by Rick Riordan
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 b
ecome friends. A week ago, would you have thought Romans and Amazons would be fighting side by side?’
Queen Hylla laughed. ‘He’s got a point.’
‘The demigods of Camp Half-Blood have already been working with Camp Jupiter,’ Percy said. ‘We just didn’t realize it. During the Titan War last summer, while you were attacking Mount Othrys, we were defending Mount Olympus in Manhattan. I fought Kronos myself.’
Reyna backed up, almost tripping over her toga. ‘You … what?’
‘I know it’s hard to believe,’ Percy said. ‘But I think I’ve earned your trust. I’m on your side. Hazel and Frank – I’m sure they’re meant to go with me on this quest. The other four are on their way from Camp Half-Blood right now. One of them is Jason Grace, your old praetor.’
‘Oh, come on!’ Octavian shouted. ‘He’s making things up, now.’
Reyna frowned. ‘It is a lot to believe. Jason is coming back with a bunch of Greek demigods? You say they’re going to appear in the sky in a heavily armed warship, but we shouldn’t be worried.’
‘Yes.’ Percy looked over the rows of nervous, doubtful spectators. ‘Just let them land. Hear them out. Jason will back up everything I’m telling you. I swear it on my life.’
‘On your life?’ Octavian looked meaningfully at the senate. ‘We will remember that, if this turns out to be a trick.’
Right on cue, a messenger rushed into the Senate House, gasping as if he’d run all the way from camp. ‘Praetors! I’m sorry to interrupt, but our scouts report -’
‘Ship!’ Tyson said happily, pointing at the hole in the ceiling. ‘Yay!’
Sure enough, a Greek warship appeared out of the clouds, about a half a mile away, descending towards the Senate House. As it got closer, Percy could see bronze shields glinting along the sides, billowing sails and a familiar-looking figurehead shaped like a metal dragon. On the tallest mast, a big white flag of truce snapped in the wind.
The Argo II. It was the most incredible ship he’d ever seen.
‘Praetors!’ the messenger cried. ‘What are your orders?’
Octavian shot to his feet. ‘You need to ask?’ His face was red with rage. He was strangling his teddy bear. ‘The omens are horrible! This is a trick, a deception. Beware Greeks bearing gifts!’
He jabbed a finger at Percy. ‘His friends are attacking in a warship. He has led them here. We must attack!’
‘No,’ Percy said firmly. ‘You all raised me as praetor for a reason. I will fight to defend this camp with my life. But these aren’t enemies. I say we stand ready, but do not attack. Let them land. Let them speak. If it is a trick, then I will fight with you, as I did last night. But it is not a trick.’
All eyes turned towards Reyna.
She studied the approaching warship. Her expression hardened. If she vetoed Percy’s orders … well, he didn’t know what would happen. Chaos and confusion, at the very least. Most likely, the Romans would follow her lead. She’d been their leader much longer than Percy.
‘Hold your fire,’ Reyna said. ‘But have the legion stand ready. Percy Jackson is your duly chosen praetor. We will trust his word – unless we are given clear reason not to. Senators, let us adjourn to the forum and meet our … new friends.’
The senators stampeded out of the auditorium – whether from excitement or panic, Percy wasn’t sure. Tyson ran after them, yelling, ‘Yay! Yay!’ with Ella fluttering around his head.
Octavian gave Percy a disgusted look, then threw down his teddy bear and followed the crowd.
Reyna stood at Percy’s shoulder.
‘I support you, Percy,’ she said. ‘I trust your judgement. But, for all our sakes, I hope we can keep the peace between our campers and your Greek friends.’
‘We will,’ he promised. ‘You’ll see.’
She glanced up at the warship. Her expression turned a little wistful. ‘You say Jason is aboard … I hope that’s true. I’ve missed him.’
She marched outside, leaving Percy alone with Hazel and Frank.
‘They’re coming down right in the forum,’ Frank said nervously. ‘Terminus is going to have a heart attack.’
‘Percy,’ Hazel said, ‘you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, Octavian is going to kill you. You know that, right?’
Percy smiled. He knew the stakes were high. He knew this day could go horribly wrong. But he also knew that Annabeth was on that ship. If things went right, this would be the best day of his life.
