Page 52 (2/2)

Along the benches, a dozen ghosts shias, like the Lares she’d seen at Calared at her as if she’d interrupted theirshe could She stepped down from the bench and put her back to the bricked-in doorway She tried to look confident, though the scowling purple ghosts and the deod skeletons at her feet made her want to turtle in her T-shirt and scream

"I’e

"A Greek," one of the ghosts said with disgust "That is even worse"

At the other end of the chahosts have arthritis?) and stood by the altar, his dark eyes fixed on Annabeth Her first thought was that he looked like the pope He had a glittering robe, a pointed hat, and a shepherd’s crook

"This is the cavern of Mithras," said the old ghost "You have disturbed our sacred rituals You cannot look upon our mysteries and live"

"I don’t want to look upon yourthe Mark of Athena Show me the exit, and I’ll be on my way"

Her voice sounded calet out of here, but she knew she had to succeed where her siblings had failed Her path led farther on--deeper into the underground layers of Rouide you, Tiberinus had said After that…I do not know

The ghosts ht a few unkind words about fehost with the pope hat struck his shepherd’s crook against the floor The other Lares fell silent

"Your Greek goddess is powerless here," said the pope "Mithras is the god of Rood of the empire!"

"He wasn’t even Roman," Annabeth protested "Wasn’t he, like, Persian or so his staff on the floor a few more times "Mithras protects us! I am the pater of this brotherhood--"

"The father," Annabeth translated

"Do not interrupt! As pater, I must protect our mysteries"

"What as sitting around in a cave?"

The ghosts ot theood set of lungs "You are clearly an unbeliever Like the others, you must die"

The others Annabeth made an effort not to look at the skeletons

Hershe knew about Mithras He had a secret cult for warriors He was popular in the legion He was one of the gods who’d supplanted Athena as a war deity Aphrodite hadtheir teatime chat in Charleston Aside froods they talked about at Cahosts would hile she whipped out Daedalus’s laptop and did a search

She scanned the floor hosts and noticed all of thea--a raven, or a torch, or a bow

"You have rites of passage," she blurted out "Seven levels of hosts let out a collective gasp Then they all began shouting at once

"How does she know this?" one deleaned our secrets!"

"Silence!" the pater ordered

"But she ht know about the ordeals!" another cried

"The ordeals!" Annabeth said "I know about the

"Ridiculous!" The pater yelled "The girl lies! Daughter of Athena, choose your way of death If you do not choose, the god will choose for you!"

"Fire or dagger," Annabeth guessed

Even the pater looked stunned Apparently he hadn’t re on the floor