"He's coming! He's coming!" Philmoneous fairly danced around the room fluttering his chubby, beringed fingers in excitement. "Read it again, Helmut."

The manservant cleared his throat and peered at the parchment again. "The Royal House of Corinth is pleased to accept the gracious invitation tendered by the House of Philmoneous to join them in Athens for the Mid-Summer Festival. Those in attendance will be: Iphicles, the King of Corinth, Jason of the Argonauts and his wife Alcmene, Hercules, the king's brother, and�"

Philmoneous clasped his hands together. "He's coming! Oh, Helmut. My dreams have come true. He's�"

"Ahem, there is more, My Lord. Shall I continue?"

Philmoneous waved a hand at his servant. "By all means, Helmut. Go ahead."

"Ah, yes, Hercules, the king's brother and his companion, Iolaus. The�"

"Who?"

"Iolaus, My Lord."

"I heard what you said. Who is Iolaus?"

"I don't know, My Lord."

"Companion? What does that mean, Helmut? Friend, manservant, bodyguard?"

"Excuse me for saying so, My Lord, but Hercules, as the strongest man in Greece would hardly need a bodyguard."

"Right, right." Philmoneous paced the floor, thinking. He stopped suddenly as a new and unwelcome thought entered his head. "Companion! You don't suppose that he's�"

"I don't know, My Lord."

"Well, find out." Philmoneous snapped impatiently. "There must be men among my guards who have fought alongside Hercules. Go. Inquire."

"But�but�"

"Go. Go. And while you are about it, tell Loria to make the west wing ready for the king and his company" Philmoneous made shooing motions. . "Here give me that." He snatched the parchment out of the servant's hand.

After Helmut had bowed and crept out of the room to fulfill his mission, Philmoneous unrolled the parchment and finished reading the message. The king's entourage would arrive in Athens two days hence. Hercules would be here and there was so much to do.

And what an amazing stroke of luck. When his sources in Corinth had informed him that Hercules was visiting the castle, Philmoneous had quickly issued the invitation offering the hospitality of his household to the king and his family during the festival, should they choose to attend. They did choose to attend and the one man Philmoneous wanted to see again more than anything in the world was coming with them.

His mind drifted back to that day a year ago when, passing through a small village on his way back to Athens after a long successful buying trip, he and his retinue of guards had been halted in the square by what seemed to be a small riot in progress. And in the center of this melee, rising head and shoulders above the rest was the most beautiful man Philmoneous had ever seen. The sunlight caught the light sheen of sweat that glistened on his powerful, bronzed biceps as he lifted a miscreant over his head and stood poised, his burnished chestnut hair sweeping his rippling shoulders. With no more than a slight tensing of the powerful muscles encased in brown waffled leather and an almost imperceptible flexing of his mighty arms, he threw the man across the square.

Philmoneous felt his breath catch in his throat. He was no longer aware of the hot sun, the dusty village, the smell of the horses, or the babble of voices. His attention was completely captured by the man in the square. Amazingly, the man carried no weapons. Each adversary that came against him, armed or not, was met with a blow from the powerful fist or with a kick, delivered with a dancer's precision, or simply tossed effortlessly aside, all done with a graceful efficiency of movement rarely seen in a man of such immense size.

And suddenly the fight was over. The thugs, overpowered, scattered and ran. Philmoneous let out the breath he had been holding, and leaning from the window of his coach, he addressed a bystander. "Who is that man?"

The man looked up in surprise. "You don't know? Why that's Hercules."

Hercules. Of course. How could he have not known? The strongest man in the world. The half-god son of Zeus himself. The bards told tales of his strength, the kindness of his heart and his god-like beauty, but nothing had prepared him for the dazzling sight of the man himself.

The way cleared; the merchant's party moved on, but Philmoneous craned his head out of the coach's window and looked back. Hercules was standing in the midst of the crowd, smiling, receiving the thanks of the villagers graciously. The merchant's heart skipped a beat.

In the months that followed, Hercules was rarely out of his thoughts. In his fantasies, the demigod smiled down at him, sat across from him at his dinner table, strolled by his side through his gardens in the cool of the evening, or shared a cup of wine by the fire at night. Hercules became the stuff of his dreams. Philmoneous would toss restlessly all night, locked in visions of an imaginary life with Hercules at his side, and he would waken, feeling bereft. Someday, somehow, he knew, the son of Zeus must be his.

And now the opportunity was at hand.

A soft rap at the door brought Philmoneous back to his senses. A small, pretty housemaid with hair the color of ripe wheat entered the room shyly.

"Yes, Melina?"

The girl curtsied nervously. "If you please, My Lord. The west wing is being cleaned and aired. Loria sent me to ask you about room assignments."

"Of course." Philmoneous put his palms together and tapped them thoughtfully against his chin. "Let me see. The king will, of course, occupy the suite of rooms at the end of the corridor. And the blue room, it's light and airy; will be best suited for his mother and Jason of the Argonauts." He was clearly pleased to be entertaining such exalted guests. "And the room that overlooks the garden will be given to Hercules." He allowed the name to roll deliciously over his tongue.

"Yes, My Lord. And the companion?"

Philmoneous hesitated. If the companion were merely a servant, the family would be highly offended if he were quartered in the guest wing so, obviously, he would have to be housed among the staff. On the other hand if he were a close friend or relative, perhaps the son of a Corinthian nobleman, then it would be equally inappropriate for him to be segregated from the family. And, oh dear, if it should be that he was Hercules' consort, then courtesy demanded that they be given, at the very least, adjoining bedrooms.

While Melina waited patiently at the door, Philmoneous considered his options.

"Melina," he said, finally, "prepare one of the smaller rooms for the companion. The one next to Hercules' room." There, that should do, whatever the circumstances of this companion's relationship to the demigod. If there were a question as to why the he had been given a room near the family, he could simply explain that he had assumed that the man was Hercules' valet.

Melina had no sooner curtsied herself out of the room, when Helmut returned.

"Well, Helmut?"

"Several of the guards have fought alongside Hercules and his companion-in-arms, Iolaus, My Lord." Helmut answered without preamble. "They got the impression that they had grown up together."

Hmm. A childhood playmate. The favored son of a servant or an underling, perhaps, given the opportunity to better himself by the kindness of the demigod's heart? Yes, that made sense. Helmut was waiting politely. "And is there more?"

"Well, yes My Lord. Axion, the Captain of the Guard was at Cheiron's Academy with Hercules. It seems that this Iolaus had been brought there, a street urchin and a thief, with the option of the Academy or prison. Apparently, Hercules and Jason befriended him."

"A thief?" Philmoneous was startled. "Well, it could be that he saw an opportunity to better himself in a liaison with Hercules and his family. I do hope he has given up his criminal career entirely, since I have no choice but to accept him as my guest. Did the men tell you if they are�um�intimate?"

"No one seemed to know for sure, My Lord. Some said yes, some said no."

Discreet, Philmoneous decided and relaxed. He liked that idea; it argued well for a relationship that did not go deep if the demigod couldn't be bothered to acknowledge it publicly. "Very good, Helmut. Our guests will be arriving in two days and there is a feast to prepare, entertainment to be found, bards, minstrels, dancers, wrestlers, only the best, Helmut. See to it."

"Yes, My Lord."

Iolaus reined his horse to a standstill where the wide road narrowed at the approach to the city gates and waited for his companions to catch up. The dusty road was filled with people on their way to Athens to attend the biggest festival of the summer. Wagons, decorated with gaudy streamers and laden with produce, livestock, tools, weapons, pottery and bolts of colorful fabric passed him as they jockeyed for position in the long queue that was filing slowly through the archway. The hunter propped one leg over his saddle and enjoyed the spectacle. Children played along the roadside as the procession slowed. Men and women called out greetings to old friends and acquaintances. Rosy, country girls, wearing their prettiest frocks tripped lightly past the blonde warrior returning his appreciative grins with shy smiles. Oh yeah, he was really going to enjoy this festival. The babble of voices, pierced occasionally by shrieks of laughter or the languid crying of a weary infant, the barking of dogs, the old familiar sounds and scents of livestock all merged under the hot, bright sun to lull Iolaus into a drowsy sense of complete contentment.

He was all but dozing when Jason reined in his horse next to him. "Wake up, Iolaus. You wouldn't want to fall off your horse. Not in front of all these pretty girls."

Iolaus smiled sleepily, his blonde curls clinging damply to his forehead. "It's been a long trip and it's so hot. I hope this Philmoneous guy's got fan-conditioning."

"I'm sure he has." Jason smiled back at his friend. "After all, he's the richest man in Athens. Maybe in all of Greece."

"Yeah," said Iolaus glumly, "so they tell me. But I'd be a lot happier if we were putting up at an inn or some place where we could have some real fun."

"From what I have been told, Philmoneous is an excellent host. You'll have great time, Iolaus. Trust me." This was from Iphicles riding along beside the royal coach. He signaled the driver to pull the vehicle to the side of the road so as not to impede the traffic.

Alcmene poked her head out of the window. "Where's Hercules?"

"He's coming." The three men and Alcmene looked back along the road. Hercules was impossible to miss. Rising above the crowd he perched uncomfortably atop an ancient and unlovely nag that looked as if it would be more at home behind a plow than plodding along the Athenian highway decked out in the gay colors of the royal house of Corinth. The demigod looked decidedly unhappy.

