34_Sleeping with Snakes

Julia heard Brody gasp loudly beside her. But she didn’t take her eyes off the snakes slithering toward Heracles from every direction. All of them had the triangular heads of venomous serpents. If she didn’t do something, the fastest snake would reach Heracles within seconds! Julia glanced around the room. A few feet away she spied a barrel with several javelins. She grabbed a javelin and leaped forward. “ Be careful! ” Brody cried. Julia used the javelin to flick the fastest snake to the side. The creature hissed, and then lunged toward the end of the javelin.

“ Quick! ” Julia called to Markos and Brody. “ Grab a javelin! Call Iphicles to help us! ” Markos dashed to the door, almost colliding with Iphicles, who was just walking in. “ Hurry! ” Markos exclaimed. “ The serpents are threatening your brother! ” “ What?” Iphicles’ jaw dropped. He froze in the doorway, staring at the sleeping Heracles. “ Grab a javelin! ” Brody said. “ If you guys can hold back the snakes, I’ll drag Heracles outside. ” Markos rushed over to the javelin barrel.

Julia glanced at Iphicles, but he was still standing there, as if he didn’t know what to do. “ Help us! ” she exclaimed. “ Never mind him, ” Markos said. “ I think he’s stunned. ” He leaped forward and flicked away the largest snake. “ Got one! ” Julia forgot about Iphicles and knocked a smaller snake off to the side. Working together, she and Markos soon cleared a path for Brody. “ Cover me—I’m going in! ” Brody said. He put his head down, charged toward Heracles, and grabbed the sleeping champion by his muscular shoulders.

Brody grunted as he dragged Heracles slowly toward the door. Heracles mumbled and moved his hands, but he didn’t wake up. ” Hurry! ” Julia cried, flicking away a speedy little viper. “ I think we’re making them angrier! They’re coming back toward us! ” “ Look out! ” Markos yelled. “ Behind you, Brody! ” Julia gasped when she saw a snake preparing to strike at Brody. “ That one must have been hidden behind Heracles! ” she exclaimed. “ Watch out, Brody! ”

As the snake struck, Brody dodged to one side, almost dropping Heracles. The snake missed, and Brody managed to kick it away. “ Whoa, that was close, ” he said. “ I guess all that training Hermes is making me do is coming in handy! ” His voice sounded a little shaky. Julia didn’t blame him. The snake had nearly bitten him. At last Brody managed to drag Heracles to the door. “ Excuse me, dude, ” he said, shouldering his way past Iphicles. Heracles’ brother was still standing in the doorway.

As Brody dragged Heracles past his brother, Iphicles finally seemed to wake up. He turned to Julia. “ Where did all those snakes come from?” he asked. “ Where do you think?” Julia said grimly. Wasn’t the answer obvious?“ The gods are still after your brother. ” She hurried outside after the other boys. Markos was already fetching water, which he then splashed in Heracles’ face. “ Ugh, ” Heracles mumbled, one eye opening halfway. “ Is it raining?”