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YOU'RE TIIE STAR OF THE '".1iSTORY CHOOSE, NROM 50 POSSIBLE, E,NDINCS.

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ILLUSTRATED BY RON WINC

BY DE,BORAH LERME COODMAN

ANYTTIING CAN HAPPENIN YOUR SEARCH FOR THtr MIGHTY ZEUSI

You've been magically transported back to ancient Creeceby the goddess Athena. Your task: find Zeus, king ofOlympus. But Zeus could be anywhere. Where shouldyou start?Athena knows some others who might help you ftndZeus. If you decide'to ubit Persephone, who's about tomake a terrifying trip to the underworld, tum to page 9.If you decide to meet lcarus, who wants to fly with wingsmade of feathers and wax, tum to page 7. Be areful!You might end up battling the fierce Minotaur-part bull,part man:-or be trapped by the sea god Poseidon atthe bottom of the ocean...or Aou could euen become agodyourself!What happens next in the story? lt all depends on thechoicesyou make. How does the story end? Onlyyou canfind out!And the best part is that you can keep readingrrno our! Ano rne Desr Pan rs rnar you can Keep reaorngand rereading until you've had not one but manA incred-

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE@

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Ir

i .,'Bantam Books in the Choose Your Own Adventureo SeriesAsk your bookseller for the books you have missed

THE CAVE OF TIMEJOURNEY UNDER THE SEABY BALLOON TO THESAI-IARASPACE AND BEYONDTHE II,IYSTERY OFCHIMNEY ROCKYOUR CODE NAME ISJONAHTHE THIRD PTANET FROMALTAIRDEADWOOD CIryWHO KILLED HARLOWETHROI{BEY?THE LOST JEWELS OFNABOOTIIVIYSTERY OF THE MAYAINSIDE UFO 54-40THE ABOMINABLESNOWMAN

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CTIOOSD YOUR OIryN ADVENTURE@ . 40

THETHRONEOT'ZDUS

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SUBMARINE#27 THE HORROR OF HIGH

RIDGE

BY DEBOMH LER},ID COODMAN

ILLUSTMIDD BY RON WINC

Att RL Montgomery Book

BANTAM B@KS

TORONTO. NEW YORK . LONDON . SYDNEY . AUCKLAND

Choose Your Own Adventureo Books for young readers

THE CIRCUSTHE HAUNTED HOUSESUNKEN TREASUREYOUR VERY OWN ROBOTGORGA. THE SPACEMONSTER

#76#17#78#79#20#27#22#23#24#25#26#27#28#29#30#31#32

DRAGONS!WILD HORSE COUNTRYSUMMER CAMPTHE TOWER OF LONDONTROUBLE IN SPACEMONA IS MISSII.IGTHE EVIL WZARDTHE POI-AR BEAR EXPRESSTHE MUMlvfY'S TOMBTHE FLYING CARPETTHE MAGIC PATHICE CAVEFIRE!THE FAIRY KIDNAPRUNAWAY SPACESHIPLOST DOG!BLIZTARD AT BTACK SWANINN

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as well

To Gram,for your stories,as your continuing faith

RL 5, L age 10 and upTHE THRONE OF ZzuS

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,IIIfTII} IN THf U:ITED STATES OF AMERICA

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WARNING!!!

Do not read this book stuaight through from be-ginning to end! These pages contain many dif-ferent adventures you may have during your visitto ancient Greece. From time to time as you readalong, you will be asked to make a choice. Yourchoice may lead to success or disaster.

The adventures you take are a result of yourchoice. You are responsible because you choose!After you make your choice, follow the instuc-tions to see what happens to you next.

Think carefully before you make your move. Inthis ancient land, gods and heroes are unpredict-able. Are you fated to return tiumphantly to yourown time . . . or to vanish into Greek legend for-ever? You're about to find out.

Good luck!

IFor months, you and your grandmother have

waited for your parents to refurn home to Athens.Their archaeological digs often take them to dis-tant parts of Greece, but they have never beengone so long before. Your mother and father haveunearthed a throne they believe was made for theancient Greek god Zeus. They're convinced it isthe first trace ever discovered of Olympus, palaceof the gods. You had been eager to hear abouttheir excavations and see pictures of the throne,but now that your parents are home, they seemupset.

"The university has threatened to discontinuethe excavation," says your father. "We need hardevidence by the end of the summer to convincethem that this throne could only have been madefor Zeus."

"What kind of eidence?" you ask.

IfTurn to poge 3.

3

t:

-:-

"We need something that clearly links thethrone to Zeus. A crown inscribed with his namewould help. A stone tablet listing the laws ofOlympus would be ideal, but we don't know ifsuch a thing ever existed," your mother answers.

"Talk to Zeus," murmurs your grandmother,clearing the table.

Turn to page 5.

1

ftr tuee da6 you cling to the plank. The sunscorctrs 1rur face and arms. You are so parchedtra pn ty drinking seawater, but it only makesynu feverish and sick. As you slip into uncon-ri:usness,, you dream of Zeus.

FIe dts on a throne that looks just like the oneyour parents discovered. "l know you want to aska farrcr for your parenb," Zeus tells you, "but Iwill grant them a different wish than the one youhad in mind. I will save your life and return you toyour own century but they will have to continuetheir excavation without my assistance." Zeusle-moves a gold ring from his hand and puts it onone of your fingers. The ring is much too big foryou, and you have to clench your fingers to keepit from sliding off.

You awaken to the white glare of a hospitalroom. Your grandmother is sitting beside you.Without a hace of surprise, she points to a mas-sive gold ring on your hand and says, "l see youfound Zevs."

5

"Have you ever talked with Zeus?" you askyour grandmother later as you help her wash thedishes.

'A few times," she replies. "On the summersolstice, the ancient gods take special interest inmortal beings. Sometimes they appear on earth.Why, I have even walked with Zeus!"

"Tomorrow is the solstice," you say, shiveringwith excitement. "Maybe if I can talk to the gods, Ican help Mom and Dad find the evidence theyneed. Since they won't ask Zeus for clues, I'll do itmyself! But tell me, Gram, where can I findZeus?"

"l can't tell you that." She kisses you goodnight. "You have to discover Zeus on your own."

All night, you wonder where you might findZeus. You can't envision him appearing in yourmodern apartment, but you can imagine himstiding comfortably through an ancient temple.You decide to spend the summer solstice at theAcropolis, the site of the famous temple ruinso'.rerlooking Athens.

The End

Turn to page 8.

I

7

"Close your eyes and I'll take you to Crete.You'li like lcarus," says Athena. Piacing herhands on ycur shoulders, she spins you arounduntil you become almost unbearably dizzy. Fl-nally Athena releases you.

You find yourself in a narrow passaEe with highstone u.,alls. There is no ceiling, and the sky aboveyou is dazzlinglg biue. A startled man and boy,both draped in loose white clothing, are staring atyou"

"l've been in the sun too long, Icarus." says theman, rubbing his fofehead wearily. "l'rn having,Jsionsl"

"No" you're not!" you cry" 'Athena brought mehere to find Zeus."

"You've come to the wrong place if you'relooking for Zeus," says the rnan. bitterly. "l don'tsuppose Athena sent any water with you, didshe!"'

You shake your head."lf this isn't just like the gods," comments the

man. "They don't bring you water when you'redying of thirst" No, instead, they bring you a vis-itor in furnny ciothes."

"Maybe Athena brought the visitor io help usescape," suggests Icarus. Then he tells you,"Dorr't mind rny father. He's upset about ourproblem."

"What's wrong?"

Turn to poge 15.

8

After telling your grandmother of your plans,gnu wait until late afternoon to go to the Acrop-db. There are many tourists snapping pictures ofthe marble ruins, but you know from previousvidts trat the guards will usher everyone out atfirre o'dock You survey the area as you plan youroilrrse of action.

Chain link fences encircle each of the ancientsancfuaries. The Parthenon is the largest, mostimportant temple, and the one you think Zeuswould be most likely to visit. Unfortunately, it alsoattracts the greatest number of people, and you'llhave a hard time entering it unseen. Maybe youshould try the Shrine of Artemis Brauronia. Therearen't as many people around it.

9

"Fine," answers Athena. "l'll take you to Per-sephone, in the fields of Enna." She grasps yourshoulders and twirls you around. Your feetfly offthe ground as you spin through a silvery fog.When your body pops into place again, you findyourself in a vast meadow.

A girl about your age look up from a bed oflilies and says, "That's strange clothing you'rewearing. Are you one of Athena's friends fromanother place in time?"

"Why, yes," you answer, surprised. 'Athenabrought me here to look for Zeus. Do you eversee him?"

"Quite often," the girl answers. "You've cometo the right place. My name is Persephone."

As you and Persephone stroll through themeadow, you see wisps of smoke wafting out of adeep gorge slashed into the earth.

Persephone notices a flower at the edge of thechasm. "l can smell that flower from here!" shecries, and races toward the stange blossom.

lf yau & to sneok into the Parthenon,turn to poge 37.

U yot ffi,I X * to hide in the Shrine offuElfis &ualronio, hnn to page 12. Go on to the netd page.

You sniff the air, but all you smellis sulfur. Sud-denly a gleaming black chariot drawn by ebonyhorses dashes out of the chasm. Without stop-ping, the driver yanks Persephone into thechariot. You make a dash and hurl yourself in justbefore the chariot plunges back into the depths o{the chasm

Noticing you, the driver wryly comments,"Very few ever choose to join me."

"Who is he?" you ask Persephone."Hades." she whispers, "lord of the under-

world." Her face has turned deathly white.

