"My name is Alec Trevelyan. I am an agent of the British MI6. I inherited my predecessor's designation, and now I am 006."
"February 2, 2003. Heard that Bella's gone off to learn magic on some mountain? Fantastic news. As long as that woman isn't anywhere near me, nothing bad can happen."
"February 19, 2003. All clear."
"April 25, 2003. Found ten dollars on the sidewalk today. Ever since I bought this lucky rabbit's foot, my luck really has been getting better and better. Nothing to report."
"September 4, 2003. Peace on Earth. Not a single annoyance. What a beautiful world."
The handwriting in this section was relaxed, almost breezy. 006 had clearly been in excellent spirits.
"June 11, 2004. That woman is back. And she didn't just come back—she brought a dragon's corpse with her. Honestly? Terrifying."
"The dragon carcass gave me a lot of ideas. Maybe I can't wield magic or master supernatural forces, but I can collect magical artifacts. I have money."
"June 19, 2004. Purchased a horn from Master Max, the Sorcerer Supreme. Looks positively brimming with magical energy. Magnificent piece. I feel a strong connection to it—it suits a man of my caliber perfectly. Next time I run into that woman and her funeral dirge, I'll blow this horn and give her a proper contest."
"July 2, 2004. I've been practicing the horn at my ranch in Texas. I can now proficiently play the rhythm of The Internationale on it. Hard work, but the results speak for themselves. Very satisfying."
"July 2, 2004. 11:00 PM. Something just hit me. Like a meteor. My consciousness is foggy, and my memories seem to have... to have some kind of problem."
"Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
The handwriting grew increasingly erratic. Then, abruptly, the somewhat messy English gave way to elegant, flowing Greek script.
"Everything written above was a lie. None of it reflects my true identity. I am a god. The Chief God of Olympus! 'Agent 006'? 'Peter Weyland'? Those were merely a temporary disguise I adopted while amusing myself among the mortals. Many mortals know how fond I am of the mortal world. Ha ha—I have finally awakened! I am a god! A GOD!"
"July 3, 2004. Although I am now a god—the Chief God who commands the thunderbolt—I shall continue keeping this diary. It is a fine habit. One worth maintaining."
Here the handwriting shifted abruptly from composed elegance to frantic sprawl.
"I cannot find my Mount Olympus. Has my divine kingdom fallen?"
"No! I see it now! The divine kingdom sits atop the Empire State Building in New York. Yes—that's the place!"
"July 3, 2004, afternoon. I brought my retinue to reclaim my divine kingdom, but the building's management had the audacity to refuse me. They demanded rent. Rent! Laughable! Do these ignorant mortals not understand the terrible wrath that comes from denying a Chief God?"
"Today is their lucky day. The mortals have been spared. My assistant is clever—quite astute, actually. He paid to lease the entire top floor. Watching the greed on those mortals' faces, I pitied their shortsightedness. They had no idea what they'd just lost: a chance to ascend from mortal to god."
"My assistant possesses great wisdom. I see the radiance of Apollo in him. Though his memories have not yet awakened, I grant him the use of Apollo's name. He shall aid me in rebuilding the divine kingdom. It is an honor he has earned."
"My driver piloted his iron bird and carried me across ten thousand miles in half a day. I see his potential. He must surely be the mortal incarnation of Hermes."
"My bodyguard is fearless. His body brims with fighting spirit and the craft of killing. I shall bestow upon him the divine name of Ares."
006—now fully convinced he was Zeus—was behaving exactly like those petty warlords who declared themselves emperor from a mountain hollow. In the space of half a day, he had anointed an entire pantheon.
His chef became Hestia. His doctor became Asclepius. His wife Rose, currently back in Germany, was christened Hera. His daughter Sharon became Athena.
Even Bella, who wasn't remotely present, was honored with the title of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty.
And so a bargain-bin Olympian pantheon was officially inaugurated on the top floor of the Empire State Building.
He hadn't spared the people from his past, either. Mustached Max, for instance, had helped him numerous times—so 006 designated Mustache as a son of Apollo. Heather the Fierce rode those coattails and became a daughter of Athena in the mortal realm.
By his reckoning, these were all demigods: offspring born of unions between gods and humans. In time, once these demigods proved their worth through great deeds, they would be welcomed into the divine kingdom to bask in its supreme radiance.
"July 3, 2004. 8:00 PM. I visited a high school library in New York and found my old adversary there. Well—my old adversary from before my memories awakened, at any rate. My old friend. A fellow elite agent of the British MI6: 007. James Bond."
"He looked absolutely wretched. Both legs amputated at the knee. Confined to a wheelchair. All he can do now is sit in a library and wait for death."
"My hatred for him has vanished completely. Not a trace remains. I pity him. I feel sorry for him. But using my divine power to heal him is out of the question—blasphemers must be punished. I told 007: 'Your abilities still have value. I must prepare for Ragnarök. I intend to establish a shelter and gather all the demigod offspring together. I would like 007 to serve as the shelter's instructor.'"
"007 was rendered completely speechless. Understandable—anyone would be overwhelmed to suddenly learn that a deity, a supreme Chief God no less, considered them worthy. His inner turmoil was palpable. Ah, 007 was once a dashing man of the world, and now he sits there with his jaw hanging open like a senile old fool. How tragic. The tragedy of mortality."
"July 4, 2004. I dispatched Apollo to Central Park to construct the shelter, and to scour the world for those who carry the blood of the gods—the demigod offspring. In the age to come, the shelter shall be the only sanctuary for gods, demigods, and mortals alike during Ragnarök."
"July 6, 2004, afternoon. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, came to see me. She demanded to know why I had leased an entire floor of the Empire State Building, and remarked that my shelter looked like 'a summer camp.'"
"These companions whose divine memories remain dormant are so difficult to reason with. Can she not perceive the grandeur behind all of this? My former self found this woman quite intelligent, but viewed from the vantage of a god—a Chief God—her intellect is painfully shallow."