y？〃
〃Sea snakes are diurnal；〃 Beth said。 〃Many poisonous snakes are alternately aggressive and passive in twelve…hour cycles； corresponding to day and night。 During the day； when they're passive； you can handle them and they will ＇＇309＇＇ never bite。 For example； in India； the highly poisonous banded krait has never been known to bite during the day； even when children play with them。 But at night； watch out。 So I was trying to determine which cycle the sea snakes were on； until I decided that this must be their passive daytime cycle。〃
〃How'd you figure that？〃
〃Because you were still alive。〃 Then she had used her bare hands to remove the snakes； knowing that they wouldn't bite her； either。
〃With your hands full of snakes； you looked like Medusa。〃
〃What is that； a rock star？〃
〃No； it's a mythological figure。〃
〃The one who killed her children？〃 she asked； with a quick suspicious glance。 Beth； ever alert to a veiled insult。
〃No； that's somebody else。 That was Medea。 Medusa was a mythical woman with a head full of snakes who turned men to stone if they looked at her。 Perseus killed her by looking at her reflection in his polished shield。〃
〃Sorry； Norman。 Not my field。〃
It was remarkable； he thought； that at one time every educated Western person knew these figures from mythology and the stories behind them intimately…as intimately as they knew the stories of families and friends。 Myths had once represented the mon knowledge of humanity； and they served as a kind of map of consciousness。
But now a well…educated person such as Beth knew nothing of myths at all。 It was as if men had decided that the map of human consciousness had changed。 But had it really changed？ He shivered。
〃Still cold； Norm