Artemis, Persephone, Clymene, and I sat for hours trying to talk Atalanta out of going after the golden apples.

“It’s too risky,” said Artemis. “Way too risky.”

“I can run after the apples and still beat Melanion,” insisted Atalanta. “And that’s what I’m going to do.”

Atalanta’s mind was made up, and nothing anyone said was going to change it.

I tuned out of the conversation and gave the matter some thought. Hera and Aphrodite were going to cheat. But was there some way I could make sure this race was fair to Atalanta? I thought hard, turning the matter over and over inside my godly brain. At last, I broke into a smile.

There was a way!

The day before the race, I bought a copy of The Arcadia Arrow. Here’s what it said:

The day of the big race dawned. Persephone and I astro-traveled to Iasus’s palace at sunrise. We thought we’d be early enough to score two gods’ seats tickets, but we thought wrong. There was only one ticket left.

“Take the ticket, and go on up to your seat, Phoney, honey,” I said. “I’ll wait here until you-know-who shows up. Hey, look! There’s Boar!”

“Go say hello, Hades,” said Persephone. “I’ll go sit down. I want to talk to Artemis about my Olympic event.”

She hurried into the stadium, and I ran over to meet the champ.

“Boar!” I called, waving. “Hades, here. Great to see you again.”

Boar wrinkled his hairy brow, confused. That’s when I remembered that I’d been invisible the night he told his tale.

“I’m a huge fan,” I said. “Does an event like this make you want to return to the ring?”

Boar shrugged.

“I came here to cheer.

Atalanta’s gonna win, never fear.”

“I hope so, Boar,” I told him.

With a wave of his mighty hoof, the former wrestling champ trotted into the stadium.

I looked around and caught sight of III bears.

I quickly switched my brain into CCC mode. Honey! I thought, hurrying over to her. She’d dressed up for the race by tying a bright-blue scarf around her thick neck.

Lord Hades! thought Honey. You remember Mojo and Tiny, don’t you?

I looked at two huge brown bears beside her.

You guys have grown, I thought. Go on in. There may be a scramble for seats.

Oh, we’re okay, Lord Hades, thought Honey. Atalanta sent us tickets. And she told us what was up with the golden apples. Mojo and Tiny are ready to jump in if she needs help.

Atalanta’s bear brothers nodded and growled their agreement: “Rrrrrrr.”

Good, I thought. See you inside! The III bears lumbered toward the entrance as I glanced at a nearby sundial. The race was about to begin. I was starting to get nervous. Was my idea going to work? Or would it fizzle?

Hermes’s son Pan led a pack of gods and goddesses into the stadium. Pan is from Arcadia, so this was coming home for him. With him were Artemis’s twin brother, Apollo, god of light and music; Demeter, goddess of agriculture; and Aphrodite’s son, Cupid, the little god of love, with his once-mortal wife, Psyche. And with them was my little brother, Zeus. I wondered what he’d do when he found out the gods’ seats were taken.

“Psst, Cupid,” I said as he passed me. “Don’t even think about zinging Atalanta with one of your love arrows.”

“No way,” said Cupid. “My mom’s all worked up over this race. I’m staying out of it, man.”

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around. “Mom!” I exclaimed. “You came!”

“Of course I did, Hades, my firstborn!” said my mom, the Titan Rhea. She had on her black judge’s robe and carried her two bulging shopping bags. “You called, and here I am.”

I hurried her into the stadium and up to the banner-strewn box where King Iasus sat.

“King Iasus,” Mom said, “I’ve come to judge this race, make sure it’s fair.” She wasn’t much for small talk. “Put out that cigar. Now!”

The king quickly stubbed out his cigar. He didn’t dare argue with a Titan, about smoking or about her judging the race.

“I’ll leave you to it, Mom,” I said, and I headed for the gods’ section. As I climbed, I looked out at the track. The grass was emerald green. Atalanta and Melanion stood near the starting line, stretching. Over to the side, I spotted a god wearing a helmet with little wings on it. Hermes! He stood behind a table with a sign above it that said LAST RACE SOUVENIR STAND. On display were Atalanta T-shirts, Atalanta java mugs, Atalanta chariot bumper stickers that said, THE RACE IS ON! I chuckled. Hermes was god of business, and he always managed to do some.

“Welcome to Atalanta’s final race!” boomed the announcer’s voice.

Persephone, Hera, Aphrodite, and Zeus were seated in the godly seats. Artemis, wearing fox for the occasion, stood behind them with the other gods. She looked ticked off. Zeus must have kicked her out of her seat!

I sat down on the steps beside the gods’ seats. I put up a hand to shield my eyes from the sun and looked around the stadium. A section of seats was filled with mortal females wearing fur headbands. Had to be Daughters of Artemis.

“Today’s race will be IV laps around the track,” called the announcer. “Runners, take your marks.”

