Her words faded into sobs.
A sudden tenderness rose in Burke. He held the shaking girl close.
And then, all at once, the things he felt were beyond tenderness.
It gave his problem a new dimension; added another element to complicate his road.
"Could it be that the Minotaur and the oracle really are one?" he asked abruptly.
Ariadne lifted a tear-stained face. "How did you guess, my lord?"
"This mind-track business—do you have any idea how it works?"
The girl's cheeks flamed. "Don't shame me, Lord Dionysus! You know he's only—half—my brother."
"And on account of that wild story about the sacred bull and your mother, Pasiphae, you think he's got powers beyond the human?" Burke snorted. "Believe me, princess, it isn't true. Either that creature's not half a bull, or else he's not half your brother. A thing called science says it can't be." He grinned suddenly. "My own bet's that he's neither bull nor human. And maybe the best way to check on that is to ask your mother a few questions."
"Then I'll come with you!" This eagerly, from Ariadne.