Grimacing, gaping, grinning, mischievous creatures perched close to Heaven, they invite us, dare us, to raise our gaze. Faith Salie gets an up-close look at the gargoyles and grotesques that decorate the upper reaches of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., from the menacing (Medusa, Darth Vader) to the cheeky (a crooked politician – perfect for the nation's capital!). Salie also talks with the cathedral's head mason, Joe Alonso; with stone carver Walter S. Arnold and sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter; and with gargoyle expert Janetta Rebold Benton about the history of these church denizens