‘My name is Perseus, son of Zeus, and I have been sent by the God —’
‘He does like talking about gods, doesn’t he?’
‘Maybe it’s his mind that’s gone. Maybe that’s why he repeats himself so much. Let me see him. I still haven’t seen him.’
He had not finished a single sentence. Was it too much to ask? ‘You creatures are intolerable.’
Loud cackles echoed off the walls of the cave.
‘Ooo.’
‘The God’s son knows some big words.’
‘Very big words.’
‘I don’t think I’m intolerable. Do you think I’m intolerable, sisters?’
His patience had frayed to its limit. Perseus leapt over the fire, grabbed the wrist of the one who spoke, and dragged her away from her sisters. In the glimmers of the embers, he held his sword to her throat. Her translucent skin yielded under the pressure of the sword, causing a single bead of blood to appear on the blade.
‘If you will not listen to me by choice, so be it. But you will listen to me. I have been sent by Hermes. I have been favoured by Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War. You have items that I require to fulfil my destiny to rid the world of the Gorgon Medusa. You will speak to me your truths, or you will understand the power of my wrath.’
His final words resonated around the walls, causing icy chills to shift through the air. Silence followed. His own heart drummed as he awaited their reply. He was a born hero; he reminded himself. Now they could hear it too. The body tensed in his arms. A moment later, it erupted into laughter.
‘Ooo, he’s got me. Sisters, he’s got me!’
‘Give me the eye. I want to see.’
‘He’s ever so muscly.’ Her hands roamed up his arms, squeezing and pinching him. ‘Take me captive, Perseus, son of Zeus. Hold poor Eyno prisoner. Tie me up and whip me!’
The old woman’s laugh barked out again. Soon, the other two were on him too.
‘No, take me, take me. She can barely bend her knees without falling over.’
‘Perhaps that’s what he likes. I’d happily drop onto my knees for you, Perseus. There’s an advantage to having no teeth, you know.’ A wet sucking noise slapped from her lips. Perseus gagged, fearing he could take no more of their grotesque innuendo, and then, in the most revolting of acts, the one he now knew to be Eyno began to run her hands over the fabric covering her chest, pressing herself to him and emitting low guttural moans.
‘We don’t get many men here. Stay a little while.’
‘We’re old, but we still have needs.’
‘No more,’ Perseus said and threw Eyno to her sisters in disgust. The laughing rose in dissonance.
‘Look at his face! What a picture. I bet he’s never even seen a naked woman.’
‘Let me see. Let me see! I need the eye.’
‘You’ve already seen him. Let me have a chance. Let me have my turn.’
Still shuddering, he watched as the eye exchanged hands in quick succession. Glistening and wet, it rolled off and onto the palms of their hands before disappearing into one of their sunken sockets with a pop.
‘Oh, the poor boy.’ The Graeae continued their repulsive lament. ‘He’s only a lad.’
‘I want another look. What have you done to him now?’
‘You’re hogging it. Stop hogging it!’
It was an impulsive decision rather than a carefully considered one. Whose hand it was in, he could not tell. But the moment he saw it drop out from a socket and onto a palm, ready for exchange, Perseus leapt across the space and snatched it up in his hand. Screams reverberated around the cave.
‘What are you doing? What are you doing? Pemphredo, was that you? Stop it. Stop it!’
‘It’s him. It’s him!’
Perseus squeezed the item in his grasp. The greying flesh yielded and squelched a little between his fingers. An agonising scream splintered the dark.
‘You!’ The old women doubled over in pain, clutching and clawing at their eyes sockets as though he were digging his nails directly into their skulls. Anticipating their reactions, he squeezed the eyeball a little harder.
‘Stop it! Stop! Have mercy on us!’ Their words were broken by whimpers, like the dogs in Seriphos beaten within an inch of their lives for daring to steal a bone. Perseus had never been one of those to hurl stones at dogs, other than when they bared their teeth at him, but, at that moment, the sisters had given him very little choice.
‘I have your eye.’ Perseus’ voice resonated with the power of his heritage. ‘I have it, and I will crush it between my fingers if you do not give me what I need.’
‘No!’ They were on their knees. Begging and pleading, barely able to stand from the agony which he had caused them with just a flex of his fingers.
‘I have been sent by Hermes himself to retrieve the items I need to succeed in my quest.’
One of the women crawled forwards on the ground.
‘Return the eye. Return the eye, oh merciful one, and we will give you what you need.’
‘You will give me what I need first, then I will return the eye.’
‘How can we see, you fool?’ The pleading voice turned bitter and venomous. ‘You would have us crawl on the ground, all three of us blind? We could break a limb with a trip or plummet to our death while we search.’
‘If you are worried about tripping, you should take better care of your home. You are in a cave with no risk of falls from what I can tell. Neither of your risks seems likely to me.’ Perseus was beginning to find his stride. His shoulders extended back as he spoke. ‘And don’t worry. My reflexes are good. I will catch you if need be. Now
