Chapter 15: I Cheat On A Test

The television was still on when I jolted out of my nightmare. It was still tuned to the Nature Channel, but now Percy was the one sitting up staring at it. His out-of-focus expression indicated that he wasn't really watching the schools of fish swim by on the screen.

'Hey,' he said when he saw me stir.

I couldn't meet his eyes. I had the irrational fear that I would look up and see two faces on him, like in my nightmare.

A moment later, he asked, 'Bad dream?'

'Yeah.'

'Me too,' he said. He gestured to the couches. 'You'd think we'd be able to get a decent night's sleep here, but I guess …' He ran his hand through his hair. 'What was yours about?'

'My dream?' I closed my eyes briefly, then forced myself to look at him. It was just Percy, his hair looking like a rat's nest, but completely normal. 'Nothing. Just … the maze. You know. What about you?'

'Same.'

I remembered he'd been muttering in his sleep. 'Did you dream about Ariadne's string?'

'How did you—' His hand darted to his mouth and rubbed the corners of it. 'Never mind. Yeah. I was …' He lowered his voice, afraid to wake the others.

I got up and came over to his couch. He was lounging with his back against one armrest and his legs stretched length-wise across the seat. I lifted his feet and sat on the other end. He quickly drew his knees up to give me room.

'I was following Luke,' he said cautiously, looking at me as if he expected me to explode. When I didn't say anything, he continued, 'He's on Mount Tam. He was inspecting his army.' Percy described the forces Luke had arrayed: half-bloods and dracaenae and giants … too many monsters to count. 'They're getting ready to march on camp. Kelli was there, too—you know, that vampire cheerleader at my school. And Kampê. She turned up looking for revenge. Luke told her she could come with him. He said she could carry Ariadne's string.'

'But … that sounds like he's already got it!' How was that possible? It was only yesterday I'd dreamt of Luke being lost in the Labyrinth, still searching for Daedalus.

Or was it? The Labyrinth was magical space. Time didn't move linearly in magical places. I didn't have a clue how much time had really passed since we'd left camp. The sun was coming up now, a pink strip on the horizon, but that only proved one night had gone by since we'd emerged onto Geryon's ranch.

'I don't know,' Percy said. 'He also said the deal wasn't complete, and he needed to negotiate safe passage through an arena. That sounds like he doesn't have everything he needs yet.'

'Maybe he meant Kampê could carry the string once they got it. Maybe they're still trying to get to the workshop.'

'Maybe …'

'We have to find Daedalus.' Our time was running out. If Luke had already found the inventor and proposed a bargain, if he was just waiting to seal the deal … 'We have to convince him not to help Luke—it's our only chance.'

But the new deadline made my task feel more insurmountable than ever. The thought of entering the maze again, with its endless, illogical tunnels and taunting crossroads, filled me with despair. I scrunched up my face, trying not to cry.

A warm arm fell across my shoulders. Percy had scooted closer to me. His face was bright red, but he didn't pull away. I leaned my head against his shoulder gratefully, inhaling the salty scent of comfort. Through the window, we watched the sun creep steadily higher, dragging us into a new day.

'Annabeth?' Percy said. 'Do you really think Daedalus can help us?'

I lifted my head. 'Of course he can. He has to.'

'I know, but do you think he can be trusted?'

How did I explain my feelings about Daedalus? Part of it was desperation, I guess. If he couldn't help us, there wasn't anyone else who could. But the guy was also the greatest architect and inventor of ancient Greece. If I were to pick any of the early demigods as a role model, it would be him. I needed to believe that a genius like him, who had designed such clever buildings and created such amazing things, was decent at heart.

'He's really smart,' I said at last. 'He knows lots of things.'

'Knowledge isn't everything.'

I pulled away. 'It's still important.'

Percy looked like he was thinking carefully about his next words. 'What if he's done stuff—really bad stuff?'

'What do you mean?'

Before he could explain, Tyson rolled off his couch and hit the floor with a loud thud that woke Grover and Nico as well. Orthus came bounding into the room, both heads barking at the top of their lungs.

Eurytion made omelettes for breakfast (he assured us they were normal chicken eggs, not Hippalek-tryon). After we had washed them down with orange juice, he walked us to the cattle grid where the Labyrinth entrance was. Nico came with us, which I guess was a good sign. His eyes were red from crying, and he wouldn't look at Percy, even when Percy offered to let him join us. But he looked more tired than angry. He was still wearing the robe I'd covered him with.

'I need time to think,' he said stiffly.

I touched his shoulder. 'Nico, Bianca just wants you to be okay.'

