Athena the Proud by Joan Holub

Author:Joan Holub
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

7

Trapped!

AS BREAKFAST ENDED IN THE banquet hall the next morning, King Minos appeared. He was dressed in ceremonial garb, with a purple cloak slung over his fine linen tunic. A gold-leaf crown sat atop his almost bald head.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” he called out in a grand and theatrical style that befitted a circus ringmaster. “Are you all feeling fearful—I mean cheerful—about today’s grand opening of Minos’s aMAZEment Park?” He paused as his fourteen young guests shouted out “Yes!” and applauded and cheered enthusiastically.

He beamed at them. “Thank you very much! I’m pleased to hear it. We will be saving the beast—ahem . . . the best till last. The a-maze-ing labyrinth with our star attraction—its Minotaur—will open at exactly noon. However, all other rides and games are now open for your enjoyment. So go,” he urged them. “And have fun!”

The students didn’t need to be told twice. There was practically a stampede as everyone jumped up from the dining tables and stormed toward the exit doors.

Athena, Aphrodite, Persephone, and Artemis moved off together. But once they were outside, heading around the side of the palace toward the walkway and the tall arched golden entrance to the funpark, people started pairing off. Just ahead of her, walking hand in hand now, were Aphrodite and Ares, Artemis and Actaeon, Persephone and Hades, Apollo and Cassandra, and Medusa and Dionysus. Pandora was following Professor Ladon, asking a million questions.

Athena wished she could catch up with Heracles. However, he and Theseus were already way too far ahead. She’d only just rounded the side of the palace when she saw them pass between two columns of the walkway and then veer right under the grand golden entrance arch with its waving flags and paintings of monsters, creatures, heroes, and gods.

She looked around for Daedalus, thinking maybe they could hang out. In fact, maybe she should have let him know about the changes she’d made in his maze before now, she realized. But he was nowhere in sight.

Which left Athena alone. Great. Alone was so not the way to enjoy a funpark!

After passing under the golden arch, Athena saw a ride called the Shipwreck off to her left. A half dozen ships that were actually rides modeled after the ships that Odysseus and his men had sailed were lined up in a trough of water. Each ship could seat four people and was waiting to sail into a dark tunnel that would presumably lead visitors through simulated terrors like the ones Odysseus and his men had encountered.

Aphrodite came up beside her, her blue eyes twinkling with excitement. “Want to go on it with me?”

“Sure,” said Athena. She looked around. “But where’s Ares?”

Aphrodite motioned toward the far end of the aMAZEment Park. “He and a bunch of the guys wanted to try out the bumper chariots first. I told him I’d catch him later.”

“But don’t you want to go on the bumper chariots with him?” Athena asked. It had crossed her mind that Aphrodite might have noticed her standing alone and felt sorry for her.

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