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All I Could Think Of Was That The Teachers Must've Found The Illegal Stash Of Candy I'd Been Selling Out Of My Dorms Room. Or Maybe They'd Realized I Got My Essay On Tom Sawyer From The Internet Without Ever Reading The Book And Now They Were Going To Take Away My Grade. Or Worse, They Were Going To Make Me Read The Book.

-Rick Riordan

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All I Could Think

Rick Riordan

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All I Could Think Of Was That The Teachers Must've Found The Illegal Stash Of Candy I'd Been Selling Out Of My Dorms Room. Or Maybe They'd Realized I Got My Essay On Tom Sawyer From The Internet Without Ever Reading The Book And Now They Were Going To Take Away My Grade. Or Worse, They Were Going To Make Me Read The Book.

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After My Bad Experience As A Kite, I Simply Refused To Go About As A Glowing Sadie-headed Chicken. That’s Fine For Carter, But I Have Standards.

Writing Is Like A Sport. If You Don't Practice, You Don't Get Any Better.

Hi,” Piper Said, As Casually As She Could. “we’re Back.

Humor Was A Good Way To Hide The Pain.

It'll Be Dangerous," Nyssa Warned Him. "hardship, Monsters, Terrible Suffering. Possibly None Of You Will Come Back Alive." "oh." Suddenly Leo Didn't Look So Excited. Then He Remembered Everyone Was Watching. "i Mean... Oh, Cool! Suffering? I Love Suffering! Let's Do This.

As For My Brothers,' Zeus Said, 'we Are Thankful -' He Cleared His Throat, Like The Words Were Hard To Get Out - 'erm, Thankful For The Aid Of Hades.' The Lord Of The Dead Nodded. He Had A Smug Look On His Face, But I Figure He'd Earned The Right. He Patted His Son Nico On The Shoulders, And Nico Looked Happier Than I'd Ever Seen Him.

I Got Ready For Bed And Crawled In. The Covers Were Comfortable And Warm, But The Pillow Was Just Too Weird. It Gave Me Neck Cramps, So I Put It On The Floor And Went To Sleep Without It. My First Big Mistake.

Nothing Like Watching Your Relatives Fight, I Always Say.

Her Secret Fear? Maybe She Didn't Tried Hard Enough.

That's Me. Ancient History." [poseidon To Paul]

Ancient History

Rachel: You're A Half-blood, Too? Annabeth: Shhh! Just Announce It To The World, How About? Rachel: Okay. Hey, Everybody! These Two Aren't Human! They're Half Greek God!...they Don't Seem To Care.

Leo Took Out A Pen And Autographed The Arm Of One Of The Nymphs. “narcissus Is A Loser! He’s So Weak, He Can’t Bench-press A Kleenex. He’s So Lame, When You Look Up Lame On Wikipedia, It’s Got A Picture Of Narcissus—only The Picture’s So Ugly, No One Ever Checks It Out.

Grover Started To Sniffle And I Figured If I Didn't Cheer Him Up He'd Either Start Bawling Or Chewing Up My Mattress. He Tends To Eat Household Objects Whenever He Gets Upset.

Look, I Need To Tell You Something,' I Continued. The Words Came Stumbling Out Of Me. 'i Couldnt Stand It If...i Dont Want You To---' Percy?' She Said. 'you Look Like You're Going To Be Sick.' And That's How I Felt.

Yay!” Tyson Went Around The Couches And Gave Everyone A Big Hug—even Octavian, Who Didn't Look Thrilled About It.

Sadie, I Can't Intervene." He Turned Up His Palms In Frustration. "i Told You When We First Met, This Isn't An Actual Physical Body." "shame," I Mumbled. "what?" "nothing. Go On.

You Think It's Okay That We're Eating Rudolph?" "dude," Percy Said, "i Could Eat Prancer And Blitzen, Too. I'm Hungry.

I Thought About All The Things I Was Suddenly Able To Do—like Fight With A Sword And Summon A Magical Shell Of Armor. Those Were Not Things I Covered In Home School.

Lord Bacchus, Do You Remember Me? I Helped You With That Missing Leopard In Sonoma." Bacchus Scratched His Stubbly Chin. "ah... Yes. John Green." "jason Grace." "whatever," The God Said.