Turn to poge 76.

t:2

C6.'at'lur sfioll around the remains of theShrhre c{ ArtemE Brauronia, hoping the othervlsilrs uril lerp soon. At last, when no one is

9nu dart under a half-fallen pillar andwedge yourself between two gigantic blocks ofstone- By hrrtiling yrour neck just a bit, you dis-cover that you harrc a clear vietv of the Parthenonacross the way.

Although you are exhemely uncomfortable,you wait quietly as the guards make their rounds.The setting sun casts a rosy glow on the marbleruins, but you're not in a mood to admire thescenery.

Soon after the moon rises, you notice a soft

At first youlight radiating from the interior of the Parthenon.At first vou think it must come from the flashliohtcome from the flashlightof a night watchman, but then you begin to won-der if it could be Zeus!

lf you daide to *ay nght where you are,turn to page 28.

lf you & to in*erligote the source ot' hght,turn to poge 74.

13

You walk out of Hades' palace toward the gatewhere Cerberus stands guard. One of his heads isnapping, but the other two watch you intentlyand growl. This wakes the third head. Imme-diately it bares its teeth too.

Even if Cerberus is quite different from anyother dog you've known, you remind yourselfthat he's still just a dog-though a dog with threeheads and the tail of a serpent. You whistle to thebeast and slap your hands on your thighs. "Comehere, pup!" you call, tqlng to keep your voicefrom quivering.

Cerberus saunters over and sniffs your shoul-ders. Your hands hemble as you reach up, pastyour head, to pet the beast. He seems to like you!

You break off a branch from a nearby tree andthrow it. "Bring me the stick!" you instruct Cer-berus. fu he romps off to retrieve it, you get anidea!

lTurn to page 40.

t4

You run torlard the Parthenon and clamberover the fience- Breathlessly you stumble up thesteps. Behind the pillars, the light is pale andmisty. A rall woman in white robes stands at thecenter of the temple.

15

'A few years ago, my father, Daedalus, builtthis Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur, a horriblebeast that is half-bull and half-man," Icarus ex-plains. "Only now King Minos is angry with us,and we're stuck in the maze too."

"There are miles of corridors, but only one wayout," adds Daedalus ruefully. "Unless we escapesoon, we will die of thirst---or be eaten by theMinotaur."

"Let's get going!" you exclaim. "We've got toget out of here fast!"

"There's no sense in moving about," snapsDaedalus. 'At best, you'll only make yourselfmore thirsty, and at worst, you'll meet theMinotaur. Calm down and help us think of a solu-tion."

It' you answe\ "l'm sorry to leaue you, but Iwant to get on with my search t'or Zeus,"

turn to page 79.

It' you decide to stay with lcarus and Doedalus,turn to page 22.

r6

What haw you gdten yourself into? you won-der.

The chariot races through gnm, gray caverns.Farther ahead, a bizarrely iridescent river shim-mers with the only colors in the underworld land-scape.

"The river Styx," murmurs Persephone, "theriver of hate." As the horses fly over it, you gazeinto the dark water. You're not sure if you bar-gained for this.

Should you jump into the river Styx and getaway, or continue further into the underworldwith Persephone?

t7

"l'm sorry," you say, "but I can't tell you wherethe Bull of Minos is."

Hercules scowls with rage. Wthout a word, hegrabs your wrist and begins swinging your bodyin circles. Excruciating pain shoots up your arm.You wonder if a change of plan might be a goodidea-but by then, you're too dizz.1 to speak.

Suddenly Hercules releases you. Withbreathtaking speed, you sailthrough the air. Yourbody burns fiercely and seems to shatter into sev-eral pieces. You lose consciousness.

A new group of stars appears in the sky thatnight, right beside the constellation of Gurus theBull. People name the new constellation "Guard-ian of the Bull," and tell stories about your valiantattempt to resist Hercules.

The End

$ you leap into the water,

It' you remoin in the chonot,

turn to page 70.

turn to page 31.

r

18

"Welcome to my temple," the woman sayswarmly as she offers you her hand.

You're too frightened to take it. You barelymanage to stammer, "You're not Zeus!"

She laughs. "Of course not! I'm Athena,daughter of Zeus. If you wanted to meet my fa-ther, you shouldn't have come to my temple."

Gingerly, you take her hand. You are surprisedto find that it feels remarkably like your nrother's."Can you take me to Zeus?" you ask.

"l can bring you back to ancient times, andgive you power to speak and understand the lan-guage," Athena offers, "but you'll have to findZeus on your own."

"How will I know where he is?""l can't tell you where to find Zeus," Athena

explains. "The trick is to athact his attention bydoing something he'll find exciting."

She thinks for a moment. " I know two peoplewho are about to have intriguing experiences.Persephone doesn't know it yet, but she's goingto be spending a lot of time with Hades, one ofZeus' brothers. Icarus is on the island of Creteright now, and he's-well, let's just say he has anadventure ahead of him. Would you like me totake you to Persephone or lcarus?"

lf you say, "Please take me to Persephone,"turn to page 9.

lf you answer, "l'd like to meet lcarus,"turn to page 7.

L9

"Good luck with your search for Zeus," saysDaedalus with a hace of scorn, "but I have a leel-ing it's the Minotaur-not a god-that you'll find."

You wander through the Labyrinth without anysense of direction. As the hours pass, you growthirsty and tired. Just when you begin to wonderif you should have stayed with Icarus andDaedalus, you take another left turn and findyourself facing the strangest creature you've everseen-the Minotaur!

You freeze with terror. The Minotaur towersabove you, equally still. Its head and torso arethose of a huge black bull, but its arms and legsare human. You wonder whether you should tryto reason with the beast or just run for your life.

If you summon all your couroge and ot't'er theMinotaur your hand, turn to page 27.

lf you turn on your heels and t'lee,turn to page 29.

20

In less than an hour, Hermes refurns with Per-sephone in Hades' chariot. You're relieved to seethat she is out of her trance.

"Climb in," Hermes calls to you. The three ofyou ride past the jagged rocks of the underworld,over the river Styx, and into the light of day.

After you return Persephone to the field whereyou found her, Hermes turns to you. "Whereshall I take you, my friend?"

"l would like to meetZeus." You describe yourparents' discovery of the throne of. Zeus.

Hermes stares at you intenfly. "You say youlive thousands of years in the future? Oh, I wouldlove to trade places with you! And I could, if youaEtee."

"l don't think I understand," you reply."We can exchange lives," Hermes explains.

"You'll become a god, and I'll go into the futureand take your place."

"But you don't look like me. My family willknow you're not me."

"We'llstep into each other's bodies, too. Onlyyou'll step into an immortalbody," says Hermes."Unfortunately, since you weren't born a god,you'll have all our powers except time fravel."

Imagine being a god! That would be a thou-sand times better than just meeting one! But whatabout your family and friends?

It' you agree to exchange liues with Hermes,turn to page 42.

lf you say, "I'd mther just meet Zeus and thengo home," turn to page 32.

2t

Walking through the dark and barren halls ofHades' palace, you feel scared, but also sad andvery lonely. There are no people, no doorways,no rays of sunlight. You are so relieved when youfinally reach a shiny crimson door that you do notthink twice about opening it.

Immediately, you wish you'd been more cau-tious. Three hideous old women with snakes forhair greet you with outstretched arms. You let outa blood-curdling scream and shut your eyes, butthe gruesome sight burns in your mind.

A surprisingly gentle voice says, "You mayknow us as the 'Furies,' but we stand for fairness,not just for rage."

Although you open your eyes, you still cannotbring yourself to look at the three women.

"We want to help gou," says another of theFuries. "You don't belong in the underworld, andit.is not fair of Hades to keep you here."

"l just wanted to meet Zeus," you explain,stealing a glance at the Furies. You describe yourparents' archaeological discovery and the trou-bles they've been facing. "l have to find a way forthem to prove they've found Olympus."

The three Furies look at each ottrer and smile.Suddenly, they begin to fly around you with suchspeed that they are tansformed into a dark whirl-wind. It is perfectly calm in the center of the tor-nado, where you stand, and you feel yourselfslowly rising into the air. You lose track of qtery-thing except the black wind that surrounds you.

Turn to poge 25.

23

You wait until twilight so you will be less visible.Then you climb on top of Icarus and Daedalus,falling off a couple of times before you manage tohoist yourself to the top of the wall. You surveylhe maze. Within minutes, you find a way toreach the entrance to the Labyrinth. Balancingcarefully, you walk along the top of the walls asIcarus and Daedalus follow below.

Go on to the next poge.

You, Daedalus, and Icarus sitin the Labyrinth in silence. After afew hours, you begin to wonder if Athenahas abandoned you. You think aboutdying and imagine your soul floating pastthe walls of the Labvrinth to heaven.

"That's it!" you s'hout, jumping to your feet."The way out of here is up!"

"How do you propose we fly?" Daedalus askssarcastically.

"We won't fly, we'llwalk," you tell him. "lf lca-rus climbs on your shoulders and I climb on topof his, I should be able to reach the top of thesewalls. Once I'm on top, I'll be able to see a wayout and I'll lead you."

Icarus slaps you on the back. "l knew you'dsave us!"

t

21

',;,' .:: a: .-t g'ou leave the maze, you hug each--=: -:-a:.:'. "l xnow some caves on the coast...:.:= .;.; :a: ::oe until we figure out a way to=:Sl3t .::= '::s island." says Daedaius. "You're'.,,e.con:e io corne u'ith us-or you can visit thepalace oi l(ng Minos right over there. Minos mayknow how to find Zeus."

lf W, go with /corus and Daedalus,turn to page 45.

It' you head touorci rhe palace. turn to page 33.

