Forrester said: "Oh." And then he said: "Oh?" The room hadn"t disappeared yet, but he was willing to give it time.
"Dionysus," Venus said patiently, as if she were explaining the matter to a small and rather ugly child, "gets tired of appearing at the orgies. He wants someone to take his place."
The silence after that sentence was a very long one. Forrester could think of nothing to say but: "_Me?_"
"You will be raised to the status of G.o.dling," Venus said. "You remember Hercules and Achilles, don"t you?"
"Never met them," Forrester said vacantly.
"Naturally," Venus said. "They were, however, ancient heroes, raised to the status of G.o.dling, just as you yourself will be. However, you will not be honored or worshipped under your own name."
Forrester nodded. "Naturally," he said, wondering what he was talking about. There was, he realized, the possibility that he was not insane after all, but he didn"t want to think about that. It was much too painful.
"You will receive instructions in the use of certain powers," Venus said. "These will enable you to perform your new duties."
Duties.
The word carried a strange connotation. Dionysus/Bacchus was the G.o.d of wine, among other things, and women and song had been thrown in as an afterthought. The duties of a stand-in for a G.o.d like that sounded just a little bit overwhelming.
"These--duties," he said. "Will they be temporary or permanent?"
"Well," Venus said, "that depends." She smiled at him sweetly.
"Depends?"
"So far," Venus said, "our testing shows that you are capable of handling certain of the duties to be entrusted to you. But, for the rest, everything depends on your own talents and devotion."
"Ah," Forrester said, and then: "Testing?"
"You don"t suppose that we would pick a mortal for an important job like this without making certain that he was capable of doing the job, do you?"
"Frankly," Forrester said, "I haven"t got around to supposing anything yet."
Venus smiled again. "We have tested you," she said, "and so far you appear perfectly capable of exercising your powers."
Forrester blinked. "Exercising?"
"Exactly. As a street brawler, for instance, you do exceptionally well."
"As a--"
"How does your face feel?" she asked.
"My what?" Forrester said. "Oh. Face. Fine. Street brawls, you said?"
"I did," Venus said. "My goodness, the way you bashed that one bruiser with your drink--that was really excellent. As a matter of fact, I feel it inc.u.mbent on me to tell you that I haven"t enjoyed a fight so much in years."
Wondering whether he should be complimented or just a little ashamed of himself, Forrester said nothing at all. The idea that he had been under the personal supervision of Aphrodite herself bothered him more than he could say. The brawl was the first thing that came to mind. It didn"t seem like the sort of thing a G.o.ddess of Love ought to have been watching.
And then he thought of the High Priestess.
He felt a blush creeping up around his collar, and was thankful only that it was not visible under the tan of his skin. He remembered who had ordered the sacrificial rites, and thought bitterly and guiltily about spectator sports.
But his face remained perfectly calm.
"So far," Venus said, "I must say that you have come through with flying colors. You should be proud of yourself."
Forrester didn"t feel exactly proud. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die there.
"Well," he said, "I--"
"But there is more," Aphrodite said.
"More?"
The idea didn"t sound attractive. In spite of what one of the tests had involved, the notion of any more tests was just a little fatiguing.
Besides, Forrester was not at all sure that he would be at his best, when he knew that dispa.s.sionate observers were chronicling his technique and his every movement.
How much more, he wondered, could he take?
And, he reflected, how much more of _what_?
"We must be certain," Aphrodite said, "that you can prove yourself worthy of the dignity of a G.o.dling."
"Ah," Forrester said cleverly. "So there are going to be more tests?"
"There are," Venus said. "After all, you will be expected to act as the _alter persona_ of Dionysus. That involves responsibilities almost beyond the ken of a mortal."
Wine, Forrester thought wildly, women and song.
He wondered if he were going to be asked to sing something. He couldn"t remember anything except the _Star Spangled Banner_ and an exceptionally silly rhyme from his childhood. Neither of them seemed just right for the occasion.
"You must learn to behave as a true G.o.d," Venus said. "And we must know whether you are fitted for the part."
Forrester nodded. The one thing keeping him sane, he reflected, was the hope of insanity. But the room was still there, and Venus was standing near him, talking quietly away.
"Thus," she said, "there must be further tests, so that we may be sure of your capacities."
Capacities? Just what was _that_ supposed to mean? "I see," he lied.
"And suppose I fail?"
"Fail?"
"Suppose I don"t live up to expectations," Forrester said.
"Well, then," Venus declared, "I"m afraid the G.o.ds might be angry with you."
Forrester had no doubt whatever as to the meaning of the words. Either he lived up to expectations or he didn"t live at all. The G.o.ds" anger was not a small affair, and it seldom satisfied itself with small results. When a G.o.d got angry with you, you simply hoped the result would be quick. You didn"t really dare hope it would also be temporary.