"For Ungodly Support to the Gods."
Zeus kissed him on one cheek, then the other. "I'm never sure the order in which I'm supposed to do that. Never mind. If I got it wrong, we'll merely change the ritual."
He glanced rather anxiously toward the hallway.
"Young man, rather quickly now. I want you to drop in on Poseidon. Lovely fellow, you'll like him. Eh, don't ever discuss fishing with him. He has a dread of the subject. I was fishing one day and he nibbled at the bait, and . . . Anyway, a subject not to be discussed. Where was I . . . ?" Zeus glared at Demo as though the boy had stolen his train of thought.
"Take this bag with you, and give it into his hands, and his only. He'll know what to do. By the way, do you own a bathing suit?"
Zeus, Olympus, and all else seemed to be fading away. Demo seemed to hear, faintly, Zeus scolding. "Now, you know you aren't supposed to play with my powers. You just leave that young man alone, my dear. I'm such an ogre when I'm jealous."
He landed with a splash.
Zeus' aim was plainly off.
Almost always he had landed in his home, the forest. But this?
The middle of a stream, of course. He slipped under the water, propelled himself upward, glancing quickly around at the height of his watery leap. A shudder went through him.