by Rick Riordan
The goddess Iris must’ve been in a party mood too. As Percy and his friends strolled past the damaged Senate House, a dazzling rainbow appeared in the night sky. Unfortunately the goddess sent another blessing, too – a gentle rain of gluten-free R.O.F.L. cupcake simulations, which Percy figured would either make cleaning up harder, or rebuilding easier. The cupcakes would make great bricks.
For a while, Percy wandered the streets with Hazel and Frank, who kept brushing shoulders.
Finally he said, ‘I’m a little tired, guys. You go ahead.’
Hazel and Frank protested, but Percy could tell they wanted some time alone.
As he headed back to camp, he saw Mrs O’Leary playing with Hannibal in the Field of Mars. Finally, she’d found a playmate she could roughhouse with. They frolicked around, slamming into each other, breaking fortifications and generally having an excellent time.
At the fort gates, Percy stopped and gazed across the valley. It seemed like so long ago that he’d stood here with Hazel, getting his first good view of camp. Now he was more interested in watching the eastern horizon.
Tomorrow, maybe the next day, his friends from Camp Half-Blood would arrive. As much as he cared about Camp Jupiter, he couldn’t wait to see Annabeth again. He yearned for his old life – New York and Camp Half-Blood – but something told him it might be a while before he returned home. Gaia and the giants weren’t done causing trouble – not by a long shot.
Reyna had given him the second praetor’s house on the Via Principalis, but as soon as Percy looked inside he knew he couldn’t stay there. It was nice, but it was also full of Jason Grace’s stuff. Percy already felt uneasy taking Jason’s title of praetor. He didn’t want to take the guy’s house, too. Things would be awkward enough when Jason came back – and Percy was sure that he would be on that dragon-headed warship.
Percy headed back to the Fifth Cohort barracks and climbed into his bunk. He passed out instantly.
He dreamed he was carrying Juno across the Little Tiber.
She was disguised as a crazy old bag lady, smiling and singing an Ancient Greek lullaby as her leathery hands gripped Percy’s neck.
‘Do you still want to slap me, dear?’ she asked.
Percy stopped midstream. He let go and dumped the goddess in the river.
The moment she hit the water, she vanished and reappeared on the shore. ‘Oh, my,’ she cackled, ‘that wasn’t very heroic, even in a dream!’
‘Eight months,’ Percy said. ‘You stole eight months of my life for a quest that took a week. Why?’
Juno tutted disapprovingly. ‘You mortals and your short lives. Eight months is nothing, my dear. I lost eight centuries once, missed most of the Byzantine Empire.’
Percy summoned the power of the river. It swirled round him, spinning into a froth of white water.
‘Now, now,’ Juno said. ‘Don’t get testy. If we are to defeat Gaia, our plans must be timed perfectly. First, I needed Jason and his friends to free me from my prison –’
‘Your prison? You were in prison and they let you out?’
‘Don’t sound so surprised, dear! I’m a sweet old woman. At any rate, you weren’t needed at Camp Jupiter until now, to save the Romans at their moment of greatest crisis. The eight months between … well, I do have other plans brewing, my boy. Opposing Gaia, working behind Jupiter’s back, protecting your friends – it’s a full-time job! If I had to guard you from Gaia’s monsters and schemes as well, and keep you hidden from your friends back east all that time – no, much better you take a safe nap. You would have been a distraction – a loose cannon.’
‘A distraction.’ Percy felt the water rising with his anger, spinning faster round him. ‘A loose cannon.’
‘Exactly. I’m glad you understand.’
Percy sent a wave crashing down on the old woman, but Juno simply disappeared and materialized further down the shore.
‘My,’ she said, ‘you are in a bad mood. But you know I’m right. Your timing here was perfect. They trust you now. You are a hero of Rome. And while you slept Jason Grace has learned to trust the Greeks. They’ve had time to build the Argo II. Together, you and Jason will unite the camps.’
‘Why me?’ Percy demanded. ‘You and I never got along. Why would you want a loose cannon on your team?’
