Characters:-

Zeus. Almighty god.

Hera. Almighty wife of Zeus.

Morl. A mortal young woman.

(It's a clear day. Morl is sitting under a tree, reading a book. A bright light appears. Morl shields her face, and is afraid. Zeus emerges from the light.)

Zeus: Morl?

Morl: Yes. Who are you?

Zeus: Isn't it obvious?

Morl: Not really. Somebody important, I guess.

Zeus: Tsk, tsk. Not just anybody important, young lady. I'm Zeus, almighty god.

Morl: Yeah. Right.

Zeus: Oh, come on. You read a lot. You must know this profile. (He strikes a pose.)

Morl: Any freak with a make-up kit could accomplish that.

Zeus: What about the light? No freak could do that.

Morl: Where have you been? Nowadays, with the help of robotic artificial intelligence, any freak could do much better than that! Anyway, what would almighty Zeus be doing here on a small farm like this, so far away from famous people?

Zeus: Come on, Morl. A person like you who reads so much must know how helpless I am when I see a beautiful woman.

Morl: Oh, no!

Zeus: What?

Morl: Even if you are Zeus, I'm in big trouble if you're to be him in that way.

Zeus: What do you mean?

Morl: I read a lot, remember?

Zeus: Yes. I said that. So?

Morl: So you’ve ruined the lives of at least four mortal women you have used your almighty powers to seduce! Danae! Europa! Leda! Semele!

Zeus: I beg your pardon? Ruined? Ruined for having been embraced lovingly by an almighty God?

Morl: Lovingly!? After that first time, you had nothing to do with them ever again! You call that love? Anybody who calls that love has a serious low IQ problem, Zeus almighty god, sir!

Zeus: How can you be so short-sighted? You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! I see feminine beauty as a measure of intelligence. The greater the one measures, the greatest the other.

Morl: Is that what you say to the woman you intend to seduce to ruin their lives?

Zeus: This is so hard to take! You are so negative about me. Why?

Morl: Because I read a lot? You are married to almighty great Hera! Why are you so evilly unfaithful to her?

Zeus: Hmh! Ungrateful mortal! I have never been turned down in all my immortal, omnipotent, omniscient life! (His anger makes Morl afraid. He bears down on her.) Hah! You think you have a choice? Hah! Fat lot of good all your reading has done, you--you--mortal--thing--you! How dare you turn down a love child from me? Let's see how you handle a hate child from me! (She cowers. He moves to her. A distant rumble of thunder is heard. He quickly and insecurely searches the heavens, and mumbles to himself.) Hera? How did she--? (He exits in a scurry. Hera enters, and smilingly saunters up to and looks at Morl critically.)

Hera: Well, at least this time I agree with him. You are truly the most beautiful woman in this mortal world. Mind you, that's not a difficult achievement. Up to this moment I thought all mortal women are ugly.

Morl: (Still shaken by Zeus’s threats.) Thank you. Thank you for coming just in time. Who are you?

Hera: That creep's wife, honey. He wasn't lying. He is god almighty. He just cannot help his evil self when he sees a woman he thinks he likes.

Morl: I turned him down. Honestly, Hera, almighty goddess. I did. Nothing happened between him and me. I swear.

Hera: I know, dear. I know. You mentioned my name against him. That's how I instantly joyfully knew where to find him. My joy was so powerful I didn’t think to mute the thunder it triggered. All those other women did not think to mention my name; that's what hid his whereabouts from me. Thank you for putting a permanent wrinkle in his overweening ego.

Morl: You're welcome. I think.

Hera: I'm really curious. Why did you turn him down? He's handsome. And he is god almighty.

Morl: I don't know. I guess he's just not my type. (Hera looks wide-eyed at Morl before bursting into laughter. Morl, hesitantly at first, laughs, too.)

Hera: Not your type. (Another fit of laughter.) That's priceless! That's hilarious! I have never laughed so heartily in all my immortal life. Thank you, dear. (She impulsively hugs Morl. Morl hugs back, but lightly and hesitantly.) And very, very good for you. (Releases Morl from the hug.) He's not going to give up, you know.

Morl: (In fear.) But why me? There must be countless beautiful women in the world that he can have.

Hera: Morl, you’ve made it not anymore about what he can have. You’ve made it, for the first time in eternity, about what he cannot have but really, really wants to have. He is not going to let you get away with having been the first to bruise his almighty ego.

Morl: What am I to do?

Hera: On your own, whatever you do won't help. Of course I will try to help you, but, he has so many gods on his side, female and male, he will get you, sooner or later.

Morl: This is so not fair!

Hera: I know. Even for us gods. But if you are willing to become an immortal star in the heavens, I can do that for you. No god can cancel another god's gift. If I change you into a star, even the god of gods will not be able to interfere with your everlasting happiness up there.

Morl: Uh, thanks for the offer, but, you know--

Hera: You don't care to be a bright star forever and forever?

Morl: Not really.

Hera: Hmh! You are most remarkable. Nobody has ever turned down such a divine offer. May I ask why you---?

Morl: I don't see the stars and moon as sources of true joy. From up there for thousands and thousands of years they witness so much cruelty being committed on Earth, and they are helpless to help victims. If I were a star, I would be so miserable most of the time for being unable to prevent crimes.

Hera: Hmmm. Come to think about it, that's so right. Nobody's ever seen it like that. You really are special, Morl. I promise to do my best to protect you from him, but he is a very wily one, and he has many gods who suck up to him. They will be happy to hold you down for him. The next time, it might be too late by the time I find out. (They look at each other in silence for a few seconds.

Morl: Unless.

Hera: Good. I sense an inspiration.

Morl: Not a star. I want to be insentient immanent empty space amongst all the stars and other matter in the universe. (Hera is speechless for a second or two.)

Hera: Honey, you want to give up on sentience?

Morl: Why not? It just makes me vulnerable to criminals like Zeus. Insentient space is the only way to defeat his kind. I am willing to give up everything in order to defeat an almighty god that is so almightily evil.

Hera: (Overwhelmed, she speaks slowly.) Never has there been such sacrifice. Not among humans. Not among gods. I can grant your wish any time you want, dear, dear Morl, although there will be a great deal of sadness in me for doing it.

Morl: Right now is a good time.

Hera: Right now it is, then.

Morl: Thank you, Hera.

Hera: You're welcome, Morl. (Hera slowly waves her hand, and Morl shimmers into nothingness. Hera wipes away tears. Lights fade to blackout.)