Jason chuckled. It always amazed him that a man, who was sheer poetry in motion on his feet, could be such an ungainly sight on the back of a horse.

The four waited patiently until the demigod came abreast of them. He sawed at the reins to stop his horse, a totally unnecessary procedure since the animal was perfectly willing to stop at the slightest signal from its rider.

Hercules mopped his brow with his forearm and heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally." He slid off the nag's back gratefully. "I'm walking the rest of the way."

Iolaus shook with silent laughter while the other two men snorted in amusement. Alcmene clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Cheer up, Hercules," his brother told him. "We're almost there."

Still, it was a long while waiting in the line of revelers before they passed under the arches and into the city. A small, sallow man wearing the splendid livery of a wealthy house approached Iolaus, who was riding at the head of their small procession, and bowed low. "King Iphicles?" he inquired.

Iolaus jerked his thumb toward Iph. "Try the guy with the crown."

The little man hastily scrambled to Iphicles' side and bowed again. "Sire, my lord Philmoneous desires that I escort Your Grace and his party safely to his villa."

"Thank you, that was very thoughtful of him."

Following closely behind their guide, the little group wended their way through the crowded, festive streets of Athens.

Philmoneous stood before his mirror smoothing out the folds of his very best toga and adjusting the silver circlet that crowned his dark curls. "Well, Helmut, what do you think?"

"You look splendid, My Lord."

"I do, don't I. Now, for a bit of jewelry. I don't think the son of Zeus would be impressed by an ostentatious display of baubles, do you, Helmut?"

"No, My Lord."

The merchant rummaged through an ornately carved wooden chest and pulled out a large gold amulet on a gold chain. The surface of amulet was set with a mosaic of teak and amber. He held it up for Helmut's inspection.

"A gift�for Hercules."

"It is very elegant, My Lord."

"I thought so, too." He laid the amulet lovingly back in the box, thinking how magnificent it was going to look resting against the broad chest of the demigod.

Helmut, who had been standing at the window, brought him back to reality with a start.. "They are here, My Lord."

The merchant pulled a simple silver chain from the box and looped it about his neck. After a moment of searching, he picked out a silver ring mounted with a large emerald and slipped it onto his middle finger.

His toilette complete, Philmoneous rushed to join Helmut. In the courtyard below, the party had come to a halt. Servants milled about, pulling trunks and bags from the boot of the coach. The door opened and a lovely blonde woman stepped out. Philmoneous' stablehands gathered the horses and led them away along with the coach and the driver, leaving the party of guests alone in the courtyard with the servants.

"There, My Lord. The little blonde man. He must be the companion."

Philmoneous pulled his gaze from the intoxicating sight of the son of Zeus and followed Helmut's discreetly pointing finger. "Are you sure?"

"He must be, My Lord. Look at the way he is dressed."

"Deplorable," Philmoneous tutted, "but it answers our question. He must, indeed, be the consort of Hercules. An equal would be far more elegantly attired and a servant would be more suitably dressed. Perhaps the son of Zeus likes to dress his playfellows in kinky clothes. I shall have to remember that." He heaved a sigh of relief. Life was full of such intricate little pitfalls. Angering Hercules by slighting his favorite, no matter how scruffy and unprepossessing he might be, would be a poor beginning in his quest to win the demigod's heart.

His pulse quickening, he hurried from the room to greet his guests at the door, as a good host should.

The dingy tavern was crowded with mid-day diners and no one spared a glance for the two shabbily-dressed strangers who sat at a table in the corner, spooning up watery gruel from two cracked pottery bowls. One was an older man, grizzled, face scarred from numerous battles, while the other was young, scarcely more than a boy, fresh-faced with a look of na�ve innocence about him. When a third stranger entered the establishment, the patrons gave him only a cursory glance and went about their own business. Spotting the first pair, the newcomer crossed the room and slid into a chair.

"Well, Arkas?" The older man looked up.

"All set." Arkas was in his middle years, tall, lean with a feral look in his sharp, dark eyes.

"When?" The older man swallowed another mouthful of gruel and grimaced in distaste.

"Tomorrow night." Arkas seized the wrist of a passing serving wench. "Boar stew and plenty of it and a tankard of ale. Be quick about it, girl." The slatternly girl gave him a sullen nod and went to do his bidding,

"How come you get boar stew while we're eating this slop?" The older man complained bitterly.

"Because I had the foresight to pluck a purse on my way here." Arkas told him cheerfully, "but it was a thin purse with only enough dinars to feed one."

"Enough for a tankard of ale each for me and Krathis, here, maybe?"

"Sure thing. Girl!" The girl looked back. "Make that three tankards of ale."

"Now, to business." Arkas turned back to his companions and rubbed his hands together. "Pelias tells me his lordship will be throwing a big shindig tomorrow night. It'll be the perfect time for a little selective looting."

"How will we get in?"

"Pelias will unlock the door into the servants' quarters as soon as the coast is clear. We slip in quietly, find his lordship's rooms, nip a few baubles and be out again. With any luck, if we don't get too greedy," he shot a meaningful look at his older companion, "it will be days before his lordship misses his trinkets. We'll have plenty of time to pick a few pockets at the festival and be long gone before any alarm is raised. Any questions? Antinoos? Krathis?"

Krathis, who had not spoken up to now, swallowed his last spoonful of gruel. "It sounds dangerous, Uncle Arkas. And it's dishonest. Couldn't we just find jobs instead? It's festival time and there's plenty of work to be had."

"Jobs!" Arkas and Antinoos roared with laughter, causing every eye in the tavern to turn in their direction. Arkas waited until everyone had returned to his own business before leaning toward his nephew and whispering harshly. "It's a dangerous, dishonest business we're in, lad, and the sooner you learn your way about it, the better."

Krathis looked unhappy, but he said nothing..

The girl returned with a tray laden with a large bowl of stew and three tankards of ale. The men were silent as she served them, collected the fee and left.

Arkas picked up his tankard and signaled the other two to do the same. "Here's to the success of our venture and to very rich and very careless merchants. Cheers!"

"Cheers." Antinoos drained his tankard while Krathis merely sipped at his. They both sat watching hungrily as Arkas, laughing, tucked into his bowl of boar stew.

"Wow! This is where we're staying? Look at this place. It's almost as big as Thebes." Iolaus looked up at the high, carved columns that rose from the porch to support its vaulted roof. The house was indeed immense. Two long wings three stories high swept out from the central building, which was in itself, the size of a small palace.

The heavy front doors swung open and an elegantly garbed doorman bowed them into the foyer.

"King Iphicles." A handsome, plump man, clad in a snowy-white toga trimmed with silver, had just descended the last steps of a gleaming marble staircase, beaming at them, his arms wide with welcome. He stepped before Iphicles and bowed. "You honor me, Sire, with your presence in my humble abode."

"Humble! Is he kidding?" Iolaus whispered to the demigod.

"Shhh."

Philmoneous moved on to greet Alcmene. "And this is your lovely mother. How charming." He raised Alcmene's hand to his lips and kissed it gently, but fervently. She blushed and pressed her lips together to smother a giggle.

"And your husband, Jason of the Argonauts." Philmoneous looked up reverently into Jason's craggy face as he reached for the outstretched hand of one of Greece's best-loved heroes. "The tales of your exploits are well-known to me. It is a privilege to meet you, sir."

Jason smiled and thanked him politely.

"Hercules." The merchant fairly gasped the name. "It is an honor. I can't tell you how�" His voice trailed off as his soft, delicate hand was gripped by the demigod's large, calloused one. The room lurched alarmingly and he felt faint. A hand gripped his elbow steadying him and he looked up into the concerned, questioning face of the demigod. Embarrassed, Philmoneous murmured something inane about 'such a hot day' and forced his treacherous body to behave.

Smiling, Hercules gently wiggled his hand out of the merchant's grip "This is my friend�"

"Iolaus." Iolaus peered around the demigod's elbow and stuck out his hand. "Hiya. Nice place you got here."

Cheeky little fellow. Philmoneous decided polite, but remote was the attitude called for in this situation. He shook Iolaus' hand briefly. "Thank you and welcome." He turned to address his guests. "Now please, if you would follow me. You must be exhausted from your long journey. I will show you to your quarters, so that you may rest before dinner." He motioned to the servants waiting with the luggage to follow and led his guests up the broad stairway.

At the top of the stairs he turned right and led his company down a richly carpeted hallway, up another smaller but equally elaborate stairway, down another carpeted hall and then another.

"I think I'm lost all ready," Iolaus, bringing up the rear with Jason, whispered to the Argonaut.

Jason grinned. "Don't tell me, Iolaus, the mighty hunter, can get lost in a house?"

"This place is like a labyrinth. Are we supposed to walk on this?" He looked down at the carpet and eyed his dusty boots doubtfully "Maybe I'd better take them off."

"Your feet are probably dirtier than your boots." Jason said wickedly.

Iolaus snorted and kicked the Argonaut squarely in the ankle causing him to yelp and then laugh uproariously. Iolaus looked up to see that this exchange was being observed by a very shocked Philmoneous. Iphicles, Hercules and Alcmene were pretending they hadn't seen a thing.

