Julia was shocked at the size of the crowd gathered in the agora.
Once again she and the two boys had to climb onto a rooftop to see what was going on.
"Hey! Check it out!" Brody said, pointing to something in the ground. "What is that?"
"It looks like a huge pit," Julia said. "Where did that come from? It wasn't there before."
"I'm guessing it's Hades' work," Markos said. "Zeus probably asked him to create it.
See? Zeus is making Heracles carry cattle up from the bottom."
Julia squinted to see better. Sure enough, she soon spotted Heracles climbing the rough dirt wall of the pit.
He had a full-grown cow slung across his broad shoulders.
Several more cows were milling around at the bottom of the pit, looking confused.
The animal Heracles was holding was mooing with fear and kicking its hooves. But Heracles hardly seemed to notice.
Within moments he climbed out of the pit and set the cow in front of Zeus, who was standing on the dais.
"Behold my hero!" the king of the gods shouted.
The crowd cheered as Heracles returned to the pit and started climbing back down.
"Look, Iphicles is standing behind Zeus," Markos said.
"You're right." Julia peered at Heracles' brother.
"He doesn't look very happy about what's happening."
"Maybe he's worried that Zeus is making Heracles work too hard," Brody suggested.
"He might wear him out before the Games."
Julia shot Brody a questioning look. Was he still hoping he could beat Heracles at the Games?
But Brody just looked worried as he watched Heracles bring another cow out of the pit.
"Behold!" Zeus cried again. "And my champion is not even tired!
You might as well award me—I mean Heracles—the Olympic champion's laurel wreath right now!"
"No chance of that, Zeus," Apollo called from the crowd.
He was standing with Artemis and Hermes.
"The Games will proceed as planned, and we'll have to wait to see who emerges as champion."
"That's right." Hera stepped into view from behind Zeus.
Zeus jumped, clearly startled by his wife's sudden appearance.
"Oh, good," he said. "My lovely wife has arrived."
Hera stepped closer to Zeus. Iphicles sidled away, looking nervous. The crowd went silent.
"Did you come to cheer on my champion, my dear?" Zeus asked with a smirk.
"Hardly." Hera peered over the edge of the pit at Heracles.
He was climbing up with another cow across his shoulders.
Hera waved her hand.
A shimmer of amber light filled the agora, and suddenly all the cattle disappeared, including the one Heracles was carrying.
Heracles gasped, thrown off balance by the abrupt disappearance of his heavy burden.
"Oh no!" Julia exclaimed as the hero started to slip down the crumbling wall of the pit.
But Heracles caught himself a moment later.
The crowd sighed with relief as he climbed out of the pit.
"That was a nasty trick," Zeus said, glaring at Hera.
"I thought we all agreed not to tamper with one another's mortals."
"They did?" Brody said. He sounded surprised.
"Because they seem to tamper with us a lot."
"I know," Markos said. "But I think they all agree to . . . well, they agree to avoid killing one another's' mortals."
Julia grimaced, shocked once again by the way the gods sometimes acted. They could be really brutal.
"Save your blustering, husband," Hera was telling Zeus.
She walked around Heracles, studying him closely.
"I'm much more interested in hearing exactly where you found this champion of yours."
"What difference does it make where I found him?" Zeus retorted.
"The important thing is that he's going to defeat all others at the Games."
"Why the secrecy, husband?" Hera asked. "Is there something you're not telling us?
Because I sense a strange quality about this mortal hero of yours."
Julia traded looks with Markos. Had Hera put a little extra emphasis on the word mortal?
"Do you think she does suspect the truth?" Julia whispered.
Markos shrugged. "If she does, Heracles will be the one to pay the price."
Zeus didn't look worried. "Question me all you like, wife.
The answers will come at the Games when Heracles wins every event."
"Oh? How certain are you of that outcome?" Hera demanded. "Would you be willing to make a bet?"
Zeus looked suspicious. "A bet? Why would I do that?
I'm not greedy—the laurel wreath will be enough reward for me and my champion."
"Oh, come on, Zeus," Hermes called out.
"A friendly bet might make things more interesting."
"Yes," Ares added from elsewhere in the crowd.
"Your Heracles is impressive, but so are our champions."
"Unless you're afraid of the outcome, husband?" Hera said, sneering.
Zeus frowned. "I fear nothing, and neither does my champion."
He clapped Heracles on the back. "Isn't that right, boy?"
"Yes, Zeus," Heracles replied quietly.
"What was that?" Artemis called out. "I couldn't hear you.
Did you just tell Zeus you doubt you can beat all our champions at every event?"
"He said no such thing!" Zeus roared. His face was going red with annoyance.
"We'll beat you all, mark my words. To prove it, I'll accept any bet you're willing to make."
"Good," Hera said immediately. "Because here are my terms."
Julia held her breath. What would Hera say next?
"If Heracles wins every event, you may do as you wish with all the other champions," Hera said.
"Kill them, make them your slaves, anything."
"What?" Brody gulped. His eyes were wide as he turned to Julia. "Did you hear that?"
Julia nodded, and then glanced at the other gods in the crowd, expecting some of them to protest.
But they were all listening with interest.
"However," Hera went on, "if anyone beats your champion at just one contest, you must promise to throw Heracles into Tartarus with your own hands."
The crowd gasped, but Zeus didn't hesitate.
"It's a deal!" he agreed firmly.