Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
27
27
Labyrinth. What had happened to Chris in there?
I heard a creak from above—like the attic door opening—and I ran for the front door. I
needed to get out of that house.
***
“My dear,” Chiron said. “You made it.”
Annabeth looked at me first. I couldn’t tell if she was trying to warn me, or if the look in her
eyes was just plain fear. Then she focused on Quintus. “I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to
find Daedalus’s workshop.”
Nobody cheered. I mean, we all liked Annabeth, and we wanted her to have a quest, but this
one seemed insanely dangerous. After what I’d seen of Chris Rodriguez, I didn’t even want to think
about Annabeth descending into that weird maze again.
Chiron scraped a hoof on the dirt floor. “What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The
wording is important.”
Annabeth took a deep breath. “I, ah…well, it said, you shall delve in the darkness of the
endless maze...”
We waited.
“The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise.”
Grover perked up. “The lost one! That must mean Pan! That’s great!” “With the dead and the
traitor,” I added. “Not so great.” “And?” Chiron asked. “What is the rest?” “You shall rise or fall by the
ghost king’s hand,” Annabeth said, “the child of Athena’s final stand.”
Everyone looked around uncomfortably. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, and a final
stand didn’t sound good.
“Hey…we shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Silena said. “Annabeth isn’t the only child of
Athena, right?”
“But who’s this ghost king?” Beckendorf asked.
No one answered. I thought about the Iris-message I’d seen of Nico summoning spirits. I had
a bad feeling the prophecy was connected to that.
“Are there more lines?” Chiron asked. “The prophecy does not sound complete.”
Annabeth hesitated. “I don’t remember exactly.”
Chiron raised an eyebrow. Annabeth was known for her memory. She never forgot
something she heard.
Annabeth shifted on her bench. “Something about…Destroy with a hero’s final breath.”
“And?” Chiron asked.
She stood. “Look, the point is, I have to go in. I’ll find the workshop and stop Luke. And…I
need help.” She turned to me. “Will you come?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “I’m in.”
She smiled for the first time in days, and that made it all worthwhile. “Grover, you too? The
wild god is waiting.”
Grover seemed to forget how much he hated the underground. The line about the “lost one”
had completely energized him. “I’ll pack extra recyclables for snacks!”
“And Tyson,” Annabeth said. “I’ll need you too.”
“Yay! Blow-things-up time!” Tyson clapped so hard he woke up Mrs. O’Leary, who was
dozing in the corner.
“Wait, Annabeth,” Chiron said. “This goes against the ancient laws. A hero is allowed only
two companions.”
“I need them all,” she insisted. “Chiron, it’s important.”
I didn’t know why she was so certain, but I was happy she’d included Tyson. I couldn’t
imagine leaving him behind. He was huge and strong and great at figuring out mechanical things.
Unlike satyrs, Cyclopes had no problem underground.
“Annabeth.” Chiron flicked his tail nervously. “Consider well. You would be breaking the
ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest to save Artemis.
Only three came back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three fates, three furies,
three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers.
Four…this is risky.”
Annabeth took a deep breath. “I know. But we have to. Please.”