26_Into the Hills

“ Faster, ” Julia called to Brody. He was jogging slowly up a path leading out of the city and intothe surrounding hills. ” We don’t want Hermes to change his mind. “ Brody stopped so suddenly that the winged chariot almost bumped into him. “ We don’t?” he echoed, sounding grumpy. “ Maybe you don’t want Hermes to change his mind, Julia. But I’m sure ready. It wasn’t my idea to spend the day running up and down some stupid hills! ” “ Shh! ” Markos glanced over his shoulder. “ Just keep going, Brody, please. We’ll explain when we’re out of sight of the city. ”

Julia thought Brody was going to argue. But he turned and jogged away. Finally they were on the other side of a hill. Brody stopped running and sat down on a log. Okay, it’s time to explain. Why did you convince Hermes to make me run out here? ” We heard Heracles is training in these hills，“ Julia said. “ Remember? We even told Hermes that. ” “ So what?” Brody still sounded grumpy。 “ So don't you want to see what he's doing out here" Julia said. " Maybe we can figure out a way to beat him in the Games. ”

She hesitated, not sure if she should admit the next part. “ Besides, if we find him, I want to warn him that all the other gods are plotting against him. ” “ What? Why?” Brody asked. Markos looked surprised too. Julia shrugged. “ Because he seems nice, ” she said. “ Because he saved me when I fell off the roof. I just feel like it’s the right thing to do. ” But Brody was shaking his head. “ Bad idea, ” he declared. “ Heracles already has enough advantages in the Games. We should let the gods do whatever they’re going to do, because it’s none of our business. ”

“ Brody is right, ” Markos agreed. “ Besides, Julia, Zeus has surely warned Heracles of the dangers. ” Julia frowned. “ I hope so. But in case Zeus hasn’t . . . ” “ Look. ” Markos pointed to the next hill. “ Smoke! ” “ Do you think that’s Heracles?” Julia asked. Brody looked at her. “ Would anybody else be hanging around out here in the middle of nowhere? Come on, let’s go see. ” He hurried off. Julia stared at the smoke twirling its way into the sky.

The magical chariot seemed to know which way she wanted it to go. It stayed right beside Brody as he jogged in the direction of the smoke. For a while it was easy to track the smoke over one hill and up another. Then they reached a dense thicket of shrubs and vines. The chariot stopped, hovering at the edge of the thicket. “ The chariot cannot travel through there, ” Markos said. Julia nodded. “ I guess we’ll have to go on foot from here. ”

As soon as they climbed out of the chariot, it disappeared with a poof of smoke. “ Yikes! ” Julia said. Markos laughed at her surprised look. “ I see you’re still getting used to the ways of the gods, Julia. ” The three of them pushed their way through the thicket. Vines tangled around Julia’s legs, threatening to trip her. Thorny branches grabbed at her chiton and scratched her bare arms. But finally the underbrush thinned out. The smellof smoke was stronger now.