Chapter Fourteen: July 19, 1945

As Wonder Girl flew the invisible plane over the Atlantic towards Paradise Island, Steve found himself clutching the sides of his chair, staring down in fascination.

"This thing glides like a dream," he said to Diana, "It's even smoother than any of those experimental jet planes I've flown."

"I'm glad you're impressed," she squeezed his hand, "Although as I've told you, it's not the first time for you. I flew you back to Washington in this thing after you'd crashed on Paradise Island."

"I know, but I was half out of it then. I'd thought I'd died and gone to Heaven," he smiled at her, "Come to think of it, the thought of us finally getting married makes me wonder if I've gone now."

"We're almost there," Drusilla called back to them, "We should be landing in about five minutes."

He looked down, "I still don't see anything."

"It's impossible to see from the air, or from any ship that might pass by. I told you why."

"So you did. Something to do with light refraction."

"That's the scientific explanation," Diana smiled, "We like to think of it as Aphrodite's way of sheltering us from the hostility of man's world."

"You might be right in a sense," he mused, "Maybe God has kept you sheltered and safe for a reason."

"It’s possible," she said, "Maybe ultimately, Aphrodite has become a conduit of sorts between the Deity higher than her and ourselves."

"Could be," Steve looked down as he felt the invisible plane begin to descend into a landing formation, "I just hope we catch your mother in a good mood."

"Your daughters have returned, my queen," Magda said as she entered Hippolyte's chambers.

The Amazon Queen looked up in startled surprise, "Both of them?"

"Both the Princess Diana and the Princess Drusilla. They are outside, and wish to see you. Although--"

"Let me see them," her voice burst with joy, "Have them enter."

With an expression of slight unease, Magda motioned and Diana and Drusilla both entered.

"Diana," her mother came up to her with outstretched arms, "My daughter I knew in my heart that you would return."

Diana embraced her tenderly but her expression was restrained, "It's so good to see you again Mother."

"I knew Drusilla would make you understand that your place is here."

She let go of Hippolyte and phrased her words very carefully, "I haven't changed my mind, Mother. I'm only here so I can try to make you understand."

Her mother's euphoria faded, "What do you mean?"

Diana looked back and motioned her head. Immediately, a grim-faced Steve entered the room, his arms folded.

"Your Majesty," he bowed slightly, "It's an honor to finally meet you."

Hippolyte's mouth hung open in shock at the sight of a man in her own chambers. It took her almost a moment to partially regain her composure.

"Colonel Trevor?" her voice was a bare whisper.

"Yes," he nodded.

Hippolyte bit her lip and leaned over to Diana, "Why is he here?"

"He's here to help me make you understand," Diana's voice was determined.

"Understand what?" the Amazon Queen suddenly snapped, "Understand that you plan to turn your back on the things I've taught you, the values I've instilled in you, the glory of the throne that will one day be yours? And for what?"

"I happen to love your daughter, Your Majesty," Steve's tone was patient.

"What do you and your race know of love, Colonel?" she stepped toward him, "For 2500 years the wars and the barbarism of your male-dominated world have continued. You continue to deny women their rights and their place of importance...."

"Your Majesty," he interrupted, his voice still patient, "I want to talk to you on reasonable terms, but don't insult my intelligence. You know perfectly well that Diana has been fighting this war for us so there can be better opportunities of freedom for all people, men and women."

"And it's also irrelevant to the issue at hand," Diana's tone rose, "I only ask for your blessing, and that you respect my decision, Mother. But irregardless of what you say, Steve and I are going to be married."

Again, Hippolyte bit her lip in an effort to choke back the rage she felt and she turned to Drusilla for help, "What have you got to say?"

Arms folded, Drusilla's expression was taut, "I happen to think Diana's right, Mother. You have no right to force her to be unhappy."

"Unhappy?" her eyes bulged, "Life on Paradise Island, unhappy? Have all these centuries meant nothing to you?"

"They mean more to me than I'll ever be able to express," Diana held her ground, "I intend to always live my life according to the knowledge and wisdom of everything I have learned here, and from you. But it is time that I be able to share some of that wisdom with the people in the outside world, and more importantly with the man I love."

"Diana only wants to continue doing the things she's done for America as Wonder Woman," Steve stepped forward, "You may not realize this Your Majesty, but the defeat of the Nazis doesn't mean an end to the threats against freedom and peace in the world."

"America now faces an enemy that is potentially just as ruthless as the Nazis were," Diana added, "The Soviet Union is led by cunning brutes who wouldn't think twice about adopting Nazi methods of brutality in an effort to extend their power, now that the war of mutual alliance is over. I have seen that ruthlessness, and I intend to do what I can to stop it. If America does not remain strong, then we could see Russian invaders on our shores as surely as we saw Nazi invaders three years ago."

Hippolyte continued to glare at her, but she seemed to sense that Diana was not going to give in.

"This represents disobedience to Aphrodite at the highest," she said calmly, "A violation of all that is written in our sacred history. For you to submit to a man, represents the very sin I committed when I was deceived by Hercules and Ares and caused our enslavement."

