102. Crius Cleared His Throat
Crius Cleared His Throat
‘There may be more to Oceanus’s decree,’
he murmured, stroking his long beard.
‘There have been dangerous whispers
in the winds. Something is coming.’
Pallas and Perses stared at Crius.
‘What do you mean?’
Pallas asked him cautiously.
‘What whispers do you speak of?’
Crius looked hesitant. He exchanged
a look of trepidation with Eurybia.
‘Have the prophetic dreams not visited
any of you?’ The look on Styx’s and my faces
told him that we had all been having
strange dreams too. Crius lowered
his voice and moved forward.
‘Kronos has always been haunted
by the words of Ouranos, who said
that his reign would be cut short
by one of his own children.
Back then, we had all believed
that this was said by the old God
in spite for Kronos turning on him,
taking the sickle to him
and reducing him to half the God
he once was.’ Crius’s face creased
with worry that made him look
ancient. ‘We had thought
that upon wedding Rhea, upon
actually holding his firstborn,
he would change. None of us thought
that he would—’ He paused, unable
to speak the truth about his brother.
He leaned back and drank long
from his goblet. ‘I fear…’
he said quietly, ‘that a madness
like this one cannot be cured or forgiven.’