Atalanta and Melanion bent down in starting position.

“Get set . . .” called the announcer.

The runners lifted their rear ends. Melanion’s back pocket looked a little bulgy. Was it filled with golden apples? The runners kept their fingers to the starting line.

The stadium grew very still.

“Buona fortuna, Melanino!” cried Aphrodite. “Good luck!”

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!” cried everyone else in the stadium.

When it was quiet again, the announcer said, “Go!”

Atalanta and Melanion shot off their marks.

The crowd yelled, “Go, Atalanta!”

Hera and Aphrodite yelled, “Go, Melanion!”

Atalanta and Melanion were neck and neck rounding the first curve of the track. Neither had pulled ahead. On they raced.

The Daughters of Artemis cheering section jumped to their feet. They put their hands in the air. They began doing the wave and chanting, “Daugh-TER, daugh-TER, daugh-TER!”

Now Aphrodite leaped up and cried, “Andiamo, Melanino! Let’s go!”

Was this some sort of signal?

Yes! Melanion reached into his back pocket and pulled out a golden apple. He quickly rolled it onto the grass in the center of the track.

The crowd yelled, “No fair!” and “Start over!” The III bears roared in outrage.

Across the stadium, Boar rose up and shouted:

“Cheater on the track,

Take the apple back!”

Zeus’s voice thundered out above all the others: “You go, guy! Whatever it takes to win!”

While all this was going on, Atlanta had darted to the inside of the track. Without breaking stride, she bent slightly, scooped up the apple, and stuck it into her pocket. Then she pivoted and ran back to the track. She was behind now, and she began to put on the speed. By the first curve of the second lap, the two runners were neck and neck again.

“Way to go, Daughter of Artemis!” screamed Artemis.

Right then, I wished Atalanta were a bear. Or any sort of creature. Then I could switch into CCC and send a message into her brain, loud and clear. As it was, I could only think it: One golden apple is enough to save Meleager. If he throws a second apple, let it go!

But, I wondered, could she?

The runners crossed the starting line again. As they started on their third lap, Atalanta pulled past Melanion.

“Go, go, go, Atalanta!” cried all the Daughters of Artemis.

Atalanta was pulling ahead fast. Melanion reached into his pocket for another apple. This time he tossed it ahead of Atalanta, and it rolled off to the side of the track.

“Leave it, Atalanta!” I called. “Keep running!”

Suddenly a loud voice above me boomed, “Go for the gold, Atalanta! Get me that apple!”

I looked up and saw that King Iasus had grabbed the megaphone from the announcer.

“That’s it!” cried King Iasus as Atalanta sprinted after the apple. “Get it! Get it!”

The apple rolled until it hit the wall of the stadium. Atalanta ran for it. She reached the apple, picked it up, and ran back with it to the track. Only then did she shove it into her pocket with the first apple.

Melanion was a quarter lap ahead now. He was running so fast that his ponytail streamed straight out from the back of his head.

“Catch up, Atalanta!” roared Artemis. “You must win for females everywhere!”

“Forget it, Atalanta!” cried Hera. “You’re as good as wed!”

I think it was Hera’s jeer that spurred Atalanta to a burst of speed. She ran so fast that her legs were a blur. By the time Melanion started the last lap, Atalanta had caught up with him.

“Fourth and final lap!” called the announcer, who had managed to wrestle his megaphone back from the king.

Everyone in the stadium screamed and cheered.

Once more, Atalanta pulled ahead.

Melanion reached for the third apple. This time he stopped running, drew back his arm and heaved the apple across the track. It bounced once, twice, three times, then rolled under Hermes’s Last Race Souvenir Stand and disappeared.

“Ohhhhh,” Hera moaned. “The dents!”

I jumped up, screaming. “Leave it, Atalanta! Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!”

But Atalanta bounded after the golden apple like a dog after a ball. Melanion sped up.

Atalanta raced toward the souvenir stand and dove under it. In an instant, she rolled out from under it with an apple in her hand. She quickly pocketed it and took off for the spot where she’d left the track.

Melanion approached the curve. He was half a lap ahead—and it was the last lap! My godly heart sank. Hera was right, I thought. Atalanta was as good as wed.

Now Honey rose up to her full bearish height and let out the mother of all roars. Suddenly, Atalanta hurled the top part of her body forward and began running on all fours—like a bear!

Atalanta galloped toward Melanion. Her speed was fantastic! She gained on Melanion so fast it looked as if he were standing still. Faster and faster she came, getting closer to her suitor with every bound. Yes! She caught up with him! The two raced, side by side, for the finish line. On they ran, their feet pounding the track.

The suspense was incredible! I was drosissing up a storm.

Now everyone in the stadium jumped up, screaming and shouting and cheering as the two zoomed across the finish line. Everyone erupted in a volcano of cheering.

The race was over!

But . . . who had won?