Chapter Five
The Senate
The building that I found standing before me was magnificent.
In the front it consisted of a grand triangular roof, supported by pillars with intricately carved heads and bases, where they met the marble floor and ceiling. In the center of the triangle, facing towards us, read the letters, "S.P.Q.R." The letters, as I soon figured out, stood for the Latin words, "Senatus Populusque Romani" I learned this from a scholar who happened to be walking past us, (Not from his lips of course, but his mind). I had originally found this to be strange considering there was no word that started with a "Q" besides the end of "Populusque." But then Hazel told me that "que," if added to the end of a word meant that and would be added before or after the word, depending on the sentence. Thus "Q" was added to S.P.Q.R.
The Senate and the People of Rome, I thought, mulling it over. I was about to meet the senate. This gave me no comfort. I had no idea what I wanted to hear from the senate, but Hazel seemed to think that it was best if I was accepted into Camp Jupiter.
The building, although beautiful from the front, was even more so nearer the back. A great dome rose above us, with statues of what I assumed to be the gods, circling the outside of it. It seemed ancient, and yet it was new. Clean marble, white and pure reflected the sun, making the dome gleam with brilliant light.
As we stepped inside, I found that the front entrance was really just a fanciful entrance to a long hallway that stretched into darkness. It did not help calm my nerves. Walking slowly down the hall, I began to see a glow. The light brightened, and just then, I found myself in the middle of the dome. It was much larger from down here. It towered above me, and daylight plunged into the room with stark vivacity from on high where a circular hole in the dome let in the sun. I looked around for Hazel, but she was nowhere to be seen. I heard a small, "Good luck," from behind, and realized that she had stayed in the hallway.
Not knowing what exactly I was supposed to do, I stepped farther out until I was directly under the circular opening in the dome. All became shadow to me, as if I were under a spotlight, where everyone saw me with utter clarity, and I was subject to blindness. Voices murmured around me, unnerving in the darkness. I felt naked, the world able to view me openly. The intensity of the feeling was profoundly wrong. It has been said that justice is blind, but I felt in that moment, that justice was the only being with sight.
I felt better when I heard Frank's voice above the whispers, but I was still frightened. As my eyes became adjusted to the downpour of light, I began to make out faces in the darkness beyond. I saw that there were around me, twelve thrones, hewn from stone, polished, and carved with a thousand facets. The thrones gleamed from behind the backs of their occupants.
Frank silenced the murmurs, and another figure stood up beside him, wearing the same regal, purple cape. Her hair was a dark brown and fell in waves down to her shoulders. Her right hand rested firmly on a golden dog, with crimson rubies for eyes. At least I assumed they were rubies, for her left hand was positioned similarly on a silver canine, with the same red eyes, and consequently, I decided that they were most likely the ornamental armrests of the woman's throne. But as soon as I had made up my mind, the ears of the two dogs perked up, and both heads moved in unison to stare at the woman.
The woman, I knew, was most likely, Reyna, the praetor, along with Frank. This was proven when she thanked Frank, and I accessed her mind, gathering some quick information before pulling back out. She stopped for a moment, rubbing her temples, then shook her head, and continued.
"The recent events accompanying your arrival here, Jason, have raised some serious concerns regarding the safety of the camp's occupants." With this, she looked down from her throne and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Do you have any response to this?"
In reality, I didn't. But for the sake of the trial, I felt obliged to give one.
"Um, uh, yes. I think I can control it." Wincing, I looked up towards Frank and Reyna, both of which looked thoughtful. Reyna, after a moment, spoke again.
"To what degree would you say you can control the ability to… well… control people?"
"Very well." I replied, half-truthfully. I could now control the times that I entered people's minds, but I still had to hear them first. But on the matter of controlling people, I felt that I could master it, it felt close to being mastered. Funny, I thought, controlling people requires a degree of control over myself.
"How, very well would you say you could control it? Do you often find yourself spouting off incantations, and whisking people about like marionettes?" Her face was doubtful, and seemed to stare right through me.
Again, that feeling of being exposed, open. It felt so profoundly wrong that I was being judged.
Just then, I looked closer at her face, her eyebrows were narrowed, lips pursed. That's when I realized, she wasn't seeing through me, she was trying to. Her features had merely created the illusion that she was picking through me. It was like a one-way mirror, I could see everything, and she, none.
I stood straighter. Speaking again, this time my voice firm and resonant, I answered her.
"I assure you, Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano, sister of amazons, and daughter of Bellona, that I can control it." As I said this, a sudden urge to show the sheer amount of control I had. Closing my eyes, a surge of power rose within me. A raging fire. An icy gale. The storm pounded in my ears, the thunder deafening.
With a start, I quenched the fire, blew out the gale, stilled the storm, and relaxed. I opened my eyes and found myself on my knees with my hand on my chest.
"Is there something wrong?" Reyna inquired as I struggled to rise.
"No, I think I just got a little nervous, that's all." I responded, dusting myself off. Reyna mercilessly continued.
"Or am I to assume that this was you struggling to suppress this ability?"
"It wasn't⎯⎯ I was just⎯⎯"
"Well this is good news."
"What do you mean?"
"You've just shown that you have some control over it, and that can be trained."
"I⎯⎯" I took a moment to consider what I should say. It seemed that it would turn out well, but I couldn't be sure. But before I could make sense of the situation, she spoke again.
"Well, I have all the information I need, so if Praetor Zhang, and the rest of the senate is satisfied, we will cast our votes. All in favor of Jason's acceptance to camp please raise your hands."
Most of the senators raised their hands, but some pointedly kept theirs down, and with a stroke of fear I realized that some of them were among those whom I had hurt with my ability. Reyna spoke once more.
"It looks as if there is support for your continued stay here at camp. We can skip the negative, considering the number of positive votes. This senate gathering is now adjourned. Jason, you are free to go, Hazel will show you to your barracks."