Prophesied Powder, PJO

2.9

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Chapter 20
Another Roadblock in Our Way

Volume 2: The Sea of Monsters

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Pallas was awake when they approached land again. The sun was beginning to set behind a city skyline, and Pallas noted the beachside and palm trees. Storefronts glowed with red and blue neon, and a close harbor was filled with sailboats and cruise ships.

"Miami, I think," Annabeth told them after Percy had woken up. "But the hippocampi are acting funny."

The fish had slowed down, now whinnying and swimming in circles. They sniffed the water, and they did not look happy. One of them sneezed.

"This is as far as they'll take us," Percy said. "Too many humans. Too much pollution. We'll have to swim to shore on our own."

All of them were annoyed at that and sleepy, but they still thanked Rainbow and his friends for the ride. Tyson cried a little. He unfastened the makeshift saddle pack he had made, which contained his tool kit and a couple of other things he had salvaged from the Birmingham wreck. He hugged Rainbow around the neck, gave him a soggy mango he had picked up on the island, and said goodbye.

Once the hippocampi's white manes disappeared into the sea, they swam for shore. The waves pushed them forward--merci, Percy--and in no time, they were back in the mortal world.

Along the cruise line docks, they stayed close together to push through crowds of people arriving for vacations. Pat's mental resolve must have snapped about two swimming trips ago, because at one point, he simply started shoving people and yelling, "Blind child coming through! Beat it! Allons-y!" It was surprisingly effective at getting middle-aged women with pitying looks to move their families away from them.

Porters bustled around with carts of luggage. Taxi drivers yelled at each other in Spanish and tried to cut in line for customers. If anybody noticed how odd the seven of them looked—dripping wet and showing their fight with Polyphemus—they did not mention it.

Among the mortals, Tyson's eye had blurred from the Mist. Grover had put on his cap and sneakers. Even the Fleece had transformed from sheepskin to a red-and-gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.

Annabeth ran to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date on the Miami Herald. She cursed. "June eighteenth! We've been away from camp ten days!"

"That's impossible!" Clarisse said. Time traveled differently in monstrous places though.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?" Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered—"

"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest—"

"Stop it!" Percy said. Clarisse put her head in her hands. Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration. "Clarisse," Percy said, "what did the Oracle tell you exactly?"

When she looked up, she looked scared. Pallas thought back to Ares in the boiler room and understood why. If she failed him--embarrassed him--Pallas did not think he would see Clarisse around for a full year again. After a deep breath, she recited her prophecy.