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CHAPTER EIGHT viii. it might be easier if you just choose the poison _______
After stealing some of Phineas' Thai noodles and a tubular pastry, the four of them left the parking lot and stopped across the street, out of earshot from the blind man. Sebastian had to take a deep breath to stop himself from going back and killing the man.
For the most part, Sebastian didn't see much of an issue with murder. There was usually a reason that could justify it and living through the treason trials and Caligula's reign, he knew there didn't always have to be justification. But humans were a foul breed most of the time. If there was one thing he couldn't get behind, it was the torture of innocents. Sure, if someone was guilty of horrendous crimes, torturing them to your hearts content, but innocent people did not deserve that. Killing them quickly would be so much more merciful.
In this scenario, the harpies were the innocent and Sebastian really didn't know what to do. But he supposed they'd just have to cross that bridge when they got to it.
"That man..." Hazel smacked the side of a bus-stop bench.
"He needs to die. Again."
It was hard to tell in the rain, but she seemed to be blinking back tears. Her long curly hair was plastered down the sides of her face. In the gray light, her gold eyes looked more like tin. She looked lost, bedraggled, and thoroughly depressed. Phineas had shaken them all, especially the once dead daughter of Pluto.
After a quick conversation of the three comforting one another, which Sebastian didn't pay attention to as he was deep in his own thoughts, he spoke up.
"The red-feathered harpy went that way. Let's see if we can get her to talk to us."
Hazel looked at the food in his hands. "You're going to use that as bait?"
"More like a peace offering," Sebastian said. "Come on. Just try to keep the other harpies from stealing this stuff, okay?"
Sebastian uncovered the Thai noodles and unwrapped the cinnamon burrito. Fragrant steam wafted into the air. They walked down the street, Percy, Hazel and Frank with their weapons out. The harpies fluttered after them, perching on trees, mailboxes, and flagpoles, following the smell of food.
Sebastian kept a tight grip on the food. He'd seen how quickly the harpies could snatch things. And his reflexes were superhuman but he remained vigilant, not wanting to risk losing the peace offering before they found the harpy they were looking for.
Finally he spotted her, circling above a stretch of parkland that ran for several blocks between rows of old stone buildings. Paths stretched through the park under huge maple and elm trees, past sculptures and playgrounds and shady benches. They crossed the street and found a bench to sit on, next to a big bronze sculpture of an elephant.
