28th October 2012
17:37 GMT +3
I watch as Io oversees a small team of Amazons clearing out Baroness Paula von Gunther's workshop. About time really, but I'm a little puzzled as to why they're doing it now. And-.
What's that?
I'm looking at… A large humanoid. Looks a little like Hephaestaean's armour, only the faceplate is a solid piece-. No, the whole helmet is a solid piece without any eye slit. Instead, the eyes are jewels with tiny runes inscribed on their interiors, most likely using tiny flaws in the structure of the crystal. The range of movement seems good… Organic, even. Not like the clumsy tripods that Hephaestus and Vulcan used.
Frowning slightly, I drop down next to Io.
"Io. What's going on?
"
"With Lord Hephaestaean's ascension, it seemed appropriate to build him a proper temple. Paula's workshop is in a good location, and it fits his theme."
"Not afraid of tripping over the mysteries of her cult?
"
"Why would I be? It's my cult too, now."
I-.
"
Yes, I
know that I'm barely educated in the artifice of Man's World-."
I frown.
"I
o. This workshop was built for a
woman, remember? Who studied-.
"
"It's just what we call it."
"Well
stop. It sounds ridiculous. You know that Hephaestaean intends to start proselytising, right?
"
"Yes." She nods, smiling as she considers it. "Under his command the gods will become involved in the lives of worshippers all across the world. It will be like the old days come again."
"And you're up for the High Priestess position?
"
She shrugs. "Maybe. He told me that he would help me learn sciences and technology beyond smithing. What he is now is so different from what he was, I… I wouldn't be able to do it. After thousands of years of just
refining what we know…"
I reach over and pat her on the right shoulder with my left hand.
"I know. I've been trying to change that since I got here, so I know how big a deal it is.
"
"I've been thinking about having a daughter. Children deal with change-."
"Cough cough.
"
"I know that you
could give me a daughter, but it has been some time since I have been in a long term relationship-."
"Not why I was coughing.
" She shrugs and shakes her head, not understanding.
"You said 'daughter'. Through Hephaestaean, you have access to advanced reproductive technologies. When I help two women have a child the child is always a girl, but in your position-.
"
"A son." She frowns uncertainly, eyes dipping to the ground. "Uh."
"Y
eeeeeees?
"
She looks up again, her face relaxing as if some part of the world suddenly makes sense in a way it didn't before. "I understand, now. Why you chose Eris to emulate, rather than Hephaestus. He builds on what came before, but you… It's like when we tore down this city so we could rebuild it with a sewer."
"I do like sewers.
" The ambulatory suit of armour comes out carrying a workbench.
"Where did the golem come from?
"
Its head rotates about a hundred and twenty degrees so that it can look at me. It regards me for a moment and then sets the workbench down and turns its body to match the direction its face is facing before marching in my direction.
"Orange Lantern."
"One of many. Sorry, I couldn't see a desire network, so I assumed…
"
"This body is warded. I am a zontanonaut."
"He found a way to bind a shade to a robotic body? You can leave the underworld like this?
"
"Yes, though having been a demigod in life may have made that easier. My name is
Erichthonius. With my father's rise in power-"
My ring fills me in on the mythological version of his history. Ah, well, he sounds like an alright guy, though… I don't see the Hephaestus I know doing most of that.
"-he took the opportunity to reach out to me in the underworld."
I scan… What I can of his carapace.
"It's an impressive piece of work.
"
"I know. I tried to keep up to date with the artifice of the living world, but speaking to the shades of the most recently dead… It was beyond me. Until now."
"It makes more sense when you can see it yourself?
"
"My father included a device to feed information directly to my mind in this artificial body. My divine heritage causes me to instinctively understand how to apply technology in a useful way. Themyscira will be my first test since I popularised the use of the horse collar."
I smile.
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.
"
"I believe that I do. I've seen your files."
I nod.
"I wish you all the best in your mission, then. You haven't seen Gaea recently, have you? Or a cyclopes?
"
"Despite what certain chroniclers claimed, I was birthed by Athena in the
conventional way and have no special knowledge of Gaea's whereabouts."
He sounds more than a little put out by my asking.
"Sorry, I meant no offence to either of your parents. I just want to talk to her.
"
"I suggest the forest. Now if you will excuse me, I should get back to work."
He turns away in a motion which doesn't require an owl's neck and marches back inside the workshop. I wince inwardly.
"Is that a sore point with him?
"
"That his father was accused of raping his mother, and he was supposedly born from his seed spilling on the ground after dripping off her thigh? Yes, it's a sore point. Why are you looking for the cyclopes?"
"It turns out that Zeus was doing exactly one thing useful with his life: lending a portion of his power to a mortal hero. With Zeus out of the picture, that hero is weakened. Since the cyclopes made his lightning I'm hoping they can bypass the fault.
"
"Could he just find another sponsor?"
"Probably, but I'd want to vet them so we don't get another Zeus, and they need to have a really particular ability set. I mean, Jupiter put it about just as much as Zeus, right?
"
"I know little about the Gods of Rome."
I nod.
"Okay. Back to work for both of us.
"
I transition up to the inner city, where-. Where I'm treated to a view of a
royal family hug as Diana is embraced by her mother and sons. Surprisingly, it's Menalippe who makes eye contact with me and angrily gestures to the palace. Okay, let's go and see what she wants.
Besides, she and Ted Kord would make a cuter couple.
