By the third day in Paris, I had not acquired any additional drachmae since stealing from the giants in the metal bird. The defeat of the crab at the aquarium provided a brief feeling of success, but I was anxious to prove myself to Zeus again. Overwhelmed with these feelings and with the looming concern of the Spartans, I decided to take Kayla of Florida away from Paris to search for another drachmae quest. Ikaros had found a golden palace not far from our sleeping accommodations, so we boarded another metal beast, this time a metal snake, toward the town of Versailles.
In the embellished rooms of the Versailles Palace, I found a handwritten note by King Louis XVI himself! Written shortly before his beheading with Marie Antoniette, he implored that the discoverer of his note defeat the malevolent giant, Enceladus, who had been wreaking havoc in his beloved garden for hundreds of years. If defeated, he said, the brave warrior would find treasure beyond comparison in the rose garden just beyond the palace fountains. Overjoyed at the thought of filling my pockets with drachmae again, I persuaded Kayla of Florida to join me on this perilous quest to find Enceladus.
We walked for many miles throughout the extensive palace garden, grateful for the shade the tall trees provided on the hot day. Upon turning a corner into the statue pavillion, we spotted Enceladus resting in the sunlight. I urged Kayla of Florida to distract Enceladus while I scaled the ivy-ridden garden walls. I lept from stone to stone in the pond, careful not to disturb the water and send ripples toward the preoccupied giant. Unprepared for a sudden breeze, the wind blew my scent in Enceladus’s direction, giving away my position. The giant turned toward me, an enormous boulder in hand, but Kayla of Florida was prepared! She ripped a strong strand of ivy from the wall and tied Enceladus’s free hand behind him. Unable to balance and throw the boulder, Enceladus was left vulnerable to my sword.
As I watched the life drain out of Enceladus’s eyes, clouds began to cover the Sun, and a bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens. Zeus had turned Enceladus into bronze, forever condemning his body to be mocked by the giants at Versailles. I wiped my sword clean of blood and joined Kayla of Florida again, pleased with myself and happy that Zeus had seen my success.
Kayla of Florida and I returned to the palace after recovering the drachmae in the rose garden. I spent much time in Marie Antoniette’s bedroom looking for misplaced drachmae; many of the giants spoke of her obsession with luxurious items and other expensive treasures. I considered following a group of giants to the Petit Trianon, one of Marie Antoniette’s favorite places to escape her royal duties. Although the thought of Marie’s drachmae was enticing, the day was growing too hot again, and the other giants among us were unpleasant and uncultured. We departed Versailles in the belly of the metal snake again and made our way back to La Villa Maillot.
Kassandra's Odyssey 