Titans of Chaos

Mavors called back, his voice toneless: 'There is no basis for negotiation, Mr. mac FirBolg. Nomatter what your promises, it is too dangerous for you to be allowed at liberty. Your onlybargaining power would be a threat to kill yourself. If you thought it was your duty, to sacrificeyourself in order to aid the triumph of Chaos over Cosmos, you would have done so already. Youhave made an honorable attempt, as all prisoners of war are bound to do, to escape. That escapeis impossible. You have no reason to pursue the matter."

The Laestrygonian stood there, fidgeting. He melted and flowed like wax. Now it was Colinstanding there, dressed in a black tunic of feathery stuff. He was still fidgeting.

A voice in my head said, Mother, I will help you. Another battle comes; Mavors will be the victor,for he must be victorious in all melee, but I will delay the victory. Then my debt to you is done.

I blinked. Who the hell was that... ?

Mavors called, "Do you have anything to say, Mr. mac FirBolg?"

Colin was grinning. "Yeah. I've got something to say. Yoo-hoo! Echidna! Can you hear me? I saidyour name. Here's the guy you were looking for! Hallo, hallo? GET 'EM!"

I saw it through the broken stained-glass window. A whirlpool opened suddenly within the watersbehind, swallowing dozens of ships in an instant. Up through the tunnel of air, a figure rose,wrapped in shadow, growing.

Echidna, taller than a mountain, rose up out of the waves behind the ship on which Mavors stood.

Her face was more beautiful than before, made stern and noble by an inner light. But now shewore a tight-cheeked helmet with a nodding plume; a breastplate of barnacle-covered bronze wasmolded to her rounded breasts and flat abdomen; and in her slim white hands were both shieldand spear, each a match for her monstrous size. The spear was taller than a minaret; the shieldwas a full moon.

Rivers fell from the shining scales of her snake-body, and her serpent colors wavered beneath thewaves: green, green-gold, dappled gray and blue, and spotted red.

A monster, yes, but at the moment she was a monster on our side. I cannot tell you how lovely shelooked, how proud, how brave.

Her voice was soft and cool as ice: "Mavors, I am your death. My son Grendel, whom you slew,had no grave; nor shall you."

Mavors said, "Retreat, and I shall spare you. I hunt the sons and the daughter of Chaos this day."

"The daughter of Chaos my daughter-in-law was meant to be. That joy died. She and I will knowjoy again when you fall."