fire must cool, for time gnaws all
things in their turn. Life is short, though life is sweet; but sweeter
to live forever; sweeter to live ever youthful like the Gods, who have
ichor in their veins; ichor which gives life, and youth, and joy, and a
bounding heart."

Then Talus said, "Who are you, strange maiden; and where is this ichor
of youth?"

Then Medeia held up a flask of crystal, and said, "Here is the ichor of
youth. I am Medeia the enchantress; my sister Circe gave me this, and
said, 'Go and reward Talus the faithful servant, for his fame is gone
out into all lands.' So come, and I will pour this into your veins, that
you may live forever young."

And he listened to her false words, that simple Talus, and came near;
and Medeia said, "Dip yourself in the sea first, and cool yourself, lest
you burn my tender hands, then show me where the nail in your vein is,
that I may pour the ichor in."

Then that simple Talus dipped himself in the sea, till it hissed, and
roared, and smoked; and came and knelt before Medeia, and showed her the
secret nail.

And she drew the nail out gently; but she poured no ichor in; and
instead the liquid fire spouted forth, like a stream of red-hot iron.
And Talus tried to leap up, crying, "You have betrayed me, false witch
maiden!" But she lifted up her hands before him, and sang, till he sank
beneath her spell. And as he sank, his brazen limbs clanked heavily, and
the earth groaned beneath his weight; and the liquid fire ran from his
heel, like a stream of lava to the sea; and Medeia laughed, and called
to the heroes, "Come ashore, and water your ship in peace."

So they came, and found the giant lying dead; and they fell down, and
kissed Medeia's feet; and watered their ship, and took sheep and oxen,
and so left that inhospitable shore.

At last, after many more adventures, they came to the Cape of Malea, at
the southwest point of the Peloponnese. And there they offered
sacrifices, and Orpheus purged them from their guilt. Then they rowed
away again to the northward, past the Laconian shore, and came all worn
and tired by Sunium, and up the long Euboean Strait, until they saw
once more Pelion, and Aphetai, and Iolcos by the sea.

And they ran the ship ashore; but they had no strength left to haul her
up the beach; and they crawled out on the pebbles, and sat down, and
wept till they could weep no more. For the houses and the trees were all
altered; and all the faces which the