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"And," Hercules said, "I want you to break off his other horn and bring it to me"
"He has horns," Jason said "Wait…his other horn? What--?"
"Figure it out," the god snapped "Here, this should help"
He said the word help like it meant hurt From under his robes, Hercules took a sht it
The book’s glossy cover showed a photographicthe thumbs-up The title read: The Hercules Guide to the Mare Nostru me that horn by sundown," Hercules said "Just the two of you No contacting your friends Your ship will remain where it is If you succeed, you may pass into the Mediterranean"
"And if we don’t?" Piper asked, pretty sure she didn’t want the answer
"Well, Achelous will kill you, obviously," Hercules said "And I will break your ship in half with rave"
Jason shifted his feet "Couldn’t we just sing a funny song?"
"I’d get going," Hercules said coldly "Sundown Or your friends are dead"
Chapter 27
The Hercules Guide to the Mare Nostrum didn’t help ic island," Piper gruic island?"
They tromped up a hill and down into a heavily wooded valley, careful to avoid the black-and-red-striped snakes sunning thenant ponds in the lowest areas The trees wereof the cicadas and the oppressive heat re the summer
So far they hadn’t found any river
"We could fly," Jason suggested again
"We ," Piper said "Besides, I’od What was his na to read the guidebook while they walked, so he kept running into trees and stu over rocks "Says here he’s a potamus"
"He’s a hippopota to this, he’s the spirit of some river in Greece"
"Since we’re not in Greece, let’s assume he’s moved," Piper said "Doesn’t bode well for how useful that book is going to be Anything else?"
"Says Hercules fought hiht ninety-nine percent of everything in Ancient Greece"
"Yeah Let’s see Pillars of Hercules…" Jason flipped a page "Says here this island has no hotels, no restaurants, no transportation Attractions: Hercules and two pillars Huh, this is interesting Supposedly the dollar sign--you know, the S with the two lines through it?--that came from the Spanish coat of ar between the with Annabeth, and her brainiac tendencies start rubbing off on hi helpful?" she asked
"Wait Here’s a tiny reference to Achelous: This river god fought Hercules for the hand of the beautiful Deianira During the struggle, Hercules broke off one of the river god’s horns, which became the first cornucopia"
"Corn of what?"
"It’s that Thanksgiving decoration," Jason said "The horn with all the goodies spilling out? We have soinal one was actually souy’s horn"
"And we’re supposed to take his other one," Piper said "I’ that won’t be so easy Who was Deianira?"
"Hercules married her," Jason said "I think…doesn’t say here But I think so bad happened to her"
Piper remembered what Hercules had told the tricked into poisoning hie less and less
They trudged across a ridge between two hills, trying to stay in the shade; but Piper was already soaked with perspiration The mosquitoes left welts on her ankles, arms, and neck, so she probably looked like a sotten some alone time with Jason, and this was how they spent it
She was irritated with Jason for having mentioned Hera, but she knew she shouldn’t blaeneral Ever since Ca around a lot of worry and resentment
She wondered what Hercules had wanted to tell her about the sons of Zeus They couldn’t be trusted? They were under too od when he died, standing on so after Piper and everyone else he knew in his mortal life were dead
She wondered if Hercules had ever been as positive as Jason--more upbeat, confident, quick to comfort It was hard to picture
As they hiked down into the next valley, Piper wondered as happening back on the Argo II She was tee, but Hercules had warned theuess as going on and didn’t try to send another party ashore Piper wasn’t sure what Hercules would do if he were bothered further She i a ballista at thethem to commit suicide-by-Hercules