Weekend Short Story #5 ======================= Tales Of The Unexpected =======================
"IXTTAGHOT" (a modern retelling, with a twist, of the great classic Greek tale of true friendship, "Damon and Pythias". The concluding verses of M. Boyer's "Ixttaghot" actually recounts in song, the original legend). * Syracuse, Greece, circa 4 B.C. The boy Pythias loved mathematics - fascinated, he went to study further at the feet of Pythagoras, where he met the consummate logician Damon. Instantly bonding, they swore friendship until eternity, Pythias even pledging his soul to his new friend. When Damon quietly expressed hurt at mistreatment by their tyrant ruler Dionysius, Pythias bristling, set out to assassinate Dionysius, but was unfortunately caught and condemned. Damon smoothly offers his own life as security so Pythias can return home to bid his folks farewell. Pythias returns almost too late as Damon seems prepared to pay the forfeit. Dionysius is so impressed with their loyalty to each other that he pardons Pythias. Arm in arm, the great friends walk off together, Pythias gasping for breath and scarcely believing his luck. Damon leads him to the banquet hall and as the doors close, Pythias plunges into the bowels of hell. Stunned he angrily questions the strongly-clasping Damon, who points out Pythias' promise of a bond to eternity, even unto his soul. "I have only come to collect" says his false friend, "for I am Demon!" =========================================================================== This is a work of fiction. No resemblance to anyone living or dead intended. =========================================================================== http://www.konkanisongbook.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live: Friends get your Flickr, Yelp, and Digg updates when they e-mail you. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691817
