Aegeus, the King of Athens, drew another tile out of the silver box. The old man's face was lined in despair, and a single tear ran down his cheek. A servant read out the name scratched on the tile.
'That is the final one, Your Majesty. The selection is over.'
The King sat down and began to weep. Prince Theseus put his arm firmly around his father's shoulder.
'I have an idea, father. Listen to me, and you will never have to do this terrible thing again.'
For many years, King Minos of Crete had been threatening Athens with war if the city did not send him seven teenage boys and seven teenage girls whenever he made the demand. Each time, the king picked the names at random out of a silver box. And this time, his own son had been selected.
King Minos had problems of his own. In the cellars under his palace, lived a hideous monster called the Minotaur. This foul creature lived on a diet of human flesh, and Minos used the regular supply of Athenian teens to feed its appetite.
