Cupid (14 page)

It just so happened that Ceres had come to Earth that day to visit the very temple Psyche was tidying.

"Poor child," Ceres said softly, as she came inside and saw Psyche. "Venus is very angry with you. In all eternity, I have never seen her so furious. She wants to take revenge on you for loving her son. I am moved deeply that you have taken the time to neaten my temple when you should be hiding in fear of your life."

Psyche prostrated herself at the goddess's feet and began weeping. "Oh, Goddess! By all that is sacred to you—the
corn and grains of the fields, the rites of planting and harvest—in the name of your daughter Proserpine, who was taken by the god of the dead to his terrible realm, along with the green of the land and warmth of the sun, but who returns for six months each year, bringing with her light and joy and the fruition of the earth, I implore you to allow me to hide here until the wrath of the goddess Venus subsides."

"Ah, child. Your plight brings sorrow to my heart. I wish I could help you, but Venus is my niece and, despite herself, one of my dearest friends. I cannot offer you shelter here. In fact, I must ask you to leave at once. I shudder to think what will happen if Venus ever learns that you were in my presence and I did not bring you to her. You must go this instant."

Psyche left, sadder now than when she had come.

As she came down from the mountain, she saw, in the valley below, another temple hidden in a grove of trees. Offerings of beautiful scarves and gowns hung from tree branches and the temple doorposts. Psyche recognized that she was at a temple devoted to Juno. Surely, if any goddess would come to her aid, it would be the goddess of women and childbirth. Was not Psyche a woman? Was she not pregnant with a child by a god?

Psyche went inside and began to pray: "Goddess of childbirth, who is also known as Juno the Protectress. Please guard me and keep me from danger. I am very, very tired. I have wandered for days, lost and afraid. But you, Goddess,
you help women who are pregnant, and I am with child. Please protect me and the child I carry within me."

Juno appeared in response to Psyche's prayer. "Oh, dear child! It would give me the deepest pleasure to protect you. Alas, divine etiquette does not permit me. I cannot go against the wishes of Venus. She's married to my son and I've loved her as if she were my own child. Now, I must ask you to leave at once. I shudder to think how deeply hurt Venus would be if she knew you stood in my presence and I did not have you brought to her."

Psyche left Juno's temple more despondent than ever. If two such powerful goddesses turned their backs on her, what was she to do? With tears pouring down her face, she knew the answer. She had to submit to Venus and hope the goddess would be merciful.

Having been betrayed by her own son and laughed at by Ceres and Juno, there remained only one individual Venus could trust to help her find Psyche, but she needed Jupiter's permission.

Jupiter was the god of gods, the highest of the high, the boss, the CEO, Big Daddy, and anything else along those lines you might want to add. He lived in a palace at the center of a complex of buildings. Here was where all the business of Olympus and Earth was recorded. This was also the
place where the deities came together for monthly meetings to discuss what was happening on Earth and what they should do about those events of which they disapproved.

Because he was who he was, Jupiter knew all that had taken place between Cupid and Psyche. And, if the truth be known, he was a little upset with himself that he had somehow overlooked a young woman that beautiful. And if Cupid didn't stop acting like a mama's boy fairly soon, Jupiter would not hesitate to let Psyche know how much pleasure her beauty gave him.

He looked out the window and saw Venus making her way across the plaza. She was probably on her way to ask him to do something about Psyche. He was disappointed that Venus was so angry. He wanted to tell her it was time to let her son grow up, but Venus was too angry to listen to reason. The only person who could make Venus change her behavior was the very one sitting in his chambers feeling sorry for himself. If Cupid could not stand up to his mother, Jupiter would accomplish nothing by doing it for him.

Just then the guards at the doors to the throne room announced, "Lord Jupiter! The goddess Venus requests an audience with you."

"Admit her at once!"

Venus walked rapidly across the long marble floor to Jupiter, who sat on his golden throne.

"Father!"

"My daughter! It is good to see you, as always. What brings you here today?"

"I come seeking your permission."

Jupiter raised his thick brows. "If you are asking my permission for something, it must be a matter of great and grave importance."

