“Ha, thou advisor of gods. Thou helper of gods in trouble, Without thee Apollo shall succour. Without thee give aid to his people I SHALL CARE FOR MY OWN!” Again he laughed—a merry, loving mockery. Oh, the dear joyous god! the dear Son of Leto—Phœbus of the bright hair! Had he not always spoken at Delphi since his glorious mother bore him upon Delos? And Theria had doubted! Her heart filled with a very agony of faith and joy. But now the god was looking again at his bow. Perhaps he had changed his mind, and would destroy her, after all. Even so, Theria had no regret to die. But he spoke thus— “See now, child of Nikander, whither my arrows are destined.” He turned, lifted his bow, and shot the flaming shaft toward the north. It flew with a peal like a lightning bolt when the bolt falls so nigh that it quenches the thunder; it soared white and blinding over the peak of Parnassos and fell crashing beyond. But with the noise of the arrow Theria fell prone on the earth and knew nothing more. CHAPTER XXIX EËTÍON PURSUES Eëtíon had said to Theria that he was going upon an urgent quest. The quest was indeed an urgent one. Eëtíon set about it instinctively, not considering how little chance there was of its success. It was nothing less than to save Dryas. Eëtíon had come to know Nikander’s sons well. He had met them in palæstra and lesche. Being foreign born himself, he had also often been thrown with the other young foreigners who were Lycophron’s friends. These men called themselves Athenians, but Eëtíon believed that they were really Ionians and that they were in Delphi for no good purpose. As for the men themselves, they were inclined to consort with Eëtíon as an Argive because of the secret league of Argos with Persia. And while they did not talk with him of their projects, they were less careful in his presence than they might otherwise have been. Eëtíon, meanwhile, being ardent for the Hellenic cause, had kept quiet watch of the disguised Ionians and later of Nikander’s sons as well. He had hitherto found nothing worthy of note. But to-day a chance word of Dryas’s had given him a clue. Then by careful watching he had learned that couriers bearing the oracle were to be intercepted. Dryas had a boyish devotion to Eëtíon, first because of Eëtíon’s beauty and also because of his prowess in wrestling and fast running, combined gifts which easily made a hero in Greece. And Eëtíon, touched by the boy’s love for him, had wished many a day to save Dryas from his treacherous companions. This he had not dared to attempt because the weak boy would have babbled and all Eëtíon’s chance to watch the Ionians be lost.