Adelia's POV:
Hermes ignored them. "One night, when this boy's mother wasn't watching, he sneaked out of their cave and stole some cattle that belonged to Apollo."
"Did he get blasted into tiny pieces?" I asked.
"Hmm ... no. Actually, everything turned out quite well. To make up for his theft, the boy gave Apollo an instrument he'd invented—a lyre. Apollo was so enchanted with the music that he forgot all about being angry."
"So what's the moral?" Percy asked
"The moral?" Hermes asked. "Goodness, you act like it's a fable. It's a true story. Does truth have a moral?"
"Um ..."
"How about this: stealing is not always bad?"
"I don't think my mom would like that moral."
Rats are delicious, suggested George.
What does that have to do with the story? Martha demanded.
Nothing, George said. But I'm hungry.
"I've got it," Hermes said. "Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that?"
"You're saying we should go anyway," I said, "even without permission."
Hermes's eyes twinkled. "Martha, may I have the first package, please?"
Martha opened her mouth ... and kept opening it until it was as wide as my arm. Gross.
She belched out a stainless steel canister—an old-fashioned lunch box thermos with a black plastic top. The sides of the thermos were enameled with red and yellow Ancient Greek scenes—a hero killing a lion; a hero lifting up Cerberus, the three-headed dog.
"That's Hercules," I said. "But how—"
"Never question a gift," Hermes chided. "This is a collector's item from Hercules Busts Heads. The first season."
"Hercules Busts Heads?"
"Great show." Hermes sighed. "Back before Hephaestus-TV was all reality programming. Of course, the thermos would be worth much more if I had the whole lunch box—"
Or if it hadn't been in Martha's mouth, George added.
I'll get you for that. Martha began chasing him around the caduceus.
"Wait a minute," Percy said. "This is a gift?"
"One of two," Hermes said. "Go on, pick it up."
I almost dropped it because it was freezing cold on one side and burning hot on the other.
The weird thing was, when I turned the thermos, the side facing the ocean— north—was always the cold side....
"It's a compass!" I said.
Hermes looked surprised. "Very clever. I never thought of that. But its intended use is a bit more dramatic. Uncap it, and you will release the winds from the four corners of the earth to speed you on your way. Not now! And please, when the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are a bit like me—always restless. Should all four escape at once ... ah, but I'm sure you'll be careful. And now my second gift. George?"
She's touching me, George complained as he and Martha slithered around the pole.
"She's always touching you," Hermes said. "You're intertwined. And if you don't stop that, you'll get knotted again!
The snakes stopped wrestling.
George unhinged his jaw and coughed up a little plastic bottle filled with chewable vitamins.
"You're kidding," Percy said. "Are those Minotaur-shaped?"
Hermes picked up the bottle and rattled it. "The lemon ones, yes. The grape ones are Furies, I think. Or are they hydras? At any rate, these are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really need it."
"How will I know if I really, really need it?"
"You'll know, believe me. Nine essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids ... oh, everything you need to feel yourself again."
He tossed me the bottle.
"Um, thanks," I said. "But Lord Hermes, why are you helping us?"
He gave me a melancholy smile. "Perhaps because I hope that you can save many people on this quest. Not just your friend Grover."
Percy stared at him. "You don't mean ... Luke?"
Hermes didn't answer.
"Look," Percy said. "Lord Hermes, I mean, thanks and everything, but you might as well take back your gifts. Luke can't be saved. Even if I could find him ... he told me he wanted to tear down Olympus stone by stone. He betrayed everybody he knew. He—he hates you especially."
"Woah- Percy harsh much. Luke might ya know, still be good. Possessed maybe?" I said. I mean it's Luke. Annabeth's mentor Luke. Luke the guy who i beat in swords and he helped me with my activities.
Hermes gazed up at the stars. "My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the Internet—"
"You invented the Internet?" I said interrupting
It was my idea, Martha said.
Rats are delicious, George said. He kinda reminds me of Percy and food. Like he just wont shut up about it.
"It was my idea!" Hermes said. "I mean the Internet, not the rats. But that's not the point. Percy, do you understand what I'm saying about family?"
"I—I'm not sure."
"You will some day." Hermes got up and brushed the sand off his legs. "In the meantime, I must be going."
You have sixty calls to return, Martha said.
And one thousand-thirty-eight e-mails, George added. Not counting the offers for online discount ambrosia.
"And you two," Hermes said, "have a shorter deadline than you realize to complete your quest. Your friends should be coming right about ... now."
I heard Annabeth's voice calling my name from the sand dunes. Tyson, too, was shouting from a little bit farther away.
"I hope I packed well for you," Hermes said. "I do have some experience with travel."
He snapped his fingers and four yellow duffel bags appeared at my feet. "Waterproof, of course. If you ask nicely, your father should be able to help you reach the ship."
"Ship?"
Hermes pointed. Sure enough, a big cruise ship was cutting across Long Island Sound, its white-and-gold lights glowing against the dark water.
"Wait," I said. "I don't understand any of this. We haven't even agreed to go!"
