"Hera, my powers are great," said Sleep. "I could put the ocean to sleep if I wanted to. But not Zeus. I did this once before for you. Remember how angry he was afterward? He hunted me down and would have killed me if Night had not protected me. Even Zeus is careful not to anger Night, for she can overpower both men and gods."
"That was different," Hera said impatiently. "He was angry because we wanted to kill Heracles, his son. He won't be as angry about the Trojans as he was about his own son. In any case, I will give you one of the Graces in marriage if you will do this for me."
Sleep immediately agreed.
So the two of them went to where Zeus sat watching the battle. Sleep hid himself in a pine tree nearby as Hera approached her husband.
"Greetings, my lord," she said.
Zeus turned and his jaw dropped. At the sight of the beautiful Hera, he was filled with lust for her body.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I am going to help two gods who have been fighting."
"Why hurry? What difference does another day make? Stay with me for a while."
Hera could see that her husband lusted after her, and she pretended to blush.
"You want to make love to me here — on top of this mountain — where everyone can see? Think of the scandal that will cause?"
"No fear, Hera. I will wrap us in a golden cloud so thick that no one can see us, not even the sun."
And he wrapped them in a cloud and made long and passionate love to his wife, and when they were spent, Sleep made Zeus sleep.
"Now quickly," Hera said to Sleep. "Go and give this message to Poseidon."
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