Free Hephaestus and the Island of Terror by Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams Page B

elbowed Zeus. “Do something!”



CHAPTER TWO
It’s Not Really Stealing   .   .   .
    Z eus leaped out of the bushes. He rushed over to Artemis, grabbed her by the arm, and half-dragged her to their hiding spot just in the nick of time.
    From the bushes the ten Olympians watched the Crony scout appear through the trees. He looked fierce in his loincloth and metal chest armor, and he was bulging with muscles. In other words, he was dangerous!
    “Who brought the carrots?” Artemis murmured through her haze of sleep.
    Poseidon clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything more. Unfortunately, she bit his hand and he almost cried out. Fortunately, Hera clapped a hand over Poseidon’s mouth to keep him quiet too. The other Olympians all held their breath as the Crony stopped and looked around. Would he search for them now?
    Luckily, the Crony, didn’t seem to think whatever he’d heard was important. Moments later he stomped on by. Phew! Zeus let out a breath of relief. When they couldn’t hear the crunching of the Crony’s boots anymore, the immortals stepped out of hiding.
    “Ow!” Poseidon said at last, rubbing his hurt hand. But a few sprinkles of water from the pronged tips of his trident seemed to quickly ease his pain.
    “Good. He’s going inland, opposite from the way we’re going to reach the coast,” said Hera.
    “So I guess the coast is clear,” joked Hades. Unlike Artemis, he’d been pretty quiet up till now.
    “Let’s hope so,” said Zeus. Just in case, he stayed alert. You never knew. An entire army of Cronies could surprise them when they least expected it.
    Apollo nudged Zeus’s arm as they started off on their journey again. “Thank you, mister, for saving my sister.”
    “Anytime,” Zeus replied, and he meant it. Artemis was under a spell and meant no harm. And he had only done what needed to be done. No matter how dangerous, difficult, or scary the task, that was what Olympians did.
    The words of his mother, Rhea, came back to him. I know you will make good choices, Zeus. You and the other Olympians have made many good choices already. You are kind to one another and the mortals you meet. You help those in need. She had told Zeus this when she’d appeared to him in the shadows during his recent battle with an important Titan named Crius.
    When the huge Titan had teased him, Zeus had grown angry. Very angry. It was an anger like he’d never felt before—uncontrollable. He’d pinned Crius to the ground, holding one of his magical objects, Bolt, high and ready. It had sizzled with electric energy. His hand had trembled. He’d wanted to zap Crius, to destroy him with a massive blow from the daggerlike thunderbolt.
    But the voice of his mother had stopped him.
    Had losing control like that meant Zeus was as evil as King Cronus himself? He didn’t want to be evil. But Zeus had learned on another quest that King Cronus was actually his father! Sincethen Zeus constantly worried that he might one day turn out as rotten as the king.
    Rhea had told him not to worry, that he could make his own choices and did not have to end up like Cronus. His mother’s words had made Zeus feel better. Still, sometimes his anger surged again, and he wondered if Rhea could have been wrong.
    After some time passed, Poseidon took a deep breath. “Salt air!” he announced, breaking into a big smile. “We’re close to the sea!”
    When the Olympians heard this, they began running faster. Minutes later they came upon a busy dock filled with ships. Fishermen scurried about, loading and unloading their ships with baskets of goods. Beyond the ships the blue-green waters of the sea glittered in the morning sunlight.
    “Keep an eye out for Cronies,” Zeus warned as they made their way down to the docks.
    “The brave Olympians were forced to flee, but at long last they reached the sea,” Apollo sang happily.
    “Hey, post a sign, why don’t you?” grumped Hera.
    “She’s right,” warned