Monsters of Greek Mythology, Volume One Read Online Free PDF Page B

to visitors and castaways, of whom you will be sent multitudes. And a superb menace to shipping. Your name will be spoken with fear as long as tales are told.”
    â€œAre these things as fearsome as they look?”
    â€œEven more so. Their claws can rip out an elephant’s entrails; their jaws crush the largest bone; their tails can scythe down a thick tree. And … they spit fire.”
    â€œThey do seem well qualified for any fiendish task,” said Amycus. “Convey my thanks to the goddess, and tell her that when I am king I shall raise her an altar larger and more splendid than any in the world.”
    Now, those who dwelt on the island were brave, heavily armed, and skillful fighters. Throughout their history they had fought off vicious pirate raids and resisted invaders from Crete, Carthage, and Mycenae. But their enemies had always been human, and when a band of walking crocodiles led by a brass-headed giant suddenly appeared on their shore, they were confused and frightened. They mastered their fear, however, and marched against the weird invaders.
    But when the troops reached the beach and actually saw what they were supposed to fight, they halted abruptly and tried not to believe what they were seeing—an array of enormous lizards dwarfed by a giant whose head was a ball of blinding light in the noonday sun.
    â€œListen to me, good folk,” roared Amycus. He was trying to speak gently, which meant that he was bellowing a bit more softly than usual. “Before you attack, let me show you what you’ll be facing.”
    He motioned to the dragons, who wheeled and spat flame at a nearby grove of trees. They spat simultaneously. Twenty jets of fire hit the trees, which immediately began to burn. Like tall torches they burned. A flock of birds rose out of the branches, feathers on fire. As the island troops watched, the trees burned to the ground.
    â€œYou see?” said Amycus. “If I had turned them the other way, it is you who would be burning. So why don’t you just lay down your arms like good little people, and surrender. We’ll work you hard, but it’s better than burning.”
    â€œNever!” cried the battle chief. “Death before slavery!”
    â€œIt’s all right for you to choose death for yourself,” said Amycus, “but why take so many men with you? I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Search the island through and bring out your best fighters—ten of them, twenty, however many you wish. I’ll fight them all at once. If I do not finish them off in an hour, then we’ll withdraw peacefully. But if I vanquish your champions, then you’ll all surrender, and your lives will be spared.”
    â€œAgreed!” cried the battle chief. “The best fighters on the island are those facing you now. I’ll choose twenty of them and we can set to work immediately.”
    â€œHow many in your entire troop?” asked Amycus.
    â€œFifty-six.”
    â€œMake it fifty-six, then,” said Amycus. “I’ll fight your entire company—and without weapons. Nor shall my greenish friends here do any flamethrowing. But you need not disarm.”
    He motioned to the dragons, who slithered away until they were almost out of sight.
    â€œCharge!” yelled the chief.
    The islanders attacked. They swarmed over Amycus, striking with sword and battle-ax. He gathered up an armful of the troops, lifted the struggling mass to chin level, and then systematically began to butt. Shield and helmet were like tissue paper before that flailing brass head. Skulls split like eggs, spilling a yolk of brains. When Amycus opened his arms ten corpses fell. The sand soaked up their blood.
    But the others did not flee. They were gripped in a battle rage. They kept hacking at him. He pretended to retreat, not fast, for he wished them to follow close. He reached a tree, sprang up and hooked his legs over a massive bough. Hanging upside