THE FEAST OF FORTUNA HAD NOTHING to do with tuna, which
was fine with Percy.
Campers, Amazons and Lares crowded the mess hall
for a lavish dinner. Even the fauns were invited, since
they’d helped out by bandaging the wounded after the
battle. Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering
orders of pizza, burgers, steaks, salads, Chinese food and
burritos, all flying at terminal velocity.
Despite the exhausting battle, everyone was in good
spirits. Casualties had been light, and the few campers
who’d previously died and come back to life, like Gwen,
hadn’t been taken to the Underworld. Maybe Thanatos
had turned a blind eye. Or maybe Pluto had given those
folks a pass, like he had for Hazel. Whatever the case,
nobody complained.
Colourful Amazon and Roman banners hung side by
side from the rafters. The restored golden eagle stood
proudly behind the praetor’s table, and the walls were
decorated with cornucopias – magical horns of plenty that
spilled out recycling waterfalls of fruit, chocolate and
fresh-baked cookies.
The cohorts mingled freely with the Amazons, jumping
from couch to couch as they pleased, and for once the
soldiers of the Fifth were welcome everywhere. Percy
changed seats so many times he lost track of his dinner.
There was a lot of flirting and arm-wrestling – which
seemed to be the same thing for the Amazons. At one
point Percy was cornered by Kinzie, the Amazon who’d
disarmed him in Seattle. He had to explain that he
already had a girlfriend. Fortunately Kinzie took it well.
She told him what had happened after they’d left Seattle –
how Hylla had defeated her challenger Otrera in two
consecutive duels to the death, so that the Amazons were
now calling their queen Hylla Twice-Kill.
‘Otrera stayed dead the second time,’ Kinzie said,
batting her eyes. ‘We have you to thank for that. If you
ever need a new girlfriend … well, I think you’d look great
in an iron collar and an orange jumpsuit.’
Percy couldn’t tell if she was kidding or not. He politely
thanked her and changed seats.
Once everyone had eaten and the plates stopped
flying, Reyna made a short speech. She formally
welcomed the Amazons, thanking them for their help.
Then she hugged her sister and everybody applauded.
Reyna raised her hands for quiet. ‘My sister and I
haven’t always seen eye to eye –’
Hylla laughed. ‘That’s an understatement.’
‘She joined the Amazons,’ Reyna continued. ‘I joined
Camp Jupiter. But, looking around this room, I think we
both made good choices. Strangely, our destinies were
made possible by the hero you all just raised to praetor
on the battlefield – Percy Jackson.’
More cheering. The sisters raised their glasses to
Percy and beckoned him forward.
Everybody asked for a speech, but Percy didn’t know
what to say. He protested that he really wasn’t the best
person for praetor, but the campers drowned him out with
applause. Reyna took away his probatio neck plate.
Octavian shot him a dirty look, then turned to the crowd
and smiled like this was all his idea. He ripped open a
teddy bear and pronounced good omens for the coming
year – Fortuna would bless them! He passed his hand
over Percy’s arm and shouted: ‘Percy Jackson, son of
Neptune, first year of service!’
The Roman symbols burned onto Percy’s arm: a
trident, SPQR and a single stripe. It felt like someone was
pressing a hot iron into his skin, but Percy managed not
to scream.
Octavian embraced him and whispered, ‘I hope it hurt.’
Then Reyna gave him an eagle medal and purple
cloak, symbols of the praetor. ‘You earned these, Percy.’
Queen Hylla pounded him on the back. ‘And I’ve
decided not to kill you.’
‘Um, thanks,’ Percy said.
He made his way around the mess hall one more time,
because all the campers wanted him at their table.
Vitellius the Lar followed, stumbling over his shimmering
purple toga and readjusting his sword, telling everyone
how he’d predicted Percy’s rise to greatness.
‘I demanded he join the Fifth Cohort!’ the ghost said
proudly. ‘Spotted his talent right away!’
Don the faun popped up in a nurse’s hat, a stack of
cookies in each hand. ‘Man, congrats and stuff! Awesome!
Hey, do you have any spare change?’
All the attention embarrassed Percy, but he was happy
to see how well Hazel and Frank were being treated.
