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Vol. 60 : Zeus wakes

Sleep left Hera in her sleeping husband's arms and went down to the halls beneath the sea to find Poseidon.

"Hera has distracted Zeus," he told Poseidon. "Now is your chance to help the Greeks."

Poseidon leaped onto his chariot, and he swept along top of the waves, drawn by four foam-white horses. He soon reached the Greek camp, where even now, the Trojan were forcing the Greeks back against their ships.

Invisible, he strode onto the shore. He found Ajax and filling him superhuman strength, he made him throw a massive rock at Hector. The blue-haired god guided the rock so it caught Hector right in the chest. Hector fell to the ground, vomiting black clots of blood.

The Greeks let out a great cheer and charged, eager to kill him, but Aeneas quickly dragged Hector away.

It was at this moment that Zeus awoke, and he saw what was happening below.

"Woman, what have you done?" he bellowed at Hera.

Hera went white.

"Come here," Zeus said. "I'm going to whip the life out of you."

"It wasn't me!" shrieked Hera. "It's Poseidon. It must have been his idea. I didn't know a thing about it. I would never disobey you like that, my lord."

Zeus looked at her suspiciously. He knew she might be lying, and yet he also knew how difficult his brother could be, and how sympathetic he was to the Greeks.

"Obey me from now, without a word of complaint," said Zeus, "and I may spare you your punishment." Hera nodded.

Then Zeus told her what was to happen. He told her who would die and who would live before Troy was taken. He spoke of Hector, Patroclus and Achilles. He spoke too of Sarpedon, his son, who was one of the Greeks fighting below. And once more, he vowed to punish any god who helped either side without his permission.