"I'd make up your mind in the next five minutes, if I were you," Hermes advised. "That's when the harpies will come to eat you. Now, good night, cousins, and dare I say it? May the gods go with you."
He opened his hand and the caduceus flew into it.
Good luck, Martha told us.
Bring me back a rat, George said.
The caduceus changed into a cell phone and Hermes slipped it into his pocket.
He jogged off down the beach. Twenty paces away, he shimmered and vanished, leaving me alone with a thermos, a bottle of chewable vitamins, and five minutes to make an impossible decision.
We were staring at the waves when Annabeth and Tyson found me.
"What's going on?" Annabeth asked. "I heard you calling for help!"
"Me, too!" Tyson said. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"
"We didn't call you guys," I said. "We're fine." Although being ambushed by a greek god with sketchy vitamins is kinda not fine.
"But then who ..." Annabeth noticed the three yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins I was holding. "What—"
"Just listen," I said. "We don't have much time."
I told them about Percy and I's conversation with Hermes. By the time I was finished, I could hear screeching in the distance—patrol harpies picking up our scent.
"You guys" Annabeth said, "we have to do the quest."
"We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled." Percy whispered, trying not to attract the harpies
"So? If we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to."
"Yeah, but you promised Chiron—"
"I promised I'd keep you from danger. I can only do that by coming with you! Tyson can stay behind and tell them—"
"I want to go," Tyson said.
"No!" Annabeth's voice sounded close to panic. "I mean ... Percy, come on. You know that's impossible."
I wondered again why she had such a grudge against Cyclopes. There was something she wasn't telling us.
"JESUS CHRIST GUYS THANKS FOR INCLUDING ME-" i yelled with Annabeth rushing over to cover my mouth. I pushed her hand off, "Sorry. But i vote we go. Soz Kelp Head but I'm with Annie on this. We need to save the camp."
"Kelp head?" Percy said.
"It just kind of slipped out, i like it though so I'm gunna keep using it."
"OMG," chimed in Annabeth, "I have one - Seaweed Brain!"
"THAT. IS. AMAZING!" i said.
"Hey! Can we not come up with dumb nicknames for me. I need to come up with some for you two." Percy said taking offence. Me and Annabeth were giggling away until he actually came up with some.
"I've got it! Wise girl and Moon girl!" Percy said.
"TAKE THAT BACK!" i yelled tackling him to the sand. He was shaking his head while Annabeth was gathering our stuff.
"Guys. Quest. Camp. Tree." Annabeth
"Right, right. Sorry Bethy," i said. "Hey that's another one for you! Sorry...Sorry"
Percy stood up and asked, "What were we talking about?" I facepalmed. The harpies were getting closer and this blithering idiot can't remember what we are doing.
"We were discussing if Tyson should go on the quest." I told him.
"Wasn't a discussion!" Annabeth chimed in.
She and Tyson both looked at Percy, waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away.
The thing was, part of me didn't want Tyson along. I felt shit about it but quests had always been Annabeth, Percy, Grover and I. this would ruin it.
Plus, I didn't know how much help he'd be, or how we'd keep him safe. Sure, he was strong, but Tyson was a little kid in Cyclops terms, maybe seven or eight years old, mentally. I could see him freaking out and starting to cry while we were trying to sneak past a monster or something. He'd get us all killed.
On the other hand, the sound of the harpies was getting closer.... like really fucking close.
"We can't leave him," Percy decided. "Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."
"Percy," Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island!
Polyphemus is an S-i-k ... a C-y-k..." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. We could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean!"
It was kind of funny...
"Tyson can go," Percy insisted, "if he wants to."
Tyson clapped his hands. "Want to!"
Annabeth gave Percy the evil eye, I couldn't help but agree even though she was being bitchy about it. She dropped the subject.
Or maybe she just knew we didn't have time to argue.
"All right," she said. "How do we get to that ship?"
"Hermes said my father would help."
"Well then, Seaweed Brain? What are you waiting for?" Percy rolled his eyes at the nickname. But it wasn't going away anytime soon.
"Urn, Dad?" he called. "How's it going?"
"Percy!" I whispered. "We're in a hurry!" I didn't want to rush him because it's hard i guess trying to connect with your godly parent. I wouldn't know.
"We need your help," he called a little louder. "We need to get to that ship, like, before we get eaten and stuff, so ..."
At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, three white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean.
As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of four white stallions reared out of the waves.
Tyson caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"
He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, I saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.
"Hippocampi!" Annabeth said. "They're beautiful."
The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth.
"We'll admire them later," I said. "Come on!"
"There!" a voice screeched behind us. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"
Fuck.
Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes—plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies. They reminded me of miniature cafeteria ladies who'd been crossbred with dodo birds. They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught you. We are dead meat. Dead demigod meat.
"Tyson!" Percy said. "Grab a duffel bag!"
He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open, "Tyson!" i yelled.
"Uh?"
"Come on!"
We got him moving. We gathered the bags and mounted our steeds.
Poseidon must've known Tyson was one of the passengers, because one hippocampus was much larger than the other three—just right for carrying a Cyclops.