Everyone called them the saviours of Rome, and they
deserved it. There was even talk about reinstating Frank’s
great-grandfather, Shen Lun, to the legion’s roll of honour.
Apparently he hadn’t caused the 1906 earthquake after
all. Percy sat for a while with Tyson and Ella, who were
honoured guests at Dakota’s table. Tyson kept calling for
peanut-butter sandwiches, eating them as fast as the
nymphs could deliver. Ella perched at his shoulder on top
of the couch and nibbled furiously on cinnamon rolls.
‘Cinnamon rolls are good for harpies,’ she said. ‘June
twenty-fourth is a good day. Roy Disney’s birthday, and
Fortuna’s Feast, and Independence Day for Zanzibar. And
Tyson.’
She glanced at Tyson, then blushed and looked away.
After dinner, the entire legion got the night off. Percy and
his friends drifted down to the city, which wasn’t quite
recovered from the battle, but the fires were out, most of
the debris had been swept up, and the citizens were
determined to celebrate.
At the Pomerian Line, the statue of Terminus wore a
paper party hat.
‘Welcome, praetor!’ he said. ‘You need any giants’ faces
smashed while you’re in town, just let me know.’
‘Thanks, Terminus,’ Percy said. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
‘Yes, good. Your praetor’s cape is an inch too low on the
left. There – that’s better. Where is my assistant? Julia!’
The little girl ran out from behind the pedestal. She was
wearing a green dress tonight, and her hair was still in
pigtails. When she smiled, Percy saw that her front teeth
were starting to come in. She held up a box full of party
hats.
Percy tried to decline, but Julia gave him the big
adoring eyes.
‘Ah, sure,’ he said. ‘I’ll take the blue crown.’
She offered Hazel a gold pirate hat. ‘I’m gonna be Percy
Jackson when I grow up,’ she told Hazel solemnly.
Hazel smiled and ruffled her hair. ‘That’s a good thing to
be, Julia.’
‘Although,’ Frank said, picking out a hat shaped like a
polar bear’s head, ‘Frank Zhang would be good, too.’
‘Frank!’ Hazel said.
They put on their hats and continued to the forum,
which was lit up with multicoloured lanterns. The fountains
glowed purple. The coffee shops were doing a brisk
business, and street musicians filled the air with the
sounds of guitar, lyre, panpipes and armpit noises. (Percy
didn’t get that last one. Maybe it was an old Roman
musical tradition.)
The goddess Iris must’ve been in a party mood too. As
Percy and his friends strolled past the damaged Senate
House, a dazzling rainbow appeared in the night sky.
Unfortunately the goddess sent another blessing, too – a
gentle rain of gluten-free R.O.F.L. cupcake simulations,
which Percy figured would either make cleaning up
harder, or rebuilding easier. The cupcakes would make
great bricks.
For a while, Percy wandered the streets with Hazel and
Frank, who kept brushing shoulders.
Finally he said, ‘I’m a little tired, guys. You go ahead.’
Hazel and Frank protested, but Percy could tell they
wanted some time alone.
As he headed back to camp, he saw Mrs O’Leary
playing with Hannibal in the Field of Mars. Finally, she’d
found a playmate she could roughhouse with. They
frolicked around, slamming into each other, breaking
fortifications and generally having an excellent time.
At the fort gates, Percy stopped and gazed across the
valley. It seemed like so long ago that he’d stood here with
Hazel, getting his first good view of camp. Now he was
more interested in watching the eastern horizon.
Tomorrow, maybe the next day, his friends from Camp
Half-Blood would arrive. As much as he cared about
Camp Jupiter, he couldn’t wait to see Annabeth again. He
yearned for his old life – New York and Camp Half-Blood
– but something told him it might be a while before he
returned home. Gaia and the giants weren’t done causing
trouble – not by a long shot.
Reyna had given him the second praetor’s house on
the Via Principalis, but as soon as Percy looked inside he
knew he couldn’t stay there. It was nice, but it was also full
of Jason Grace’s stuff. Percy already felt uneasy taking
Jason’s title of praetor. He didn’t want to take the guy’s
house, too. Things would be awkward enough when Jason
came back – and Percy was sure that he would be on that
dragon-headed warship.
