The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

two

EMMIE AND JO

"Bulldozer." Leo whispered.

"Is that a code word?" Apollo asked.

"No. I'm going to sneak over to the bulldozer. You three distract the metalheads."

He shifted Calypso's weight to Apollo.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed.

Ariana wanted to say he was - after all who kissed somebody and slept with them then got with somebody else?

Leo shot her an urgent look, like Trust me! Distract them!

Then he took a careful step sideways.

"Oh!" Nanette beamed. "Are you volunteering to die first, short demigod? You did hit me with fire, so that makes sense."

Whatever Leo had in mind, Ariana imagined his plan would fail if he began arguing with Nanette about his height. (Leo was a bit sensitive about being called short.)

"I volunteer for death!" Apollo shouted.

The entire mob turned to look at him. Ariana silently cursed his choice of words. He should have volunteered for something easier, like baking a pie or post-execution clean-up duty.

Apollo often speak without the benefit of forethought. Usually it works out. Sometimes it leads to improvisational masterpieces, like the Renaissance or the Beat movement.

Ariana had to hope this would be one of those times.

"But first," he said, "hear my plea, merciful blemmyae."

The policeman who Leo had torched lowered his gun. A few green embers of Greek fire still smouldered in his belly beard. "What do you mean, hear my plea?"

"Well," Apollo said, "it's customary to hear the last words of a dying man ... or god or demigod or ... what would you consider yourself, Calypso? A Titan? A demi-Titan?"

Calypso cleared her throat with a noise that sounded suspiciously like idiot. "What Apollo is trying to say, O merciful blemmyae, is that etiquette demands you grant us a few last words before you kill us. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be impolite."

The blemmyae looked aghast. They lost their pleasant smiles and shook their mechanical heads.

Nanette shuffled forward, her hands raised in a placating manner. "No, indeed! We are very polite."

"Extremely polite." the policeman agreed.

"Thank you." said Nanette.

"You're welcome." said the policeman.

"Listen, then." Apollo cried. "Friends, frenemies, blemmyae ... open your armpits and hear my sad tale!"

Leo shuffled back another step, his hands in the pockets of his tool belt. Another fifty-seven, fifty-eight steps, and he would arrive at the bulldozer. Fantastic.

"I am Apollo!" Apollo began. "Formerly a god! I fell from Olympus, cast down by Zeus, unfairly blamed for starting a war with the giants!"

"I'm going to be sick." Calypso muttered. "Let me sit down."

"You're breaking my rhythm."

"You're breaking my eardrums. Let me sit."

"Apollo, dude, let her sit down." Ariana told him, shooting him a warning look.

Apollo eased Calypso onto the fountains retaining wall.

Nanette raised her street sign. "Is that it? May I kill you now?"