As the two other girls finished filling their trays, Aphrodite whispered to Athena, “Should I put this quiz away for now, or—”
“No, it’s okay for them to know,” said Athena. “Maybe they can help.”
“Help with what?” asked Artemis, setting her snacks on the table as she joined them.
“What’s that?” Persephone asked, gesturing to the partly burned quizscroll with her spoon as she sat too. Then she dipped it into her ambrosia sundae and took a bite. “Yum.”
Quickly, Athena and Aphrodite explained everything. Then all four girls leaned in, eager to examine Zeus’s quiz.
“His handwriting looks like chicken scratches,” said Aphrodite, squinting at it.
Persephone frowned. “I can’t read it either.”
“Don’t look at me,” said Artemis, shaking her head at it.
“I’ll read it,” said Athena, picking it up. “I have a knack for deciphering his writing. And besides, I’m not eating and you are.”
Aphrodite took a sip of her nectar. “Okay, I’ll say the questions—since I know them by heart. Then you read his answers. First question is: ‘What kind of animals do you like?’”
“And my dad wrote: ‘All kinds,’” said Athena.
“Good answer,” said Artemis, as she plopped three blobs of ambrosia on the floor by her chair. Her dogs quickly slurped them up.
Aphrodite went on, “Next question: ‘What do you love most about yourself?’ Let me guess,” she added. “I’ll bet he checked all the boxes for that one.” She took a spoonful of soup.
“You got it,” said Athena. “Apparently, he has a good personality, is smart, a good friend, handsome, creative, and he can keep a secret. Oh, and by ‘Other’ he wrote: ‘Everything. What’s not to like?’”
“Ye gods!” said Artemis. Making a noise that was half giggle and half snort, she pushed away her drink and quickly slapped a hand over her face. “That almost sent nectar out my nose.” Which of course made them all laugh.
“Next quiz question,” Aphrodite continued once their laughter died away. ‘How would your friends describe you?’”
“I think we can all guess that answer without even looking,” said Athena. The girls looked at one another and giggled. Then together they recited: “‘King of the Gods and Ruler of the Heavens.’”
Athena checked to see if they’d been right. “Yup,” she said. “And guess what his answer was for: ‘What makes you a good catch?’”
The girls looked at one another again, and all together they took a wild guess: “‘Mortals admire and fear me, and quake when I walk past.’”
“Right again,” said Athena, laughing with them, for these words were printed under Zeus’s portrait in his office. Aphrodite’s heart lifted, seeing her friend look so much happier than she had been lately.
Athena continued, “Next up is: ‘How would you describe your ideal companion?’”
“Now, this is a very important one,” said Aphrodite. She leaned toward Athena, listening intently.
“It’s a long answer,” said Athena, taking a deep breath. “‘A woman who is smart, strong-willed, and has skills and interests of her own. Someone I can talk to and who doesn’t giggle too much or mind scorch marks. Someone who doesn’t have compound eyes or sticky feet or give me a headache.’”
“Interesting,” said Aphrodite. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” At least Zeus knew what he was looking for in a companion. Pyg only seemed to know what he didn’t want. Setting her empty bowl aside, she thought for a minute. Then she stood up. “Come on, grab some winged sandals and let’s get going.”
“Where?” asked Persephone.
“To the Immortal Marketplace,” Aphrodite replied.
“Ugh, I hate shopping,” Artemis complained.
“Don’t worry. It’s not the kind of shopping you’re thinking of,” Aphrodite assured her as the girls left the cafeteria and grabbed magic sandals from the basket beside the school’s front door. “We’re going to the Marketplace to shop on behalf of Athena’s dad. ’Cause I have a feeling it’s where we might find exactly who he’s looking for.”
10
Hera
WITH THEIR MAGIC SILVER-WINGED SANDALS on, the goddessgirls skimmed across the courtyard at ten times their normal walking speed. Minutes later, they gently touched down in front of the enormous, glass-ceilinged Immortal Marketplace. Quickly loosening the straps at their ankles, they looped them around the wings to hold them in place so they could walk normally. Then they waited a few minutes for Artemis’s dogs to catch up. The hounds were fast runners, but keeping up with winged sandals was impossible even for them! Luckily, dogs were allowed in the Marketplace—as long as they behaved themselves.