He looked at me with aching eyes. The longing in them almost made me want to stay behind to look after him. Then he turned away and headed back to the ranch house.

I watched him go uneasily. 'I'm worried about him. If he starts talking to Minos's ghost again—'

'He'll be all right,' Eurytion said. 'The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts as long as he wants. He'll be safe, I promise.'

Percy considered this. 'What about you?'

Eurytion smiled. 'Things are going to be run a little different on this ranch from now on.'

Orthus butted him in the legs. He bent to scratch the dog's heads, one after the other. 'No more sacred cattle meat,' he vowed. Grover perked up when he mused about soya-bean patties and training the flesh-eating horses for the rodeo. I guess things really would be turning around for the animals.

'I reckon you'll be looking for Daedalus's workshop now?'

My eyes widened. 'Can you help us?'

Eurytion chewed his lower lip. 'Don't know where it is,' he said slowly. 'But Hephaestus probably would.'

Hera had said the same thing. 'But how do we find Hephaestus?'

Eurytion reached under his shirt. When he extracted his fist, he opened his fingers to reveal a round disc made of burnished silver. It looked like a tiny tea saucer hanging from a silver chain.

'Hephaestus comes here from time to time,' he said, holding the disc out to me. 'Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies.' He explained that he'd helped Hephaestus out with a favour regarding Ares and Aphrodite. I tried not to think about what that might have involved. I'd seen first-hand what sort of traps Hephaestus laid for his cheating wife. The memory of Percy and me springing one of them wasn't one I liked to replay. (Although my mind wondered, off-task, if I wouldn't mind taking that tunnel ride together now. Well, maybe minus the smash-up at the end.)

Eurytion nodded at the disc in my hand. 'He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disc would lead me to his forges. But only once.'

'And you're giving it to me?' I ran my finger over the silver. It had a little depression in the centre.

'I don't need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here.' Eurytion spread his arms to indicate the sprawling ranch. 'Just press the button and you'll be on your way.'

I pressed down with my finger. Immediately, the disc whirred and sprouted eight legs, four on either side of its round belly. My heart jolted. It looked terrifyingly like a …

'Spider!' I flung the awful creature away from me. It skittered into the cattle grid, dropping into the darkness of the Labyrinth.

It was the damned Thrill Ride of Love all over again. How could I forget Hephaestus's hideous metal spiders swarming the boat, making me lose my mind?

'She's, um, a little scared of spiders.' Grover explained the old feud between my mother and Arachne.

'Oh, sorry, miss!'

Percy squeezed my shoulder. 'Hurry, that thing's not going to wait for us.'

The pressure of his hand grounded me. While Tyson pulled up the cattle grid, opening the maze entrance, I tried to re-visualise the metallic spider—no, the metallic insect. If I squinted, I could just about convince myself it was an ant instead. Not that those were great either—Myrmekes could be particularly terrifying—but at least I wasn't deathly afraid of them.

We descended back into the Labyrinth and raced after the metal … insect. For a tiny thing, it sure could move fast. It took us through stone tunnels, across a set of monkey bars (it was harder to pretend it wasn't a spider when it swung its way across on thin, metallic filaments), past ditches and more skeletons, over a giant mousetrap the size of a car … and then it skittered over a pile of scattered 2B pencils, straight into a large room.

It was like bursting onto a grand stage. Spotlights beamed down from the ceiling and the corners of the room. It took a while to adjust to their glare, and then I wished I hadn't. The room was littered with skeletons.

At the far end of the room was a raised dais with a golden statue. I had a brief glimpse of our mechanical guide darting under its paws and out into a tunnel behind it.

The statue sprung to life. More spotlights clicked on, illuminating her stern, golden face. She had hair that reminded me of my old monster teacher Kitsune's, pulled back into an overcompensating bun that tugged on the corners of her face. She'd gone heavy on the make-up: thick gold eyeshadow and cheeks powdered with golden glitter that reflected the light in different directions Her smart blazer jacket was bright yellow, with a blue ribbon stuck proudly to its lapel. It was the kind they gave out to winners of spelling bees (I'd never gotten one). I almost expected her to be wearing a tight pencil skirt, like Kitsune had favoured, but her lower half ended in a lion's body.

The Sphinx bared her fangs, which looked like pointed golden dentures inside her painted lips, and let out a ferocious roar. Bars slammed down behind her, and across the exit we'd just come through. We were trapped.

I looked at the Sphinx warily. In my dream, Daedalus had had an automated one guarding his workshop. Were we that close?

The Sphinx's threatening expression morphed so quickly into a smile that stretched from ear to ear, I wondered if I'd only imagined her roar. But no, her golden denture fangs were as sharp as ever.

