La Vie en Rose // Percy Jackson

xix. the golden fleece does a miracle

That afternoon was one of the happiest Percy had ever spent at camp, which maybe goes to show, you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.

Don't you dare tell him, but it was nice to see him so happy.

Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with us before resuming his quest for Pan. His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two- month furlough and a new set of reed pipes. The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much. He played "YMCA," and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around our feet like they were trying to strangle us. I guess I couldn't blame them.

Grover told Percy he could dissolve the empathy link between them, now that we were face to face, but Percy told him he'd just assume keep it if that was okay with him. He put down his reeds pipes and stared at Percy. "But, if I get in trouble again, you'll be in danger, Percy! You could die!"

"If you get in trouble again, I want to know about it. And I'll come help you again, G-man. I wouldn't have it any other way."

In the end he agreed not to break the link. He went back to playing "YMCA" for the strawberry plants. Percy and I didn't need an empathy link with the plants to know how they felt about it.

Later on during archery class, Chiron pulled Percy aside and told him he'd fixed his problems with Meriwether Prep. The school no longer blamed him for destroying their gymnasium. The police were no longer looking for him.

"How did you manage that?" Percy asked.

Chiron's eyes twinkled. "I merely suggested that the mortals had seen something different on that day—a furnace explosion that was not your fault."

"You just said that and they bought it?" Percy asked.

"I manipulated the Mist. Some day, when you're ready, I'll show how it's done."

"You mean, I can go back to Meriwether next year?"

Chiron raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no, they've still expelled you. Your headmaster, Mr. Bonsai, said you had—how did he put it?—un-groovy karma that disrupted the school's educational aura. But you're not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother. Oh, and speaking of your mother..."

He unclipped his cell phone from his quiver and handed it to Percy. "It's high time you called her."

Percy glanced at me. "You mind giving me a minute?"

I nodded. "Sure. I have things to do anyway."

I walked away while Percy talked to his mom.

As for Tyson, the campers treated him like a hero. I'm sure Percy would've been happy to have him as his cabin mate forever, but that evening, as they were sitting on a sand dune overlooking the Long Island Sound, he made an announcement that completely took him by surprise.

Sue me; I was eavesdropping. It's great entertainment, okay?

"Dream came from Daddy last night," he said. "He wants me to visit."

I wondered if he was kidding, but Tyson really didn't know how to kid. "Poseidon sent you a dream message?"

Tyson nodded. "Wants me to go underwater for the rest of the summer. Learn to work at Cyclopes' forges. He called it an inter—an intern—"

"An internship?"

"Yes."

Percy let that sink in. It looked like Percy felt jealous. Poseidon had never invited him underwater. But then I thought, Tyson was going? Just like that?