by Lon Williams
Thirsty of a sudden, he swung off his horse, lay flat and lowered his mouth to drink. So clear was this stream that the gold-flaked sand beneath seemed to lie uncovered. Yet his lips touched cold, refreshing water. Its effect was exhilarating. It had frightening results, too. While it changed him from a tired but victorious manhunter into a refreshed, reinvigorated individual, it transformed him, also, into an alert, bewildered victim of strange forces he felt, but could not see.
He sprang up, his only thought being to mount Cannon Ball and ride for his life.
But sounds stayed him. Searching eyes revealed to him that he was near a spring, that sitting upon a flat ledge beside it were three young women, scantily dressed but amazingly beautiful. They were much alike, their distinguishing characteristics being their flower-garlanded heads. One’s hair was black, another’s golden, and one was like silver.
All three were crying.
One said, “He cannot help us; see how uncomely he is.”
Another said, “Yes, I think we wasted our time in saving him from those men of evil who were about to kill him.”
“We could give him a chance, however; it is plain enough that we accomplish nothing by our own efforts.”
“Perhaps you are right, sweet Ina. Yes, Leta, Ina is right. We should give him a chance, though he does look unpromising beyond measure.”
“Electa, I do not agree,” said Leta. “Our hope has been that Apollo himself would come to our assistance. That uncouth creature there with his big horse could not possibly be Apollo in disguise; no, let us try once more, as we have done for so long.”
“Once more, then,” said Ina. She bent, admired her golden hair for a moment as beauty was reflected back to her, then dipped with a golden cup and stood erect, her cup brimming.
Electa bent, waited until ripples subsided and she could see her dark tresses, then dipped with a cup of stone.
Leta was last, of all of them most vain, as well as most beautiful. She rose at last with her cup of silver wet and shining. “Let us go,” she said. “In my heart, pity and hope are again renewed. Why, I do not know. Possibly it is only a stratagem of cruel gods to make us suffer more when we fail.” They stood side by side for a moment, then marched away along a wide meadow path, each carefully holding her cup. Their course was toward another tree—this one five hundred feet away and, amazingly, laden with a wondrous variety of fruits.
* * * *
Now that he saw this second tree, Winters became aware of an incomparable fragrance that diffused itself from its branches. It was a great tree, with long limbs that bent earthward, borne down by their heavy loads.
What he next saw made him gasp. Underneath those fruit-heavy boughs stood a man of splendid physique, wearing only a loincloth. His skin looked exceptionally fair, suggesting that he seldom walked except in shade. As Ina, Leta and Electa drew near, he turned from looking upward and extended his arms toward them.
When they were within a few steps of him, they stumbled and fell—and wept. Slowly they rose and returned, each cup held carelessly now, its contents lost. At their spring they sat down again and cried until it seemed their hearts would break.
Those gals sure have got their misery, thought Winters.
Suddenly Leta rose and came toward him, her silver hair ringed with a garland of blue flowers. She stopped when almost within touching distance of him and looked up, her blue eyes tearful with entreaty. “Oh, Winters, will you please help us?” she said unhappily.
“Help you?” he gawked.
“Yes, Winters. All these thousands of years we have tried in vain. It seems we can try no more— though try we must, I fear.”
“Try what?”
“Didn’t you see, Winters?”
She was joined by her two companions.
Ina’s green eyes swam before him like water-splashed emeralds. “We have been promised a deliverer—though whether mortal or immortal we are not told. Winters, though you look quite mortal, perhaps you are that promised one.”
“If I am, I never heard of it before.”
Electa’s searching eyes flashed darkly. “Then you are, indeed, a mere man and, I must say truthfully, not so heroic-looking as might be. Fate, I fear, is against us still.”
“You speak unkindly, Electa,” said Leta. “It is not expected that mortal men should be as comely as gods. But what have gods done for us? Nothing, except condemn us to a hopeless servitude for all eternity.” Again her eyes lifted in entreaty to Winters. “Won’t you please help us? We saved your life just now by causing those wicked men to shoot each other. Surely you owe us something?”
