The God of Olympus (16 page)

             
Hercules did not know what stone the palace was crafted of, but again it seemed like it was made of the same material as the fountain and the wall.  There were no cracks that he could see in the exterior and, as opposed to any palace in the Greek World, there were no sculptures or images of Greek Gods or heroes.  Hercules found this to be odd, for all the palaces he had been too had some kind of statue or relief sculpture of a God in the palace or on the palace itself.

             
“This is your garden?  And that is your palace?” asked Hercules. 

             
Meg smiled and nodded.

             
“Did you create all of this?  Did you build that great palace?” asked Hercules.

             
“No, a God did,” said Meg.

             
“What God?  What God created this for you?”

             
“A God who lives far away from this island now,” replied Meg, as she thought of Hades.  Hercules didn’t know exactly what God Meg was referring to, but got distracted by everything around him that he dropped the subject.

             
“I will take you on a tour of everything!”

             
So for several minutes Meg led Hercules and Pegasus through the garden.  Meg would often turn back to Hercules, smile, and point to a nearby bush or tree and say, “And this is my apple tree, or this is my olive tree.”  She seemed very acquainted with everything there in her garden.  As they followed her up towards her palace he saw wild olive trees, pear trees, pomegranate trees, apple trees, fig trees, and all sorts of trees.  Bushes and grasses of all kinds dominated the landscape.  Hercules could not describe the place except that it possessed a type of “natural order.”  He could tell that the plants and trees were kept in order, but it was not a type of order that a human would or could create.  The trees and plants did not grow in a line or to a certain established height, but to a height that individual tree or plant preferred, as if every tree and plant had its own personality.

             
It seemed like Meg could read Hercules’ mind when she said, “No one needs to tend the garden, because the nature here possesses its own order and beauty.  There are no statues or temples to your Gods here.  Nature is perfect here, for there is nothing that is man-made.  There is nothing here to corrupt!”

             
“So it is just us two on this whole island?” asked Hercules.

             
Meg nodded.  “And the animals…the birds…the rabbits…all forms of peaceful life.  I assure you Hercules…here you will find a place away from all the evil of the outside world.  Anytime you like you may pluck of the fruit of these trees.  These trees possess fruit that is most delicious.”              “Have others not tried them?”

             
“No,” said Meg slyly, but confidently. “Others have not.”

             
“Has anyone else been to this island?” asked Hercules.

             
“No mortal,” replied Meg. “You are the first.”

             
Hercules felt this was odd, but paid little heed.

             
“What about the weather?  I am sure that the trees are not always green and do not always produce fruit.”

             
“Oh, but that is where you are wrong Hercules,” said Meg.  “I don’t suppose you have been on a magical island before.”

             
Hercules shook his head.  “No, I have, but not like this one.”

             
Meg smiled.  “Here Hercules, I have everything that I ever need.  Food here lasts me an eternity.  There is no change of season here, yet I feel the effect of all seasons here.  Sometimes I feel the frost.  In others I feel the warmth.  In others I feel the dampness and yet in others I feel the dryness.  In this place all weather is melded into one.  Now come Hercules!  You must see the inside of my palace and then I will have a bounteous meal prepared for you!”

             
Meg approached the long stairway that led up to her palace, but then she stopped and turned around.  “I am sorry, but your…”  Meg looked down at the large, white, winged horse and suddenly realized she didn’t know what she would call the creature.

             
“Pegasus,” said Hercules.

             
“Yes, your ‘Pegasus’ may wander in the garden wherever he likes, but he may not enter into my palace.  Do not worry.  You may feed him after we are done.”

             
Hercules turned back and looked down to Pegasus, who seemed upset that he could not go with Hercules.  Hercules figured that he did not like this woman in the first place and so this was not good news for him.  “Please Pegasus; it will be just a few minutes…”

             
Pegasus snarled and backed away into the garden.  “He will get over it,” said Meg reassuringly.  Meg extended her arm to Hercules as a great invitation for him to enter.

             
“Made by magic this place was, and not by mortal hands!”

             
Hercules did not take her hand, but followed her into her palace. In front of his was a grand living room, held up by columns along the edge of the room.  Silver and gold tables and chairs of different sized were arranged neatly all around her palace.  Even her bed frame was gold.  Paintings of the garden and of the oceans hung on the walls in her palace, but Hercules noticed that there were no pictures or statues of any Gods, which was much different than Pericles’ palace.

             
On the first level there were many rooms, which Hercules found surprising considering it was just her living on the island.  They all had hard rock white floors that seemed spotless. She had a large kitchen with an elaborated carved gold table.

             
There were no statues in the palace, although there were columns and decorations.  Hercules found that there were no lights at all or any torches, but large natural windows at various points throughout the house through which natural light could enter.  Hercules again figured that this was to add to the feeling of naturality that pervaded the island.

             
The only backyard she had, before the sharp cliff drop-off, was a small courtyard surrounded by a columned patio.  Then, in the center of the courtyard, was a fountain that looked identical to the fountain he had seen earlier.  “This is my fountain—a fountain which you are not to drink.  Should you drink of its water you would surely die.”