‘Because I know you, Percy Jackson. In many ways, you are impulsive, but when it comes to your friends you are as constant as a compass needle. You are unswervingly loyal, and you inspire loyalty. You are the glue that will unite the seven.’
‘Great,’ Percy said. ‘I always wanted to be glue.’
Juno laced her crooked fingers. ‘The Heroes of Olympus must unite! After your victory over Kronos in Manhattan … well, I fear that wounded Jupiter’s self-esteem.’
‘Because I was right,’ Percy said. ‘And he was wrong.’
The old lady shrugged. ‘He should be used to that, after so many aeons married to me, but alas! My proud and obstinate husband refuses to ask mere demigods for help again. He believes the giants can be fought without you, and Gaia can be forced back to her slumbers. I know better. But you must prove yourself. Only by sailing to the ancient lands and closing the Doors of Death will you convince Jupiter that you are worthy of fighting side by side with the gods. It will be the greatest quest since Aeneas sailed from Troy!’
‘And if we fail?’ Percy said. ‘If Romans and Greeks don’t get along?’
‘Then Gaia has already won. I’ll tell you this, Percy Jackson. The one who will cause you the most trouble is the one closest to you – the one who hates me most.’
‘Annabeth?’ Percy felt his anger rising again. ‘You never liked her. Now you’re calling her a troublemaker? You don’t know her at all. She’s the person I most want watching my back.’
The goddess smiled dryly. ‘We will see, young hero. She has a hard task ahead of her when you arrive in Rome. Whether she is up to it … I do not know.’
Percy summoned a fist of water and smashed it down at the old lady. When the wave receded, she was gone.
The river swirled out of Percy’s control. He sank into the darkness of the whirlpool.
LII
Percy
The next morning, Percy, Hazel and Frank ate breakfast early, then headed into the city before the senate was due to convene. As Percy was a praetor now, he could go pretty much wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
On the way, they passed the stables, where Tyson and Mrs O’Leary were sleeping in. Tyson snored on a bed of hay next to the unicorns, a blissful look on his face like he was dreaming of ponies. Mrs O’Leary had rolled on her back and covered her ears with her paws. On the stable roof, Ella roosted in a pile of old Roman scrolls, her head tucked under her wings.
When they got to the forum, they sat by the fountains and watched the sun come up. The citizens were already busy sweeping up cupcake simulations, confetti and party hats from last night’s celebration. The engineer corps was working on a new arch that would commemorate the victory over Polybotes.
Hazel said she’d even heard talk of a formal triumph for the three of them – a parade around the city followed by a week of games and celebrations – but Percy knew they’d never get the chance. They didn’t have time.
Percy told them about his dream of Juno.
Hazel frowned. ‘The gods were busy last night. Show him, Frank.’
Frank reached into his coat pocket. Percy thought he might bring out his piece of firewood, but instead he produced a thin paperback book and a note on red stationery.
‘These were on my pillow this morning.’ He passed them to Percy. ‘Like the Tooth Fairy visited.’
The book was The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Percy had never heard of it, but he could guess who sent it. The letter read: Good job, kid. A real man’s best weapon is his mind. This was your mom’s favourite book. Give it a read. P.S. – I hope your friend Percy has learned some
respect for me.
‘Wow.’ Percy handed back the book. ‘Maybe Mars is different than Ares. I don’t think Ares can read.’
Frank flipped through the pages. ‘There’s a lot in here about sacrifice, knowing the cost of war. Back in Vancouver, Mars told me I’d have to put my duty ahead of my life or the entire war would go sideways. I thought he meant freeing Thanatos, but now … I don’t know. I’m still alive, so maybe the worst is yet to come.’
He glanced nervously at Percy, and Percy got the feeling Frank wasn’t telling him everything. He wondered if Mars had said something about him, but Percy wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Besides, Frank had already given enough. He had watched his family home burn down. He’d lost his mother and his grandmother.
‘You risked your life,’ Percy said. ‘You were willing to burn up to save the quest. Mars can’t expect more than that.’
‘Maybe,’ Frank said doubtfully.
Hazel squeezed Frank’s hand.
They seemed more comfortable around each other this morning, not quite as nervous and awkward. Percy wondered if they’d started dating. He hoped so, but he decided it was better not to ask.
