idea. "Where are you?"

 

"We're on our way like you asked, almost to the Queens — Midtown Tunnel. But,

Percy, what are you planning? We've left the camp virtually undefended, and

there's no way the gods — "

 

"Trust me," I said. "I'll see you there."

 

I hung up. My hands were trembling. I wasn't sure if it was a leftover reaction

from my dip in the Styx, or anticipation of what I was about to do. If this

didn't work, being invulnerable wasn't going to save me from getting blasted to

bits.

 

It was late afternoon when the taxi dropped me at the Empire State Building.

Mrs. O'Leary bounded up and down Fifth Avenue, licking cabs and sniffing hot dog

carts. Nobody seemed to notice her, although people did swerve away and look

confused when she came close.

 

I whistled for her to heel as three white vans pulled up to the curb. They said

Delphi Strawberry Seiwice, which was the cover name for Camp Half-Blood. I'd

never seen all three vans in the same place at once, though I knew they shuttled

our fresh produce into the city.

 

The first van was driven by Argus, our many-eyed security chief. The other two

were driven by haipies, who are basically demonic human/chicken hybrids with bad