There was a murmur of agreement and Jason turned to the next chapter.

Chapter Three

We Hail the Taxi of Eternal Torment

"I don't like the sound of that," Sally said, frowning.

"It's not that bad," Hermes assured her. "Well … it's not a threat anyway."

Annabeth was waiting for us … 'Where'd you find him?' she demanded, pointing at Tyson.

"Seriously, what is he?" Percy asked. "And why can't I see it?"

"The Mist was still affecting you," Annabeth explained. "It's not uncommon. Also, I'm going to say a lot of things about Tyson …"

"And I'm going to think a lot of things," Percy added.

"But we were wrong," Annabeth finished. "So leave him alone."

Now under different circumstances, I would've been really happy to see her.

"I just saved your life!" Annabeth protested.

"And you were being mean to my friend," Percy said.

Annabeth sighed. "Fair enough."

… I'd missed Annabeth probably more than I wanted to admit.

"Don't," Annabeth said.

Thalia smirked and closed her mouth.

But I'd just been attacked … all Annabeth could do was glare at him like he was the problem.

"Well, Annabeth probably didn't see everything we did," Lee said fairly. "If I came across a monster, I'd assume the worst too."

… She looked surprised. 'He can talk?'

"Were you expecting otherwise?" Nico asked.

"Well, I'd never come across a …" Annabeth hesitated. "… one of those who could talk normally."

'I talk,' Tyson admitted. 'You are pretty.'

"Oh, bless him," Silena cooed. "He's sweet."

… I couldn't believe she was being so rude … 'Tyson,' I said in disbelief. 'Your hands aren't even burned.'

"Are you serious?" Thalia asked. "Do you need Annabeth to put it into Morse code for you?"

"That wouldn't work," Percy said. "I don't know Morse code."

'Of course not,' Annabeth muttered. 'I'm surprised the Laistrygonians had the guts to attack you with him around'

"He must be an actual monster then," Will said. "Not just something non-human."

"Didn't we say it in the last book?" Percy whispered to his girlfriend.

"A lot's happened since then," Annabeth whispered back. "They've probably forgotten."

… 'Laistry – I can't even say that. What would you call them in English?'

She thought about it for a moment. 'Canadians,' she decided.

Piper burst out laughing. "Oh, we have to remember that."

"Why?" Annabeth asked.

"We have a friend who's Canadian," Piper said, grinning.

"My friend too?" Annabeth asked.

"Yep," Piper said. "You're going to be hearing about that one."

… 'The police'll be after me.'

'That's the least of our problems,' she said.

"Uh oh," Luke muttered.

'Have you been having the dreams?'

"Is it common for demigods to have the same dreams?" Michael asked.

Apollo frowned. "It depends what's going on. But she may not be talking about Grover."

'The dreams … about Grover?'

Her face turned pale. 'Grover? No, what about Grover?'

"Something else is going on," Athena said grimly.

I told her about my dream. 'Why? What were you dreaming about?'

… 'Camp,' she said at last. 'Big trouble at camp.'

Annabeth shuddered.

… 'I don't know exactly. Something's wrong.

That was not entirely correct. She did not know exactly what was wrong, but she did know more than she had suggested to Percy.

The dreams had been interspersed with images of Thalia, screaming in pain.

She hadn't wanted to consider what that might mean.

We have to get there right away. Monsters have been chasing me all the way from Virginia, trying to stop me.

"I was fine," Annabeth said hastily.

Have you had a lot of attacks?'

Thalia frowned. "You said they chased you from Virginia – did you have any before that?"

Annabeth thought for a second. "No, actually. Well, there were one or two, but nothing like I was used to. Not until I left."

Both turned to Luke, who shrugged. "I may have put a no-go on the neighbourhood. I couldn't do much when you left though."

"I feel like I should thank you," Annabeth said. "I'm just not quite sure."

… Tyson raised his hand like he was still in class. 'Canadians in the gym …

Piper giggled again.

… called Percy something … Son of the Sea God?'

"Good job he's not mortal," Lee said. "If the Mist wasn't falling yet, it probably wasn't going to."

