Titans of Chaos

It had been cool outside, but the air in this small dim room was hot and close. "Let me see if I canget a more magical set of laws of nature working here, to help you out."

"You know," I said doubtfully, "if we mess up something here, it could be bad. I mean, we'retrying to do neurosurgery on this guy without anyone's permission, and..."

No one was listening. They were all staring at Vanity's bosom. I mean, it is large and round andnicely shaped, but...

Oh. There was a face in the middle of the green stone around her neck. That was what the boyswere staring at.

Vanity said, "Who are you?"

A fair soft voice seemed to have spoken, although it did not speak. It was like we wereremembering words, not hearing words. A queenly face in the dim depth of the green stone hadanswered wordlessly: "Andromeda am I, the queen of Ethiopia's daughter, prideful Cassiopeia. Inall the devastated lands from Philistia to Lebanon, none save the fairest could be found to satethe monster, and so to pay my mother's guilt, with modest piety, uncomplaining, with daughterishobedience, I chained myself to the sacrificial sea-rock, to save the human lands from horridTyphon's brood." Her eyes turned toward Victor as she spoke this. "Great Perseus me succored,who slew Medusa, cousin of the Graeae." Now she looked at Quentin. "And after life and death,Olympian Lord Terminus, All-highest, he who guards the boundary stone, opened the boundariesof starry night for me, had my figure placed within the heavens, a guide to mariners. ThePhaeacians befriended my folk in times past, the mariners of Phoenicia and Tyre. I watch yoursilver ships even as Bran watches Cassiterides, the island of Tin. Ask of me, Daughter of Arete."

"Can you make the room here hold the laws of nature that will let Quentin cast his magic?"

The woman's voice hung in our memories, as if she had spoken: "There is no magic, onlymysteries explained, and mysteries unexplained."

Quentin muttered, "See? As I've always said."

Vanity seemed at a loss. "Well-can you help us some other way?"

"I will bestow what grace is mine to give, for any demoiselle who suffers chains is mine, and anysavior who breaks those chains, and you are both at once, Phaeacian. The young man is chained,but he is not one of mine: On your oath to harm him not, I will perform."

We all agreed.

In our memories, we heard her words: "Phobetor, Nightmare-prince, this room is yours: I gift ityou."