Free Pamela Dean by Tam Lin (pdf) Page A

unnumbered, heavenly goddess, sing.'"
    "Don't give me these newfangled translations," said Robin. He closed his eyes.
    He said what came next in a much quieter voice than he had given to the Greek, but it made Janet's spine creep.

    "Achilles' baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that imposed Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls losed From breasts heroic; sent them far to that invisible cave That no light comforts, and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave: To all which Jove's will gave effect, from whom first strife begun Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis' godlike son."

    Like Nick's, his vowels changed when he recited. Whoever taught them theater must have had an accent. "What was that?" said Janet.
    Nick gave her a crooked and charming smile. "'Much have I travelled in the realms of gold,'" he said, '"and many goodly states and kingdoms seen. '"
    His tone was rather sardonic; but it hardly mattered. Lost, thought Janet. He quotes Keats, too. Well, let's enjoy it, then. She said, "'Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.'"
    Robin rattled, "'But never did I breathe its pure serene Til I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold,'" and began walking again. "We'll miss dinner," he added.
    " That was Chapman's Homer?" said Janet, moving after him but keeping her eyes on Nick, who came along too. "The translation Robin said?"
    "Will you guys stop babbling and tell me what the damn Greek means?" said Christina.
    They turned into Eliot Tunnel and passed an awe-inspiring array of vending machines full of every vile concoction anybody studying at three in the morning could ever hope for, and moved a little faster for the other end of the hall the tunnel would become, where the entrance to the dining hall was. A faint smell of tomato and frying came down it damply.
    Robin said, "'Sing, goddess, the wrath of Peleus' son Achilles—baneful wrath, that brought woes unnumbered upon the Greeks, and sent many strong souls of heroes to Hades, to be the prey of dogs and the feast of birds, for thus the will of Zeus was accomplished, since there first stood apart in division of conflict Atreus' son Agamemnon, lord of men, and brilliant Achilles.'"

    He made the everyday English roll almost as well as the Greek. They all stopped in a clump at the double glass doors of the dining hall. The bulb above the doors was burned out. In the gray light coming down the stairs that led less subterranean diners to their meals, Robin's face was as stern as a statue's. Janet shivered, and looked for comfort at Molly, who was digging in the back pocket of her jeans for her ID card with a remote expression almost as unsettling as Robin's.
    " The Odyssey is happier," said Nick's husky voice.
    Robin did not exactly start, but his face softened a little, and showing his card to the drowsy student worker behind the table, he said quietly, "'Sing in me, Muse, that man of many turnings, who very many wanderings made, after he sacked the holy city of Troy.'"
    "Oh, sure," said Molly, presenting a card already as scarred and bent as any senior's. "That's really cheerful, Nick."
    "But he got home in the end," said Nick.
    "I hope they fed him better than this," said Molly, gazing with large eyes and wrinkled brow at the limp and unidentifiable masses, one red, one brown, one green and white, and one all white, that offered themselves at the steam table. The girl behind it grinned at them. "Veal parmesan, hamburger casserole, vegetarian casserole, potatoes au gratin."
    "Sorry," said Nick, "I don't eat vegetarians."
    "The veal parmesan is the red stuff?" said Christina.
    "The parmesan sinks to the bottom," said the girl cheerfully.
    They made their choices and moved on. Janet, balancing a plate of potatoes au gratin and several bowls of canned grapefruit, caught up with Nick where he was waiting for somebody to refill the canister of chocolate milk. Everybody else had sat down. "What do you need a foil this weekend for? "