. For, behold, love is a cruel
thing of unending strife and wasting thought; but the ways of Artemis
are ways of peace and they shall be my ways."

A little longer he reasoned with her, and appointed a day when the entry
should be made; but then afterward, when light filled the earth and the
coming of the sun was beaconed upon the tops of the mountains, she arose
and said:

"My husband awaits me. I must go to him;" and left Odysseus, and went to
the wall to talk with Menelaus below it. In her hand was a yellow
crocus, sacred to Artemis the Bright. And Helen put it to her lips, and
touched her eyes with it, and dropped it down the wall to Menelaus her
husband.

Then the Greeks fashioned a great horse out of wood, and set the images
of two young kings upon it, with spears of gold, and stars upon their
foreheads made of gold. And they caused it to be drawn to the Skaean Gate
in the nighttime, and left it there for the Trojans to see. Dolon made
it; but Odysseus devised the images of the two kings. And his craft was
justified of itself. For the Trojans hailed in the images the
twin-brothers of Helen, even Castor and Polydeuces, come to save the
state for their sister's sake; and opened wide their gates, and drew in
the horse, and set it upon the porch of the temple of Zeus the Thunder.
There it stood for all to see. And King Priam was carried down in his
litter to behold it; and with him came Hecabe the Queen, and Paris, and
AEneas, and Helen, with Cassandra the King's daughter.

Then King Priam lifted up his hands and blessed the horse and the riders
thereof. And he said, "Hail to ye, great pair of brothers! Be favorable
to us now, and speedy in your mercy."

But Cassandra wailed and tore at the covering of her breast, and cried
out, "Ah, and they shall be speedy! Here is a woe come upon us which
shall be mercy indeed to some of you. But for me there is no mercy."

Now was Helen, with softly shining eyes, close to the horse; and she
laid her hand upon its belly and stroked it. And Cassandra saw her and
reviled her, saying, "Thou shame to Ilium, and thou curse! The Ruinous
Face, the Ruinous Face! Cried I not so in the beginning when they
praised thy low voice and soft beguiling ways? But thou too, thou shalt
rue this night!"

But Helen laughed softly to herself, and stroked the smooth belly of the
horse where her promise lay hidden. And they led Cassandra away, blind
with weeping. And Helen returned to Paris' house