, and she was a little worried about what would happen.
“But I don’t love you, Eros,” said Aphrodite, reciting her lines. “Not really. And you only think you love me. If you hadn’t accidentally shot yourself with one of your love-tipped arrows, neither of us would have fallen in love in the first place.” She paused, wrinkling her brow like she was trying to remember her next line. The rehearsal was nearly over, and this was the first time she’d faltered.
“I must tell you that I have sworn never to marry,” Artemis called out from where she sat, third row center, with a script in her hand. Orion had asked her to cue him if he forgot a line. So far he hadn’t, but she’d cued the other actors as needed.
“Thanks!” Aphrodite called down to her.
After Aphrodite said her line, Orion continued with his. “That is only because you have been bespelled by a cruel goddess into mistakenly believing you cannot love.”
Aphrodite whirled toward him and opened her mouth, preparing to speak her next line.
Only before she could utter a word, Orion went on, “I know you trust me not, for I am a god and you are but a nymph and therefore not immortal.”
Artemis sat up straighter, confused. He had changed Aphrodite’s line slightly so that it made sense for his character to say it instead of hers! Then he kept going, well past the part he was supposed to recite.
“Those are Aphrodite’s lines,” Artemis and Principal Zeus corrected him at the same time.
“Yes, I know,” Orion told Zeus, flashing his smile. “But don’t you think it would be more effective if my character says them instead?”
Zeus shook his massive head of unruly red curls. “Nope.”
“But the pathos of it will ring truer if it comes from me, don’t you think?” insisted Orion.
“Nope,” said Zeus.
“Sounds like Orion is trying to steal Aphrodite’s lines,” a voice whispered from behind her. Artemis turned to see that Persephone had come to sit behind her.
“He’s not stealing them,” she protested. “He and Zeus are simply having an artistic difference of opinion.” During her script-reading sessions with Orion the week before, he’d explained all about artistic differences of opinion. Apparently, it was something he encountered a lot with temperamental directors. And Zeus wasn’t exactly easy to get along with. History was littered with stories of the troubles his mood swings had wrought in the world.
“One other thing, Principal Zeus,” Orion said, drawing her attention. “In the scene where Poseidon is supposed to walk on water, I was thinking it might be more interesting if my character did the waterwalk. It would emphasize my godliness. And in the place where Dionysus battles the dreaded scorpion— I think that might work better if I did the fighting.”
Behind him, Artemis could see Poseidon and Dionysus glaring daggers at Orion’s back. Their faces were so angry that she wouldn’t have been surprised to see fire curl out of their mouths, like the dragon Hades had painted on the backdrop.
“For now, let’s just carry on according to the script,” Zeus told him.
“But—,” began Orion.
Zeus held up a big beefy hand. “I’ll think about it.”
That seemed to pacify Orion for the moment, and the rehearsal continued. When Zeus dismissed them at the end, Orion went to speak to Aphrodite. Gesturing animatedly with his hands, he said something that made her frown. A minute later she stomped off the stage. Seemingly unaware of his effect on her, he
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