‘You have had a long journey,’ replied the Thunderer. ‘Ixion, I am glad to see you in Heaven.’
‘Your Majesty arrived to-day?’ inquired Minerva, to whom the King of Thessaly sat next.
‘Within this hour.’
‘You must leave off talking of Time now,’ said Minerva, with a severe smile. ‘Pray is there anything new in Greece?’
‘I have not been at all in society lately.’
‘No new edition of Homer? I admire him exceedingly.’
‘All about Greece interests me,’ said Apollo, who, although handsome, was a somewhat melancholy lack-a-daisical looking personage, with his shirt collar thrown open, and his long curls theatrically arranged. ‘All about Greece interests me. I always consider Greece my peculiar property. My best poems were written at Delphi. I travelled in Greece when I was young. I envy mankind.’
‘Indeed!’ said Ixion.
‘Yes: they at least can look forward to a termination of the ennui of existence, but for us Celestials there is no prospect. Say what they like, immortality is a bore.’
‘You eat nothing, Apollo,’ said Ceres.