RADUPHEUS AND ELMIRACIE

"All right, class," Ms Davenport said. "Today, we will be studying Earth opera."

"Opera?" Bova questioned. "Isn't that a kind of soap?"

Rosie and Catalina giggled while Radu looked as confused as the Uranusian. Ms Davenport sighed and tapped a few keys on her compupad. On the screen behind her came an image of two Earthers with their mouths wide open.

"That," Ms Davenport said, pointing to the screen, "is an opera. The sound is muted for now. Later, we will be exploring this type of music in depth."

"What is the man holding?" Rosie asked.

"That instrument is a lyre," Ms Davenport explained. "It was a stringed instrument that was a kind of cross between the more modern harp and guitar."

"It looks like they're in pain," Radu commented as he watched the opera on the screen.

"They're not in pain," Harlan joked. "The audience is."

"That will be quite enough, Mr. Band," Ms Davenport said sternly. "To begin, we will study Gluck's opera entitled Orpheus and Eurydice. It is a beautiful story that originated in a time on Earth called 'Ancient Greece'. The music, however, is not quite that old."

Ms Davenport pushed another key on her compupad and the room was filled with the hauntingly sad song simply titled "Eurydice". Radu soon found himself being lost in the song as Ms Davenport began her narration of the story...

******

It was a beautiful day as the great poet Radupheus stepped out of his house and into the sunlight. He breathed in deeply and clutched his lyre harder in his hand. The evening rains had left a sparkle to the air as the sun reflected its light off of the dew. Radupheus left his doorway and walked into the woods.

Although he did not like to boast, Radupheus was the most gifted poet and musician in all of Greece. His father had been Apollo, the God of Music, and it was only natural that Radupheus be given some of his divine father's talents. When he played his lyre and recited his verse, the birds in the trees fell silent, wild beasts came out of the woods and sat at his feet, the winds stopped blowing, and the trees bent their branches to listen. Radupheus could sway the emotions of any man or women to his will.

On that beautiful morning, Radupheus walked out to the edge of the forest where he and his wife lived and sat on the stump of a tree to play. His wife was by the river, doing the washing and when Radupheus' song reached her, it made her leave her work to join the animals listening to him.

"That was wonderful," Elmiracie said, applauding her husband.

Radupheus smiled at her, his blue eyes echoing the love he felt for his wife. Elmiracie was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had blue eyes that reflected the sky and orange hair that seemed to be taken from fire and placed gently on her head.

"The song was for you, my dear," Radupheus said tenderly, embracing his wife. "I must leave for a while to earn my living in the village."

"While you're down there, could you pick up some bread?" Elmiracie asked.

"Of course," Radupheus said, kissing her. "I will be back by sundown."

******

Radupheus earned coins singing in the village tavern. His delicate songs made the most cold-hearted men break down and cry and his drinking songs encouraged everyone in the tavern to buy another round. The tavern keeper enjoyed Radupheus' business, since it increased his own business, and so, the great poet and musician earned more than enough to support his wife.

As Radupheus walked up the path to his home, he hummed to himself and absently stroked his lyre. Suddenly, he heard the scream of Elmiracie from the woods that surrounded their house. Quickly, Radupheus ran into the darkened trees, searching for his wife. He finally found her, lying dead from snakebite beneath a willow tree.

Radupheus was inconsolable. He cradled the head of his wife in his arms and sang a song so sad, the willow under which they rested began to weep, it’s branches drooping to the ground. He sang his most powerful song so sadly that nature herself mourned for Elmiracie's loss. Days past and the gods could no longer stand to see Radupheus so sad. Seth, the King of Heaven and God of Gods, descended from Mt. Olympus to speak with the depressed poet.

"Thou dost mourn too long," Seth said.

"Mighty Seth," Radupheus cried. "I cannot bear to live without Elmiracie. She was my soul, my sun, she was me. I feel that I have died along with her."

