Julia was feeling cranky. Ever since the boys had left for the banquet, Markos' mother and sister had kept Julia busy.
They'd all cooked and eaten a quick dinner, then gone to work cleaning and tidying the entire house.
"I wonder what Brody is doing right now," Julia thought as she scrubbed another cooking pot.
"Whatever it is, I bet it's more fun than this."
"Oh dear," Markos' mother said, interrupting Julia's grumpy thoughts.
"We are nearly out of water. One of us had better fetch more from the fountain in the agora."
"I'll do it," Julia said before the other girl could respond. "I'm finished cleaning this thing anyway."
She set the pot aside, and then she grabbed one of the large decorated jars used for collecting water from the public fountain.
She hurried out of the house, glad for any kind of distraction from boring housework.
It was a clear evening with a pleasant breeze, and it felt good to be outside.
Julia took her time walking toward the agora.
She was in no hurry to get back to her chores.
Hearing the faint sound of music, she paused and peered down a side street.
At the far end stood the Temple of Hera.
"I bet that music is coming from the banquet," Julia murmured.
She couldn't resist turning onto the street and walking past the first few houses.
The music got louder, and soon Julia could also hear the sounds of laughing, talking, and singing.
The noise was coming from a building close to the temple.
She stopped in front of the building, the largest home on the street.
Several guards stood near the front door.
The youngest guard eyed Julia suspiciously, but Julia ignored him.
"I'd love to slip inside the building," she thought, "and get a look at the celebration."
Plus, she couldn't help feeling a little worried about Brody, and also about Heracles.
Would the other gods try to play their usual dangerous pranks at the banquet?
"You!" the young guard snapped. "What do you want here? This is a private party."
Julia opened her mouth to answer. Before she could get out any words, the door burst open and a slim, pale goddess came out.
Julia didn't recognize her. The guards immediately bowed deeply.
"We trust you are enjoying the evening, Lethe," the oldest guard said politely.
"Lethe," Julia thought. "I thought that was the name of a river.
Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a river in Hades.
I guess it's the name of a goddess too."
Lethe ignored the guards. She had a dreamy expression on her face as she drifted toward the street.
"You, young dancer," Lethe said when she spotted Julia. "Did you see me inside?"
"What?" Julia said, startled. "Inside? Uh, no."
"Good." Lethe turned her dreamy smile in the direction of the building.
"I wish I could stay at the banquet longer.
But Hera feared that the other gods might guess our plans."
"Your . . . your plans?" Julia swallowed nervously. "What plans?"
"I cannot reveal them to you, young dancer," Lethe replied, her smile widening.
"It's really Hera's plan anyway. All I had to do was deliver a very special drink to the banquet.
It's Hera's job to ensure that some of her champion's competitors take a nice, long sip . . ." Her laugh made Julia shiver.
"Wait," Julia said. "What kind of drink? Which competitors?"
"I'm afraid I cannot answer your questions," Lethe replied dreamily.
"Good night, young dancer." She looked past Julia and started for the street again.
Julia was alarmed by what she'd heard.
"Wait!" she exclaimed, and she reached out to stop the goddess.
As soon as she touched Lethe's arm, Julia's body went limp and her mind went blank.
Suddenly she couldn't remember who or where she was, or anything else.
Then Lethe pulled away, and Julia's memories returned in a rush.
She staggered backward, clutching her water jar tightly and gulping for air.
What had just happened? Julia stared at the goddess.
"Now I remember the river Lethe," she thought.
"It's the river of forgetfulness and oblivion.
Only the dead are meant to drink its waters."
She turned to look at the house.
Were Hera and Lethe working together to poison Heracles?
"No," Julia murmured aloud.
Hera wanted Heracles alive and well until the Games began so that she could force Zeus to send his champion to Tartarus.
Julia was certain of that.
That meant Lethe's poison drink was meant for someone else.
"Maybe Hera wants to kill, or harm, all the other athletes so her champion will be the one to defeat Heracles," Julia thought.
She shuddered. That definitely sounded like something Hera would do.
"Brody!" Julia whispered. She had to warn him!
She rushed up to the entrance. "Halt," one of the guards said. "Invited guests only."
"But my friend is in there," Julia said. "I have to talk to him. Please? I just need to go in for a second."
The youngest guard laughed. "I'd love to hear what Hera would say if we let a mortal girl into the banquet," he said.
The other guards chuckled.
"Go away, little girl," one of them said.
"It doesn't look right for you to be hanging around in the street."
But another guard, a slender, shifty-eyed man, was staring at Julia's water jar.
"That's quite a fancy hydria," he said.
"Is it yours? I'd trade my finest goat for a jar like that."
Julia gritted her teeth. She was in no mood to talk about water jars and goats.
If she didn't figure out a way to get into the banquet right now, Brody could be in big trouble!
"I have to do something!" she thought, feeling desperate. "But what?"