25

The next thing you know, you're back inAthens, in your own bed. The morning light isstreaming through the windows and your father isshaking you.

"Wake up!" he exclaims. "Your mother and Iare going back to the excavation. Last night Idreamed we unearthed allkinds of new evidenceunderneath the throne of. Zeus. I know it soundscrazy, but in my dream, a black tornado driliedinto the ground there, revealing crowns, ancienttablets-everything we need to prove our the-ory!"

"l dreamed about a black tornado, too," yousay as you rub your eyes.

"How interesting," replies your father, but youcan tell he's not really listening. Before you cansay anything else, he leaves your room. You hearhim hurry down the hall.

Sure enough, your parents discover more thanenough evidence to prove they found Olympus.And the day the famous Olympian artifacts firstappear in the museum in Athens, a black tornadowhips through the center of the city. The whirl-wind creates much fear and commotion, but itcauses no deskuction at all.

The End

27

The Minotaur slowly extends his hand to graspyours. The beast is tembling just as much as youare.

"You are the first person who has not run awayfrom me," whispers the Minotaur hoarsely. Al-

the Minotaur shyly.

E

Turn to page 30.

a3

From the Shrine of Artemis, you gaze, tans-fixed, at the light inside the Parthenon. You are somesmerized that you fail to notice another lightmoving toward you untilit beams directly on yourface.

You are blinded. "Zet)s?" you callexpectantly."Stay where you are!" answers a voice that

sounds very human and unmistakably angry. Be-fore you can run, the watchman grabs your armroughly and drags you away from the shrine,

From the guards' office, he phones the police.You remember this summer solstice for the rest ofyour life, although not for the reasons you had inmind.

The End

29

You turn and run. The Minotaur lunges afteryou as you race through the Labyrinth. Theblood pounding in your ears muffles the sound ofthe beast's ferocious roars. Even though you mnmore swiftly than you ever thought possible, thisis not a race you are destined to win.

The End

t30

You briefly think about rescuing lcarus andDaedalus, but decide to escape immediately.Within minutes, you and the Minotaur are free."We'll have to leave the island or the king is sureto find me," he tells you as he scans the horizon.'As I recall, the harbor is in ihat direction. Maybewe can escape on a boat."

You leap onto the Minotaur's back. and to-gether you race to the harbor. You see sailorsloading cargo onto a boat and consider asking ifthey'll take you and the Minotaur on board. Youdoubt they'll greet the'Minotaur warmly. Youcould try to sneak aboard and hide instead, butconcealing the Minotaur ruvon't be easy.

If you decide to explain your situation to thesoi/ors, turn to page 43.

If you decide to hide with the Minotaur,turn to page 76.

31

It may be safer to stay in Hades' chariot-wher-ever it's taking you.

The chariot lands smoothly on the other side ofthe river. In a few minutes you arrive at a somberpalace surrounded by high walls. The sbangestcreafure you've ever seen waits by the gate. It is agigantic dog, much bigger than you are, withthree heads and the tail of a serpent. He trots overto the chariot and frolics alongside.

"This is my dog, Cerberus," Hades explains."He is always friendly when someone enters mykingdom. I must warn you, however, that if youattempt to leave my land, Cerberus willchew youto the bone." You smile weakly and pat one ofthe dog's heads. Cerberus licks your hand with anunnaturally cold tongue.

Hades leads you and Persephone down agloomy hall to a pair of black marble thrones."You will be my queen here forever, Per-sephone," says Hades as he gestures gallanfly tothe thrones, "so banish all memories of the Landof the Living." Nodding toward you, Hades re-marks, "You, too, will remain in my kingdom forall eternity."

tTurn to page 36.

32

"Well, I'm disappointed you won't trade liveswith me," says Hermes, "but I'lltake you as closeto Olympus as I can. Zeus is very particular whenit comes to mortal visitors, so I'll have to see if Ican get an invitation for you."

You ride through groves of silvery trees, pastorchards and villages, over the steepest moun-tains in Greece to a smallpeninsula. "Wait here,"he tells you.

Moments later, he returns with Athena andZeus. "Welcome to Olympus!" says Zeus cor-dially. You can't take your eyes off his robe. Itseems to be woven of rainbows and lightning."Your grandmother and I are old friends," Zeuscontinues. "l look forward to talking with you.But let's have a bite to eat first."

You say goodbye to Daedalus and Icarus andhead for Minos' palace. From outside, the palaceis not nearly as impressive as you thought itwould be. Inside, however, the walls are vividlypainted with large scenes of acrobats, dolphins,and monkeys. You wander through the brightlydecorated corridors, occasionally poking yourhead into the rooms you pass.

In one room, you spot a pile of coarsely woventunics. To avoid arousing suspicion, you sub-stitute a tunic for your own clothing. You hideyour clothes at the bottom of the stack of tunics.

Feeling more confident now that you are welldisguised, you ask the first servant you see to leadyou to the king.

I

Twnto ge B. Go on to the next page.

vThe stone benches along the walls of the

throne room are filled with people. Minos sits ona special throne, also carved of stone. It looks alittle like the throne of Zeus your parents dis-

smaller. Kneeling beforeyourself and ask, "May I

"Even the most stupid person in Crete knowsthe king should not be approached so boldly,"says Mnos scornfully. "l could have you killed forsuch impudence! Where are you from?"

35

You pause as you struggle to decide how to re-spond. He might be impressed if you tell himAthena brought you to Crete, but on the otherhand, he might think you are lying.

lf you say, 'Athena brought me here so I couldlook t'or Zeus," turn to page 39.

lf you reply, "l am on orphan t'rom the otherside of the islond," turn to page 63.

36

Persephone sits down silently on the throne,staring blankly into space. You don't understandwhat has come over her, but it's clear that shewon't be able to help you escape.

You're determined not to spend the rest of yourlife in the underworld, though. "l'm going to ex-plore the palace," you announce with false cheer-fulness.

You wonder whether you should try to sneakpast Cerberus or look for another escape route.Cerberus is certainly a frightening obstacle, butwho knows what other terrors stand between youand the Land of the Living?

37

Slowly you circle the Parthenon, waiting for thecrowd to thin out. When it does, you quicklyscramble over the f.ence, run up the stairs to thetemple, and hide behind an immense column.You wait nervously as the shadows grow longer.You listen to the guards making their rounds, andyour heart beats so loudly you feel certain theywill hear it. Finally the sky darkens and the firststars begin to appear.

"Oh, please," you wish out loud, "let me meetZeus. No one wants to meet him more than I do."

No sooner do the words leave your lips than asmall white spark flashes next to you. At first youthink it's a firefly, but then you notice five, six,seven sparks bursting like popcorn.

As the tiny flashes continue, you hold yourbreath with fear and fascination. Then, to youramazement, the sparks form into a tall and grace-ful woman wearing white robes.

lf you try your luck with Cerbents,turn to page 73.

lf you search t'or onother way out ot' the palace,turn to page 27. Turn to page 78.

38

Zeus leads you to an enormous table sur-rounded by immense thrones. You gaze in awe atthe gods and goddesses gathered around thetable. You imagined they would be dignified, butinstead they tease one another and laugh so hardthe table trembles. Zeus creates a small cloud foryour seat, and you sit down to enjoy the meal.

When the last morsel of food has been de-voured, Zeus takes you aside. "l have a souvenirfor you," he says, handing you a shovel made ofmirrors. "lf you use this shovel, you will be able tounearth every last trace of Olympus. Just followthe tug of this tool and you will find more thanyou have ever dreamed of."

You thank Zeus and return to your cloud seat.When you sit, however, you discover it is nolonger firm. . . . You sink into silvery vapors andtumble through time.

When the mists clear, you find yourself home,still clutching your souvenir from Zeus.

The End

39

Minos raises his eyebrows. 'Athena broughtyou here? What business do you have withZeus?"

"l live thousands of years in the future," yousay. "My parents are hying to prove they've dis-covered Olympus, but everyone thinks lhey'recrazy.l came to get help from Zeus."

Nervous laughter fills the room, but Minos ig-nores it. He leans forward and eyes you intently."Tell me about life in the future."

"Well," you pause, wondering where to begin,"we have machines that carry people through theair. We also have machines that carry people overland. They're a little like chariots, I guess, but theydon't need horses for power. We have rocketsthat travel through outer space, and people haveeven walked on the moon."

"Man has stepped on the moon?" asks Minos,incredulously.

"Yes," you assure him, " and now we're tryingto reach other planets."

"This is fascinating!" says Minos. "Never mindabout becoming a servant. I want to hear moreabout the future. Your knowledge will help mykingdom become gleat."

You spend the rest of your life at the palace ofMinos. Under your guidance, Crele becomes anunusually advanced civilization. You're proud ofyour contribution, but sometimes you awake inthe middle of the night and wonder why Athenaabandoned you and if your parents were everable to prove their archaeological discovery.

The End

40

You throw two branches close to each other.Cerberus catches each of the limbs in a differentmouth. Then you throw three branches, stillveryclose together. Cerberus eagerly retrieves them.

Finally, mustering up all your strength, youfling three branches as far as you can, but each ina different direction. One of Cerberus' headsspots the first limb and sets off after it. The secondand third heads strain as they shuggle to go inother directions. One head snarls at another andnips the third one. Suddenly all three heads arefighting!

Wasting no time, you slip through the gate.Even though you're not sure where you aregoing, you run as fast as you can away from thepalace. Bef.ore long, you reach the river Styx. Youare surprised to see an old man in a hooded cloakguiding a raft across the river. When he noticesyou, he waves and approaches the shore.

(t'\I G

10o

Turn to page 46.

