THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH Percy Jackson ... - No one's invited.

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“I need them all,” she insisted. “Chiron, it’s important.”
I didn’t know why she was so certain, but I was happy she’d included Tyson. I couldn’t imagine leaving
him behind. He was huge and strong and great at figuring out mechanical things. Unlike satyrs, Cyclopes
had no problem underground.
“Annabeth.”Chiron flicked his tail nervously. “Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws,
and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest to save Artemis. Only three came
back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, three Olympian sons of
Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Four…this is risky.”
Annabeth took a deep breath. “I know. But we have to. Please.”
I could tell Chiron didn’t like it. Quintus was studying us, like he was trying to decide which of us would
come back alive.
Chiron sighed.“Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves.
Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth.”
***
Quintus pulled me aside as the council was breaking up.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” he told me.
Mrs. O’Leary came over, wagging her tail happily. She dropped her shield at my feet, and I threw it for
her. Quintus watched her romp after it. I remembered what Juniper had said about him scouting out the
maze. I didn’t’ trust him, but when he looked at me, I saw real concern in his eyes.
“I don’t like the idea of you going down there,” he said.“Any of you.but if you must, I want you to
remember something. The Labyrinth exists to fool you. It will distract you. That’s dangerous for
half-bloods. We are easily distracted.”
“You’ve been in there?”
“Long ago.”His voice was ragged. “I barely escaped with my life. Most who enter aren’t that lucky.”
He gripped my shoulder. “Percy, keep your mind on what matters most. If you can do that, you might
find the way. And here, I wanted to give you something.”
He handed me a little silver tube. It was so cold I almost dropped it.
“A whistle?”I asked.
“A dog whistle,” Quintus said.“For Mrs. O’Leary.”
“Um, thanks, but—”
“How will it work in the maze? I’m not a hundred percent certain it will. But Mrs. O’Leary is a
hellhound. She can appear when called, no matter how far away she is. I’d feel better knowing you had