EPISODE 11

IN WHICH HERMES DISCOVERS THAT HE CAN FLY

Previously: Hermes has made an astounding discovery: the gods never die, thanks to nectar, the drink of immortality which flows in the palace of Olympus. He is waiting for Zeus’ return, so that he can find out what his fate will be.

Zeus came back on the morning of the ninth day. He immediately summoned Hermes to his apartments.

“Good morning, my son,” said Zeus, “how do you feel in your new house?”

“Well, father, very well, but I missed you,” murmured Hermes.

Zeus was taken aback and he was moved. Nobody spoke to him with familiarity, except his wife Hera. And no one ever seemed to be waiting for him to come back. The gods and goddesses were only too happy to manage without him on Olympus. Truth be told, the great Zeus felt very much alone here. He liked Hermes’ tenderness.

“You are not too bored?” he asked again.

Hermes looked deep into his father’s eyes: “To tell the truth, I find it difficult to stay in one place. Everything is wonderful here, but I would like to discover the wide world.” Then he lowered his eyes and added: “And I would really like to be useful for something.” Zeus was enchanted by the words of his youngest son. He suddenly had an idea.

Zeus leapt to his feet, rummaged through the contents of a chest and pulled out two golden objects which gleamed under the light. There was a flat hat, with small golden wings on each side, and a pair of sandals, also with little wings of gold. He held them out to Hermes.

“Wear this hat, put on these sandals, my son, and you will be able to go freely wherever you like.” Zeus was thrilled with the boy’s look of utter wonder. He went on: “I would like you to carry the messages that I need to have delivered everywhere in the universe. How would you like to be my messenger?” Zeus usually issued orders; he never asked for anyone’s opinion. But he did not wish to force anything upon this prancing youngster. By way of an answer, Hermes fell on Zeus’ neck, and placed a sonorous kiss on his father’s cheek. Zeus was taken aback. He was secretly thrilled, but he did not wish to show it too much: “Good, good, now calm down, my son, calm down,” he said in a voice which was meant to sound strict. “As of this moment, you must be available to carry all my messages, no matter where to, at any given moment, understood? Now leave me. But come again later and join me at five, at the small postern of the palace.”

Skipping out of the room, Hermes discovered with delight that his new hat and his new sandals allowed him to take giant strides. He began to run laughing up and down the corridors of the palace at top speed. He was having so much fun hurtling down the staircases and speeding from floor to floor that he did not see a door open in front of him. It was still early in the morning, but Hestia was in a hurry. She was going to fill all the house lamps and was carrying for that purpose a great amphora full of oil. Arriving too fast, Hermes was unable to avoid the goddess, and he crashed into her. Taken by surprise, Hestia let her amphora drop. The vase smashed on the floor, and all the oil spread everywhere! Slipping on the oil, Hermes could no longer stop himself. At the end of the corridor there was a small balcony overlooking the valley. Unable to check his momentum, the boy stumbled into the void. Hestia and her maidservants screamed out loud and rushed to see what had happened.

As he was thrown out into the void, Hermes did not have time to feel his fall. A sudden sense of lightness took hold of him. The golden wings of his hat and sandals had begun to flap, causing him to rise gracefully in the air instead of falling down. “But… but… I am flying! I am flying!” he shouted. And he began to turn somersaults in the sky, while the women on the balcony applauded. Hermes would soon become the king of aerobatics in the sky. Yet, as he let himself be carried off by the wind, he tried somewhat anxiously to guess what would happen at five, the time of his appointment with his father.

 

To be continued…