I heard footsteps. Annabeth and Grover came back into the throne room and

stopped when they saw us. I probably had a pretty strange look on my face.

 

"Percy?" Annabeth didn't sound angry anymore — just concerned. "Should we, um,

leave again?"

 

Suddenly I felt like someone had injected me with steel. I understood what to

do.

 

I looked at Rachel. " Y ou're not going to do anything stupid, are you? I mean .

. . you talked to Chiron, right?"

 

She managed a faint smile. " Y ou're worried about me doing something stupid?"

 

"But I mean . . . will you be okay?" "1 don't know," she admitted. "That kind of

depends on whether you save the world, hero."

 

I picked up Pandora's jar. The spirit of Hope fluttered inside, trying to warm

the cold container.

 

"Hestia," I said, "I give this to you as an offering."

 

The goddess tilted her head. "I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me

with this?"