Rick Riordan Percy Jackson and the Olympians
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“ Perdix ,” he called . “ Catch .” He tossed the bronze beetle toward the boy . Delighted , Perdix tried to catch it , but the throw was too long . The beetle sailed into the sky , and Perdix reached a little too far . The wind caught him . Somehow he managed to grab the rim of the tower with his fingers as he fell . “ Uncle !” he screamed . “ Help me !” The old man ’ s face was a mask . He did not move from his spot . “ Go on , Perdix ,” Daedalus said softly . “ May your own wings . Be quick about it .” “ Uncle !” the boy cried as he lost his grip . He tumbled toward the sea . There was a moment of deadly silence . The god Janus flickered and disappeared . Then thunder shook the sky . A woman ’ s stern voice spoke from above : You will pay the price for that , Daedalus . I ’ d heard that voice before . It was Annabeth ’ s mother : Athena . Daedalus scowled up at the heavens . “ I have always honored you , Mother . I have sacrificed everything to follow your way .” Yet the boy had my blessing as well . And you have killed him . For that , you must pay . ‘ I have paid and paid !” Daedalus growled . “ I ’ ve lost everything . I ’ ll suffer in the Underworld , no doubt . But in the meantime …” He picked up the boy ’ s scroll , studied it for a moment , and slipped it into his sleeve . You do not understand , Athena said coldly . You will pay now and forever . Suddenly Daedalus collapsed in agony . I felt what he felt . A searing pain closed around my neck like a molten-hot collar — cutting off my breath , making everything go black . *** I woke in the dark , my hands clutching my throat . “ Percy ?” Grover called from the other sofa . “ Are you okay ?” I steadied my breathing . I wasn ’ t sure how to answer . I ’ d just watched the guy we were looking for , Daedalus , murder his own nephew . How could I be okay ? The television was going . Blue light flickered through the room . “ What — what time is it ?” I croaked . “ Two in the morning ,” Grover said . “ I couldn ’ t sleep . I was watching the Nature Channel .” He sniffled . “ I miss Juniper .” I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes . “ Yeah , well … you ’ ll see her again soon .” Grover shook his head sadly . “ Do you know what day it is , Percy ? I just saw it on TV . It ’ s
June thirteenth . Seven days since we left camp .” “ What ?” I said . “ That can ’ t be right .” “ Time is faster in the Labyrinth ,” Grover reminded me . “ The first time you and Annabeth went down there , you thought you were only gone a few minutes , right ? But it was an hour .” “ Oh ,” I said . “ Right .” Then it dawned on me what he was saying , and my throat felt searing hot again . “ Your deadline with the Council of Cloven Elders .”
Grover put the TV remote in his mouth and crunched off the end of it . “ I ’ m out of time ,” he said with a mouthful of plastic . “ As soon as I go back , they ’ ll take away my searcher ’ s license . I ’ ll never be allowed to go out again .” “ We ’ ll talk to them ,” I promised . “ Make them give you more time .” Grover swallowed . “ They ’ ll never go for it . The world is dying , Percy . What you did today — saving the ranch animals from Geryon — that was amazing . I — I wish I could be more like you .” “ Hey ,” I said . “ Don ’ t say that . You ’ re just as much a hero —” “ No I ’ m not . I keep trying , but …” He sighed . “ Percy , I can ’ t go back to camp without finding Pan . I just can ’ t . You understand that , don ’ t you ? I can ’ t face Juniper if I fail . I can ’ t even face myself .”
His voice was so unhappy it hurt to hear . We ’ d been through a lot together , but I ’ d never heard him sound this down .
“ We ’ ll figure out something ,” I said . “ You haven ’ t failed . You ’ re the champion goat boy , all right ? Juniper knows that . So do I .” Grover closed his eyes . “ Champion goat boy ,” he muttered dejectedly . A long time after he dozed off , I was still awake , watching the blue light of the Nature
Channel wash over the stuffed trophy heads on Geryon ’ s walls .