The Argonaut Affair (TimeWars 7)

"Creon! Beware!" Hylas shouted. It came down like a dive bombing eagle, talons outstretched, swooping down on Steiger's exposed back. Hercules moved with amazing speed for such a large man and tackled it. His brawny arms wrapped themselves around the creature's torso and he would have brought it down but for the beating of its wings. It attempted to take flight, but Hercules sagged down, becoming dead weight and the creature was unable to lift his heavy bulk. It shrieked at him, its face darting forward to snap at him, its fangs striking for his throat. He reached out quickly and clamped his fingers around the harpy's throat, just below the jaw. With one hand, he kept the deadly fangs at bay, with the other, he held the creature fast as its wings beat at him and its talons raked his chest.

"Hold it fast, Hercules!" cried Jason, running up with his sword held poised to strike.

"Stay back!" shouted Hercules. "This beast is mine to deal with!"

He forced the creature down, bending it back slowly over his knee and it struggled in vain against his awesome strength, keening wildly. Then they heard the crunch of its spine snapping and it went limp in his grasp. He dropped it and it fell to the floor with a soft thump. When he turned around, they saw his chest was scored with deep talon marks, as if someone had taken a sharp rake to him, yet he showed no sign that he was even aware of what had to be unbelievably painful wounds.

"T-t-two dead," he said, in a perfectly conversational voice. "B-b-b-"

"Bring on the third!" shouted Hylas. He laid a huge hand on the boy's head, grinned and tousled his hair.

"Spread out," said Theseus. "Give it a chance to strike." They moved apart, crouching, holding their weapons ready. For several moments, nothing happened. They all stared up into the shadows, looking for any signs of movement. It came from an unexpected direction. The third harpy came in low, its wings tucked back, gliding only inches from the floor. It struck Orpheus and tumbled him to the ground, then Jason spun and hurled his dagger. It buried itself to the hilt in the creature's throat. The harpy skidded to the floor and died in convulsions at their feet with a grotesque, rasping gargle. "Well thrown," said Orpheus, picking himself up shakily. Jason bent down and retrieved his dagger. "Foul beast," he said. "They will trouble you no more, Phineus. We-" he stopped, frowning. "Where has he gone?" There was no sign of the old king.

"The old man must have fled while we fought the harpies," said Orpheus.

"Not very grateful of him, was it?" Theseus said. "Perhaps, but who can blame him?" said Jason. "A blind old man faced with monsters such as these, is it any wonder he took flight at his first chance? It is not as if he had deserted us. A blind man could not have helped us. He shall have troubles enough making his way in the world. Let us not think ill of him."

"You are wounded, master," Hylas said to Hercules. "And you, my lady." He examined Andre's shoulder. "Does it pain you greatly?"

"Chiron taught us how to heal wounds," said Jason. "Let us return to the ship. The rain has stopped and we would all doubtless sleep safer back aboard the Argo. There may be other such creatures about."

"Did you see the old man leave?" Delaney said softly to Steiger.

Steiger shook his head.

"How could someone so frail and blind move so quickly?" said Delaney. "One minute he was there, weeping and wailing, the next he was gone and nobody saw him leave."

"You want to stay behind and search the temple?" asked Steiger.

"The others are already leaving," Delaney said, "and we should see to Andre's wounds. Besides, I'm willing to bet we wouldn't find a thing. Remember how there was no trace of the giants to be found after the battle?"

"But in the legend, the harpies didn't die," said Steiger. "The Argonauts drove them away. If someone's recreating the events of our myth, they're not following the script exactly."

"What did you make of that harpy you were looking at?" Delaney asked. "Another android?"

"It had to be," said Steiger. "I can't bring myself to believe it was anything else. I can't accept that it could have evolved naturally and think what it would mean to create a life form like that in a bioscience lab. One creature, like the centaur, I might accept, but the giants and now these? Think of the cost, to say nothing of the time it would take for them to reach maturity. They had to be androids. But it was an incredible job. I wish to hell we could clock one back to the labs so the pathologists could have a look at it."

"I wish to hell I knew what we've stumbled into," said Delaney.

"Sooner or later, we'll find out," Steiger said, "and I have a feeling when we do, we're not going to like it one damn bit."

"It will be interesting to see if the next event in the story takes place on schedule," said Delaney.

"The Symplegades," Steiger said. "The Clashing Rocks at the north end of the Bosporous. The special effects might be a little hard to manage."

"Just the same, I'll feel better when we've passed them," said Delaney.

That night, Tiphys lost consciousness and never recovered, dying of the injuries he had sustained in their battle with the giants. They buried him ashore at dawn. Jason treated Andre's wounds and those of Hercules, who seemed to think it was all highly unnecessary and would have been content to continue disregarding them ha

d Jason not insisted. To be on the safe side, Delaney gave Andre some antibiotics from their medikit hidden in his pouch. The talons of the harpy had not done any irreparable damage, but she would be in severe pain for a while, so she was excused from rowing. Hercules merely waved Jason away when it was suggested he should also abstain from rowing and give his wounds some time to heal. Jason seemed undecided about whether or not he should try ordering Hercules not to row, but Hylas settled the matter by pulling him aside gently and explaining in an apologetic manner.

"He is always like this," Hylas said. "As if it were not enough that he is stronger than any mortal man, he must also disregard any sickness or injury, to prove he is above such things. He allows me to tend to him as if to humor me. His wounds must pain him, but he would not admit it. At such times, he can be difficult. I have always found it best to let him have his way."

"Well, you know him best, Hylas," Jason said. He smiled and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I will leave the welfare of the son of Zeus in your capable hands."

As the ship set sail up the Bosporous, Hylas appointed himself nurse to Andre, as well. He rubbed some balm into her wounds that he said always worked wonders on his master and he changed her bandages, made from some of the spare clothing the Dalions had given them. He brought food to her and fresh water to drink.

"How old are you, Hylas?" Andre asked.