00,

42

"l'll frade lives with you on one condition," youtell Hermes. "You must promise to help my par-ents prove they've discovered Olympus."

Hermes grins. "l know where Zeus keeps all histeasures. I'll make your parents famous."

Hermes places his hand gently over your faceand tells you to do the same to him. A throbbingpulse, much stronger than a heartbeat, fills yourbody. Hermes removes his hand from your faceand says, "Now take your hand away."

You are startled beyond words to see your ownface and clothing on someone else. Hermes' en-tire body has changed into your own! You realizeyou're wearing his robe and winged sandals.

Suddenly panic seizes you. "How will I knowhow to be a god? How wili I recognize the othergods?"

"Don't worry," Hermes replies. "You'll recog-nize Zeus the same way I'll recognize your par-ents, because we've added each other'sknowledge and experiences to our own."

Sure enough, you realize you do know exactlyhow Zeus looks. You even know where to findhim. You hug Hermes-now yourself-goodbye.Wth the last of his godly powers, Hermes whiskshimself through time.

You begin to run toward Olympus. Your bodyfeels weightless, and your feet barely touch theground. When you finally see the splendor ofOlympus, there is no doubt in your mind thatyou're going to like being a god!

(}

"Hello!" you call as you climb aboard the boat.The Minotaur tails behind you uneasily.

A sailor turns to answer you, but before thewords leave his lips, he spots the Minotaur andscreams. The next thing you know, you and theMinotaur are frapped under a fishing nel

"l just want to ask a favor," you cry as yousttrggle to free yourself from the heavy net Thesailors ignore your pleas as they gather the nettightly around both of you and secure it withropes.

The sailors congratulate themselves. "KingMnos is sure to reward us generously for catchingthe Mnotaur and its accomplice!" one exclaimsgleetully.

As you wait for the king's arrival, you know youare doomed.

The End

I *-

The End

M

With Daedalus, you travel by boat to Athens.You want to begin your search for Zeus as soonas you arrive, but Daedalus disagrees. "You can'tlook for Zeus the same way you might look for afriend in the marketplace! You must attract Zeusto you. If you become my apprentice, I'll teachyou to be such a clever craftsman that Zeus willsurely take notice of you."

You consent. Daedalus shows you how tomake magical things-wooden flutes that playthe songs of nightingales, clay urns that never runout of water, special nets that turn fish into pearls.

At first, you awaken each day with the hopethat Zeus will visit you. But as the years pass, andyour work becomes even more wondrous, youforget about Zeus, and even your family. After all,you are so rich that even the king of Athens ad-mires you.

The End

45

All through the night, the three of you trudgeacross the island toward the caves. You climbheacherously rocky hills and pass olive trees thatglimmer like silver in the moonlight, but you areso troubled by a vague worry that you pay littleattention to the scenery. Near dawn, you reachthe caves. Resting against a cool stone, you fallinto a fitful sleep.

A few hours later, you awake with a dishessingrealization. You remember that your grandmotherused to tell you a story about Icarus andDaedalus when you were younger. In the legend,they used special wings to fly away from Crete.The part when Icarus falls into the sea anddrowns always made you so sad that your grand-mother finally stopped telling you the tale.

Maybe it's not a true story you think. But whatif it is? As you stumble out of the cave, you decideto speak to Daedalus about your fears.

Turn to page 48.

I

46

"l don't remember meeting you before," saysthe old man as he pulls his raft ashore, "but I sup-pose I must have. I've been at this job since thebeginning of time, and it's getting to be too muchfor me."

"l don't think we've met," you reply, extendingyour hand. "Who are you?"

"Charon, ferryman of the dead," he answerswearily.

"l'm tryring to reach the Land of the Living,"you explain.

Charon laughs scornfully. "You and millions ofothers. I can't help you. The passengers I carry goonly in one direction-toward Hades."

"But I'm not dead!" you exclaim impatienfly. "ldon't belong in the underworld."

"None of the inhabitants of the underworld be-lieve they belong here," says Charon. "l'll admit,though, you do have a certain vitality I don't seevery often around here. And where did you getsuch unusual clothing?"

"ln the twentieth century where I come from,these are very normal clothes. You see, I'm justvisiting your time. I need to get on with my searchlor Zeus."

47

Charon laughs. "You're pretty amusing. Howwould you like to become my apprentice? I'dwelcome a joke every now and then."

"l would bring dead people across the river onyour rqft?" you ask. The idea of transportingbodies makes your skin crawl.

"Under my close supervision," answersCharon. "Don't worry, it's not unpleasant work.The passengers are souls, not reeking corpses."

Working for Charon might offer the bestchance for escape from the underworld, but youwonder how long you would have to wait for theright m6ment. Should you try to swim across theriver Styx on your own?

$ you agree to become Charon's hpprenhce,turn to poge 87.

It' you decide to swim, turn lo poge 75.Go on to the next page.

48

You find Icarus and Daedalus constructinglarge wings just outside the cave. They sew thelong feathers together and bind the smaller oneswith beeswax. Smiling at you, Icarus says, "Youridea of looking upward for escape inspired myfather. We're going to fly off this island!"

Your stomach sinks. "l don't think that's a goodidea," you stammer.

'And why not?" asks Daedalus, not looking upfrom his work.

"Something bad will happen. I just know itwill," you insist.

"Nonsense!" snorts Daedalus. He grabs yourarm and yanks you into the cave. "l don't wantyou putting ideas in Icarus' head!" he snaps."Just because you figured out a way to escapefrom the Labyrinth, don't think you're the onlyone with good ideas. Let me tellyou something-all through Greece I'm known for my cleverschemes."

"People in my country speak of your inven-tions, too," you reply. "We tell a story about thewings you are building. In the story the beeswaxmelts when Icarus flies too close to the sun. Hedrowns."

Turn to page 53.

50

You decide not to tY to escaPe.When Poseidon returns, he announces that

wrap ankles'Yb on around

your !"' Ze u and Pullsuou out of the water. "You're a mortal being, not

i water nymph!" he exclaims. "No wonder youwant to eicape from Poseidon!"

51

"Give me an arrow!" Hercules bellows, butyou ignore him. He sneers as the Daughters ofthe Evening Land embrace you. "l'll show you Idon't need the help of a pipsqueak! I can tear thisdragon to shreds with my bare hands!"

You watch Hercules wrestle with the beast.Each time the dragon snaps at Hercules, he yellswith surprise, and you're smugly pleased to seehim stuggle. Only when the dragon finally chasesHercules away does a quiet peace descend overthe garden.

"He'll be back," you tell the Daughters. "Hedoesn't gve up."

"We know," one replies, "but at least we'll haveone more evening."

"Now dream," another whispers. You feelyourself drifting into a delightful sleep.

When you awake, you are in your own bed inAthens. You have no memory of your ancient ad-ventures. You can't rememberhow you got home fromthe Acropolis, but adream about meetingAthena lingers fainflyin your mind.

As you climbout of bed, you noticea golden apple beside your pillow.You spend the rest of your life wondering wherethat apple came from.

I

Turn to page 54.

The End

52

"Quick!" you cry. "lnto the caves!" You andIcarus run into the caverns and crawlthrough ser-pentine tunnels. After several hours of waiting,you are convinced you've eluded Daedalus. Youare eager to leave the damp darkness of thecaves.

When you finally emerge, you see a beardedman in a robe that seems to have been woven ofrainbows and sunlight. Turning to you, he says, "lam Zeus. Remember, you are mortal." Beforeyou can respond, he continues, "l conhol mortalfates and you do not. I understand why youwanted to prevent the death of your friend lcarus,but life and death are my responsibilities. I do notwelcome interference."

"l'm sorry," you whisper, although you reallyaren't at all sorry.

"What do you think I should do with lcarus? Ihave not planned anything-a wife, children,even a job-for his future," Zeus muses.

Icarus bites his lip in terror."Send him home with me to the twentieth cen-

tury!" you suggest.Zeus is silent for a moment, then grins. 'That's

a fine idea! His presence should stir up a lot ofexcitement in your century."

Icarus drops to his knees and murmurs,"Thank you, great Zetxl"

Turn to page 700.

53

..^"Where do you come from?" asks Daedalus."Do you mean to tell me that everyo.," in youcountry tells stories about things ihat ha,Jen,teven happened yet?"

- "l liv-e in Athens, but thousands of vears in thetuture," you explain ;'y" callwhat you are doingnow 'ancient historv., Daedalus laughs.-"1 thought you were jealous,but now I see that you're fu.f.rury. But don,tw9yy, I'll tell Icarus not io fiv to. [lit.lA-nd,,' h"adds, winking as he gives you a littlJpoke, ,,b"t_ter not fly too high yourself.,'

lf you try to percuade lcants not to fly,turn to page 60.

If you decide you'ue had enough ot' Doedalusand want to concentrate on liang Zeus,

turn to poge 96.

ilYou tell Zeus about your advenfures in ancient

Greece and explain your parents' archaeologicalproject. "Please tell me how I can help themprove they've found the real Olympus."

"l'd be happy to assist such a worthy en-deavoq" Zeus replies. He picks up a shell andclenches it tightly. When he gives it to you, yousee that the shell has turned to gold. It pulsesgenfly in your hand.

"Just concentrate and this shell will lead you towhatever you seek," says Zeus.

"That's tenific! Thanks so much!" you exclaim."But how do I return to the twentieth century?"

Zeus smiles and points to the shell. "Close youreyes and think of something you want to find.Imagine a chair in your home, for instance."

When you open your eyes, you are sitting inyour rocking chair, holding the magic shell.