I didn't know how I could explain, but I figured Tyson deserved the truth …

"He probably already knew," Hermes said. "Or, at the very least, he knew about demigods, maybe even that you were one."

… He didn't seem surprised or confused by what I was telling him, which surprised and confused me.

"If he knows Percy's a demigod, why does it matter whose son he is?" Travis asked.

"Because …" Percy choked off. "Never mind.

… 'We don't have time for this,' Annabeth said. 'We'll talk in the taxi.'

"How are they going to get a taxi to Camp?" Will asked.

Lee looked a little bit nauseous. "If it's the taxi I'm thinking of, it's doable, but I pity them in that case."

… I hesitated. 'What about Tyson?'

"And you think he can get in, Thalia?" Chiron asked.

Thalia nodded. "There's no reason he can't, as long as someone invites him in."

I imagined escorting my giant friend into Camp Half-Blood.

"Yeah, that'll go down well," Clarisse muttered.

… 'We can't just leave him,' I decided. 'He'll be in trouble, too.'

"I don't know if he would be, actually," Hermes said. "The Mist could likely cover him, if he's able to manipulate it."

"If," Apollo repeated.

'Yeah.' Annabeth looked grim. 'We definitely need to take him. Now come on.'

"Why was it so important?" Percy whispered to her.

Annabeth thought for a moment. "Can't remember. I think it was because he'd been there the whole year and hadn't attacked you."

… She looked even worse than I'd realised at first.

As Jason read through the description of the state Annabeth had been in, Thalia looked steadily more concerned.

… All around us, sirens wailed … Annabeth pulled out a gold coin that I recognized as a drachma …

"It's a magical taxi, isn't it?" Will asked.

"Yes, it is," Lee said, still looking pale. "And it's not a nice one."

… 'Anakoche,' she shouted in Ancient Greek. 'Harma epitribeios!'

"Oh," Bianca said, sounding surprised. "Is it strange that I understood that?"

"No," Thalia answered. "Our brains are hard-wired to understand Ancient Greek. That's why we have such a problem with English. Or Italian, I guess."

… She'd said, Stop, Chariot of Damnation!

That didn't exactly make me feel real excited about whatever her plan was.

There were a few sniggers, but Lee nodded solemnly. "Very smart, Percy."

… For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, just where the coin had fallen, the tarmac melted.

"Cool!" The Stolls cried.

"Oh, no," Luke sighed.

Then a car erupted from the ooze … It was smoky grey … There were words printed on the door – something like GYAR SSIRES – but my dyslexia made it hard for me to decipher what was said.

Sally thought for a second. "Grey sisters?"

"How did you do that?" Apollo asked.

"I've got very used to deciphering things like that," Sally said with a smile. "That was a fairly easy one."

… 'Three to Camp Half-Blood,' Annabeth said. She opened the cab's back door and waved at me to get in, like this was all completely normal.

"Well, it is," Annabeth said.

"Don't the Grey Sisters only have one eye between them?" Sally asked.

"That's right," Hermes said.

"Then how do they see to drive?" Sally asked.

"They don't," Lee said. "That's where the fun starts."

'Ach!' the old woman screeched. 'We don't take his kind!'

"What is he?" Katie asked.

Amphitrite frowned a little. "I think I know what he is. That'll be interesting."

... What was it? Pick-on-Big-and-Ugly-Kids Day?

"Unfortunately, I think that's most days in most places," Hestia said, frowning.

'Extra pay,' Annabeth promised. 'Three more drachmas on arrival.'

"Where were you going to get the others from?" Thalia asked.

Annabeth just shrugged.

… Reluctantly I got in the cab … Wait a minute. There wasn't just one old lady. There were three, all crammed in the front seat … She flooed the accelerator, and my head slammed against the backrest.

"Ow!" Percy groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

A pre-recorded voice came on over the speaker: Hi, this is Ganymede, cup-bearer to Zeus, and when I'm out buying wine for the Lord of the Skies, I always buckle up!

Apollo snorted. "No, he doesn't. He's terrible for it."

I looked down and found a large black chain … I decided I wasn't that desperate … yet.

