Cornellia and Zorba stepped down from the Minoan transport that had brought them to the Piraeus, port of Athens. "I really like the white paint job on the ferry, with the red trim and stripe and the big green lettering declaring they're Minoan," she said. "Classy." "Minoans are really the only way to get to or from the Greek islands. Unless you want to fly, but that takes Olympic help." Zorba shrugged. "That's always uncomfortable, expensive, and if they feed you it's not worth it. I always go with the Minoans, myself. It's only six hours from Heraklion to the Piraeus." "Did we really need to come to Athens to get into the Underworld? I thought there were a dozen or more entrances scattered around." "Well that is true. You can crawl through some cave and eventually get there. Or you can just take the Metro. It's faster. All those heroes and heroines trying to get there, they finally just gave in and built a metro stop." He gave her his broadest grin. "People were dying to get in." Cornellia groaned, but followed her guide into the underground. The metro system from the port to the center of the city was old but reasonably speedy. After they passed the Acropolis they transferred at Syndagma Square to the newer line. Cornellia was amazed at Syndagma station. "It's like a museum." "Well when you build anything in Greece," Zorba said with a sigh, "you are always going to find antiquities. What else can you do with them?" He shrugged. Cornellia watched the stations go by. Syndagma. Evangelismos. Megaro Mousikis. Hades. "This is our stop." While the other station stops were clean, modern, and well-lit, this one was gloomy and oddly misty. "These are the five rivers of Hades," Zorba said sorrowfully. Then he looked down. "Oops. I'm standing in the Acheron, the river of sorrow." He stepped back onto the path. "I'd stay on the path. They built bridges. They cross the five rivers: The Acheron; the Cocytus, river of lamentation; the Phlegethon, river of fire; the Lethe, river of forgetfulness; and the Styx, river of hate. Once you cross the Styx you will reach the gates of Hades." He paused. "I'd like to leave you here, pretty lady. At the end of the path there is a dog, and I'm allergic to dogs." Cornellia took her leave and left Zorba dejectedly wringing out his socks. As she walked on some water from the next river formed a heavy mist. "My hair!" Cornellia cried. "This is going to totally ruin my 'do. Oh woe!" She passed a sign labeled 'Cocytus.' The next river burned with a fire that consumed no fuel. "Wow, this will dry out my hair… but I better not stay too long!" Cornellia ran over that bridge. The fourth bridge had a water cooler. A confused man stood there holding a paper cup. His eyes lit on Cornellia as she stopped to take a drink. "Whatever you do, don't drink the water!" he warned. Then he paused. "I can't remember why, though." Cornellia thought that was sound advice and passed over the Lethe, still holding the paper cup of water. Cornellia found a toll bridge blocking her way when she reached the last crossing, over the Styx. The toll booth contained a cranky, skinny old man and a radio playing rock music from the 1970s. "Are you Charon?" she asked. "Yeah. What's it to you?" he snapped. "Toll's one obol. Pay it or leave. I don't give change, I don't take credit, and I don't accept foreign money. Not even euros." "Didn't you have a boat?" "It sank. You going in or you going to yap?" Cornellia opened her purse, glad she'd stopped at a bank on the way to exchange some sesterces for local money. She handed him the coin. He raised the barrier on the bridge. Cornellia strolled over the Cyclopean construction. She wondered where the dog was Zorba had mentioned. She liked dogs. There was a snarl. Above her loomed the biggest, meanest canines she had ever seen. They belonged to three dog heads. "Oh, drat!" Cornellia exclaimed as Cerberus advanced.

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