Chapter 16
"And where is that exactly?" Jason asked.
"I don't know. That's why I was asking you," Lachlan said.
"Well, what's the place we're going to?"
Rowan stood forward. "He means Camp Jupiter."
Lachlan stared at him while everyone waited for whatever Lachlan was going to say next. He blinked his eyes a couple of times then regathered his thoughts. "Yeah. That."
"Camp Jupiter! That's preposterous. We haven't heard from them in months," Chiron argued.
Jason waved his hands around at Chiron. "That doesn't mean we can't automatically not go there."
"Perhaps it doesn't. But I still think that it is unwise." Chiron stroked his beard and stared off into the distance, as if pondering something that he didn't want to share.
Rowan stepped forward. "Question is, how do we get there?"
Zeus raised his head from the ground. "I may not have the strength to send you there instantly but I do have something that could help." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Samsung smart phone. "Ganymede. Any chance you still have your pilots license?"
Hephaestus and Aphrodite were both in the middle of an argument when Lachlan, Jason and everyone else arrived at the small airstrip behind a temple to Apollo. The stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the argument to cool down but it kept going on until Zeus cleared his throat.
"Zeus. Mind telling this woman here to close her yapper?" Hephaestus grunted.
Before Zeus could respond, Aphrodite held a hand to her chest. "I'm not the one that should close my mouth, you ungrateful, little...!"
Zeus slammed his foot on the ground. "Silence you two. Right now, neither of you are a priority." Behind them, and luxury jet was towed onto the runway with someone, who Lachlan couldn't recognise, hanging out the door.
Zeus watched the airplane until it stopped behind him. "Normally I don't lend my personal jet out to every mortal that comes to Olympus but I think the six of you are an exception."
"What about Chiron?" Annabeth and Piper asked at the exact same time.
Chiron bowed his head. "I will not be accompanying you on this journey. As much as I would love to, it is not mine to complete."
Rowan rubbed his hands together with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well than. I'm glad that's settled. Now let's get on this very nice and very expensive plane."
As everybody was climbing the stairs, Hephaestus grabbed Lachlan by the shoulder and spun him around like a rag doll. "Boy, don't thank me for this." Hephaestus whistled into the air and within seconds, two metal birds dropped a bronze shield and a silver pointed spear into his outstretched hands.
Hephaestus pressed them against Lachlan's chest, urging him to take them from him as if they were bombs about to explode. Lachlan cautiously took them and looked back at the god. "I never wanted to give these away, some of my finest work, but alas, I feel you will need them on your quest," Hephaestus looked around nervously to make sure no-one was watching.
The spear disappeared in Lachlan's hand and Hephaestus just grunted. "When you need it, it'll be there."
Lachlan stuttered. "I don't know what to say sir..."
"Just go. And there's a gift from Aphrodite in the shield but if you ask me, it's nothing more than trouble."
Lachlan turned and jogged up the steps and as he was going through the door, he caught a glimpse of Aphrodite winking at him.