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The Heavenly Twins, Part 3 · The Golden Porch

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  Section eighteen of The Golden Porch. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
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  recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  visit LibriVox dot org. The Golden Porch by W. M. L.
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  Hutchinson. The Heavenly Twins, Part three. After these things, a feud
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  began between King Tyndarius and another king who was his kinsman and neighbor, ruling
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  a country on the western border of Laconia. This king's name was Alfarius,
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  and he had two sons, IDAs and Lynchaeus, youths of the same age
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  with Castor and Poldouceis. IDAs had no little renown as a warrior, and
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  he was very fair to look upon. But Lynchaeus was swart and small in
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  stature, and all his delight was in woodcraft. It was hateful to Lyncaeus
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  to dwell within the four walls of a house. And he passed his days
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  and nights in the wide forest and lived by hunting. And he was the
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  best of hunters, though he had neither strength nor skill in archery. Never
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  man could track the game as he did free at lynx eyes that saw through
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  rocks and through trees, and through the earth. Now, when the two
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  kings fell to feud, their sons began to make forays over the border and
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  raided the cattle of their enemies. But at first King Tyndarius had the greater
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  loss, because Lynceus could spy his herds from leagues away, and told his
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  brother where he might surprise them. But IDAs kept a herd of red cows
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  that he set great store by, and one day Castor and Puldousius came upon
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  them, feeding in a veil, and drove them off across the border,
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  and the herdsmen fled to tell their lord. Then IDAs rose up in great
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  wrath and swore that he would not rest till he had slain those twood and
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  brethren. And Marpesa, his wife, heard him this. Marpesa had great
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  beauty, so that many princess had sought her in marriage, and even a
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  god was among her suitors. For the golden haired Apollo himself came to her
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  father's house and wooed her to be his bride. But she chose rather to
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  wed IDAs. And she said to the God, when I am old and
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  gray, shall I be still dear to you who are young? Continually,
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  nay, let me wed a lover who will grow old along with me,
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  to whose age dimmed eyes I shall still seem fair. And Apollo bore Marpessa
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  no malice for her choice, but was ever a friend to her, and
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  gave her timely warning of a doom that threatened her husband. Therefore, when
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  she heard the angry words of IDAs, she besought him not to plan death
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  for the twin brethren, for that she said would prove his bane if Apollo
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  had told her truly. But IDAs paid her no heed, and he badel
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  and chaos beyond the watch for those two marauders continually, so that when next
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  they came, he might lay some ambush for them. Not many days after,
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  Castor said to his brother, let us make another raid beyond the border,
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  and see if there are not other cattle ivitis in the glens of Mount
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  Tagatose. So they came by stealth to the wooded mountain, and it chanced
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  as they went along the Castor caught his foot in the root of a beach
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  and fell, and his foot was sprain in the fall. Poldoucis tore a
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  strip from his cloak to bandage it, and looked for water, but there
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  was nut at hand. I will go find a spring, he said,
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  and bring water in my helm to lave your foot and ease the pain.
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  Only I fear lest the suns of a fairies be abroad in these woods and
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  come upon you thus helpless. Do you see yonder hollow oak, said Castor,
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  That were a safe hiding place if I crept within it? Well thought
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  of, said Poulduci's, and kneeling down, he drew Castor's arm round his
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  neck and bore him on his back to the hollow tree, Then, placing
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  him carefully within it, he heaped brushwood against the trunk to hide the opening,
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  and went in search of water. But Lynchayus was perched on a crag
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  of the mountain, keeping his watch, And while Polduzus was gone, he
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  cast his eyes towards the glen where Castor sat in the oak, and saw
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  him through the tree trunk as through clear crystal down the rocks. He bounded
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  like a wild goat and flew to Telidis, and they both ran to the
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  oak with the speed of the wind. Never a word, said Castor when
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  he saw their fierce faces, knowing full well that his hour was come.
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  But as IDAs dragged him forth and plunged a dagger into his side. He
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  cried with a great voice on his brother's name. Poldouceius heard the cry,
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  for he was that moment returning, and with a roar like a wounded lion's,
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  he rushed upon the sons of Apharius. Panic fear seized them at that
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  sudden onslaught. They turned and fled before him into the depths of the forest.
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  Yet though they had the name of the swiftest Runners alive, he overtook
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  them in a dusky hollow, where a white headstone marked a solitary grave.
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  Beside that tomb the resting place of a king. Their forefather, IDAs and
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  Lynchaeus turned to bay, and as Poldusus poised his spear for throw, they
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  heaved aloft the headstone and hurled it upon him full on. The breast had
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  struck him, but he stood firm in his godlike strength, nor flinched from
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  the blow, and the next instant his spear pierced the heart of Idis Anne
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  Lynchaeus, and act to flee once more, fell dead on his dead brother,
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  stricken by a thunderbolt from the blue. For Zeus looked down with pity
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  on the children of Leeda in their hour of anguish, and sent swift vengeance
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  on Castor's murderers. So perish those two brothers, and the green grave of
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  their forefather was their funeral pyre. There, with none to pay them the
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  last rites. Their body smoldered to ashes in the sulfurous flames of the thunderbolt.
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  But pulled deaces sped back to his brother and found him not yet dead,
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  though already the failing breath rattled in his throat. The hot tears broke
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  from his young eyes at that sight, and with a deep groan, he
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  said, do you see this o Zeus on high? Alas? What ho?
