Verity was growing on Percy. Only people who grew on him could get him to smile when he was feeling down and out.
"You've earned them, there's no doubting that. Shall I start a tally for you?" he asked with a faintly teasing tone of his own.
"It's just over here," he added helpfully when they passed the statue of Boris the Bewildered. The door was the fourth to the left of the statue. Percy led the way and took care of the password.
"I was afraid that wasn't going to work," he admitted when the door opened.