Part 28 (1/2)

Thus it was, that n.o.body thought much of the homecoming of either of the ex-rulers of the Underworld. As for the erstwhile rulers themselves, not only did they feel alien but they were not even on Olympus but in an outlandish and non-recognisable city. True, they were high up, but they gazed down upon nothing like they had known on their last visit in the world. Thirdly...Fifthly...Hundrethly...They nagged Zeus silly with their constant whining and he was reminded all too clearly why they were banished in the first place.

To find a way to transform all this crabby bad temper, and in an to attempt to achieve something more positive, Hera suggested Zeus and Themis should go a-walking with Chronos and Hades. A proper family outing. To get to know what was going on, find out what was really what. This walk took them far afield indeed. Where did they not go? The whole Earth was meticulously visited in their togetherness. Gaia smiled upon them. Reunited, her family again spread their presence and gave her hope. Time, hand in hand with Justice, all the Power of the past and the current Kingly Reign, closely arm in arm with all her 'pasts', Her 'is's and - her 'might-be's. Her future, was beginning to seem brighter. She still felt uncertainty. There was still an absence of Her full potential, something yearned for but nonetheless missing. It was there somewhere, just beyond Her reach. She sensed too, a future in which Yahweh may even now not permit His mighty hand to be defiled by Her loam. Her desire. Her female secretions. Her warm-damp places. So She was glad Her children visited Her thus and She smiled on Zeus. She perceived Hades' discomfiture and admonished him as a mother would, and he wriggled, like a child. They soared in a mind meld of historic significance; She was impressed. Zeus was still the strong one. Was he not melded with Yahweh? She was persuaded of a possible future if only Prometheus' mortals could properly use these combined strengths, running indivisibly in each of them. So She hoped and Zeus smiled on Her in his turn. Hope flowed from Her rivers, ran down her mountainsides, s.h.i.+mmied Her plates, ran currents in Her seas, wafted wetly from Her skies.

Hephaestos sat by his master, who smiling, leaned benignly on his throne. Gaia was happier. His plan could yet be done. Hades and Chronos, if not altogether convinced, were at last quiet and less surly. Hera, and her JNO were hard at work. Barboncito was pursued.

'You have made the thing?' enquired Zeus.

'Aye, Great One,' said Hephaestos.

'You will see it works for all?'

'Aye, Master,' said Hephaestos.

'Is it a hard thing to have done?'

'No my Lord. But it is without power. The thing is quite empty. I must link it to the Chronosphere.

'Ah ha!'

'I need Your Grace to give me leave.'

'Ah! Hmmm! So you do my fine Sir. So you do.You can do with it what is needed?'

'I can.'

Zeus, leaned back. Hep waited. The moment had arrived. So simply stated. It could be done. Such vast consequences, such a magnificent gift and such a loss to the givers. The greatest gift the G.o.ds could give - Themselves! - Like that - given. Zeus never doubted the scientific powers of his askew nephew. But was it really the time? Was it actually now? Once relinquished there was no return of the 'sphere to the exclusivity of the G.o.ds. This was the point of no return. Was it truly now? Even so great a G.o.d can be forgiven for the merest hesitation at such a time. He had already given all he owned and some he did not, to Yahweh as the price of this deal. But had required of Him a recognition of his own earthiness by so doing. The New Trinity existed, despite the muttering of Hades and the detached indifference of Yahweh. As long as it held so the Earthly Chronosphere was able to be given, the timelines relinquished. But, he thought to himself, 2012 was an arbitrary date, it could, after all, be later or even not at all. The choice was his. Come, come, he said to himself resolutely, enough of this. You become like that boy. Such doubts become you not. It is as I have said - it is done let us on with it!

'And of Barboncito, where is my boy and his woman?'

'Ah My Lord, this is not for me to know. You must ask Hera. Or you must use the 'sphere to summon your child.'

'He still has the net I gave him?'

'He would be foolish to have lost my net,' grinned Hep, reminding Zeus unnecessarily, by whom the object had been made.

'Ha! - You make things well. You realise if I give them the 'sphere, they will have access to all that we know. All that I know! All you know! All that His Ones.h.i.+p knows!'

As far as Hep was concerned this was part of the original plan. He couldn't help wondering why Zeus was being so reticent about the handing-over of the 'sphere.

'Wonder not my twisty giant,' said Zeus rising from his throne and beginning to pace in a way that made Hephaestos uncomfortable. 'I find myself up against my own planning. I ought to know by now not to set arbitrary deadlines. I have set myself a game-plan which I have pa.s.sed to others and it has left my control. Stupid, stupid...' He muttered as he paced, appearing to ignore Hep's presence. 'Why pick a date? I could have done it any time. Said nothing to anyone, merely willed it when I was ready. But no, not I, I had to be grand, make the large gesture! Tell me,' he addressed Hep again. 'If I give the Chronosphere to them now how will it work?'

Hep told him as simply as possible and as far as he knew. When he had finished, Zeus clasped him warmly to his heart, a difficult thing to accomplish given Hep's bulk.

'Do it then, just do it, I leave it to you. Do it!' and he almost ran out of the chamber. He went at speed to Olympus itself.

Where else should he go to witness his achievement? This conjoining of all the elements of Time.

There, alone, in his own and proper place, he made his arrangements. First he saw that Hephaestos finished his work. Then he summoned nymphs who came and went bearing wondrous gifts for kings of G.o.ds. Food for G.o.ds. Pleasures for G.o.ds. They came loaded down with fine decorations, folderol's and baubles of every kind. The Divine Residence had been sorely neglected. Then he summonsed the other Eleven, plus the recently arrived two. The Fourteen held court in fresh, l.u.s.trous, splendour. Much clamour was heard on the Chronosphere, though thanks to Hep little was intelligible to other listeners. They spoke and argued long and loud. Zeus was, for once, serene. The Eleven, plus two, talked until they could say no more. Round and round they went. On and on they argued until eventually utterly exhausted, they one by one eventually fell silent until there was no activity on the Earthly Chronosphere. A thing that had never, ever, happened before.

Never, since the Creation, had they all been thus quieted. It was an appalling moment. This sudden, unexpected and terrible void. An alien stillness supplanted the formerly active, noisy, endlessly fascinating Chronosphere of the many G.o.ds of Gaia. It was truly a cutting off of the timelines. But without warning. That was the thing. They had known it was coming sometime - but now? Like this? The very heartbeat of the G.o.ds, the constant thrum of their timelines - was ceased. All was silence. A fell black-hole of nothing, pulling into itself the vastness of its aeons. The world held its breath, and held it, kept holding, for too, too, too long a time. It was insupportable. Every immortal felt the dread absence as the end of their contact with creation itself. There was no past, no present, no future.

NO TIME!

NOTHING!

NO IMMORTALS!