Chiron had insisted we talk about it in the morning, which was kind of like, Hey, your life’s in mortaldanger. Sleep tight! It was hard to fall asleep, but when I finally did, I dreamed of a prison. I saw a goy in a Greek tunic and sandals crouching alone in a massive stone room. The ceiling was opento the night sky, but the walls were twenty feet high and polished marble, completely smooth. Scatteredaround the room were wooden crates. Some were cracked and tipped over, as if they’d been flung inthere. Bronze tools spilled out of one—a compass, a saw, and a bunch of other things I didn’t recognize. The boy huddled in the corner, shivering from cold, or maybe fear . He was spattered in mud. His legs, arms, and face, were scraped up as if he’d been dragged here along with the boxes. Then the double oak doors moaned open. Two guards in bronze armor marched in, holding an old manbetween them. They flung him to the floor in a battered heap. “Father!†The boy ran to him. The man’s robes were in tatters. His hair was streaked with gray, and hisbeard was long and curly. His nose had been broken. His lips were bloody. The boy took the old man’s head in his arms. “What did they do to you?†then he yelled at the guards.
“I’ll kill you!†“There will be no killing today, †a voice said. The guards moved aside. Behind them stood a tall man in white robes. He wore a thin circlet of gold onhis head. His beard was pointed like a spear blade. His eyes glittered cruelly. “You helped the Atheniankill my Minotaur, Daedalus. You turned my won daughter against me.
†“You did that yourself, Your Majesty, †the old man croaked. A guard planted a kick in the old man’s ribs. He groaned in agony. The young boy cried, “Stop!†“You love your maze so much, †the king said, “I have decided to let you stay here. This will be yourworkshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster. You will be mine!†“I don’t fear you, †the old man groaned. The king smiled coldly. He locked his eyes on the boy. “But a man cares about his son, eh? Displeaseme, old man, and the next time my guards inflict a punishment, it will be on him!†The king swept out of the room with his guards, and the doors slammed shut, leaving the boy and hisfather alone in the darkness. “What shall we do?†the boy moaned. “Father, they will kill you!†The old man swallowed with difficulty. He tried to smile, but it was a gruesome sight with his bloodymouth. “Take heart, my son.
†He gazed up at the stars. “I—I will find a way.
†A bar lowered across the doors with a fatal BOOM , and I woke in a cold sweat. ... I was still feeling shaky the next morning when Chiron called a war council. We met in the sword arena, which I thought was pretty strange— trying to discuss the fate of the camp while Mrs. O’Leary chewedon a life-size squeaky pink rubber yak. Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse and Annabeth sat next to eachother and led the briefing. Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible. Also presentaround the table:
Juniper the tree nymph, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf , LeeFletcher, even Argus, our hundred-eyed security chief. That’s how I knew it was serious. Argus hardlyever shows up unless something really major is going on. The whole time Annabeth spoke, he kept hishundred blue eyes trained on her so hard his whole body turned bloodshot. “Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance, †Annabeth said. “He knew everything aboutcamp.
†I thought I heard a little pride in her voice, like she still respected the guy, evil as he was. Juniper cleared her throat. “That’s what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has beenthere a long time. Luke used to use it.
†Silena Beauregard frowned. “You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn’t say anything?†Juniper’s face turned green. “I didn’t know it was important. Just a cave. I don’t like yucky old caves.
†“She has good taste, †Grover said. “I wouldn’t have paid any attention except…well, it was Luke.
†She blushed a little greener. Grover huffed. “Forget what I said about good taste.
†“Interesting, †Quintus polished his sword as he spoke. “And you believe this young man, Luke, woulddare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?†“Definitely, †Clarisse said. “If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up inthe middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn’t stand achance. He could wipe us out easy. He must’ve been planning this for months.
†“He’s been sending scouts into the maze, †Annabeth said. “We know because…because we foundone.
†“Chris Rodriguez, †Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look. “Ah, †Quintus said. “The one in the…Yes, I understand.
†“The one in the what?†I asked. Clarisse glared at me. “The point is , Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He’ssearching for Daedalus’s workshop.
†I remembered my dream the night before—the bloody old man in tattered robes. “The guy who createdthe maze.
