A Change of Heart

Sunday March 7 to Monday March 8, 1490

Whoever said funerals brought closure was the god of all liars. I derived no solace from watching the Viking ships flame their way over the horizon. Astera's and Thoren's faces filled my mind as I tossed and turned in bed; they gazed reproachfully at me until I kicked off my blanket, draped a shawl over my nightgown, and tiptoed to the library to flip through and shove aside books until at last I nodded off at my desk. I might have spoken with Ynez, who had grimly eyed Astera's bedroom door before clenching her jaw and coming to ours, and who had been breathing too regularly for true sleep, but neither of us was ready to face the other.

When I woke after a few hours of tormented dreams, I felt perhaps a half moment of peace before the world came crashing down again, and Astera's and Thoren's screams rang in my mind. Echoing shrieks drifted through the window from the yard, where the mice were at play, but they failed to notice (or, more likely, pretended not to notice) as I crept between the buildings back to my room to dress. Ynez was already gone, though she'd left a note on my pillow saying she planned to visit Avaris at the Bouleuterion and that I shouldn't expect her for lunch. Stumbling listlessly back into the hallway, I ran into a hungover and depressed Tel, who told me he was going hunting with Ghallim to console himself. In a dead tone, more out of habit than genuine concern, I told him to stay safe. The practical aspects of running the orphanage did provide a welcome distraction, although Mother Doria's foul mood and Calla's grief triggered another crying spell on my part, and in the end I fled back into the library to curl up in a corner and brood to my heart's content. The mice didn't need my supervision to eat lunch, after all.

I had my hands over my face and was rocking back and forth when Gordon found me. "Marina," he said, and he had the kindness to pretend that everything was completely normal. He didn't even offer me a handkerchief (although, come to think of it, his handkerchiefs were all in the laundry basket. Note to self: Make sure the laundry gets done today, or none of us will have any clean clothing left, and then we'll really make a great impression on the other Houses).

I wiped my nose across my sleeve, leaving a slimy trail, and croaked, "Gordon. Did you need something?"

Perching on the edge of my desk and swinging his legs, he said without preamble, "Yes. Your help. Astera had a plan before she died."

Before she died. Even Gordon said she was dead, Gordon who was an ancient god.... Mother, why were we so distant from each other these last couple years? I thought I had all the time in the world for my awkward, almost-but-not-quite-adult phase.

"Thanos has knowledge that we need — a key to the paths that would, um, help control the Plague. But he refused to give it to her when she asked, so we need to put him on the loom to extract it."

I jumped up and began pacing. "A way to control the Plague? Why hasn't he shared it already? He keeps saying he's here to save the city. Who is he anyway? He said he's not really Solificati."

"No, he isn't. He's ancient and powerful. He's — like us."

A number of facts began to click into place. The root of the name "Thanos," his association with cypress trees, his presence at the funeral last night, the atmosphere he had brought.... "Are you telling me that Thanos is Hades?" I squeaked.

Gordon nodded reluctantly. "That is one of the names he goes by, yes. And he holds the key to the paths to the underworld."

Oh gods, only last night I had mourned that there were no convenient Greek gods around. Be careful what you wish for — not only was the King of Tartarus himself in town, but I had yelled at him and accused him of lying! Perhaps the lesson to be drawn from the entire affair was "Don't lose your temper and shout at people. They might be your gods." A bit late for that now. In a strangled voice, I asked Gordon, "How exactly does having the key to the paths to the underworld help control the Plague?"