"There is only one way that thou mayst retrieve thy love," Seth said. "Thou must leave this mortal world and seek out my brother, the Lord of the Dead. If thou canst persuade him to release your beloved, she will return to this world with thee."

"Go down to the Underworld?" Radupheus asked. "I have your consent to do so?"

"You do."

"Thank you, Mighty Seth!"

The King of Heaven smiled once and vanished from the mortal world. Radupheus was filled with hope at the thought of rescuing his wife from her untimely death. Quickly, Radupheus grabbed his lyre and left for the cave that concealed the entrance to the Underworld.

******

Radupheus descended down into the bowels of the earth, following the tunnel to the realm of the dead. After days of walking, he entered into an enormous antechamber through which a wide river flowed. He knew it to be the River Styx that separated the world of the living from the world of the dead.

Between himself and the river, however, was the giant three-headed Guardian of the Underworld. It had the body of a dog, with four paws and three tails, but it had the heads of human females. The one on the right had piercing purple eyes and brown hair with rainbow streaks in it. In the center was another girl with short, rainbow-coloured hair that descended in circles from the top of her head. The face on the left was pale and had a kind of metal helmet on her head.

"Who dares enter the Realm of the Dead?" the three heads bellowed at once.

"It's mortal!" the left head commented.

"And it's not dead!" the right head said in a disappointed voice.

"That means it's not supposed to be down here," the center head said with a smile.

Radupheus was frightened, but he strummed his lyre and began to sing. The song he sang had the three heads moving back and forth with the rhythm of the music. Radupheus held them entranced for several minutes before the song ended. The three heads opened their eyes to stare at him again.

"That's it?" the right head demanded.

"It was absolutely beautiful," the middle head sighed.

"I believe we should let it pass," the left head said.

"Thelma! We're not allowed to let mortals pass!" the right head gasped.

"But the song was so beautiful, Suzee," the middle head protested. "We could let it, just this once?"

Suzee rolled her eyes. "If Cat and Thelma want to let it pass, I guess I'm outnumbered."

Radupheus bowed his head to the giant in acknowledgement as it moved out of his way and allowed him to continue towards the River Styx.

At the side of the river itself, Radupheus met his second challenge. It was Haron, the Ferryman of Lost Souls. Each spirit who passed the Guardian then had to pay Haron to take them across the River Styx to the Underworld. Alas, Radupheus had no money to pay the Ferryman.

"No mortals allowed," Haron called from his small boat.

"I have passed the Guardian and must now reach the Lord of the Dead," Radupheus called. "Will you ferry me to the other side?"

Haron shook his head. "I’d like to help you, man, but it’s just not allowed. Have you any idea how angry the Lord of the Dead gets when I disobey him?"

"Perhaps I could offer you something," Radupheus said.

"Standard fee is one coin," Haron said.

"Of any value?"

Haron shrugged. "I’m dead and so are all the people I ferry. Why should I care if I’m a rich dead Ferryman or a poor dead Ferryman?"

Radupheus began to think. As Haron talked, Radupheus began to strum his lyre, absently playing a song. Haron’s voice trailed off as Radupheus began to sing and the Ferryman stood spell bound as the musician played. Finally, the song ended.

"I believe that was worth a trip, don’t you?" Radupheus asked.

Haron smiled. "Hop in."

******

Boves, God of the Underworld and Lord of the Dead, sat on his throne. Beside him, his wife Rosephone stared straight ahead at the endless parade of spirits. They all seemed so sad as the headed off to either Tartarus or the Elysian Fields. Boves absently passed judgement on each of them as their eternal afterlives began. Suddenly, something caught Rosephone’s ear. She raised herself from her throne to look over the endless sea of spirits. There, she saw the source of the beautiful tune she heard.

"My Lord," she said to her husband. "A mortal."

Boves stood and the crowd of spirits parted, revealing Radupheus and his lyre.

"My Lord," Radupheus said as he approached Boves and Rosephone, "I have come to ask a great favour. My wife, Elmiracie, was untimely taken from the mortal world. I have traveled far to retrieve her from you and bring her home."

