yes, he is, but that, well, we’re friends. I am sweet to him, too.”
“Not exactly,” said Polly.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“It’s just, well, you’re harsh with him; you tease him and make him do things for you. Thalia, you’re a little bossy,” Polly said.
“No, I’m not. I mean, that’s the way we are. We tease,” I explained.
“You still make fun of his lisp. He hasn’t had a lisp since you were eight!” Polly cried.
“He doesn’t have a lisp? Not since we were eight? Nooo.” I surely would’ve noticed that.
“It’s true,” said Era. “Apollo, he is fun, really fun. Remember that time that you and he and that Amazon from—”
“Sure, whatever. I mean, I know,” I practically yelled. “But I want to have a life of my own. I want to run in the Caledonian boar hunt and go on Crusades. I want to swim with the mermaids and fly with the eagles. I want to go on adventures. I can’t do those things if I get married.”
“But he’s so very kind, and wouldn’t he want you to go on adventures, too?” Era asked.
“Doubtful. Once you’re married, life as you know it stops. Or so it is in all the books, right, Polly?”
“Well, no, not always,” she said.
“In all those books I read…” I went on.
“All those books, eh? I can’t remember the last time I saw you pick up anything but that gossip scroll Hermes puts out,” said Polly.
“Anyway,” I continued, ignoring my sister, “it’s different after you get married. Look around. Do you know any adventurous couples? Take Daddy and Hera, for instance. Daddy’s full of life and excitement, and Hera sits on her throne all day long, just getting her hair done and polishing her jewels….”
“And what’s wrong with that?” asked Era.
“Puh-lease! Haven’t you been listening?” I moaned.
“You know, Thalia, I bet Apollo is different,” said Polly.
“You don’t know that,” I said. “Apollo—Apollo is stubborn, and he’s pretty high up there as far as gods go. Don’t you think I’d be expected to be the good little goddess? Stay at home, look pretty, wait patiently for him to come back from fighting monsters and giants and flooding cities and all those sorts of things?”
Era shook her head. “It’s just that, well, they’re not asking you to marry ol’ King Cepheus; * they’re asking you to marry Apollo, your best friend. Your very cute, very sexy best friend.”
“I know, I know, I know, but boys and marriage are not the magical key to a happy life.”
“Right,” said Era, as if she didn’t believe a word of it.
Polly had just been sitting there quietly, taking it all in.
Still, I think she knew in her heart that I was born to run with wolves and laugh with centaurs and slay dragons. She hadn’t ever said as much, but we had an understanding. She, too, believed boys andmarriage were not the key.
“You really don’t want to marry Apollo, do you? I mean, are you sure as sure can be?” asked Polly.
“Um, yes. Yes, I am,” I declared.
“Well, maybe you can run away,” suggested Polly.
But before I had a chance to even imagine it, she took her suggestion back. “No, Daddy would find you…anywhere.”
“Maybe I could marry Apollo in your place,” Era said.
“No!” I cried. That was not what I wanted, either.
“It was just a thought. Maybe you do want to marry him after all.”
“I do not. But you offering yourself to him is clearly not the answer.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to help,” said Era.
Hmpf.
“I’ve got it. You will get sick, really sick and horrid. And Apollo will not want you then,” suggested Polly.
“But I don’t want to be sick as much as I don’t want to marry Apollo.”
“Ah, but what if you weren’t really sick?” said Polly.
“Okay, where are you going with this?”
She paused, deep in thought, and Era and I both hung on her breath, waiting for her words.
“What if you go and apologize to Daddy and what if you tell him
“Not exactly,” said Polly.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“It’s just, well, you’re harsh with him; you tease him and make him do things for you. Thalia, you’re a little bossy,” Polly said.
“No, I’m not. I mean, that’s the way we are. We tease,” I explained.
“You still make fun of his lisp. He hasn’t had a lisp since you were eight!” Polly cried.
“He doesn’t have a lisp? Not since we were eight? Nooo.” I surely would’ve noticed that.
“It’s true,” said Era. “Apollo, he is fun, really fun. Remember that time that you and he and that Amazon from—”
“Sure, whatever. I mean, I know,” I practically yelled. “But I want to have a life of my own. I want to run in the Caledonian boar hunt and go on Crusades. I want to swim with the mermaids and fly with the eagles. I want to go on adventures. I can’t do those things if I get married.”
“But he’s so very kind, and wouldn’t he want you to go on adventures, too?” Era asked.
“Doubtful. Once you’re married, life as you know it stops. Or so it is in all the books, right, Polly?”
“Well, no, not always,” she said.
“In all those books I read…” I went on.
“All those books, eh? I can’t remember the last time I saw you pick up anything but that gossip scroll Hermes puts out,” said Polly.
“Anyway,” I continued, ignoring my sister, “it’s different after you get married. Look around. Do you know any adventurous couples? Take Daddy and Hera, for instance. Daddy’s full of life and excitement, and Hera sits on her throne all day long, just getting her hair done and polishing her jewels….”
“And what’s wrong with that?” asked Era.
“Puh-lease! Haven’t you been listening?” I moaned.
“You know, Thalia, I bet Apollo is different,” said Polly.
“You don’t know that,” I said. “Apollo—Apollo is stubborn, and he’s pretty high up there as far as gods go. Don’t you think I’d be expected to be the good little goddess? Stay at home, look pretty, wait patiently for him to come back from fighting monsters and giants and flooding cities and all those sorts of things?”
Era shook her head. “It’s just that, well, they’re not asking you to marry ol’ King Cepheus; * they’re asking you to marry Apollo, your best friend. Your very cute, very sexy best friend.”
“I know, I know, I know, but boys and marriage are not the magical key to a happy life.”
“Right,” said Era, as if she didn’t believe a word of it.
Polly had just been sitting there quietly, taking it all in.
Still, I think she knew in her heart that I was born to run with wolves and laugh with centaurs and slay dragons. She hadn’t ever said as much, but we had an understanding. She, too, believed boys andmarriage were not the key.
“You really don’t want to marry Apollo, do you? I mean, are you sure as sure can be?” asked Polly.
“Um, yes. Yes, I am,” I declared.
“Well, maybe you can run away,” suggested Polly.
But before I had a chance to even imagine it, she took her suggestion back. “No, Daddy would find you…anywhere.”
“Maybe I could marry Apollo in your place,” Era said.
“No!” I cried. That was not what I wanted, either.
“It was just a thought. Maybe you do want to marry him after all.”
“I do not. But you offering yourself to him is clearly not the answer.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to help,” said Era.
Hmpf.
“I’ve got it. You will get sick, really sick and horrid. And Apollo will not want you then,” suggested Polly.
“But I don’t want to be sick as much as I don’t want to marry Apollo.”
“Ah, but what if you weren’t really sick?” said Polly.
“Okay, where are you going with this?”
She paused, deep in thought, and Era and I both hung on her breath, waiting for her words.
“What if you go and apologize to Daddy and what if you tell him
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