Andy Jackson: Child of Land & Sea

A Kind Act

Act IV — To Stop The Tide

Part XII — Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am, but none of them will ever love you the way I do, it's me and you.

That night was the first time Andy saw camp burial shrouds used on bodies, and it was not something she wanted to see again. Among the dead, Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin, and Castor, a son of Dionysus. His twin brother, Pollux, tried to say a few words, but he choked.

They spent the night treating the wounded, which was almost everybody. The satyrs and dryads worked to repair the damage to the woods.

The next morning there was a meeting of the Council of Cloven Elders. The three senior satyrs were there, along with Chiron, who would be confined to his wheelchair until his leg was mended. Juniper, Anthony and Andy stood by Grover's side.

They described the weird sound Grover had made during the battle. "It was panic," Juniper said. "Grover summoned the power of the wild god."

"Panic?" Andy asked.

Chiron explained, "During the first war of the gods and the Titans, Lord Pan let forth a horrible cry that scared away the enemy armies. It was his greatest power—a massive wave of fear that helped the gods win the day. The word panic is named after Pan, you see. And Grover used that power, calling it forth from within himself."

"Preposterous!" Silenus bellowed. "Sacrilege! Perhaps the wild god favored us with a blessing. Or perhaps Grover's music was so awful it scared the enemy away."

"Pan let his spirit pass into all of us," Grover said very calmly. "We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what's left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us."

"After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe?" Silenus cried. "Never! We must continue the search. Exile the traitor. A vote. Who would believe this ridiculous young satyr?"

"I would," said a familiar voice. Everyone turned. Dionysus walked into the clearing and the grief was plain in his face. "I bear bad news. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to hear Grover's story."

"But my lord!" Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!"

Dionysus's eyes flared with purple fire. "My son is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humor me."

Silenus swallowed and Grover repeated his tale.

"That sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do," Dionysus decided at last. "Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves."

"We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

"I say no," Dionysus countered.

"This is an outrage!" Silenus stood. "The council will not stand for this."

"Then it shall be dissolved," Dionysus said. "I couldn't care less."

The satyrs murmured uncomfortably.

"It's okay," Grover told them. "We don't need a council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves."

He told them again the words of Pan and, finally, the satyrs started to listen.

***

That afternoon, Andy found Tyson at the beach talking to Briares. Tyson was giving Briares directions to the forges. "You will teach us ways we have forgotten, how to make better weapons and armor."