Chapter 27Hera’s footsteps sounded louder than a hammer upon an anvil, echoing through the tunnel a thousand times. As she descended, Hera became aware of the dim light emanating from the bottom of the stairs. Intrigued, she pressed onward to find the source. At last she halted, finding herself in a vast cavern. Purple crystals grew from the walls and ceiling. The chamber floor was carpeted in mounds of gold and glittering jewels. By the dismal light, she could see the dust and cobwebs that covered everything.
So this was Zeus’s treasure chamber, something out of a bandit’s dream. How long had he hidden this from her sight, hoarding the plunder for himself?
At last, she spied the source of the light, glowing up ahead. Whatever it was lay half buried beneath a layer of ingots. She stepped
