Miss Quinn

54 ~ Polyphemus's Island

When one thinks "monster island," they think craggy rocks and bones scattered on the beach like the island of the Sirens.

The Cyclops's island was nothing like that. Sure, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which was not a good sign. One might as well put up a billboard that said, SOMETHING EVIL LIVES HERE. But except for that, the place looked like a Caribbean postcard. It had green fields and tropical fruit trees and white beaches.

As they sailed toward the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air. "The Fleece," she said.

Emma and Percy nodded. They couldn't see the Fleece yet, but Emma could feel its power. Emma definitely believed it would heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree.

"If we take it away, will the island die?" Percy asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "It'll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is."

Emma felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but she reminded herself they had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble. And Tyson ... Tyson would still be with them if it wasn't for this quest. Emma knew Percy grieved for the big guy, but he tried not to show it.

In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge—the size of hippos. Just past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was the massive oak tree Percy had seen in his dreams. Something gold glittered in its branches.

"This is too easy," Emma said.

"We could just hike up there and take it?" Percy added.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed be a guardian. A dragon or ..." That's when a deer emerged from the bushes. It trotted into the meadow, probably looking for grass to eat, when the sheep all bleated at once and rushed the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool and trampling hooves. Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air. A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.

Annabeth and Emma exchanged looks.

"They're like piranhas," Annabeth said.

"Piranhas with wool." Emma added.

"How will we—" Percy began.

"Emma! Percy!" Annabeth gasped, grabbing their arms. "Look." She pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground ... the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

They decided there was no way the three of them could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but in the end Emma and Percy convinced her that something would go wrong. The sheep would smell her. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, they'd be too far away to help.

Besides, their first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat— assuming they'd gotten past the sheep.

Emma knew Percy was too nervous to say what he was secretly hoping ... that Tyson might still be alive.

Percy moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hun-dred feet. He figured the ship was less likely to be seen there.

The cliffs looked climbable, barely—about as difficult as the lava wall back at camp. At least it was free of sheep. Emma hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.