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The Sword and the Crown
The Tales of Corona Borealis
Chapter 5: Daedalus
The morning after their escape, Minos' guards
discovered the Athenians were missing. Then they discovered that
Ariadne was gone and the door to the labyrinth had been left open.
The guards brought the news to King Minos.
"Bring Daedalus," Minos called to his guards. "Daedalus will take
you into the labyrinth, where we will find out what happened." With
Daedalus the guards entered the labyrinth and found the body of
the Minotaur.
"I know Daedalus was the architect of this," stormed Minos. "Now
that the labyrinth is empty, it shall not go to waste. Put Daedalus
and his son, Icarus, into the labyrinth and bolt the door forever.
He will never again be able to cause me grief." Daedalus and Icarus
were immediately thrown into the labyrinth for the rest of their
lives.
"I'm glad your mother is not alive to be thrown in here with us,"
Daedalus said sadly to his son. Naucrate, Icarus' mother and one
of Minos' slaves, had died not long before. Her death had been hard
on both of them. Now the father and son were all each other had.
"I will find a way out of here for us," Daedalus promised as the
door slammed behind them.
"I know you will, father," Icarus responded. "No one has ever stumped
you; at least not for long."
Icarus was right, for it was not long before Daedalus came up with
an escape plan. He collected feathers and beeswax and made a glue
out of rabbit feet, and from this he fashioned and fitted two sets
of wings; one for him and one for his son. When they were dry and
ready, he called to Icarus.
"Strap on these wings, son," he said as he helped Icarus into them.
"Let us practice for a while, but we must be careful to keep below
the walls so Minos will not see what we are doing. Flap like this,"
he said as he showed his son how to work the wings. "Flapping will
gain us altitude or allow us to change direction but we will stretch
out and glide to go the distance."
They practiced for days. Then, when Daedalus felt confident that
both had enough strength in their arms to handle their wings, he
announced it was time to fly out of the labyrinth early the next
morning. "When we fly out of the labyrinth we must leave Crete,
for it will no longer safe for us here. The distance across the
sea is great and we will need enormous strength and a good amount
of luck, as well. We will leave tomorrow at sunrise. Remember,"
he said, "rise as swiftly as you can or you will not get out of
reach of the arrows in time. If anyone should see us they surely
will try to shoot us down.
"Remember to follow me. I know how to navigate through the islands.
Also, make sure you do not fly too low over the sea or your wings
will get wet and you will sink. Also guard against flying too high
or the heat from the sun will melt the wax and glue from your wings
and you will fall. Are there any questions?" Daedalus asked, looking
back at Icarus.
"No father," Icarus replied. "I'm ready to leave this prison now."
The sun rose upon a perfect morning for the flight. Daedalus and
Icarus strapped on their wings. While flapping quickly and hard,
they ran down one of the long labyrinth halls and lifted high above
the labyrinth where a warm updraft caught their wings and carried
them up into the sky, far above the royal compound. From that height
the labyrinth looked like an intricate puzzle to be deciphered by
someone with time and patience. Ahead, the rising sun cast colored
flecks across the sea, as though it were lighting their path with
iridescent lamps. Daedalus and Icarus flew toward those sparkling
points of light.
Icarus watched his father. Daedalus effortlessly banked his wings
toward the north and glided into an available wind current which
swiftly carried him along in its new direction. Icarus did the same.
Daedalus raised his altitude over the sea. Icarus felt some moisture
in the air and did the same. They flew with the birds who, without
question, accepted the newest members of their flock and made room
for them in formation.
Icarus watched the boats far below. Their sails were spread wide
to catch the low ribboned end of the breezes as they whipped across
the sea. Those same breezes, up here at their source, were broad
sheets which effortlessly carried his wide-spread wings.
He felt the warm sun against his back. He stretched his wings forward
and curled one under, catching the air like a water wave as it turned
him around to face the sun. The air was more responsive to movements
than water. It was exciting!
He looked at Daedalus. His father was gliding in the same fashion
as when they had begun their journey. Icarus said, "Poor father
has not discovered the joy of flight yet." So he maneuvered into
a higher air stream and started going faster. He loved the speed.
Even birds were different up there as he soared with the hawks and
eagles and the powerful creatures of the sky.
Daedalus looked around and saw how high his son flew. "Come down
here, Icarus," he shouted to his son.
Icarus heard his father's call, but he ignored him. "Father doesn't
understand the thrill of flight. To him it's only a means of escape,"
he thought, "to me it's an adventure!"
"Icarus, it's nearing midday and you're flying too close to the
sun," Daedalus called out frantically. This time Icarus did not
hear at all. He was far, far above. He was so high that he had left
the birds far below. It was an exhilarating feeling to be alone
with the wind, knowing he was master of the sky.
