Percy waits until seventh period to visit Eudora, hoping that if the guidance counselor flushes him away again, Percy will miss as little school as possible. Eudora is cheerful and asks about Percy’s first quest, so Percy explains Ganymede’s stolen chalice, Hebe’s involvement, and Iris’s demand that Percy clean her kerykeion.

Eudora interrupts to tell Percy that because multiple gods are involved, Percy could have applied in advance for dual credit and possibly earned recommendation letters from Hebe and Iris as well as Ganymede. Percy is furious when Eudora shows that the rule cannot be applied after the fact, with a disclaimer specifically applying to Percy Jackson.

Percy then asks for guidance finding the River Elisson. Eudora warns that the river is dangerous, full of snakes and monsters, and that the river god Elisson dislikes people using his waters. Because Percy has no choice if he wants Iris’s help, Eudora hints she can send him to the headwaters without officially giving directions, then flushes Percy through the floor.

Percy and the blue plastic chair are dumped out of a drainage pipe into a creek in Yonkers. Percy identifies the area as the Saw Mill River, a grimy daylighted urban river that looks far from the pure River Elisson. Percy wonders whether Eudora made a mistake or deliberately sent Percy off-course to protect Elisson’s location.

As Percy wades upstream toward a foul-smelling tunnel, Percy finds a translucent snakeskin, suggesting the river may connect to the serpents Iris mentioned. Percy then discovers a broken black talon like one belonging to a Fury, which proves something monstrous may be nearby. Because Percy is alone and does not have Iris’s staff, Percy decides he must return later with Annabeth and Grover.