The End

55

He thanks you profusely. "l slipped into thegully two days ago," he explains, '.and I was be-gi out. If you comew I'rn sure he,ll re_w,

'.\9, Ty father is the god of the sun, Helios,and I'm Phaton."_ "You're kiddingl Does your father live onOlympus?"

"l don't think so," answers phariton. ,,Mymother said he lives in the Palace of the Sun.',

"You mean you're not sure?"iof

:l

. Your h.eart pounds with excitement as youimagine.driving the chariot that brings daylg6t tothe earth.

"Do you want to come with me?" phaEtonasks.

_ "Sure!" you reply, and the two of you set off forthe Palace of the Sun.

Turn to page 57.

56

"l'll come with you," you say to Hercules, andyou tie up the Bull of Minos.

You follow Hercules to a wide pasture filledwith red cattle. As you help round up the herd, atwo-headed dog springs onto your back, knock-ing you to the ground. It is as big as a small car-so big that it could easily smother you. When itbares its teeth in a ferocious snarl, dark foamdrips from its jaws. You stuggle to scream, buteven your vocal cords are paralyzed with fear.

Suddenly you hear the sound of crunchingbone as Hercules smashes both of the dog's fierceheads. He carries it to the top of a nearby hill andhurls the body into the sea. You hy to catch yourbreath and rise to your feet. Your heart is stillpounding uncontrollably when you seeGeryoneus, an immense monster with threebodies attached to one grotesque head, grab Her-cules from behind.

As you watch Hercules grapple with the mon-ster, you realize how fierce an opponentGeryoneus is-even for a hero as powerful asHercules. You're determined to help Hercules,but how?

lf you decide to throw roclcs at the monster,turn to page 79.

It' you try to distract the monster by runningclose to it, turn to page 61.

57

_ As you walk with Phadton through the night,he talks about driving the chariot olthe sun andyou explain your search for Zeus. When younotice light glowing on the horizon, you poinloutthe sunrise to Phadton.

"lt's not dawn yet," he answers. "l think that isthe light of my father's palace."

hadsu , thelig pal-

"Father?""Yes, it's me," Helios says. "l'll take off my

crown of light so you'll be able to see me."

Go on to the next page.

58 59

, \\, .,__ lil

Your eyes stop burning and you open themcautiously. Although the light is still bright, youcan see a tall man dressed in golden robes. Phad-ton introduces you and describes how you res-cued him. Then he complains that his friendsdon't believe he is the son of a god.

'As proof that I am your father," says Helios, "lwill grant you anything you desire."

Phadton does not hesitate. "There is only onething I want. Just once, let me drive your chariotacross the sky."

Turn to page 62.

60

Later in the day, you approach Icarus while heis gathering feathers on a nearby hillside. Hewaves and exclaims, "l can't wait to fly!"

"lcarus, we can't fly," you pant as you stumbletoward him. "lt's too dangerous. We'll die!" Asthe words leave your lips, you suddenly wonderwhether or not you are destined to survive theflight.

"Don't be afraid," says lcarus kindly. "My fa-ther is brilliant. None of his inventions has everfailed."

"This one is destined to fail," you retort. A newidea occurs to you, and you tell him, "l've beenwarned by the gods that you will fly so close tothe sun that the wax in your wings will melt. You'llfall to the sea and drown!"

Icarus is silent for a moment, then says sol-emnly, "ls that why Athena sent you here?"

"Yes," you nod. You feel a bit guilty for lying,but you remind yourself that perhaps Athenadoes want you to save lcarus.

"l still want to fly," Icarus replies, "but I promiseI'll fly below you the entire time. I'll stay as farfrom the sun as you like. Is that all right?"

lf you agree, turn to page 66.

It' you canl brtng youtself to go along with thisplan, and say goodbye to lcarus and Daedalus,

turn to page 96.

61

Mustering all your courage, you race up the hillwhere Hercules and Geryoneus are fighting.Standing only a few feet from the monstLr, youwave your arms and jump around to catch its at-tention. Sure enough, Geryoneus turns its enor-mous head toward you.

One of the monster's hairy arms yanks you offyour feet. Geryoneus stumbles away from Her-cules, gripping you tighfly with all six of its arms.The monster dashes into a cave at the bottom ofthe hill.

runs after you, but not quicklythe time he reaches the cave, youbecome Geryoneus' Iunch.

The End

62

"Not even Zeus can drive my chariot!" Heliosexclaims with horror. "l doubt a mortal beingcould survive the journey! Please, Phaton, re-consider your request while I reward your friend."Helios turns to you. "l owe you Phadton's life. Iwill give you anything."

You desperately want to drive the chariot of thesun, but Helios' warning makes you wonder if in-stead you should ask him to introduce you toZeus.

It' you're deterrnined to driue the chanot ot' thesun, turn to page 709.

It' you say, "l would like to meet Zeus,"turn to page 88.

63

"There is no one in your village who can carefor you?" asks Minos with surprising sympathy.

"No," you reply solemnly."Theo," says Minos to one of his attendants,

"fuain this orphan to tend the cows."You work very hard, feeding and milking the

royal herd. One day, Theo announces that hewants you to guard the Bull of Minos.

"lt is a sacred beast, a gift from the godPoseidon," Theo explains. "lt is hidden in thehills. Only a few of us know the location."

The Bull of Minos is an enormous white crea-ture that rarely takes notice of you. Wth two otherservants, you take turns guarding it.

One day, as you walk to the pen to begin yourshift of guard duty, a large man wearing a leopardskin approaches you. You can't take your eyesaway from the massive muscles that ripple withevery move he makes.

"My name is Hercules," he says quietly."Maybe you've heard of me."

Of course you've heard of Hercules! This is al-most as exciting as meeting Zeus!

"l'm trying to find the Bull of Minos," Herculesexplains.

"Why?" you ask.Hercules sighs. 'A few years ago, I went in-

sane. In a fit of rage, I killed my wife and children.As punishment, the king of Mycenae lras givenme twelve labors to perform. They are very a?duous. For one of the labors, I have to steal theBull of Minos."

Turn to page 67.

65

You lead Hercules to the Bull of Minos. Wthjust the slightest struggle, Hercules grabs the bullby its horns and flings the animal over his shoul-ders.

"Come on," he tells you, "we're going to theisland of Erytheia next."

"Do you think Zeus will be there?" you askhopefully.

Hercules shrugs. 'All tr know is I have to get redcattle from Geryoneus. Between the monsterGeryoneus and its two-headed dog, this is goingto be a tough labor."

At the mention of the word "monster," you re-alize just how dangerous the next task will be.You're not happy, but you say nothing.

You sail to Erytheia with Hercules and the bullin a giant golden cup. It's like a boat, except that ithas no sailand seems to move wherever Hercules

Hercules pullseds to yank a

"This hee will make a great weapon," he says,noting your gaze. "Do you want to help me withthis battle or guard the bull?"

The battle promises to be more exciting, butalso dangerous. Guarding the bull would besafe . . . unless Geryoneus spots and attacks youbefore it sees Hercules!

lf you follow Hercules into the hills of Erytheio,turn to page 56.

lf you uolunteer to watch the Bull of Mnos,turn to page 74.

66

You and lcarus spend the next few days gather-ing feathers while Daedalus fashions three pairs ofwings. Icarus talks constanfly about flying, whileyou quietly ponder your fate. How can you besure your wings will survive the fierce heat of thesun?

Daedalus ties them to your arms and explainshow they work. "Just remember," he teases,"don't fly too close to the sun."

Icarus catches your eye. "We won't," you replyin unison.

You walk to a cliff overlooking the sea.Daedalus takes a running leap over the edge.Frantically flapping his wings, he manages to fly.It's your turn next, and you say goodbye to Ica-rus.

As you run to the edge of the cliff, you're soterrified you can hardly breathe.

lf you continue running, determined to fly,turn to page 72.

If you decide you'd rather not nsk your lit'e int'light, turn to page 85.

67

"Why should I show you where the bull is?"you ask. "Ill only get myself into touble."

"Maybe I can do you a favor in exchange,"Hercules says.

"Maybe," you agree. You explain your questand ask, "Could you help me find Zeus?"

"Zeus is my father, so I do see him every nowand then," replies Hercules, "but first, I have tofinish the twelve labors."

You are afraid of what Hercules might do toyou if you don't let him steal the bull. Yet youknow King Minos well enough to worry aboutwhat he'll do when he learns you betrayed him.And who knows how long it will take Hercules toaccomplish the remaining labors before he canintroduce you to Zeus?

lf you agree to show Hercules the Bull ol Mnosin exchange for his help in finding Zeus,

turn to page 65.

lf you ret'use to help Hercules at all,turn to page 77.

1:

68

After Daedalus leaves, you spend a few daysexploring lcaria. But Zeus is nowhere to befound. Each time you pass Icarus' grave you'reoverwhelmed with sorrowful memories. Finallyyou decide to continue your search in anotherpart of Greece.

Maybe working on a boat will offer you achance to investigate many places. You wait atthe harbor until a ship docks, then ask the captainif you may join his crew. He welcomes youwarmly, but a sly glint in his eyes makes you ner-vous. Although he doesn't ask you about whatyou're wearing, he offers you a new set of clothes.

While some of the sailors show you around theship and explain the work, a boy about your agecomes aboard. He is exceptionally handsome,and his clothing is very fine. "My name is Di-onysus. I will pay you to take me to the island ofNaxos," he says to the crew. The captain agreeseagerly, and the ship sets sail.

Although you are glad to leave lcaria, a sixthsense warns you that something is wrong. Duringthe night, your suspicions are confirmed whenyou overhear a conversation between two sailors.

Go on to the nert page.

