The Woman of Stone and Other Stories: Hypergamy the Priestess, #2

By Freddie T. Camel

Hypergamy is the priestess of Aphrodite, goddess of love and sexual desire. Her temple stands in the ancient Greek city of Iolcos, and every now and then someone will enter with a request for divine intervention. 'How can I get so-and-so to fall in love with me?' for example. Or 'My daughter is miserable in her marriage. What can I do?' Hypergamy's role is not unlike that of a private detective, but the mystery she must unravel is a Mystery of Love.

 

These are three of her stories.

 

Book length: approx. 66 pages

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kingspawn Publishers
• Release date: Oct 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215966969

Book preview

1

The Woman of Stone

THE SUN WAS white in a blue, blue sky, shining upon the sparkling blue sea and white buildings of Iolcos. It had been five hundred years since Jason and his crew set off in the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece, but today’s port was refuge to less legendary vessels—merchant ships, war galleys and humble fishing boats. The Temple of Poseidon looked down over the entire bay and the city seemed to spread from it like tentacles, the buildings hugging the hilly coastline in both directions. From a distance, the people looked like ants scampering up and down the streets for the amusement of the gods.

One of those ants was called Monola, a woman in her forties whose stoutness made her appear shorter than she was. She had dark eyebrows and beady eyes that glanced left and right as she bustled along the quay and turned into a backstreet that led her into one of the seedier neighbourhoods. Her garments were made from undyed cloth—so not a woman from the wealthier classes—but the grey ankle-length chiton and straw-coloured shawl over her head were both in good repair, with no frayed edges nor signs of wear. As she passed a brothel, she touched her necklace of beads for luck, then turning a corner she reached her destination: the Temple of Aphrodite.

The temples in Iolcos were funded by those who wanted to curry favour with the relevant gods. That was why Poseidon, God of the Sea and patron god of the city, had the most magnificent temple, with the next largest that of Hermes, God of Trade. Aphrodite had the smallest temple—so small, in fact, that unless you knew about it, you were hard pushed to tell it was a temple at all. Even so, the priestess within had a reputation for being a formidable servant of that goddess and most people thought twice before making fun of it.

Monola stared at the open doorway. Perhaps it was the brightness of the noonday sun, but it looked very dark inside. Touching her beads one more time, she took a deep breath and stepped inside. The air almost instantly turned cool and Monola took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the gloom.

She was standing in a large chamber with bare walls. Apart from the scant daylight spilling in from the open doorway and ventilation slits, there was firelight from two iron braziers that burned on either side of the altar. Wooden benches nestled by the side walls and a statue of Aphrodite stood on a plinth on the far side. Before the plinth was a low table upon which stood a stone dish for the offerings. Monola fumbled for her money pouch and drew out two copper oboloi. She went up to the statue and dropped the coins into the otherwise empty dish.

‘Thank you,’ said a woman’s voice.

Monola jumped. The voice came from behind and she turned to see a tall woman with long black hair dressed in the straight white robe of a priestess. Even in the near darkness, the white robe seemed to glow. Monola wondered how she could have missed seeing the other woman in this bare room. Meanwhile, the priestess walked up to her, her sandals almost silent on the stone floor.

‘Welcome,’ she said. ‘I am Hypergamy, the high priestess of this temple.’

‘The only priestess, I heard,’ said Monola.

It was an attempt at bravado and she instantly regretted it. Hypergamy’s eyes reflected the flames of the braziers, but there was something cold about that reflected fire. Without even the ghost of a smile, she said:

‘Shall we sit?’

Hypergamy led the woman to one of the benches by the side wall. Monola’s eyes were getting used to the dim light and she saw that the priestess’s face was beautiful, but also stern and proud. She was younger in age than Monola and yet the older woman felt like an adolescent girl facing the scrutiny of her grandmother. Maybe someone even older. There was something about the priestess that seemed ageless, as old as time.

‘So tell me,’ said Hypergamy. ‘Why are you here?’

Monola took a deep breath and began her story. For over twenty years, she had been housekeeper to a widowed sculptor in his sixties whose wife had died when he was a young man. Monola’s husband had also died young leaving her with a son, and this widower had acted as a kind of father, even financing the boy’s apprenticeship as a boat builder. Monola had grown to love this man and she wanted them to marry, but he wouldn’t even discuss it.

‘Have you lain with him?’ asked Hypergamy.

‘No.’

‘Have you tried?’

‘Many times,’ said Monola. ‘He refuses to consider it.’

‘Well, that’s a pretty clear sign he’s not interested.’

‘But why not? I’m sure he would be happy if he gave himself a chance!’

The priestess said nothing, but she turned her head to look at the goddess she served. Monola shook her own head in annoyance.

‘It’s that damn wife of his!’ she said.

‘The one who died?’

‘No, the other one.’

‘He married again?’

‘Well, not really.’

Hypergamy shook her head in irritation.

‘A man is either married or not,’ she said. ‘Which is it?’

‘Look,’ said Monola. ‘I told you he’s a sculptor, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, about five years ago, he made a statue of a woman out of marble. Called it his masterpiece. Said he was inspired by Aphrodite herself when he made it.’

‘What’s that got to do with his second wife?’

‘Don’t you see?’ said Monola. ‘That is his second wife!’

Hypergamy stared.

‘Wait...’ she said. ‘He married the statue?’

***

Hypergamy had encountered many things in her time. Women with penises who sought a man with a vagina. Married men who dreamed of being sodomised by their servants and married women who dreamed of being ravished by a dozen strangers. But a man in love with a woman of stone? The priestess knelt and prayed before