Read Online Jason and the Argonauts by Bernard Evslin - Free Book Online Page B

beach and struck inland. We picked up animal tracks and followed them through a screen of trees to a stream. It was a lovely place, girded by trees and floored by pine needles, and the stream widened into a deep pond. We stripped and dived in, frolicking like children.
    I climbed out and went to see what lay beyond the wood. I came to an open space. I was standing in a kind of natural arena, a large grassy meadow cupped by low blue hills. The place was empty, humming with silence. I saw movement up one slope and climbed a path, threading among boulders. On one of them sat a girl weeping.
    “Why do you weep, beautiful maiden?”
    “Oh, I’d rather be ugly!”
    “That’s something only a beautiful girl can say.”
    “I don’t care, I do, I do. I wish I was ugly as a toad. Then that innocent boy wouldn’t have to die.”
    “You’d better tell me all about it.”
    “But you’re a stranger.”
    “Secrets should be told only to strangers.”
    “You say ‘only’ a lot, don’t you? Who are you?”
    “Only a stranger … tell me of this love and this death.”
    “You talk like singing.”
    “Wait till you meet my brother.”
    “We have this king here, you see, and he’s a terrible man. He knows that someone has asked my hand in marriage, and he means to kill him.”
    “Are you the king’s daughter?”
    “No, sir. I’m his wife’s sister.”
    “Why does he wish to kill your suitor? Is the lad so unworthy?”
    “He’ll kill anyone who wants to marry me. He’s saving me for himself.”
    “But he’s married to your sister, you say.”
    “After he kills her, he’ll marry me. Then, when he’s tired of me, my younger sister should be old enough.”
    “The man’s a monster.”
    “Yes, sir. That’s what he is. Everyone hates him. But they fear him even more. And he enjoys being feared. And kills anyone who displeases him. Now that poor boy has displeased him, only because he was unlucky enough to fall in love with me. And so he goes into the ring today.”
    “Ring?”
    “Boxing ring, where the king does his killing. He challenges someone to a fight and kills him in the ring.”
    “Can’t anyone stand up to him?”
    “Oh no. No one has a chance. You’ll see for yourself. He’ll be coming here soon to warm up.”
    She sobbed again, gazing at me sideways through tears that seemed to magnify her green eyes.
    “I may be able to help you,” I said.
    “Help me?”
    “To escape this island. I’ll go talk to the others.”
    “I’ll come with you.”
    “No, stay here. If they agree, I’ll come back for you. But you must promise not to say one word about your wicked brother-in-law and the way he kills people in the ring. If you do, we’ll never get off this island.”
    “Why not?”
    “We have some hotheads who love to fight, no matter what the odds. One in particular considers himself quite a boxer. If he hears about this king, he’ll challenge him immediately.”
    “Oh no! He mustn’t! That would be terrible. I won’t say a word. Go quickly, sir, and arrange my rescue.”
    “Too late,” I groaned.
    Coming toward us, picking their way among the rocks, were Jason and Pollux.
    “There you are,” called Jason. “We’ve been looking all over for you. The kegs are full. We’re ready to go.”
    “Who’s your friend?” said Pollux softly.
    They stood there, their tunics white-hot in the sun. Pollux’s hair was a nimbus of golden flame, and Jason’s black hair held blue light in the cusp of its wave, like a blackbird’s wing.
    “This is a young lady of the court,” I said. “The queen’s sister. She needs rescuing.”
    Her eyes had never left Pollux’s face. She began her tale, but dreamily, almost joyously, as if offering a gift to the young men who had come suddenly and gorgeously out of nowhere—like gods. They listened greedily.
    “Do they fight down there?” asked Jason, pointing to the meadow.
    “Yes,” she said. “The people sit up here when they’re invited. Look,