Medusa by Torkil Damhaug Page A

the terrace door with the other animals in tow. Axel followed. The night had cleared, and much of the sky was visible. He pointed out the Twins to them, and Cassiopeia.
    – But right next to them is a star you must never look at.
    He said no more, and all the girls turned to him.
    – What star is that? asked Natasha.
    – Its name is Algol; it’s in the constellation Perseus, he said. – That’s the name the Arabs gave it. It means the spirit that eats corpses.
    None of the girls said anything; they stood staring up into the dark.
    – Sometimes Algol is bright and clear, other times you can hardly see it; it changes all the time. Actually … Axel lowered his voice – actually it’s Medusa’s evil eye we can see up there. It’s winking at us. But you don’t want to hear any more about that …
    This was greeted by a chorus of complaints, and Marlen threatened to beat him up if he didn’t continue.
    – All right then, he said with a heavy sigh. – You leave me with no choice.
    He told them about Perseus, the son of the gods who was sent to the land of the Gorgons to capture the terrifying Medusa. He described the monster in minute detail, the snapping snakes that were her hair, the poisonous sulphur gas she breathed out. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he told them the most terrible detail of all: the eyes that were so ugly that anyone who looked into them was turned to stone. A kind of shiver passed through the flock of girls in fancy dress, and that sad little donkey, the one who reminded him of Cecilie Davidsen’s daughter, bit her lip and looked as though she was on the verge of tears. Fortunately Axel was able to tell them how Perseus, with the aid of a mirror, managed to cut the monster’s head off and squash it down into a sack. The girls sighed with relief.
    – The story doesn’t end there, he announced. – But I’ll spare you the rest.
    A new wave of protests, and reluctantly he had to continue the tale of Perseus’s triumphs.
    – Wherever he went, he took with him the sack with the monster’s head inside, and whenever he encountered any wicked enemies, he would pull it out. It was a terrible weapon, because anyone who met the Medusa’s gaze, even after she was dead, was turned to stone. And that’s the way things are still: no one who looks into the eyes of the Medusa lives to tell the tale.
    The girls all glanced at each other. No one said anything.
    – Perseus was proclaimed a superhero and he got his own constellation in the sky, Axel said in conclusion. – And in his hand he’s holding the head of the Medusa with her evil eye. But of course, I can’t show you that.
     
    Bie was seated at the kitchen table with a glass of red wine when he came down from the loft.
    – I’ve been down with Marlen, she said. – She’s still awake.
    Axel gave a broad smile.
    – She’s probably not come back down to earth again after the party. But I swear I didn’t give them coffee. Not even Coke.
    Bie looked at him.
    – Marlen said, This is the best birthday party in my whole life , imitating her daughter’s common-sense delivery, making Axel laugh. – Not to say the best day of my life.
    – Fortunately she says that every time, said Axel and sat down.
    Bie poured him a glass of wine.
    – You’ve always been good at playing. Unlike me. She’s lucky, Axel. She couldn’t have wished for a better father.
    He looked up at the ceiling. He experienced a sudden and almost irresistible urge to tell her about Miriam. About being in her flat. At that moment, Marlen called out.
    – You stay there, said Bie and stood up. As she passed him, she stroked his hair, then leaned over and kissed his ear.
    It was 10.30. Tom was still not home. Axel had sent him a text but got no answer, and it struck him that it was his son he should have spent the evening with. Taken him to the cinema, or a coffee bar.
    Bie came back up.
    – She wants to talk to you. No one else will do. She just won’t give