Louisa had been called to the Big House. Chiron wasn't happy when she arrived. Mr. D was lounging in the arm chair, feeding his enchanted leopard's head and sipping a Diet Coke. On the table before her mentor was a stack of paper with various scribbles and handwritings all over. Louisa glanced at this and then back at the centaur.
"I've been behaving all week, honest." Mr. D scoffed. Louisa glared at him. He may be a god, but he was her cousin- ew- and there was no way she was going to stand his attitude. She started to word a harsh remark when Chiron cleared his throat.
"You're not in trouble, Louisa. I need your help."
"Oh. Oh OK."
"Firstly, apologise to Mr. D for what you almost called him."
"No." Chiron sighed. The god behind him sat up straighter and frowned. "Ain't gonna happen, cuz." Mr. D wrinkled his bulbous nose and sank back, muttering about the demigod delinquents he had been cursed with as relatives. "What's up?" Louisa asked Chiron.
"There have been a series of... mishaps all over Camp. I've already talked to the entirety of the Hermes cabin and they've all sworn on the River Styx, minimal loopholes, that they are not to blame. Admittedly, at first, I thought you would have something to do with it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised you wouldn't be so... sporadic. Have a seat." Louisa did. Chiron pushed the papers towards her. Some of it was in Ancient Greek, so she had no trouble reading those. The rest was gobbledegook, but she got the gist of their contents. "Someone or something has been causing havoc when Camp goes to sleep. Items have gone missing, some of which have returned broken and beyond repair. Others have not resurfaced at all. The weapons shed was broken into and our armour supplies have been hurled into the lake. Percy and Tyson have been retrieving what they can."
"D'ya want me ta help them?"
"No. No, I need you for something much more important. Several campers have reported someone sneaking around their cabins at night, as have the harpies. Try as they might, they haven't caught this intruder. The harpies are furious, very few have escaped them and even less have evaded them so many times and so expertly."
"What's this person doin' in these other cabins?"
"Well, I'm not sure as of yet, but those have reported seeing them have fallen ill and are suffering rather uncomfortably in the infirmary. That's why you haven't seen Clarisse all week. As much as I enjoy the silence when you two aren't fighting, I am not happy that any of my campers have been afflicted so."
"What's makin' 'em ill?"
"Well, each case differs. Some seem to be having violent allergic reactions, others experiencing cold and flu-like symptoms. There have been a few cases of chicken pox and something akin to a nasty poisoning." Louisa looked at him questioningly. "I've detected traces of magic on some of them and in others, a mysterious substance I am yet to determine."
"They're gonna be alright though, right?"
"Our medics are doing their best."
"Ya said magic... 'n' somethin' ya ain't figured out what the heck it is. Is that, like, god magic or demigod magic? Curses or somethin'?"
"I assure you," Mr. D pitched in coldly, "that no god has bothered to trouble so many mortals in a very long time."
"What's that then, an hour?" Louisa shot back. Chiorn suppressed a smile. Mr. D fumed silently. "What'd ya want me to do then, Chiron?"
"I've instructed the harpies to leave you alone come nightfall. You are the only demigod granted permission to be out and about after hours. I need you to find this intruder, find out what they're doing to... their victims, I should say. Each time a demigod turns up feeling under the weather, their situation is worse than the one before them. It seems only a matter of time before one of them becomes gravelly ill."
"Do I get to bop 'em on the head?" Chiron sighed.
"If necessary." Louisa grinned. "But remember, Apollo's children and I have enough patients, thank you. And if you do see what they're doing to my pupils, do tell me right away?"
"Eh, I might wait around 'til they get Percy."
"Louisa..."
"Jokin'. Sorta. Chiron, relax. I'm gonna find this dunderhead 'n' smack him for ya. Or her. Let's not be sexist." Chiron smiled. Louisa rose and checked her watch. "Does this idiot turn up at a certain time, is it one cabin per night, what?"
"Sometimes one cabin, sometimes two. I get about three to four new victims each morning and almost double that in complaints."
"Can I go ta the infirmary 'n' ask around or are they all contagious?"
"No contagion."
"Sure?"
"Positive."
"Good. 'Cos if I get sick, it's on your hooves, Chiron. Yeah. That's right. Puttin' the pressure on you now, how'd ya like that?" She stuck her tongue out cheekily. Chiron shook his head and dismissed her. Mr. D drained the last of his Diet Coke.
"Are you sure she's our best bet against whoever is tormenting poor little demigods?" He asked sarcastically.
"Louisa has remarkable tracking and stealth skills. She will find this person and stop them."
"And if she doesn't?"
"She will."
"Your optimism sickens me."
"Everything sickens you."