69

"l don't like the captain's order to kidnap therich boy," mutters one.

"You will, you will," replies the second sailor."Once we have the ransom, you'll be glad wehave such an enterprising leader."

Kidnap Dionysus! You wonder what the cap-tain plans to do with you! Casually-althoughyour heart is pounding fiercely-you stroll awayfrom the sailors and explore the deck.

Sure enough, you spot Dionysus bound to amast and gagged. Three oarsmen guard him, butnone of them see you. You wonder what youshould do.

lf you decide to mind your own business ondstay out ot' trouble, turn to page 89.

lf you are determined to help Dionysus,turn to page 98.

t-

70

You take a deep breath and hurl yourself out ofHades' chariot.

The icy waters of the river Styx swallow you.By the time you struggle to the surface, Per-sephone and Hades have disappeared. You beginswimming to the shore, but you feel dangerouslyweak. Each sfuoke of your arms seems to requiremore strength than you can muster. Your bodyfeels tenibly heavy as the river Styx drags youinto its murky depths.

The End

7t

"What is the name of the island?" you askAthena as she carries you toward it.

"Until today, it had no name," she answers,"but from now on, it willbe called Icaria in honorof your friend."

Athena deposits you on the coast of the island.Before you can ask her any more questions, shedisappears abruptly. You look around aniously,trying to understand how she left so quickly, butall you can see is Daedalus swimming to shorewith the body of Icarus. The boy's limbs, as wellas his wings, are broken. His head hangs lifelesslytoward his chest. You feel so sad that you wonderif it was a mistake to come to lcaria.

"l'm so sorry," you stammer uncomfortably."Don't apologize," Daedalus replies woefully.

"You warned me and I ignored you. It's all myfault."

You help Daedalus bury his son and hy yourbest to comfort him. You remind him that youneed to find Zeus.

"Well, come to Athens with me," suggestsDaedalus.

"Have you ever seen Zeus in Athens?""No," Daedalus replies, "but the most exciting

things happen in Athens, so I'm sure Zeus mustvisit frequenfly."

It' you decide to join Daedalus, turn to page tl4.

lf you decide to make sure Zeus isn't on lcaria,turn to page 68.

72

You close your eyes and jump off the cliff. Youcatch a gulp of air and beat your wings with allyour might, but continue to fall. It isn't until youare within a few feet of the sea that your descentslows and you begin to fly upward. The wingswork!

Flapping harder, you soar into the sky. Youglance over your shoulder and see lcarus flutter-ing safely behind you. You slow your flight untilhe is direcfly below you.

"Don't worry," he calls. "l'll stay with you."As your confidence grows, you experiment

with a few daring swoops. You ty flying figureeights. Icarus mimics all your motions, and to-gether you travel far from the island oI Crete.

When you look toward the sun to check yourdistance, you notice a woman in white robes fly-ing above you! When she calls your name, yourealize that she is Athena. She motions for you tojoin her-and forgetting Icarus, you soar higher.

You are still far from Athena when you begin tofeel heat on your back. The light is so bright thatyou have to squint. You remember lcarus andlook for him. To your horror, he is flying just be-low you! Before you have a chance to say any-thing, you notice feathers fluttering off his wings.

You look at your own wings with alarm. Drop-lets of wax are sliding along the larger feathers,and many small feathers have come loose!

Just then, you feel yourself starting to sink.

Turn to page 78.

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74

Hercules waves goodbye as he sets off to stealthe red cattle. You feed the Bull of Minos somegrass, then decide to go for a swim. The water isso warm and calm that you relax despite yourself.You float near the shore and gaze atthe cloudlesssky.

Suddenly a cold rush of water envelops yourbody, gripping you tightly. An unseen force dragsyou underu,rater and pulls you further from shore.At first you're sure you're drowning, but then yourealize you are able to breathe underwater. Thisdiscovery makes you only a little less frightened.

As your eyes adjust to the salty water, you see alarge human shape that seems to be made ofnothing more than thousands of dark green whirl-pools.

"l gave that bull to Minos!" the creafure roars."Who are you?" you ask. Water rushes into

your mouth and fills your lungs."Poseidon, god of the oceans.""Well, I'm sorry about the bull," you stammer."l don't want apologies, I want revenge,"

Poseidon bellows. "Help me tap Hercules andI'll let you go. Otherwise, I'll keep you here for-qter."

You hate the idea of spending the rest of yourlife undenwater with Poseidon, but you'd feelawful about betaying Hercules.

lf you refuse to help Poseidon,turn to page 705.

lf you agree to lure Hercules into the ocean,turn to page 774.

75

"Thanks," you tell Charon, "but if you won'tcaffy me across the river, I'lljust swim."

Charon laughs devilishly. "So many souls haveattempted the same folly."

You hesitate and survey the river more care-fully. It is not very wide, and the current isn't swift.You decide to ignore Charon's comment and stepinto the icy water. He makes no attempt to stopyou.

As you swim through the iridescent waves, youfeel your stength ebbing away. By the time youreach the opposite shore, you are too weak evento stand. You are, in fact, lifeless.

Charon floats across the river and lifts yourlimp body onto his raft. "No one survives theriver Styx," mutters Charon. "Just one more soulto carry across the water."

You spend eternity in the underworld.

The End

76

When no one is watching, gou and theMinotaur board the boat and hide below thedeck. You wedge yourself between sacks of grainand the Minotaur crouches nearby among cratesof clucking chickens.

You havebarely settledinto placewhen theMinotaurloudlyexclaims,"The boat isleaving thedock!"

"Quiet!"you whisper."We can'tsay a word,or they'llhear us!"

The seabecomesfrightfullyturbulentduring the night.Thunder rumblesand the chickens squawk.The boat lurches from side to side.You hear water rush along the deck, and theMinotaur moans beside you.

Maybe you should climb above to see what's

77

happening on deck. You want to know how se-rious the storm is, but is it worth the risk that oneof the sailors might see you?

lf you moke your way onto the deck,turn to page 87.

lf you stoy with the Minotaur below deck,turn to poge 84.

78

You crash into lcarus. A tangle of feathers,bodies, and sticky wax, the two of you plummettoward the sea with breathtaking speed. Sud-denly you find yourself in Athena's arms. A sec-ond later, you hear the splash of Icarus hitting thewater.

"We have to save him!" you cry. "lt's all myfault!"

"You're not to blame," Athena explains. "lca-rus had to die this way- None of us can change hisfate. Now, tell me-shall I drop you off on thatisland over there, or do you want me to carry youover Greece for a while?"

It' you'ue had enough of flying ond osk Athenato cany you to the island, turn to page 71.

It' you decide to suruey ancient Greece t'rom theair with Athena, turn to page 80.

79

Quickly you gather an armload of rocks andhide behind a bush. Gking careful aim, you hurla stone at Geryoneus' back. The monster pausesand looks around, grving Hercules a chance toland a forceful punch in its face. Your secondstone hits Geryoneus direcfly in the eye, stunningit for a moment. Hercules knocks the monster tothe ground and kills it with an arrow.

Hercules slaps you on the back and says, "ldon't know if I could have won that battle withoutyour help." Together, you lead the red cattle tothe golden cup and set sail for Mycenae, whereyou will deliver the cattle before beginning thenext labor.

When Hercules describes his next endeavor-stealing the golden apples from the Daughters ofthe Evening Land-you ask him if he ever feelsguilty about stealing precious bulls and cattle andgolden apples from their owners.

Hercules does not seem to understand. As thedays pass, you feel increasingly uncomfortableabout helping him with his next labor. You won-der if once you reach Mycenae you should staythere and continue your search for Zeus alone.

On the other hand, Hercules is one of Zeudsons, so you may stand a better chance of meet-ing his father if you remain with him.

It' you decide to soy goodbye to Hercules inMycenae, turn to page 704.

It' you decide to accompony Hercules to theDaughterc of the Euening Land,

turn to page 106.

80

You're sad about lcarus, but you do want tokeep looking for Zeus.

"l'll come with you," you tellAthena. "Maybewe'll be able to see Zeus from here."

"l never promised you would meet him," shereplies.

"l know. Could we just fly over Olympus so Ican see his throne?"

Athena carries you over counfless islands, pastAthens, to a small peninsula. She points out ahuge table with eleven wooden thrones. At thehead of the table stands a large stone throne thatlooks just like the one your parents unearthed.You tell Athena about your parents' archae-ological project.

"l wanted to ask Zeus how my parents couldprove that they've found Olympus and not justanother ancient throne," you explain.

"Why didn't you tell me all this before?"Athena exclaims. "l could have told you that Zeuskeeps the Olympian Orders buried beneath histhrone. Tell your parents to dig deeper and they'llhave allthe evidencethey need." Then she twirlsyou around and sends you back home.

Sure enough, once you convince your parents,Athena's advice leads them to the most importantarchaeological discovery of the century. The nextyear, on the summer solstice, you go to the Par-thenon to thank Athena. She never appears, butsomehow you know she understands.

81

As you stumble onto the deck, a wave crashesinto you, knocking you off your feet. Anotherwave washes you overboard.

You thrash around in the violent water and fi-nally manage to grab a broad wooden plank. Youcrawl on top of it and hold on tightly. When youcatch your breath enough to look around, yousee that the boat has sunk! You search for a signof the Minotaur and realize sadly that it has gonedown with the ship.

The storm gradually passes. By morning thesea is almost calm. The waves genfly carry you bya school of dolphins. They frolic so playfully thatfor a brief second you forget the terror of the pre-vious night.

One dolphin swims around you a few times,then floats beside you. You stroke its smooth backand suddenly wonder if you should climb on for aride.

