A Sense of Foreboding

Dear Diary,

As I write this in the light of the moon on the roof of my father's house, I realize that this was a bad idea, and that I shouldn't poke my nose into the business of my clients (especially the King and Queen!), but I had to get it out.

One of my earliest memories as a child was standing in a large crowd, holding my mother's hand as she cheered loudly with the other citizens of Thebes. I didn't quite understand what was happening at the time, but over the years I realized that it was that day, where in which our savior, King Oedipus, answered the Sphinx's riddle and freed the kingdom.

Things in Thebes prospered for a long while, enough time for me to be hired by the royal family as their messenger, and everyone thought things would stay good for a while.

Recently though, things have started to fall apart. Apollo has swept his arrows of plague across the kingdom. Our crops aren't growing, livestock is dying, and people are suffering. It's gotten so bad that my uncle, a strong man just married, has fallen deathly ill. The medic says his soul is marked for the Underworld in less than a fortnight, and his wife is hysterical with grief. Then, the kingdom received very, very bad news.

Lord Creon was sent by the king to the Oracle of Delphi to find out what was wrong. He came back with the terrible news that our old king's murderer is somewhere among us, and he needs to be caught before the plague will end!

And, because this is private, I will write what has me most afraid: "Who seeks shall find; who sits with folded hands or sleeps is blind." This comes straight from the gods' own mouths, and it worries me greatly. I know that I, a mere common messenger, has no right to ponder things of this nature, but I can't help but wonder, what does it mean? That the murderer is well-known to someone in the royal family? That the murderer is IN the royal family? And who would have a reason to kill the old king? From what I hear, he was a good king. The only person who I could think of would be someone new, someone who wished to take his place.

Or someone who has already taken his place...

No. That was sacrilegious of me. The royal family has been blessed by the gods with the gift of King Oedipus. In fact, the whole kingdom has been blessed by the gods with King Oedipus! He is our savior from the Sphinx, and he will undoubtedly find Laius' murder and stop the plague! He will save us!

Right? Right.

Sincerely,

The Royal Messenger, -------- (name has been scratched out)