Smiling, the old centaur went on. “I raised him, taught him as I have taught you. He had the most marvelous aptitude for medicine and healing. When he grew to manhood, the goddess Athena appeared and placed the two jars of Gorgon’s blood in his care.”
Jason shook his head. “But why doesn’t he carry the jars with him? Why leave them here?”
“Ah, that is a sad tale,” said Chiron. He stretched his arms and winced as pain shot through them. “But I best sit to tell it.”
Jason helped him down again.
Once he was settled, the old centaur said, “That is better.”
“Asclepius …” Jason prompted.
“Ah yes, Asclepius traveled far and wide,” Chiron said, “tending the sick and bringing about many marvelous cures using the potions and herbal remedies I had taught him. But sometimes, if the need was great, he would use the healing blood of Medusa.” He paused and looked at the roof of the cave, shuddering. Jason didn’t know if Chiron was trembling with pain or with the memory.
“Then one day Asclepius went too far. He used the blood to raise a dead man back to life.”
“Surely that’s not possible!” Jason exclaimed. “Only the gods would dare to do such a thing.”
“Which is what Zeus, the king of the gods, thought, too,” said Chiron. “He struck Asclepius down with a thunderbolt. Before he died, however, Asclepius entrusted the jars to me. I made that secret hiding place, believing no one would ever find them there.” Chiron stopped and coughed three times. Spasms shook his body, and he had to recover his breath before speaking again. “I would have died rather than surrender the Gorgon’s blood, but Nessus already knew where it was hidden.”
“Surely …” Jason framed his questions carefully. “Surely you don’t think I told him anything!”
Chiron managed to summon a reassuring smile. “No, Jason, I know you have kept your vow.”
“Then how …” But he’d already guessed. “When Nessus came to be healed.”
“Yes, by the time he managed to get here, he was so badly wounded, none of my cures helped. Curse me, I could not face watching one of my own kind die a slow, painful death, even a wild, unruly centaur like Nessus. So I used a drop of Gorgon’s blood to heal him. I thought he was unconscious when I went to fetch the blue jar, the jar of healing. But I know now that he must have seen me and thus knew the hiding place. He must have remembered that I had taught Asclepius.”
“Why does he want the jars? He’s not a healer.”
“Remember.” Chiron’s voice trembled as if he’d aged overnight. “The second jar, the red jar, is not for healing. Rather it brings death, swift and unstoppable.”
Jason went cold all over. He knew before the old centaur spoke what he was going to say.
“I fear Nessus has always intended to commit some terrible wrong. And now he has the power to do it.”
CHAPTER 5
A MATTER OF PRINCES
“CHIRON, YOU’RE AWAKE!”
The happy cry came from Melampus as he strode into the cave, a broad grin spread across his face. The other boys pressed close behind, looking just as pleased as he did.
“Stay back!” Melampus said, turning round and waving them off. “He needs room to breathe.”
“Nothing like a beating to gather friends,” Chiron muttered to Jason.
“It was those centaurs, wasn’t it? Nessus and the others,” Admetus asked.
“If our paths ever cross again …” said Idas, grinding his knuckles together.
“I am afraid your paths will cross again,” Chiron said weakly, waving a hand at the boys, “for you must follow the centaurs and retrieve what they stole from me.”
“They stole something from you?” Idas blurted out.
“What did they steal?” asked Lynceus.
“Two clay jars.”
“What’s in them?” Acastus asked. “Gold? Jewels?”
“Nothing that would profit any of you directly,” Chiron said, “but …” He hesitated, as if weighing his next words carefully. “But in the wrong hands, those jars hold great danger for all humankind.”
The boys seemed to take a single deep breath and hold it.
“But danger especially,” the old centaur added, “for the people of Iolcus.”
Eyes narrowed, Acastus asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Chiron said, “that something within the jars could be used by Nessus and his herd against their old enemies.”
The boys waited to hear more, hardly moving, and Chiron said gruffly, “Will you, prince of Iolcus, stand by and do nothing?”
“If Iolcus is in danger, I will not be found wanting.” Acastus’ hand went to the medallion at his chest.
Chiron cleared his throat. “Then, Acastus, you must listen to Jason and follow Nessus and his herd. It will take a band of heroes to get those jars back here, where I will put them out of the way of the centaurs forever.”
Acastus began to look interested. “You mean that the poets will sing of us in years to come?”
“The songs, my young prince,” said Chiron, “will be many and fine.”
Face creased with worry, Admetus asked, “But how can we possibly catch up to them? They run as fast as horses, and we’ve no chariots to chase them with.”
“Come,” said Chiron. “Sit by me. I will explain all.”
The boys all took up squatting positions in front of Chiron.
“Nessus and his troublemakers won’t have traveled by night. They are day wanderers and will be easy to track, for they never think far enough ahead to try and disguise their passage.”
The boys nodded at that, and Idas nudged Lynceus.
“Now they are probably resting and drinking, for they are easily distracted from their purpose,” added Chiron.
“That’s true,” Idas said. “Yesterday, one minute they were ready to fight, the next they were on to something else. Jason warned us to wait them out, and he was right.” There was grudging admiration in his voice.
Chiron nodded. “No discipline—that has always been their weakness. Otherwise they might well have been victorious over the men of Thessaly many years ago.”
“Distracted or not, there are twelve of them at least,” Admetus reminded his friends. “And who knows how many more are out there? How can six of us overcome them?”
“Certainly not by force of arms,” said Chiron. “So you will have to use stealth—and your wits.”
“Stealth and wits!” Acastus exclaimed. “What kind of heroes would we be then? What we want is an army. I could go to my father and—”
“No!” Chiron interrupted. The force of his cry drained him, and he slumped to the floor while the boys stood agape.
Quickly Jason knelt on one side, Melampus on the other. They supported Chiron as he sucked in a deep breath. “There is no time. You must set out after Nessus now.” His eyes closed and his head bowed wearily as he whispered, “It is a matter of life and death.”
Seeing that the boys were all looking dubiously at one another, Jason said with as much sarcasm as he could muster, “What happened to the idea of being heroes and having songs made to praise us?”
“A true warrior doesn’t charge into battle without knowing what he’s fighting for,” said Admetus.
“You’ll be fighting for Chiron,” said Jason. “And for Iolcus. And for yourselves, too. Idas, don’t you want a chance to pay the centaurs back for that tail-whipping across the face?”
For a moment Idas’ eyes flashed angrily at the memory.
“And you, Acastus, remember that they called us women! Didn’t you vow that you would meet them again with weapons?”
Now the boys all stared at Acastus, for it was clear there was only one answer a prince of Iolcus could give.
“We won’t let our honor be unavenged,” he declared. “We’ll pay them back for their insults. And for what they’ve done to Chiron.” It was well said, if a little late in the saying. Then he smiled. “And along the way we’ll save all of Iolcus.”