You have no idea how the dolphin will react;maybe you're safer staying on the plank. But ifyou do that, how long will you have to drift beforesomeone rescues you?

If you climb onto the dolphin's back,go on to the nert page.

It' you remoin t'loating on the wooden plank,turn to page 4.

The End

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82

Once you are on its back, the dolphin stopsromping and soars through the sea with alarmingspeed. It seems to know exactly where it is going.When you approach a small peninsula, the dol-phin glides onto a beach. You rolloff its back andpress your face into the sand. You're grateful tobe on land again!

Thrning to the dolphin, you are astonished tosee a large bearded man in its place. He wears agolden crown and a remarkable robe that looksas if it might have been woven from rainbows.

"You're lucky I felt like beinga dolphin today," says the manas he brushes sand offyour face.

"What are youusually?" you ask,confused.

83

"Well, I'm always Zeus, but every now andthen I like to experiment with a different body."

You are speechless."l've heard you've been looking for me," says

Zeus.You describe your parents' archaeological ex-

ploration and the houbles they face. Zeus listensintently. When you are finished, he wordlesslyleads you to an immense table with twelvethrones. Eleven of them are elaborately carvedfrom olive wood. The twelfth, which you recog-nize from your parents' photos, is stone.

Turn to page 90.

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84

Despite your worries about the storm, you de-cide not to risk going on deck.

The Minotaur clutches your arm as the stormrages. The boat slowly fills with water. The cratesof chickens smash together, and wet feathers floateverywhere. "Let's get out of here!" you shriek tothe Minotaur above the deafening roar ofthunder. You struggle to get out from under thesacks of grain, but it's too late. They are soakedwith water and have become too heavy for eventhe Minotaur to budge.

Images of your family flash through your mind.You know you will never see them again. The lastthing you hear is the Minotaur bellowing as theboat sinks into the churning sea.

The End

85

You come to an abrupt stop at the edge of thecliff. "l'm not going to fly," you tell Icarus as youshuggle to catch your breath. "l don't want to dieand I don't want to see you die."

Icarus is silent."Go ahead and fly if you want to," you say."l don't want to die either," he slowly answers,

"but my father is going to be furious when herealizes we aren't flying."

Sure enough, Daedalus is already flying towardyou, shouting, "Come on! Flap those wings!"

"He's going to make me fly," says Icarus sor-rowfully. "l just know it."

"Maybe together we can convince him that fly-ing is just too dangerous," you suggest. "Or, ifyou don't think that will work, we could hide inthe caves. He'll never be abie to find us."

Icarus is trembling with fear. "l don't knowwhat to do. You decide."

It' you run into the caues, turn to poge 52.

lf you wait for Daedalus to land so you can talkwith him, turn to poge 92.

87

You step grngerly onto Charon's raft. He showsyou how to guide it with a pole to the other side ofthe river where you wait for passengers.

The job is not as ghoulish as you feared. Yourpassengers remind you of Persephone. They looklike normal people, except that their faces are un-naturally pale and expressionless. They rarelyspeak. You avoid looking in their eyes.

Soon you realize it will not be as easy to escapeas you had hoped. Charon never sleeps. Henever lets you out of his sight. And whenever theraft approaches the shore, he holds on to yourshoulders with such force that there is no way youcan get away.

But as the weeks pass, Charon begins to hustyou. He grips your shoulders less firmly. Finallyhe stops holding you altogether. Although youknow you could probably escape noq you aretoubled. Part of you wants to return immediatelyto the Land of the Living, but another part of youworries about Persephone. Do you dare return tothe palace of Hades to rescue her?

It' you think you shou/d help Persephone,turn to poge 97.

If you decide to go directly to the Land of theLiuing, turn to page 93.

88

"So you want to meetZeus?" asks Helios. "l'[invite him right away. Please excuse me, but ifyou'll just wait here for Zeus, Phadton and I aregoing to have a talk about his dangerous desire todrive my chariot."

r Helios and lightn shes right i e! Ab in a radiant, robestands before you.

"Zeus!" you gasp."Yes," he replies, "Helios asked if I would see

you.""l have a favor to ask," you explain as you be-

gin to describe your parents' discovery of histhrone.

- "That's grand!" says Zeus gleefully. "l alwayshated the idea of my throne being buried under-ground for centuries. Let's surprise your parents!While they're still in Athens, you and I will go toOlympus and time-tuavel to the excavation. Thatway, I'il be able to show you exactly where myteasures are buried."

"Thanks so much!" you exclaim.s. "Now if we hurry,

Pe off at Olympus whilehe the sky."

89

You decide to try and get some sleep, and youhide under a pile of fishy-smelling nets. Just be-fore dawn, you awake. Ivy and grapevines aretwined all over the masts, oars, and even the netscovering you. You hear flutes playing an eenetune. You wonder if you're going crazy.

Your hair stands on end. Wld beasts-lions,panthers, and bears-are roaming the deck! Youduck under the nets again. The animals' snarlspunctuate the sailors' frightened screams.

You peer out from the nets and see the largestlion savagely mauling the captain while Dionysuscalmly watches. You feel sick to your stomach.

A nearby sailor exclaims, "l knew this was thewrong boy to kidnap! He's no rich kid, he's agod!"

Before you have a chance to ask any ques-tions, you notice a panther sniffing the nets just afew feet away from you. Without thinking twice,you leap out from under the nets and jump over-board.

Several sailors follow you. As their bodies enterthe water, they are instantly transformed into dol-phins! You look at your own body and areshocked to see that sleek gray flippers have re-placed your arms.

Although you are horrified at first, you learn toenjoy romping in the waves. Bef.ore iong, youcan't remember what it felt like to walk, and aftera few years, you even forget that you were once ahuman being.

The End

The End

90

"Your parents are right," Zeus explains."They've discovered Olympus, and they'vefound my throne."

"But no one believes them! How can theyprove they're right?" you ask.

Zeus grins mischievously. "lf your parents reallywant clues, they will have to ask me themselves."

"But they won't!" you cry with frustration. "Mygrandmother already suggested they ask you forhelp. /'m not going to be able to convince them,"

"But you won't have to," Zeus goes on, "be-cause I'm going to pay them a visit myself. Here,take my hand."

When Zeus raises his other hand to the sky,thunder rumbles and one lightning bolt after an-other strikes the earth around you. You clutchZeus with fear as the lightning flashes again andagain. 'Athena's way of haveling was a little lessnerve-racking," you shout.

Zeus lowers his hand, and the lightning disap-pears. You find yourself on your own doorstep."Ring the doorbell," he tells you.

For the rest of your life, you will never forgetthe look on your parents' faces when they openthe door and see Zeus.

The End

)

92

Daedalus lands awkwardly. His face is distortedwith rage as he yells, "What's wrong with youtwo?"

"lt's too dangerous!" you insist."l changed my mind. I don't want to fly," Icarus

stammers."l don't care what happens to Athena's little

friend," says Daedalus as he glares nastily in yourdirection, "but you're my son, Icarus, and you'regoing to fly!"

Daedalus drags Icarus to the cliff and shoveshim over the edge. Desperately flapping hiswings, Icarus manages to soar into the air. With-out a word of farewell, Daedalus flies after hisson, leaving you alone on thb cliff.

You cannot bear to watch Icarus. Feeling veryforlorn, you bury your face in your hands. Whenat last you lift your head, you discover there is abearded man sitting beside you. You eye his deli-cate rainbow-colored robe in astonishment."Zeus?" you whisper hesitanfly.

Turn to page 103.

93

;Iry,ng.to rescue Persephone seems too dan-gerous, so you decide to escape alone.

After dropping off a $oup of souls on Hades'side of the river, you guide the raft back to theother side. Without a moment's hesitation, youleap onto the shore and race away from the river.Charon stumbles ashore and calls your name, buthe is too feeble to catch up with you. You mn asfast as you can past dreary expanses of gray stoneand out of the chasm.

You collapse on the sweet-smelling grass andgaze up at the sky, marvelling at the intensity ofthe colors around you. Suddenly you notice atall, bearded man stiding toward you.

"l've been keeping hack of your adventures,"he says warmly, "and I must say, you've kept meentertained."

"Who are you?" you ask suspiciously."l thought you'd know. I'm Zeus."Your mouth drops open. "Did you know I was

looking for you?"Zeus laughs. "Yes, and I know what's on your

mind. Come on, I'll show you around Olympus."

Go on to the nert page.

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94

appearance.one you'veshells scat-ints out thesecret trea-

sures. "Thete," he says, "l've shown you every-

thing you need to make your parents' excavationsuccessful beyond all dreams." He waves hishand before your eyes and whispers, "Now sleep

You awaken in your own bed, feeling certainthat if only your parents will listen to you, Zeus'directions will help them discover where the evi-dence is buried.

The End

95

96

You don't want to get involved in Daedalus' fly-ing plans, bgt _to get around on your o*n, you;llneed to look like an islander. Vou find ciothingdrying on the rocks and exchange it for your own.Even so, you soon discover that without Icarusand Daedalus, it is difficult to find your wayaround the island. You ask people yori meet fordirectio-ns to Olympus, bul everyone says thatmortal beings cannot approach the homq of thegods without an invitation from Zeus. And no oneknows how to find Zeus. After several days ofsearching, you become very discouraged.

W.hile walking along a rocky mountain path,you hear someone calling for help. You follow thecrieg to a gully, where a boy is kapped.. "l'll be right back as soon as I find something tohelp you yith," you assure him before runnin{offto get a fallen hee limb. You dangle it into thegolge and hold on tight as the boy climbs up thelimb.

