The Son of Neptune

The little girl ran out from behind the pedestal. She was wearing a green dress tonight, and her hair was still in pigtails. When she smiled, Percy saw that her front teeth were starting to come in. She held up a box full of party hats.

Percy tried to decline, but Julia gave him the big adoring eyes.

‘Ah, sure,’ he said. ‘I’ll take the blue crown.’

She offered Hazel a gold pirate hat. ‘I’m gonna be Percy Jackson when I grow up,’ she told Hazel solemnly.

Hazel smiled and ruffled her hair. ‘That’s a good thing to be, Julia.’

‘Although,’ Frank said, picking out a hat shaped like a polar bear’s head, ‘Frank Zhang would be good, too.’

‘Frank!’ Hazel said.

They put on their hats and continued to the forum, which was lit up with multicoloured lanterns. The fountains glowed purple. The coffee shops were doing a brisk business, and street musicians filled the air with the sounds of guitar, lyre, panpipes and armpit noises. (Percy didn’t get that last one. Maybe it was an old Roman musical tradition.)

The goddess Iris must’ve been in a party mood too. As Percy and his friends strolled past the damaged Senate House, a dazzling rainbow appeared in the night sky. Unfortunately the goddess sent another blessing, too – a gentle rain of gluten-free R.O.F.L. cupcake simulations, which Percy figured would either make cleaning up harder, or rebuilding easier. The cupcakes would make great bricks.

For a while, Percy wandered the streets with Hazel and Frank, who kept brushing shoulders.

Finally he said, ‘I’m a little tired, guys. You go ahead.’

Hazel and Frank protested, but Percy could tell they wanted some time alone.

As he headed back to camp, he saw Mrs O’Leary playing with Hannibal in the Field of Mars. Finally, she’d found a playmate she could roughhouse with. They frolicked around, slamming into each other, breaking fortifications and generally having an excellent time.

At the fort gates, Percy stopped and gazed across the valley. It seemed like so long ago that he’d stood here with Hazel, getting his first good view of camp. Now he was more interested in watching the eastern horizon.

Tomorrow, maybe the next day, his friends from Camp Half-Blood would arrive. As much as he cared about Camp Jupiter, he couldn’t wait to see Annabeth again. He yearned for his old life – New York and Camp Half-Blood – but something told him it might be a while before he returned home. Gaia and the giants weren’t done causing trouble – not by a long shot.

Reyna had given him the second praetor’s house on the Via Principalis, but as soon as Percy looked inside he knew he couldn’t stay there. It was nice, but it was also full of Jason Grace’s stuff. Percy already felt uneasy taking Jason’s title of praetor. He didn’t want to take the guy’s house, too. Things would be awkward enough when Jason came back – and Percy was sure that he would be on that dragon-headed warship.

Percy headed back to the Fifth Cohort barracks and climbed into his bunk. He passed out instantly.

He dreamed he was carrying Juno across the Little Tiber.

She was disguised as a crazy old bag lady, smiling and singing an Ancient Greek lullaby as her leathery hands gripped Percy’s neck.

‘Do you still want to slap me, dear?’ she asked.

Percy stopped midstream. He let go and dumped the goddess in the river.

The moment she hit the water, she vanished and reappeared on the shore. ‘Oh, my,’ she cackled, ‘that wasn’t very heroic, even in a dream!’

‘Eight months,’ Percy said. ‘You stole eight months of my life for a quest that took a week. Why?’

Juno tutted disapprovingly. ‘You mortals and your short lives. Eight months is nothing, my dear. I lost eight centuries once, missed most of the Byzantine Empire.’

Percy summoned the power of the river. It swirled round him, spinning into a froth of white water.

‘Now, now,’ Juno said. ‘Don’t get testy. If we are to defeat Gaia, our plans must be timed perfectly. First, I needed Jason and his friends to free me from my prison -’

‘Your prison? You were in prison and they let you out?’

‘Don’t sound so surprised, dear! I’m a sweet old woman. At any rate, you weren’t needed at Camp Jupiter until now, to save the Romans at their moment of greatest crisis. The eight months between … well, I do have other plans brewing, my boy. Opposing Gaia, working behind Jupiter’s back, protecting your friends – it’s a full-time job! If I had to guard you from Gaia’s monsters and schemes as well, and keep you hidden from your friends back east all that time – no, much better you take a safe nap. You would have been a distraction – a loose cannon.’

‘A distraction.’ Percy felt the water rising with his anger, spinning faster round him. ‘A loose cannon.’

‘Exactly. I’m glad you understand.’

Percy sent a wave crashing down on the old woman, but Juno simply disappeared and materialized further down the shore.

‘My,’ she said, ‘you are in a bad mood. But you know I’m right. Your timing here was perfect. They trust you now. You are a hero of Rome. And while you slept Jason Grace has learned to trust the Greeks. They’ve had time to build the Argo II. Together, you and Jason will unite the camps.’

‘Why me?’ Percy demanded. ‘You and I never got along. Why would you want a loose cannon on your team?’

‘Because I know you, Percy Jackson. In many ways, you are impulsive, but when it comes to your friends you are as constant as a compass needle. You are unswervingly loyal, and you inspire loyalty. You are the glue that will unite the seven.’

‘Great,’ Percy said. ‘I always wanted to be glue.’

Juno laced her crooked fingers. ‘The Heroes of Olympus must unite! After your victory over Kronos in Manhattan … well, I fear that wounded Jupiter’s self-esteem.’

‘Because I was right,’ Percy said. ‘And he was wrong.’

The old lady shrugged. ‘He should be used to that, after so many aeons married to me, but alas! My proud and obstinate husband refuses to ask mere demigods for help again. He believes the giants can be fought without you, and Gaia can be forced back to her slumbers. I know better. But you must prove yourself. Only by sailing to the ancient lands and closing the Doors of Death will you convince Jupiter that you are worthy of fighting side by side with the gods. It will be the greatest quest since Aeneas sailed from Troy!’

‘And if we fail?’ Percy said. ‘If Romans and Greeks don’t get along?’

‘Then Gaia has already won. I’ll tell you this, Percy Jackson. The one who will cause you the most trouble is the one closest to you – the one who hates me most.’

‘Annabeth?’ Percy felt his anger rising again. ‘You never liked her. Now you’re calling her a troublemaker? You don’t know her at all. She’s the person I most want watching my back.’

The goddess smiled dryly. ‘We will see, young hero. She has a hard task ahead of her when you arrive in Rome. Whether she is up to it … I do not know.’

Percy summoned a fist of water and smashed it down at the old lady. When the wave receded, she was gone.

The river swirled out of Percy’s control. He sank into the darkness of the whirlpool.

LII Percy

THE NEXT MORNING, PERCY, HAZEL AND FRANK ate breakfast early, then headed into the city before the senate was due to convene. As Percy was a praetor now, he could go pretty much wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

On the way, they passed the stables, where Tyson and Mrs O’Leary were sleeping in. Tyson snored on a bed of