The sun was hot, but he paid no attention to it as he sped along
the high reaches of the sky where sheets of wind shake like laundry.
Looking below, he saw feathers dropping. "What could that be?" he
wondered. There was no one up here but him. He banked his wings
to make a turn, but it seemed sluggish and difficult to maneuver.
He looked at his wings to see what was wrong. As he watched, a portion
of the wing upon his right shoulder stretched and came loose. He
watched as it fell slowly into the sea far below.
Panic seized him. He tried to lower his altitude, but it was too
late. His wings had melted and could no longer hold him. Icarus
fell through the sky until he hit the sea and disappeared from sight.
Daedalus watched, powerless to help. His tears dropped into the
water that drowned his son. Later those same waters would be called
the Icarian Sea.
Only a few hours later and completely alone, Daedalus landed in
the town of Camicus on the island of Sicily. The townspeople revered
the sad man as a hero sent by the gods and King Cocalus made him
a welcomed part of his family.
One year later King Cocalus' protection of Daedalus would be tested
when King Minos went for revenge. Unknown to Daedalus, his escape
from Crete had been watched. During the morning, rumors spread to
King Minos about two men with wings who escaped from the labyrinth
and were seen flying away over the sea. Minos was enraged and for
days he sulked, speaking to no one. Finally he came up with his
plan. Since Daedalus was on another island, Minos would have to
take a ship to track him down and bring the traitor back. Knowing
that Daedalus could never stand to leave a puzzle unsolved, Minos
devised one. If he were in the service of a protector, money would
be a good motivator to flush Daedalus out. Minos would take a spiral
shell with him and offer a huge reward to anyone who could work
a thread through it. Minos laughed at his ingenuity because he knew
that no one but Daedalus could figure that one out. Confidently,
Minos set out on his vengeful mission.
For one year Minos searched island-to-island. Many people had tried
to solve his puzzle, but no one succeeded. Suddenly, when he came
to Sicily, King Cocalus took the shell and said, "Have no doubts.
It is already solved."
Daedalus looked at the shell that Cocalus had just given to him.
"I need it back with a thread worked through it," Cocalus said as
Daedalus turned it over in his palm. The shell was very small with
a tight spiral threading through to the center. It didn't take Daedalus
long to devise a solution. He went outdoors and found a very tiny
ant. Then he bored a tiny hole at the center of the shell where
the spiral ended. He took a strong piece of thread and tied it to
the back leg of the ant, then he put the ant into the hole in the
shell, stuffing some of the thread in behind and holding his thumb
over the hole. Daedalus smiled patiently because he knew the only
way out for the ant was to go through the shell. Before long he
could feel a tug at his thumb. As he slowly took his thumb off the
hole, the ant marched out the open end of the shell with the remaining
thread trailing behind.
Daedalus gave the shell to one of Cocalus' daughters to deliver.
She handed it to her father while he was in the presence of Minos.
Cocalus turned his outstretched hand and said, "My reward please."
"Certainly," Minos said as he held the shell in his palm. "Get the
chest," he commanded his slave. He turned the shell over, holding
both ends of the thread and moving the shell across it. The slave
brought the chest containing the reward. "I will give you this chest
in exchange for Daedalus."
King Cocalus betrayed no surprise. "Of course. I will turn him over
to you later this evening, after we have adequately fed and entertained
you. I pride myself on my hospitality," Cocalus smiled and slapped
his guest on the back. They both laughed. Cocalus clapped his hands
and his three daughters came at once. "Give King Minos a fine bath
and some fresh robes and dress him well for dinner." The daughters
led Minos away, and Cocalus picked up the chest with his reward.
One of the daughters undressed Minos and massaged his back as the
other two prepared the bath. Minos was so comfortable that he fell
asleep. He woke with the girls shaking him to say that his bath
was ready. "What a fine and successful day," he thought. "A bath
and dinner and entertainment is the perfect ending." The water was
very hot. He stepped slowly into the deep tub. He could feel the
tension in his body go away. Only one of the daughters remained.
She began to soap his back and said the others had left to get his
robes and body oils.
But she had not told Minos the truth. While she distracted him,
her sisters had arranged large vats of boiling water and servants
to carry them. The girls knew that this man had plans to carry away
their favorite, old Daedalus, and it was their job to stop him.
Suddenly an army of servants came with boiling water and quickly
poured it on the evil king. Minos screamed in pain as, one by one,
they scalded his body with the water from their vats. No mercy was
shown on the deceitful king as they poured vat after vat of water
upon him. His body turned red and bloated, floating dead in the
steaming water. Protected by the death of his only enemy, Daedalus
never felt alone again.
Tales of
the Immortal Night ©2003, J.J. Kuhl
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