†“Yes, †Annabeth said. “The greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, hisworkshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He’s the only one who knew how to navigate the mazeperfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn’thave to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze’s traps. He could navigateanywhere he wanted—quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then…to Olympus.
†The arena was silent except for Mrs. O’Leary’s toy yak getting disemboweled:
SQUEAK! SQUEAK! Finally Beckendorf put his huge hands on the table. “Back up a sec, Annabeth, you said ‘convinceDaedalus’? Isn’t Daedalus dead?†Quintus grunted. “I would hope so. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And even if he were alive, don’t the old stories say he fled from the Labyrinth?†Chiron clopped restlessly on his hooves. “That’s the problem, my dear Quintus. No one knows. Thereare rumors…well, there aremany disturbing rumors about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared backinto the Labyrinth toward the end of his life. He might still be there.
†I thought about the old man I’d seen in my dreams. He’d looked so frail, it was hard to believe he’dlasted another week, much less three thousand years. “We need to go in, †Annabeth announced. “We have to find the workshop before Luke does. IfDaedalus is alive, we convince him to help us, not Luke. If Ariadne’s string still exists, we make sure itnever falls into Luke’s hands.
†“Wait a second, †I said. “If we’re worried about an attack, why not just blow up the entrance? Seal thetunnel?†“Great idea!†Grover said. “I’ll get the dynamite!†“It’s not so easy, stupid, †Clarisse growled. “We tried that at the entrance we found in Phoenix. It didn’tgo well.
†Annabeth nodded. “The Labyrinth is magical architecture, Percy. It would take huge power to seal evenone of its entrances. In Phoenix, Clarisse demolished a whole building with a wrecking ball, and the mazeentrance just shifted a few feet. The best we can do isprevent Luke from learning to navigate theLabyrinth.
†“We could fight, †Lee Fletcher said. “We know where the entrance is now. We can set up a defensiveline and wait for them. If an army tries to come through, they’ll find us waiting with our bows.
†“We will certainly set up defenses, †Chiron agreed. “But I fear Clarisse is right. The magical bordershave kept this camp safe for hundreds of years. If Luke manages to get a large army of monsters into thecenter of camp, bypassing our boundaries…we may not have the strength to defeat them.
†Nobody looked real happy about that news. Chiron usually tried to be upbeat and optimistic. If he waspredicting we couldn’t hold off an attack, that wasn’t good. “We have to get to Daedalus’s workshop first, †Annabeth insisted. “Find Ariadne’s string and preventLuke from using it.
†“But if nobody can navigate in there, †I said, “what chance do we have?†“I’ve been studying architecture for years, †she said. “I knowDaedalus’s Labyrinth better thananybody.
†“From reading about it.
†“Well, yes.
†“That’s not enough.
†“It has to be!†“It isn’t!†“Are you going to help me or not?†I realized everyone was watching Annabeth and me like a tennis match. Mrs. O’Leary’s squeaky yakwent EEK!As she ripped off its pink rubber head. Chiron cleared his throat. “First things first. We need a quest. Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find theworkshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from using the maze to invade this camp.
†“We all know who should lead this, †Clarisse said.
“Annabeth.
†There was a murmur of agreement. I knew Annabeth had been waiting for her own quest since she wasa little kid, but she looked uncomfortable. “You’ve done as much as I have, Clarisse, †she said. “You should go, too.
†Clarisse shook her head. “I’m not going back in there.
†Travis Stoll laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re scared.
Clarisse, chicken?†Clarisse got to her feet, I thought she was going to pulverize Travis, but she said in a shaky voice:
“Youdon’t understand anything, punk. I’m never going in there again. Never!†She stormed out of the arena. Travis looked around sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to—†Chiron raised his hand. “The poor girl has had a difficult year. Now, do we have agreement thatAnnabeth should lead the quest?†We all nodded except Quintus. He folded his arms and stared at the table, but I wasn’t sure anyone elsenoticed. “Very well, †Chiron turned to Annabeth. “My dear, it’s your time to visit the Oracle. Assuming youreturn to us in one piece, we shall discuss what to do next.â€
to be continued....
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