“I reckon I do,” said Winters, “but I ain’t figured out what you want done.”
“Oh,” said Ina sweetly. “So that is it? Haven’t you heard of an evil tree called Tantalus? And of Melos, most lovely of mortal men? And of Clymente, most beautiful of all maidens?”
Winters began to understand. “You’ve got it all mixed up,” he told them. “Tantalus was a man, not a tree.”
“Why do you speak so strangely?” demanded Electa.
“It’s that way in Myra’s book,” said Winters. “Myra is my wife’s name.”
Ina, Leta and Electa. “Is she not that beautiful one of Thebes, sought by so many suitors, and so hopelessly?”
“She’s a good looker, if that’s what you mean,” said Winters.
“Yes,” said Leta. “That’s what we mean. And she married you? Then you must, indeed, be some gallant hero, cast in this present uncouth form.” Suddenly there came to them a sad, heart-breaking moan. “Water! Water!”
Leta’s eyes filled with tears. “Poor, poor Melos; he thirsts so dreadfully.” She turned away. “Come, dear ones, we must try again.”
Off they went. Once more they admired their reflections, then filled their cups and marched away. Once more, from some mysterious cause, they stumbled and fell; once more they returned weeping.
* * * *
This time they confronted Winters in anger. “We expected you would be brave and heroic,” declared Leta.
“And grateful,” declared Electa.
“But you only stand and stare at us, and treat us as if you cared nothing for us and felt a pain at our torment.”
“You’re as unreasonable as any woman I ever heard talk,” stormed Winters. “Why are you so huffy all of a sudden?”
“Huffy?”
“Yes, huffy.”
Ina looked sadly at her empty golden cup. “I think he means to ask why we are angry.”
“Sure,” he snapped. “Why are you?”
“Well, because,” said Ina.
“Because you won’t help us,” said Electa. “Because you just stand there and look, while we try in vain to carry a drink to Melos,” declared Leta. She turned and pointed with a lovely arm. “See how poor Melos stoops to drink from that pool at his feet? It is a spring called Blithe—which means to tempt, then to deny. Poor Melos is chained to a stone.”
“And,” said Ina, “Blithe rises cool and clear ’round his feet. But when he bends to drink, Blithe’s waters sink beyond his reach. Melos thirsts, but never drinks.”
“And when we try to carry water to him from this spring called Sheron, our feet are mysteriously entangled; we fall, and our cups are empty.”
“That’s a pretty howdy-do,” said Winters. “Why don’t you watch where you’re stepping?” He tossed a thumb toward Melos. “And why don’t he eat that fruit? Is it poison?”
“Ah,” Electa told him scornfully, “it is so little you know about things.”
“Hold on there,” Winters scolded. “I remember now. It says in Myra’s book that every time he reaches for fruit, a wind blows them upward out of reach.”
“Again your Myra’s book is in error,” declared Electa, her dark eyes flashing reproof. “Tantalus requires no wind to blow his fruit away. He is an evil creature with only thoughts of torture in his mind. Behold!”
As she pointed, Melos reached up to pluck what looked like
a luscious yellow pear. He almost reached it; but as Melos rose on his toes, Tantalus lifted his heavy bough a little higher. What Melos had almost reached, he still could almost reach; but, stretch as he might, his objective moved until it was still just beyond his fingertips.
“That’s lowdown dirty-dog mean,” Winters declared angrily. “Even a man who’s done what Melos did don’t deserve to be tormented like that.”
“Oh, Winters,” cried Leta, “your anger is an equivalent of promise. Come, let us take you to Melos, where you can see more closely what his situation is and how grievously he suffers.”
“Fill your cups,” he directed authoritatively.
* * * *
They hurried away. That time might not be wasted, all three bent as one and admired their reflections in Sheron. Then they filled their cups and marched side by side on their forlorn mission. Winters led Cannon Ball by a parallel route, his eye alternately on them and on Tantalus. In his opinion, Tantalus was a demon tree that had some things yet to learn about torture.
