The Arrow’s flight paused. Everything was silent. The folds of the Python fell away as if they were nothing but air, and standing a few feet away from them now was a man.

His skin was scaly, his eyes were red, and his mouth opened to let out a forked tongue.

Python was walking ever more slowly, pace by pace, towards the Arrow, where it hung in the air. He paused at the edge of its aura, and held out a hand towards it. Then he sighed with displeasure. ‘I cannot touch it, of course. I cannot touch the thing made by my enemy. But I can touch you.’ Silvius was gazing at him, eyes glazing over.

Python flicked his head towards Silvius, and sent out a force that hurled him crashing into the smoking rocks, knocking him almost unconscious.

‘You are not strong enough to shoot the Bow, Elissa,’ hissed Python. ‘Apollo is not often wrong. I will grant him that. But he was wrong to choose you.’

‘You’re wrong,’ Tisamenos said. ‘She has strength, and power.’

‘The battle rages still,’ said Python. ‘Your father Orestes is not as good a fighter as he was, is he, Tisamenos?’’ he hissed, circling the boy. ‘You could so easily have been like us. You and the Gorgon were alike in the end, were you not? How many people have you turned to stone?’

Tisamenos clutched his head.

‘He is different!’ Elissa spoke through her teeth. ‘He has goodness in him. The Last Gorgon was a monster!’

‘Silence, Elissa. The stones are talking to you now, Tisamenos, aren’t they? And what are they saying to you?’

‘I will not tell you!’ answered Tisamenos.

Elissa rushed at Python, but he flicked her away, and she landed among the rocks. If only she could reach the Arrow. But Python was now between her and it.

She saw that Silvius was coming back to consciousness. Python was circling Tisamenos, whispering to him. Elissa was a few paces away from him, on her back.

She caught Silvius’s eye. He looked dazed. She had to get him to help her. There was a meteoric rock just by his hand. A flicker of understanding passed over his eyes. Python’s attention was distracted. Before Elissa could blink, Silvius had already grasped the rock, hefted it, aimed and flung it at Python’s head.

Python stumbled, knocked flat onto his front. It was enough. The Arrow was still hanging suspended above him. She could get it if she jumped. She just needed him to stay down.

Tisamenos was now kneeling on the ground and touching the rock. And then he closed his eyes.

‘You don’t have to do it!’ she called.

‘I do.’