𝒊𝒗. 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔

𝒊𝒊𝒊.

Somebody else slid across from Percy on the bench: Annabeth. 

"I'll tell you what it's about," she said. "The Labyrinth." 

Noelle, noticing that all of her friends were sat at the Poseidon table, made her way over and plopped down next to Annabeth. "Are we finally telling him?"

It was hard to concentrate on what either girl was saying, because everybody in the dining pavilion was stealing glances at them and whispering. 

"You're not supposed to be here," Percy said. 

"We need to talk," Annabeth insisted. 

"But the rules . . ."

She knew as well as anyone that campers weren't allowed to switch tables. Satyrs were different. They weren't really demigods. But the half-bloods had to sit with their cabins. Percy wasn't even sure what the punishment was for switching tables. He'd never seen it happen. If Mr. D had been here, he probably would've strangled Annabeth and Noelle with magical grapevines or something, but Mr. D wasn't here. Chiron had already left the pavilion. Quintus looked over and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything

"Look," Annabeth said, "Grover is in trouble. There's only one way we can figure to help him. It's the Labyrinth. That's what Clarisse and I have been investigating."

Percy shifted his weight, trying to think clearly. "You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?" 

"Exactly," Annabeth said. 

"So . . . it's not under the king's palace in Crete anymore," he guessed. "The Labyrinth is under some building in America."

It only took him a few years to figure things out. Percy knew that important places moved around with Western Civilization, like Mount Olympus being over the Empire State Building, and the Underworld entrance being in Los Angeles. He was feeling pretty proud of himself. 

Annabeth looked at Noelle, silently asking is he that dumb? Noelle just shrugged before Annabeth rolled her eyes and turned back to Percy. 

"Under a building? Please, Percy. The Labyrinth is huge. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a single building."

Percy thought about his Iris-message of Nico at the River Styx. "So . . . is the Labyrinth part of the Underworld?" 

"No." Annabeth frowned. "Well, there may be passages from the Labyrinth down into the Underworld. I'm not sure. But the Underworld is way, way down. The Labyrinth is right under the surface of the mortal world, kind of like a second skin. It's been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get anywhere through the Labyrinth." 

"If you don't get lost," Grover muttered. "And die a horrible death." 

"Grover, there has to be a way," Annabeth said. I got the feeling they'd had this conversation before. "Clarisse lived." 

"Barely!" Grover said. "And the other guy—" 

"He was driven insane," Noelle cut in. "He didn't die." 

"Oh, joy." Grover's lower lip quivered. "That makes me feel much better." 

"Whoa," Percy said. "Back up. What's this about Clarisse and a crazy guy?"

Annabeth glanced over toward the Ares table. Clarisse was watching them like she knew what they were talking about, but then she fixed her eyes on her breakfast plate. 

"Last year," Annabeth said, lowering her voice, "Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron." 

"I remember," Percy said. "It was secret."