‘Tell us. Deino, tell us who it is.’
‘You must be able to see him now? He is in the cave now, is he not?’
‘How do you know it is a man?’
‘Oi, who is on my toe?’
Perseus shook his head, trying to find sense in the speech.
‘How can you not tell it’s a man? Can you not smell the musk, the meat?’
‘Women have meat too. We were meaty once. I long for a good bit of meat between my jaws.’
‘I long for you to choke on a bit of meat.’
Hissing and squeals interrupted the verbiage that came from every angle.
‘Deino, give me the eye. Pemphredo. Is that your hand in my ear? Get it off. Get it off.’
‘Why would my hand be in your ear? Deino, why are you staying silent? Curse you, sister. What do you see?’
A voice came through louder than the others. Less uncertainty in it. ‘I’m staying silent because I’m trying to hear over you two and all the racket you are making,’ it said. ‘Give me a moment.’
‘We already gave you a moment.’
‘You’ve been hogging it for —’
He could bear it no longer. Clearing his throat, he cast his voice out into the darkness in front of him. ‘I am Perseus, son of Zeus. I seek an audience with the Graeae.’
A shrieking cackle rose out from within the cave.
‘Son of Zeus! Deino, give me the eye. Give me the eye!’
In a flash, claw-like fingers grasped around his wrists and yanked him further into the cave.
‘I’ve got him. I’ve got him!’
Chapter 25
The meagre light from the entrance was barely visible by the time Perseus regained his footing.
‘Get off me!’ He fought the instinct to reach for his sword. Instead, he lashed out with his feet and arms. A loud yelp reverberated through the air. He jerked his elbow, sending one of the creatures at the end of his arm onto the ground. A second later, and all three were back on him like rabid dogs, nipping at his heels.
‘I am Perseus. Son of —’
‘Son of Zeus, we heard you.’
‘It’s our eyes that have gone, not our ears.’
‘Must be a half-mortal. Stupid like a mortal.’
‘He’s definitely human. He smells like a human. Smell him, Eyno. And where is the eye?’ Something damp and cold pressed up against his armpit. Something else prodded around his stomach. He recoiled further into the cave. The darkness was absolute. Each moment, he was twisted around, again and again, until all sense of direction was lost.
‘I have come to seek an audience with you!’ His rise in volume did little to deter them. He grasped at his sword, partially for comfort, partially to assure it wasn’t ripped from him by one of their nimble fingers. Perseus’ mind raced. Why did Hermes not warn him of this? With a shake of his head, he redirected his annoyance. It was his own stupidity. What sort of hero entered a cave without a torch to illuminate his way? And at dusk of all times. The easiest thing would be to abandon the task for that day. He would have to find his way out of the cave and back to the ship. Then he would come back at daybreak with a torch to guide his way. And maybe one or two men to spread the groping between.
With no idea which direction would take him further into the cave and which nearer the mouth, Perseus took a great step forwards. His heart leapt as a glimmer of light flickered in the distance. With haste, he lunged towards it, sure-footed against the uneven ground. The glory was short-lived. As he approached the source of the light, his stomach sank. Rather than finding himself at the entrance of the cave as he had hoped for, he found himself at the edge of a small fire, barely a flame among the embers. He cursed himself yet again. How was it possible that an island so small could be home to such a labyrinth of caves? Fish bones and animal carcasses littered the floor around the fire, and a dank stench of urine rose from the ground. Broken pots with jagged edges piled up again the wall, while full pots – the contents of which Perseus wished not to know – sat overflowing around the makeshift hearth. For a second, he was momentarily grateful for the lack of light.
‘Where are you going?’ The gabbling started again.
‘That’s not the way out.’
‘Maybe he wants to stay.’
‘Tell us, son of Zeus, what can we do for you?’
Hunched over, they followed him, scuttling like spiders. With another ambush only seconds away, Perseus drew his sword out and swept an arc in front of him, unconvinced that any of the hags could even see the threatening gesture.
‘Will you be quiet?’
The women squealed and scurried into a corner. Huddled into one another, they wheezed and panted.
‘What did we do?’
‘We only asked a question.’
‘We only wanted to see.’
‘I have not seen him! Where is the eye? Give me the eye, or I swear this tooth in my mouth will soon be embedded in your rear end.’
The skin on their cheeks sagged inwards into the hollows of their mouths. Their frail bodies twisted at angles while sores, swollen in welts and oozing pus, covered their skin. In the dimness, he saw something exchange hands. Round and glistening; their single eye.
Swallowing down the nausea that struck again and again, Perseus scanned his surroundings. If the gods were kind, his sight might fall on the very items he needed. He could carry off the whole contents of the cave and be done with these women before another word was exchanged. Yet all he could see within the detritus was yet more squalor. The stench rolled out in waves. With his sword still
