RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

77

THEY SCRAMBLED TO THE END OF THE PIER. 

They hid behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals—wind chimes and dream catchers and stuff like that, glittering in the sunlight. There was a water fountain next to them. Down below, a bunch of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before them: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture-perfect moment, except for the fact that we were about to die and the world was going to end.

"Go over the side!" Zoe told Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus." 

 She was right, but Percy couldn't do it. 

 "I won't leave you guys," He said. "We fight together."

 "You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!"

Then he noticed the crystals making rainbows in the sunlight. There was a drinking fountain next to Percy and Viviene... "Get word to camp," Percy muttered. "Good idea."

Percy uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. 

Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over them. 

Thalia gasped as the water hit her. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes. "Are you crazy?" she asked. 

But Grover understood. He was already fishing around in his pockets for a coin. He threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!"

 The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" Viviene said. And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to them, was the last person she wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator. He looked up lazily.

 "Do you mind?"

 "Where's Chiron!" Percy shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

 "Hello," Percy amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?" 

 Mr. D considered that. Viviene wanted to scream at him to hurry up, but she knew that wouldn't work. Behind them, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in.

"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?" 

 Percy looked at his friends. "We're dead."

Viviene gripped Atos, her eyes red. "Then we'll die fighting. "

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"

 Percy I told him about the Ophiotaurus. 

 "Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

 "You don't even care!" Percy screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."