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‘Huh.’ Leo scowled. ‘Well, I hadn’t thought of that. But think mechanical. Frank, Hazel … where<br />
did we see concentric circles like that before?’<br />
‘The laboratory under Rome,’ Frank said.<br />
‘The Archimedes lock on the door,’ Hazel recalled. ‘It had rings within rings.’<br />
Percy snorted. ‘You’re telling me that’s a massive stone lock? It’s, like, fifty feet in diameter.’<br />
‘Leo might be right,’ Annabeth said. ‘In ancient times, the temple of Asclepius was like the General<br />
Hospital of Greece. Everybody came here for the best healing. Aboveground, it was the size of a<br />
major city, but supposedly the real action happened belowground. That’s where the high priests had<br />
their intensive-care super-magical-type compound, accessed by a secret passage.’<br />
Percy scratched his ear. ‘So, if that big round thing is the lock, how do we get the key?’<br />
‘Way ahead of you, Aquaman,’ Leo said.<br />
‘Okay, do not call me Aquaman. That’s even worse than water boy.’<br />
Leo turned to Jason and Piper. ‘You guys remember the giant Archimedes grabber arm I told you I<br />
was building?’<br />
Jason raised an eyebrow. ‘I thought you were kidding.’<br />
‘Oh, my friend, I never kid about giant grabber arms!’ Leo rubbed his hands in anticipation. ‘It’s<br />
time to go fishing for prizes!’<br />
Compared to the other modifications Leo had made to the ship, the grabber arm was a piece of cake.<br />
Originally, Archimedes had designed it to pluck enemy ships out of the water. Now Leo found another<br />
use for it.<br />
He opened the hull’s forward access vent and extended the arm, guided by the console monitor and<br />
Jason, who flew outside, yelling directions.<br />
‘Left!’ Jason called. ‘A couple of inches – yeah! Okay, down. Keep it coming. You’re good.’<br />
Using his trackpad and turntable controls, Leo opened the claw. Its prongs settled around the<br />
grooves in the circular stone structure below. He checked the aerial stabilizers and the monitor’s<br />
video feed.<br />
‘Okay, little buddy.’ Leo patted the Archimedes sphere embedded in the helm. ‘This is all you.’<br />
He activated the sphere.<br />
The grabber arm began to turn like a corkscrew. It rotated the outer ring of stone, which ground and<br />
rumbled but thankfully didn’t shatter. Then the claw detached, fixed itself around the second stone<br />
ring and turned it in the opposite direction.<br />
Standing next to him at the monitor, Piper kissed him on the cheek. ‘It’s working. Leo, you’re<br />
amazing.’<br />
Leo grinned. He was about to make a comment about his own awesomeness, then he remembered<br />
the plan he had worked out with Hazel and Frank – and the fact that he might never see Piper again<br />
after tomorrow. The joke sort of died in his throat. ‘Yeah, well … thanks, Beauty Queen.’<br />
Below them, the last stone ring turned and settled with a deep pneumatic hiss. The entire fifty-foot<br />
pedestal telescoped downward into a spiral staircase.<br />
Hazel exhaled. ‘Leo, even from up here, I’m sensing bad stuff at the bottom of those stairs.