Recovering his poise, Philmonius led the way to the end of the corridor and stopped before a heavy, gilded door. "King Iphicles, these chambers shall be at your disposal during your stay." He opened the door grandly and ushered his guests into a spacious sitting room. Another door led to an equally spacious bedchamber and another to a lavishly appointed dressing room.

"Thank you, Philmoneous." Iphicles smiled his approval. "I shall be very comfortable here, I'm sure."

Iolaus grinned. "Nice digs, Iph."

"And now Jason, for you and your lovely wife," he left Iphicles to deal with the servants bearing his luggage and hurried back along the hallway to another ornate door, "this room shall be yours." The room he showed them into was large, light and airy, beautifully furnished.

"It's lovely. Blue is my favorite color" Alcmene exclaimed. "Thank you, Philmoneous,"

"You are very welcome, dear lady." He bowed graciously and then led the demigod to a door across the hall; Iolaus trailing behind. "And for you, Hercules." The room was stunning. A deep, rich masculine room, decorated in scarlet and gold. The furniture was dark without being somber; the tapestries that hung from the walls were bright with jeweled tones. "This room is my favorite." Philmoneous said shyly, "I designed it myself."

"It's beautiful," Hercules said, "Thank you."

The merchant made no move to leave; he walked about the room flicking away imaginary motes of dust, straightening the already fluffed pillows and rearranging the bric-a-brac that adorned the many shelves. "I hope this room is large enough for your needs."

"Oh yes," Hercules answered. "There's plenty of room here for Iolaus and me."

"Iolaus?" Damn, he had forgotten the little blonde who now stood at the center of the room with his arms folded across his chest and that irritating grin on his face looking at the merchant speculatively. "Oh, Iolaus' room is next to yours. Come with me." And he hurried out.

Iolaus uncrossed his arms and followed giving Hercules an impish smirk as he passed by. In the hallway, Melina, with a tattered cloth bag tucked under her arm, waited beside a small, plain door.

"That's mine." Iolaus gave her a dazzling smile as she placed it in his hands. Melina turned red to the roots of her hair and scampered off to return to her usual duties.

The small, plain door opened in to a small, plain bedroom, comfortably furnished, but lacking the rich appointments of the other bedrooms.

"Very nice." Iolaus said politely, looking the merchant squarely in the eye and smiling.

Damn, Philmoneous thought as he made his way back to his own rooms, but that Iolaus person was a puzzle. He had expected resentment at being housed in such inferior quarters, but had gotten instead, wry amusement. And he obviously enjoyed extraordinary privileges in the household of the king. Philmoneous had heard him address King Iphicles as Iph, and he had actually kicked the Captain of the Argonauts without a word of censure from any member of the family. In Philmoneous view it was not prudent to allow such liberties from underlings, no matter how well-loved or indulged they may be. Tolerating such behavior was almost certain to lead to trouble sooner or later.

Hercules stepped into the hall where Iphicles, Jason and Alcmene were already waiting, and thumped once on Iolaus' door. "Dinnertime," he called and grinned at the others. "That'll get him out here."

Sure enough, the door opened almost immediately and Iolaus poked his head out. His hair was tousled and he looked sleepy-eyed. "Did someone say 'dinner'?"

"Yes," laughed Alcmene, "and we'd better hurry or there will be nothing left."

Iolaus disappeared. A few moments later the door opened fully and he joined his friends in the hall combing his fingers through his unruly still-damp locks. The company had enjoyed the pleasures of Philmoneous' luxurious bathhouses, having been led there by Loria, the housekeeper, who left Melina to attend to their needs. The pretty housemaid, giggling and blushing, had declined Iolaus' offer to allow her to scrub his back, and had waited patiently outside to escort them back to the west wing. After bathing, they had returned to their rooms to change for dinner. Iolaus had immediately fallen asleep.

"Iolaus," Alcmene now said, eyeing Iolaus' travel-stained vest disapprovingly, "didn't you bring a clean shirt?"

"I forgot." Iolaus admitted sheepishly.

"I knew you would, so I brought you one from home." Alcmene disappeared into her room and returned a moment later with Iolaus' best blue shirt. "Put this on." She ordered in her best do-as-you're-told voice.

"Yes, ma'am."

While Iolaus stripped off his vest and was pulling on his shirt. Alcmene looked around the elegant hall. Rich tapestries hung on the wall spaces between the doors. Small tables boasting beautifully carved statuettes were arranged tastefully beneath them, and the candle sconces embedded in the walls were cast of heavy precious metals. "Philmoneous must be fabulously wealthy. His house is the biggest I have ever seen and so lovely. And the rooms are huge."

"Mine's kinda small." Iolaus had dropped his grimy vest onto the floor and with the tips of his fingers was trying to arrange his tousled hair into some sort of order.

"You can move in with me," Iphicles offered. "There's plenty of room."

"Thanks, Iph, but I'd probably be breaking some sacred protocol and I'd be tortured and hanged in the morning. I don't think Philmoneous likes me very much."

Jason grinned. "I don't think it's that he doesn't like you, but that he likes someone else more."

"Huh?"

Jason jerked his head toward Hercules who snorted. "Don't be stupid, Jase."

"Say what you like, Hercules," Jason smiled amicably, "but the man couldn't take his eyes off you. Philmoneous' tastes are well-known in Athens, although you are a little longer in the tooth than his usual choice of�er�playmates. But, you know," he went on studiously ignoring Alcmene's outraged attempts to silence him, "you could do a lot worse. Philmoneous has the reputation of being a generous benefactor. More than one good-looking lad has gotten off to a good start in life by lying on his stomach in Philmoneous' bed. Or maybe on his back."

"Jason!" Alcmene glared at him warningly.

"I'm only telling you what I know."

"You're letting your imagination run away with you." Hercules smiled, but his face was a bit pink. "C'mon. Let's find Melina and get to the dining room before Iolaus starves.

Alcmene picked up Iolaus' vest and took it to his room.

"Iolaus," she said upon her return, "your room doesn't have a window."

"So I noticed." Iolaus said with a grin, "but that's okay."

"Well, it's not okay with me." Alcmene retorted, incensed, "and it's awfully small. I'm going to speak to Philmoneous. Just what is he thinking, that you are a servant?"

"It's okay, Alcmene, really."

"You can bunk with me," Hercules told him, as Melina appeared to escort them to the dining room. "The bed is plenty big as long as you don't take your half out of the middle. And oh yeah, keep your cold feet off me."

"Philmoneous won't like that." Jason said with a smirk.

"Why not?" the demigod asked.

Jason laughed. "Isn't it obvious? The reason why he doesn't like Iolaus is because he's jealous."

"Jealous?" Iolaus looked bewildered.

"Uh-huh. Don't you get it? He thinks you and Hercules are�you know."

Iolaus and Hercules stared at him open-mouthed, while Iphicles burst out laughing causing Melina to turn around wondering what the joke was all about.

Alcmene shook her head. "Jason, you are being ridiculous."

"Yeah," Iolaus echoed, "ridiculous. And he did something that he hadn't done since he was ten years old. He blushed.

The museum was dark and stuffy, and in contrast to the rest of Philmoneous' impeccably spotless home, seemed dusty and grungy. This, Philmoneous had explained, was because a careless housemaid had once knocked a valuable Minoan vase off a shelf, causing it to shatter on the stone floor. Since then, no one but Philmoneous and his guests had been allowed to enter this sanctum. Obviously, Philmoneous was not into housekeeping.

Hercules stifled a yawn while Philmoneous droned on endlessly about the artifacts he had laboriously collected from every part of the known world. Jason and Iphicles had escorted Alcmene to the festival shortly after lunch, and Iolaus had run off a little later looking for some excitement. Hercules had very much wanted to go with him, but Philmoneous had intercepted him at the door and invited him to see his museum, one of the finest in all of Greece. There was no polite way to refuse. So here he was, spending this glorious afternoon wandering through the cluttered rooms of Philmoneous' museum, while the merchant regaled him with tales of his fortuitous acquisitions. He shook off his lethargy to listen to the end of Philmoneous' account of how he had acquired a lovely gold diadem that had reputedly belonged to an Egyptian pharaoh's daughter.

"And this." Philmoneous told him, moving on to the next item, "came from Persia." It was a lovely etched flask of delicate thin clear glass and was filled with a deep green liquid that sparkled in the heavy afternoon sun filtering through the grimy windows. "Legend has it that it is a powerful aphrodisiac containing the ground powder of the horn of the unicorn."

"Really." The demigod bent closer; Iolaus would be interested in this. As he leaned in for a better look, his hair brushed the merchant's cheek. At the touch, Philmoneous felt a jolt of pure fire course through his veins.

Turning his head, the demigod smiled up into the merchant's flushed face. "This is all very fascinating, Philmoneous, but now, with your leave, I would like to spend an hour or two in the city before the banquet begins. I have a few purchases I would like to make," he lied. After all enough was enough, and he felt that he had done his duty as a good guest.

"By all means." Philmoneous wheezed a little breathlessly. He led the demigod back through the confusing maze of corridors and passed through a door that brought them to the main foyer, where Hercules thanked the merchant again and prepared to take his leave.

"We'll be back well before the banquet begins," he said, "that is, if Iolaus hasn't gotten into any mischief."

Curiosity ran rough-shod over the merchant's good manners. "Iolaus is�er�" he ventured timidly, "a bit�er�troublesome?"

