The Gorgon Slayer Read Free

genie appeared.
    No big deal
, Warren thought,
genies are everywhere
. He once switched his dad’s aftershave for a magic lamp. The old man was sosurprised he almost dropped the poor genie in the toilet.
    “Yes, master?” the genie asked now.
    “Take care of these two while I deal with a real customer.” Harry shuffled off into his maze of shelves.
    The genie looked wearily at Rick and Warren. “How much was Harry going to charge you for these extermination kits?”
    Warren’s escapade with the witch had taught him never to lie to anything that could throw a spell on him. “Twenty-eight fifty.”
    “I’ll let you have them for fourteen and a quarter.”
    Warren nodded, a little shocked. “Put them on Prince Charming’s account.”
    With the kits tucked safely under their arms, Rick asked the obvious question. “Why so cheap?”
    “That isn’t cheap,” the genie said, “that’s the going rate. Happy Harry is a swindler. There’s nothing in this store worth more than fifteen.”
    “Why do you work for such a cheat?”
    The genie sighed. “Do I have a choice? Hefound my lamp. But just one more wish and
poof!
I’m out of here.”
    “Thanks,” Rick said.
    “Yeah, thanks.” As Warren followed Rick out the door, Harry waddled back and tried to settle a tiny hat on the Centaur’s head. He said cabby hats were really in demand nowadays, but since Ernie was such a good customer, he would let him have it for only twenty-eight fifty.
    “Remind me to talk to Princey about Happy Harry when this is all over,” Warren said to Rick.
    “You better write it down,” Rick said, “just in case being turned to stone affects my memory.”

C HAPTER 3
    Helga Thorensen lived in a white marble temple with five Greek columns across the front, just like every other house in the city. Rick rang the bell. A woman who had probably been old when the gods were babies answered.
    “Ya?” she said in a Scandinavian accent as thick as spoiled cream.
    “Helga Thorensen?” Warren asked.
    “Ya, that’s me.”
    “Mrs. Thorensen, we’re with Prince Charming’s Damsel in Distress Rescue Agency. Weunderstand you have a Gorgon in your basement.”
    Helga blinked her watery eyes. She had long silver hair that instead of staying in the bun on the top of her head was settling down above her eyes, as if she were wearing a sun visor. The last thing she looked like was a damsel.
    “Oh, so that Mr. Charming sent out two more of you, hey? I was thinking of how to get rid of the three already in my cellar. Now I have to deal with two more. Jiminey!”
    “Not to worry, Mrs. Thorensen.” Warren tried to sound as if he did this sort of thing every day, which he pretty much did. “The professionals are here now.”
    “Ya, you bet. That’s what the others said.” She waved a meaty hand in their direction as she stepped back into the room. “Come in, and close the door before you let all the flies in. Jiminey!”
    The living room looked just as Warren had expected it would—stuffed with things that he guessed Helga considered treasures and everyoneelse considered junk. On top of the television sat a photo of a farmer trying to keep a team of flying horses from dragging a plow through a second-story window. A plaster cast of Pandora’s box rested on the bookshelf near a gilt-edged framed certificate declaring Helga an official voting member of the original Jason and the Argonauts fan club. It reminded Warren of his grandparents’ place.
    “The cellar is down through the kitchen,” Helga said. “If you can’t get rid of the Gorgon, I won’t pay that Mr. Charming to have his rockheads moved out of here. You tell him that, if you aren’t rockheads yourselves.”
    “Don’t worry, Mrs. Thorensen. We’ll take care of everything.” Warren slipped his shield over his forearm and got a good grip on his sword. He turned to Rick, who was doing the same. “Remember, look only into your shield.”
    “Right.” They headed down the