I

Jason, aged into a frail old man by Hazel’s magic, climbs a scorching Ithacan hill with Piper and Annabeth, who are disguised as Greek serving maidens. Their goal is to infiltrate the ruins of Odysseus’s palace, where Hazel sensed a massive gathering of evil spirits. The Argo II waits offshore as the trio pursues stealth over speed.

Piper carries an amphora concealing her sword, her cornucopia, and the knife Katoptris that showed the site. Annabeth also hides a sword and keeps alert despite discomfort in her disguise. They review the stakes: learn what the spirits—apparently the slain suitors of Penelope—are planning under Gaea’s influence, then decide the quest’s course and escape alive.

As they climb, Jason recalls recent ordeals and is rattled by vivid dreams since the House of Hades. Clytius’s taunt about Gaea’s awakening, Gaea’s own needling that Jason is always second best, and a devastating vision of Juno’s true form undermine his confidence. A childhood memory of his mother promising to return resurfaces, intensifying his anxiety.

Nico’s warning that the House of Hades would stir old ghosts proves prescient. Jason fears who or what they might face among the gathered spirits. Near the summit, an explosion booms, followed by a crowd’s approving roar, evoking Jason’s trauma from the Roman Colosseum. Despite the danger, the three press on to make “dead friends” and gather the intelligence they need.