Hercules chuckled, not a bit offended. "You might say that. Although, I have to admit, he rarely goes looking for trouble, it usually finds him."

He left, leaving Philmoneous leaning against the door, thinking. He hadn't missed the doting tone with which Hercules had spoken of Iolaus, but on the other hand he was certain that the demigod had deliberately caused the brief contact between them in the museum. And when the beautiful half-god had smiled so sweetly and provocatively into the merchant's eyes, he was sure he had seen in that clear azure gaze, the fulfillment of all his dreams.

Philmoneous sighed and surveyed the long banqueting table now being set for the feast to come. A servant placed a clay bowl of salt halfway down the table and left his master to his musings. As the master of the house he would be placed at the head of the table. And immediately to his right, as dearly as he would have loved to have the demigod seated beside him, courtesy demanded that he place his most highly ranked guest, King Iphicles, and as the king's mother and only high ranking female guest, Alcmene must be given the seat on the left. Jason would be placed to his wife's left and Hercules at his brother's right. That left Iolaus.

Philmoneous sighed again. His lingering doubts as to Iolaus' position in the family had been laid to rest once and for all that morning, when his housekeeper had reported to him that, not only had Iolaus' bed not been touched since it had been turned down by her the previous evening, but the demigod's rumpled sheets had unmistakably been occupied by two. Philmoneous had invited a few of his closest and noblest friends to the banquet and the night's entertainment, and it would be inconceivable to place a mere kept man above them at the table, unless, of course, he were of noble blood. But Iolaus lacked even the most rudimentary of the social graces, so that, obviously, was not the case.

Philmoneous' best inclination was to seat the blonde just below the bowl of salt, which would indicate that he was the most honored of the unhonored guests, or place him just above the bowl of salt, which would imply that he was the least honored of the honored guests. Hercules might be slightly annoyed, but Philmoneous had no doubt after the incident in the museum that Hercules was definitely interested in the merchant and all the benefits the patronage of one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Greece could afford him, and that he would very likely overlook any trivial slight to his little consort.

He was wrong.

When the guests had been shown to their places, Hercules felt his temper rising. He, along with Iphicles, Jason, and Alcmene had been given seats at the head of the table, but Iolaus had been shown to a chair further down, one seat below the salt. The demigod was not accustomed to elegant dining, but he understood perfectly well that the more honored the guest the closer to the head of the table he or she would be seated, and he also understood the significance of the bowl of salt. He could tell from the two bright pink spots in Alcmene's cheeks that she was equally angry. Given Philmoneous' previous behavior toward Iolaus, Hercules was certain that the insult had been calculated and decided it was time to put a stop to it.

Iolaus, however, had accepted his demotion with good-natured grace. Iphicles looked nonplused, and Jason gave the demigod his best 'I told you so' smirk.

Making up his mind as to his best course of action, Hercules pushed back his chair and arose. "If it's all the same to you," he told a startled Philmoneous, "I'm going to sit with Iolaus." The servants who were to occupy the lower end of the table had not yet been given leave to enter, and Hercules took the empty chair next to his friend.

"Yeah," Iolaus grinned cheerfully at Philmoneous. "Somebody's got to cut my meat."

Not trusting herself to speak, Alcmene also got up and settled into a chair across the table from her boys, leaving Philmoneous staring at her empty seat.

Nothing much was said, while the servants served the first course. Iphicles found his bowl of soup intensely interesting and never took his eyes off it. The visiting noblemen sipped quietly at theirs, obviously confused by the tension at the table. Jason hid his grin behind his spoon. Philmoneous completely lost his appetite. He had seen the flash of anger in the demigod's eyes and was appalled at his blunder. The sight of Hercules seated among the servants, chatting quietly with Iolaus on one side and little Melina, the housemaid on the other, was disconcerting to say the least. Alcmene perched companionably next to Helmut as if she dined with the servants every day of her life. Iolaus was happily spooning up soup as if he hadn't a care in the world.

When the entr�e arrived, Jason noticed at once that the head of the table was being served an elegant chicken dish steaming in a savory sauce while the lower end was being given platters of cold meats. Grinning broadly, he got up, excused himself, and picking up the dish of chicken, took it to where his friends were sitting.

"Here, you'll like this better." He plopped big helpings onto Hercules and Alcmene's plates and a double one in Iolaus' and then, still grinning, returned the dish to its proper place.

Philmoneous watched this procedure wordlessly. The truth was, he had no idea what to say. It was an appalling breach of good conduct, from an ex-king at that, but he felt that anything he might say could spark an embarrassing and highly regrettable incident. Instead, he smiled at his friends as if to say that famous Argonauts could be allowed their little eccentricities and decided to let it go at that.

Philmoneous had no doubt but that the demigod would take him to task for his error and he mulled over his possible excuses. He did not want to lie, not only because it would be a dishonorable thing to do, but also because he was very bad at it. Perhaps it would be best to come right out with truth, to tell the demigod of his love, of his jealousy of Iolaus. If Hercules shared his feelings, it might well be the best thing he could do.

Laughter, erupting from the center of the table, interrupted these thoughts. Hercules had switched places with Melina and given her a portion of his chicken. She was perched between the two men, her eyes locked on Iolaus who, having gone into full raconteur mode, was regaling the company with a colorful and highly exaggerated account of one of his and Hercules' adventures. Hercules had one elbow on the table watching Iolaus and laughing uproariously at some of the more outrageous details of the story. Every eye below the salt was on the blonde warrior, mesmerized. Even the nobles had stopped eating and were staring at him in wonder, engrossed in a saga of an adventure they could only dream of. Jason watched it all with unconcealed delight. Only Iphicles paid the hunter no mind, absorbed in his plate of chicken.

"You don't find Iolaus' tales amusing." Philmoneous asked the king tentatively.

Iphicles looked up as if surprised to find that he wasn't alone and then smiled. "I've heard all Iolaus' stories many times, although I have to admit they get better and better every time he tells them."

"You've known Iolaus a long time?"

"Almost as long as my brother has."

"And you approve?"

"Approve?" Iphicles was startled. "Of course, I approve. Oh, I admit I was a bit jealous at first, but Iolaus is the best thing that ever happened to Hercules."

It was Philmoneous' turn to be startled. So King Iphicles had had an eye for the blonde, too. He glanced down the table where Iolaus had the reached the climax of his tale and was relating it with gusto to his spellbound audience. Well, the man was a charmer, that was certain.

"Hey, quit shoving." Antinoos whispered harshly as he was pushed from behind

"Sorry, I guess I'm just nervous." Krathis' voice was trembling with fear

The threesome was lurking in the trees outside of the villa watching the guests who were arriving for the entertainment.

"Told ya we shouldn't ha' brought the kid. He'll queer the job for sure."

"Lay off him, Antinoos, he'll be okay." Arkas whispered back.

"Maybe we should leave him out here. He'll be no damn good to us inside. I can hear his knees knockin' now."

"I promised my sister, I'd look after him. The sooner he learns to earn his keep, the better, now shut up."

Antinoos lapsed into silence as more carriages rolled up the broad drive and halted at the door.

"Look at 'em all. Half the city's here. A lot of empty houses in Athens t'night. Maybe we should�"

"All locked up tighter 'n a drum. And we got Pelias here to let us in. We'll do what we planned."

"Okay, okay."

"What's the matter, Herc? Aren't you having fun yet?" Iolaus stood in the middle of Hercules' room. He had shed his blue shirt and pulled on his old vest, now cleaned and brushed by the ever industrious Melina.

"I'm sorry about dinner, Iolaus. Maybe I should have said something."

"Nah, let it go, Herc. One more day and we're out of here. Besides I had a good time, didn't you?"

"Yes but, I can't just stand by while Philmoneous treats you like a servant."

He was interrupted by a light tap on the door and Alcmene poked in her head. "Are you decent? Good." She entered followed by Jason and Iphicles.

"Well," Jason observed, "that was one weird dinner. I can hardly wait for the entertainment."

"Oh hush, Jason." His wife admonished him. "Iolaus, I'm so sorry. Philmoneous seems to have gotten an entirely wrong idea about you. As if you were Hercules' valet or something."

"Or something." Jason snorted.

"Jason!"

"Okay, okay. But remember I warned you."

Hercules opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted again by another rap on the door. Sighing, he opened it and found Helmut standing outside, looking rather flustered.

"Sir," he began, "His Lordship requests that Master Iolaus attend him in his sitting room."

"Master Iolaus." Jason hooted. "I guess your unfailing charm has won you another admirer, Iolaus. You better go, don't keep the man waiting."

"Why does he want to see me?" Iolaus asked the manservant.

"He did not say, sir."

Iolaus looked at Hercules who shrugged.

"Well, I guess I'd better go find out then."

He followed Helmut through the maze of corridors, across the main house and into another wing, wondering what on earth, the merchant was up to now. Maybe he was about to be tossed out on his ear for some minor infraction of the rules. He searched his memory for something he might have done, but unless flirting with Melina or telling tales at dinner counted, he could think of nothing.

Helmut stopped before a door and knocked softly. When a voice gave him leave to enter, he opened the door and motioned Iolaus in. The blonde warrior stepped into a lavishly furnished sitting room and the servant pulled the door closed quietly behind him.

