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“Where are we supposed to look now?”
Paterson raised his arm, pointing east. “That way. We’re looking for a star that’s a bit larger and brighter than the rest.”
“Vega,” said Ash.
“That’s right. Vega is the brightest in the Lyra constellation. Do you know the story?”
“No.”
Paterson lay back on the blanket. Ash settled in next to him.
“The Lyra constellation represents the lyre of Orpheus. How I recall it, Orpheus played so beautifully that his music was able to bring inanimate objects to life.”
Ash smiled, looking east as Paterson talked.
“Orpheus was in love with a beautiful nymph named Eurydice. Not long after they married, she died from a poisonous snake bite. Naturally, Orpheus wanted her back, so he confronted Hades and played the lyre for him. The music seduced Hades and he agreed to release Eurydice on the condition that Orpheus not look back at the underworld once they left.”
“And?”
Paterson shrugged and pulled Ash tighter to him. “Orpheus looked back, and Eurydice had to stay in the underworld. Orpheus spent the rest of his day playing his lyre, basically missing her.”
“I guess they didn’t have a service in ancient Greece that allowed people to clone their deceased loved ones.”
Paterson had to laugh at that. “I suppose not.”
“It’s such a sad story. Do any of these myths end happily?”
“Some do. I suppose the stories exist to teach us something. The more I think of Orpheus, though, I realize there’s truth in the myth.”
“We shouldn’t look back?”
“More like how the beauty of art can create life. Orpheus played his lyre and inspired the rocks and hills to move.” Paterson touched the side of Ash’s face and turned him to lock their gazes. “Something obviously brought you to life.”
“Technology brought me to life.” Ash rubbed the tip of his nose against Paterson’s. “In a way, art keeps me alive. Every day, I look forward to you reading me one of your poems. I found Vega, by the way.”
Paterson tilted his face toward the sky, and followed Ash’s gaze toward the star. Vega sparkled in its corner of the Summer Triangle. From there, they easily detected the other stars forming the asterism.
“What are the others called again?”
Paterson identified Altair and Deneb. “Altair is the head of the eagle constellation, see it? Deneb is the head of the Northern Cross.”
“What are their stories?”
Paterson turned Ash’s face back toward his again. “I’ll tell you later,” he said, just before their lips met.