Poseidon in Atlantis (ePub)

POSEIDON IN ATLANTIS - LONG SYNOPSIS

The background: This is the second of 4 dramas in the Atlantis cycle. In the first, "Eden In Atlantis", dissident scientist Lucifer was banished from Celestium, capital city of the great southern land, for revealing secrets of fire to the common people. He was exiled to an island in the Atlantic, Atlantiha, where a matriarchal society ruled. Taking the name of Adam, he brought science to the island, by which he predicted a great catastrophe, a collision of Earth's two moons, that only he and Eva survived. Much later the population of Celestium were forced from their land by encroaching ice, and New Celestium was established on an ice-free southern island.

The story: Now two brothers. Poseidon and Zeus, with Hermes and Ares and full crew, are sailing north from New Celestium to find and colonise new territory in the great northern lands. The maps they use are ancient. They were made by their ancestors in the time before "the ice", are therefore now inaccurate and need to be redrawn. The brothers anchor at a mid-Atlantic island to re-supply, and discover that they are on Atlantiha, inhabited by descendants of Adam and Eva, and where a matriarchal society has been re-instated, under the Queen Cleito, who rules with the assistance of a group of female advisors. Unexpectedly, Poseidon and Queen Cleito fall in love, causing Poseidon to delay departure. A quarrel between the brothers ensues over this, and Poseidon decides to remain on Atlantiha with his loyal advisor, Hermes. Half the crew remain with him while half, lead by Ares, sail on with Zeus, who laughingly abandons Poseidon to "rule over the sea". Cleito emphasizes her ascendancy by seeking seclusion on her island retreat further up a great river that traverses the island, leaving Poseidon to search for her, while she casts spells to seduce him and prepares potions. When Poseidon finally seeks her out they quarrel over the social patterns of life in Atlantiha where women can choose men as temporary partners, termed consorts, where men have no rights of paternity, and same sex relationships abound. Hermes, who has become attached to Lilith, one of Cleito's advisors, advises compromise so, despite disagreement, love prevails: Poseidon and Cleito resolve to "embrace what unifies, and discard what divides". Poseidon still feels regret at how he and Zeus parted. Sailing north Zeus confesses to Ares that he feels similar regret, but must sail on to carve out a northern empire over which to rule. He predicts that, in the future, the twin empires that the two brothers create may come into conflict.