Daughter of Wine

Leo

I spot the secret entrance immediately. 

"Oh, that's beautiful." I maneuver the ship over the ruins of Epidarus. 

The Argo II really isn't in good shape to fly, but I've gotten her airborne after only one night of work. With the world ending tomorrow, I'm highly motivated. 

I primed the oar flaps. I injected Styx water into the samophlange. I treated Festus to his favorite brew: thirty weight motor oil and Tabasco sauce. Even Buford the Wonder Table pitched in, rattling around belowdecks while his holographic Mini-Hedge yelled "GIVE ME THIRTY PUSH-UPS!" to inspire the engine.

Now, at last, we hover over the ancient temple complex of the healing god Asclepius, where we can hopefully the physician's cure and maybe also some ambrosia, nectar, and Fonzies, because my supplies are running low. 

Next to me on the quarterdeck, Calli peers over the railing. "Looks like more rubble." 

She looks stunning, with her hair clipped back away from her face, a red silk tank top, and black jean shorts. Her skin has gotten tanner since we left Camp Half-Blood, making her eyes appear even lighter. She seems to glow with a golden aura. I find myself examining the details of her face, committing it to memory. I want it to be the last thing I think of when I pull off my plan tomorrow.

Percy joins us, his face still green from his underwater poisoning, but at least he isn't running to the bathroom to upchuck quite so often. Between him and Hazel's seasickness, it's been impossible to find an unoccupied toilet onboard for the past few days. 

Annabeth points to the disk-shaped structure about fifty yards off our port side. "There."

I smile. "Exactly. See, the architect knows her stuff."

The rest of the crew gathers around.

"What are we looking at?" Frank asks.

"Ah, Senor Zhang," I say, "you know how you're always saying, 'Leo, you are the only true genius among demigods'?"

"I'm pretty sure I never said that."

"Well, turns out there are other true geniuses! Because one of them must have made that work of art down there."

"It's a stone circle." Frank says. "Probably the foundation of an old shrine."

Calli shakes her head. "No, it's more than that. Look at the ridges and grooves carved around the rim."

"Like the teeth of a gear." Jason offers.

"And those concentric rings." Hazel points to the center of the structure, where curved stones form a sort of bull's-eye. "The pattern reminds me of Pasiphae's pendant: the symbol of the Labyrinth."

"Huh." I scowl. "Well, I hadn't thought of that. But think mechanical. Frank, Hazel...where did we see concentric circles like that before?"

"The laboratory under Rome." Frank says. 

"The Archimedes lock on the door."Hazel recalls. "It had rings within rings."

Percy snorts. "You're telling me that's a massive stone lock? It's like, fifty feet in diameter."

"Leo might be right." Annabeth says. "In ancient times, the temple of Asclepius was like the General Hospital of Greece. Everybody came here for the best healing. Aboveground, it was the size of a major city, but supposedly the real action happened belowground. That's where the high priests had their intensive care. A super-magical-type compound, accessed by a secret passage."

Percy scratches his ear. "So if that big round thing is the lock, how do we get the key?"

"Way ahead of you, Aquaman." I say. 

"Okay, do not call me Aquaman. That's even worse than water boy."

I turn to Jason, Calli, and Piper. "You guys remember the giant Archimedes grabber arm I told you I was building?"

Jason raises an eyebrow. "I thought you were kidding."

"Oh, my friend, I never kid about giant grabber arms!" I rub my hands in anticipation. "It's time to go fishing for prizes!"

Compared to the other modifications I've made to the ship, the grabber arm was a piece of cake. Originally, Archimedes designed it to pluck enemy ships out of the water. Now I've found another use for it.

I open the hull's forward access vent and extend the arm, guided by the console monitor and Jason, who flies outside, yelling directions. 

"Left!" Jason calls. "A couple of inches... yeah! Okay, down. Keep it coming. You're good."

Using my trackpad and turntable controls, I open the claw. Its prongs settle around the grooves in the circular stone structure below. Calli checks the aerial stabilizers and the monitor's video feed. 

"Okay, little buddy." I pat the Archimedes sphere embedded in the helm. "This is all you."

As soon as Calli gives me a thumbs-up, I activate the sphere.

The grabber arm begins to turn like a corkscrew. It rotates the outer ring of stone, which grinds and rumbles but thankfully doesn't shatter. Then the claw detaches, fixes itself around the second stone ring, and turns it in the opposite direction.

Standing next to me at the monitor, Calli kisses me on the cheek. "It's working. Leo, you're amazing."

I grin. I'm about to make a comment about my own awesomeness, then I remember the plan I worked out with Hazel and Frank, and the fact that I might never see Calli again after tomorrow. The joke sort of dies in my throat. "Yeah, well, thanks mamasita."

Below us, the last stone ring turns and settles with a deep pneumatic hiss. The entire fifty-foot pedestal telescopes downward into a spiral staircase.

Hazel exhales. "Leo, even from up here, I'm sensing bad stuff at the bottom of those stairs. Something... large and dangerous. You sure you don't want me to come along?"

"Thanks, Hazel, but we'll be good." I pat Calli on the back. "Me, Calli, Piper and Jason, we're old pros at large and dangerous."

Frank holds out the vial of Pylosian mint. "Don't break it."

I nod gravely. "Don't break the vial of deadly poison. Man, I'm glad you said that. Never would have occurred to me."

"Shut up Valdez." Frank gives me a bear hug. "And be careful."

"Ribs." I squeak.

"Sorry."

Annabeth and Percy wish us good luck. Then Percy excuses himself to go throw up.

Jason summons the winds and whisks Piper down to the surface. Calli wraps her arms around me, and we vanish in a burst of purple flame.