VIDEO GAMES! (p. jackson) (#1)

- eleven

act i, chapter xi
december 19, 2018
san francisco, ca

"WE WILL NEVER MAKE IT," ZOE SAID. "We are moving too slow. But we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," Bessie said. He swam next to them as they jogged along the waterfront. They'd left the shopping center pier far behind. They were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than Rose had thought. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Rose said. "Why do we have to get there by sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoë explained. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What if we miss it?" Percy asked.

"Tomorrow is the solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis and your friend tonight."

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" Rose asked.

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?" Percy nodded. "So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound. Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following Percy," Rose said. "If Percy's not there, would Bessie know where he's going?"

"I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him. I'm the only one who can talk to him, it makes sense."

He bent down and said something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered before making a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, can you pray to your dad?"

"Dad," Percy said quietly, head bowed. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

Percy thought for a second. Then he took off his coat.

"Percy," Rose said, "are you sure? That lion skin is really helpful. Hercules used it."

"If I'm going to survive, it won't be because I've got a lion skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

He threw the coat into the water. As as it sank, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the waves.

The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped in the water. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," Rose said.

"We will," Grover replied. "Okay, Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east."

"Mooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. and... it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge underwater as Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater!"

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoë said. "But how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"Thalia's right," Percy said. "We need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, uh, borrowed one."

Rose didn't like that option. Sure, this was a life-or-death situation, but still, it was stealing, and it was bound to get them noticed.

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There is somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."