Ina and her companions began to chant softly, then to exchange small sighs of hope and happiness.
“At last, at last,” Leta cried softly, “I believe our work is near its ending.”
“Hold there a second,” called Winters. “I figure you’re going to fall down again. I want to see what’s causing it.”
They paused, and Winters moved ahead. A strange thing happened then. Tantalus began to wave his branches, their violence of movement increasing as Winters advanced. Hissing sounds were to be heard, too, and murmuring growls as if countless predatory beasts were in hiding close by.
“Beware,” cried Leta. “Tantalus fears you; he will destroy you, if he can.”
“That’s no tree,” replied Winters. “It’s a devil who’s changed hisself to look like a tree.”
Winters moved on until he was just beyond reach of Tantalus’ longest branches; there he paused for study. At Tantalus’ base, roots twisted and gnarled like tentacles. Some buried themselves; some ran along above-ground. These latter lay still, as roots of an ordinary tree that had become exposed by washing rains.
His interest shifted to Melos, whose gaze rested upon him wonderingly. Here was a youth too beautiful to be a mere man. With only a loincloth for clothing, he stood fair and tall, his hair pale gold that curled about his head, his eyes dark blue and saddened almost to despair. He stood upon a rock, to which his feet were chained. Around him stood a pool of clearest water, tiny ripples beating gently within inches of his feet.
“Winters, you have come at last,” said Melos, angry reproach rising in his voice. “Apparently time has meant nothing to you. Every day of your life, you have had water to drink; hence you know not what it means to die of thirst a thousand deaths. Though with water at my very feet, I cannot drink; with food over my head, I cannot eat. I hunger and I thirst without mercy. Yet you have come, Winters; for that you’re not to be denied some small measure of thanks.”
“Yeah,” said Winters. “But don’t think I planned it this way. In fact, I had nothing to do with it.”
Without warning something struck Winters a hard blow that knocked his feet from under him. By chance, however, he had seen a flash of movement. He knew then that those roots of Tantalus, which crooked along so seemingly inoffensive, were in reality animated arms, capable of movement so quick as barely to be seen.
“Alas!” sighed Melos. “Clearly you are not immortal. Moreover, I should unhappily say, not very wise; you permitted Tantalus to catch you off-guard.”
“Permitted nothing,” retorted Winters. “He didn’t ask if he could do that; in fact, he’s what I’d call a dirty fighter.”
“For some reason he fears you, Winters,” said Melos. “Why he does so, I can’t imagine. As a hero, surely none more unprepossessing than you ever lived.”
“That brings us to a point,” said Winters dryly. “In my mind, from what I’ve heard about you, human conduct can get pretty low. It’s no wonder you’re being tortured.”
Melos looked down, sadly. “Ah, yes, Winters; what you say is true. In ordinary turns of life, it is well for a young man to be in love with a beautiful young woman. But one should never aspire to possess anything that a god has set his heart upon. It was my misfortune to love and be loved by beautiful Clymente, whom great, avenging Zeus had seen and desired. It was my worse misfortune to steal and hide her away, and make her mine before Zeus could lay his ruinous hands upon her. But for my folly I have paid, Winters. Ever thirsty, ever hungry, I am ever taunted by food and drink, both so near, yet so far.”
“Yeah,” said Winters. “That’s plain enough; but that story you tell is sure not how I heard it.”
“How did you hear it, Winters?”
“In my wife’s book, you was supposed to serve up a dish of stew for gods and goddesses made by boiling human flesh.”
Melos shuddered. “Horrors! But I can understand why such a slanderous story be told; those unfamiliar with Olympian gods and their cruelties could not have believed that I would be punished like this, merely because of young love.” Melos sighed. “But such is life. Provoke not jealousy in those who have power over you, nor covet anything that may rob them of a little glory. To do so is to invite ill-will and disaster.”
“You remind me of my pa,” said Winters. “When I was a yearling down in Trinity Valley, he said to me, ‘Son, don’t ever stick your head up, unless you want it to be shot at.’ And another thing he said, ‘If you don’t aim to be kicked around, learn how to shoot first.’ Melos, I reckon your education was sort of neglected.”