Philmoneous was standing by the fireplace looking at the hunter, smiling uneasily.

"Please, Iolaus, have a seat."

Iolaus wasn't feeling very accommodating so he said. "Thanks, I'll stand." He waited, arms folded across his chest watching the merchant fidget, much as a cat would watch a mouse.

Philmoneous had sat down, but stood up again quickly feeling somewhat at a disadvantage. "I want to apologize for the misunderstanding at dinner."

"Apology accepted." Iolaus continued to stand, arms folded, waiting.

"I�I�er..." Philmoneous stammered. Damn, but this irritating little man was making him nervous. Had the Corinthians spoiled their pet so badly that he no longer knew how to behave in polite society? Well then, it was up to him to take charge of the situation.

Taking a deep breath, he summoned up a dignity he didn't really feel and said firmly. "I understand the privileged position you hold in the royal house of Corinth, Iolaus, but�"

"Privileged position?" Eyebrows raised, Iolaus looked genuinely surprised.

"Um, yes. I am sure that your affections run deep for your benefactor, but�"

"My benefactor?"

"But I'm sure you would never stand in the way of Hercules bettering himself."

"Bettering himself?"

Really, did he have to echo everything that was said to him. "Yes, as you know, I am a very wealthy man and�"

"I've heard that." Iolaus grinned at him amiably.

"Under my patronage, Hercules could do a great deal of good in this world. I could make it possible for him to endow orphanages, help the poor, do�"

"So why are you telling me all this?" Iolaus interrupted.

"I am prepared to make it worth your while to�er�shall we say, sever your relationship with Hercules." He picked up a small, heavy bag that was lying on a table. "In this purse, I have fifty dinars. It is yours if you�"

"Get lost? Disappear? Get out of town?" Iolaus laughed. "Only fifty dinars for a demigod. You've got to be kidding."

Philmoneous face grew very red. "Very well, say a hundred dinars."

Iolaus grinned and shook his head.

"Two hundred?"

"Nope."

"A thousand dinars?"

"No way."

'I might have guessed,' Philmoneous thought. 'Nothing but a greedy little opportunist after all.' "Two thousand dinars." He said more loudly than he had intended.

Iolaus laughed again. The polite well-bred Philmoneous was on the verge of losing his temper. "If you're expecting me to sell Herc to you, you gonna have to do better than that."

"Ten thousand dinars and that's my final offer." The merchant was beside himself with rage although he did his best to conceal it.

"That's it, huh. Well, it's been interesting." Iolaus reached for the door.

"Wait! Ten thousand dinars is a fortune. You could do anything, go anywhere�"

Iolaus laughed and opened the door, nearly causing Helmut, who had had his ear to the panel, to fall in.

When Iolaus swung into Hercules' room, four pairs of eyes turned to greet him curiously. Iolaus gave them a saucy grin, hopped up onto the bed and sat, legs folded under him, waiting.

"Well?" Hercules asked finally, knowing Iolaus wouldn't tell them anything until he was asked.

"He wanted to buy you."

"He what?"

"Yeah, first he offered me fifty dinars. Pretty cheap, considering how big and handsome you are. I got him up to ten thousand before he bailed out. It was a mighty tempting offer. Think of what I could do with that kind of money. Why I could buy some really spiffy duds, open up my own shop, a tavern maybe. And girls. Girls like guys with lots of dinars to spend. I could�"

"Iolaus?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Hercules face was suffused with rage. "I don't believe this guy. What makes him think he could buy me from you?"

"Guess Jase was right." Iolaus shrugged and grinned up at his friend. "He thinks you belong to me."

Hercules made a strangled noise in his throat as he fought to control his temper.

"Calm down, Hercules." Jason eyes were dancing with amusement. "According to his lights, he's doing you a great honor."

"Honor!" Alcmene was outraged. "How dare he! I'd like to give him a piece of my mind. Iphicles, can't you do something?"

"Hmm. Well, if he tries to drag Hercules off and seduce him, I suppose I could send a formal note of protest to the King of Athens." Iphicles choked back his laughter. "But other than that, I don't see what I can do. Philmoneous would think it a great privilege to be taken on as his prot�g�."

"Don't you think Hercules is a little old to be a prot�g�?" Alcmene snapped.

"Did you have to put it like that, Mother?" Hercules grimaced. "Just what would he expect to get out of this, anyway?"

Jason looked at him incredulously. "Hercules, are you really that na�ve?"

Iolaus nearly fell off the bed laughing. Hercules turned beet-red.

Iphicles said reasonably. "I suggest we simply ignore the whole thing, after all, he can hardly force Hercules, can he? Just say 'no thank you' and let it go."

"Psst!"

The door to the servants' quarters opened a crack and an eye peered out gleaming in the moonlight.

"That's Pelias. Let's go!" Arkas led the way as the three thieves crept through the shadows of the trees and then made a dash across the cleared space to the mansion. Once they had slipped inside, Pelias closed the door quietly.

"Keep your voices down." He was a small man with a long nose and a pinched face like a ferret. "Up these stairs, turn left, follow the corridor until you come to a green door. That door leads to another corridor, follow it until you come to the place where it splits. Go right, down the corridor with the blue rug. It s the third door to your right." All this said in a harsh whisper as the man's small dark eyes darted here and there.

"Hey, you're supposed to come with us." Arkas protested.

"Can't, his Lordship's got me waitin' on guests at his party. Ducked out for a nature call, but I gotta get back real quick."

"What if'n we get lost."

"You won't. Just follow my instructions, okay. But there something else you should know. One of his Lordship's guests is no other than Hercules."

"So what?" snorted Arkas. " I ain't scared of Hercules."

"No reason to be, if you don't get seen. I'm just warning you, that's all." Pelias said reasonably. With that he dashed back to his duties.

"Uncle," Krathis whispered, "maybe we'd better just forget it and leave."

"Shut up." Antinoos shot back angrily. "Quitcha whining. We came here to get rich and that what we're gonna do. Now come on."

Shoving aside his leader, Antinoos mounted the steps. Arkas, disgruntled at having been superceded by his partner, yanked at his nephew's shirt angrily and followed.

"No way, I'm not sitting next to him." Hercules said stubbornly.

"But you got to, Herc. You're his honored guest." The hunter's blue eyes were alight with mischief. Philmoneous' ridiculous offer and Hercules' embarrassment had put the blonde in high spirits

The great hall had been cleared of its furnishing and comfortable low couches piled high with soft cushions had been set about the edges of the room leaving the center bare. Many of the couches were already occupied by newly arrived guests, beautifully coiffed and perfumed, dressed in their finest clothes, and chatting excitedly amongst themselves. The servants moved unobtrusively about filling wine goblets and distributing platters of fruit, cheese and sweetbreads among the little tables set beside each couch.

Iolaus looked down at his shabby vest and thought maybe he should have worn his best blue shirt after all. Hercules, standing next to him, had in a fit of rebellion, put on his old yellow jerkin and nothing his mother could say or do could convince him to take it off.

Philmoneous was waiting for them on a thickly padded dais at the head of the room. Not taking his eyes from the tall form of the demigod, he patted the cushion next to him as the servants ushered them in his direction.

"Well, it looks like that's your spot" Iolaus giggled. "I wonder what dark little corner I'll be sent to."

Hercules grabbed a fist full of purple vest. "Oh no, you don't, you're coming with me and you're sitting next to Philmoneous."

"No way, all those smoldering looks will singe my vest."

"Oh hahaha."

When they reached the dais, Hercules pushed Iolaus onto the cushions beside the merchant intending to settle himself on the other side, but the blonde immediately scooted away, causing the demigod to sit on him.

"Ow, get off me, you ox!" and he gave his partner a shove that almost sent him sprawling into Philmoneous' lap. Jason snorted with laughter and Iphicles hid a grin. Alcmene darted Hercules and Iolaus a quick will-you-two-behave-yourselves glare as she settled in her place on the cushions. Iphicles had claimed the spot furthest from the merchant and Alcmene had chosen the place next to her son, which left Jason next to the merchant. This was perfectly all right with him; he didn't want to miss anything.

Hercules looked up. He was nose to nose with the merchant who was gazing at him with such unconcealed longing that the demigod had to admit to himself that Jason had been right on target for once. Straightening up quickly, he smiled sheepishly at Philmoneous. "Excuse me."

In Philmoneous' besotted eyes, the smile became an invitation. He laid a hand on the demigod's powerful forearm and smiled at him lovingly. "That's quite all right, Hercules."

Iolaus just managed to turn his snort of laughter into a cough.

Without taking his hand from Hercules' arm, Philmoneous signaled to Helmut to let the entertainment begin. A tall young man in a short green toga walked to the center of the room and bowed to the audience. After clearing his throat he began a long rambling tale about the exploits of the great hero, Hercules, that the demigod only vaguely recognized.

"Is that story I think it is?" he whispered to Iolaus.

"Yep," was the reply. Iolaus was listening intently with his arms folded across his chest.

"It not quite the way I remember it."

"That's because I'm not in it. And that monster only had one head not two."

"And I would never have been able to kill it if you hadn't cleverly allowed it to chew on your tush so that I could get close enough to whack it's head off."

"That's what sidekicks are for." Iolaus grinned up at his partner. "I had to eat standing up for a week."

"Yeah, but I had to sew you up."

