"Great," I said. "Any good news?"

 

Thalia shrugged. "We've sealed off the subway tunnels into Manhattan. My best

trappers took care of it. Also, it seems like the enemy is waiting for tonight

to attack. I think Luke" — she caught herself — "1 mean Kronos needs time to

regenerate after each fight. He's still not comfortable with his new form. It's

taking a lot of his power to slow time around the city."

 

Grover nodded. "Most of his forces are more powerful at night, too. But they'll

be back after sundown."

 

I tried to thi nk clearly. "Okay. Any word from the gods?"

 

Thalia shook her head. "I know Lady Artemis would be here if she could. Athena,

too. But Zeus has ordered them to stay at his side. The last I heard, Typhon was

destroying the Ohio River valley. He should reach the Appalachian Mountains by

midday."

 

"So at best," I said, "we've got another two days before he arrives."

 

Jake Mason cleared his throat. He'd been standing there so silently I'd almost

forgotten he was in the room.

 

"Percy, something else," he said. "The way Kronos showed up at the Williamsburg

Bridge, like he knew you were going there. And he shifted his forces to our