‘Hazel, how about you?’ Percy asked. ‘Any word from Pluto?’
She looked down. Several diamonds popped out of the ground at her feet. ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘In a way, I think he sent a message through Thanatos. My name wasn’t on that list of escaped souls. It should have been.’
‘You think your dad is giving you a pass?’ Percy asked.
Hazel shrugged. ‘Pluto can’t visit me or even talk to me without acknowledging I’m alive. Then he’d have to enforce the laws of death and have Thanatos bring me back to the Underworld. I think my dad is turning a blind eye. I think – I think he wants me to find Nico.’
Percy glanced at the sunrise, hoping to see a warship descending from the sky. So far, nothing.
‘We’ll find your brother,’ Percy promised. ‘As soon as the ship gets here, we’ll sail for Rome.’
Hazel and Frank exchanged uneasy looks, like they’d already talked about this.
‘Percy …’ Frank said. ‘If you want us to come along, we’re in. But are you sure? I mean … we know you’ve got tons of friends at the other camp. And you could pick anyone at Camp Jupiter now. If we’re not part of the seven, we’d understand –’
‘Are you kidding?’ Percy said. ‘You think I’d leave my team behind? After surviving Fleecy’s wheat germ, running from cannibals and hiding under blue giant butts in Alaska? Come on!’
The tension broke. All three of them started cracking up, maybe a little too much, but it was a relief to be alive, with the warm sun shining, and not worrying – at least for the moment – about sinister faces appearing in the shadows of the hills.
Hazel took a deep breath. ‘The prophecy Ella gave us – about the child of wisdom, and the mark of Athena burning through Rome … do you know what that’s about?’
Percy remembered his dream. Juno had warned that Annabeth had a difficult job ahead of her, and that she’d cause trouble for the quest. He couldn’t believe that, but still … it worried him.
‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted. ‘I think there’s more to the prophecy. Maybe Ella can remember the rest of it.’
Frank slipped his book into his pocket. ‘We need to take her with us – I mean, for her own safety. If Octavian finds out Ella has the Sibylline Books memorized …’
Percy shuddered. Octavian used prophecies to keep his power at camp. Now that Percy had taken away his chance at praetor, Octavian would be looking for other ways to exert influence. If he got hold of Ella …
‘You’re right,’ Percy said. ‘We’ve got to protect her. I just hope we can convince her –’
‘Percy!’ Tyson came running across the forum, Ella fluttering behind him with a scroll in her talons. When they reached the fountain, Ella dropped the scroll in Percy’s lap.
‘Special delivery,’ she said. ‘From an aura. A wind spirit. Yes, Ella got a special delivery.’
‘Good morning, brothers!’ Tyson had hay in his hair and peanut butter in his teeth. ‘The scroll is from Leo. He is funny and small.’
The scroll looked unremarkable, but when Percy spread it across his lap, a video recording flickered on the parchment. A kid in Greek armour grinned up at them. He had an impish face, curly black hair and wild eyes, like he’d just had several cups of coffee. He was sitting in a dark room with timber walls like a ship’s cabin. Oil lamps swung back and forth on the ceiling.
Hazel stifled a scream.
‘What?’ Frank asked. ‘What’s wrong?’
Slowly, Percy realized the curly-haired kid looked familiar – and not just from his dreams. He’d seen that face in an old photo.
‘Hey!’ said the guy in the video. ‘Greetings from your friends at Camp Half-Blood, et cetera. This is Leo. I’m the …’ He looked off screen and yelled: ‘What’s my title? Am I like admiral, or captain, or –’
A girl’s voice yelled back, ‘Repair boy.’
‘Very funny, Piper,’ Leo grumbled. He turned back to the parchment screen. ‘So yeah, I’m … ah … supreme commander of the Argo II. Yeah, I like that! Anyway, we’re gonna be sailing towards you in about, I dunno, an hour in this big mother warship. We’d appreciate it if you’d not, like, blow us out of the sky or anything. So okay! If you could tell the Romans that. See you soon. Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out.’
The parchment turned blank.
