Charmolypi

Chapter 41

They ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big rig, closing the doors behind us. The trailer was dark inside until Percy uncapped Anaklusmos, and Thea summoned Keravnòpliktos. The blades cast a faint bronze light over a very sad scene. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were three pathetic zoo animals: a zebra, a male albino lion, and some weird antelope.

Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which he obviously didn't want to eat. The zebra and the antelope had each gotten a Styrofoam tray of hamburger meat. The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum, like somebody had been spitting on it in their spare time. The antelope had a stupid silver birthday balloon tied to one of his horns that read OVER THE HILL! Apparently, nobody had wanted to get close enough to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing around on soiled blankets, in a space way too small for him, panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes and his ribs showed through his white fur.

Gasps of horror were heard from all over the hall. The animal lover specifically were on the verge of tears before they started yelling at the way they were treating the innocent animals.

"This is kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?" He probably would've gone right back outside to beat up the truckers with his reed pipes, and there is no doubt that the demigods would've helped him, but just then the trucks engine roared to life, the trailer started shaking, and we were forced to sit down or fall down.

They huddled in the corner on some mildewed feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell and the heat and the flies. Grover talked to the animals in a series of goat bleats, but they just stared at him sadly. Annabeth was in favor of breaking the cages and freeing them on the spot, but Percy pointed out it wouldn't do much good until the truck stopped moving.

Thea found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then Percy used his sword to drag the mismatched food out of their cages, giving the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope.

Grover calmed the antelope down, while Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn. She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, too, but decided that would be too risky with the truck bumping around. The demigods told Grover to promise the animals that they'd help them more in the morning, then settled in for night.

Grover curled up on a turnip sack; Annabeth opened the bag of Double Stuf Oreos and nibbled on one halfheartedly; Percy tried to cheer himself up by concentrating on the fact that they were halfway to Los Angeles. Halfway to their destination. Thea took a seat next to the lion's cage, attempting to pet it as well as to create a form of comfort for the other animals.

"Hey," Annabeth said, "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Percy."

"That's okay." He reassured her

"It's just..." She shuddered. "Spiders."

"Because of the Arachne story," he guessed. "She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there's a spider within a mile of me, it'll find me. I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you."

"We're a team, remember?" he said. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying."

They thought he was asleep, but he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?" Annabeth and Percy laughed.

Some people giggled at the sadyr's behavior.

She pulled apart an Oreo, handed me half. "In the Iris message ... did Luke really say nothing?"