Percy Jackson Back in Time

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas because I ran out of what little bit of food that i packed. We hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill, and I was sure that we smelled like skunks whose glands exploded.

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

 We wandered through downtown for about half an hour, until we finally found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. We veered toward the stall farthest from the street, keeping our eyes open for patrol cars. We were three adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good.

Grover took out the spray gun.

"It's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"

 "Don't look at me," she said. "The dining car wiped me out."

 I fished out my last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter, which left me two nickels and one drachma from Medusa's place.

 "Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

He fed in the quarters and set the knob to FINE MIST. "We're gonna I-M chiron."

“Iris-messaging," Annabeth clarified. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and if she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. 

I looked at Grover for a moment in confusion. “Why are you wasting money on a spray gun?”

"Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow..." He said trailing off.

“Uh yeah, I do actually,” I said, waving my hand. “Son of Poseidon here, at your service.” I said with an exaggerated bow.

He stared uncomprehendingly at me for a minute and then facepalmed. “Why didn't I think of that?”

Annabeth looked at me blankly for a moment, then at the nozzle then back at me. She sighed and shook her head.

Annabeth held her palm out to me. "Drachma, please." She said resigned.

I silently handed it over.

She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."

She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer.

"Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then we were all looking through the mist at Camp Half-Blood. We were on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.

"Luke!" Annabeth called, blushing furiously.

He turned, eyes wide.

 "Percy!" His scarred face broke into a grin. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"

"We're ... uh ... fine," Annabeth stammered. She was madly straightening her dirty T-shirt, trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. "We thought-Chiron-I mean-I uh-you"