"How do you know that?" Diana retorted, "Aphrodite is the goddess of love, or have you forgotten that fact? Why should I or any other Amazon be denied that gift? The prohibition against men was your edict, not that of the goddess!"

"She’s right, Mother!" Drusilla jumped in.

Their mother stared at them with a tight-lipped expression.

"Be gone from my sight," she hissed, "You are not the one I loved and cherished as my daughter. You are a stranger, corrupted totally by the evil of living in Man's world. Leave my sight, and leave Paradise Island forever."

Diana stared back at her mother with an expression that was equally unyielding.

"If that is your wish Mother," she said, "Then I shall respect it."

She turned away from her and began to walk over to Steve.

"Hold it," Hippolyte called, "Before you leave, you will surrender your golden belt. Your powers were a gift from the divine goddess, and you have forfeited your right to them."

Diana stopped and turned back to her.

"No Mother," she said coldly, "You can not take my powers away. I need them to aid America and the cause of freedom and justice. To strip me of them in the name of enforcing an ancient commandment would be an even greater violation against the values that are so dear to us."

"There is nothing more sacred than loyalty to Aphrodite," she fired back, "You are not worthy of the powers."

"Am I?" Diana looked her in the eye, "Why don’t we go the altar and ask the goddess herself? The way I see it, I’m as loyal to her as I ever have been."

"Yet you are prepared to marry one who does not even believe in the goddess!" she shot back.

"The goddess is irrelevant to his life," Diana said, "His religion, and his God is the reality of his people. And I honor and respect it and would not for one moment think of forcing him to abandon that which has meaning and purpose for his life."

"I respect that line of thinking," Hippolyte conceded, "But in your case—"

"No more, Mother," Diana interrupted. "I demand the right to approach the goddess herself at the sacred altar you built and we shall hear firsthand from her, if she indeed exists and is in control of Amazon destiny."

Hippolyte seemed stunned by the bold show of defiance, while Drusilla knew right away that her sister had played the best possible card that would enable her to win out for now.

"So be it," the Amazon Queen said solemnly, "We shall call upon the goddess and hear her word."

Twenty minutes later, Diana and Hippolyte were both mounting the steps that led to a classical Greek temple. A somewhat bewildered Trevor remained at the bottom with Drusilla.

"Have you actually....spoken to Aphrodite before?" he could think of nothing else to ask.

"I haven’t," Drusilla said, "I don’t think Mother has for 2000 years. Not since she received her blessing to take in the Elders who escaped from Rome."

They saw Diana and Hippolyte reach the top and enter the temple. They both knelt and bowed their heads before an elaborately carved statue and with their arms outstretched, began to intone a series of prayers.

Five minutes passed, and Steve felt his sense of inner tension rise when he saw what looked like a giant cloud fill the interior of the temple. Slowly, the fog seemed to come together in one giant shape, and then grew brighter until...to his amazement it took human form. The form of the most indescribably beautiful woman he had ever seen before. The very embodiment of perfect feminine beauty.

Steve’s mouth hung open in disbelief so much that he didn’t even hear any of the conversation that took place between the woman and the two Amazons. It was only when Diana rose from her kneeling position and turned around to look down at him, that he finally could hear her saying, "Could you please come here, Steve?"

An awed Drusilla had to give him a gentle nudge before he managed to mount the steps to the top. He could see the woman who was clearly Aphrodite sitting across from him, as large as life. Dressed in an elegant Grecian gown that left her right shoulder bare. The image of all that the artists and sculptors had envisioned of her, but not even the works of an artist like Botticelli had come close to capturing the perfection of Aphrodite’s beauty.

"Welcome Colonel Trevor," she smiled at him. Her voice was indescribably rich and melodic. "It is an honor to meet for the first time, one such as you. Especially one who is so close to the One above even me."

Trevor shook himself out of his stupor, but still found himself incapable of saying anything.

"2000 years ago, we whom the ancients of Greece and then Rome worshiped, realized that our time was past, and that if any of us were to enjoy the continued privilege of our existence on Olympus, we would have to make ourselves subservient to the true Powers that control the universe. To abandon at long last the ways of avarice, greed and deceit that left us so fractured and incapable of ever providing that which can only come from the True One."

Steve felt a question forming in his throat, but found the words totally stuck.

The goddess of love stepped toward him, still smiling. "I sense what your question is, Colonel Trevor. I shall explain in a way that your mind can best understand. We, the gods of Olympus are beings blessed with powers greater than any mortal who inhabits this Earth could ever hope to possess. As to where we originated, that is not for you to know. By Earthly standards, we are immortal and that is why we chose to inhabit this planet because we saw that we could make ourselves gods and receive worship and love from the ancients of Greece. But as you know from your basic mythology, we lacked the things that a true god must have and provide. We lacked perfection. The ability to rise above simple flaws of behavior. We also lacked the ability to provide true salvation in the life beyond. Those are gifts that can only come from the One who made the entire universe and whom the Hebrews were blessed to know first. The God you worship, Colonel Trevor. The God of what is known in your world as Judeo-Christian civilization."

