Flower

Chapter VII

Andy was tired, she had spent the night, in and out of sleep, comforting her siblings as they had nightmares. In the cabin it was finally silent, her eyes were about to droop close, and she looked over to Katie who was reading on her bed and knew that if something happened she would look after it. So Andy let sleep take over her but instead of falling into nothingness, her heart leapt to her throat as she sunk into a black room. An image popped up which made her squint to see what it was but it was murky, what she could make out was Percy on a blanket near the surf with a Coke.

When suddenly someone showed up, a guy in nylon running shorts and a New York City Marathon shirt. Andy recognised him as Hermes, the god of thieves, etc.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Hermes said. Andy would've laughed at Jackson's face but she didn't know if they could hear her, so she kept quiet for now.

Andy didn't mean to zone out but honestly, she really didn't want to listen about Jackson being an idiot around a god but she was brought back to the conversation when Hermes said, "How about this: stealing is not always bad?"

"I don't think my mom would like that moral." Percy said, and Andy had to clamp her hand over her mouth to stop the laughter that was about to burst out.

"I've got it," Hermes said. "Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that?"

"You're saying I should go anyway," Percy said, "even without permission." Andy smirked, now they were getting somewhere.

Hermes's eyes twinkled. "Martha, may I have the first package, please?" Martha opened her mouth. She belched out a stainless steel canister—an old-fashioned lunch box thermos with a black plastic top. The sides of the thermos were enamelled with red and yellow Ancient Greek scenes—a hero killing a lion; a hero lifting up Cerberus, the three-headed dog.

"That's Hercules," Percy said. "But how—"

"Never question a gift," Hermes chided. "This is a collector's item from Hercules Busts Heads. The first season."

"Hercules Busts Heads?"

"Great show." Hermes sighed. "Back before Hephaestus-TV was all reality programming. Of course, the thermos would be worth much more if I had the whole lunch box—"

"Wait a minute," Percy said. "This is a gift?"

"One of two," Hermes said. "Go on, pick it up."

Percy almost dropped it because it was freezing cold on one side and burning hot on the other.

"It's a compass!" he said. Hermes looked surprised.

"Very clever. I never thought of that. But its intended use is a bit more dramatic. Uncap it, and you will release the winds from the four corners of the earth to speed you on your way. Not now! And please, when the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are a bit like me—always restless. Should all four escape at once . . . ah, but I'm sure you'll be careful. And now my second gift. George?" George unhinged his jaw and coughed up a little plastic bottle filled with chewable vitamins.

"You're kidding," Percy said. "Are those Minotaur-shaped?"

Hermes picked up the bottle and rattled it. "The lemon ones, yes. The grape ones are Furies, I think. Or are they hydras? At any rate, these are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really need it."

"How will I know if I really, really need it?"

"You'll know, believe me. Nine essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids . . . oh, everything you need to feel yourself again." He tossed me the bottle.