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―Yeah, well,‖ Leo said, ―somehow she got not dead anymore.‖<br />
Hedge nodded, his eyes narrowing. ―So! You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!‖<br />
―Um.‖ Piper got to her feet, holding out her hands so Coach Hedge wouldn‘t attack her. ―Actually, Glee—<br />
can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong. We‘re on a quest for something else. We kind of found<br />
you by accident.‖<br />
―Oh.‖ <strong>The</strong> coach‘s spirits seemed to deflate, but only for a second. <strong>The</strong>n his eyes lit up again. ―But there<br />
are no accidents! Not on quests. This was meant to happen! So, this is the witch‘s lair, eh? Why is everything<br />
gold?‖<br />
―Gold?‖ Jason looked around. From the way Leo and Piper caught their breath, he guessed they hadn‘t<br />
noticed yet either.<br />
<strong>The</strong> room was full of gold—the statues, the tea set Hedge had smashed, the chair that was definitely a<br />
throne. Even the curtains—which seemed to have opened by themselves at daybreak—appeared to be woven<br />
of gold fiber.<br />
―Nice,‖ Leo said. ―No wonder they got so much security.‖<br />
―This isn‘t—‖ Piper stammered. ―This isn‘t Medea‘s place, Coach. It‘s some rich person‘s mansion in<br />
Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here.‖<br />
―It‘s destiny, cupcakes!‖ Hedge insisted. ―I‘m meant to protect you. What‘s the quest?‖<br />
Before Jason could decide if he wanted to explain or just shove Coach Hedge back into his cage, a door<br />
opened at the far end of the room.<br />
A pudgy man in a white bathrobe stepped out with a golden toothbrush in his mouth. He had a white<br />
beard and one of those long, old-fashioned sleeping caps pressed down over his white hair. He froze when he<br />
saw them, and the toothbrush fell out of his mouth.<br />
He glanced into the room behind him and called, ―Son? Lit, come out here, please. <strong>The</strong>re are strange<br />
people in the throne room.‖<br />
Coach Hedge did the obvious thing. He raised his club and shouted, ―Die!‖<br />
IT TOOK ALL THREE OF THEM to hold back the satyr. ―Whoa, Coach!‖ Jason said. ―Bring it down a few<br />
notches.‖ A younger man charged into the room. Jason guessed he must be Lit, the old guy‘s son. He was<br />
dressed in pajama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said cornhuskers, and he held a sword that looked like it<br />
could husk a lot of things besides corn. His ripped arms were covered in scars, and his face, framed by curly<br />
dark hair, would‘ve been handsome if it wasn‘t also sliced up.<br />
Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat, and stalked toward him, swinging his<br />
sword overhead. ―Hold on!‖ Piper stepped forward, trying for her best calming voice. ―This is just a<br />
misunderstanding! Everything‘s fine.‖ Lit stopped in his tracks, but he still looked wary. It didn‘t help that Hedge<br />
was screaming, ―I‘ll get them!<br />
Don‘t worry!‖<br />
―Coach,‖ Jason pleaded, ―they may be friendly. Besides, we‘re trespassing in their house.‖<br />
―Thank you!‖ said the old man in the bathrobe. ―Now, who are you, and why are you here?‖<br />
―Let‘s all put our weapons down,‖ Piper said. ―Coach, you first.‖<br />
Hedge clenched his jaw. ―Just one thwack?‖<br />
―No,‖ Piper said.<br />
―What about a compromise? I‘ll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I‘ll apologize.‖<br />
―No!‖ Piper insisted.<br />
―Meh.‖ Coach Hedge lowered his club.<br />
Piper gave Lit a friendly sorry-about-that smile. Even with her hair messed up and wearing two-day-old<br />
clothes, she looked extremely cute, and Jason felt a little jealous she was giving Lit that smile.<br />
Lit huffed and sheathed his sword. ―You speak well, girl—fortunately for your friends, or I would‘ve run<br />
them through.‖<br />
―Appreciate it,‖ Leo said. ―I try not to get run through before lunchtime.‖<br />
<strong>The</strong> old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Coach Hedge had smashed. ―Well, since<br />
you‘re here. Please, sit down.‖<br />
Lit frowned. ―Your Majesty—‖<br />
―No, no, it‘s fine, Lit,‖ the old man said. ―New land, new customs. <strong>The</strong>y may sit in my presence. After all,<br />
they‘ve seen me in my nightclothes. No sense observing formalities.‖ He did his best to smile, though it looked a<br />
little forced. ―Welcome to my humble home. I am King Midas.‖
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