The Store Had A Hand-painted Sign The Read: Moose Pass Gas. "that's Just Wrong," Frank Said.

Just For You Non-sea-god Types Out There, Don't Go Swimming In New York Harbor. It May Not Be As Filthy As It Was In My Mom's Day, But That Water Will Still Probably Make You Grow A Third Eye Or Have Mutant Children When You Grow Up.

It's Always Hard To Wrap Up A Series. The Longer I Spend With The Characters, The More They Become Like Friends.

The First Lesson Every Child Of Athena Learned: Mom Was The Best At Everything, And You Should Never, Ever Suggest Otherwise.

Travis: I Didn’t Know They Made Permanent Makeup. I Looked Like A Clown For A Month. Connor: Yeah. They Put A Curse On Me So That No Matter What I Wore, My Clothes Were Two Sizes Too Small And I Felt Like A Geek. Travis: You Are A Geek.

He Offered To Stop The Tide For Me Once. He Offered To Build Me A Palace At The Bottom Of The Sea.

We Stepped Back And Looked At The King Of The Gods, Slumped In His Chair Snoring, And Cradling His Crook Like A Teddy Bear. I Placed The War Flail Across His Lap, Hoping It Might Make A Difference—maybe Complete His Powers Or Something. No Such Luck. "sick Weasels," Ra Muttered. "behold," Sadie Said Bitterly. "the Glorious Ra.

God Alert!" Blackjack Yelled. "it's The Wine Dude! Mr. D Sighed In Exasperation. "the Next Person, Or Horse, Who Calls Me The 'wine Dude' Will End Up In A Bottle Of Merlot!

I Think That Kids Have A Greater Capacity For Processing Things Than We Give Them Credit For.

I Don't Deserve You." "you're Not Allowed To Say That." "why Not?" "it's A Breakup Line. Unless You're Breaking Up-" Jason Leaned Over And Kissed Her. The Colors Of The Roman Afternoon Suddenly Seemed Sharper, As It The World Had Switched To High Definition. "no Breakups," He Promised. "i May Have Busted My Head A Few Times, But I'm Not That Stupid.

One Down," Beckendorf Said. "about Five Thousand To Go." He Tossed Me A Jar Of Thick Green Liquid—greek Fire, One Of The Most Dangerous Magical Substances In The World. Then He Threw Me Another Essential Tool Of Demigod Heroes—duct Tape

Can You Surf Really Well, Then?" I Looked At Grover, Who Was Trying Hard Not To Laugh. "jeez, Nico," I Said. "i've Never Really Tried." He Went On Asking Questions. Did I Fight A Lot With Thalia, Since She Was A Daughter Of Zeus? (i Didn't Answer That One.) If Annabeth's Mother Was Athena, The Goddess Of Wisdom, Then Why Didn't Annabeth Know Better Than To Fall Off A Cliff? (i Tried Not To Strangle Nico For Asking That One.) Was Annabeth My Girlfriend? (at This Point, I Was Ready To Stick The Kid In A Meat-flavored Sack And Throw Him To The Wolves.)

Please Excuse Jason From Eternal Damnation. He Has Had Amnesia.

Patterns Repeat Themselves In History

Annabeth Thalia And I Hadn't Seen Each Other In Months But Between The Blizzard And The Thought Of What We Were About To Do We Were Too Nervous To Talk Much. Except For My Mom. She Talks More When She's Nervous. By The Time We Finally Got To Westover Hall It Was Getting Dark And She'd Told Annabeth And Thalia Every Embarrassing Baby Story There Was To Tell About Me.

The Metal Blade Hit Her Shoulder And Passed Cleanthrough Her Body As If She Were Made Of Water. Hisss!

Right.” Sadie Looked Dazed. “you’ve Got A Monkey Butler. Why Not?

The Pinecone Is A Fearsome Tool Of Destruction! -bacchus

Annabeth Came Up To Me. She Was Dressed In Black Camouflage With Her Celestial Bronze Knife Strapped To Her Arm And Her Laptop Bag Slung Over Her Shoulder—ready For Stabbing Or Surfing The Internet, Whichever Came First.