Percy headed back to the Fifth Cohort barracks and
climbed into his bunk. He passed out instantly.
He dreamed he was carrying Juno across the Little Tiber.
She was disguised as a crazy old bag lady, smiling and
singing an Ancient Greek lullaby as her leathery hands
gripped Percy’s neck.
‘Do you still want to slap me, dear?’ she asked.
Percy stopped midstream. He let go and dumped the
goddess in the river.
The moment she hit the water, she vanished and
reappeared on the shore. ‘Oh, my,’ she cackled, ‘that
wasn’t very heroic, even in a dream!’
‘Eight months,’ Percy said. ‘You stole eight months of
my life for a quest that took a week. Why?’
Juno tutted disapprovingly. ‘You mortals and your short
lives. Eight months is nothing, my dear. I lost eight
centuries once, missed most of the Byzantine Empire.’
Percy summoned the power of the river. It swirled round
him, spinning into a froth of white water.
‘Now, now,’ Juno said. ‘Don’t get testy. If we are to defeat
Gaia, our plans must be timed perfectly. First, I needed
Jason and his friends to free me from my prison –’
‘Your prison? You were in prison and they let you out?’
‘Don’t sound so surprised, dear! I’m a sweet old woman.
At any rate, you weren’t needed at Camp Jupiter until now,
to save the Romans at their moment of greatest crisis.
The eight months between … well, I do have other plans
brewing, my boy. Opposing Gaia, working behind Jupiter’s
back, protecting your friends – it’s a full-time job! If I had to
guard you from Gaia’s monsters and schemes as well,
and keep you hidden from your friends back east all that
time – no, much better you take a safe nap. You would
have been a distraction – a loose cannon.’
‘A distraction.’ Percy felt the water rising with his anger,
spinning faster round him. ‘A loose cannon.’
‘Exactly. I’m glad you understand.’
Percy sent a wave crashing down on the old woman, but
Juno simply disappeared and materialized further down
the shore.
‘My,’ she said, ‘you are in a bad mood. But you know I’m
right. Your timing here was perfect. They trust you now.
You are a hero of Rome. And while you slept Jason Grace
has learned to trust the Greeks. They’ve had time to build
the Argo II. Together, you and Jason will unite the camps.’
‘Why me?’ Percy demanded. ‘You and I never got
along. Why would you want a loose cannon on your
team?’
‘Because I know you, Percy Jackson. In many ways, you
are impulsive, but when it comes to your friends you are
as constant as a compass needle. You are unswervingly
loyal, and you inspire loyalty. You are the glue that will
unite the seven.’
‘Great,’ Percy said. ‘I always wanted to be glue.’
Juno laced her crooked fingers. ‘The Heroes of
Olympus must unite! After your victory over Kronos in
Manhattan … well, I fear that wounded Jupiter’s selfesteem.’
‘Because I was right,’ Percy said. ‘And he was wrong.’
The old lady shrugged. ‘He should be used to that, after
so many aeons married to me, but alas! My proud and
obstinate husband refuses to ask mere demigods for help
again. He believes the giants can be fought without you,
and Gaia can be forced back to her slumbers. I know
better. But you must prove yourself. Only by sailing to the
ancient lands and closing the Doors of Death will you
convince Jupiter that you are worthy of fighting side by
side with the gods. It will be the greatest quest since
Aeneas sailed from Troy!’
‘And if we fail?’ Percy said. ‘If Romans and Greeks don’t
get along?’
‘Then Gaia has already won. I’ll tell you this, Percy
Jackson. The one who will cause you the most trouble is
the one closest to you – the one who hates me most.’
‘Annabeth?’ Percy felt his anger rising again. ‘You
never liked her. Now you’re calling her a troublemaker?
You don’t know her at all. She’s the person I most want
watching my back.’
The goddess smiled dryly. ‘We will see, young hero.
She has a hard task ahead of her when you arrive in
Rome. Whether she is up to it … I do not know.’
Percy summoned a fist of water and smashed it down at
the old lady. When the wave receded, she was gone.
The river swirled out of Percy’s control. He sank into the
darkness of the whirlpool.
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