"Nothing has ever been more important to me."

"Please continue."

"I am asking for the services of Mercury, the town crier of Olympus, to help me in a matter of urgency."

Jupiter wanted to ask what it was she wanted Mercury to do, but he decided that the less he knew, the better. "So it shall be. Your request is granted."

"Thank you, Father." Venus hurried from the room.

Of all the gods, Mercury was the only one who did not have a palace. The reason was simple: he was always so busy flying from one end of Olympus to the other, delivering messages, he would not have had time to spend in a palace had he had one. Instead, he generally spent the night at whichever palace he delivered the last message of the day. Everyone was always happy to have Mercury as an overnight guest, because he knew the best gossip on Olympus and on Earth. Down there, on Earth, the Four Winds went everywhere and saw and heard everything and were always happy to share anything they knew. The deities loved Mercury because he was not shy about telling everything he knew about anyone.

As Venus walked down the steps from Jupiter's palace, she wondered where she was going to find Mercury. He could be anywhere on Olympus or down on Earth. And
even if he was on Olympus, he flew so fast it was hard to see him sometimes.

Venus had just reached street level when who should appear at her side but Mercury.

"You're just the one I was coming to look for," Venus said, smiling.

Those walking by at that moment and seeing the smile Venus gave Mercury had all the proof they thought they needed to confirm the rumor that Mercury was Cupid's father. But there were many others who were convinced the father was Mars. This is a matter I would pursue further if the story wasn't telling me it's not important who Cupid's father was. I'm not convinced that's true, but if I stop and argue the matter, the story will go on without me, and I can't have that.

"Oh, I know," Mercury answered. "I've been waiting for you to ask for my services."

"Oh?"

"The first time I saw that little hussy Psyche, I knew she was going to be trouble. Never in all eternity would I have thought Cupid would permit her to rule his heart. And I am outraged that she allowed mortals to believe she had come to replace you! How dare she!"

Venus smiled. At least one of the gods understood. "I'm glad you feel the way you do. What I want you to do is simple: go down to Earth and announce that I will give a reward to the person who finds Psyche."

"And what shall I say the reward is?"

"A kiss from my lips."

Mercury raised his eyebrows. "I can't imagine you bestowing a kiss on some dirty peasant."

"Juno forbid! I will tell any lie I need to in order to get my hands on Psyche."

"Would you consider a kiss or two, or more, for your coconspirator in this enterprise?" he asked flirtatiously.

"Well, after this affair between Psyche and my son is settled, I will be more than happy to show you how grateful I am. And as you know, I have a weakness for a god with wings."

Mercury blushed. "Then, the longer I linger here, the longer it is until this sordid affair between your son and Psyche ends." With those words, he flew down to Earth.

Mercury's feet were hardly on the ground before he shouted, "Yo! Listen up! Everybody! Listen up."

People gathered around him quickly.

"The goddess Venus is offering a reward to the person who captures Psyche and takes her to the goddess's temple."

"What's the reward?" someone in the crowd wanted to know.

Mercury's face lit up. "Ah, yes. The reward. The reward is a kiss from the mouth of Venus herself."

The thought of receiving kisses from Venus excited some in the crowd, but not most. They were being asked to betray Psyche. That was a lot to ask of them. But they were
not sure she was still alive. The last time they had seen her, she was on her way to the top of the mountain, where, they were convinced, she met her death at the hands of her monster husband. But Triple A (remember him, the inventor of sunglasses?) said he thought he had seen her wandering through the countryside, except that the sad and distraught figure he had seen looked more like a ghost than a person.

Just then a woman called out, "That's who that was! Earlier today I saw someone I thought was her but I said to myself, 'Can't be Psyche. She's dead.' But now that you mention it, I believe it was her!"

"Where did you see her?" Mercury wanted to know.

"She was coming out of the grove where Juno's temple stands."

The crowd did not have to go far along the road to Juno's temple before they came upon Psyche sitting beneath a tree.

