Rick Riordan The Battle of the Labyrinth - 04
As we sprinted for the cellblocks , the last thing I saw was Tyson picking up a Dippin ’ Dots stand and throwing it at Kampê . Ice cream and poison exploded everywhere , all the little snakes in Kampê ’ s hair dotted with tuttifrutti . We dashed back into the jail yard . “ Can ’ t make it ,” Briares huffed . “ Tyson is risking his life to help you !” I yelled at him . “ You will make it .” As we reached the door of the cellblock , I heard an angry roar . I glanced back and saw Tyson running toward us at full speed , Kampê right behind him . She was plastered in ice cream and T-shirts . One of the bear heads on her waist was now wearing a pair of crooked plastic Alcatraz sunglasses . “ Hurry !” Annabeth said , like I needed to be told that . We finally found the cell where we ’ d come in , but the back wall was completely smooth — no sign of a boulder or anything . “ Look for the mark !” Annabeth said . “ There !” Grover touched a tiny scratch , and it became a Greek ∆ . The mark of Daedalus glowed blue , and the stone wall grinded open . Too slowly . Tyson was coming through the cellblock , Kampê ’ s swords lashing out behind him , slicing indiscriminately through cell bars and stone walls . I pushed Briares inside the maze , then Annabeth and Grover . “ You can do it !” I told Tyson . But immediately I knew he couldn ’ t Kampê was gaining . She raised her swords . I need a distraction — something big . I slapped my wristwatch and it spiraled into a bronze shield . Desperately , I threw it at the monster ’ s face .
SMACK ! The shield hit her in the face and she faltered just long enough for Tyson to dive past me into the maze . I was right behind him .
Kampê charged , but she was too late . The stone door closed and its magic sealed us in . I could feel the whole tunnel shake as Kampê pounded against it , roaring furiously . We didn ’ t stick around to play knock , knock with her , though . We raced into the darkness , and for the first time ( and the last ) I was glad to be back in the Labyrinth .
44
Chapter Eight
We Visit The Demon Dude Ranch
We finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls . The floor was one big pit , ringed by a slippery stone walkway . Around us , on all four walls , water tumbled from huge pipes . The water spilled down into the pit , and even when I shined a light , I couldn ’ t see the bottom .
Briares slumped against the wall . He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face . “ This pit goes straight to Tartarus ,” he murmured . “ I should jump in and save you trouble .”
“ Don ’ t talk that way ,” Annabeth told him . “ You can come back to camp with us . You can help us prepare . You know more about fighting Titans than anybody .” “ I have nothing to offer ,” Briares said . “ I have lost everything .” “ What about your brothers ?” Tyson asked . “ The other two must stand tall as mountains ! We can take you to them .” Briares ’ s expression morphed to something even sadder : his grieving face . “ They are no more . They faded .” The waterfalls thundered . Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye . “ What exactly do you mean , they faded ?” I asked . “ I thought monsters were immortal , like the gods .” “ Percy ,” Grover said weakly , “ even immortality has limits . Sometimes … sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal .”
Looking at Grover ’ s face , I wondered if he was thinking of Pan . I remembered something Medusa had told us once : how her sisters , the other two gorgons , had passed on and left her alone . Then last year Apollo said something about the old god Helios disappearing and leaving him with the duties of the sun god . I ’ d never thought about it too much , but now , looking at Briares , I realized