Mars led the way to an ostentatiously columned building that looked no different than any other Roman temple. He held the door open beaming proudly. "You're gonna like it here, Dad. They have the largest selection of wine in the universe. The Egyptians have a pool hall in one corner. Oh, Vennie—"

"I've told you not to call me that!"

"Sorry! I was just going to tell you, you can actually swim there and your hair doesn't get wet."

"Really?" Venus asked, intrigued in spite of herself.

Mar scoffed. "Yes," he replied, his expression adding, obviously or I wouldn't have said it. "Anyway, Dad, there's a sports bar that covers part of the Roman section and part of The Americas section. They have a wall-screen where you can watch any war that's going on any time, anywhere. And you can zoom right in on the action in any section of the field. It's great. I must have spent almost two years sitting there with Lugh and Pulque Maguey watching the most fantastic battle you ever saw. A warrior named Boadicea led the Celtic team. Only, he turned out to be a girl! Can you believe that? She kicked our butts for a while! In fact, I was starting to get a little concerned about the outcome of the game." He shook his head in amazed admiration. "Now that's what I call a girl! Pity she was the enemy," he declared after a minute, glancing at Venus in her designer tunic and sandals. Her perfectly coiffed blond hair sat artfully arranged to seem casually piled on her head, and she smiled at him thru divinely painted lips. Mars scowled and led the way inside.

As promised, the Four Corners Bar and Grille spread out infinitely in all directions. At the center of the room was a crystal clear lake upon which a few boats lazily floated while their passengers trailed hands and feet in the water. From each corner of the bar a large river fed the lake. Signs indicated their names in multiple languages. 'The Nile', 'The Amazon', 'The Shannon', and 'The Tiber' divided the bar into four equal parts without managing to actually separate the patrons. Togas mingled with kilts and feathered capes in all sections of the bar.

Each corner of the place reflected a popular design from the four civilizations that had come together to build it. One corner was literally a jungle. The tables consisted of polished wood made from thick cut cross-sections of giant tree trunks. The pedestals for these massive gathering places were magnificently carved heads in a stylized manner that Jupiter hadn't seen since his traveling days. Another corner brought to mind the beach, with stretches of sand and date palm trees. A third consisted of a dense oak forest separated from a massive mound of green by a circle of stone blocks even Jupiter had to squint to see the tops of.

Mars immediately headed toward a hilly section of the bar dotted with marble statues and columned porticoes leading to private rooms. They found three comfortable chaises and sat down, Venus draping herself across the couch seductively. A voluptuous young barmaid in a plaid dress sauntered over to their table and took up a place a little closer to Mars than was strictly necessary merely for taking drink orders.

"And it's back again ye are, me boyo. Ye just cannae get enough o'the poteen here, can you? Or is it somethin' else you're lookin' for this time?" She placed a hand on her hip and smiled invitingly.

Mars looked up at her tantalizing face as though thinking about what she had said. "No-o-o...just Falernian ... neat. Thanks. Oh, Katlyne, this is my father Jupiter ... and that's my sister. Venus."

"A pleasure to meet you, Katlyne," Jupiter said, taking her hand and looking deeply into her eyes. "Falernian would be just fine."

Katlyne stared at him, entranced, for a moment before she could collect herself. "Oh, my," she breathed. "Ye do know how to make 'em in Rome, don't ye?"

"Yes," Venus replied pointedly. "We put them together ourselves ... out of little kits. I'd like something ... exotic. Like one of those," she added pointing to a young man in a simple tunic that reached to just above his knees.

"Vennie," Mars groaned. "Could you go just five minutes — just five minutes! — without embarrassing me?"