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Hyperbius: 18 - he advances up a phase. Twins: 34 – phenomenal, they advance nearly 2 phases[/spoiler:lit]
But astonishingly, your speed <span class="mu-i">CAN</span> be matched by a pair of Zeus' grandchildren. In disbelief, you see the very distant yellow-hulled ship takes to the water with a double-pair of oars. It can only be Nicodromus and Halocrates – the oars move with perfect timing, their sweeps long, broad and fast as a heartbeat. The Sardinian vessel tacks and turns, searching for a current, and finds one – its bow points northeasterly, instead of north. Your alarm grows as the Sardinians make remarkable progress, eating away at your lead – no doubt the Theban is watching them with true anxiety! Remarkable that any two men are capable of such endless coordination and power. Your own stamina is not so inexhaustible – your muscles are burning. Your thirst is unquenchable as well – you sweat more moisture than you can take in.
You watch as the twins sweep wide of the Theban’s course – they are giving up interdiction in order to reach the beach quickly. Turning north, you see that you are drawing quite close to the sands, and already, another team of Trachian laborers are scurrying about the shore, readying to receive you and your kidnapped bull. Looking back to the other ships, you’re sure that the Sardinians will not quite catch Hyperbius on the water, but will be only minutes behind him when he lands on the northern beach. You have confidence that you’ll clear the beaches well in advance of your competitors, but you have doubt that you will reach the victor’s stand unharried. It certainly seems possible that the twins might out-do you in the final stretch of cart-pushing if they are working together – and if they overtake you, it’s a certainty that they will attempt to rob you of your bovine prize. Alternately, you wonder if they might instead settle for second and third place – by ambushing the Theban, they could take his own bull, and avoid manful combat with a legendary prince of Argos.
But if they are careless with Hyperbius in their assault, you, in turn, risk the wrath of the queen of the “Venerable Goddesses”’. Frustration bubbles in your gut – a ridiculous offense that you must consider the demands of Τισιφόνη despite your innocence, your impeccable character! You’d scream in rage if you were not so out of breath...
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