Lisbon arrived at the bedroom door just as Hades was kissing Lexi farewell, choosing to take his breakfast with him to the gates. Lisbon waited until Hades was out of the room before she announced that Lars was at the bridge.

"Lars wants to know how you and the babies are doing," Lisbon said as she hovered over the cribs. "I think you've made an admirer for life, Lexi. Lars is quite handsome for a minotaur."

Lexi grinned at Lisbon as Sella helped her slip on her favorite flats. "Is Ink aware of your infatuation with handsome minotaurs?"

Lisbon giggled. "He teases me about it. He thinks I'm interested in their prominent... you know. One has to wonder how well they handle themselves. I have never observed the mating ritual of minotaurs. Have you?"

"Goodness, Lisbon. Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate to watch minotaurs while they're being intimate."

"Not really. They're like any other animal."

Lexi cringed, but she didn't counsel Lisbon on her antiquated views. She knew it would be a long time before the gods accepted the minotaurs on the same terms as the centaurs and satyrs. Lexi was also starting to wonder about Lisbon's relationship history. How much had she engaged in intimacy and with whom?

"Have you ever seen a minotaur herd in Olympus, Lisbon?"

"Yes, of course, but usually I'm in a chariot flying over them. We took a school trip through a minotaur forest once and were chased out with spears. The minotaurs here in the underworld are much more pleasant."

"That is because of Lady Lexi," Sella offered as she tried to tuck Elm's flailing arms into her blanket. "She saved the minotaurs from the hunter's arrow."

"But the minotaurs in Olympus have not been hunted for over two thousand years, and they're downright hostile."

Sella raised her eyebrows at Lexi. "Perhaps, Lady Lexi will be able to bring them into the light."

"I think I'll save that for a future agenda, when the hunt is not so fresh in everyone's mind," Lexi said. "Many of the gods still complain about not having minotaur meat in their pantries." As Lexi spoke, her mind wandered to other things that had nothing to do with minotaurs. "I wonder, Sella... How well do you know Hades' study? I was interested in a book on the Titanomachy."

"What do you want to know, Lexi?" Lisbon asked. "I know a good amount about the war. I wrote several reports on it during my educational years."

Lexi reached into Ely's crib to pick him up, and his face puckered as she kissed him. "Would you mind sitting with me after breakfast, Lisbon? Sella is going to bring the babies to the great room. We can chat there."

"Of course."

"And I will fetch the book you need," Sella said.

While the babies were being tucked into badger baskets, Lisbon escorted Lexi down the staircase. Despite the fact that Lexi's belly no longer had her struggling for purchase on the steps, her body seemed determined to expel all the blood it had stored up during her pregnancy. When they reached the dining room, Blythe was there waiting to serve them breakfast.

"You seem distracted, Lexi," Lisbon said as she pulled out Lexi's chair for her. "You're thinking about Rhea, aren't you? Are you worried you won't be able to reunite her spirit with her body?"

Lexi had to credit Lisbon with keen insight as she offered a sober nod. "I'm just concerned I might be insulting Gaia by attempting to undo her prophecy."

"I don't think Gaia will condemn you for using your gifts to resurrect a dear friend. I have always thought of Gaia as fair and just."

"I agree with you on that, but I believe there are other things that need to happen before such a powerful prophecy can be undone."

As they dug into their breakfast, Lexi opened her cloth napkin and filled it with bread and fruit for Lars. When she and Lisbon had eaten their fill, they walked to the foot of the bridge where Lars stood surveying the landscape like an Army general.

"Pleasant morning, Lars," Lexi said as she handed him the bulging napkin. Lars accepted Lexi's offering and held it to his nose. She knew he had grown fond of Fiona's bread. "Lisbon tells me you were asking about the babies. Would you like to come inside and visit with them?"

"I would like to see the young ones," he said. "But I do not want to cause the family distress."

"You helped bring the babies into the world. You are one of the family now." Lexi wrapped her slender arm around his hairy one and tugged him toward the door.

Sella and Lacy were each bouncing a baby on their shoulders when they greeted Lexi and Lars with surprised looks. Lars acknowledged their reaction by stopping abruptly at the threshold of the room.

"Lars would like to visit with the babies," Lexi explained as she tried to haul him further. Her attempts were unsuccessful.

"Of course," Sella said as she gestured to a couch. "He can sit here and hold Elm first. She's not as fussy."

Lars regarded the couch with some amount of confusion, and Lisbon grabbed a footstool, sliding it into the center of the room.

"Lars, would you rather sit on this?"

Despite the language barrier, Lars appeared to understand Lisbon's intentions, nodding his assent before making the two strides needed to get from the threshold to the footstool. Once he had arranged himself and set his breakfast on the marble floor, Sella placed Elm in his arms. Although minotaurs expressed their joy differently, Lars had asked Lexi to teach him how to smile so she would know whenever he was pleased. He seemed pleased now.

While Lars attempted to keep Elm's wiggling arms tucked inside her blanket, Lexi browsed through the book Sella had brought from the study.

"What questions did you have about the Titanomachy, Lexi?" Lisbon asked, although she seemed distracted by Lars as he blinked his large brown eyes at Elm.

"Well, Hades told me the underworld was sealed off from Olympus after the Titanomachy to protect everyone from the monsters of Tartarus. He also said the connection between the two worlds was called Port Oceanus. Could you tell me what happened after the port was dismantled and how the gods' duties altered to accommodate the change? Hermes, for example. He used to guide the souls to the underworld. Now the souls pretty much find their own way to the gates where Thanatos stands guard."

"That's right. Back then, Hermes handled the souls and Thanatos wasn't called upon unless there was a wayward soul who required a more forceful hand. Like a bouncer at a nightclub, if you get my meaning. It wasn't until the new passage opened that Thanatos was asked to stand at the gates to welcome the souls and Hermes starting working as a messenger to the gods."

Lexi's opinion was that Thanatos still behaved like a bouncer, which didn't fit the important position he held. Hermes or Hades were much better suited for such a delicate task. "So, it takes four gods to handle what used to take one?"

"Hermes was extremely good at his job. It is his godly gift, but I expect Hades and Hecate would have become more involved eventually. The mortal population has increased a lot since the Titanomachy. And, from what I have heard, Melinoe was only asked to help when the souls started piling up at the gates. She isn't really suited for the job, but you don't have to repeat that." Lisbon bit her lip, looking like she wished she had stopped talking sooner, but Lexi appreciated Lisbon's candid manner. It was one of the things she liked about the goddess.

"I agree with you, Lisbon. In fact, I feel the same about Thanatos. He may be nice to look at, but the souls should be greeted by someone with compassion, tact and patience."

Lisbon nodded. "I believe Ink has the makings of a decent gatekeeper. I know he had a rough start to life, but he really wants to be part of something big. He enjoys helping Hades at the gates."

"And we are grateful for his presence here. We're grateful for both of you." Lexi smiled and Lisbon returned the gesture before turning her attention to Lars again, who was rocking Elm in his immense arms as he made a soft cooing sound over her.

Everyone's attention appeared to be on Lars as he bonded with Lexi's daughter, giving Lexi a chance to chew on a few ideas. Could the sealing of Port Oceanus have contributed to the imbalance Gaia spoke of in her prophecy? Had the gods strayed too far from her original plan? Properly utilizing one's godly gifts was something the council often used as an argument, and Lexi found it interesting that the gods asked Hermes to change his godly duties in order to suit their own needs. Maybe it was time Lexi reminded them with an argument of her own.