Ancient Musings [Song of The Muses]

Disgusted with her lack of purpose, Calliope is learning all too well the warning in be careful what you wish for. She challenged Zeus and landed in Hades. Now she needs to reach Gaia’s pool to save herself from the Land of the Dead’s darkness. Little did she expect a psyche to reveal the path to tomorrow.

The soul of archaeologist, Jake Genoese, is bored to tears until he finds the beautiful Calliope, intriguing and bearing the token he needs to jumpstart his day-excursion on the afterlife’s cruise to nowhere.

One’s light brightens the other’s future as Olympians vie for power by toying with psyches in the Kingdom of Hades, for nothing more than the simple whims of ANCIENT MUSINGS.

Miniature (83 pages) Hot

Excerpt:

Jake knew better than to trust the muse's newfound enthusiasm.

She grinned, shoving herself onto an elbow. "Archaeologists are sages of the modern era." She smiled. "You have respect for my people and tales to share. I invite you to accompany me to the pool of Gaia."

The pool of Gaia? What was that? A secret aspect of Greek afterlife? Traveling with her could be enlightening. A trip full of answers science couldn't provide. It wasn't as if he had anywhere to go. Here was his ticket to a seat at a private lecture series. What could one learn? Besides, pre-Orphic ideas of the Greek afterlife placed souls in Hades forever. The end. A person got one shot at life. But after Orpheus' day, the Greeks began to believe souls reincarnated. Learning about this pool might have value if there were any truth to reincarnation. And reincarnation meant another shot at living. Anyway, a day excursion on this cruise to nowhere might make the afterlife more intriguing. He looked into her pleading stare.

Why a beseeching gaze? What did she want? She was immortal. Well, an immortal who could barely lift her shoulders off the raft. "What did Charon do to you?"

She waved dismissively toward the ogre-type ox ushering them to meet their mysterious ends. "We exchanged energy."

A muse could be more specific. "Exchanged? You mean he took some of yours."

She nodded. "It is how we barter, though only rarely done." She batted her blue eyes at him.

Eyes beautiful enough to seduce Apollo. No wonder the god had countless consorts with so many muses singing in his wake. But why did Calliope suddenly seem interested in a dead human?

"I'm so old that it's ridiculous to declare my age," she piped. "But I've only given an anemos libation once before. The circumstances involved were beyond dire, Jake."

The goddess talked a lot too. Traveling with her would be like going on pilgrimage with a walking Greek encyclopedia. "Well, then," he smiled, "I'll take you up on your offer." Who knows what mysteries could be solved even if a man only had the answers after death?