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"Uent business We need to see--"

"We knohat you need," a man's voice said I shuddered, because it was the saod shimmered into existence next to Hestia He looked about twenty-five, with curly salt-and-pepper hair and elfish features He wore a s fluttering on his helmet and his black leather boots In the crook of his ar serpents

"I will leave you now," Hestia said She bowed to the aviator and disappeared into so Herers, did not look happy

"Hello, Percy" His brow furrowed as though he was annoyed with me, and I wondered if he someho about the vision I'd just had I wanted to ask why he'd been in May Castellan's house that night, and what had happened after he caught Luke I remembered the first time I'd met Luke at Camp Half-Blood I'd asked him if he'd ever met his father, and he'd looked at me bitterly and said, Once But I could tell from Hermes's expression that this was not the time to ask

I boardly "Lord Hermes"

Oh, sure, one of the snakes said in my mind Don't say hi to us We're just reptiles

George, the other snake scolded Be polite

"Hello, George," I said "Hey, Martha"

Did you bring us a rat? George asked

George, stop it, Martha said He's busy!

Too busy for rats? George said That's just sad

I decided it was better not to get into it with George "Um, Hermes," I said "We need to talk to Zeus It's important"

Herer May I take a ods shifted restlessly This wasn't going as planned Maybe if I tried to speak with Heruys," I said "Why don't you do a sweep of the city? Check the defenses See who's left in Olympus Meet Annabeth and me back here in thirty minutes"

Silena frowned "But--"

"That's a good idea," Annabeth said "Connor and Travis, you two lead"

The Stolls see handed an iht in front of their dad They usually never led anything except toilet paper raids "We're on it!" Travis said They herded the others out of the throne roo Annabeth and me with Her to attack New York You must suspect that My mother rue and Martha etlady She's the reason I'm here at all Zeus didn't want any of us to leave the front line But yourhim nonstop, 'It's a trap, it's a diversion, blah, blah, blah' She wanted to co to let his nu Typhon And so naturally he sent me to talk to you"

"But it is a trap!" Annabeth insisted "Is Zeus blind?"

Thunder rolled through the sky

"I'd watch the coirl," Hermes warned "Zeus is not blind or deaf He has not left Olympus completely undefended"

"But there are these blue lights--"

"Yes, yes I saw theic, Hecate, I'd wager, but you e Oly of the Winds, has sent his ods can approach Olympus from the air They would be knocked out of the sky"

I raisedthing you guys do?"

"That's a forods are faster No, if Kronos wants Olyh the entire city with his ar this?"

Her up in the elevator twenty at a ti to "Stayin' Alive" Still, I didn't like it

"Maybe just a few of you could coested

Hermes shook his head impatiently "Percy Jackson, you don't understand Typhon is our greatest eneht that was Kronos"

The god's eyes glowed "No, Percy In the old days, Olympus was almost overthrown by Typhon He is husband of Echidna--"

"Met her at the Arch," I muttered "Not nice"

"--and the father of allus all; how he humiliated us! We were more powerful back in the old days Noe can expect no help fro his oar Hades sits in his real, and Demeter and Persephone follow his lead It will take all our reiant We can't divide our forces, nor wait until he gets to New York We have to battle hiress?" I said "He nearly destroyed St Louis"

"Yes," Hermes ad down Losing power"

I didn't want to argue, but it sounded like Her to convince himself

In the corner, the Ophiotaurus mooed sadly

"Please, Hermes," Annabeth said "You said es for us?"

"Messages," he reat job,' they told me 'Not much work Lots of worshippers' Hmph Nobody cares what I have to say It's always about other people's e mused I'm in it for the rodents

Shhh, Martha scolded We care what Here?

Oh, absolutely Can we go back to the battle noant to do laser ain That's fun

"Quiet, both of you," Herod looked at Annabeth, as doing her big-pleading-gray-eyes thing

"Bah," Hermes said "Your mother said to warn you that you are on your own You ods As if I didn't know that Why they pay her to be the wisdo else?" Annabeth asked