Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
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because even the EZ-DEATH line was backed up.
"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary said. Before I could stop her she bounded toward the security
checkpoint. Cerberus, the guard dog of Hades, appeared out of the gloom—a three-headed
rottweiler so big he made Mrs. O'Leary look like a toy poodle. Cerberus was half transparent, so
he's really hard to see until he's close enough to kill you, but he acted like he didn't care about us.
He was too busy saying hello to Mrs. O'Leary.
"Mrs. O'Leary, no!" I shouted at her. "Don't sniff . . . Oh, man."
Nico smiled. Then he looked at me and his expression turned all serious again, like he'd
remembered something unpleasant. "Come on. They won't give us any trouble in the line. You're
with me."
I didn't like it, but we slipped through the security ghouls and into the Fields of Asphodel. I
had to whistle for Mrs. O'Leary three times before she left Cerberus alone and ran after us.
We hiked over black fields of grass dotted with black poplar trees. If I really died in a few
days like the prophecy said, I might end up here forever, but I tried not to think about that.
Nico trudged ahead, bringing us closer and closer to the palace of Hades.
"Hey," I said, "we're inside the gates already. Where are we—"
Mrs. O'Leary growled. A shadow appeared overhead—something dark, cold, and stinking of
death. It swooped down and landed in the top of a poplar tree.
Unfortunately, I recognized her. She had a shriveled face, a horrible blue knit hat, and a
crumpled velvet dress. Leathery bat wings sprang from her back. Her feet had sharp talons, and in
her brass-clawed hands she held a flaming whip and a paisley handbag.
"Mrs. Dodds," I said.
She bared her fangs. "Welcome back, honey."
Her two sisters—the other Furies—swooped down and settled next to her in the branches of
the poplar.
"You know Alecto?" Nico asked me.
"If you mean the hag in the middle, yeah," I said. "She was my math teacher."
Nico nodded, like this didn't surprise him. He looked up at the Furies and took a deep
breath. "I've done what my father asked. Take us to the palace."
I tensed. "Wait a second, Nico. What do you—"
"I'm afraid this is my new lead, Percy. My father promised me information about my family,
but he wants to see you before we try the river. I'm sorry."
"You tricked me?" I was so mad I couldn't think. I lunged at him, but the Furies were fast.
Two of them swooped down and plucked me up by the arms. My sword fell out of my hand, and
before I knew it, I was dangling sixty feet in the air.
"Oh, don't struggle, honey," my old math teacher cackled in my ear. "I'd hate to drop you."
Mrs. O' Leary barked angrily and jumped, trying to reach me, but we were too high.
"Tell Mrs. O'Leary to behave," Nico warned. He was hovering near me in the clutches of the
third Fury. "I don't want her to get hurt, Percy. My father is waiting. He just wants to talk."
I wanted to tell Mrs. O'Leary to attack Nico, but it wouldn't have done any good, and Nico
was right about one thing: my dog could get hurt if she tried to pick a fight with the Furies.
I gritted my teeth. "Mrs. O'Leary, down! It's okay, girl."
She whimpered and turned in circles, looking up at me. "All right, traitor," I growled at Nico.
"You've got your prize. Take me to the stupid palace."
Alecto dropped me like a sack of turnips in the middle of the palace garden.
It was beautiful in a creepy way. Skeletal white trees grew from marble basins. Flower beds
overflowed with golden plants and gemstones. A pair of thrones, one bone and one silver, sat on the
balcony with a view of the Fields of Asphodel. It would've been a nice place to spend a Saturday
morning except for the sulfurous smell and the cries of tortured souls in the distance.
Skeletal warriors guarded the only exit. They wore tattered U.S. Army desert combat
fatigues and carried M16s.
The third Fury deposited Nico next to me. Then all three of them settled on the top of the
skeletal throne. I resisted the urge to strangle Nico. They'd only stop me. I'd have to wait for my
revenge.