             
Meg then led Hercules up to the second level of her palace where Hercules saw one large room with walls on two sides and columns on the other two sides.  Hanging up against the walls were many different items.  Some were old weapons, such as the sword and shield (many of which were very rusted).  Some were not weapons at all, but ancient cultural objects, such as stone tablets with foreign writing on it.  Against the wall were small tables with different sized vases on the top.  Some of the vases were partially broken.

             
“Many people in the past have lived on the island and these are the remnants of what remain of these people,” said Meg.  Meg led him through the columns towards a small balcony on the north side of the room.  Hercules found there was low railing to prevent falling.  From there Hercules could see that the entire palace itself was on a large cliff overlooking the great sea.  For miles down the cliff descended and as far as the eye could see the sea continued.  “This is the balcony of my second level,” said Meg.  “But come now to my third level.  You will like the view from there even better.”  Hercules nodded and followed Meg up another short flight of stairs.

             
He was surprised to find that the third level was even simpler than the first and second level.  It was small, had a balcony and columns on all sides, but only had a few pieces of furniture in it (although the furniture was all elegantly crafted and made of gold, silver, and bronze).  “This is where I often sit,” explained Meg as she sat down in one of the chairs.  “I can sit and feel the ocean breeze.  But come!  On to the final level!”

             
So Meg led Hercules up another small stairway to the top room.  The top room was the most obscure room.  It was a square room that was completely empty and was not more than ten feet in diameter.  It had a small balcony on both the north and the south side, but even the balcony was small.  “This is the grand and most pure room!” exclaimed Meg.

             
“But there is nothing here?”

             
“Nothing in your mind,” replied Meg.  “But much in mine.  Here you may come to clear your mind from all the commotion of the world and all burden.”  Hercules watched as Meg stood out on the front porch and raised her hands and head towards the heavens.  “Here you may feel the fresh air blow against your body.”

             
Hercules approached the balcony and held onto the railing so he would not fall.  From the south side of the balcony Hercules could see from a distance the entire expanse of her garden.  It truly was a grand garden that would take much time to see and explore.

             
“Do you like the view?” asked Meg.

             
Hercules smiled.  “Yes, I like it very much.”

             
“Good, my entire house and island, for that matter, is open to you Hercules.  Now come downstairs!  I will make a great meal for you.”

             
Hercules nodded and descended to the first level of the palace where he waited as Meg set the table with all her bounteous fruits and vegetables, placed in bowls throughout the table.  There were two great goblets, and in the goblets was a delicious wine.  “Hercules, come and eat!  It is now ready.”

             
Hercules looked over at Meg and smiled.  Meg sat on the south end of the table while Meg motioned for Hercules to sit on the north side.  Hercules looked down at his plate.  He filled it with all kinds of fruits.  He then looked at the liquid in the goblet.  “Made from the grapes of this garden,” said Meg.  “It is finer and more delicious than any other.”

             
Hercules took a sip and nodded.  “Of certain, this is most delicious.”

             
Hercules wanted to talk with Meg, but he was far too hungry for this, and instead spent the entire meal devouring what food was there.  On occasion he would look over and see Meg eating some of her food, but not much.

             
The rest of the meal consisted of Hercules picking fruit and vegetables from the bowls set out for him.  He ate apples, cherries, olives, oranges, carrots, and just about any kind of fruit and vegetable he could.  After he had eaten he asked for permission to go outside and feed Pegasus.  “Very well,” said Meg.  “He may eat of anything in the garden.  Go and I will be with you shortly.”

             
Hercules went out and fed Pegasus some of the fruits of the garden.  He walked in the garden with Pegasus by his side, tossing him a piece of fruit or vegetable when he could.  Hercules enjoyed tossing the food in different directions to see if Pegasus could still catch it with his mouth.  Hercules and Pegasus both enjoyed the beautiful weather and the peace and serenity. Hercules pulled out a pear from the pear tree and ate it.

             
Suddenly Meg appeared behind him.  “It is wonderful isn’t?” said Meg.  “This garden.”

             
Hercules found something quite odd.  The sun had completely descended and everything should have been dark.  But it wasn’t.  The garden and all the plants in it seemed to glow.  It wasn’t a very apparent glow, for you had to look hard to notice it at all.  But it was a glow powerful enough to allow him to see wherever he went.

             
What was an apparent glow was the glow Meg emitted.  Meg seemed like a great God as she walked around with a bright light emanating from her.  This made Hercules all the more fascinated with her.

             
“Yes,” replied Hercules, surprised by her suddenly intrusion.  “I must admit that I have seen nothing like this in all of my life—in all of Greece.  Yes, well this is a special place just as you are special Hercules.”

             
“Tell me, what brought you here?” asked Hercules.  “Have you always lived here?”

             
Meg sighed.  “I have not.  For a long period of time I lived on the Greek mainland.  You see, Hercules, I was once adamant that humanity could be saved, that the world of Greece was worth fighting for.  I even snuck into the army with the belief that love and hope was real in the Greek world.  But I found that this was not true.”

             
“I refuse to believe that is true,” replied Hercules.  “I believe in love.  I doubt anything could make me not believe in it.”

             
Meg let a happy smile slip.  She had been a wraith so long, and under Hades’ banner, that she had very much forgot about belief and love and to see this suddenly made her a little happier, at least for a moment.

             
Suddenly she watched as Hercules pulled out a flower from the ground and handed it to Meg.  “I certainly believe in love here.”