Murder on Olympus (27 page)

EPILOGUE

The sun peeked from behind a veil of clouds, its warm light cascading down the peaks and slopes of Mount Olympus. On the roof of the presidential estate, Zeus and Hera sat at a luxurious patio table, having a lunch of sautéed Wagyu beef and bird's nest soup. Far below, New Olympia unfurled like a map before them. Hera had barely touched her food. She sat motionless and quiet, staring at the horizon.

“You're angry,” Zeus said.

“How very observant of you.”

“Is this about Plato Jones?”

“What do you think?” Hera sneered.

“He did a good job.”

“Of course
you'd
think so.”

“Be nice.”

Zeus ate a slice of beef while Hera continued to stare at the horizon. A chilled breeze swept across the roof. The hiss of its passage interrupted the silence.

“I understand you tried to assassinate him,” Zeus eventually said.

Hera raised an eyebrow. “Who told you that?”

“Hades.”

“That bastard. He swore he wouldn't mention that.”

“Why did you go through such great lengths to destroy Jones?”

Hera sipped her champagne and said nothing.

“I don't intend to ask again,” Zeus said, his tone low and even, as foreboding as the darkness before a storm.

Hera looked at him, her mouth a tight line. Clouds rolled across the sky, covering the sun once again. The air dimmed and grew cooler.

“You know why,” Hera responded at last.

Zeus looked down at his plate. “It's not his fault.”

“Plato Jones is a perversion of nature.” Hera's tone grew louder and angrier with each word. “He and others like him don't deserve to breathe the same air as you and I.”

Zeus sighed. “I understand how you feel.”

Hera chuckled humorlessly. “Oh, you do, do you?”

“Yes.”

“I doubt that.”

Zeus shrugged. “Believe what you'd like. But know this: you will not harm Plato Jones.”

“And why not?”

“Because I won't allow it. If you so much as scratch him, you'll be vacationing in Tartarus for the next century. Is that understood?”

Hera tilted her chin imperiously. For an instant it seemed she might argue. Then her face broke into a smile. “As you wish, Mr. President.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A fan of thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction, Robert B. Warren has been writing stories ever since he could hold a pencil. In 2009, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and creative writing from the University of Alabama—Roll Tide! He currently lives in the South.

More Plato Jones books are coming soon.