"And then Athena started yelling at Aphrodite."
Brody's voice was shaky as he told his story.
"I just put on my old chiton and sandals and got out of there."
Julia had always seen Brody looking cocky and confident.
But right now he seemed upset and unsure of himself.
He'd come rushing out of the bath ten minutes earlier, babbling about almost being poisoned.
She and Markos had led him to a private spot outside the gymnasium, where he'd told them the whole story of Aphrodite's visit.
"Wow," Julia said. "And Athena mentioned Zeus' wife, Hera?"
"Yeah," Brody said. "She seemed to think Aphrodite and Hera were working together or something."
"That makes sense," Julia said, thinking back on the Greek myths she'd read.
"I mean, it sounds like something Hera might do.
It reminds me of the story about the Shirt of Nessus."
"The shirt of what?" Brody looked blank.
"Never mind, I'll tell you about it some other time," Julia said.
"But what about trying to escape? Are you ready now?"
Brody thought for a second. "Maybe," he said. "But how?"
"We need to find a way to sneak into the Temple of Caerus." Julia glanced at Markos. "Will you help us?"
She expected him to say no. To her surprise, however, Markos looked thoughtful.
"Did Athena truly say that Hera and Aphrodite were working together?" he asked. "Because that would be quite unusual."
"Why?" Brody said. "Wouldn't anyone want to work with Aphrodite?"
Julia looked at him in astonishment. "She just tried to kill you, dummy! You can't still have a crush on her!"
Looking unhappy, Brody shrugged.
Markos looked troubled now. "Both Hermes and my father have ordered me to keep you safe," he told Brody.
"But if Hera is after you, there is no safety for you in Olympia. Or anywhere in Greece, for that matter.
Once Hera develops a grudge against someone, she won't stop until she's destroyed him."
He shuddered. "Even Zeus himself is not always safe."
"That's why we need to get home," Julia said. "Back to our own time."
She looked at Markos. Would he help them? Or would he tell Hermes what they were planning?
She and Brody had told Markos about the time passage in the temple on their first night in Greece.
But Markos hadn't said much in response. Julia wasn't sure he believed they'd really come from the future.
Finally Markos nodded. "I will try to help," he said.
"In return, I ask only that you not tell Hermes that I did so.
If he learns of my help, he will be angry and could even take out that anger on my father or the rest of my family."
"Don't worry," Julia said. "Once we get out of here, we're planning never to see Hermes again.
Now listen, I've been thinking about this, and I have some ideas about how we could get away. . ."
The three of them spent the rest of the day concocting their plan. By dinnertime Julia was feeling confident.
Hermes and Caerus entered the courtyard and took their seats at the table, just as they'd done the evening before.
Julia watched from the doorway as Hermes started talking to Brody about his plans for training.
Finally he turned away to talk with Markos' father.
Julia hurried over to serve Brody a second helping of grilled fish.
"You know what to do, right?" she whispered, glad for once that the girls and women of the household waited on the men and boys.
Brody shoved some figs in his mouth. "You know, I'll miss some of this food," he mumbled.
"Shh!" Julia shot a worried look at Hermes.
But Markos' father was telling a joke, and Hermes and Caerus were chuckling and paying no attention to Brody.
Julia thought the meal would never end. But at last the two gods stood up from the table.
"We must go," Hermes announced. He looked at Brody.
"Be ready early tomorrow, my champion. We have much to do."
"Okay," Brody said.
Julia was relieved. Hermes and Caerus always went to the agora to hang out with their god friends after dinner.
She hoped they would stay away long enough for the kids' plan to work.
"Oops!" she said, intentionally spilling water on Brody.
"Hey!" Brody blustered. "Oh! I mean, um, I'd better change clothes."
Julia glared at him. It was a good thing he was talented at football, because he wasn't much of an actor!
Luckily Markos was much better. He turned to Julia. "Fetch us a dry chiton immediately."
"Of course," Julia said. She rushed off.
Moments later all three met outside the house.
"That was pretty slick," Brody said with a grin.
"Do you think we convinced your family, Markos?"
Markos cast an anxious look at the house. "We should hurry," he said.
"I'll be missed if I don't return soon."
"You don't have to come with us," Julia told him.
"It's not as if we'll get lost on the way to the temple."
She gestured to the pale stone building, which was glowing in the moonlight above them. "We can see it from here."
"It's all right," Markos said. "I should come along in case you run into any trouble."
The three of them started for the path to the temple.
Brody was in the lead as they rounded a turn.
"Almost there," he said over his shoulder. "I think there's—ah!"
He jumped back, startled, as something burst from a bush beside the trail.
There was a flapping of wings and a loud caw!
Brody laughed with relief. "Oh, man," he said. "It's just a bird."
"A raven," Markos said, smiling.
"Let's keep moving," Julia said, pushing ahead.
"With any luck we should be there in less than—"
She gasped as a tall form stepped out of the shadows just ahead.
"Good evening, young mortals," Hera said. "Going somewhere?"