TERRIFIED . . . annabeth chase

thirty four.

THE HERCULES GUIDE to the Mare Nostrum didn't help much with snakes and mosquitoes.

"My skin's gonna be ruined after this," Val muttered bitterly, slapping a mosquito off of her arm.

They tromped up a hill and down into a heavily wooded valley, careful to avoid the black-and-red-striped snakes sunning themselves on the rocks. Mosquitoes swarmed over stagnant ponds in the lowest areas. The trees were mostly stunted olives, cypress, and pines. The chirring of the cicadas and the oppressive heat were reminding Val of Spain.

So far they hadn't found any river.

"We could fly," Jason suggested again.

"We might miss something," Piper said. "Besides, I'm not sure I want to drop in on an unfriendly god. What was his name? Etch-a-Sketch?"

"Achelous." Jason was trying to read the guidebook while they walked, so he kept running into trees and stumbling over rocks. "Says here he's a potamus."

"He's a hippopotamus?" Val turned to him, eyes wide.

"No. Potamus. A river god. According to this, he's the spirit of some river in Greece."

"Would've been so much better if he was a hippo," Val muttered.

"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 him one time," Jason offered.

"Hercules fought ninety-nine percent of everything in Ancient Greece." Val rolled her eyes. "The only thing he hasn't is a giant pig, and I sent that thing out of Manhattan."

"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 arms, which showed the Pillars of Hercules with a banner curling between them."

Spanish. Cool.

"Anything helpful?" Piper 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 some in the mess hall at Camp Jupiter. I didn't know the original one was actually some guy's horn."

"And we're supposed to take his other one," Val said. "I'm guessing that won't be so easy. Who was Deianira?"

"Hercules married her," Jason said. "I think . . . doesn't say here. But I think something bad happened to her."

Val remembered what Hercules had told them: his first family dead, his second wife dead after being tricked into poisoning him. She was liking this challenge less and less.

They trudged across a ridge between two hills, trying to stay in the shade; but Val was already soaked with sweat. The mosquitoes left welts on her ankles, arms, and neck, so she probably looked as horrible as she felt.

As they hiked down into the next valley, Val wondered what was happening back on the Argo II. She was tempted to send an Iris-message, but Hercules had warned them not to contact their friends. She hoped Annabeth could guess what was going on and didn't try to send another party ashore. Val wasn't sure what Hercules would do if he were bothered further. She imagined Coach Hedge getting impatient and aiming a ballista at the man in purple, or eidolons possessing the crew and forcing them to commit suicide-by-Hercules.