Athena’s gray eyes flashed angrily. “Poseidon! I should have guessed!” she hissed. An owl was perched on her shoulder. It glowered at us, too. “What are doing in my temple?”

No one answered. The sound of flapping wings broke the silence. I glanced up and saw a pigeon fly up the burnt-offering chimney. I didn’t even have to look back down to know that when I did, Zeus would be missing. How like him to morph into a pigeon and fly away rather than stick around to face his sizzling-mad daughter!

Athena’s face was red. Her helmet glowed with a fierce hot light. “Empty Necta-Cola cans on my porch,” she said, poking in Po’s direction with her spear. “Half-eaten fish parts! You’ve been picnicking at my temple!”

Eno’s kamara fell from her hand. She and Riley huddled behind Medusa, peeking out from behind her.

I spoke up. “We’re sorry, Athena. I know it looks bad, but—”

“Looks bad?” Athena cut me off. “I’ll say. And it’s about to look a whole lot worse.” She fixed her gaze on Medusa. “You, lowly goddess with the dark hair. Who are you?”

“Hoo, hoo?” echoed Athena’s owl.

“Medusa,” the moon goddess answered, taking a step forward.

“Medusa.” Athena nodded slowly. “I’ve seen you before.” She glanced at Po. “She’s the one you’re always going on and on about, isn’t she?”

“Right.” Po grinned. “She’s the one.”

“Medusa,” Athena repeated bitterly. “You, who enjoy the attentions of the sea god. You, who arrange picnics at temples where you have no business being. You are about to be punished.”

“Hold it, Athena,” I said. “The picnic wasn’t Medusa’s idea.”

“Quiet!” Athena snapped.

I eyed Po. I gestured for him to speak up, to tell Athena that he was the one with the bright idea of picnicking at her temple. But Po wouldn’t meet my gaze.

I tried again. “Athena, Po and I were the ones who—”

“Be quiet, Hades,” warned Athena. “This is my temple. I have the power here.”

“But, Athena—” I began. That was as far as I got.

Athena pointed at me and chanted:

“I told you once, I told you twice,
So now I freeze you hard as ice.”

I felt a jolt as my ichor turned to ice. I couldn’t move a muscle. I couldn’t say a word. Athena had zapped me with a freezing curse. Me, a major god! I had no idea her curses in verses were that powerful.

Athena smiled, then turned to Po. “Not a word out of you, Poseidon, or I’ll freeze you so fast you won’t know what hit you. Now watch while I gorgonize your little girlfriend.”

Athena raised her hands toward Medusa and began chanting:

“Hair-proud goddess, vain and haughty,
How you’ll wish you’d never been naughty.
How you’ll weep for insulting Athena,
Some goddesses are mean, but I’m much meaner!
Look in the mirror! You’ll get shivers and shakes;
Your long, thick hair is now a nest of snakes!”

Instantly, Medusa’s hair twisted itself into dozens of long dark braids. The braids began to pulse and throb. Then each one sprang horribly to life as a writhing green serpent.

Eno and Riley screamed.

“Don’t cry,” said Athena. “You get some, too!” She pointed a finger at them, and their hair turned to snakes. Eno’s were yellow with thin black stripes. Riley’s snakes were bright eyed.

“Hoo-hoo!” Athena’s owl hooted.

The poor moon goddesses! They needed help. I tried to break out of my icy state, but I was frozen solid.

Athena wasn’t finished. She chanted:

“Don’t look now, you’ve got bulging eyes,
Your teeth are tusks of enormous size!”

Athena pointed at each helpless goddess in turn. Their eyes bugged out. Huge boar’s tusks shot from their gums.

After a satisfied smirk, Athena kept going:

“Vile-smelling drool drips from your jaws,
Your skin is scaly, your feet have claws!”

Athena was out of control! Frozen or not, I had to do something.

Athena was powerful, but I, the firstborn of the great gods, was a power guy myself. I ruled a kingdom of fire. Of eternal flames and rivers of burning lava. I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and called upon the red-hot heat of my Underworld kingdom. Warmth began to flow up through the soles of my feet and into my body. The temperature of my ichor rose, getting hot, hot, hotter . . . .

Athena chanted on.

“You’re growing wings that are hard and shiny,
And tails with spikes are sprouting out of your—”

“STOP!” I cried.

“Hoo?” the owl hooted in surprise.

Yes! Fire had won over ice! I’d broken out of Athena’s spell.

“Hades! How dare you!” Athena cried. “I’m not finished here!”

“Oh, yes you are, Athena,” I said.

Eno and Riley looked at each other and burst into tears. Medusa put her arms around her sisters’ shoulders, trying to comfort them. Who wouldn’t be upset? The once lovely goddesses now had snakes for hair, bulbous eyes, tusks, scales, claws and wings. I wished I could have spoken up sooner, but at least I’d kept them from sprouting tails.

“Oh, they’re monsters!” Po moaned. “Horrible monsters.”

Po’s words seemed to cheer Athena. She tilted her helmeted head to the side, studying her creations. Then she muttered a few words to her owl. The bird rose from her shoulder and swooped down to where Eno’s kamara had fallen. The bird picked it up in its talons and flew back with it to his mistress.

“Thank you, Hoo,” said Athena. She pointed the kamara at the Gorgons.

Click!

Athena laughed. “Now you can remember this moment forever, monsters!”

“Call us what you like, Athena,” Medusa said. “But we know who we are. We are the daughters of Phorcys, a wise old god of the sea. We will survive, for we are also wise!”

I admired Medusa for standing up to Athena. But when she claimed to be wise, I braced myself. After all, Athena is the official goddess of wisdom. Under the circumstances, it wasn’t a good idea for Medusa to step on her goddess turf.

“Wise, are you, Medusa?” Athena shrieked. “Not wise enough to know when to keep your mouth shut!” She pointed to Medusa and began to chant again:

“Medusa, here’s a curse for you alone,
Whoever sees your face shall be turned to stone!
Gods or mortals, there’s no place to hide,
One peek at you, and they’re petrified!”

Po clapped his hands over his eyes. He wasn’t taking any chances. I looked away, too. I felt like a traitor. But I wanted to help the Gorgons, and I couldn’t do that if I got turned into stone.

“Your curse is weak, Athena,” said Medusa. “My sisters are gazing at my face right now, and they haven’t turned to stone.”

“Oh, so you want them to turn to stone?” cried Athena. “No problem!”

“Quick, sisters!” cried Medusa. “Fly!”

I heard flapping again, but this time of great, powerful wings as the Gorgons flew up and circled over our heads.

“I’ll get you, Gorgons!” Athena cried after them.

“Fly out of the temple, Eno!” Medusa called, flapping her wings. “Riley, flee quickly!”

“Tails with spikes!” Athena screamed. “Tails with scales! Tails so heavy your wings won’t lift you off the ground! You’ll have to crawl like lizards!”

As Athena ranted, the Gorgons swooped out through the arched doorway of the temple and vanished into the night.