dark blue spiral
overlays them all. But if thou shouldst cast it with thy hands, lo, like
a star, it sends a flaming track through the sky. This I will give thee;
and do thou strike with thy shaft and charm the daughter of Aeetes with
love for Jason; and let there be no loitering. For then my thanks would
be the slighter."

Thus she spake, and welcome were her words to the listening boy. And he
threw down all his toys, and eagerly seizing her robe on this side and
on that, clung to the goddess. And he implored her to bestow the gift at
once; but she, facing him with kindly words, touched his cheeks, kissed
him and drew him to her, and replied with a smile:

"Be witness now thy dear head and mine, that surely I will give thee the
gift and deceive thee not, if thou wilt strike with thy shaft Aeetes'
daughter."

She spoke, and he gathered up his dice, and having well counted them all
threw them into his mother's gleaming lap. And straightway with golden
baldric he slung round him his quiver from where it leant against a
tree-trunk, and took up his curved bow. And he fared forth through the
fruitful orchard of the palace of Zeus. Then he passed through the gates
of Olympus high in air; hence is a downward path from heaven; and the
twin poles rear aloft steep mountain tops--the highest crests of earth,
where the risen sun grows ruddy with his first beams. And beneath him
there appeared now the life-giving earth and cities of men and sacred
streams of rivers, and now in turn mountain peaks and the ocean all
around, as he swept through the vast expanse of air.

Now the heroes apart in ambush, in a back-water of the river, were met
in council, sitting on the benches of their ship. And Aeson's son
himself was speaking among them; and they were listening silently in
their places sitting row upon row: "My friends, what pleases myself that
will I say out; it is for you to bring about its fulfilment. For in
common is our task, and common to all alike is the right of speech; and
he who in silence withholds his thought and his counsel, let him know
that it is he alone that bereaves this band of its home-return. Do ye
others rest here in the ship quietly with your arms; but I will go to
the palace of Aeetes, taking with me the sons of Phrixus and two
comrades as well. And when I meet him I will first make trial with words
to see if he will be willing to give up the golden fleece for
friendship's sake or not, but trusting to his mig