"I think it's time to set this guy straight."

"No, Iolaus." Hercules made a grab for the hunter as he got up, but Iolaus squirmed adroitly away, jumped down from the dais and threaded his way through the maze of couches to the center of the room.

The storyteller stuttered to a halt and stared as Iolaus strode purposefully up to him. They talked for a few minutes, Iolaus gesturing and the bard shaking his head until the hunter finally gave him a gentle push toward the edge of the room and facing the astonished crowd with a sweeping bow, started the tale over again. He was soon launched well into a colorful and mostly accurate account of the two heroes' encounter with the beast, not exaggerating his part in the drama, but not minimizing it either. The audience snickered appreciatively as he described his injuries in full detail, with much pointing and gesturing, not leaving out Hercules' skill with the needle nor his own subsequent discomfort for the next few days. He finished to a standing ovation and wild cheering from the admiring crowd. The hunter grinned his thanks and bowing again, left the floor winding his way through the throng of admirers back to the dais.

Jason leaned over toward the merchant and said laughingly. "I've got to hand it to you, Philmoneous, you sure know how to put on a good show."

Philmoneous looked at him uncertainly. He had risen to his feet reluctantly during the ovation and clapped politely. Much to Hercules' relief he had been forced to surrender his grip on the demigod's forearm, a grip that had been becoming increasingly hot and damp. Still unsure of what his position should be on this latest assault on his carefully planned night of entertainment, Philmoneous had seated himself as soon as Iolaus, grinning from ear to ear, had flopped down beside Hercules, who cuffed him playfully.

Philmoneous nodded his head at the ever alert Helmut who signaled to a small band of musicians seated at the opposite end of the room. They began to play a slow, sweet provocative melody and a trio of dancing girls swayed to the center of the room. They were dark-skinned with long, straight ebony hair that glistened in the candlelight, and dressed in sheer costumes of green and gold that left very little to the imagination.

"They are from the East."Philmoneous whispered to the demigod. "On loan from the King of Athens. Aren't they magnificent?"

"On loan?" Hercules inquired, lifting his eyebrows.

"Um, yes, they are slaves." Philmoneous answered uneasily.

Hercules frowned. "I don't approve of slavery."

"Neither do I,".Philmoneous hastened to say, "and I keep none myself. But kings, you know."

"Iphicles is a king, but he doesn't keep slaves."

"The king treats them very well." Philmomeous explained timorously. "They live quite lavishly."

"But they're still slaves." Hercules answered righteously.

Philmoneous lapsed into silence and watched the dancing girls with diminished appreciation, feeling that he had once again erred. A sudden thought struck him that this might be a good time to give Hercules his present, thus restoring himself into the demigod's good graces.

"I have something for you, " he whispered, patting Hercules' forearm. "Wait."

Hercules glanced at him quizzically, but the merchant said no more, just rose and made his way to the door.

The dancing girls finished their routine and with much swirling of their skimpy costumes and tantalizing views of bare, brown flesh, they bowed their way off the floor to the cheers of the audience.

Once they had disappeared through a door, Iolau' attention was drawn back to the equally interesting events taking place on the dais. Looking past Hercules, he asked. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He is not my boyfriend and he went to get 'something'. Hercules answered grumpily.

"Oh." A skinny young man with a lute took the center of the room and began to strum his instrument. In the cracked voice of coming-of-age youth, he began to sing a song so garbled that none of the occupants of dais could understand a word.

"Must be a relative." Iolaus observed in an undertone. "Maybe I should go out there and give him a hand."

"Yeah," Jason snorted. "You two could do a duet. You'll attract every tomcat in the house."

"Iolaus, if you go out there, so help me, I'll drag you back and tie you up." Hercules glowered at him warningly.

"Oooo, that sounds like fun. But save it for Phil." Iolaus grinned cheekily and started to rise. "Nature calling. I'll be back for the next number." He hopped nimbly from the dais and threaded his way to the door.

"I think we're lost." Krathis whined plaintively.

"Shut up'" His uncle snarled.

"This is taking too long," snarled Artinoos. "Damn that Pelias and his damned directions."

A door at the end of the corridor opened up into a new hallway. "We haven't been here before. Let's try it." Arkas led the way with Artinoos close behind and a very frightened Krathis bringing up the rear, expecting the whole of the merchant's guard to pop out of a doorway at any moment. They followed the new corridor until they halted at an intersection. Blue carpeting stretched away in both directions.

"This is it." Exclaimed Arkas.

"Were we supposed to go right or left here?" Artinoos asked.

"I think Pelias said left." Arkas answered.

"Uncle Arkas." Krathis voice was shaking. "I'm sure he said right."

"No, he said left."

"But�"

"Shut up." His uncle told him again sharply in a harsh whisper. "Do as you're told."

Krathis fell silent and the three thieves crept quietly down the left hand corridor until they came to the third door on the right.

"This is it." Arkas said confidently. "Careful, now. Make sure the coast is clear."

Artinoos opened the door a crack and peeked in. "Uh, oh."

"What, what," his partner whispered. "Ain't it the right one?"

"I don't think so." Artinoos answered.

"What's in there?"

"Closet."

Artinoos gave his partner a disgusted look and Krathis wisely said nothing. The threesome did an about-face and crept down the right hand corridor until they came to the third door.

Artinoos picked up his head and listened carefully. "Somebody's coming."

Arkas could hear soft footfalls coming down the corridor toward the intersection. He opened the door hastily and pushed his comrades inside, closing the door quietly behind them. The room was obviously the one they sought, richly furnished and well-lit by highly polished oil lamps. The three scrambled behind the door and waited.

Lost in his thoughts, Philmoneous lifted the door latch and entered the sitting room only to jump with fright when the door was pulled from his grasp and closed behind him. He opened his mouth to shout for help when a large and very dirty hand was clamped over it. A sharp pain blossomed in his head and he sunk into darkness.

The bodily needs of Philmoneous' guests were served by a series of tiled chambers, each ventilated by the latticed openings just under the ceilings and kept sweet-smelling by the bowls of flowers and herbs replenished daily by the servants. Iolaus looked around appreciatively as he was leaving the room. This was vastly superior to the military-style latrines at the castle in Corinth. Iph was in for some judicious nagging.

In the corridors once more, Iolaus immediately lost his bearings. Oh well, he would just keep walking until he either heard the sound of voices or blundered into recognizable surroundings. After a few minutes of wandering up one corridor and down another, he found himself in a blue carpeted hallway and far ahead he heard the sound of loud voices and then an anguished cry of "Noooo!" He started to run.

The thieves made short work of plundering Philmoneous' rooms, any thought of 'selective' looting forgotten. After emptying the contents of the jewelry chests into sacks, they prowled about the room picking out portable objects of value and stowing them in their pockets or inside their shirts. At least, this task was occupying Artinoos and Arkas. Krathis stood by the moaning, half-conscious Philmoneous uncertainly. His pleas to leave, now that they had been discovered, went unheeded.

When the two men were satisfied that they had taken everything that could be easily carried, Arkas plopped his bulging sack on the floor by the merchant. Philmoneous had regained full consciousness and was rubbing his throbbing head, looking in terror from one man to the other.

"Well, that tears it." Artinoos said "He's seen us good. We'll hafta get rid of him."

"W�w�what d..do you m..mean�get r�rid of him?" Krathis stuttered.

"Kill him, o 'course." Arkas pulled his dagger from its sheath. "Here, Artinoos. You enjoy this kind of thing more'n I do. You do the honors."

"My pleasure." Artinoos grinned as he hefted the heavy blade and took a step toward the merchant.

"No!" Krathis found the courage to place himself in front of the merchant and face the two men. "You've made me into a thief, but I won't let you make me into a murderer."

Artinoos laughed harshly and tried to brush the boy aside, but Krathis refused to budge. Arkas stepped between them and delivered his nephew a stinging slap. "You behave yourself. It's time you was blooded, anyway. We've been too soft on you. Time you learnt what this business is all about." He pushed the boy roughly away. "Go ahead, Artinoos."

Philmoneous moaned with terror and tried to shift away as the thief approached, but Artinoos grabbed a handful of the merchant's thick brown hair and yanked back his head exposing his bare, white throat.

"Noooo!" Krathis lunged toward the knife as it descended. He grappled with Artinoos for possession of the knife while his uncle seized him by the belt and tried to pull him away. In was at this point that the door burst open.

It only took a moment for Iolaus to size up the situation and he went first for the man with the knife, kicking him squarely on the wrist. The man howled with pain as the knife flew out of his hand and skidded across the polished floor. Arkas lunged for the hunter only to be met with an expertly placed elbow in the midsection that left him on his knees gasping for air. When Artinoos broke for the door, Iolaus spun around and made a grab for him catching only the back of his shirt. Artinoos twisted and pulled away leaving the blonde with a fistful of grimy woolen fabric. Arkas, having regained his breath, took advantage of the distraction to slip away out of the door behind his partner.

Iolaus stood for a moment undecided, then returned to where Krathis crouched beside the merchant. Philmoneous was groaning, shaking with terror, not fully realizing that he had been rescued. He recognized Iolaus, however, when the hunter bent over him. Thieves," he croaked. "Stole my jewels. Get them."

Iolaus exchanged a look with Krathis and leaving the merchant propped up against a couch, they both sprinted for the door.

