Stone Blind(35)

‘No,’ screeched Pemphredo, as she and Deino attacked Enyo together. There was a muffled fight and then it was Deino who stepped forward, and blinked a single eye in his direction.

‘You see?’ said Pemphredo. ‘I never get a turn.’

‘You had a turn yesterday,’ snapped Enyo. ‘You never remember your turns, so you always make a fuss about nothing.’

‘I haven’t had it once today,’ Pemphredo replied. ‘You and Deino have stolen my turn.’ Deino rolled the communal eye. And Perseus realized the sisters were speaking quite literally. They took turns using one eyeball between them. He shuddered at the thought, and then hoped Deino hadn’t noticed.

‘Have you only ever had one eye?’ Perseus asked. He had no idea where he could possibly find more eyes for these old women to use.

‘Of course we have!’ said Enyo. ‘Do you think we had more eyes and put them down somewhere? Misplaced them?’ She turned her unseeing face to her sisters. ‘This is a waste of time. He won’t help us. He can’t. He’s a fool.’

‘I’m not a fool,’ said Perseus, who felt he had been belittled enough for one day. ‘I just didn’t understand at first. I haven’t met anyone like you before, and I was trying to learn more about you before I fulfil your demands.’

There was another pause, but this time – even Perseus could tell – it was different. There was no mockery, no cruelty in this silence, but something else: a scrap of hope.

‘We only ever had one eye,’ said Deino.

‘And one tooth,’ added Pemphredo.

‘That’s why we didn’t know if we could eat you,’ said Enyo. ‘We have to take turns to eat and see. And no one can ever see what she’s eating.’

‘You can’t have the eye and the tooth at once?’ Perseus asked.

‘Who would give them back if she had everything?’ said Deino.

For the first time since he had walked into the cave Perseus felt something other than fear and disgust. To have so little, to live so pitiable a life that a partial share in a single tooth and eye could seem like everything. And just as he felt the surge of pity, he knew what to do.

‘Could I see the eye, please?’ he said. ‘And the tooth?’

‘Of course not!’ screamed Deino. ‘Of course you cannot. Why would we give you the eye or the tooth? You might take them and keep them and never give them back. Mortals are all the same: greedy, deceitful and cruel. Everyone knows. How dare you even ask?’

But Perseus noticed that the other two did not share her fury. Without the eye, they had less to lose.

‘It would make it much easier for me to find more eyes for you if I’ve seen your eye properly,’ he said. ‘Otherwise I won’t know exactly what I’m looking for. And I am sure that’s why the gods sent me here today: so I could help you.’

‘No,’ said Deino.

‘How about the tooth?’ asked Pemphredo. ‘Would it help if you saw the tooth?’

‘Yes, of course,’ said Perseus.

‘Hand it over, Enyo,’ said her sister.

‘I don’t want to,’ said Enyo. ‘I want to eat something first. The tooth isn’t the same as the eye. You have to eat with it or there’s no point having it. You’re just minding it until the next meal.’

‘We ate before the boy arrived,’ said Pemphredo. ‘I’m not hungry. Just give him the tooth.’

‘No,’ said Enyo.

‘We can take it if you won’t give it up,’ Deino said. ‘I’m not giving him the eye so you’ll have to give up the tooth.’

‘You can’t take it. I’m stronger than both of you.’

‘You’re not stronger than both of us at the same time,’ said Pemphredo. ‘Not if we hold you and the boy takes the tooth.’

Perseus loved his mother with what he believed was a single-minded devotion but he hoped from his innermost soul that this was not the only way to find a Gorgon’s head.

‘Very well,’ said Enyo and reached into her mouth. She took out one large tooth and held it up in her hand. Deino rotated her towards Perseus so she was reaching the right way. And – his whole body rigid to disguise his horror – Perseus stepped forward and took the tooth from her leathery fingers. He stepped back again and peered at it, holding it up to the dingy light.

‘Ah, I see,’ he said.

‘Must be nice,’ muttered Enyo.

‘I mean, I think I know where I could find more of these,’ said Perseus. ‘Ideally you’d like one each? Or more than one?’

The shift in the sisters’ mood was unmistakable. This silence dripped with hope.

‘More than one?’ asked Deino at last.

‘Each?’ said Pemphredo.

‘Some people have more than one tooth,’ said Perseus. ‘It makes it easier to chew, I think.’

‘It must do,’ said Enyo.

‘More than one,’ said Pemphredo. ‘Each. And eyes the same.’ The other two nodded.

‘That’s right,’ said Deino. ‘Two eyes each, and as many teeth as you can find.’

‘I feel confident about finding the teeth for you ladies,’ Perseus said. ‘But I don’t know if I can manage the eyes.’