The Lost Hero

The draft picked up, blowing toward the south end of the tunnel.
―Get some rest, Leo,‖ Jason said. ―I‘ll take first watch.‖
It was hard to measure time, but Jason figured his friends slept about four hours. Jason didn‘t mind. Now that
he was resting, he didn‘t really feel the need for more sleep. He‘d been conked out long enough on the dragon.
Plus, he needed time to think about the quest, his sister Thalia, and Hera‘s warnings. He also didn‘t mind
Piper‘s using him for a pillow. She had a cute way of breathing when she slept—inhaling through the nose,
exhaling with a little puff through the mouth. He was almost disappointed when she woke up.
Finally they broke camp and started down the tunnel.
It twisted and turned and seemed to go on forever. Jason wasn‘t sure what to expect at the end—a
dungeon, a mad scientist‘s lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an
evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.
Instead, they found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the
elevator was a directory, like for a department store.
―M for Macy‘s?‖ Piper guessed. ―I think they have one in downtown Chicago.‖
―Or Monocle Motors still?‖ Leo said. ―Guys, read the directory. It‘s messed up.‖
Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level
Furnishings and Café M: 1
Women‘s Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2
Men‘s Wear and Weaponry: 3
Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4
―Kennels for what?‖ Piper said. ―And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?‖
―Or sells poisons,‖ Leo said. ―Man, what does ‗sundries‘ even mean? Is that like underwear?‖
Jason took a deep breath. ―When in doubt, start at the top.‖
* * *
The doors slid open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. Jason stepped out
first, sword ready.
―Guys,‖ he said. ―You‘ve got to see this.‖
Piper joined him and caught her breath. ―This is not Macy‘s.‖
The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass
mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything in a
thousand different colors. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they could
see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at.
Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, Jason couldn‘t see any other windows or doors, but
two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns and colors, and
the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre. There was too much to take it at once, but Jason saw normal
stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armored manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seemed to
be moving.
Leo stepped to the railing and looked down. ―Check it out.‖
In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to
yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage—like an
oversize canary cage.
Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm
spirits, and the cage shuddered as they tried to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr,
holding a tree-branch club.
―Coach Hedge!‖ Piper said. ―We‘ve got to get down there.‖
A voice said, ―May I help you find something?‖
All three of them jumped back.
A woman had just appeared in front of them. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and
she looked like a retired fashion model—maybe fifty years old, though it was hard for Jason to judge. Her long
dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous in that surreal super-model way—thin and
haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.
She smiled. ―I‘m so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?‖
Leo glanced at Jason like, All yours.
―Um,‖ Jason started, ―is this your store?‖