Percy Jackson and the Golden Net

Ready?

Before we left, Carter told Cleo and Alyssa to go back to their house and tell the others not to worry, and to scry (was that the word he used?) Amos, and tell him the same thing and the whole story about what had happened. “And don’t let him come with an army or anything. Okay?” Alright then. That was one of the weirdest conversations I’d ever heard, but moving on.

I told Lacy to go back to camp and to tell Chiron not to worry, and that I would be back soon with Annabeth. I didn’t want her to get hurt or anything. She was still kind of young, and I don’t think that she’s had much training. At least, not enough for this.

So, that left Me, Drew, Carter, and Walt on an Egyptian boat flying to Annabeth’s rescue. Oh, and that other Sadie girl’s, too. As I paced the deck, I thought about the Argo II and wondered if this was what it was like to fly on all the other boats in the world that hadn’t been designed to fly in the first place, and if I was high enough that Zeus would blast me out of the sky.

It was your standard Egyptian boat that you’d find in any museum, reed and all, but it looked in a lot better shape, thank the gods, and swung back and forth a little as the huge hummingbird thing above me flew us to Annabeth. I didn’t ask what it was. I don’t know how it knew where to go, but Walt seemed to be absolutely sure, and so we kept going.

Carter walked over to me. “Well, I haven’t heard my name, so I guess you haven’t used my eye yet.”

I shook my head. I knew what he was talking about. That thing that he had drawn on my hand was apparently some sort of eye, and he had told me that if I said his name and needed him, he would hear it and come to help. I guess I didn’t need it though. At least, not this time.

“So, Walt.” I said. “Seems like a nice guy.”

“He’s just worried about Sadie. By the way, when we get there, don’t get in his way if he’s starts to put his hand on things, or you’ll most likely disintegrate.”

“Ooookay. How does he do that?”

Most of the city and Central Park passed below us before he answered.

“He’s the host of Anubis, and Anubis can do that. He and Walt merged into one being when Walt… died. Now they can both be with Sadie. I think that they’re happy with that arrangement.”

“Could they not be with her before?”

“No. Walt was dying, and he thought it would be unfair to Sadie if they started dating. Anubis didn’t have a host, and to have contact with magicians, gods need hosts.”

"That sucks. I don’t get to see the gods much, either, but, at least all I have to do is go to the sea and I can basically feel my dad there.” Or save the world, I thought, but I didn’t say that.

“Your dad’s Poseidon, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. Who’s your dad?”

He stayed silent for a few more minutes. “Osiris. His name is Dr. Julius Kane, but about two years ago, he merged with Osiris and was killed. So, now he’s Osiris, god of the Dead.”

“So you’ll never get to see him again?”

“No. I still see him sometimes. My mom, too, but she’s a ghost, so I can’t like hug her or anything.”

I was thinking about how much this guy’s life sucked, and how he really reminded me of myself when Drew said, “Hey! We’re here!” and we went over to get a better look.

I saw a park surrounded on one side by what looked like apartment buildings, an open meadow behind the buildings, and trees surrounding the meadow so it made a crude square. It smelled like flowers and the laundry isle at stores. I could hear the cars stuck in traffic behind us and that hum of the city that’s always there, but that you never notice until it’s not. I knew from experience what that was like.

“Well,” Walt said, frowning, “She’s definitely here, but I don’t see what’s so hard about this. All I have to do is touch the net and we’re good.”

“No,” I said. “If you touch the net, it will start to wrap around you. Drew has to convince whoever is watching the net to let them go.”

“How?” Carter asked.

“Charmspeach,” I replied.

“Oh. Okay then” He looked puzzled, but I didn’t let him stay that way long.

 “Right. Let’s go.”