97

Although you don't know exacfly how you willrescue Persephone once you return to Hades'palace, you decide to leave Charon immediately.You tell him you want to take a break, and youpush past the next group of souls trudging off theraft toward the palace.

But in your haste to return to Persephone, youstumble on the rocky ground. You twist your an-kle and pause to rub it. Suddenly you notice a

undred yards behindthat his feet barelyder why anyone else

would be so eager to reach the palace of Hades.Then you reallze: He could be chasing you.

If you decide to find out who the runner is,turn to page 701.

lf you think it's safest to hide t'rom him,turn to page 778.Turn to page 55.

98

Quick! You have to think of a way to rescueDionysus!

You drag a heavy urn of oil to the railing andshove it overboard. The urn hits the water with aloud splash. The sailors guarding Dionysus imme-diately abandon their watch to look over the sideof the boat. You run to Dionysus and quietly be-gin to untie him.

99

You are still fumbling with the first knot whenthe sailors notice you. In less than a minute, you,too, are tied to the mast and gagged. Dionysuscatches your eye and winks' You can't under-stand why he doesn't appear at all frightened.You struggletofree yourself, but one of the sailorshits you so hard that you black out.

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Turn to page 702.

101

You decide to risk finding out who the runneris. As you limp toward him, you notice smallwings on each of his sandals. He waves to you ashe approaches.

"Who are you? Where are you going?" you callwarily.

He pauses, and you notice he's not at allout ofbreath. "l'm Hermes. son of.Zeus and messengerof the gods. I'm on my way to get Persephone,"he explains. "My father has ordered Hades to lether return to the Land of the Living."

"l was just on my way to rescue Persephone,too," you reply.

"Let me take care of getting Persephone."Hermes glances at your injured ankle, which hasbegun to swell. "l guess you're a live mortal afterall. Your clothes are so stange that from a dis-tance I couldn't tell what you were. As soon as Ipick up Persephone, you can tell me where youcome from and how you ended up in the under-world. Wait right here and I'll bring you to theLand of the Living."

The End

ITurn to poge 20.

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waste no time in jumping overboard. In the midstof this craziness, Dionysus dances gleefully andplays a flute.

When the last sailor has disappeared into thesea, Dionysus claps his hands and the wild ani-mals vanish. He unties you and thanks you fortrying to help him.

103

He nods and smiles kindly. "l'm sorry aboutIcarus, but this is the way he has to die. Re-member, he will be immortalized in poems andpaintings, music and legends."

"l know," you answer sadly."l think you've had enough adventures. I'm

going to take you back to your own century,"says Zeus.

"But wait!" you cry. It is too late. You are al-ready passing through the twilight shadows oftime.

When you arrive at the Parthenon, you findyourself clutching a detailed map of Olympus re-vealing all your parents need to know for their digto succeed. After examining the map intently, youwalk through the sheets of Athens to your home.You're just in time for breakfast.

The End

The End

104

After leaving Hercules, you find a job in My-cenae so that you'll be able to finance your questfor Zeus. A goldsmith named Vasily hires you tosweep the shop and run errands. You don't makemuch money, so you pester Vasily into teachingyou his craft. As he shows you how to fashionstartlingly beautiful jewelry, your memories ofyour family fade and your interest in finding Zeusdiminishes. By the time you're as fine a craftsmanas Vasily himself, you have put aside allthoughtsof Zeus.

Years later, a tall, regal man enters the shopand admires your work. He commissions a crownso luxurious that you say, "With a crown like this,you'll rival Zeus!"

The man laughs. "But I am Zeus!""Years ago, I was determined to find you so I

could help my parents prove they'd discoveredthe ruins of Olympus," you replyl amazed.

"Yes, I know," replies Zeus. "Your grandmotherkeeps me informed when we get together on thesummer solstice. Your parents are still working onthe excavation. They've unearthed a few items-enough to continue the project-but not enoughreally to prove their discovery."

'Are they still worried about me?""Certainly. Your grandmother knows where

you are," Zeus explains, "but your parents don'tbelieve her. Would you like to return to the twen-tieth century?"

TUrn to page 748.

105

"l would never helo -.ou trap Hercules!" youtell Poseidon. You soti:rr braver than you reallyf.eel.

Poseidon tightens h,-,. g:ip "Very well, you willbecome my servant. I '.i.arn you, I will alwayshave an eye on you

As part of the unCen,'e:er housekeeping team,you travel everywhere '*.-: Poseidon. You sweepbroken shells, stray brrs c: seaweed. dead fish,and all kinds of debris ou: o: the ocean and ontobeaches.

One morning, as !'ou ii'ash driftwood onto theshores of Lemnos, you ncice that Poseidon is notwith you. A dolphin expiains that there was astorm brewing over the ACantic. Poseidon had toIeave suddenly to warn rhe whales he had sta-tioned there. He was too hurried to take hishousekeeping team,

You wonder if you shouid take advantage ofPoseidon's absence to escape. You don't know ifyou'll ever have another chance. But what willhappen if you're caught? Besides, you keep hop-ing that one day you'[ have the opportunity tosweep the shores of Olympus and find Zeus.

lf you decide to escape, turn to page 773.

lf you decide you're better off waiting,turn to poge 50.

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106

After delivering the Bull of Minos and the redcattle to the king of Mycenae, you and Herculesbegin your search for the Daughters of the Eve-ning Land. They prove to be every bit as elusiveas Zeus. You spend more than a year exploringcountless islands as well as the mainland ofGreece.

One night, when you are ready to collapse withexhaustion, you notice an enticing fragrancefloating in the air.The two of you follow the scentto a silver lattice fence that surrounds a gardenfilled with mysterious night-blooming flowers andsoftly humming bees. Right away you know thatit's the Evening Land.

Stepping over the f.ence, you feel deeply se-rene and refreshed. You can't recall ever havingfelt so wonderful. You pass many trees laden withunfamiliar fruit, but none of them have goldenapples.

Three young women wearing wreaths aroundtheir heads walk toward you. "We are the Daugh-ters of the Evening Land," one of them says gra-ciously.

Without so much as a nod of greeting, Herculessays, "l'm looking for the golden apples."

Go on to the nert page.

t07

The Daughters look at each other in anguish."Take any fruit, any flower, but please leave usthe golden apples," they plead.

Hercules shides past the women to a hee bear-ing shining gold apples. Around the tree lies ahissing dragon. As the dragon opens its jaws,small tongues of flame dart toward you.

"Please, Hercules. let's forget about the ap-ples," you suggest nervousiy. "l think the king ofMycenae will be satisfied with another kind offruit."

"Hand me an alrow. says Hercules with colddetermination.

"l don't like this at all." you insist. "Let's leavethe apples alone."

'An arrow, please." sag's Hercules.

If you ret'use and walk toward the Daughters ofthe Euening Land, turn to page 51.

$ you reluctantly Eue Hercules an orrou),turn to page 775.

I108

You hesitate. You're perfectly content withyour life in Mycenae. "No," you reply, "butwould you give my family a message?"

Six months later, your parents unearth agolden crown that is not only magnificent but alsoremarkably well preserved. They are even moreastonished when they notice a message ihscribedalong the edge. With breathless excitement, theyread about your fate and examine your signatureintently. When they show your grandmother thecrown, she only smiles.

The End

109

"lf you value your li[e, you will not drive thechariot of the sun," Helios warns. "Please!Choose anything else!"

But you and Phaton insist, and at last Helioswoefully relents. It's dawn, so you have to hurry.You climb into the gleaming gold chariot that car-ries the sun and grab *re reins. Even before youcan say goodbye to Hehos, the horses are racingthrough the clouds.

You gaze down upon the earth and the windrushes against your face. As the chariot climbshigher, you find it hard to breathe. You are higherthan you've ever flotrrn in a plane!

Suddenly the chariot lurches to the right, thenswings wildly to the lefL The horses gallop fasterthan ever. "Tighten the reins!" Phadton shouts.

I

Go on to the neft page.

i 110

"l aml I am!" you shriek, but you can't contolthe horses. They rush up and down like a night-marish roller coaster. The chariot plunges so closeto the earth that some mountains catch fire! Soonthick smoke is billowing all around you. Flameslick the wheels of the chariot, and you realize thatyou've set a path of fire blazing across the earth!

A bolt of lightning flashes through the smoke.

111

Phadton screams as the golden chariot shatters.You plunge to your death, never knowing thatyou finally succeeded in athacting the attention ofZeus, who threvr the hghtring bolt to prevent youfrom destoying the rest of the earth.

Tlre End

113

You tell no one abof yur flan to escape; youjust move on to def iaes to go about yourwork as usual. liilud Ge errd of the day, yousweep the hull of a dixrecked boat onto abeach. Instead of sErBrg guickly back with thewaves, as you are e'npmed b. lrou scurry insidethe hull and hide.

From the beaclr- lxrr can see an enormoustable about twenty fa hrg and very high. Thereare gigantic thrones aldrg qre side c{ the table.You can't belierrc your qes! On of the thronesiooks exactly like the one your parents dis-covered. Could yrou rdy ]rare been so lucky asto have found Ob/neus?

Just as you climb qtr ftorn under the hull toinvestigate, a pourerful Ly warc grabs your an-kles and knocks you to the ground. fu you slidepast the foam into ilre dpths of the ocean, yourccognize the force as tlre hand of Poseidon him-self.

Water rushes into gurr lungs. You're not at allsurprised to realue that you can no longerbreathe underwater

The End

LL4

You agree to help Poseidon hap Hercules. Thesea god carries you back to the place where youwere swimming. "Pretend you're drowning.Scream for help," he instructs you.

"Hercules!" you shout as loudly as you