Once inside, Aphrodite pulled Athena along past dozens of shops separated by rows of tall Corinthian columns. Persephone, Artemis, and the dogs followed in their wake.
“This is crazy,” said Athena, looking around. “I know they sell almost everything here, but you can’t go shopping for a wife!”
Artemis’s jaw dropped. “Is that what we’re doing?”
Aphrodite grinned. “No, not a wife exactly. We don’t even know if Zeus will want to wed again. It’s probably much too soon for that. For now he needs a companion. A friend. A lady to hang out with. He’s used to having Metis around, so he’s lonely for the sound of a feminine voice.”
“You’re probably right. But what makes you think we’ll find someone for him here?” said Athena.
Aphrodite gestured from one end of the mall to the other. “This place is full of immortal women. Where else could we go and find so many in one spot?”
Persephone nudged Athena. “How about that one?” she asked, pointing with her chin toward a pretty goddess with a shopping bag over her arm. Her makeup was perfect and she wore her hair in a complicated hairstyle of waves and curls.
“She looks sophisticated enough for Zeus all right,” Athena mused.
Aphrodite nodded. “Artemis, why don’t you send your dogs in her direction, so we can see how she reacts to animals.”
“Good idea,” said Artemis. She bent over and whispered a command to them, and suddenly all three bounded off. When the goddess saw them coming, she let out a sharp squeak, shied away, and then ran into a store to get away from them. Artemis whistled, and the dogs came trotting back, all innocence.
“Not an animal lover, I’m guessing,” said Athena, shaking her head.
“And did you see how she ran away?” said Aphrodite.
Persephone nodded. “Much too fearful for Zeus.”
“Yeah, he’d squash her like a bug,” said Artemis, rubbing her fist in the palm of her other hand to demonstrate.
Persephone elbowed her sharply, shaking her head.
“Ow!” complained Artemis. “Why’d you do that?” Then she must have remembered that Athena’s mom was in fact a bug, because suddenly she looked contrite.
“Oh, sorry, Athena.”
Athena smiled slightly. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”
Suddenly, Aphrodite squealed. “Ooh! Look!”
The others turned in the direction she was pointing, searching for another possible love match for Zeus. But there weren’t any women passing by right then. “Where?” asked Athena.
“There.” Aphrodite dashed over to stand before a store-window display that featured a bright blue chiton. “Look! Isn’t it dreamy? It’s the exact color of my eyes. It’s almost like it was made for me. C’mon. Let’s go in.”
Artemis laughed. “I thought we were supposed to be shopping for a friend for Zeus, not a chiton!”
“Hera’s Happy Endings,” said Persephone, reading the sign above the door. “Hold up a minute.” But Aphrodite had already gone inside. The others trailed after her, a little uncertain.
Inside, the store was stuffed with froufrou dresses in every color of the rainbow. There were long gloves and shoes dyed to match, as well as tiaras and books with ideas for invitation
s and flower arrangements.
“I think this is a wedding shop,” Persephone whispered as they stood huddled together just inside the door.
Aphrodite’s shoulders slumped a little as she realized they were right. “Oh, I guess that means the blue chiton is a bridesmaid’s dress. Never mind, then.” She needed to focus on what they’d really come to find, anyway.
“Let’s go,” Athena said, nudging her. “Customers come here only if they’re already engaged to marry. We won’t find a woman for my dad in here.”
Just then a regal-looking shop-goddess came toward them. She had thick blond hair styled high upon her head and a no-nonsense look in her eye. Although she wasn’t unusually tall, something about her made her seem statuesque.
“Au contraire,” said Aphrodite, perking up. “I think this may be just the place to find what we’re looking for.” She peered at the shop-goddess’s name tag. It read: HERA.
“Young ladies!” the goddess greeted them in a firm voice. “We have expensive, delicate fashions in here. Dogs aren’t allowed.”
