A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

IX| The General

The thing about flying on a pegasus during the daytime is that if you're not careful, you can cause a serious traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway.

Percy had to keep Blackjack up in the clouds, which were, fortunately, pretty low in the winter. They darted around, trying to keep the white Camp Half-Blood van in sight.

And if it was cold on the ground, it was seriously cold in the air, with icy rain stinging Daphne's skin.

She was wishing she had brought some of that Camp Half-Blood orange thermal underwear they sold in the camp store, but after the story about Phoebe and the centaur-blood T-shirt, Daphne wasn't sure she trusted their products anymore.

Or perhaps she just didn't trust her halfbrothers, knowing exactly what they were like.

They lost the van twice, but she had a pretty good sense that they would go into Manhattan first, so it wasn't too difficult to pick up their trail again.

Traffic was bad with the holidays and all. It was mid morning before they got into the city. Percy landed Blackjack near the top of the Chrysler Building and watched the white camp van, thinking it would pull into the bus station, but it just kept driving.

"Where's Argus taking them?" He muttered.
Then clearly the horse spoke. "Which girl? Zoë?"

"Percy I don't understand what your horse is saying and it's hurting my brain. You're literally talking to yourself."

"I can't help it!"

"Just don't speak to your horse out loud!"

Percy didn't get the memo.

He then tried explaining to Blackjack that taking a flying horse to a donut shop would give every cop in there a heart attack, confusing Daphne even more.

Meanwhile, the van kept snaking its way toward the Lincoln Tunnel. It had never even occurred to Daphne that Zoë could drive.

She didn't look sixteen. Then again, she was immortal. Daphne wondered if she had a New York license, and if so, what her birth date said.

"Well," Percy said. "Let's get after them."

They were about to leap off the Chrysler Building when Blackjack whinnied in alarm and almost threw them.

Something was curling around Daphne's leg like a snake. She reached for her sword, but when she looked down, there was no snake.

Vines-grape vines-had sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the building. They were wrapping around Blackjack's legs, lashing down my ankles so we couldn't move.

"Going somewhere?" Mr. D asked.

He was leaning against the building with his feet levitating in the air, his leopard-skin warm-up suit and black hair whipping around in the wind.

Daphne guessed Blackjack said something - Mr. D's next words gave it away.

Mr. D sighed in exasperation. "The next person, or horse, who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

"Mr. D." Daphne tried to keep her voice calm as the grape vines continued to wrap around her legs. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do I want? You thought, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you leaving without permission?"

"Well .... maybe." Percy shrugged.

"I should throw you off this building, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down."