Present Day
Atlantis
The gods and goddesses who came from Olympia were busy driving the military forces of the Earth away from Atlantis.
Demeter found her weather machine behind the picture on her office wall and sent a terrible thunderstorm through the city. Zeus applied his awful thunderbolt and lightning for added effect. This prevented the planes from making it to Atlantis, so the pilots turned back their course for safer skies.
Poseidon released a couple of sea creatures, such as the great leviathan, to terrorize the people on ships. This, in turn, made the captains turn around and go back home. Hades released the creatures of the deep Underworld, such as gigantic snakes and thousands of locusts, to drive the people out of the city. Ares sent out a group of powerful fighting robots whose mission was not to kill anyone but to threaten them enough so the people would have no choice but to flee from them.
Once the people realized they could not defeat the robots and were being pursued by locusts and snakes, they decided it was time to evacuate the city. The entire time, Athena kept watch over the city and notified the other Olympians of their progress.
While they did this, their energy was starting to dwindle, for their replacements were beginning to mature and would soon be ready to take over Atlantis. Athena and Ares were the only ones who were not affected since they were not part of the original six leaders who had established the thriving empire.
Athena hoped it wouldn’t take Queen Amanda and the Infer too much longer before they returned to the present time. She didn’t like the way Zeus was beginning to fade in front of her. Time was running out…and fast.
***
Thousands of years in the past
Atlantis
Pallid led Amanda to the entrance of the Underworld and opened the door. She glanced down the stairs and shivered in dread. This wasn’t going to be the most pleasant place she ever went to.
“I’ll go first,” he told her, noting her apprehension. “There’s nothing to worry about until you encounter Cerebus.”
“Cerebus? The three-headed dog?”
“You know a lot about the leaders and the creatures in this city. Are Razians and Olympians good friends?”
“The queen and the Olympians are,” she clarified. She couldn’t tell him about the Special Alliance they shared since that knowledge was privy only to the queen and, upon her judgment, the king of Raz.
“So the Olympians don’t concern themselves with the people of Raz?” he asked.
“Not unless they are in danger. And there are more than just people on Raz. There are other species with human intelligence. We have fairies, centaurs, goblins, fauns… It’s a pretty diverse place.”
“Earth has many species on it, but none of the animals are as advanced as humans, though there are times when I have to wonder about some people,” he joked.
Amanda tried to figure out why he was laughing, but she didn’t understand his meaning.
He grinned. “Your mother would know what I’m talking about.” He began his descent down the steps.
She carefully followed him, holding onto the ivory rail. “You speak fondly of my mother,” she noted. “Do you still wish to be with her?”
“No. I know she is much better off with your father. I do admire her for her strong convictions. Actually, in that way, you remind me of her. Your parents did a fine job in raising you.”
After a few seconds of silence, she asked, “Did you have parents?”
He shook his head. “Infers were created in a laboratory. We lived in a common house with nannies who cared for us. The leader, Athena, was the one who gave us our instruction. Once we grew into adulthood, we were paired up for marriage and given our own apartment to live in.”
“It sounds like a lonely childhood.”
“I didn’t know any better, so it didn’t feel that way. In many ways, it prepared us for living the life we were meant to live. We were the keepers of memories, so we never did fit in well with other people.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs.
She frowned at the dismal corridor. “How long do we have to go before we find my sister and Jake?”
“A little ways. It’s not the walk that will bother you. It’s the sound of misery from the people who groan that will put a chill down your spine.”
She didn’t like hearing this, but she had no choice but to walk with him.
The silence was deafening at first, but as they continued to walk, she began to notice a sound in the distance. To her surprise, the sound she heard wasn’t the sound of pain and misery. Instead, it was the sound of joy and laughter.
Pallid frowned. “That’s odd. I don’t recall hearing this before.”
“What does it mean?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. It has to be good though. If you were here with me when I came down here last time, then you would know this is a major improvement.”
“Was that when you went to be with your wife?”
He nodded.
“And you would have spent the rest of your life down here, even in a miserable place, to be with her?” she asked.
“That was the plan.”
“Wow. I can’t think of any man who would do something like that for someone he loved except for my dad.”
“Yes, well, my wife died a long time ago.”
“Do you miss her at all?”
He glanced at her and shook his head in amusement. “You never tire of asking questions, do you?”
“How else am I supposed to learn anything?”
“Your point is well made. To satisfy your curiosity, I did miss her for many years, but then I realized it was better to be by myself than married to someone who didn’t love me. So really, I guess she did me a favor without realizing it.”
