The nymph yelped softly when Demeter herself emerged, wrapped in a somber brown cloak, the hood pulled from her head. Her tresses were braided around her scalp in a severely tight coronet that added austerity to her demeanor. With his hand, Zeus waved the nymphs away, and they scuttled down the stairs.
“Whatever it is, it must be very important to you to interrupt my quiet evening at home,” Zeus said in a slightly impatient tone. Demeter frowned at her brother's attitude, but the King of the Gods maintained his facade, knowing he would have to pull off a convincing performance so she wouldn't suspect that he might know where Kora was.
“It is of dire importance, indeed. Do not take that tone with me,” Demeter stated reproachfully. Zeus might be King of the Gods, but he was her younger sibling, and owed her for the wrong he had done her. Her eyes glinted fiercely. “Kora is missing! She is to be found nowhere on the earth.”
“She is missing! My goodness, for how long?” he asked, immediately shifting to the role of concerned father.
“A fortnight. I have searched far and wide, and enlisted the help of all the spirits of Nature, but nobody knows where she is. I have used all the magic at my command, to no avail. If she is not on earth, she must be here!” She approached Zeus, towering over him, her hand shooting out to prevent him from rising off his seat.
“If she is, I have heard nothing of it!” Technically, that was the truth. After all, part of charm was choosing a genuine fact and working around it when flattery was not called for.
“Truly?”
“Truly, I swear by the Styx. I know nothing of our daughter being here on Olympus. I have left you and Kora in peace as you have asked.”
“Yet there is now no trace of her.”
“I can have other gods look for her.”
“I do not want to spread this all around Olympus!” Demeter replied, chagrined that people might think her a poor mother, unable to keep track of one child.
I don't either , Zeus thought, a plan forming in his head.
“Hermes is the one who found Kora and revealed her existence to the other gods. Why not use him to look for her? After all, he is the speediest of the gods, and good at discovering secrets. I know you are still angry with him, why not let him serve penance to you?” the King of the Gods offered astutely. As much as Hermes might search, he wouldn't look in the Underworld. He was as much wary of that place as any other god was. Additionally, this task would keep him occupied for a good while.
That thought reminded him that he needed to talk with Hades, to make sure that things were well between his brother and the bride he had chosen.
Demeter nodded slowly, finding that agreement suitable. Yes. Let the one who started all this trouble help her end it! “I will send Hermes to you in the morning. Does that suit you, sister?” he asked, turning his palms upwards in a gesture of agreeability.
“It does, indeed,” the Harvest Goddess replied.
“Very good. I do wonder where she could be, though. But if anyone can track her down, it's Hermes!” Zeus replied, utmostly relieved that he had just bought himself some time.
o0o
The weak, pained cries of the child rang through the room and its mother leaned over her, making soft hushing sounds as she stroked the soft, downy hair of his scalp. Despite his clean diapers, warm blankets, and the loving attention of his mother, he still cried. He appeared to be in constant pain, often crying fitfully for no apparent reason however he was held, rocked, fed, or simply left alone in a soft nest of blankets. Sometimes he would exhaust himself from crying and would just whimper, flailing his small arms in frustration. The best physicians could not diagnose his malady, and all kinds of remedies had been tried, to no avail. It
“Whatever it is, it must be very important to you to interrupt my quiet evening at home,” Zeus said in a slightly impatient tone. Demeter frowned at her brother's attitude, but the King of the Gods maintained his facade, knowing he would have to pull off a convincing performance so she wouldn't suspect that he might know where Kora was.
“It is of dire importance, indeed. Do not take that tone with me,” Demeter stated reproachfully. Zeus might be King of the Gods, but he was her younger sibling, and owed her for the wrong he had done her. Her eyes glinted fiercely. “Kora is missing! She is to be found nowhere on the earth.”
“She is missing! My goodness, for how long?” he asked, immediately shifting to the role of concerned father.
“A fortnight. I have searched far and wide, and enlisted the help of all the spirits of Nature, but nobody knows where she is. I have used all the magic at my command, to no avail. If she is not on earth, she must be here!” She approached Zeus, towering over him, her hand shooting out to prevent him from rising off his seat.
“If she is, I have heard nothing of it!” Technically, that was the truth. After all, part of charm was choosing a genuine fact and working around it when flattery was not called for.
“Truly?”
“Truly, I swear by the Styx. I know nothing of our daughter being here on Olympus. I have left you and Kora in peace as you have asked.”
“Yet there is now no trace of her.”
“I can have other gods look for her.”
“I do not want to spread this all around Olympus!” Demeter replied, chagrined that people might think her a poor mother, unable to keep track of one child.
I don't either , Zeus thought, a plan forming in his head.
“Hermes is the one who found Kora and revealed her existence to the other gods. Why not use him to look for her? After all, he is the speediest of the gods, and good at discovering secrets. I know you are still angry with him, why not let him serve penance to you?” the King of the Gods offered astutely. As much as Hermes might search, he wouldn't look in the Underworld. He was as much wary of that place as any other god was. Additionally, this task would keep him occupied for a good while.
That thought reminded him that he needed to talk with Hades, to make sure that things were well between his brother and the bride he had chosen.
Demeter nodded slowly, finding that agreement suitable. Yes. Let the one who started all this trouble help her end it! “I will send Hermes to you in the morning. Does that suit you, sister?” he asked, turning his palms upwards in a gesture of agreeability.
“It does, indeed,” the Harvest Goddess replied.
“Very good. I do wonder where she could be, though. But if anyone can track her down, it's Hermes!” Zeus replied, utmostly relieved that he had just bought himself some time.
o0o
The weak, pained cries of the child rang through the room and its mother leaned over her, making soft hushing sounds as she stroked the soft, downy hair of his scalp. Despite his clean diapers, warm blankets, and the loving attention of his mother, he still cried. He appeared to be in constant pain, often crying fitfully for no apparent reason however he was held, rocked, fed, or simply left alone in a soft nest of blankets. Sometimes he would exhaust himself from crying and would just whimper, flailing his small arms in frustration. The best physicians could not diagnose his malady, and all kinds of remedies had been tried, to no avail. It
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