“You don’t like dogs?” asked Artemis.
Hera smiled. “I didn’t say that.” She gave each of Artemis’s dogs a pat. “However, lacy wedding gowns and dogs do not mix. Take them outside the shop, please. And here, you may give them these.” Going to the shop counter, she reached into a jar and pulled out three dog treats.
Artemis grinned. “Thanks.” As she walked past the other girls to take her dogs out she gave them a thumbs-up. In case they hadn’t guessed what she meant, she whispered the words: “I like her. For Zeus, I mean.”
“Do you own this store?” Athena guessed, since the goddess’s name was the same as the shop’s name.
“I do,” Hera began. Then, hearing a customer arguing with one of the other two shopkeepers, she murmured, “Excuse me,” and went to take care of the matter.
The goddessgirls watched her calm the annoyed customer. “She obviously has interests and skills of her own,” said Persephone. “I haven’t heard her giggle, either.”
“And since she’s a good businesswoman,” added Athena, “she must be smart.”
“I wonder how she feels about scorch marks?” mused Aphrodite.
Just then, Hera returned. “Now what can I help you with?”
The girls stared at her blankly. Finally Athena blurted, “How do you feel about scorch marks?” Then she put a hand to her mouth, looking embarrassed.
“We’re looking for a wedding gift,” Aphrodite quickly improvised to cover Athena’s blunder. “For her dad.”
“You’re Zeus’s daughter, aren’t you?” Hera asked Athena. “I thought you looked familiar.”
“You know my dad?”
Hera laughed, a hearty melodious sound. “No, but I know of him. Who doesn’t? I’ve always admired your father. But he’s married to Metis. Why does he need a wedding gift?” She tilted her head to one side.
“Or perhaps I’ve misunderstood. Are you his personal shoppers? Is he going to be attending a wedding?”
The girls looked at one another, trying to come up with an answer.
“You’re not really shopping for a gift, are you?” the sharp-eyed Hera guessed.
“You’re right.” Aphrodite elbowed Athena. “She is smart,” she murmured.
“Yes, and I have excellent hearing,” said Hera.
Aphrodite blushed.
“The truth is that my dad’s not married anymore,” Athena admitted quietly. “My mom left a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry to hear that,” said Hera kindly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Aphrodite and Persephone met each other’s gaze over Athena’s head. Persephone’s expression seemed to echo what Aphrodite had already decided. This woman would be good for Zeus—and for Athena.
Thinking quickly, Aphrodite said, “We were wondering if you could come to our Hero Week dance this weekend at MOA. We need a chaperone.”
“Oh!” Hera said in surprise. “Well, I suppose I could. The store closes at night.” She paused. “Should I bring anything? How about a cake? If there’s one thing I know about besides fancy dresses, invitations, and flowers, it’s cake.”
Moments later all was arranged, and the four goddessgirls were retracing their way through the marketplace again, about to head back to school. Hanging out with her friends had been fun, but Aphrodite’s heart sank a little now that it was time to focus on her Pyg problem again. She wondered how Isis was doing in her second search for suitable girls.
Now that she was getting to know her, Aphrodite felt kind of bad that one of them had to lose the contest in the end. In other circumstances, she had a feeling they could have been friends. Still, she was determined to win. Not only to prove herself, but for the good of MOA and the Greeks!
When they passed Cleo’s Cosmetics, Aphrodite glanced in the window, then stopped at the sight of Cleo, the purple-haired, three-eyed makeup lady behind the counter. As long as she was matchmaking, she might as well go all out!
“You guys go on. I’ll catch up.” Without waiting for a reply, she dashed into the store, spoke to Cleo, and caught up with her friends again minutes later.
“What did you do?” Artemis asked.
“I talked Cleo into coming up to MOA to do makeup for all the girls before the dance. Besides being fun, I told her it’ll help advertise her store,” said Aphrodite.
“Cool!” said Athena.
Aphrodite smiled. After she’d given Athena a makeover earlier that year, Athena was taking more interest in such things.