The minstrel's song had droned nasally to an incoherent close and the boy had ungraciously received an unenthusiastic spattering of applause from the bored audience. He had been followed by a series of wrestling matches, picking up the spirits of the crowd, but leaving Hercules sitting impatiently drumming his fingers on his knee. Philmoneous had not returned, that was a relief, but Iolaus had not reappeared either, and Hercules was beginning to wonder why. Perhaps he had gone back to their rooms, but no, he would have said so if he hadn't planned on coming back to the hall. Most likely, he was lost. Hercules smiled to himself. Iolaus could find his way anywhere as long as he could see the sky, but this great house defeated him. Sighing, he arose. The wrestling wasn't holding his interest, so he decided to look for his friend.

He was walking down an unfamiliar corridor, when he heard a commotion ahead, around the next corner. Reasoning that where there was a commotion, there would most likely be Iolaus, he picked up his pace. Just ahead the he saw two men run past, down a corridor that bisected the one he was following. He reached the junction just in time to run full tilt into Iolaus and a young man he had never seen before.

"What th'�" Hercules managed to catch Iolaus before he went sprawling across the corridor. "Now what have you got yourself into."

"Thieves!" Iolaus puffed.

Hercules turned preparing to follow the two fleeing men.

"No, no, we got "em. Check on Philmoneous." Iolaus pointed back along the corridor. "They tried to kill him."

Hercules stared at his partner uncertainly and then started back in the direction Iolaus was pointing while Krathis and Iolaus continued on,

Phimoneous was sitting on the floor by a couch sobbing noisily into a silk hankerchief. His toga was torn and his usually perfectly styled hair was sadly mussed.

"Phil�?" Herc began tentatively.

"Hercules�Oh�Hercules." Phil looked at the demigod. He reached out both arms to the demigod and Hercules seized his hands to help him to his feet. Instead Philmoneous pulled Hercules to him and began to sob.

Seeing that Philmoneous was about to bury his face in a very personal part of his anatomy, Hercules decided the prudent thing to do was to sink to his knees and let the merchant have a good cry. Philmoneous wrapped both arms around the demigod's neck and wept uncontrollably for a long time into his shoulder, Hercules patting his back consolingly, and wishing Philmoneous would hurry up and get a grip. This position was making him very uncomfortable.

Philmoneous finally cried himself out. He raised his red-rimmed eyes to Hercules. "Hercules, you don't know what this means to me."

"What?" Hercules asked, puzzled.

"That you would come to me in my time of need." Philmoneous' voice broke on a sob.

"Uh�well..yes�Iolaus�."

"Yes, Iolaus." Philmoneous took a long shuddering breath. "He saved my life and for that I'll be forever grateful. I hope he won't be too heartbroken. I intend to see to it that he wants for nothing for the rest of his life."

"Huh." Hercules felt as if he had suddenly become quite stupid. He had stopped listening after 'too heartbroken'. "Why should Iolaus be heartbroken?"

"Well, he seems genuinely fond of you and surely he'll be hurt when he learns of the growing attraction between us."

"Huh?" Hercules repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Philmoneous threw his arms around Hercules. "Please, Hercules. Don't deny our love out of a misplaced loyalty toward Iolaus. He'll�."

"Our what?" Hercules tried to push the merchant away, but Philmoneous hung on like a limpet.

"Hercules, Hercules." Philmoneous pulled the demigod's head toward his and his lips clamped on Hercules' mouth.

"Mmmmph." Surprised, Hercules froze, his hands holding Philmoneous' shoulders tightly. There was a gasp from the doorway. Turning, Hercules had just enough time to see the shock, hurt, dismay and�what else?�betrayal? in Iolaus' blue eyes, before the hunter turned and ran.

Iolaus and Krathis pounded after the two fleeing thieves, gaining slowly until finally when Arkas and Artinoos paused briefly, confused, when the corridor they were following bisected another, Iolaus launched himself forward, arms wide, and swept the pair to the floor. He rolled clear and springing to his feet, delivered a kick to Arkas' midsection and a solid right-handed blow to Artinoos' jaw. Krathis picked up a large pottery jar from a hallway table and brought it down over Artinoos' head while Iolaus followed up his attack on Arkas with a snap to the chin.

With both men unconscious, Iolaus turned his attention to Krathis. "Thanks kid, and by the way, who are you and what are you doing here?"

Krathis hung his head. "I�uh�came with them." He pointed at Arkas. "He's my uncle. He's been taking care of me since my mother died." The boy's face reddened with anger. "He's made me into a thief, but he was going to kill that poor guy, and I'm no murderer." He stared at Iolaus defiantly. "Now, I guess you'll have to turn me in to the magistrate, but prison would be better than the life I'm living now."

Iolaus stared back into the boy's brown eyes for a long moment, then grinned. "Well, I won't tell if you won't. But you stay out of trouble from now on, hear? Get a job. You saved Philmoneous' life, I bet he'll find a suitable reward for you."

"What about them?" Krathis looked at his uncle and former partner.

"You think the law's going to take the word of a couple of thieves over a sterling character like me?" Iolaus grinned.

They could hear footsteps running down a nearby corridor. "That's probably the guard, now." Iolaus said.

"There's another member of the gang." Krathis said quickly. "A servant named Pelias. He let us in."

"Okay, we'll get him, too."

Axion, the captain of the guard and a group of his men, appeared around a corner and took in the scene before them. "The servants sent for us." Axion said, looking at Iolaus questioningly.

"Un-huh. These guys," he swept his hand downwards, "tried to rob and kill Philmoneous. And this brave young man," Iolaus hooked an arm over Krathis' shoulders, "helped me stop them."

Axion looked at the two men doubtfully. "I've never seen him around here before. He's not a servant."

"Nope, friend of mine. I invited him, with Philmoneous' permission of course, to the entertainment." Iolaus smiled, guilelessly at the guard.

Axion still looked doubtful.. He took in the boy's tattered clothes and then Iolaus' worn vest, while the pair looked back, Iolaus grinning broadly, arm still looped over Krathis' shoulder, Krathis, smiling timorously. Finally, he shrugged, satisfied and motioned for his men to bind the two captives.

Iolaus and Krathis informed him of the third thief posing as a servant and Axion sent two of his men to apprehend him. With everything under control, Iolaus and Krathis walked back toward Philmoneous rooms

"You think, he'll really find me a job?" Krathis asked the hunter, nervously. "After all, I did come here to rob him."

"Sure, Philmoneous is a nice guy, if a little odd. He'll be grateful to you for saving him from having his throat cut."

The door to Philmoneous' sitting room stood open. Iolaus entered, smiling, his mouth open to speak and stopped dead in his track, causing Krathis to bump into him. Iolaus stared at Hercules and Philmoneous locked in, what seemed at first glance, a passionate kiss. Iolaus gasped, confusion swirled through his brain, unable to believe what his eyes were seeing. Hercules looked up, his eyes met Iolaus' and it seemed to Iolaus they were filled with guilt. Unable to say a word, Iolaus fled.

"Iolaus!" Hercules broke the merchant's grip and dumped him unceremoniously on the floor, jumped to his feet and ran after the hunter. "Iolaus! Wait!"

Krathis watched them disappear down the corridor and turned to the merchant. Coming closer he asked timidly. "Are you alright, sir?"

Philmoneous looked up at him through his tears. His heart's desire had just left him sprawled on the floor. He understood, finally, that Hercules would never be his. That his heart was truly engaged elsewhere. He gazed at the boy standing over him with such concern. He was a handsome lad with long, thick black hair and large, soft brown eyes.

"I'm alright." He managed to gasp. "Thank you for saving me. What's your name?"

"Krathis, sir."

"What were doing with those thugs?"

"Arkas is my uncle, sir. He made me come with him. But I couldn't let him kill you."

Philmoneous looked at the boy for a long moment and then tried to struggle to his feet. He felt weak, drained by his frightening experience.

Krathis held out his hand. "Let me help you, sir."

Philmoneous placed his soft, chubby hand into the boy's firm one and smiled at him. "Call me Phil."

"I wonder where Hercules, Iolaus and Philmoneous got to." Alcmene asked. She, Jason and Iphicles were just entering the corridor that led to their rooms, the night's entertainment having come to a close.

"Zeus only knows." Her husband had just replied when they heard the pounding of footsteps behind them. They turned and moved aside just in time to avoid being bowled over by Iolaus who passed them without stopping. Indeed, he seemed not to notice them at all..

"Well, there's one." Iphicles observed as Iolaus disappeared into his room slamming the door behind him. They heard the unmistakable sound of the small bar being smashed into place.

"What on earth�." Alcmene began and stopped as sound of another set of footsteps thundering along the corridor reached them. .

Hercules came into view and the three flattened themselves against the wall as he ran past. He pausing, turning back to face them. "Where did he go?" he asked sharply.

Speechless, Alcmene pointed toward Iolaus' room. Reaching the door in two long strides, Hercules lifted the latch and pushed, but the door refused to open. "Iolaus, open this door." Hercules rattled the latch, but the door still wouldn't budge.

"He locked it." Jason said, helpfully.

"Iolaus, if you don't open this door right now," the demigod shouted, "I'm going to rip it off its hinges." No answer.

Alcmene looked at her husband. "What on earth is going on?"