The young woman they saw bore only a faint resemblance to the Psyche they had known. Where Psyche's hair had been silken straight and shone with blackness, this young woman's hair was dull and lay in tangles like brambles down her back. Where Psyche's face had glowed, this young woman's face was dirty. Where Psyche's eyes had gleamed with life, this young woman's eyes looked as if she had tasted the most bitter dregs of sorrow.

"Why do you stare so with your mouths agape? Do you not recognize me?" Psyche asked, standing up. "I am the
one who, not too long ago, you thought was more beautiful than Venus. Look on me and see what happens when one incurs the wrath of a deity."

The crowd was silent. They were ashamed that they had once lain awake at nights gazing at the image of Psyche they carried in their minds.

However, a few in the crowd saw that Psyche's beauty had not been taken from her. It had merely been transformed. To them she seemed more beautiful than ever because the challenges of living were writing themselves on her face.

Triple A stepped out of the crowd and bowed before Psyche. "My lady, please forgive me," he began. "We have no desire to turn you over to Venus, not even for a kiss from her lips. But what the gods command, we mortals must do."

"I am weary of this ordeal. I am ready to meet my fate," Psyche responded firmly.

On Olympus Venus waited impatiently for Mercury to bring her news of Psyche's capture. Venus's chariot stood outside her palace, so she could go to Earth immediately upon hearing that Psyche was now hers. To insure that her son would not interfere, she had locked the door to his chambers. If he still wanted Psyche after she was done, he
could have her. But she doubted Cupid would want a dead woman.

Just then, Mercury ran into her palace. "The deed has been accomplished. Psyche is on her way to your temple."

"Thank you, Mercury. You have been a true friend."

"I am delighted that I could be of service. Now please excuse me. I have a lot of gossip to catch up on."

"And to tell about me, I'm sure."

"But of course." Mercury smiled as he hurried out the door.

Never had Venus flown so rapidly through the air, but she wanted to be sitting in her throne chair at her temple when Psyche arrived.

Since the day Psyche had gone to the mountaintop, the people had returned to their worship of Venus. Her temple had been cleaned and scrubbed many times until it gleamed so brightly in the midday sun, no one could gaze on it directly. When people approached the temple, they did so with heads bowed, which Venus thought was appropriate.

Psyche arrived, head bowed as she approached Venus. When she was a respectful distance from the goddess, Psyche prostrated herself.

"Goddess," she began, but Venus stopped her.

"I don't want to hear a word you have to say. Stand up so I can look at you."

Psyche rose.

"Look at me!" Venus commanded.

Psyche raised her bowed head. Too afraid to look directly at the goddess, her gaze fixed on a point over Venus's left shoulder.

"Whatever did my son see in you? You are so ordinary looking. There are serving girls in your father's palace more beautiful than you. What did you do to Cupid that he would look at you and find you beautiful? Is there some wicked seer in this land who made a potion for you to give to my son?"

"My lady, I—"

"Shut up! Did I tell you that you could speak?"

Psyche shook her head.

"Good! Now, tell me this. There is an ugly rumor that you are carrying Cupid's child. Tell me this is not so."

"To say that would be a lie," Psyche said softly.

"Oh, my Juno!" Venus exclaimed. "You are pregnant? Yes or no? Are you pregnant with Cupid's child?"

"Yes," Psyche responded, this time looking directly at Venus.

"Oh no!" Venus screamed. "How could this have happened? Well, I know how it happened, but I don't believe my son would do this to me. Me, a grandmother? I'm much too young to have a grandchild. Much too young! And you will not turn me into a grandmother. You may call yourself the wife of Cupid, but no marriage ceremony took place in my temple, did it?"

Psyche shook her head.

"Then, I am not a grandmother and your child will be a bastard."

With those words, Psyche began crying softly.

"Oh, don't start crying just yet! Save your tears for what I am going to do to you!"

Venus called for the attendants of the temple and whispered something to them. They hurried away. Shortly they returned carrying heavy bags on their shoulders.

"The only way someone as sorry looking as you will ever get a husband is through hard work. This is a test to see just how diligent you are."