Aegeus grasped Theseus by the shoulders and looked deep into his eyes as he explained the horror. Theseus had never seen his father look frightened before.
‘Somewhere below the Palace of King Minos lives a monster called the Minotaur. It is half a giant man, and half a giant bull, with dark green scaly skin and broken teeth stained red with human blood. Every year, Minos sacrifices fourteen young Greeks to it. He sends them into his maze, which is so brilliantly designed – God knows by whose sick mind – so full of twists and turns that it’s impossible for anyone to find their way out. But the Minotaur knows every inch of it. The young men and women who enter it never come out – the monster eats them alive.’
‘And this year, it’s Athens’ turn to provide a meal for the Minotaur, is it?’ asked Theseus.
‘That’s right,’ replied Aegeus. ‘Tonight, in the temple, the young people will draw lots to decide who should go.‘
‘Well, I’ll go for one,’ said Theseus, ‘and try and sort this thing out.‘