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in making love to a statue?"

"If I were to give her flesh, there is not telling what wonders might result. I'll warrant they would be the happiest couple on earth."

"If you gave her flesh, Pygmalion would come to hate her before the moon has reached its fullness again." Artemis rose, snatched up her bow, and began to stride off in the direction of the palace.

"Wait!"

Artemis paused, smiling to herself. Aphrodite was clever enough, in an underhanded sort of way, but she was easily baited.

"Do you mean to tell me that if I gratify his deepest longing, he will come to hate what he has created?"

"He is living in fantasy. The reality will quickly kill it. If you give her any free will at all, she will quickly see that enslaving herself to a man is a foolish business for any woman."

Aphrodite stamped her foot. "Very well. I will show you." She held the mirror close to her eyes and began to concentrate.

"Hold! Of course she'll follow you if you make her exactly like you. Let me add something of myself."

"What will you contribute?"

"Intellect and will. I will leave you emotion and intuition. And while we're at it, we may as well call in Athena for a large helping of wisdom."

"Only if Apollo can add his artistic gifts..."

After bickering back and forth for several days (eternal life is the burden of deities, and they must always devise some diversion to pass the time), the two goddesses spun a soul for Galatea from their own essences and those of their fellow divinities. They agreed that neither would interfere with the unfolding of Galatea's life.

"An oath," Artemis insisted. "An oath before the All-Seeing. May he strike us with his thunderbolts if we break our bargain."

"I see no point in this whatsoever," Aphrodite whined. "It is just a simple wager. Besides, Daddy would never strike me with a thunderbolt."

"Don't be so sure. He's been letting you get away with far too much lately, and you are due for a lesson. And if it is to be a wager, what are the stakes?"

"I will not trouble your initiates with dreams of love sport for a full year." Aphrodite offered. "And you?"

"I will send six of my most ardent worshipers to your temple to be instructed in your ways."

"Done!" Aphrodite smiled sweetly at her rival. "You are indeed sure of yourself."

"Why not?" Artemis retorted. "I cannot lose. Pygmalion is not in love - he is merely worshiping himself in his own creation. Once Galatea has a personality of her own, he will quickly lose interest."

*

Pygmalion was covering the hand of his beloved

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