Osirionis
Chapter Five
Tiphareth
Dionysus
“The Minotaur is not a beast, but is brother to Minos.”
“”Why must I slay the Minotaur, Idiot, if it is but a man? I am sworn from murder.”
“This isn’t murder, Qblh; and it may not be necessary that you slay the Minotaur, but you did make the promise to Antiope.”
“I thought it was an animal.”
“You were wrong. It’s a man, but you may not think of this individual as much of a man, when you realize how much innocent blood has been spilled to satisfy his delusions of grandeur. Remember that you will be his intended last victim. It would only seem that if the predator fails to devour his prey in this case, the prey will devour him. In the case of survival of the fittest, you are the fittest.”
“What should I say to Minos? I have no intention of compromising with him.”
“If he gives you due recognition, before you slay his Minotaur, your companions will honor you as their king, Theseus, as is your fate while you are here, my Qblh.” Genie silently signaled to Jim that she was correct.
“I am not so certain I like living in someone’s past. Remind me, Genie, not to do this type of travel again when we return to our own time.”
“Which time is that?” responded the artificial intelligence.
“Tell me then Ariadne, Who is this Minotaur?”
“He is the hybrid child of the supposed father of Minos and the ex-king’s Amazon high priestess, the mother of Minos also. Minos has the throne because of the queen, his mother. The Minotaur is the brother to Minos.”
“It sounds to me that the Minotaur has more of a claim to the throne than Minos, so why is Minos king?”
“The Minotaur is younger than Minos. It seems that his father raped the high priestess, dying in the process. He wanted his heir to be of his own blood. He did not like the idea of Minos becoming the new king, because of the fact that they were not blood-related. When he died he realized the truth as to why he would never be able to see his own son as a king. The secret that he learned died with the old man. Not even Minos knows the truth, and alas, he seeks union with me to produce an heir for himself. The Minotaur also seeks holy union with one of us as well, but he is cursed, and no Amazon will touch him. Now they conduct unholy rituals of their own. The Minotaur seeks to procreate, but is unable, yet it has an unbridled lust to pleasure itself on all its victims. Its sperm is deadly to the human flesh.”
“Jim felt sick. Do you mean..?”
“Yes, it is a very demeaning way for his victims to die. This is the reason why it does not care what sex the victim is.”
“Then I would say that the probability that it will kill me is less than zero.”
“Jim there is no such thing as probability less than zero.” The Genie interrupted.
“OK, zero probability. Perhaps Minos would like to see the Minotaur dead?”
Ariadne laughed. “Minos has never been able to imagine the Minotaur as being mortal. The Minotaur claims that drinking the blood of its victims keeps it immortal.”
“Ariadne, certainly you know this to be not true.”
“I am not certain what to think of the Minotaur. It is an unusual mutation and there are reports that it has ceased to age. I stay away from the monster myself, but there can be no doubt that it has some very unusual DNA. Artemis forbids an Amazon to mate with it; Isis fears that an offspring is possible. In revolt, the Minotaur has established a cult of its own.”
“If you, as priestess are responsible for what the people believe, why have you not discredited the Minotaur?”
“Our inability to destroy the Minotaur only gives credence to its claim to power.”
“So, I shall be doing you and Artemis a favor by slaying the bull?”
“Yes. Queen Antiope has prophesied that a redeemer will come to slay the Minotaur. The brother to Artemis shall slay the Minotaur and the Python, cults which mislead our human hosts to ignorant savages with delusions of grandeur.”
“Antiope? She told you this?”
“Yes. Antiope is Queen of the Amazons, certainly you know her, my Qblh. She and you are allegedly very close friends. She is seeking you. I have already sent a messenger on her way to her. She will give us sanctuary if you take me with you.”
“Aren’t you jealous of her?”
“Persephone’s son awaits me there. We are lovers. I know I can’t keep you, Theseus, but I can exchange my golden peg for your child. Dionysus will only think that the child is his, even though he is full-blooded Amazon himself. Persephone claims that you are his father.”
Once again, Jim was speechless, and for the moment could not respond to Ariadne’s last revelation, nor was he certain that he would reveal his response once determined. Persephone still posed a problem to him. His current time stream still had her in the manifold as a result from her entry from the temple to Artemis portal. On the Artemis side, she was simply continuing on as a result of her apparent “bounce” back from the portal on Artemis back to her cove in the Pleasure Dome. He recollected that he had “abducted” Persephone from the Pleasure Dome in order to continue on his way to the temple of Artemis to meet Jason. He “needed” to return Persephone to the Pleasure Dome so that Persephone could accompany him to meet Isis. That was all, but now she would be pregnant with child. She would accomapny Isis on the Pegasus as she made the journey back in time to start her role in Earth history, since that was her apparent fate. This solution was necessary, because Genie essentially had Persephone’s life force bottled up, and it needed to be released on Artemis so as to minimize continuum ripples which would otherwise severely affect the weather on both planets at their respective periods of time. This simple statement from Ariadne posed a maze for Theseus and the Genie which truly appeared impossible to navigate. The solution required rematerialization of Persephone in the Pleasure Dome with himself as they were to continue on their way to see Isis accompanied by Latesiha and Tateisha.
“Well, I can see me slaying the Minotaur, but I know nothing of the Python?”
“The ancient serpent? Certainly, you jest, my lord Qblh?”
“Perhaps that is later. The Minotaur is the immediate threat for now.”
“Then you will take me with you?”
“Certainly, but I would like to have another word with this king who would see me die.”
“Minos is in need of some humble pie. Certainly, you can not let him go unpunished after he has hailed to execute you as he intends.”
“And so you have a plan?”