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22: Talking To The Stars

Before I left Olympus, Percy and I decided to make a few calls. It wasn't easy, but we finally found a quiet fountain in a corner garden and sent an Iris-message to my brother, Tyson, under the sea. Percy told him about our adventures, and Bessie-he wanted to hear every detail about the cute baby cow serpent-and I assured him that Annabeth was safe. Finally, he got around to explaining how the shield he'd made Percy last summer had been damaged in the manticore attack.

"Yay!" Tyson said. "That means it was good! It saved your life!"

"It sure did, big guy," he said. "But now it's ruined."

"Not ruined!" Tyson promised. "I will visit and fix it next summer. Make sister one."

The idea picked me up instantly. I guess I hadn't realized how much I missed having Tyson around.

"Seriously?" Percy asked. "They'll let you take time off?"

"Yes! I have made two thousand seven hundred and forty-one magic swords," Tyson said proudly, showing me the newest blade. "The boss says 'good work'! He will let me take the whole summer off. I will visit camp!"

We all talked for a while about war preparations and our dad's fight with the old sea gods, and all the cool things we could do all together next summer, but then Tyson's boss started yelling at him and he had to get back to work.

Percy suddenly curse vibrantly in Ancient Greek. "I don't have a drachma."

Sighing, I had realised I had an Iris gift a few years back but had never used it. I focused and tried to make one more Iris-message that didn't need a coin.

"Sally Jackson," Percy said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."
A wave of fatigue came over me and the mist shimmered, and there was my mom at our kitchen table, laughing and holding hands with her "friend" Mr. Blofis.

I felt so embarrassed, Percy was about to wave his hand through the mist and cut the connection, but before hecould, my mom saw me.

Her eyes got wide. She let go of Mr. Blowfish's hand real quick. "Oh, Paul! You know what? I left my writing journal in the living room. Would you mind getting it for me?"

"Sure, Sally. No problem."

He left the room, and instantly my mom leaned toward the Iris-message. "Percy! Amanda! Are you all right?"

"I'm-we're, uh, fine. Amanda's a little preoccupied at the moment. How's that writing seminar going?"

She pursed her lips. "It's fine. But that's not important. Tell me what's happened!"

Percy filled her in as quickly as he could. I couldn't hold this connection too long. She sighed with relief when she heard that Annabeth was safe.

"I knew you could do it!" she said. "I'm so proud."

"Yeah, well, I'd better let you get back to your homework."

"Percy, I... Paul and I-"

"Mom, are you happy?"
The question seemed to take her by surprise. She thought for a moment. "Yes. I really am, Percy. Amanda. Being around him makes me happy."

"Then it's cool. Seriously. Don't worry about us." The funny thing was, Percy meant it.

"I think it's... cool, Mom." I grunted. Considering the quest we'd just had, maybe we should have been worried for our mom. I'd seen just how mean people could be to each other, like Hercules was to Zoe Nightshade, like Luke was to Thalia. I'd met Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, in person, and her powers had scared me worse than Ares. But seeing my mother laughing and smiling, after all the years Percy had told me that she'd suffered with our nasty ex-stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, I couldn't help feeling happy for her.