You're Cute When You're Worried, Your Eyebrows Get All Scrunched Together.

I Will Not Have A Sea Creature Destroyed, If I Can Help It. And I Can Help It.

[hazel] Hissed In Frustration. 'i Hate Eidolons. I Thought Piper Made Them Promise To Stay Away.' 'oh...' Frank Said, Like He'd Just Had His Own Daily Happy Thought. 'piper Made Them Promise To Stay Off The Ship And Not Possess Any Of Us. But If They Followed Us, And Used Other Bodies To Attack Us, Then They're Not Technically Breaking Their Vow...' 'great,' Leo Muttered. 'eidolons Who Are Also Lawyers. Now I Really Want To Kill Them.

My Sword Reappeared In My Pocket. Yeah,great Timing.now I Could Attack The Walls All I Wanted.my Cell Had No Bar,no Window,not Even A Door

One Basketball To Rule Them All,” Leo Muttered.

I Love To Read And You Should Read Percy Kackson & The Olympians The Last One The Best

I Don’t Define Myself By The Boys Who May Or May Not Like Me.

The Way To Beat Luke," He Said. "if I'm Right, It's The Only Way You'll Stand A Chance." I Took A Deep Breath. "okay. I'm Listening." Nico Glanced Inside My Room. His Eyebrows Furrowed. "is That...is That Blue Birthday Cake?" He Sounded Hungry, Maybe A Little Wistful. I Wondered If The Poor Kid Had Ever Had A Birthday Party, Or If He'd Ever Even Been Invited To One. :come Inside For Cake And Ice Cream," I Said. "it Sounds Like We've Got A Lot To Talk About.

Very Well! It Shall Be As You Say. But My Son, Pray This Works. I Am Praying. I'm Talking To You, Right? Oh...yes. Good Point. Amphitrite - Incoming!

Sorry We’re Late,” Jason Said. “is This The Guy Who Needs Killing?

I Frowned. “you Mean Set’s Got, Like, Other Evil Gods On Speed Dial?

Kinzie Smiled Smugly. “you Admire Our Base Of Operations? Yes, Our Distribution System Is Worldwide. It Took Many Years And Most Of Our Fortune To Build. Now, Finally, We’re Turning A Profit. The Mortals Don’t Realize They Are Funding The Amazon Kingdom. Soon, We’ll Be Richer Than Any Mortal Nation. Then—when The Weak Mortals Depend On Us For Everything—the Revolution Will Begin!” “what Are You Going To Do?” Frank Grumbled. “cancel Free Shipping?

When Luke Had Descended Into The River Styx, He Would've Had To Focus On Something Important That Would Hold Him To His Mortal Life. Otherwise He Would've Dissolved. I Had Seen Annabeth, And I Had A Feeling He Had Too. He Had Pictured That Scene Hestia Showed Me—of Himself In The Good Old Days With Thalia And Annabeth, When He Promised They Would Be A Family. Hurting Annabeth In Battle Had Shocked Him Into Remembering That Promise. It Had Allowed His Mortal Conscience To Take Over Again, And Defeat Kronos. His Weak Spot—his Achilles Heel—had Saved Us All

When I Was Young, My Favorite Picture Book Was 'fletcher And Zenobia,' Written By Edward Gorey And Illustrated By Victoria Chess. It's Long Out Of Print Now, But Its Mix Of Macabre Humor And 1960s Psychedelia Made It A Perfect Children's Book For The Times.

Nico Strode Forward. The Enemy Army Fell Back Before Him Like He Radiated Death, Which Of Course He Did. Through The Face Guard Of His Skull-shaped Helmet, He Smiled. "got Your Message. Is It Too Late To Join The Party?" "son Of Hades." Kronos Spit On The Ground. "do You Love Death So Much You Wish To Experience It?" "your Death," Nico Said, "would Be Great For Me." "i'm Immortal, You Fool! I Have Escaped Tartarus. You Have No Business Here, And No Chance To Live." Nico Drew His Sword-three Feet Of Wicked Sharp Stygian Iron, Black As A Nightmare. "i Don't Agree.

