Timothy Boggs - Hercules Legendary Joureneys 03 Read Online Free
Author: The Eye Of The Ram
of searching for the Truth.
Not to mention the right notes.
Hercules said, "I'll be back," jumped off the wagon, waited until Flovi drew up beside him, and said,
"Do me a favor and keep quiet for a while."
Flovi puffed his cheeks in indignation, his long mustache fairly fluttering. "I'm an artist, sir. A composer. A musician. I don't do favors like that."
"I saved your life. Make an exception."
Flovi harrumphed, stroked his mustache, and finally, reluctantly, nodded. "But if the Muse comes," he yelled defiantly as Hercules trotted away, "I shall not turn her away!"
If the Muse comes, Hercules thought, she's dumber than I thought. And stone deaf, too.
Once back in his seat, he jabbed Salmoneus' shoulder none too gently and said, "Talk to me, friend."
He smiled. "I'll regret it, I know, but talk to me."
Salmoneus looked at him with brown eyes so sad Hercules wanted to pop him. "Are you sure?"
Hercules' look told him not to push it.
Salmoneus took the point. "1 was in Athens," he began.
It was intended to be a quick trip, primarily to collect an outstanding debt from a goldsmith of his acquain-tance. No problems there; the man paid, they went to dinner, talked about old times, and eventually, through no fault of Salmoneus', ended up at the amphitheater.
That's where he discovered his destiny. His calling. His ticket to an earthbound Olympus, populated by himself and a zillion beautiful women instead of a bunch of cranky gods.
"Have you ever been?" he asked. "To one of those performances, I mean."
Hercules nodded. Carefully. Even the most innocuous of Salmoneus' questions often concealed traps.
"I couldn't believe it. All those seats filled, all those boys and girls running around with food to sell, all those men outside selling admission—I nearly passed out from the excitement."
"You're not..." Hercules couldn't bring himself to say it.
Salmoneus laughed. "Good heavens, no. I'm not going to build an amphitheater. What kind of a dope do you think I am?"
How much time do you have? Hercules thought, and pinched himself for it. Not, however, terribly hard.
Salmoneus lifted a dramatic finger. ' 'These actors came out, all wearing the same clothes, each holding a mask in front of his face. It was a play." He made a face. "Something icky about frogs. But!" He shook the finger. " But, Hercules, the important thing was the people! I, being a democratic sort, sat in the cheap seats so 1 could observe my fellow man and take, as it were, the pulse of the populace." He glanced sideways. "And do you know what I learned?"
Hercules refused to answer.
The finger jabbed at the sky. "They were bored, Hercules! Bored out of their tiny Athenian skulls!"
"Considering the play was about frogs, I'm not surprised."
Salmoneus shook his head. That wasn't the point. The point, he explained, was that outside the amphitheater were musicians and other street performers, and there, there the people were having a grand, wonderful, absolutely marvelous time.
"And," he added, lowering his voice, "they weren't from the city."
He waited.
Hercules waited.
"You don't see it."
"No."
Salmoneus scratched at his beard. "They wanted to be entertained."
"Okay."
"They had to get it in the street, not in the amphitheater."
"Okay."
"They had to come to Athens to get the entertainment in the street, not in the amphitheater."
Hercules held up a hand for a moment of silence while he tried to take a few leaps ahead, if only to shorten the story. When he landed, he said, "Ah."
Salmoneus made a fist. "Ah."
"Ah... what?"
"Ah..." Salmoneus lifted the finger again. "What if someone were to bring the entertainment to the people, instead of the people going to the entertainment?' ' He held up a second finger. ' 'What if someone were to provide not only the entertainment, but the food?" He held up a third finger. "What if someone charged a modest fee for the food and the entertainment, and gave a portion of it to the community wherein the food
Not to mention the right notes.
Hercules said, "I'll be back," jumped off the wagon, waited until Flovi drew up beside him, and said,
"Do me a favor and keep quiet for a while."
Flovi puffed his cheeks in indignation, his long mustache fairly fluttering. "I'm an artist, sir. A composer. A musician. I don't do favors like that."
"I saved your life. Make an exception."
Flovi harrumphed, stroked his mustache, and finally, reluctantly, nodded. "But if the Muse comes," he yelled defiantly as Hercules trotted away, "I shall not turn her away!"
If the Muse comes, Hercules thought, she's dumber than I thought. And stone deaf, too.
Once back in his seat, he jabbed Salmoneus' shoulder none too gently and said, "Talk to me, friend."
He smiled. "I'll regret it, I know, but talk to me."
Salmoneus looked at him with brown eyes so sad Hercules wanted to pop him. "Are you sure?"
Hercules' look told him not to push it.
Salmoneus took the point. "1 was in Athens," he began.
It was intended to be a quick trip, primarily to collect an outstanding debt from a goldsmith of his acquain-tance. No problems there; the man paid, they went to dinner, talked about old times, and eventually, through no fault of Salmoneus', ended up at the amphitheater.
That's where he discovered his destiny. His calling. His ticket to an earthbound Olympus, populated by himself and a zillion beautiful women instead of a bunch of cranky gods.
"Have you ever been?" he asked. "To one of those performances, I mean."
Hercules nodded. Carefully. Even the most innocuous of Salmoneus' questions often concealed traps.
"I couldn't believe it. All those seats filled, all those boys and girls running around with food to sell, all those men outside selling admission—I nearly passed out from the excitement."
"You're not..." Hercules couldn't bring himself to say it.
Salmoneus laughed. "Good heavens, no. I'm not going to build an amphitheater. What kind of a dope do you think I am?"
How much time do you have? Hercules thought, and pinched himself for it. Not, however, terribly hard.
Salmoneus lifted a dramatic finger. ' 'These actors came out, all wearing the same clothes, each holding a mask in front of his face. It was a play." He made a face. "Something icky about frogs. But!" He shook the finger. " But, Hercules, the important thing was the people! I, being a democratic sort, sat in the cheap seats so 1 could observe my fellow man and take, as it were, the pulse of the populace." He glanced sideways. "And do you know what I learned?"
Hercules refused to answer.
The finger jabbed at the sky. "They were bored, Hercules! Bored out of their tiny Athenian skulls!"
"Considering the play was about frogs, I'm not surprised."
Salmoneus shook his head. That wasn't the point. The point, he explained, was that outside the amphitheater were musicians and other street performers, and there, there the people were having a grand, wonderful, absolutely marvelous time.
"And," he added, lowering his voice, "they weren't from the city."
He waited.
Hercules waited.
"You don't see it."
"No."
Salmoneus scratched at his beard. "They wanted to be entertained."
"Okay."
"They had to get it in the street, not in the amphitheater."
"Okay."
"They had to come to Athens to get the entertainment in the street, not in the amphitheater."
Hercules held up a hand for a moment of silence while he tried to take a few leaps ahead, if only to shorten the story. When he landed, he said, "Ah."
Salmoneus made a fist. "Ah."
"Ah... what?"
"Ah..." Salmoneus lifted the finger again. "What if someone were to bring the entertainment to the people, instead of the people going to the entertainment?' ' He held up a second finger. ' 'What if someone were to provide not only the entertainment, but the food?" He held up a third finger. "What if someone charged a modest fee for the food and the entertainment, and gave a portion of it to the community wherein the food
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