We Were Just Looking At Maps.

I Found Myself Staring At Her, Which Was Stupid Since I'd Seen Her A Billion Times. Still, She Seemed So Much More Mature. It Was Kind Of Intimidating. I Mean, Sure, She'd Always Been Cute, But She Was Starting To Be Seriously Beautiful.

We Did All The Standard Camp Numbers: "down By The Aegean," "i Am My Own Great-great-great-great Grandpa," "this Land Is Minos's Land.

Well, Actually It Carried Cadmus. Europa Fell Off And Died Along The Way, But That's Not Important.' It Was Probably Important To Her.

Curled Up At The Base Of The Scales, Fast Asleep, Was The Oddest Monster I'd Seen Yet. It Had The Head Of Crocodile With A Lion's Mane. The Front Half Of Its Body Was A Lion, But The Back End Was Sleek, Brown, And Fat - A Hippo, I Decided. The Odd Bit Was, The Animal Was Tiny - I Mean, No Larger Than An Average Poodle, Which I Suppose Made Him A Hippodoodle.

And I Was Holding Someone Who Was Destined To Be My Best Friend, Or Possibly My Worst Enemy.