Grover And Nico Came Back From Their Walk, And Grover Helped Me Fix Up My Wounded Arm. "it's Green!" Nico Said With Delight.

There!" Apollo Pointed. "long Island, Dead Ahead. Let's Slow Down, Dear. 'dead' Is Only An Expression.

He Scowled At Jason. "and Please, I Don't Like Being Touched. Don't Ever Grab Me Again.

Mussolini?” Leo Frowned. “wasn’t He Like Bffs With Hitler?

What If It Lines Up Like It Did In The Trojan War ... Athena Versus Poseidon?" "i Don't Know. But I Just Know That I'll Be Fighting Next To You." "why?" "because You're My Friend, Seaweed Brain. Any More Stupid Questions?

His Lion And Hippo Legs Twitched. I Wondered If Netherworld Monsters Dreamed Of Chasing Rabbits.

But How Do We Even Get To The Land Of The Dead?” I Asked. “i Mean…without Dying.

Leo Felt Trapped. He’d Once Been Stuck In A Cave On Top Of Pikes Peak, Surrounded By A Pack Of Werewolves. Another Time He’d Been Stuck In An Abandoned Factory With A Family Of Evil Cyclopes. But This — Standing In An Open Clearing With A Dozen Pretty Girls — Was Much Worse.

Shut Up, Me,” Leo Said Aloud. “what?” Piper Asked. “nothing,” He Said. “long Night. I Think I’m Hallucinating. It’s Cool.” Sitting In Front, Leo Couldn’t See Their Faces, But He Assumed From Their Silence That His Friends Were Not Pleased To Have A Sleepless, Hallucinating Dragon Driver. “just Joking.” Leo Decided It Might Be Good To Change The Subject.

Everybody Loves To Show Up At The Party Once All The Hard Work Is Done.

Just Sit Tight. Reinforcements Should Be Here Soon. Hopefully Nothing Happens Before-" Lightning Crackled Overhead. The Wind Picked Up With A Vengeance. Worksheets Flew Into The Grand Canyon, And The Entire Bridge Shuddered. Kids Screamed, Stumbling And Grabbing The Rails. "i Had To Say Something," Hedge Grumbled. He Bellowed Into His Megaphone: "everyone Inside! The Cow Says Moo! Off The Skywalk!" "i Thought You Said This Thing Was Stable!" Jason Shouted Over The Wind. "under Normal Circumstances," Hedge Agreed, "which These Aren't.

Naturally, Coach Hedge Went Ballistic; But Percy Found It Hard To Take The Satyr Seriously Since He Was Barely Five Feet Tall. "never In My Life!" Coach Bellowed, Waving His Bat And Knocking Over A Plate Of Apples. "against The Rules! Irresponsible!" "coach," Annabeth Said, "it Was An Accident. We Were Talking, And We Fell Asleep." "besides," Percy Said, "you're Starting To Sound Like Terminus." Hedge Narrowed His Eyes. "is That An Insult, Jackson? 'cause I'll—i'll Terminus You, Buddy!

You Dropped This," He Said, Totally Poker-faced.

Hey, Ugly!" Annabeth Yelled. I Hoped She Was Talking To The Giant, Not Me.

Purple Light Passed Over The Paper, But Nothing Happened. "next!" Amy Said. She Was Sure The Man In Black Was Going To Burst In On Them Any Second. "whoa!" Dan Said. Amy Gripped His Arm. "you Found It?" "no, But Look! This Whole Essay - 'to The Royal Academy.' He Wrote A Whole Essay On Farts!" Dan Grinned With Delight. "he's Proposing A Scientific Study On Different Fart Smells. You're Right, Amy. This Guy Was A Genius!

I Missed Him So Much I Would Sometimes Turn To Tell Him Something Before I Forgot He Was Gone. In Spite Of All That, And All The Emotion Boiling Around Inside Me, All I Could Think Of To Say Was: “you’re Blue.

I Am Your Friend Bob!