Like a game show host, she cried, 'Welcome, lucky contestants! Get ready to play …' She paused for dramatic effect, 'ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!'

The spotlights danced in criss-cross patterns above our heads. The walls laughed, a mechanical chortle that sounded more like a rattle.

The Sphinx nodded enthusiastically at us. She was blinking really fast, like dust was stuck in her eye. 'Fabulous prizes! Pass the test and you get to advance. Fail, and I get to eat you. Who will be our contestant?'

I squared my shoulders. I knew this myth. The Sphinx was only dangerous if you couldn't answer her riddle.

'I've got this,' I said. 'I know what she's going to ask.'

Even if I hadn't dreamt about Daedalus's fake Sphinx, I'd studied the original monster's riddle before. I felt pretty confident about my chances.

The Sphinx's smile widened when I stepped up to the contestant's podium. Someone was already in it—a dead someone. The skeleton was still dressed in their school uniform, a white-and-magenta combination that reminded me of my old school, St Catherine's. The bones gave no clue as to how their owner had died. Not that it mattered. I was going to pass the Sphinx's test.

I gave the skeleton a little nudge. It toppled out of the booth and joined the others on the floor. I winced. 'Sorry.'

It didn't answer.

The Sphinx welcomed me by name, even though none of us had introduced ourselves. 'Are you ready for your test?'

I lifted my chin. 'Yes. Ask your riddle.'

'Twenty riddles, actually!' If she had hands, she would have been rubbing them together in delighted anticipation.

My confidence faltered. 'What? But back in the old days—'

The Sphinx kept her bright smile plastered in place, but there was a hint of frostiness in her eyes as she said, 'Oh, we've raised our standards,' like I was to blame for the abysmal state of education in the country today. 'To pass, you must show proficiency in all twenty.' Her false, game-show expression returned. 'Isn't that great?'

Percy nodded at me, like, you can do this.

I squared my shoulders again. I was the daughter of Athena. I could handle this. Riddles were just logical puzzles, after all. It couldn't be as hard as figuring out the maze. 'Okay. I'm ready.'

The drumroll built up in a long crescendo, like a rumble of thunder over the ceiling. Alongside the nervousness in my chest, there was a sense of fluttery anticipation. It was the same thrill of excitement as before capture the flag, when we waited for Chiron's horn to sound so I could put my strategy into action.

The canned recordings died away. The Sphinx's smile turned predatory.

My pre-competition nerves settled into a state of confident eagerness. I was pumped. I was ready. Bring it on.

'What is the capital of Bulgaria?'

I blinked. That … wasn't a riddle.

The answer was stowed away somewhere in my memory—I could visualise the map of Europe we had in school, with little red flags marking out each capital—but surely this couldn't be it.

'Sofia, but—'

'Correct!' Pre-recorded applause boomed from invisible speakers. A booklet materialised on my podium.

'Please be sure to mark your answer clearly on your test sheet with a 2B pencil,' said the Sphinx. The pencil appeared next to the booklet, its tip sharpened to a fine point.

'What?' I stared at the booklet. It was filled with rows and rows of little bubbles marked A, B, C, and D. There was no indication as to which option corresponded with my answer.

'Make sure you bubble each answer clearly and stay inside the circle.' The Sphinx sounded like a state test proctor now. 'If you have to erase, erase completely, or the machine will not be able to read your answers.'

'What machine?' I was feeling more and more wrong-footed, like I'd stepped into the Ares cabin and found Clarisse and her siblings painting each other's nails.

The Sphinx indicated a three-foot square box that looked like a cross between a jackpot machine and a mailbox. It had a long lever on the side and a slit in the centre. A series of gears clicked away at the back. The mark of Hephaestus, a large Êta, was painted boldly on the front.

'Now, next question—'

'Wait a second!' I stopped her before she could throw me another inane question. 'What about, "What walks on four legs in the morning?"'

The Sphinx's glare was definitely accusatory now. 'I beg your pardon?'

It was a bit weird to explain her own riddle to her, but I did. 'That's the riddle you used to ask.'

The Sphinx made a little hmph of frustration. 'Exactly why we changed the test! You already knew the answer. Now, second question—what is the square root of sixteen?'

'Four,' I said automatically. But this wasn't a riddle either.

The next question was on a completely unrelated topic—history. My brow furrowed. 'Hold up! These aren't riddles!'

'What do you mean? Of course they are.' The Sphinx's had the same condescending sniff as every teacher who'd labelled me as stupid because I'd failed their meaningless standardised tests. As if those actually proved anything. 'This test material is specially designed—'

My confusion gave way to annoyance. Specially designed? She was just rattling off questions like a trivia machine. Now, don't get me wrong—I like trivia, but this was just … insulting.