“I want to marry for love. I know you will think it’s silly, but there is a tremendous amount of pressure for the queen to marry as soon as she receives her title. The entire planet depends on her for its survival, and as soon as she assumes the throne, there is a sense of urgency for her to have a daughter. That daughter will be the next Queen of Raz, and she’ll put everyone at ease because the planet will be safe for another generation. It doesn’t make it any easier when you know the only reason so many men are courting you is because they hope to be the next king. The king is the most honored position. His duties are to give the queen a daughter and serve her.”
“I can’t imagine many Earth men being satisfied with that arrangement,” he said. “Men on this planet like to be the leaders. They don’t relish the idea of serving a woman. Though, not many women like the idea of serving a man either. So I guess it balances itself out.”
“My dad says that service to the queen is not a chore but a labor of love.”
“I suppose that is what makes a good marriage then. You can do something for the other person, and it comes from the heart.”
“Exactly. That is how it should be.”
“You are close to your dad.”
She nodded. “Yes. My sister is closer to my mother. My brother pretty much fits in with them equally.” She took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she asked the question that would test her theory. “Would you find it demeaning to serve a woman?”
He thought her question over before answering. “Not if she was the right kind of woman. Infers spend their lives serving the leaders, so service is almost second nature to me. Love is the crucial ingredient, as you already pointed out. There’s nothing worse than being married and finding out your spouse doesn’t love you. So when you choose the king, make sure you love him and he loves you.”
When they arrived at Cerebus’ lair, she cringed at the sight of the three-headed dog. She had seen pictures of him, but he was imposing in real life.
“I remember him well,” Pallid whispered to her.
Cerebus growled at him.
“I see he remembers me too,” he dryly added.
“Cerebus, we need to get my sister, Katherine, and her friend, Jake, out of here,” Amanda informed the dog. “We have crucial business to tend to.”
The dog seemed to consider her statement.
She sighed in frustration. It wasn’t as if she could tell the beast she was on a mission as the Queen of Raz. She didn’t even exist in this time period.
“Let her pass,” the old man told the dog.
Cerebus immediately backed away, his posture no longer threatening.
“Thank you,” she told the old man, glad for his interruption.
“You, however, must stay here,” the old man told Pallid.
“He’s with me,” Amanda said. “We need to go see my sister, Katherine, and her friend, Jake.”
“I have dealt with this Infer before,” the old man began, “but I will allow him to come because of you.”
Amanda wondered at the old man’s hesitation to allow Pallid passage through the Underworld. She glanced at Pallid for any clues, but his face was expressionless. She sighed and obediently followed the old man into the boat. Pallid sat beside her, his cane firmly in hand. She sensed his unease. She shifted uncomfortably in the boat, too aware of how close he sat next to her, their arms slightly touching each other.
“Your sister,” the old man said. “You said her name is Katherine?”
“Yes,” she answered, glad for the distraction.
“Katherine has been a blessing to us down here. We will miss her, but we know she is due to return to the world above ground.”
“She’s been a blessing?” Amanda asked.
“She brought laughter to this place. What was once a world of misery and despair has become a place of joy. Persephone is the one who made it work, but Katherine was the one who gave her the ideas of what to do to make this a better place to live.”
Amanda didn’t know what to say. She marveled that her sister could accomplish such a tremendous feat. From what she had heard of this place, it was nearly impossible to bring anything good here, yet her sister had done just that. She recalled that the Great Magician had told Katherine she was meant to do something great on another planet, and the Augurs insisted Katherine be the one to accompany her on this mission instead of Matthew. Perhaps Katherine had come with her for this very reason.
She took note of her surroundings. The place was dreary on the surface, but she noted the happiness on people’s faces as they sat outside their dwellings and talked with each other. Women and men took care of children. One child in a wheelchair was playing ball with another child. She even noted that several men and women seemed to be in the stages of falling in love. She saw several people planting flowers along the sparse gardens, which had a couple of trees for food.
“Wow,” Pallid whispered in her ear. “Your sister was responsible for all of this?”
“Is it that different?”
He shook his head in wonder. “This isn’t anything like it used to be.”
The old man stopped his boat at a dock in front of Hades’ mansion. “There is a wedding celebration today, so Hades and Persephone will be busy entertaining guests.”
“Hades and Persephone just got married?” she asked, incredulous. She had been used to them being married, so it was a shock to think it just happened now.
