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li<br />
Jason<br />
SO MUCH FOR A TENDER FAREWELL.<br />
The last Jason saw <strong>of</strong> his dad, Zeus was a hundred feet tall, holding <strong>the</strong> Argo II by its prow. He<br />
boomed, ‘HOLD ON!’<br />
Then he tossed <strong>the</strong> ship up and spiked it overhand like a volleyball.<br />
If Jason hadn’t been strapped to <strong>the</strong> mast with one <strong>of</strong> Leo’s twenty-point safety harnesses, he would<br />
have disintegrated. As it was, his stomach tried to stay behind in Greece and all <strong>the</strong> air was sucked<br />
out <strong>of</strong> his lungs.<br />
The sky turned black. The ship rattled and creaked. The deck cracked like thin ice under Jason’s<br />
legs and, with a sonic boom, <strong>the</strong> Argo II hurtled out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> clouds.<br />
‘Jason!’ Leo shouted. ‘Hurry!’<br />
His fingers felt like melted plastic, but Jason managed to undo <strong>the</strong> straps.<br />
Leo was lashed to <strong>the</strong> control console, desperately trying to right <strong>the</strong> ship as <strong>the</strong>y spiralled<br />
downward in free fall. The sails were on fire. Festus creaked in alarm. A catapult peeled away and<br />
lifted into <strong>the</strong> air. Centrifugal force sent <strong>the</strong> shields flying <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> railings like metal Frisbees.<br />
Wider cracks opened in <strong>the</strong> deck as Jason staggered towards <strong>the</strong> hold, using <strong>the</strong> winds to keep<br />
himself anchored.<br />
If he couldn’t make it to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs …<br />
Then <strong>the</strong> hatch burst open. Frank and Hazel stumbled through, pulling on <strong>the</strong> guide rope <strong>the</strong>y’d<br />
attached to <strong>the</strong> mast. Piper, Annabeth and Percy followed, all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m looking disoriented.<br />
‘Go!’ Leo yelled. ‘Go, go, go!’<br />
For once, Leo’s tone was deadly serious.<br />
They’d talked through <strong>the</strong>ir evacuation plan, but that slap across <strong>the</strong> world had made Jason’s mind<br />
sluggish. Judging from <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs’ expressions, <strong>the</strong>y weren’t in much better shape.<br />
Buford <strong>the</strong> table saved <strong>the</strong>m. He clattered across <strong>the</strong> deck with his holographic Hedge blaring,<br />
‘LET’S GO! MOVE IT! CUT THAT OUT!’<br />
Then his tabletop split into helicopter blades and Buford buzzed away.<br />
Frank changed form. Instead <strong>of</strong> a dazed demigod, he was now a dazed grey dragon. Hazel climbed<br />
onto his neck. Frank grabbed Percy and Annabeth in his front claws, <strong>the</strong>n spread his wings and soared<br />
away.<br />
Jason held Piper by <strong>the</strong> waist, ready to fly, but he made <strong>the</strong> mistake <strong>of</strong> glancing down. The view<br />
was a spinning kaleidoscope <strong>of</strong> sky, earth, sky, earth. The ground was getting awfully close.<br />
‘Leo, you won’t make it!’ Jason shouted. ‘Come with us!’
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