'It's just a bunch of dumb, random facts. Riddles are supposed to make you think.'

The Sphinx was no longer smiling. 'Think? How am I supposed to test whether you can think?' She snorted at the mere absurdity of it. 'That's ridiculous! Now, how much force is required—'

'Stop!' My blood roared in my ears, but it was no longer from fear or excitement. I felt cheated. Defeating the Sphinx was supposed to be a milestone, proof of your logic and intelligence. But how could I be proud of passing a stupid test like this?

'I'm a child of Athena, and this is an insult to my intelligence,' I declared. 'I won't answer these questions.'

'Why then, my dear, if you won't pass, you fail.' The Sphinx's eyes darkened. 'And since we can't allow any children to be held back, you'll be EATEN!'

On that last word, she sprang at me. Sharp claws extended from the ends of her paws. Her mouth pulled back to showcase her fangs.

In my outrage at her ridiculous test, I'd completely forgotten that the Sphinx wasn't a pompous schoolteacher, but an actual monster. Her attack caught me off guard. Claws like steel flew straight at my face.

Then a giant body hurtled in front of me and intercepted the Sphinx.

Tyson. He'd saved my life again. He stood between me and the Sphinx with his arms outstretched. His t-shirt was shredded where the Sphinx's claws had ripped it.

I found my dagger. If it was a fight the Sphinx wanted, it was a fight she'd get. I couldn't wait to stab her in her smug golden face.

Percy's bronze sword came up, putting another barrier between me and the Sphinx. 'Turn invisible!' he said.

'I can fight!'

'No!' He jerked his head towards Tyson, who was trying to block the Sphinx from getting to me. 'The Sphinx is after you! Let us get it!'

The Sphinx finally got tired of playing keep-away with Tyson and charged him head on. She looked nothing like a grade school teacher now. Blood dotted Tyson's shirt.

My chest deflated. Thanks to my wounded pride, I'd lost my head completely. And now my friends were paying for it.

'Annabeth!' Percy blocked the Sphinx with Riptide.

I swallowed my pride and disappeared. A moment later, the Sphinx bounded past my friends and landed in the spot she'd last seen me. I'd already skirted round to the grading machine, out of reach.

'No fair! Cheater!' She turned to Percy, her teeth bared in outrage. She looked ready to rip into him for helping me get away.

Tyson hurled the grading machine at the Sphinx's head. It smashed into pieces at her feet. She howled in fury, but the destruction of the machine lifted the trap. The bars over the exits retracted into the ceiling.

'Come on!' I shouted. My voice was lost in the melee, but my friends got the point. They made for the exit, the Sphinx hot on their heels.

It was like my very first quest, when the three demon-grandma Furies had cornered us on a Greyhound, searching for Percy. I'd sent him off under my invisibility cap so he could get away. The thing that always stuck out to me in that memory was how Percy had come back.

I turned at the bars, my hand on its way to whip my cap off and draw the Sphinx's attention.

Then Grover put his reed pipes to his lips and puffed out a frantic tune. Tree roots sprouted from the ground—no, it was the Sphinx's pencils, growing into branches and vines around her paws. They jerked her back, giving us time to reach the exit and duck under the bars.

As soon as we all made it into the tunnel, the bars slammed down, trapping the Sphinx in the room. Her wail over her destroyed grading machine and the loss of her test scores gave me a vindictive twinge of pleasure.

'Annabeth!' Percy stopped just beyond the bars. He waved his arms around, searching frantically.

I caught his arm. 'Here!'

Our hands met and closed around each other. 'Keep moving,' I said.

Hand in hand, we raced down the tunnel after Tyson and Grover.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

A/N: The missing moment at the start of the chapter is not indicated in canon, but since the rest of that night between Percy and Grover's conversation and 'the next morning we walked down to the cattle grid' is convenient off-screen … I figure this could have happened. And there aren't that many places to squeeze in some additional percabeth development!

Kitsune and St Catherine's, come of course from Necklace of Harmonia. And I'd just like to say I very much share Annabeth's attitude towards standardised testing and its failure to capture alternate intelligences!

And I am still playing catch-up on comments. Third-year is kicking my butt. I'M SORRY! But thank you, Hello, ArtimuosJackson, Numberfivewithabullet, JustADerangedFanGirl, MariaClaire, and randomstories7777 for continuing to send me encouragement nonetheless! And yes, we are slowly but surely edging along to the scene everyone's been waiting for ... :)