orenda [leo valdez]

lxxii. The Return of Meg McCaffrey

❝she had a galaxy in her eyes, a universe in her mind❞

△△△

The first problem was the easiest: the Plexiglas wall. Apollo climbed into the spectator tiers with the help of a stepladder named Calypso, and found just such a control panel next to the arena's only padded seat.

Apollo called down to Calypso and Kira, "Are you ready?"

Calypso stood directly in front of the griffin enclosure, hands out as if preparing to catch a projectile egg. "What would constitute ready in a situation like this?"

Apollo flipped the switch. With a heavy ka-chunk, the griffins' Plexiglas screen dropped away, disappearing into a slot across the threshold.

Apollo rejoined them, who was humming some sort of lullaby. The two griffins were not impressed. Heloise growled loudly, pressing herself against the back wall of the enclosure. Abelard pulled at his chain twice as hard, trying to reach us and bite off our faces.

Calypso handed Apollo the packet of Tots. She pointed with her chin into the enclosure.

"You must be kidding," Apollo said. "If I get close enough to feed them, they'll eat me."

She stopped her song. "Aren't you the god of ranged weapons? Throw the Tots!"

Apollo raised his eyes toward the netted-off heavens. "Calypso, do you know nothing about these animals? To gain their trust, you must hand-feed them, putting your fingers inside the beak. This emphasizes that the food comes from you, as the mother bird."

"Huh." Calypso bit her lower lip. "I see the problem. You would make a terrible mother bird."

Abelard lunged and squawked at him. Kira managed a smile despite her fear for what was about to happen.

Calypso nodded as if she'd come to a decision. "It's going to take both of us. We'll sing a duet. You have a decent voice."

Kira breathed out a sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to sing.

"I have a..." Apollo's mouth hung agape. "Fine." he sighed. "Which duet should we sing? 'Islands in the Stream'?"

"Don't know it."

"'I Got You, Babe'?"

"No."

"Dear gods, I'm sure we covered the 1970s in your pop culture lessons."

Kira snorted. "Can I video this?"

"No!" Both of them snapped.

"What about that song Zeus used to sing?"

Apollo blinked. "Zeus...singing?"

Calypso's eyes got a little dreamy. "In the palace at Mount Othrys, when he was Kronos's cupbearer, Zeus used to entertain the court with songs."