“Do you mean cows? You ate cattle?”

“That’s it, akri. I ate cattle.”

“That’s not so bad.”

“No, it was actually rather good, akri. Why didn’t you tell the Simi about cows. They are very tasty when roasted. The Simi liked them a lot.”

“Then why are you worried?”

“Because this really tall man with only one eyeball came out of a cave and was screaming at the Simi. He say the Simi was evil for eating the cows and that I would have to pay for them. What does that mean, akri? Pay? The Simi know nothing about pay.”

Acheron wished he could say the same for himself. “This really big man, was he a cyclops?”

“What’s a cyclops?”

“A son of Poseidon.”

“Oh see, that’s what he said. Only he had no hornies. He had a big, bald head instead.”

Acheron didn’t want to discuss the cyclops’ big bald head with his demon. What he needed to know was what to do to make amends for her voracious appetite. “So what did the cyclops say to you?”

“That he be mad at the Simi for eating the cattle. He said the horny cows belonged to Poseidon. Who is Poseidon, akri?”

“A Greek god.”

“Oh see then, the Simi is not in trouble. I just kill the Greek god and all’s fine.”

“You can’t kill a Greek god, Simi. It’s not allowed.”

“There you go again, akri, saying no to the Simi. Don’t eat that, Simi. Don’t kill that, Simi. Stay here, Simi. Go to Katoteros, Simi, and wait for me to call you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a stern frown. “I don’t like being told no, akri.”

Acheron grimaced at the ache that was starting in the back of his skull. He wished he’d been given a pet parrot for his twenty-first birthday. The Charonte demon was going to be the death of him…again.

“So why were you calling the Simi, akri?”

“I wanted your help with the Daimons.”

She relaxed and went back to swinging on her limb. “You didn’t seem to need any help, akri. The Simi thinks you did quite well with them on your own. I particularly liked the way that one Daimon flipped up into the air before you killed him. Very nice. I did not know they were so colorful when they exploded.”