𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 - 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐨𝐜

¸„.-•~°ˆ˜¨ 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 ¨˜ˆ°~•-.„¸

They emerged in Central Park just north of the Pond.

Mrs. O'Leary looked pretty tired as she limped over to a cluster of boulders.

She started sniffing around, and Percy was afraid she might mark her territory, but Nico said,  "It's okay. She just smells the way home."

Phoenix frowned. "Through the rocks?"

"The Underworld has two major entrances," Nico said. "You know the one in L.A."

"Charon's ferry," Percy said.

Nico nodded. "Most souls go that way, but there's a smaller path, harder to find. The Door of Orpheus."

"The dude with the harp."

"Dude with the lyre," Phoenix corrected.

Nico looked at Phoenix, "Right. He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades's palace and almost got away with his wife's soul."

"So this is the Door of Orpheus." Percy tried to be impressed, but it still looked like a pile of rocks to him. "How does it open?"

"We need music," Nico said.

"How's your singing?"

"Um, no. Can't you just, like, tell it to open? You're the son of Hades and all."

"It's not so easy. We need music."

Percy was sure if he tried to sing, all he would cause was an avalanche.

Nico turned to Phoenix, "What about you Apollo?"

"What do I sing?"

"Anything," Nico said.

"Okay," she shut her eyes and began to hum a camp song before singing the words. Nothing.

"Try singing it louder," Percy suggested.

"I-" Phoenix groaned. "Okay."

She sang louder but it wasn't strong enough.

"I have another idea." Percy turned and called, "GROVER!"

They waited for a long time.

Mrs. O'Leary curled up and took a nap.

Phoenix could hear the crickets in the woods and an owl hooting. Traffic hummed along Central Park West. Horse hooves clopped down a nearby path, maybe a mounted police patrol. She was sure they'd love to find three kids hanging out in the park at one in the morning.

"It's no good," Nico said at last.

But Percy had a feeling. His empathy link was really tingling for the first time in months, which either meant a whole lot of people had suddenly switched on the Nature Channel, or Grover was close.

He shut his eyes and concentrated.

About a minute later he jumped in fright and almost fell over.

"What happened?" Nico asked.

"I got through. He's . . . yeah. He's on his way."

A minute later, the tree next to us shivered. Grover fell out of the branches, right on his head.

"Grover!" Phoenix yelled.

"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary looked up, probably wondering if we were going to play fetch with the satyr.

"Blah-haa-haa!" Grover bleated.

"You okay, man?" Percy asked.

"Oh, I'm fine."