For the first time, Steve summoned the nerve to ask a question, "Yet...you still exist. You are still immortal."

"Only within a very narrow sphere," Aphrodite said gently. "When those of us in Olympus saw our power over the Earth diminishing, especially after the True One sent His Son to Earth to fulfill His mission for humanity, we realized our error and humbled ourselves to Him in forgiveness. For our subservience, and our promise to never again interfere with the affairs of humankind, we agreed to withdraw from the world forever. It is our most sacred commandment."

"And....the Amazons?"

"A different matter. I created the Amazons myself from clay and gave them life. They are my creation, and hence the True One recognizes that as they are not created by Him or descended from the Father and Mother of humanity, I am therefore granted the right of receiving worship from them." Her gaze then shifted to Hippolyte. "You have honored me for these many centuries, Hippolyte. Your obedience has served you and your daughters of Paradise Island well. Recognize then, that what I now command of you is a commandment not borne out of any anger or desire to punish you."

The Amazon queen seemingly stiffened as she realized for the first time what the goddess was about to say.

"You have neither the right to deny your daughter of the joy and happiness she can receive as the wife of Colonel Trevor, nor to deny her of her powers as an Amazon immortal. Such judgment can only come from me. It was reckless of you to engage in such harsh edicts without consulting me. Remember that again should the occasion be warranted at some future date."

Hippolyte abruptly dropped to her knees in total reverence, "I hear, and I obey, O Goddess."

Aphrodite then turned her attention to Diana. "I have heard your prayer, Diana. You ask for the privilege of retaining your powers even in marriage to a mortal. This is not a request I could grant instinctively as it raises the complication of how your relationship with a mortal impacts the life of one whose ultimate devotion must be to the true Creator. As it must also inevitably impact the matter of how offspring of an Amazonian and a mortal must be raised. It required considerable prayer and contemplation on my part before He Who is above me. But by His grace and His mercy which makes Him a just God, He has answered my request and granted to me an answer for me to give to you." She paused. "You are granted the right to marry the man you love. And you are granted the right to retain your powers as a force for good in the mortal world, with the stipulation that you now forfeit your claim to total immortality. You will age at a rate of one year for every ten mortal years, as opposed to the one in one hundred you currently enjoy. And there is also this." Her tone now grew grave. "You forfeit all right to your powers if it is ever deemed by me at any time that they are not being utilized for the good of human civilization. That includes idle use no less than evil use. To be part of the mortal world requires constant activity on your part, Diana."

Diana remained prostate before Aphrodite on her knees. "I hear and I obey, mighty Goddess."

"Your children will be raised to understand the justness of our teachings. But ultimately, they as children of Colonel Trevor must embrace the true God for eternal salvation."

"I honor the true God, and will do so."

The Goddess of Love leaned back in her throne. "My will is made known," her tone grew final. "And so shall it be done."

And then, the swirling clouds consumed her figure. Seconds later, they had dissipated and she was gone.

The sun's last rays had disappeared below the horizon of the sea. Alone, Steve and Diana began to walk hand-in-hand down the beach.

"How do you feel?" Diana asked gently.

"Somewhat drained," Steve admitted, "After seeing and hearing what I saw. A figure out of mythology come to life, who in the same breath confirms the reality of my own doctrines. It’s..." he shook his head.

"Were you really afraid that the reality of Aphrodite and the Olympians would mean a lack of reality in your own God?" Diana asked with concern.

"It...crossed my mind."

"It shouldn’t have," Diana said. "It was exactly as you and I figured. The Olympians have control only over those that they were directly responsible for."

"I know, I had reasoned that before, but...I wasn’t dealing with the reality of Aphrodite or the Olympians as actual beings, I—" he stopped and shook his head. "There’s so much that the human mind has never grasped and will probably never be able to fully grasp."

"But you’ve seen how your concern was groundless. The Olympians exist, but not from the standpoint of expecting worship from humanity any longer. They learned to repent of the ways that drove them into that sin."

"And now, they do the bidding of the One Who is above them."

"Of course. That’s why when I worship Aphrodite as my creator, I am still ultimately worshiping even your God, since she now states that she is under His authority."

"It does reassure me a great deal," Steve conceded and then decided to change the subject, "I’m glad that your Mother is....well that is, I’m glad it’s right between us now."

"She has always honored and respected you." She paused. "And after today, I know there’ll never be any complications again. Not even when it’s time for Drusilla to come to the same decisions I’ve had to make."

They stopped and looked at the brilliant star-lit night sky.

"It looks so peaceful," Diana sighed, "Just looking at it makes it hard to believe that over the horizon, the madness still goes on."

"And we have to keep the madness from getting out of hand," Steve said, "We never want to see the horror of what we both saw at Trinity be repeated again."

"Yes," she nodded, "Somehow, I think the God who controls the larger forces of history will ultimately see to that. That the fears of those like Dr. Oppenheimer won’t matter in the end."

The sun disappeared beneath the horizon and they headed back to the Palace.