RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

33

VIVIENE SPENT HER DAYS TALKING TO APHRODITE AND ASTRA, TRAINGING WITH HER FATHER AND IRIS MESSAGING HOLDEN BEFORE BED. Now, she was back at half-blood camp and Holden told her what happened at the Chariot race.

That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirit sup, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's bird attack. They all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

Theydid all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land." The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, Viviene had seen it twenty feet high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row's marshmallows burst into the flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint. 

Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.

"Well, that was lovely!" Tantalus said when the song was over.

He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like.But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.

 "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

"Sir," Percy said.

 "Our kitchen boy has something to say?"Tantalus's eye twitched.

Some Ares kids snickered but looked back down when Viviene shot them a look. Percy shot her a grateful look but she ignored him.

 "We have an idea to save the camp."

Dead silence.

"Indeed," Tantalus said blandly. "Well, if it has anything to do with chariots-"

"The Golden Fleece," Percy said. "We know where it is."

Percy blurted out his dream about Grover and Polyphemus's island. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her.

"The Fleece can save the camp," she concluded. "I'm certain of it."

"Nonsense," said Tantalus. "We don't need saving."

Everybody stared at him until Tantalus started looking uncomfortable.

"Besides," he added quickly, "the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."

"Yes, I would," Percy said.

Annabeth leaned towards Percy and whispered something, confusion on her face.

"30, 31, 75, 12,"

"Ooo-kay," Tantalus said. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."