“A barrel of fish,” I whispered. “For a goddess, getting rid of humans is as easy as shooting into that barrel.”
“And if this is about vengeance on behalf of their followers, these gods could be aiming for more than Greeks,” Odin said. “In which case, they wouldn't have to worry about which fish they hit.”
“They could just overturn the barrel,” I said.
“This analogy is getting too fishy for my taste,” Re noted. “Let's move on, shall we?”
“The entire white population of Argentina may be in danger,” Odin declared. “Is that more palatable for you?”
“Not really; no,” Re said with a grimace. “Frankly, it stinks.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
That evening, I called another meeting of the God Squad and presented our theory on the Argentinian Goddesses. The Squad agreed that it sounded likely, but then Torrent started doing some research online.
“These goddesses are minor deities,” Torrent said. “Orco is the Mother of the Hill; she guards precious metals. When metals were mined excessively, she'd punish the miners. Mayup is similar except she is the Mother of the River.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “She punishes fishermen who fish excessively.”
“That's right,” Torrent said.
“And that's pretty much what they told me,” I said. “But I don't think they're stopping there, and Mayup had some serious threats for Triton.”
“I'm not saying they're not working to a larger goal, but I'm wondering if they have the power to back their threats,” Torrent said. “And if they don't, why are they making them so confidently?”
“It was only Mayup who made threats,” I noted. “But then, I didn't give Orco any reason to threaten me. I wanted to stay out of it because I thought it was just a fight between gods over gold.”
“But now it seems to be more than that,” Odin said grimly. “That being said, do we pursue these women without proof? And what do we do with them if we catch them? It seems extreme to kill them for doing what their magic compelled them to do.”
“There were deaths at the mines,” Finn reminded him. “And people could have drowned from the fishing boats sinking. They're not so innocent.”
“But Orco did express guilt over the deaths,” I said. “That doesn't fit with our theory that they want to kill humans too. There are too many questions that we need answered.”
“I agree that we shouldn't act without proof,” Hades said. “But I don't want to sit back and wait for them to do something horrible either. This is my nephew we're talking about.”
“Let me send Hugin and Munin to take a look around Argentina,” Odin offered. “They may be able to spot something helpful.”
“And I'll be on the lookout for any news coming out of Argentina that sounds suspicious,” Torrent added.
“I think that may be all we can do for now,” Thor said. “We should tread lightly in this; we don't want to start a war where there was only an argument. We could end up escalating matters instead of settling them.”
“True, but Triton has dug his heels in, and I don't want to see him hurt,” Hades pointed out.
“He's family,” Persephone said as if it explained everything.
And it did. Family changed things; you could easily end up on the wrong side of a war because of family. I hoped that wouldn't be the case this time.
“Vhat vould you like us to do, Hades?” Kirill asked him.
“Just be ready to help Triton, if he needs it,” Hades said. “Other than that, I agree that there isn't much to be done at the moment.”
“What about Dhumorna and Katila?” Azrael asked Brahma.
“I told you when I arrived; I haven't found them yet,” Brahma said patiently.
Azrael had cornered Brahma as soon as he stepped out of the tracing room; demanding a progress report. Unfortunately, there had been no progress.
“I know, but what are we going to do about that?” Azrael asked. “Do you need help? Do you have any idea where we should be looking? You were so certain you'd find them and it's been days. We don't have much time left.”
“I understand your anxiety,” Brahma said. “But I don't know what direction to point you in. I've been asking the Hindu Gods if they've heard from or seen either Dhumorna or Katila, and no one has. Without a clue to go on, I'm as lost as you are. But I've put out the word, and I'm confident that someone will see them and inform me soon; the Hindu Pantheon is too large to hide from.”
“Waiting for someone to spot them isn't good enough,” Azrael said. “My father is going to send demons out after Dhumorna and Katila if we don't find them first.”
“I know, Azrael,” Brahma said gently. “I'm trying my best.”
“It's not good enough!” Azrael growled.
“Azrael!” I snapped and stared at him aghast. “He's trying to help.”
Az looked at me, grimaced, and sighed. He turned back to Brahma. “I'm sorry, Brahma; I'm really worried about my father.”
“It's okay, Azrael,” Brahma said immediately. “I know how it feels to worry over a loved one and not be able to do anything about it.”
Brahma took his wife's hand and kissed it as if he treasured the fact that he had her there to kiss.
“I hate feeling helpless,” Azrael growled.
Trevor made an odd sound that was almost gleeful. It was so soft that I wouldn't have heard it if I hadn't been sitting beside him. I looked at him sharply, but he stared back at me with an open, curious expression that made me think I must have misheard him.
“Give me one more day,” Brahma said. “Someone has to know where they live, at least . I'll find that out, and we can start there.”
“Thank you, Brahma,” Azrael said sincerely.
“We're
