"He's not dead," I said. "I can feel that much."

 

"Empathy links," Leneus said disdainfully. "Very unreliable."

 

"So ask around," I insisted. "Find him. There's a war coming. Grover was

preparing the nature spirits."

 

"Without my permission! And it's not our war."

 

I grabbed him by the shirt, which seriously wasn't like me, but the stupid old

goat was making me mad. "Listen, Leneus. When Kronos attacks, he's going to have

packs of hellhounds. He's going to destroy everything in his path — mortals,

gods, demigods. Do you thi nk he'll let the satyrs go free? You're supposed to

be a leader. So LEAD. Get out there and see what's happening. Find Grover and

bring Juniper some news. Now, GO!"

 

I didn't push him very hard, but he was kind of top-heavy. He fell on his furry

rump, then scrambled to his hooves and ran away with his belly jiggling. "Grover

will never be accepted! He will die an outcast! "

 

When he'd disappeared into the bushes, Juniper wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry,

Percy. I didn't mean to get you involved. Leneus is still a lord of the Wild.

You don't want to make an enemy of him."

 

"No problem," I said. "I've got worse enemies than overweight satyrs."