Let him live
and return to his home. But goddess, if he must be
conquered by the bulls,
may he first learn that I, for one, will be far from glad
of it!’
The voice fell silent. I continued to listen in the
dark. Then:
“On the ship, her lean bows virled with silver, black
hull bruised
and cracked, resealed with oakum — the scars of narrow
escapes;
pounding of the stormwaves, battering of rocks — the
crew of the Argo
listened in silence to the water lapping, the bullfrogs
of the marsh.
“Then Melas spoke, my cousin, the boldest of
Phrixos’ sons—
bolder by far than my sister. ‘Lord Jason, I’ve a plan
to suggest.
You may not like it, but no expedient should be left
untried
in an emergency. You’ve heard me speak of Aietes’
daughter
Medeia, a witch, and priestess of Hekate. If we managed
to win
her help, we’d have nothing to fear. Let me sound my
mother out
and see if Medeia can be swayed.’ The son of Aison
laughed
(I forgive him that), and said, ‘Things are serious
indeed when the one
pale hope of the glorious Argonauts is a girl!’ All the
same,
he put it to the others. For a time they were silent in
impotent despair.
For all their power, there was no man there who could
yoke those oxen;
not even Idas was so far riven of his wits as to dream he might. Melas spoke again. ‘Do not underestimate Medeia. The goddess Hekate has taught her
extraordinary skill
with spells both black and white, and with all the
magic herbs
that grow on land or in water or climb on the walls
of caves.
She can put out a raging forest fire, stop rivers in spate, arrest a star, check even the movements of the moon.
My mother,
her sister, can make her our firm ally.’
“They wouldn’t have believed,
but the gods, who watch men enviously, deprived by
nature
of man’s potential for sorrow and joy, broke in on
the Argonauts’
helplessness with a sign. A dove pursued by a hawk dropped into Jason’s lap, while the hawk, with its
murderous speed,
was impaled on the mascot at the stem. Immediately
Mopsos spoke:
‘My lords, we’re in Aphrodite’s hands. The sign’s
unmistakable.
This gentle bird whose life was spared is Jason’s and
belongs
to her. Go, Melas, and speak with your mother.’
The Argonauts
applauded; and so it was decided. At once young Melas
set off.
“Poor Khalkiope! The princess was chilled to the
bone with fear.
Suppose Medeia should be shocked and, stiff with the
righteousness of youth,
tell all? Suppose, on the other hand, she agreed and,
aiding
the Argonauts, should be caught by that half-mad
wizard? — Either way
horror and shame and sorrow!
“Meanwhile Medeia lay
in her bed asleep, all cares forgotten — but not for long. Dreams soon assailed her, bleak nightmares of a soul
in pain.
She dreamed that the stranger had accepted the
challenge, but not in the hope
of winning the golden fleece: his plan was to carry
her away
to his home in the South as his bride. She dreamed
that she, Medeia,
was yoking the bulls of bronze. She found it easy work, pleasant as flying. She managed it almost listlessly. But when all was done, her father was enraged. The
brother she’d loved
past all other men stepped in. Old Aietes struck him
with a club,
then, horrified, broken, he gave the decision to her:
she could do
as she pleased. Without a moment’s thought, she turned
her back
on her father. Aietes screamed. And with the scream
she woke.
“She sat up, shivering with fright, and peered round
the walls of her room.
Slowly reality crept back, or something akin to reality: an airy dream she mistook for memory of Jason.
Why could
he not stay home, court Akhaian girls, torment the kings of Hellas, and leave poor Medeia alone to her
spinsterhood?
Tears sprang to her eyes; in one quick motion of mind and body, she leaped from her bed and, barefoot,
rushed to the door
and opened it. She would go to her sister — away with
this foolish
modesty! She crossed the threshold, but once outside, was uncertain, ashamed. She turned, went back into
her room again.
Again she came out, and again crept back. Three times
Medeia
tried, and three times failed. She clenched her fists
in fury
and threw herself face down on the bed and writhed
in pain.
Then, lying still, she was aware of the softness of her
breasts. She whispered
the stranger’s name, and at the magic word — more
powerful spell
than any she’d learned from Hekate — her tears came
flooding.
“Presently one of the servants, her own young maid,
came in
and, seeing Medeia in tears, ran swiftly to Khalkiope, who was sitting with Melas, considering how they might
best win Medeia’s
aid. When Khalkiope heard the girl’s story, she jumped
up, terrified,
and hurried to her sister. ‘Medeia!’ she cried, ‘what’s the
meaning of these tears?
Has Father told you some awful fate he’s decided on for my sons?’
“Medeia blushed. How hungry she was to give answer! But her heart was chained by shame. Ah, time and
again the truth
was there on the tip of her tongue, and time and
again she swallowed it.
Her lips moved; but no words came. Then her mind’s
eye
saw Jason gazing at the floor before Aietes, slyly
preparing
some answer to stall his wrath. Inspired by the image,
Medeia
brought out: ‘Oh, sister, I’m terrified for your sons. It
seems
our father will certainly kill them, and the strangers
with them. I had
a terrible vision just now, and I saw it all.’
“It was Khalkiope’s turn to weep. The tears ran
rivers down her cheeks.
Medeia furtively watched, her heart like a fluttering
bird. ‘
I knew it!’ Khalkiope gasped between sobs. ‘I’ve been
thinking the same.
That’s what brought me to your room. Dear Medeia, I
beg you to help me.
First, swear by earth and heaven you won’t tell a word
of what I say,
but will work with me to save them. By the blessed gods,
I implore you,
do not stand by while my precious children are
murdered! If you do,
may I be slain with them and afterward haunt you
from hell, an avenging fury!’
“With that she burst into tears once more, sank down,
and
throwing her arms round her sister’s knees and burying
her head
in Medeia’s lap, sobbed as if her heart would burst.
The younger sister, too,
wept long and hard. Throughout all the house you could hear their lamentations.
“Medeia was the first to speak: ‘