The Son of An Empire

ii. nico buys some happy meals

FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, CASSIUS WAS FOLLOWING NICO. The kid was leading him all over the place, with the stupid ghost just having to be there.

Cassius wanted to send this man to the pits of Tartarus. And then Nico did something weird, he walked into McDonald's and brought happy meals. "Neeks. What is Happy Meals gonna do?"

"You'll see Cass." Nico said as he paid the man.

Next thing Cass knew, he was in a graveyard. In black cloaks next to Minos the ugly old man and a crazy child of Hades.

The night was foggy. It was warm and humid, and frogs were croaking. A large Wal-Mart bag sat next to Nico's feet, for some reason he decided to throw it in a bag. A bit stupid but you gotta hide evidence.

"Is it deep enough yet?" Nico asked. He sounded irritated.

"Nearly, my lord." Minos said, his voice coming from behind Nico. "But, my lord, I tell you, this is unnecessary. You already have me for advice."

"I want a second opinion!" Nico snapped his fingers, and the digging stopped. Two figures climbed out of the hole. They weren't people. They were skeletons in ragged clothes.

"You are dismissed," Nico said. "Thank you."

The skeletons collapsed into piles of bones.

"You might as well thank the shovels," Minos complained. "They have as much sense."

"Spear." Cassius threatened. Minos stayed quiet.

Nico ignored Minos. He reached into his Wal-Mart bag and pulled out a twelve-pack of Coke. He popped open a can. Instead of drinking it, he poured it into the grave.

"Let the dead taste again," he murmured. "Let them rise and take this offering. Let them remember."

He dropped the rest of the Cokes into the grave and pulled out a white paper bag decorated with cartoons. Cassius had never seen one, but he slowly recognized it—a McDonald's Happy Meal.

He turned it upside down and shook the fries and hamburger into the grave.

"In my day, we used animal blood," Minos mumbled. "It's perfectly good enough. They can't taste the difference."

"So did they in my time. But I don't say that every two seconds to sound like an old man." Cassius frowned.

"I will treat them with respect," Nico said.

"At least let me keep the toy," Minos argued.

"Prick." Cassius muttered.

"Be quiet!" Nico ordered. He emptied another twelve-pack of soda and three more Happy Meals into the grave, then began chanting in Ancient Greek.

The grave started to bubble. Frothy brown liquid rose to the top like the whole thing was filling with soda. The fog thickened. The frogs stopped croaking. Dozens of figures began to appear among the gravestones: bluish, vaguely human shapes. Nico had summoned the dead with Coke and cheeseburgers.

"There are too many," the ghost said nervously. "You don't know your own powers."

"Shut your stupid ugly mouth-" Cassius nearly stabbed him.

"I've got it under control," Nico said, though his voice sounded fragile. He drew his sword—a short blade made of solid black metal. The crowd of ghosts retreated at the sight of it.

"One at a time," Nico commanded.

A single figure floated forward and knelt at the pool. It made slurping sounds as it drank. Its ghostly hands scooped French fries out of the pool.

"Who are you?" Nico said. "Speak."

The young man frowned as if trying to remember. Then he spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: "I am Theseus."

Of course it was him.

"How can I retrieve my sister?" Nico asked.

Theseus's eyes were lifeless as glass. "Do not try. It is madness."

"Just tell me!"

"My stepfather died," Theseus remembered. "He threw himself into the sea because he thought I was dead in the Labyrinth. I wanted to bring him back, but I could not."

Minos hissed angrily, it took some willpower for Cassius not to stab him. "My lord, the soul exchange! Ask him about that!"

Theseus scowled. "That voice. I know that voice."

"No you don't, fool!" Minos said. "Answer the lord's questions and nothing more!"

"I know you," Theseus insisted, as if struggling to recall.

"You do know him." Cassius grinned.

"I want to hear about my sister," Nico said. "Will this quest into the Labyrinth help me win her back?"

Theseus was looking for the ghost, but apparently couldn't see him. Slowly he turned his eyes back on Nico. "The Labyrinth is treacherous. There is only one thing that saw me through: the love of a mortal girl. The string was only part of the answer. It was the princess who guided me."

"We don't need any of that," Minos said. "I will guide you, my lord. Ask him if it is true about an exchange of souls. He will tell you."

"A soul for a soul," Nico asked. "Is it true?"

"I—I must say yes. But the specter—"

"Just answer the questions, knave!" Minos said sounding more angry.

Suddenly, around the edges of the pool, the other ghosts became restless.

They stirred, whispering in nervous tones.

"I want to see my sister!" Nico demanded. "Where is she?"

"He is coming," Theseus said fearfully. "He has sensed your summons. He comes."

"Who?" Nico demanded.

"He comes to find the source of this power," Theseus said. "You must release us."

"Release them Neeks." Cassius said.

Reluctantly, Nico did so.

Cassius stared before the boys Iris message just disappeared, it must've made the boy shiver and have chills down his spine.