σɾɳιƚԋαʂ (ρʝσ x ɱαʅҽ σƈ)

The New Oracle of Delphi

Theo's POV

Annabeth and I were on our way out when I spotted Hermes in a side courtyard of the palace. He was staring at an Iris message in the mist of a fountain.

Theo: (to Annabeth) I'll meet you in the elevator.

Annabeth: You sure?

I nodded. Annabeth nodded back before I started walking towards my grandfather.

Hermes didn't seem to notice my approach. The Iris-message images were going so fast I could hardly understand them. Mortal newscasts from all over the country flashed by: scenes of Typhon's destruction, the wreckage our battle had left across Manhattan, the president doing a news conference, the mayor of New York, some army vehicles riding down the Avenue of the Americas.

Hermes: Amazing. Three thousand years, and I will never get over the power of the Mist...and mortal ignorance.

Theo: Uh...Thanks...I guess.

Hermes: Oh, not you. Although, I suppose I should wonder, your friend turning down immortality.

Theo: I figured he would.

Hermes looked at me curiously, then returned his attention to the Iris message.

Hermes: Look at them. They've already decided Typhon was a freak series of storms. Don't I wish. They haven't figured out how all the statues in Lower Manhattan got removed from their pedestals and hacked to pieces. They keep showing a shot of Susan B. Anthony strangling Frederick Douglass. But I imagine they'll even come up with a logical explanation for that.

Theo: How bad is the city?

Hermes: (shrugs) Surprisingly, not too bad. The mortals are shaken, of course. But this is New York. I've never seen such a resilient bunch of humans. I imagine they'll be back to normal in a few weeks; and of course, I'll be helping.

Theo: Yeah?

Hermes: I'm the messenger of the gods. It's my job to monitor what the mortals are saying, and if necessary, help them make sense of what's happened. I'll reassure them. Trust me, they'll put this down to a freak earthquake or a solar flare. Anything but the truth.

He sounded bitter. George and Martha curled around his caduceus, but they were silent, which made me think that Hermes was extremely angry.

Theo: You did what you thought was right.

Hermes: How so?

Theo: You knew Luke's fate. You knew he'd make the right choice in the end. But you couldn't tell him that, could you?

Hermes: No one can tamper with fate, Theo, not even a god. If I had warned him what was to come or tried to influence his choices, I would've made things even worse. Staying silent, staying away from him...that was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Theo: You had to let him find his own path and play his part in saving Olympus.

Hermes: (sighs) I should not have gotten mad at Annabeth. When Luke visited her in San Francisco...well, I knew she would have a part to play in his fate. I foresaw that much. I thought perhaps she could do what I could not and save him. When she refused to go with him, I could barely contain my rage. I should have known better. I was really angry with myself.

Theo: She did save him. Luke died a hero. He sacrificed himself to kill Kronos.

Hermes: I appreciate your words, Theo. But Kronos isn't dead. You can't kill a Titan.