“Another thing Katherine managed to accomplish.” The old man smiled as he helped her out.
“She was responsible for their marriage?”
“Persephone wanted to marry Hades, but the misery of this place and her mother’s controlling behavior kept her from doing so until Katherine solved both problems.”
“Amazing,” Amanda thought aloud, her head spinning from the revelation. Could it be that Katherine interfered with the balance of time and was the reason for Hades and Persephone’s marriage in their future? Amanda had often wondered why the Olympians often fondly spoke of how Persephone’s presence in the Underworld brightened things up down there. Now the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fit. Time, after all, was a continuous cycle when someone kept interfering with it. One event affected another, and one person could make an incredible difference in the destiny of nations and rulers.
“Are you ready to go?” Pallid asked her.
She blinked. She hadn’t realized he had already gotten out of the boat. She nodded and quietly walked beside him as they made their way to the front door of the mansion.
He knocked on the door.
The servant arrived and greeted them with a huge smile on her face. “Welcome to Hades’ and Persephone’s home. I think you will find that it is pleasant to be here. We recently made some changes, and it has been for the better.”
“Oh, we’re not here to stay,” Amanda replied. “We came to get Katherine and Jake.”
“The two who made this a wonderful place? It will be a shame to see them go, but they did tell us they would be here for a short duration. Please, enter. I will summon them.”
The servant left the room in search of the two visitors.
“I think my sister’s famous down here,” Amanda said. “She may not want to come back.”
“Atlantis will sink in three weeks,” Pallid informed her. “She’ll want to come back.”
She shivered despite the warm atmosphere. “It’s spooky to know what’s going to happen before it does.”
“Try being able to remember every single thing that ever happened to you, even the details of dying.”
She glanced at him in surprise. “You died?”
“Yes. Several times. Of course, this stone in my cane kept me alive through the experience. Death is not a scary thing, but coming back can be.”
She wondered how that could be but decided it was one of those things someone couldn’t explain. It had to be experienced.
Hades and Persephone followed Katherine and Jake to the room.
Amanda was so excited to see her sister again that she hugged her. “I hear that you have done wondrous things down here,” Amanda said. “Everyone is talking about it.”
“Oh, it was nothing,” Katherine replied. “Persephone was the one who did the work.”
“She’s very modest,” Hades said, his usual scowl gone. “Because of her, I have the love of my life and my domain is a happier place than the one above ground.”
“We owe her a debt of gratitude,” Persephone agreed. “That is why we would like to send her and her friend away with these two diamonds.”
Amanda watched as Persephone opened her hands and showed them the sparkling jewels.
“There are very few of these on Atlantis,” Hades added. “These were the only ones in my possession, but Persephone is worth far more than them.”
Amanda sighed at his words. How often she had longed for the one who would think so highly of her, instead of the crown she wore.
“I can’t take that,” Katherine declined. “I appreciate the offer, but just seeing you two together and how this world has changed is more than enough.”
“I feel the same way,” Jake agreed. “Those belong with you two.”
Amanda was amazed at their humility. If it had been her, she would have taken the diamonds.
“If you come through Atlantis again, please come see us,” Hades requested. “We would like to talk with you and tell you about the improvements we are making down here.”
“I don’t think we’ll be coming back,” Katherine replied.
Hades and Persephone looked disappointed.
“We will never forget you two,” Persephone finally said. “Please, take my special black flowers. I have created them to be eternal, so they will be with you wherever you go.”
“We don’t want you to forget us,” Hades said, grinning.
“That could never happen,” Jake replied. “This has been an amazing journey. I know I’m better for it.”
Katherine nodded her agreement.
Amanda wondered how much happened here, but she realized she would never fully know the story. For the first time, she saw her sister in a whole new light. In this place, her sister was more respected than she was, and Amanda got a sense of what her sister must have gone through on Raz, living in her shadow all those years. It was about time Katherine got the chance to be first.
“You see, Katherine. You can do some things better than me,” Amanda said with a wink.
“I’m so glad you’re my sister,” Katherine told her.
Amanda teared up. “I’m glad you’re my sister, too.”
They hugged again.
“We better go,” Pallid gently told them. “We don’t have much time.”
Amanda recalled their mission. “Right.”
Katherine and Jake thanked Hades and Persephone for their hospitality before they left. As they departed from the Underworld, it became clear to Amanda that Jake had fallen in love with her sister, and for once in her life, it was Amanda’s turn to envy something that Katherine had that she didn’t: love.