𝒗. 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

𝒊𝒗.

They emerged in Central Park just north of the Pond. Mrs. O'Leary looked pretty tired as she limped over to a cluster of boulders. She started sniffing around, and Percy was afraid she might mark her territory, but Nico said, "It's okay. She just smells the way home." 

Percy frowned. "Through the rocks?" 

"The Underworld has two major entrances," Nico said. "You know the one in L.A." 

"Charon's ferry." 

Nico nodded. "Most souls go that way, but there's a smaller path, harder to find. The Door of Orpheus." 

"The dude with the harp." 

"Dude with the lyre," Nico corrected. "But yeah, him. He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades's palace and almost got away with his wife's soul." 

Noelle remembered the story. Orpheus wasn't supposed to look behind him when he was leading his wife back to the world, but of course he did. It was one of those typical "and-so-they-died/the-end" stories that always made her feel warm and fuzzy. 

"So this is the Door of Orpheus." Percy tried to be impressed, but it still looked like a pile of rocks to him. "How does it open?" 

"We need music," Nico said. "How's your singing?" 

"Not nearly as good as Noelle's."

Noelle felt herself flush and she tried to hide her face. "Uh, no thanks. Can't you just, like, tell it to open? You're the son of Hades and all." 

"It's not so easy. We need music." 

Noelle was pretty sure if she tried to sing she would end up throwing up. It was one thing to sing quietly when it was just her and Percy, but anyone else and she was sure she'd crumble in on herself. 

"I have a better idea," Percy suggested, noticing Noelle's nerves. He turned and called, "GROVER!" 

~

They waited for a long time. Mrs. O'Leary curled up and took a nap. Noelle could hear the crickets in the woods and an owl hooting Where are you, little rat? Traffic hummed along Central Park West. Horse hooves clopped down a nearby path, maybe a mounted police patrol. Noelle was sure they'd love to find three kids hanging out in the park at one in the morning. 

"It's no good," Nico said at last. 

But Percy had a feeling. His empathy link was really tingling for the first time in months, which either meant a whole lot of people had suddenly switched on the Nature Channel, or Grover was close. 

He shut his eyes and concentrated. Grover. 

He knew the satyr was somewhere in the park. Why couldn't he sense his emotions? All Percy got was a faint hum in the base of his skull. 

Grover, the demigod thought more insistently. 

Hmm-hmmmm, something said. 

An image came into Percy's head. He saw a giant elm tree deep in the woods, well off the main paths. Gnarled roots laced the ground, making a kind of bed. Lying in it with his arms crossed and his eyes closed was a satyr. At first Percy couldn't be sure it was Grover. He was covered in twigs and leaves, like he'd been sleeping there a long time. The roots seemed to be shaping themselves around him, slowly pulling him into the earth. 

Grover, Percy said. Wake up.

Unnnh—zzzzz.

Dude, you're covered in dirt. Wake up!