He threw one arm round Hazel and one arm round Frank.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Let me introduce you to my other family.’
Glossary
absurdus out of place, discordant
Achilles the mightiest of the Greek demigods who fought in the Trojan War
Aesculapius the Roman god of medicine and healing
Alcyoneus the eldest of the giants born to Gaia, destined to fight Pluto
Amazons a nation of all-female warriors
Anaklusmos Riptide: the name of Percy Jackson’s sword
argentum silver
Argonauts a band of Greek heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus.
augury a sign of something coming, an omen; the practice of divining the future
aurae invisible wind spirits
aurum gold
basilisk snake, literally ‘little crown’
Bellerophon a Greek demigod, son of Poseidon, who defeated monsters while riding on Pegasus
Bellona the Roman goddess of war
Byzantium the eastern empire that lasted another 1,000 years after Rome fell, under Greek influence
Celestial bronze a rare metal deadly to monsters
Centaur a race of creatures that is half human, half horse
centurion an officer of the Roman army
Cerberus the three-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld
Ceres the Roman goddess of agriculture
Charon the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron, which divide the world of the living from the world of the dead
cognomen third name
cohort a Roman military unit
Cyclops (Cyclopes, pl.) a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead
denarius (denarii, pl.) the most common coin in the Roman currency system
drachma the silver coin of Ancient Greece
Elysium the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous in the Underworld
Erebos a place of darkness between Earth and Hades
faun a Roman forest god, part goat and part man. Greek form: satyr
Fields of Asphodel the section of the Underworld where the souls of people who lived lives of equal good and evil rest
Fields of Punishment the section of the Underworld where evil souls are eternally tortured
Fortuna the Roman goddess of fortune and good luck
Fulminata armed with lightning; a Roman legion under Julius Caesar whose emblem was a lightning bolt (fulmen)
Gaia the earth goddess; mother of Titans, giants, Cyclopes and other monsters. Known to the Romans as Terra
Gegenes earthborn monsters
gladius a short sword
gorgons three monstrous sisters (Stheno, Euryale and Medusa) who have hair of living, venomous snakes; Medusa’s eyes can turn the beholder to stone
graecus Greek; enemy; outsider
greaves shin armour
gris-gris a voodoo amulet that protects from evil or brings luck
harpy a winged female creature that snatches things
Hercules the Roman equivalent of Heracles; the son of Jupiter and Alcmene, who was born with great strength
Hyperboreans peaceful northern giants
ichor the golden blood of immortals
Imperial gold a rar
e metal deadly to monsters, consecrated at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors
Iris the rainbow goddess
Juno Roman goddess of women, marriage and fertility; sister and wife of Jupiter; mother of Mars. Greek form: Hera
Jupiter Roman king of the gods; also called Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the best and the greatest). Greek form: Zeus
karpoi grain spirits
Laistrygonians tall cannibals from the north, possibly the source of the Sasquatch legend
Lar (Lares, pl.) house god, ancestral spirit
legion the major unit of the Roman army, consisting of infantry and cavalry troops
legionnaire a member of a legion
Liberalia a Roman festival that celebrated a boy’s rite of passage into manhood
Lupa the sacred Roman she-wolf that nursed the foundling twins Romulus and Remus
Mars the Roman god of war; also called Mars Ultor. Patron of the empire; divine father of Romulus and Remus. Greek form: Ares
Minerva Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
Mist magic force that disguises things from mortals
Mount Othrys the base of the Titans during the ten-year war with the Olympian gods; Saturn’s headquarters
muster formal military inspection
nebulae cloud nymphs
Neptune the Roman god of the sea. Greek form: Poseidon
Otrera first Amazon queen, daughter of Ares
pallium a cloak or mantle worn by the Romans
Pantheon a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome
Penthesilea a queen of the Amazons; daughter of Ares and Otrera, another Amazon queen
Periclymenus a Greek prince of Pylos and a son of Poseidon, who granted him the ability to shape-shift. He was renowned for his strength and participated in the voyage of the Argonauts.
Phineas a son of Poseidon, who had the gift of prophecy. When he revealed too much of the plans of the gods, Zeus punished him by blinding him.
pilum a Roman spear
Pluto the Roman god of death and riches. Greek equivalent: Hades