“Isn’t Cleo the lady you once said would be a good match for Mr. Cyclops?” Persephone asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Aphrodite grinned. “Maybe.”
“You’re matchmaking again, aren’t you?” said Artemis.
Aphrodite laughed. “And why not? If Mr. Cyclops hits it off with her, I figure it could only help his bad mood too, right?”
And maybe it would help her grade, as well!
11
Galatea
HELLO? APHRODITE CALLED OUT, AS SHE rang Pygmalion’s doorbell the following afternoon. It was the second time she’d rung, and still no answer.
Earlier that morning, her swan cart had taken her from Mount Olympus Academy to Athens. There, she’d picked up the papyrus sketches of the three Greek mortal girls as well as the poems they’d created overnight. Now she was on the island of Cyprus once more, standing on Pyg’s porch holding the six scrolls—three under each arm.
She was just about to ring him a third time, when she heard a noise coming from behind his house. Curious, she walked around to his backyard and found him standing beside a table, arranging a bouquet of freshly picked flowers rested in a lovely vase. As he carefully stuck a rose between two violets, he mumbled something. Going still, she paused to listen.
“Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Flowers are sweet.
And you are too.”
It was a love poem, Aphrodite realized in surprise. Could it be that this strange boy actually had a tender side? His poem seemed to indicate that he might truly be looking for love and hoping she—or Isis—would find him someone he could give his flowers to. His loneliness touched her heart.
“Pygmalion?” she said softly.
“Oh!” He let out a squeak and jumped in alarm. “You again!”
She nodded. “Those are beautiful,” she said, stepping closer to examine the flowers.
Before she could get anywhere near them, he snatched the vase up and clutched it to his chest. “What do you want?” he asked.
“We had an appointment, remember? The matchmaking competition?” she prompted.
“Yeah, I remember,” he said unenthusiastically. “Come on inside, then.”
Honestly, did this mortal want to find love or not? Confounded by his attitude, Aphrodite followed him through a side door into his house and down the hall. Once they reached his art studio, he said, “Wait here.” Then he disa
ppeared behind an enormous linen curtain he’d hung from the ceiling to hide the back portion of his studio. It hadn’t been there on her last visit, Aphrodite remembered. When he came back out, he no longer had the flowers. However, the bouquet’s fragrance still hung in the air. And she smelled something else too. A mystery. There was something he didn’t want her to see behind that curtain. Why was he being so secretive?
Pyg came toward her. “So where are the new candidates?” he asked, as if he’d just noticed that she hadn’t brought anyone with her.
“This time, I decided to bring the likenesses of mortal girls to show you and poems they’ve written as a way of introducing themselves.” She set the bundles of scrolls she’d been carrying on the closest table, pushing aside some art supplies. Then she unrolled the first three scrolls, one at a time, displaying the likenesses of the girls. As he gazed at them, Aphrodite read aloud the poems each girl had written. When she finished, she had to brush away a tear. The poems had all been lovely—full of humor and emotion just as she’d requested.
“So what do you think?” she asked him brightly. He’d probably like all three, but she’d come prepared to guide him in narrowing his selection to one. “Aren’t they wonderful?”
Pygmalion sighed. Pointing to each likeness in turn, he told her, “Uh, no, no, and no.”
She gasped, wanting to throttle him. “But what’s wrong with them?”
To her surprise, Pyg dropped his head. “I—I don’t really know,” he mumbled, staring down at the floor.
“Well, if you don’t know, then how can you just reject them so quickly?!” Aphrodite exclaimed in exasperation.
Lifting his head again, he shot her a look filled with anguish. “I don’t know how to explain this. I know you’re trying to help me. But I have a confession to make. You see, for a long time I’ve had this idea about the perfect girl stuck in my head, and—”
Ding-a-ling! Just then they heard someone ring the doorbell on the far side of the house. Aphrodite’s breath caught. Isis, no doubt.
“I’ll be right back,” Pyg told her. He glanced toward the linen curtain, then gave her a wary look. “Don’t touch my stuff, okay?”
Aphrodite the Diva (Goddess Girls) Page 10