"Looks like the boys have had a tiff." Jason grinned. "Come on let's go to bed. They'll sort it out."

"But he can't�" Alcmene sputtered. " Philmoneous will�."

Jason took her arm and led her to their room. "Let's worry about it tomorrow, dear." He flashed one amused look at Hercules still banging impotently on Iolaus' door and closed his own door behind him. Iphicles moved on toward his own room and, with a shake of his head, entered and closed the door behind him.

"Iolauusss!" Iolaus still wouldn't answer so the demigod grasped the door by the latch with one hand and pried loose one cloth hinge with the other and yanked, hard. With a sharp crack the bar snapped in two and the second hinge tore away from the jamb. He set the door against the wall and strode angrily into the room.

Iolaus was huddled under a gray blanket with his head beneath the pillow, the picture of utter dejection. Hercules' anger dissolved instantly and he sat down beside the hunter and poked at him gently. "Iolaus."

"I've gone to bed. Go away." Iolaus' voice was muffled

"With your head under the pillow. I don't think so. What's the matter? Why did you run off like that?"

"Nothing's the matter. I'm going to sleep. Go away." Iolaus shifted and scrunched his body closer to the wall.

"Come on, Iolaus. Talk to me." The hunter was silent so Hercules tried again. "Was it the kiss?"

"What kiss?" Iolaus asked sulkily.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Well," Iolaus poked his head out from under the pillow so he could speak unimpeded. "If you're considering breaking up our partnership to be Philmoneous' boy toy, you might at least have told me about it. You know, break the news gently. Here, you can live in the lap of luxury with only a few bedroom chores to perform. You can have everything your heart desires and still have plenty left over to do your duty to the poor and helpless." Hercules opened his mouth to speak, but Iolaus cut him off. "Although I never even suspected that you would be interested in a ma�uh� Philmoneous. I mean� you never,,, uh�if I had known I might have�uh.. I might have�."

"Iolaus."

"What?"

"Stop babbling and listen to me."

Iolaus stopped talking and tried to dive back under his pillow again but Hercules put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "First, Philmoneous kissed me, not the other way around. If it seemed as if I were responding, I'm sorry; he took me by surprise. Secondly, not only am I too old to be a 'boy toy' I have no desire to spend anytime whatsoever in Philmoneous' bed, and as for what my heart desires," he touched Iolaus' cheek gently, "I already have that."

Iolaus stared at him in confusion, not sure if he were hearing right nor if Hercules really meant what he seemed to be saying. The moment passed, Hercules dropped his hand and broke the eye contact. "It's late." he said simply. "I'm going to bed. Are you coming?"

'Huh, was that an invitation or what' "No," Iolaus answered aloud. "I think I'll sleep in here."

"Are you sure? This room is a bit dreary and this bed doesn't look comfortable. You're welcome to share my room."

"No." Iolaus repeated, a little sharply. "I'm fine. Right here."

"Okay." Hercules squeezed his friends knee and got up. "Good night, Iolaus."

'G'night."

Long after Hercules had left, Iolaus lay staring into the darkness. The emotions that had led him into so much turmoil had subsided leaving him feeling a little silly. Of course, Hercules would never be interested in Philmoneous, or any other man, for that matter. 'Including you' a small inner voice told him. But was that really true? What had Hercules meant by 'I already have that'?

Iolaus sighed, his feelings for Hercules were buried so deep that it was only at times like this that he recognized them for what they really were. It was when Hercules had broken the news of his impending marriage to Serena that Iolaus' last thin hope had died and he had never allowed himself to think about it again.

Damn, this room was dark. If he were going to stare into space all night it would be nice to have a window to stare at. But he didn't. Now he didn't have a door either, so he could look at that, but what little the gas nightlight illuminated in the dim hallway wasn't very interesting so he gave that up. And his mattress was lumpy. No matter where or how he shifted his body, he always managed to find another lump. And the blanket rubbing against his bare back was beginning to itch. The damned thing felt as if it were made of horsehair, which it probably was.

Enough was enough. The main trouble with being in a snit was that you often ended up cutting off your nose to spite your face. Iolaus slid out of bed and padded to the door.

Hercules lay on his side, head resting in the crook of his arm staring out of his window at the moon, which had risen above the tops of the trees in Philmoneous' garden to the level of his third story window, wondering what on earth had come over Iolaus. Surely he knew without being told that Hercules would never for a moment consider a life as the merchant's�er�whatever. Didn't he? Still, it could have looked as if�but would that s explain why Iolaus had become so upset. Or hurt. Or whatever it was he had seen in the hunter's eyes?

A half-forgotten memory of the only time Iolaus had ever kissed him popped into his mind. It had been at the Academy, during their second year. Adjusting to Academy life had been difficult for Iolaus. He was like a wild thing caged. Only the sessions on the athletic and training fields made the long hours spent in the classrooms bearable. Jason and Hercules had made it their mission to aid Iolaus in making his Academy experience a success. Shortly after the end of their first summer holiday, Iolaus had been brought the news that his father was dead.

Iolaus had put on a good show of not caring, but Hercules watched him worriedly, knowing that Iolaus carried inside a burden of pain concerning his father that needed to be dealt with. He found his friend in the stable late one evening after a long search, crying quietly in an empty stall, not wanting the other cadets to see or hear him.

But with Hercules it was different. They had been friends for so long and knew each other so well, that Iolaus was not embarrassed to be discovered, crying, by him. Hercules slid down beside his friend in the sweet-smelling hay and waited.

Finally, Iolaus rubbed his hand across his eyes and spoke. "Well, I guess it's time to go to bed."

But Hercules wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. "I know it hurts, Iolaus. He was your father, but he was so cruel to you. Do you feel that badly that he's gone?"

Iolaus chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully, and said slowly. "I always thought�I mean�he was so disappointed that I was so small and I always tried to please him. I can't do anything about my size." He smiled sadly. "Maybe that's why I'm always eating. Thinking it'll make me grow."

Hercules shared the smile and waited for the smaller boy to go on.

"I thought if I were strong enough, fast enough or smart enough he might be proud of me, after all."

Iolaus was near tears again and Hercules slid his arm around his friend and pulled him close. "I don't know, Iolaus, maybe I shouldn't say so, but I don't think Skouros would have felt differently no matter what you did."

Iolaus nodded against Hercu;les' shoulder. He didn't think so either, but he didn't want to admit it.

"The most important thing," Hercules went on softly, "is that you be proud of who you are."

"I've done some bad things." Iolaus voice was muffled.

"Nothing all that bad." Hercules answered, giving Iolaus a squeeze. "And you learned from it, learned how you didn't want to spend your life."

"Yeah, but how am I going to spend my life? I just can't see a future for me anywhere."

Hercules leaned his forehead against Iolaus head and said softly. "Hey, it's you and me, remember. Back to back always."

"That was a vow we made as kids. We're almost grown-up now. You're a half-god, the son of Zeus' the strongest boy�man, maybe, in the whole world. Your life can be anything you want it to be."

"You and me. Back to back heroes. I meant it then and I still mean it."

Iolaus looked up, surprised. He looked into the demigod's eyes searching for the truth and Hercules looked back calmly, unflinchingly, knowing how important it was that Iolaus believe him. They held each others gaze for a long moment and then, Iolaus reached up and brushed his lips lightly over the corner of Hercules' mouth. Hercules jerked, startled. Iolaus reddened and before Hercules could say a word or stop him, leaped to his feet and was gone.

That was so long ago and the incident had never been mentioned again. Life went on as it always had, two boys grew up, went to war, went adventuring and the sum of their experiences had made them the men they were now. Hercules wondered now if what he had felt then wasn't just a boy's coming-of-age confusion; if the feelings that he had hidden so well from his best friend weren't indeed an attachment that went beyond even the closest of friendships.

An older picture formed in his memory. Two little boys, one large, clumsy and shy, the other a small ragged scrap with tousled golden curls, two misfits, shunned by the other children who understood if they could not express the 'differentness' of these unwanted peers. Would they, Hercules wondered now, have formed such a deep and lasting bond if they had simply been two normal well-adjusted children growing up in a village square? Probably not, and because of that Hercules could look back upon his early years without regret.

Startled, he heard his door open quietly, but relaxed when he recognized Iolaus' step. The bed sunk slightly as Iolaus slid carefully under the blanket keeping well on his side of the bed. 'Like he doesn't know I'm awake.' Hercules snorted to himself. 'He always knows if I'm asleep or awake, but if he's not going to say anything so neither will I.' He drifted off to sleep, strangely comforted by Iolaus' presence.

He awakened hours later. The moon had disappeared from the window but had not yet set; the star spangled sky above was filled with its dark blue light. The eastern horizon was still black; dawn was a long way off. A warm weight was curled against his back. Hercules grinned. Iolaus had found his way to his customary spot in the center of the bed. Awake or asleep, Iolaus always knew exactly where he was, so the demigod figured this must mean he had been forgiven. Now if he could only figure out what he had been forgiven for. Smiling, feeling that his world was back to normal, he decided it really didn't matter. Even though the room was very warm, he snuggled a little closer to his sleeping partner as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

"You awake, Herc?" Iolaus mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah."

"Better get to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow."

"Huh? Why's that?"

Iolaus chuckled softly. "You've got a door to fix."

The End

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