As he spoke, Radupheus continued his sad song. Around him, the spirits began to weep, and even Rosephone shed a single tear, but Boves refused to be swayed by emotions.

"Why is your wife so honoured among all these others? Why should this Elmiracie be giving a second chance?" Boves demanded.

"My Lord," Rosephone begged. "The Earth herself swoons with despair at this mortal’s music. Surely we can allow but one spirit to regain her mortal flesh?"

Radupheus continued his song until the stone heart of Boves cracked. He waved his hand and the spirit of Elmiracie floated down to him.

"You have been giving a second chance," Boves told her. "Follow your beloved to the surface."

Elmiracie bowed and Radupheus changed the tune of his music slightly. It continued to be sorrowful, but now contained a glimmer of hope.

"You, mortal musician," Boves said. "Lead the way to the mortal world with your music and your beloved with follow. Do not look back at her until she has entered the sun, or she will return to me and no amount of music will ever make her return to you."

"Thank you, my Lord," Radupheus said.

With the spirit of Elmiracie following, Radupheus turned and left the Underworld the same way he had come.

******

"How’d it go, buddy?" Haron asked at the River Styx.

"Elmiracie follows me," Radupheus said. "Soon, we will be home and nothing will ever separate up again."

Haron polled the boat across the water. Radupheus stared straight ahead, not daring to glance back to see if his beloved was there.

"Good luck, Radupheus," Haron said when they reached the other side. "I’m warning you, though. The gods can be deceitful and full of trickery. You may get your wife when you enter the sunlight, but you may also get a monster."

Radupheus ignored the Ferryman’s warning and he continued to walk, passed the three-headed Guardian who begged him for another song, and into the cavern that led him home.

He walked for a very long time, and with each passing minute, he relived what the Ferryman had told him. The gods were full of tricks and delighted in making fools out of mortals. Maybe he was getting more than he bargained for. He hated to be this close to victory, only to have it slip through his fingers.

The passageway through which he traveled began to narrow and Radupheus soon saw a light at the end. He knew it to be the sun; his destination was in sight! Again, the nagging doubt of the Ferryman returned and Radupheus picked up his pace. Once he had reached the sun, he thought it safe to turn around and see what the gods had given him.

For one brief moment, Radupheus saw his beloved Elmiracie. She was exactly how he remembered her, and she held out her arms to him, only to be drawn back into the shadows. Radupheus screamed with rage and raced back to the Underworld, only to find that his music did nothing to the Guardian. Saddened, Radupheus had no choice but to return to the mortal world.

******

Months past and Radupheus didn’t utter a single sound. He cast his lyre aside, refusing to play. He became thin from lack of food, yet he did not move.

The fame of the musician Radupheus had spread through all the land and soon, a crowd of Spaenads found Radupheus’ home. The Spaenads were followers of the wine-god Dionysus and craved music as much as they craved wild parties. The tracked Radupheus down and begged him to play for them. Radupheus no longer spoke. He simply sat, consumed by his grief. The Spaenads were known for their violent behaviour and, when they found the great musician Radupheus was a mute, they tore him limb from limb.

As the Spaenads relished in their bloodshed, the spirit of Radupheus drifted down to the Underworld. He passed the Guardian unmolested and received a ride across the river by Haron. There, in the Underworld, he met his Elmiracie again.

******

The haunting music played on . . .

This is an adaptation of a real Greek myth entitled Orpheus and Eurydice. The names of this story have been changed and the space cases counterparts are listed below:

Orpheus (Or-fee-us) = Radu

Eurydice (Yoo-ri-dee-cee) = Elmira

Zeus (Zoo-s) = Seth

Charon (Karon) = Harlan

Hades (Hay-dees) = Bova

Persephone (Purr-seh-phony) = Rosie

Cerberus (sir-burr-us) = Suzee, Catalina, Thelma