the locals for assistance. A crowd had gathered in the square. A lady with fine robes and a golden crown was making some kind of speech. Being an intelligent goddess, Demeter thought: She must be the queen.
It turned out Queen Metaneira was there with her family and her household guards, offering sacrifices to the gods in celebration of the birth of her newest son, Demophoon. (Or maybe she was there to apologize to the gods for giving her son such a dumb name.) Anyway, when Demeter walked up, Queen Metaneira was just offering a prayer to Demeter. Even in Demeter’s desperate state of mind, that must’ve been sort of a rush, hearing somebody praying to her when they didn’t know she was in the crowd.
If it were me, I’d wait until the queen said, “O great Demeter—”
Then I’d jump out with a bunch of explosions and fireworks and say, “YOU CALLED?”
Probably a good thing nobody has made me a god.
At any rate, Demeter figured this was a good omen. She waited for the queen to finish blessing her new baby, who was very cute. As the crowd broke up, Demeter made her way toward the queen; but Metaneira noticed her first.
“Old woman!” called the queen.
Demeter blinked. She looked around, wondering who Metaneira was talking to. Then she remembered she was in disguise.
“Oh, right! Yes, my queen!” Demeter said in her best old-lady voice.
The queen studied Demeter’s face and her ragged clothes. Even in disguise, Demeter must have looked weary. After ten days, she didn’t smell nearly as jasmine sweet as usual.
“I do not know you,” the queen decided. Her family and retainers gathered around.
Demeter wondered if she was going to have to turn into a hundred-foot-tall grain monster and scare them away, but the queen only smiled. “Welcome to Eleusis! We always greet strangers, because you never know when one of them might be a god in disguise, eh?”
The queen’s guards chuckled. They were probably thinking: Yeah, right. This old lady a goddess.
Demeter bowed. “Very wise, my queen. Very wise indeed.”
“Do you need a place to stay?” the queen asked. “Do you require food? How may we help you?”
Wow, Demeter thought. She’s serious.
After days of anxiety, running frantically around Greece looking for her daughter, Demeter was dumbstruck to receive such kindness. These puny mortals didn’t know her from any ordinary beggar—yet the queen herself took time to be nice to her, nicer in fact than most of Demeter’s fellow gods would have been.
Demeter felt so tired and emotionally spent that she burst into tears. “My daughter,” she sobbed. “My daughter has been stolen from me.”
The queen gasped. “What? This is an outrage!”
A handsome young man stepped forward and took Demeter’s hands. “Old woman, I am Triptolemus, the firstborn son of the queen. I pledge that I will help you find your daughter, however I can!”
Queen Metaneira nodded in agreement. “But come, dear guest. You are clearly exhausted. It won’t help your daughter if you kill yourself with weariness and hunger while trying to find her. Please stay in my palace tonight. Tell us your story. Rest and eat. In the morning, we will decide how best to help you.”
Demeter wanted to decline. She wanted to keep going. Since she was immortal, she obviously wasn’t in danger of dying. But she was tired. These people were nice. And after ten days on the road, her filthy clothes were starting to sprout types of mold and fungus even the plant goddess didn’t recognize.
She thanked the queen and accepted her hospitality.
After taking a nice hot bath and putting on some new clothes, Demeter felt much better. She joined the royal family for dinner and told them of her troubles, though she left out some minor details, such as being a goddess. She explained that her daughter had disappeared while on a day trip in the meadow with her friends. A woman who lived nearby had heard screaming, so it was clear her daughter had been kidnapped, but Demeter had no idea who had taken her or where she might be.
The royal family brainstormed some helpful suggestions: offering a reward, putting Persephone’s face on milk cartons, stapling MISSING posters around town. Finally Triptolemus had the winning idea.
“I will send riders in all four directions,” he said. “We will gather news and spread word of this abduction. Stay with us and rest a few days, honored guest. I know you are anxious, but this is the quickest way to search the countryside. When my riders
<<Previous page Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 1 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 2 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 3 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 4 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 5 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 6 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 7 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 8 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 9 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 10 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 11 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 12 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 13 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 14 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 15 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 16 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 17 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 18 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 19 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 20 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 21 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 22 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 23 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 24 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 25 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 26 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 27 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 28 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 29 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 30 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 31 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 32 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 33 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 34 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 35 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 36 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 37 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 38 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 39 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 40 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 41 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 42 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 43 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 44 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 45 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 46 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 47 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 48 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 49 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 50 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 51 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 52 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 53 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 54 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 55 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 56 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 57 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 58 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 59 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 60 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 61 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 62 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 63 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 64 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 65 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 66 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 67 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 68 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 69 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 70 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 71 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 72 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 73 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 74 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 75 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 76 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 77 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 78 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 79 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 80 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 81 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 82 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 83 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 84 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 85 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 86 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 87 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 88 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 89 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 90 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 91 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 92 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 93 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 94 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 95 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 96 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 97 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 98 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 99 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 100 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 101 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 102 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 103 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 104 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 105 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 106 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 107 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 108 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 109 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 110 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 111 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 112 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 113 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 114 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 115 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 116 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 117 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 118 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 119 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 120 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 121 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 122 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 123 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 124 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 125 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 126 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 127 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 128 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 129 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 130 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 131 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 132 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 133 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 134 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 135 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 136 Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion #5.5) - Rick Riordan - Page 137
Next page>>