Gods on Trial

“How are my friends down there?” Pluto asked in a friendly voice. Vulcan shrugged.

“Fine, I suppose, they send their regards,” Pluto said continuing his friendly act.

“Well tell them I said hi,” Vulcan gave a wary nod.

“I’ll send them your regards, now I have a question,” Pluto motioned for him to continue, “Why exactly am I on trial?” Pluto smiled his signature evil smile.

“I’m glad you asked, now is it true that you like traps?” Vulcan narrowed his eyes slightly obviously suspicious of where this was going.

“Yes, but I only set traps for those who deserve to be trapped, the innocent have nothing to fear.” Pluto nodded in understanding, however the evil grin still didn’t leave his face.

“Yes, but wouldn’t being invisible be a wonderful help for that?” Vulcan shook his head slowly.

“Pluto let me tell you something,” Pluto cocked his head in interest, “if I wanted your helm I would of just made a trap and then stolen it. Besides the people I look to trap are usually too self-absorbed to notice the trap I’ve laid for them. Being invisible isn’t required to set a good trap, just ask my mother.” Jupiter snickered from his seat as Pluto lost his evil grin.

“I suppose that makes sense, but wouldn’t it be nice to set your traps without anyone knowing it’s you?” Vulcan shook his head.

“No, I want people to know its me. That way they realize that just because I’m lame and crippled doesn’t mean I can be messed with. I may not be able to shoot lighting bolts or arrows at my enemies, but at least I can take away something they hold dear to them,” Pluto frowned when Vulcan stopped.

“What?” he asked in curiosity.

“Their pride, what these gods, goddesses and mortals alike all hold so dear to them. It’s easy to take from them if you play your dice right,” Vulcan said with a small smile. Vulcan was right, I mused as I wrote down his testimony. While Minerva may be the goddess of wisdom, Vulcan was the god of common sense.

“I guess,” Pluto said a little deflated. Apparently whatever prosecution he had ready had been demolished by Vulcan’s honesty. “Well, I rest my case,” Pluto said taking a seat. He looked lost in thought as Diana approached the stand.

“Vulcan, how do you make a Helm of Darkness?” Diana began.

“I’m afraid that’s a well protected secret.” Vulcan said simply. Diana shot him a look.

“You mean you don’t know?” Vulcan made a face that I thought was a question of why she’d even ask that.

“No, I said it was a secret. I know, but I can’t tell you. Hence the term secret,” Vulcan said slowly. I stifled a laugh at the face Diana made.

“I know what secret means, I was wondering if you were saying it was a secret because you didn’t know,” Vulcan looked like he was trying to control whatever comeback he had.

“I know how, I’m the god of metal working, it’s my job to know these things.” Vulcan said finally.

“So if you wanted you could make another one?” Diana asked, Vulcan scratched his head as he answered.

“I could, but I don’t want to. It’s hard to make one, and would require some help from the Cyclops’s, and they have their own jobs to perform, as do I.” Diana gave him an understanding look before turning to Minerva.

“Alright, no further questions,” Diana said finally. Minerva tapped her spear.

“What decision has the jury reached?” The jury members huddled.

“We find him not guilty,” the head juror, a small blond man announced.

“THROW HIM IN TARTARUS ANYWAY!” the juror sitting next to him yelled.

“I apologize for him, I think he had a little too much wine,” the juror beside him, a dark haired man said nervously. Minerva nodded.

“Yes well, when you have the god of wine sitting over there these things tend to happen,”

“HEY! I didn’t do anything!” Bacchus yelled from his seat next to Apollo.

“I didn’t say you did!” Minerva snapped.

“But you implied it!” Bacchus retorted. Apollo just shook his head in amusement.

“Can you to stop fighting please?” Venus asked from her seat.

“Yes, it’s rather distracting from the trial,” Mars threw in. Vulcan rolled his eyes.

“Yes come to her rescue,” Vulcan said. Mars shot a murderous look at Vulcan.

“Want to say that to my face?” Vulcan got up slowly as Minerva started banging her make shift gavel.

“Alright that’s enough! Vulcan you’re free to go. Pluto pick someone else, everyone else stay put!” Minerva said in exasperation. “And Hebe, get me some nectar, court will resume in a bit,” Minerva then stalked off towards a back room while the courtroom began to buzz. Vulcan and Mars stared each other down before Vulcan limped out of the courtroom and out the doors. Based on the thunderous sound of horses I guessed he decided to go back to his volcano.

“What’s going to happen when they’re all found non-guilty?” Erato asked quietly next to me.

“I don’t know, nothing good I can tell you that much,” Erato nodded weakly before putting the bag with the Helm in her lap. I really wished I knew how this would end, because I knew the survival of humanity was probably on the line.