The Party of the Gods

Hydrogena awoke before the rest, having been only tired, and not drunk. She stepped onto her balcony to see what was happening on the planet she thought of as Hume. Pressing her temples she focused on the distant world. The man and the woman were walking together towards a river. The woman carried a bundle in her arms. She looked closer and sucked in her breath. They had procreated. Of course they'd been expected to. Still, it really brought home what they'd done. Slipping off her filmy night wear, she dressed in a ruby red gown. She went down to the party chamber to see who she could interest in this development.

When she walked into the room she got a surprise. The head god Aurumus was standing in the middle of it, hands on hips. “What the blazes is going on here?” he demanded.

She fell to her knees. “I'm sorry if we have displeased you. We were just having a party.”

Aurumus looked disgusted. “Who's responsible for that ball of matter?” He was pointing at Hume.

“We all are,” she said, looking at the floor.

Aurumus walked over to where Carbonius lay in a stupor, one hand still clutching a bottle. He bent down and shook him. There was no response, so he gave him a good slap. Carbonius came to, and groaned when he saw Aurumus standing over him. His face sobered, even if his mind hadn't yet.

“Get up,” Aurumus commanded.

Carbonius did so, but only as far as kneeling in front of the head god.

“Get yourself and these others into a presentable state and report to my throne chamber.”

Carbonius nodded. “Yes, highest.”

Carbonius, Oxygeny, Nitrogena and Hydrogena entered the throne room, looking quite different than they had the night before. A white silk shirt and velvet doublet now covered but not hid Carbonius' muscular chest. His hair was neatly combed, the blond sparkling with white flecks. Attractive, but not comparable to Aurumus' metallic gold sheen. Hydrogena still wore her almost modest red dress, and Nitrogena's flashy blue one set off her fiery hair. Oxygeny, always a bit of a rouge, wore only slacks and a shirt with rolled up sleeves revealing sinewy arms. When they neared the throne, they all kneeled politely.

Aurumus put down a scroll he was reading. He gazed at each of them individually before motioning for them to rise. “So tell me, what have you done?”

Three faces looked at Carbonius, and he answered. “We created a world and put two living creatures on it. They resemble us, but don't have our powers.”

“I see,” Aurumus said. “What did you plan to do with this creation?”

“Well, we could just get rid of it if you don't like it,” Carbonius said.

Aurumus sighed. “In other words, you didn't plan. Are the creatures sentient?”

“Yes,” Hydrogena spoke up quietly. “The Humans already have a child.”

“In that case, you will most certainly not destroy it. You've made it, now you must look after it.” Aurumus raised a golden rod with a knotty figure on the end. “You've all got a lot of work ahead of you. It will be done alongside your regular duties, of course. Until you've completed enough for my satisfaction, there will be no wine or cakes for you. Maybe you'll think twice about what games you play next time you have a drunken party.”