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  What help is loved to me? Most wretched? Now, King of
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  gods, take away my life? Also for what prophets a man to live
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  bereft of his heart's friend. Then straightway Zeus himself and his own shape of
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  majesty stood before him with compassionate look. Poldouces said, the god you know
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  not what you ask. Death has claimed Castor because he is the son of
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  the mortal Father. But on you death has no power, for you are
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  not the son of tendareus, nor of any man. I myself gave you
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  being and brought you for a gift to Queen Leda, a tiny babe shut
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  in the shell of a swan's egg. But now, since you so love
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  him whom you called brother, that you strive to share his lot, whether
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  for good or ill, I said a choice before you. It is yours,
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  if you so choose to abide henceforth forever in my palace halls, where
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  you shall find comrades, meet for your warrior soul, even Athena an heires
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  lord of war Or. If that content you not, you may give half
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  your birthright of immortality to Castor, and the two of you shall lead a
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  double life, dwelling one day in the nether world of the dead, and
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  the next in the golden houses of heaven. Think well, poor Ducey's,
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  what your choice shall be. But in the faithful heart of Poldocy's there was
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  no thought of self. Great zeus, he cried, save my Castor,
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  and be the rest as it may. The God laid his hand on Castor's
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  eyes, already closed in death, and they opened bright with new life.
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  He touched the blue, gasping lips, and the rose red flushed them once
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  more. Castor drew a deep breath and raising himself on one arm, he
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  said, brother, I have surely slept, I thought, but it was
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  a dream that IDAs and Lyncaeyaz set upon me while you were gone. With
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  a cry of joy, pulled do Jusies flung himself into his arms, and
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  when he looked up from that embrace they were alone. Then he told Castor
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  what had befallen, and how King Zeus himself had stood beside them. But
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  Castor had seen no one save Poldoocey's when his eyes opened, for they were
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  holden from the side of the god. Now the touch of Zeus had made
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  him whole from head to foot, so that he rose up and walked lightly
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  at his brother's side. And they came home at the setting of the sun.
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  But as the twins passed into the palace, the sun went down,
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  and they fell lifeless on the threshold. For that day was Castor's day of
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  doom. Nor could Zeus himself give him one hour of earthly life beyond his
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  destined span. Then there was weeping and wailing in the house of Tendaius,
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  and Queen Lada tore her golden hair for sorrow, beholding those pale, silent
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  forms of her beloved sons. From ancient times, the kings of Laconia were
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  buried in rock hewn sepulchers on the hill side without their city, and in
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  such a vault Tendarius laid the twin brethren, and all the land mourned for
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  them many days. At this same time, Leda's nurse, now very aged,
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  lay on her death bed, and when she felt her hour was come,
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  she sent for the king and told him all she knew, and showed
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  him the swan's feather and the broken eggshell to prove her tail tenders. Was
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  filled with rage that his wife had so deceived him and reared as his lawful
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  heir a child who was none of his. And he burst withdrawn sworn into
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  her chamber, for he had a mind to kill her. Basely have you
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  dealt with me, Leda, he cried to her, And a bitter woe
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  has your deceit brought on my house? Yes, I will believe that the
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  gods, to punish such falsess, have cut off my only son, together
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  with that stranger whom you dare to call his brother. Now must I go
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  childless to my grave? But you shall not live to see it. Pale
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  and trembling, stood Leeda before the furious king, but she answered never a
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  word. Then suddenly a great light shone round about her, and ten Darius
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  saw the twin Brethren hovering in that glory above her head. My father said
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  Castor, in a voice of celestial sweetness, be not wrought with our dear
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  mother, for all she did was commanded her by most High Zeus. And
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  he revealed the whole troop to Tendareus, and bade him and late A grieve
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  no more, because both he and Poldoocy's were happy. Forever. Do you
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  also, He said to them, Zeus, grant's happiness beyond the lot of
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  other mortals. Not that your children shall reign after you, but that you
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  shall be called the father and mother of the heavenly Twins, the saviors of
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  men. When Castor had thus spoken, the glory faded away, and the
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  radiant brethren vanished with it. But ever after, just such a light would
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  often play over masts and sails of ships and peril at sea, and immediately
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  the tempest would cease. Sometimes, in its sudden glare, the sailors caught
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  sight of two princely youths standing on their deck, who disappeared. The next
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  instant, often too minhard pressed in battle, saw two strange warriors fighting in
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  their ranks, arrayed in silver armor and riding on snow white steeds. And
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  they were likeer each to the other than any twins that were ever seen before
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  the charge of those riders, the bravest foes, although they were ten to
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  one, broken, scattered in headlong route, but always when the victory was
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  won, they vanished into air. A last a rumor spread, but none
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  could say how it arose that these workers of deliverance were the twin sons of
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  Leda, whom the gods had taken to themselves in their youthful prime, and
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  given them power to become saviors of men after their death. As Heracles,
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  their comrade was in his lifetime, and thereafter shrines were built in many cities
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  to Castor and Puldouceis, whither many a warrior and seamen whom they had cowered
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  in dire peril, came with grateful heart to pay his vows of thanksgiving.
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  Back comes the chief in triumph, who, in the hour of fight,
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  has seen the great twin brethren and harness on his right. Safe comes the
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  ship to Haven through billows and through gales, if once the Great Twin Brethren
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  sit shining on the sails. End of section eighteen read by Stephanie J.