mastermind - percy jackson

xiii. the general

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped into the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him, and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," Percy told them.

Thalia smiled. "Stay safe," She said.

"We will" Grover said. "Okay, um... Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's easy. Over that way."

"Mooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes" Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And... it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and Grover said, "I can't breath underwater! Just thought I'd mention—" Glub!

Under they went, and Cassandra gave a silent prayer to Poseidon that his protection would extend to little things, like breathing.

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoe said. "But how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"Thalia's right," Percy said. "We need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, uh, borrowed one."

Cassandra sighed at the idea. She wasn't exactly excited about it. "I can hot wire a car," She told them.

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There is somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."

"Who?" Percy asked.

Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase. Annabeth's dad."

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"Can't this thing go any faster?" Thalia demanded.

Zoe glared at her, "I cannot control traffic."

"You both sound like my mother," Percy said.

"Shut up!" They said in unison.

Cassandra stared out the passenger window as Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking on the horizon when they finally got to Marin County and exited the highway.

The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all.

"Why does everything smell like cough drops?" Percy asked.

"Eucalyptus." Cassandra answered pointing to the huge trees all around them.

"The stuff koala bears eat?" Percy said, ignoring her raised eyebrows.

"And monsters," Zoe said. "They love chewing the leaves. Especially dragons..."

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"

"Believe me" Zoe said, "if you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too."

"We should stop and get you some Percy." Cassandra said and Percy punched her shoulder.

"Oh shut up. My breath smells fine."

She raised her eyebrows. "Sure."

Ahead of them loomed Mount Tamalpais. It was small compared to other mountains, but it looked huge as they were driving toward it.

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" Percy asked.

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?"