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And go nuts he did By even the end of the first day, I was sure that the Nicola Arboretum would pale in coe to fill up with all sorts of greenery It just looked so daht next to coconut trees, which theht next to pine trees, all of which teetered on the edge of a sandbar I sidled up to hi him in the ribs
“Be sure not to drain all your power,” I murmured “Gotta save some of that to make Dionysus’s drinks”
“Don’t worry about it,” Florian growled, eyeing the piles of furniture that I was still working h “You just worry about your half of the job”
I’ll be honest, it was tougher than I thought, mostly because of the heat I’d stripped offthe sixth chair, stuffing it under h stuff for a dining table that could seat ten, several bookshelves, and a co where the hell she was even supposed to stash all this stuff Oh Oh,me to put up entire structures, like huts and stuff? That ay out of ot me all kinds of excited anyway
But with the heat and the expenditure of energy came a natural need for rest, and hydration Lots and lots of it Neither Florian nor I had thought to prepare anything for refreshment,for Arteently on a ha her eyes
“Hey, Arteuess eren’t really aware of the scale of the job We kind of didn’t bring any water” I scratched rounds “Is it safe to drink from that stream over there?”
She stretched out on the ha “Of course it is But I’ll do you one better” Arte a coconut shell in one hand “Do you boys want cocktails?”
“I really shouldn’t be drinking at all Plus I don’t think we should drink on the job Construction work and everything Water’s fine, really Do you have, like, s we can use?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Arte di
smissively She cupped one hand over the side of herout towards a copse of tropical trees “Priscilla” Nothing She pursed her lips, cupped a second hand to her aphone, then yelled louder “Priscilla!”
The treetops shuddered, birds went flying out froetation, and I swore I felt the earth tre, but a full-sized gorilla carowth, eyes wild andits way directly for Artemis, and the hammock, and me
It earing a frilly pink apron
The creature called Priscilla cae fists into its waist Then it started hooting and jabbering, specifically at Arte
“I’, but – okay, yes, but we have guests and – right, right Sorry Listen, could you fetch the boys a couple of coconuts? Yeah, just split them open They can drink the juice out of the shells, then – yes, that’s right Yes I’m sorry”
Priscilla turned to reen coconut from somewhere under her apron I reached out to take it, but she snatched it away