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The least the mummy could've done was walk back to the attic by itself.
Instead, Elaine and Percy were elected to carry her when it hadn't moved the next day.
"Watch the head!" Percy warned as they went up the stairs. But it was too late.
Bonk! Elaine whacked the mummified face against the trapdoor frame and dust flew.
"Oh, great." Elaine set her down and checked for damage. "Did I break anything?"
"I don't even know what it's normally supposed to look like," Percy admitted.
They hauled it up and set it on a tripod stool, both of them huffing and sweating. Who knew a mummy could weigh so much?
Elaine was relieved when they finally got out of there and slammed the attic door shut.
"Well," Elaine said, "that was gross."
She was trying to keep the mood light, something she'd been really bad at lately when it came to him.
"Do you have any idea what Chiron is going to do about the prophecy?" She asked.
"No, I wish I did, though." He looked wistfully out the second-floor window at the rolling hills covered in snow. "I want to be out there."
"Searching for Annabeth?"
He had a little trouble focusing on her. Then he blushed.
"I feel restless, like I'm missing something really important. She's out there somewhere. I can just feel it."
Elaine didn't know what to say. She wanted to encourage him, but she didn't know how. Before she could respond, Thalia tromped up the stairs.
She was officially not talking to Percy now, so she looked at Elaine and said, "Tell Percy to get his butt downstairs."
"Why?" he asked.
"Did he say something?" Thalia asked Elaine.
"Um, he asked why." She said, trying to keep a straight face. Percy looked completely over it.
"Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy," she said. "Unfortunately, that includes Percy."
***
Elaine felt bad for ditching her brothers to do all the work in the infirmary, treating people from last night's game, but she really wanted to know what was happening in the council meeting.
She snuck back to the Big House after lunch and crouched beneath an open window in the rec room.
"West!" She heard Bianca say. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go." "Yes," Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."
