SEQUEL
SCENE 1
Hera’s Office. It’s a new office, corner job with all windows. The sun is so bright she wears shades as she sits, legs propped up on the desk, smoking a cigarette. The phone rings.

Hera: Yah.

Secretary: I’ve got Nick Phaedra, the actor, on the line for you.

Hera: (thinking, shrugs) Don’t know any actors.

Secretary: (after clicking off) He says it’s about your sister, Dem.

Hera: (recognizing) I’ll get it on the videophone. (uses remote, Apollo on screen) Hallo, Pollo. How are you, luv?

Apollo: Good, I thought that was your mobile number.

Hera: Oh, yeah, I had to run it through my admin, I have sooo many people calling me now. I’m the CEO again, it’s an awfully big chair to fill (she vamps with chair) but I think I do a good enough job.

Apollo: Listen, it’s about Demeter. She’s run off.

Hera: How’s that? You break up?

Apollo: Something like that. She wanted to have a baby, and I didn’t.

Hera: Yes, you’re awfully young for that. You wait, you’ll hit the two million mark and you’ll be popping them out like bread.

Apollo: It’s serious, Hera. She was pretty pissed off about it. I started calling everyone, and the only one who knew anything about her was Zeus.

Hera: Oh?

Apollo: She’s pregnant now.

Hera: (rolls eyes) Well, alright. Why didn’t you have the baby, Pollo?

Apollo: I’m not in love with her.

Hera: I wish you were in love with her. Oh well. So she’s run off, she probably just wants some time apart. I mean, look at Hebe, took off on her own for practically a year and now she gets on with everyone.

Apollo: I think she was pretty upset. I would feel badly if I couldn’t find her now.

Hera: (has gotten up and is buttoning her jacket and doing up her hair) I’ll send Hermes out, alright? Look, I’ve got a meeting now. Do I look professional?

Apollo: Yes.

Hera: Great. Hey, maybe she’ll show up for Christmas, it’s only a few weeks.

Apollo: I hope so. It’ll be good to see you.

Hera: Yeah, bye luv. (flips off the video and heads out)

SCENE 2:
Hades. The man himself has come back to check things out for a weekend. Ceph is with him, and has grown quite a bit for one year. She’s now at the same stall point as Nathaniel, in young adulthood for an eternity.

Hades: Everything looks to be in order. Place runs itself.

Cephallenia: It’s weird. I look around but I just can’t remember spending two hundred years here. I hated it.

Hades: I’m sorry. You’re happy now, that’s the important thing. Maybe you’ll even see your mother at Christmas.

Ceph: She’ll just bitch about Nathaniel.

Hades: Maybe, maybe not. She was young once, too.

Ceph: I suppose. (Cerberus enters) Hey, Cerb. Wish we could take you up, but three-headed hellhounds aren’t very popular on earth, sorry.

Hades: Brought you a bone, though. Bad sinner, here (throws).

Ceph: Looks like grandma won’t be there either.

Hades: (shortly) Yeah. We should get back, then. Did you get everything you needed from here?

Ceph: Sure did. (lifts bag) Ready when you are. Take care, Cerb.

Hades: Weird not having anyone to send us off. All this automation, I think I preferred doing it manually.

Ceph: And living here?

Hades: No, no I guess not. It’s odd, though, there was a time when it was wonderful being here. We better get back or you’ll be late for school.

Ceph: What a shame. Why couldn’t I just go to university this year?

Hades: I don’t think you should be living on your own just yet. You’re still getting used to earth, you can go next fall, it’s what, nine months? (darkly) Demeter will have just popped it out by then, good time to escape.

Ceph: Yeah, well. Are you coming to the beach or are you going back to work?

Hades: Have to be in Brazil by 6 a.m. love, sorry. I’ll catch you next weekend, though, be good. (they cheek kiss and fade out to separate locations)