At the base of Sutro Tower, the group begins their hike, and Apollo struggles with the debilitating pain of his poisoned wound, which continues to worsen. When Reyna confronts him about his uncharacteristically deferential behavior, he admits that when he was still a god, Venus warned him not to approach Reyna romantically. He then suggests that as the mortal Lester, he would be obeying Venus’s injunction not to put his “godly face” near Reyna and might be able to heal her famously cursed and lonely heart. In short, he awkwardly offers to be her boyfriend. Reyna laughs uncontrollably and firmly rejects him, saying that she would not want to be romantically involved with him even if he were a god. Apollo squirms in humiliation as Reyna continues to laugh. Even after her mirth subsides, she looks much happier than she ever has before. When Meg rejoins them, Reyna leads the group onward.

At the tower’s relay station, Reyna and her automaton greyhounds, Aurum and Argentum, find the building deserted. When Apollo awkwardly tries to tell Meg about having recently seen Peaches, she indicates that she is already aware of his presence. She senses that Lavinia and Peaches are nearby with other nature spirits. Apollo admits to Meg that he “loves [her] like a sister,” and she concedes that he has also gotten “less annoying” (243).

The group decides to climb the tower and leaves the greyhounds to guard the base. As they ascend, a flock of giant ravens attacks them. Apollo recognizes the birds as his own ancient creations, whom he cursed long ago.

As the ravens attack, Meg fights them off by using her seed packets to create explosive plants. Apollo explains that he cursed the ravens, turning their feathers from white to black after they delivered bad news about a cheating lover. Meg and Reyna are appalled by his narrative and tell Apollo, “You suck.” To drive the ravens away, Apollo sings an intensely off-key version of Dean Martin’s Volare. The awful singing repels the birds, allowing the trio to scramble to the next platform.

On the second catwalk, they find a large red shipping container sealed with heavy chains. A strong smell of roses emanates from the area, which is surrounded by a zone of absolute silence. Apollo consults the prophetic Arrow of Dodona and identifies the prisoner inside as Harpocrates, an obscure god of silence. He admits that Harpocrates has a grudge against him and wants him “vaporized.”

Apollo admits that when he was a god, he incessantly ridiculed Harpocrates in front of the other gods. When Meg and Reyna chastise him, he realizes that his past behavior was bullying. He decides to face Harpocrates directly and apologize. The group notices that there are thick cables running from the container to the tower, amplifying the god’s silence in order to create the communications blackout that has been plaguing Camp Jupiter. To break the Imperial gold chains, Reyna uses her power as a daughter of Bellona to lend Apollo immense strength. He rips the chains apart easily and pulls the heavy doors open.

Inside, they find the withered god Harpocrates chained to a chair and pinned by Caligula and Commodus’s magical fasces—“ceremonial axes” that serve as “the ultimate symbols of authority in ancient Rome” (428). Harpocrates floods Apollo’s mind with memories of his past cruelties. Apollo apologizes, and when the god remains unconvinced, Meg shares her own experience of being abused by Nero, and Reyna conveys her worries for the safety of Camp Jupiter, but to no avail. 

Finally, Apollo surrenders his pride and conveys all of the humiliating and traumatic experiences he has had as a mortal, trying to convince Harpocrates that he has changed. He broadcasts his genuine remorse for his recent failures, including Jason’s death, and this tactic finally reaches Harpocrates. The god consents to let them destroy the fasces. Apollo sees a glass jar in Harpocrates’s lap and realizes that it contains the last vestiges of the life force of the Cumaean Sibyl. Even though he senses a trap in Harpocrates’ sudden cooperation, he telepathically tells the god, “Do what you want with me […]. Just spare my friends. Please” (283). He tells his friends to destroy the fasces and release the silent god.