𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩

Chapter 15

8
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Bus Blasters

  It didn't take Cyrus long to pack. He decided to leave the Kraken tentacle in cabin eleven, which left him only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Grover had found for him.

  The camp store loaned him one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side andbthe Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told us, but Olympians never used less than pure gold. Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions–whatever that meant. He gave Annabeth, Percy, Cyrus and (y/n) each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if they were seriously hurt. It was god food, Chiron reminded them. It would cure them of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn one up, literally.

  Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told Cyrus had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. Cyrus was sure the knife would get them busted the first time they went through a metal detector.

  Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because
when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's “So Yesterday,” both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.

  They waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

  Chiron was waiting for them in his wheelchair along with Luna. Next to them stood the surfer dude Cyrus had seen when he was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so Cyrus could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.

  "This is Argus," Chiron told them. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."

  Cyrus heard footsteps behind us.

  Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.

  "Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."

  Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.

  "Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told the trio of Half-Blood boys. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these."

  He handed Percy the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.

  Luke said, "Maia!"

  White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling Percy so much, he dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.

  "Awesome!" Grover said.

  Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days...." His expression turned sad.