o make sure, kid.
We've found that way. We _are_ the Gods."

Forrester digested that one slowly. "It sounds great, but it's pretty
altruistic. And while I don't want to impugn anybody's motives, it does
seem to me that--"

"That we ought to be getting something out of it ourselves, above and
beyond the pure joy of helping humanity. Sure. You're perfectly right.
And we _do_ get something out of it."

"Like what?"

Diana grinned. She looked more like a tomboy than ever before. "Fun,"
she said. "And you know it. Don't tell me you didn't get a kick out of
playing God at the Bacchanal."

"Well," Forrester confessed, "yes." He sighed. "And I guess that
Bacchanal is going to be the one really high spot in a very shortened
sort of life."

Diana sat upright. "What are you talking about?"

"What else would I be talking about? The Bacchanal. You know what
happened. You must know--everybody must by now. Mars is probably
demanding my head from Hera right now. Unless he's got more complicated
ideas like taking me apart limb by limb. I remember he mentioned that."

Diana stood up and came over to Forrester. "Why would Mars do something
like that and especially now? And what makes you think Hera would go
along with him if he did?"

"Why not? Now that I've failed my tests--"

"_Failed?_" Diana cried. "You _haven't_ failed!"

Forrester stood up shakily. "Of course I have. After what happened at
the Bacchanal, I--"

"Don't pay any attention to that," Diana said. "Mars is a louse. Always
has been, I hear. Nobody likes him. As a matter of fact, you've just
passed your finals. The last test was to see if you could figure out who
we were--and you've done that, haven't you?"

There was a long, taut silence.

Then Diana laughed. "Your face looks the way mine must have, over three
thousand years ago!"

"What are you talking about?" Still dazed, he wasn't quite sure he had
heard her rightly.

"When they told me the same thing. After the original Diana was killed
in a 'hunting accident'--frankly, she seems to have been too independent
to suit Hera--and I passed my own finals, I--"

She stopped.

"Now don't look at me like that," Diana said. "And pull yourself
together, because we've got to get to the Final Investiture. But it's
all true. I'm a substitute too."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Great God Dionysus, Lord of the Vine, Ruler of the Revels, Master of
the Planting and the Harvest, Bestower of the Golden Touch, Over