mastermind - percy jackson

xix. growing up

The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing. "Oh, yes, very much, sire!"

"Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus, and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more."

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Strike that" Dionysus said. "Even Zeus doesn't know."

"What about my mother?" Cassandra asked the god.

Dionysus rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started on your mother."

"Now, I want to hear Grover's story. Again, from the top" Dionysus said.

"But, my lord" Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!"

Dionysus's eyes flared with purple fire. "I have just learned that my son Castor is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humor me."

Silenus gulped, and waved at Grover to start again.

When Grover was done, Mr. D nodded. "It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves." He turned to a satyr, "Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!"

"Yes, sire!" The satyr scampered off.

"We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

"I say no" Dionysus countered. "That is my vote."

"I vote no as well" Chiron put in.

Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. "All in favor of exile?"

He and the two other old satyrs raised their hands.

"Three to two" Silenus said.

"Ah, yes" Dionysus said. "But unfortunately for you, a gods vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied."

Silenus stood, indignant. "This is an outrage! The council cannot stand at an impasse."

"Then let it be dissolved!" Mr. D said. "I don't care."

Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the grove. About twenty satyrs went with them. The rest stood around, murmuring uncomfortably.

"Don't worry" Grover told them. "We don't need the council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves."

He told them again the words of Pan—how they must save the wild a little at a time. He started dividing the satyrs into groups—which ones would go to the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, which ones would defend the parks in the big cities.

"Well" Annabeth said to Percy and Cassandra, "Grover seems to be growing up."

"Yeah" Cassandra said, with a smile. "I think we all are."

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Cassandra was the happiest she had ever been in the past few weeks, at dinner.

Sitting with the rest of Cabin Ten, the chatter of the rest of the camp filling her ears, and a nice camp-cooked meal, was one of the things she didn't think she would miss about camp.

The sunset was beautiful. A masterpiece painted across the sky, filled with shades of orange, yellow, and pink. It made Cassandra feel even more grateful. Her friends were alive, the camp was safe, and she had regained some of her confidence after defeating so many monsters.