‘It can’t be,’ Hazel said.
‘What?’ Frank asked. ‘You know that guy?’
Hazel looked like she’d seen a ghost. Percy understood why. He remembered the photo in Hazel’s abandoned house in Seward. The kid on the warship looked exactly like Hazel’s old boyfriend.
‘It’s Sammy Valdez,’ she said. ‘But how … how –’
‘It can’t be,’ Percy said. ‘That guy’s name is Leo. And it’s been seventy-something years. It has to be a …’
He wanted to say a coincidence, but he couldn’t make himself believe that. Over the past few years he’d seen a lot of things: destiny, prophecy, magic, monsters, fate. But he’d never yet run across a coincidence.
They were interrupted by horns blowing in the distance. The senators came marching into the forum with Reyna at the lead.
‘It’s meeting time,’ Percy said. ‘Come on. We’ve got to warn them about the warship.’
‘Why should we trust these Greeks?’ Octavian was saying.
He’d been pacing the senate floor for five minutes, going on and on, trying to counter what Percy had told them about Juno’s plan and the Prophecy of Seven.
The senate shifted restlessly, but most of them were too afraid to interrupt Octavian while he was on a roll. Meanwhile the sun climbed in the sky, shining through the broken senate roof and giving Octavian a natural spotlight.
The Senate House was packed. Queen Hylla, Frank and Hazel sat in the front row with the senators. Veterans and ghosts filled the back rows. Even Tyson and Ella had been allowed to sit in the back. Tyson kept waving and grinning at Percy.
Percy and Reyna occupied matching praetors’ chairs on the dais, which made Percy self-conscious. It wasn’t easy looking dignified wearing a bedsheet and a purple cape.
‘The camp is safe,’ Octavian continued. ‘I’ll be the first to congratulate our heroes for bringing back the legion’s eagle and so much Imperial gold! Truly we have been blessed with good fortune. But why do more? Why tempt fate?’
‘I’m glad you asked.’ Percy stood, taking the question as an opening.
Octavian stammered, ‘I wasn’t –’
‘– part of the quest,’ Percy said. ‘Yes, I know. And you’re wise to let me explain, since I was.’
Some of the senators snickered. Octavian had no choice but to sit down and try not to look embarrassed.
‘Gaia is waking,’ Percy said. ‘We’ve defeated two of her giants, but that’s only the beginning. The real war will take place in the old land of the gods. The quest will take us to Rome, and eventually to Greece.’
An uneasy ripple spread through the senate.
‘I know, I know,’ Percy said. ‘You’ve always thought of the Greeks as your enemies. And there’s a good reason for that. I think the gods have kept our two camps apart because whenever we meet we fight. But that can change. It has to change if we’re to defeat Gaia. That’s what the Prophecy of Seven means. Seven demigods, Greek and Roman, will have to close the Doors of Death together.’
‘Ha!’ shouted a Lar from the back row. ‘The last time a praetor tried to interpret the Prophecy of Seven, it was Michael Varus, who lost our eagle in Alaska! Why should we believe you now?’
Octavian smiled smugly. Some of his allies in the senate began nodding and grumbling. Even some of the veterans looked uncertain.
‘I carried Juno across the Tiber,’ Percy reminded them, speaking as firmly as he could. ‘She told me that the Prophecy of Seven is coming to pass. Mars also appeared to you in person. Do you think two of your most important gods would appear at camp if the situation wasn’t serious?’
‘He’s right,’ Gwen said from the second row. ‘I, for one, trust Percy’s word. Greek or not, he restored the honour of the legion. You saw him on the battlefield last night. Would anyone here say he is not a true hero of Rome?’
Nobody argued. A few nodded in agreement.
Reyna stood. Percy watched her anxiously. Her opinion could change everything – for better or worse.
‘You claim this is a combined quest,’ she said. ‘You claim Juno intends for us to work with this – this other group, Camp Half-Blood. Yet the Greeks have been our enemies for aeons. They are known for their deceptions.’
‘Maybe so,’ Percy said. ‘But enemies can become friends. A week ago, would you have thought Romans and Amazons would be fighting side by side?’