Running the Gauntlet

Im shown around the block

Garden

We passed a volleyball pit. Several campers pointed at Percy and I. "That's them."

Most of the campers looked older than both of us. Their satyr friends were taller than Grover, all of the kids had orange t-shirts on that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Percy looked like he wanted to disappear, so I stepped up beside him to hide him from their stares.

Looking back at the farmhouse, I realized just how big it was. Four-stories tall, sky blue with a white trim. It looked like what I'd imagine a seaside resort would look like.

Percy was staring at the top of the house.

"What's up there?" Percy asked Chiron.

He looked to where Percy was staring and he dropped his smile. "It's just the attic."

"Somebody live up there?" He asked.

"No." Chiron said after a moment. "Not a single living thing."

The way he said that gave me goosebumps. I'm going to try and avoid the attic if I can.

"Come along boys." Chiron said, his lighthearted tone now a little forced. "Lots to see."

We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.

Chiron told us the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."

He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those, so they grew strawberries instead.

Percy watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire.

"Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?" Percy asked Chiron. "I mean ... he was a good protector. Really."

Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horses back like a saddle. "Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than is reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill."

"But he did that!"

"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success. After all, Grover lost you in New York. Then there's the unfortunate ... ah ... fate of your mother. And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."

"Hey Chiron?" I asked, gaining his attention.

"How come I didn't have a satyr guide me here?"

He gave a small smile. "Good question. But simply it's because we didn't know of your existence." He explained.

"That makes sense, I was just thinking that if I had a protector maybe my mom would still be here." Chiron gave me a small smile.

"Maybe." Percy said. "Maybe your mom is in the same boat as mine." I gave him a confused look.

"Well did you see your mom die?" I shook my head.

"Well then there is still a chance she's okay."

"Thanks for your optimism, but I'm not sure."