The Lost Hero

―Well, I guess not. They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your
daughter back to life.‖
―That‘s all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There‘s no running water in the house
because I don‘t want accidents‖—he gestured to his statues—―but we chose to live next to a river just in case.
Occasionally, I‘ll forget and pat Lit on the back—‖
Lit retreated a few steps. ―I hate that.‖
―I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?‖
―Well …‖ Piper looked truly lost now. ―Isn‘t that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?‖
Midas laughed. ―My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here.‖
Piper hesitated, but she wasn‘t eager to offend the king. She dumped everything out of the pack and
tossed it to Midas. As soon as he caught it, the pack turned to gold, like frost spreading across the fabric. It still
looked flexible and soft, but definitely gold. The king tossed it back.
―As you see, I can still turn anything to gold,‖ Midas said. ―That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead—
put your little storm spirit enemies in there.‖
―Seriously?‖ Leo was suddenly interested. He took the bag from Piper and held it up to the cage. As soon
as he unzipped the backpack, the winds stirred and howled in protest. The cage bars shuddered. The door of
the prison flew open and the winds got vacuumed straight into the pack. Leo zipped it shut and grinned. ―Gotta
admit. That‘s cool.‖
―You see?‖ Midas said. ―My golden touch a curse? Please. I didn‘t learn any lesson, and life isn‘t a story,
girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue.‖
―She talked a lot,‖ Lit offered.
―Exactly! And so I turned her back to gold.‖ Midas pointed. There in the corner was a golden statue of a
girl with a shocked expression, as if she were thinking, Dad!
―That‘s horrible!‖ Piper said.
―Nonsense. She doesn‘t mind. Besides, if I‘d learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?‖
Midas pulled off his oversize sleeping cap, and Jason didn‘t know whether to laugh or get sick. Midas had
long fuzzy gray ears sticking up from his white hair—like Bugs Bunny‘s, but they weren‘t rabbit ears. They were
donkey ears.
―Oh, wow,‖ Leo said. ―I didn‘t need to see that.‖
―Terrible, isn‘t it?‖ Midas sighed. ―A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest
between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass,
and voilà. This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he
couldn‘t help blabbing.‖ Midas pointed out another golden statue—a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of
shears. ―That‘s him. He won‘t be telling anyone‘s secrets again.‖
The king smiled. Suddenly he didn‘t strike Jason as a harmless old man in a bathrobe. His eyes had a
merry glow to them—the look of a madman who knew he was mad, accepted his madness, and enjoyed it.
―Yes, gold has many uses. I think that must be why I was brought back, eh Lit? To bankroll our patron.‖
Lit nodded. ―That and my good sword arm.‖
Jason glanced at his friends. Suddenly the air in the room seemed much colder.
―So you do have a patron,‖ Jason said. ―You work for the giants.‖
King Midas waved his hand dismissively. ―Well, I don‘t care for giants myself, of course. But even
supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group
that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn‘t cooperate at all.‖
Jason slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed his gold coin. ―The last group?‖
―Hunters,‖ Lit snarled. ―Blasted girls from Artemis.‖
Jason felt a spark of electricity—a literal spark—travel down his spine. He caught a whiff of electrical fire
like he‘d just melted some of the springs in the sofa.
His sister had been here.
―When?‖ he demanded. ―What happened?‖
Lit shrugged. ―Few days ago? I didn‘t get to kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil
wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod—I don‘t recall.‖
Percy Jackson, Jason thought. Annabeth had mentioned the Hunters were looking for him. And in Jason‘s
dream of the burned-out house in the redwoods, he‘d heard enemy wolves baying. Hera had called them her
keepers. It had to be connected somehow.
Midas scratched his donkey ears. ―Very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters,‖ he recalled. ―They
absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of
thing from happening again, you know. I don‘t have time for those who aren‘t serious investors.‖
Jason stood warily and glanced at his friends. They got the message.