3–1
CYCLOPS
No, I did that myself; I thought it’d be easier for me to catch him as he went out. I sat down by the doorway, with my hands stretched out to feel for them. It was only my sheep I let out to the pasture, and I told my ram everything he’d to do for me.
POSEIDON
I see it all. They slipped out under your sheep. But you should have called in the other Cyclopes to look for him.
CYCLOPS
So I did, father, and they came. But when they asked the name of the fellow responsible for the trick, and I said it was Noman, they thought I was out of my mind and went off home. Thus he outwitted me by that name, curse him. But what’s annoyed me most of all, is that he taunted me with my misfortune and said, “Not even your father, Poseidon himself, will be able to cure you”.
POSEIDON
Cheer up, son. I’ll punish him. I’ll teach him that, though I can’t cure blindness, I do have control over the fortunes of sailors. He’s still at sea, remember.
What’s all this, Alpheus? When you run into the sea, you’re the only one that doesn’t mix with the salt water like all the other rivers! You don’t disperse and give yourself a rest, but go through the sea without disintegrating, and keep your water fresh! You dive right down like a gull or a heron, and hurry on, I don’t know where, undiluted and pure. I suppose you’ll pop up again somewhere and show yourself once more.
ALPHEUS
It’s a matter of love, Poseidon; so no questions, please; you’ve been in love often enough yourself.