“You jest, Winters; you jest, while I am in torment from hunger and thirst.” Melos hung his head feebly, conscious only of his misery. A wandering breeze which caused ripples on Blithe’s crystal surface reminded him that water was all around him. Likewise Tantalus lowered his branches until apples and plums dangled against his cheeks. “No,” said Melos. “I’ve been deceived so often and for so long, I can try no more.”
Winters, sensing danger, suddenly stepped backward. As he did so, a flashing object cut his chin.
In anger he remembered his forty-five. His hand closed upon it. “I don’t know what a dose of lead would do for you,” he said coldly. “But another pass like that from you, Tantalus, and I’ll find out.” Melos glanced up as a tremor swept through suspended branches. He looked at Winters. “He fears you, Winters, as he might fear a thunderbolt from Zeus. I warn you, come no closer to him. To fear is to hate; to hate is to kill, if it can be done.”
“I’m catching onto him,” said Winters. He remembered then that he had come this close for a purpose—namely, to learn why Ina, Leta and Electa could never carry water to Melos. He glanced in their direction, found them waiting expectantly.
“May we approach now?” asked Leta.
“It would be no use,” Winters replied. “Wait a while.” He faced Melos again and gestured with his head. “Who are those ladies, Melos?”
“Ah, Winters, they, too, are being punished,” Melos answered. “Clymente, for no greater fault than that of being in love with me, was changed by Zeus into a white doe, to be chased by hounds and hunters over hills and valleys until I am free— which may be never. These three maidens, Ina, Leta and Electa, because they aided us to hide from Zeus for a season, are condemned by their pity and compassion to carry water in their cups in an unending effort to bring me a drink. Zeus, dear Winters, is resourceful, as well as mean.”
* * * *
Once more, Winters was caught off-guard. His feet went from under him with such force that he landed on his head.
“Well, that done it,” he said, rising and adjusting his hat.
During his conversation with Melos, he had kept a wary watch on Tantalus. Meanwhile he had discovered what appeared to be some kind of center—something that resembled a bark-surrounded eye, below it a region of slow pulsation. With a movement comparable to that whiplash speed of Tantalus, he drew and fired.
Ina and her companions
screamed.
Melos dropped low in terror.
What Tantalus did was truly terrifying. With Winters’ first shot, that strange, bark-fenced eye disappeared. With his next shot, aimed at that region of pulsation, blood gushed out. Tantalus shuddered, his branches thrashed as if caught in a tornado. Roots drew up with screaming sounds and writhed like dying snakes. Violence rose to terrifying intensity and continued until every root was broken. Then, with moorings gone, Tantalus fell to earth. Leaves wilted, branches went limp; Tantalus lay in a lifeless mass.
Winters reloaded his six-gun. “Stand up, Melos.”
In trembling amazement, Melos obeyed. “Yes, O Mighty One.”
“Get your feet apart,” snapped Winters. When Melos had obeyed, Winters took careful aim. Melos’ ankle chains were united in a rock-embedded ring. It was at this ring that Winters aimed; he triggered, and ring and chains shattered like glass.
For seconds, Melos was unable to comprehend that he had been released from his long bondage. He looked at his unfettered feet, amazed, silent. He lifted a foot, raised it high, stared at it. He put it down and lifted its companion. Slowly, finally, he realized that he was free.
From his rock to shore was but a step. He made it in a grand, ecstatic leap.
“Melos!” cried Ina. She ran toward him, spilling water as she came. Her companions followed. One after another, they thrust their cups to his lips. Melos drank until all were empty; then their bearers ran for more.
While they were gone, Melos dropped to his knees and bowed his head before Winters. “O Mighty One, I humble myself—not in fear, but in thankfulness. May your life be long and blessed with peace.”
“Come off that, Melos,” said Winters. “I don’t figure I’ve done anything special; whatever it was, you’re more’n welcome.”
Melos rose. He started to say something but hesitated, startled.
