Thursday, February 28, 2008

What land is this? (book 13)


As my story came to a close, not a soul in the hall stirred or spoke until Alkinoos addressed me. We were to depart the following night but for now, the many men that filled his hall returned home to prepare and rest for the next day's journey. When I rose in the morning the preparations began and as soon as the ship was ready, a great bout of feasting began. As the great feast came to a close, a bed was prepared on the ship and as the oarsmen took their places and pulled out onto the open sea, a deep sleep swept over me. When I woke, I was on an island I did not know and the crew and ship were gone, headed back to Ithaka. For a time I fumed, being betrayed by crew again. Soon I came across a man in the forest. When I asked him what island this was he responded in a long drawn out way, but I soon learned that it was indeed Ithaka. How different it looked. This man was not a man for long, but soon Athena came to me in her true form, a woman. At first, I was not sure what to think of a goddess in her true form but I soon found her to be true and favorable. Although I was back on Ithaka at last, I could not return directly to my home, but I had to be discreet. We plotted and planned and soon she transformed me into an old man and gave me instructions before we parted ways.

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