"You will be," Lee predicted darkly.

… 'Well, if you'd give me the eye, Tempest, I could see that!' the driver complained.

"Shouldn't the driver have the eye?" Sally asked nervously.

"That suggests a logic that they have never possessed," Athena said tiredly.

… I didn't have time to ask questions because the driver swerved … ran over the kerb with a jaw-rattling thump, and flew into the next block.

"Oh, thanks," Annabeth said, rubbing her face.

'Wasp! … Give me the girl's coin! I want to bite it.'

"Why?" Michael asked in bewilderment.

"Who knows," Lee responded.

… The middle one, Tempest, screamed, 'Red light!'

"Uh oh," Thalia said. "Brace for impact?"

"Why?" Nico asked, since Percy couldn't. "You don't really think she's going to stop, do you?"

… Instead, Wasp floored the accelerator and rose up on the curb … She left my stomach somewhere back on Broome Street.

Percy groaned, doubling over.

'Excuse me,' I said. 'But … can you see?'

"How can you be so polite?" Thalia asked.

"Well, they were in charge of the car," Percy said. "It felt like a good idea."

… I looked at Annabeth. 'They're blind?'

"You hadn't figured out who they were?" Rachel asked.

"Not yet, no," Percy said.

'Not completely,' Annabeth said. 'They have an eye.'

"Well, that's comforting," Malcolm said, tapping his pen against his pad.

'One eye'

'Yeah.'

'Each?'

'No. One eye total.'

"Very comforting," Percy said, looking pale.

Next to me, Tyson groaned and grabbed the seat. 'Not feeling so good.'

"Poor thing," Sally said.

"Poor kids," Amphitrite said. "I have a feeling if he throws up, it's not going to be fun for any of them."

… I'd seen Tyson get carsick … it was not something you wanted to be within fifteen metres of.

Percy grimaced at the memory.

'Hang in there … Anybody got a garbage bag or something?'

"They won't," Lee said confidently. "I think they get a kick out of that kind of thing."

"I'm sure they do," Apollo agreed.

… I looked over at Annabeth … and I gave her a why-did-you-do-this-to-me look.

"It is the best way to get there," Lee conceded. "Just not the nicest."

"Couldn't Annabeth have taken it from Virginia then?" Sally asked.

"No, it's only available in the areas around Olympus," Lee answered.

Jason smirked a bit, as he read the next few lines, more or less repeating the discussion.

… 'We've had famous people in this cab!' Anger exclaimed. 'Jason! You remember him?'

"Are they ever actually helpful?" Chris asked.

"Sometimes," Hermes said.

… Wasp swerved hard onto Delancey Street, squishing me between Tyson and the door.

Percy sucked in a breath, wincing at the pressure that appeared around his ribs.

She punched the gas and we shot up the Williamsburg Bridge at seventy miles an hour.

"They won't get hurt, will they?" Sally asked.

"I don't think they ever get anyone hurt," Apollo reassured her. "They're just … not very safe."

… 'Uh, if anybody's interested,' I said, 'we're going to die!'

Sally took a deep breath. It was only the third chapter, for Olympus's sake.

'Don't worry,' Annabeth told me, sounding pretty worried.

"Well, that's comforting as well," Malcolm said.

'The Grey Sisters know what they're doing. They're really very wise.'

"If you say so," Percy muttered. "Not good drivers though."

This coming from the daughter of Athena …

"That's a good point," Nico said. "It's not like Annabeth to say things like that and not mean them."

"You weren't in the car," Percy said darkly.

… We were skimming along the edge of a bridge forty metres above the East River.

"At least you'd be alright if you did go over the edge," Amphitrite said.

'Yes, wise! … We know things!'

… 'The location you seek!' Tempest added.

"Hello!" Michael said, sitting forward. "What location?"

"Good question," Malcolm agreed, readying his pen.

… 'What' I said. 'What location? I'm not seeking any –'

'Nothing!' Tempest said. 'You're right, boy. It's nothing!'

"Percy won't take that," Piper said confidently.

… There was a sickening pop and something flew out of Anger's face.

"Oh no," Silena said, grimacing. "Is that what I think it is?"

