A Favourite Passage of mine from Palatine

Erotica got in there first, “Is it true that you and Straton are having sex?”

“Me and Straton?” asked Mina, swallowing her shock and catching Alex’s apologetic shrug.

She gazed round at the small party. There was such interest, such hope, such gleeful anticipation that she felt she couldn’t disappoint. Throwing back her head she cried, “Oh I cannot deny it any longer. It is true. Straton and myself are indeed enjoying a rare and blissful union.”

Erotica swore under her breath, Daphne squealed, Lysander inhaled near all the oxygen in the room and Alex crossed his arms giving Mina a disapproving glare.

Erotica was the first in with the question. “Bona Dea Mina what’s he like in bed?”

Mina suddenly struck with a horrifying image of Straton in the buff, repressed a shudder and replied wistfully. “It is like the tale of King Minos’ wife.”

To a room full of uncomprehending faces.

“You know the story.”

“Don’t think we do,” said Lysander.

“King Minos on claiming his throne promised Neptune that he would sacrifice a white bull in his honour. But it was such a fine bull that he decided to keep it instead. Neptune mad at such defiance to the gods got his revenge by inducing Minos’ wife Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull. Unable to control her lecherous feelings she had a craftsman construct a wooden crate fashioned in the shape of a cow so that she could consummate her vile passions. One day she had the crate taken into the fields and she lay within, waiting and waiting. The bull noting the strange creature examined its form and as bulls will, it mated with it copiously. And from this union the Minotaur was born!

Well it’s like that but without the crate.”

Even Erotica didn’t want to delve any deeper into that one.

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