Read The Hidden Oracle for Free Online

fame for this, Sally Jackson!”
    “That’s sweet.” She pointed to the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.”
    Soon we were plowing through turkey sandwiches, chips and dip, and banana smoothies. Meg ate like a chipmunk, shoving more food in her mouth than she could possibly chew. My belly was full. I had never been so happy. I had a strange desire to fire up an Xbox and play
Call of Duty.
    “Percy,” I said, “your mom is awesome.”
    “I know, right?” He finished his smoothie. “So back to your story…you have to be Meg’s servant now? You guys barely know each other.”
    “
Barely
is generous,” I said. “Nevertheless, yes. My fate is now linked with young McCaffrey.”
    “We are
cooperating
,” Meg said. She seemed to savor that word.
    From his pocket, Percy fished his ballpoint pen. He tapped it thoughtfully against his knee. “And this whole turning-into-a-mortal thing…you’ve done it twice before?”
    “Not by choice,” I assured him. “The first time, we had a little rebellion in Olympus. We tried to overthrow Zeus.”
    Percy winced. “I’m guessing that didn’t go well.”
    “I got most of the blame, naturally. Oh, and your father, Poseidon. We were both cast down to earth as mortals, forced to serve Laomedon, the king of Troy. He was a harsh master. He even refused to pay us for our work!”
    Meg nearly choked on her sandwich. “I have to pay you?”
    I had a terrifying image of Meg McCaffrey trying to pay me in bottle caps, marbles, and pieces of colored string.
    “Never fear,” I told her. “I won’t be presenting you with a bill. But as I was saying, the second time I became mortal, Zeus got mad because I killed some of his Cyclopes.”
    Percy frowned. “Dude, not cool. My brother is a Cyclops.”
    “These were wicked Cyclopes! They made the lightning bolt that killed one of my sons!”
    Meg bounced on the arm of the sofa. “Percy’s brother is a Cyclops? That’s crazy!”
    I took a deep breath, trying to find my happy place. “At any rate, I was bound to Admetus, the king of Thessaly. He was a kind master. I liked him so much, I made all his cows have twin calves.”
    “Can I have baby cows?” Meg asked.
    “Well, Meg,” I said, “first you would have to have some mommy cows. You see—”
    “Guys,” Percy interrupted. “So, just to recap, you have to be Meg’s servant for…?”
    “Some unknown amount of time,” I said. “Probably a year. Possibly more.”
    “And during that time—”
    “I will undoubtedly face many trials and hardships.”
    “Like getting me my cows,” Meg said.
    I gritted my teeth. “What those trials will be, I do not yet know. But if I suffer through them and prove I am worthy, Zeus will forgive me and allow me to become a god again.”
    Percy did not look convinced—probably because I did not sound convincing. I
had
to believe my mortal punishment was temporary, as it had been the last two times. Yet Zeus had created a strict rule for baseball and prison sentences:
Three strikes, you’re out.
I could only hope this would not apply to me.
    “I need time to get my bearings,” I said. “Once we get to Camp Half-Blood, I can consult with Chiron. I can figure out which of my godly powers remain with me in this mortal form.”
    “If any,” Percy said.
    “Let’s think positive.”
    Percy sat back in his armchair. “Any idea what kind of spirits are following you?”
    “Shiny blobs,” Meg said. “They were shiny and sort of…blobby.”
    Percy nodded gravely. “Those are the worst kind.”
    “It hardly matters,” I said. “Whatever they are, we have to flee. Once we reach camp, the magical borders will protect me.”
    “And me?” Meg asked.
    “Oh, yes. You, too.”
    Percy frowned. “Apollo, if you’re really mortal, like, one hundred percent mortal, can you even get
in
to Camp Half-Blood?”
    The seven-layer dip began to churn in my stomach. “Please don’t say that. Of course I’ll get in. I
have
to.”
    “But you