… The slimy green orb sailed over her shoulder, into the back seat, and straight into my lap.

"Yes," Clarisse answered, grinning. "It is what you think it is."

… 'Give me the eye!' Wasp wailed.

'Give her the eye!' Annabeth screamed.

"Give her the eye!" Several people shouted.

"This was two years ago!" Percy retorted. "I can't do anything now."

… 'I'm not picking that up!'

"Percy, I have seen you do more disgusting things than pick up an eyeball," Thalia said, rolling her eyes.

"That's usually because you're helping me," Percy said.

… 'Going to be sick!' Tyson warned.

"Duck!" Amphitrite warned.

'Annabeth,' I yelled, 'let Tyson use your backpack!'

"Yeah, that's not happening," Annabeth said. "Even now. That's not happening."

'Are you crazy? Get the eye!'

"I'm not sure which is the more pressing issue," Sally said.

Wasp yanked the wheel, and the taxi swerved away from the rail.

Annabeth and Percy both jolted.

… At least I steeled my nerves. I ripped off a chunk of my tie-dyed T-shirt … and used it to pick the eyeball off the floor.

"Okay, now give it back!" Sally said.

"No, find out what location you want," Travis said eagerly.

… 'What were you talking about, the location I speak?'

"Brilliant," Connor said, grinning.

… 'Percy,' Annabeth warned, 'they can't find our destination without the eye. We'll just keep accelerating until we break into a million pieces.'

"Or give it back," Travis said. "That's god too."

'First they have to tell me,' I said. 'Or I'll open the window and throw the eye into oncoming traffic.'

"Empty threat," Hermes said. "Try to avoid those unless you have no other choice."

… 'Wait!' the Grey Sisters screamed. 'Thirty, thirty-one, seventy-five, twelve!'

"What?" Malcolm asked. "What good is that?"

"Write it down anyway," Annabeth said. "It's probably important."

Malcolm scribbled down the numbers, muttering them under his breath. "Are they … Are they coordinates?"

"Maybe," Annabeth said, frowning. "But for what?"

Luke's eyes widened and he caught Thalia's eye.

She nodded.

… 'That's all we can tell you. Now give us the eye! Almost to camp!'

"Also, know when you're beaten," Hermes advised.

… I could see Half-Blood Hill ahead of us, with its giant pine tree at the crest – Thalia's tree, which contained the life force of a fallen hero.

"That's sweet," Thalia said, "but very depressing."

"How did that happen?" Bianca asked.

"I died," Thalia said bluntly. "Well, I mostly died. Father turned me into a pine tree."

"Then … how are you not a tree now?" Bianca asked.

Thalia gave her a smile. "You'll see."

'Percy!' Annabeth said more urgently. 'Give them the eye now!"

"Please …" Sally whispered.

I decided not to argue.

"Makes a nice change," Thalia and Nico managed to say more or less in unison.

… The taxi spun four or five times in a cloud of smoke and squealed to a halt in the middle of the farm road at the base of Half-Blood Hill.

"Thank goodness," Sally murmured, relaxing in her seat. "Thank goodness."

Tyson let out a huge belch. 'Better now.'

"Well, that's something at least," Silena said, grimacing.

'All right,' I told the Grey Sisters. 'Now tell me what those numbers mean.'

"They won't tell you," Hermes said. "They never do. It's like the Oracle."

'No time!' Annabeth opened her door.

"Wait a minute," Luke said. "Since when do you not want to know something?"

"I had bigger problems," Annabeth answered vaguely.

'We have to get out now.'

None of the younger campers knew what was wrong, but they were picking up on Annabeth's second-hand fear.

… At the crest of the hill was a group of campers. And they were under attack.

"That's impossible," Chiron said flatly. "The boundary line would prevent it. Even if monsters got there, they couldn't get in."
Apollo and Hermes exchanged a dark look, but said nothing.

"That's the end of the chapter," Jason said.

"Here," Reyna said, holding out a hand. "I'll do it."

Out of everyone, she probably had the weakest connection to Thalia. Hopefully, she could get through it more or less in one go.