The Golden Fleece | Page 7

hand of the young man and the hand
of his brother, and he bade them both welcome to his palace.
Then, walking between them, the king brought the two into the feasting

hall. The youth who had known only the forest and the mountainside
had to wonder at the beauty and the magnificence of all he saw around
him. On the walls were bright pictures; the tables were of polished
wood, and they had vessels of gold and dishes of silver set upon them;
along the walls were vases of lovely shapes and colors, and everywhere
there were baskets heaped with roses white and red.
The king's guests were already in the hall, young men and elders, and
maidens went amongst them carrying roses which they strung into
wreaths for the guests to put upon their heads. A soft-handed maiden
gave Jason a wreath of roses and he put it on his head as he sat down at
the king's table. When he looked at all the rich and lovely things in that
hall, and when he saw the guests looking at him with friendly eyes,
Jason felt that he was indeed far away from the dim spaces of the
mountain forest and from the darkness of the centaur's cave.
Rich food and wine such as he had never dreamt of tasting were
brought to the tables. He ate and drank, and his eyes followed the fair
maidens who went through the hall. He thought how glorious it was to
be a king. He heard Pelias speak to Aeson, his father, telling him that
he was old and that he was weary of ruling; that he longed to make
friends, and that he would let no enmity now be between him and his
brother. And he heard the king say that he, Jason, was young and
courageous, and that he would call upon him to help to rule the land,
and that, in a while, Jason would bear full sway over the kingdom that
Cretheus had founded.
So Pelias spoke to Aeson as they both sat together at the king's high
table. But Jason, looking on them both, saw that the eyes that his father
turned on him were full of warnings and mistrust.
After they had eaten King Pelias made a sign, and a cupbearer bringing
a richly wrought cup came and stood before the king. The king stood
up, holding the cup in his hands, and all in the hall waited silently.
Then Pelias put the cup into Jason's hands and he cried out in a voice
that was heard all through the hall, "Drink from this cup, O nephew
Jason! Drink from this cup, O man who will soon come to rule over the
kingdom that Cretheus founded!"

All in the hall stood up and shouted with delight at that speech. But the
king was not delighted with their delight, Jason saw. He took the cup
and he drank the rich wine; pride grew in him; he looked down the hall
and he saw faces all friendly to him; he felt as a king might feel, secure
and triumphant. And then he heard King Pelias speaking once more.
"This is my nephew Jason, reared and fostered in the centaur's cave. He
will tell you of his life in the forest and the mountains, his life that was
like to the life of the half gods."
Then Jason spoke to them, telling them of his life on the Mountain
Pelion. When he had spoken, Pelias said:
"I was bidden by the oracle to beware of the man whom I should see
coming toward me half shod. But, as you all see, I have brought the
half-shod man to my palace and my feasting hall, so little do I dread the
anger of the gods.
"And I dread it little because I am blameless. This youth, the son of my
brother, is strong and courageous, and I rejoice in his strength and
courage, for I would have him take my place and reign over you. Ali,
that I were as young as he is now! Ali, that I had been reared and
fostered as he was reared and fostered by the wise centaur and under
the eyes of the immortals! Then would I do that which in my youth I
often dreamed of doing! Then would I perform a deed that would make
my name and the name of my city famous throughout all Greece! Then
would I bring from far Colchis, the famous Fleece of Gold that King
Aetes keeps guard over!"
He finished speaking, and all in the hall shouted out, "The Golden
Fleece, the Golden Fleece from Colchis!" Jason stood up, and his
father's hand gripped him. But he did not heed the hold of his father's
hand,