The Giant Raised His Fist, And A Voice Cut Through The Dream. "leo!" Jason Was Shaking His Shoulder. "hey, Man, Why Are You Hugging Nike?" Leo's Eyes Fluttered Open. His Arms Were Wrapped Around The Human-sized Statue In Athena's Hand. He Must Have Been Thrashing In His Sleep. He Clung To The Victory Goddess Like He Used To Cling To His Pillow When He Had Nightmares As A Kid. (man, That Had Been So Embarrassing In The Foster Homes.) He Disentangled Himself And Sat Up, Rubbing His Face. "nothing," He Muttered. "we Were Just Cuddling. Um, What's Going On?

Was That Amazing?” She Demanded. “that Was Amazing,” I Agreed. It’s Hard To Pull Off A Romantic Kiss When You’re Both Drenched In Muck, But We Gave It Our Best Shot.

And It Was Pretty Much The Best Underwater Kiss Of All Time.

Is That Me?,' Leo Said. 'like Me--having This Dream--looking At Me Having A Dream?

Hercules,huh? Percy Frowned. "that Guy Was Like The Starbucks Of Ancient Greece. Everywhere You Turn--there He Is.

Always, Always Have A Plan

Don’t Judge Someone Until You’ve Stood At His Forge And Worked With His Hammer, Eh?

She Held Up Her Calloused, Grimy Fingers. Leo Couldn't Help Thinking There Was Nothing Hotter Than A Girl Who Didn't Mind Getting Her Hands Dirty. But Of Course, That Was Just A General Comment. Didn't Apply To Calypso. Obviously.

Frank: "i Wish I Was Adhd Or Dyslexic. All I Got Is Lactose Intolerance." Percy: "seriously?" Frank: "and I Love Ice Cream Too.

Oh, By The Way…” Jason Glanced At Percy. “i Resigned My Office, Gave Frank A Field Promotion To Praetor. Unless You Want To Contest That Ruling.” Percy Grinned. “no Argument Here.” “praetor?” Hazel Stared At Frank. He Shrugged Uncomfortably. “well… Yeah. I Know It Seems Weird.” She Tried To Throw Her Arms Around Him, Then Winced As She Remembered Her Busted Ribs. She Settled For Kissing Him. “it Seems Perfect.” Leo Clapped Frank On The Shoulder. “way To Go, Zhang. Now You Can Order Octavian To Fall On His Sword.

I'm Gonna Be Percy Jackson When I Grow Up," She Told Hazel Solemnly. Hazel Smiled And Ruffled Her Hair. "that's A Good Thing To Be, Julia." "although," Frank Said. "frank Zhang Would Be Good Too.

Where's The Glory In Repeating What Others Have Done?

Nothing Lasts Forever, Not Even The Best Machines. And Everything Can Be Reused. - Hephaestus

Jason Always Tried To Build A Good Relationship With His Team. He'd Learned The Hard Way That If Somebody Was Going To Have Your Back In A Fight, It Was Better If You Found Some Common Ground And Trusted Each Other. But Nico Wasn't Easy To Figure Out.

Good Relationship

Things Will Work Out - Maybe Just Not The Way You Plan

Things Will Work Out

New Lesson, Class. Most Monsters Will Vaporize When Sliced With A Celestial Bronze Sword. This Change Is Perfectly Normal, And Will Happen To You Right Now If You Don't Back Off!" - Percy

Perfectly Normal

So Few People Did Good In Their Lives. It Was Depressing.

To Business."tux Dude Extended His Hand. "i Am Prometheus." I Was Too Surprised To Shake."the Fire-stealer Guy?the Chained-to-the-rock-with-the-vultures Guy?" Prometheus Winced. He Touched The Scratches On His Face."please, Don't Mention The Vultures. But Yes, I Stole Fire From The Gods And Gave It To Your Ancestors. In Return, The Ever Merciful Zeus Had Me Chained To A Rock And Tortured For All Eternity.

Oh, No Way," Leo Said. "we've Been Sitting In A Cave And You Get The Luxury Tent? Somebody Give Me Hypothermia. I Want Hot Chocolate And A Parka!

Survive First. Figure Out Crayon Drawing Of Destiny Later.

I Looked Across The River To Manhattan. It Was A Great View. When Sadie And I Had First Arrived At Brooklyn House, Amos Had Told Us That Magicians Tried To Stay Out Of Manhattan. He Said Manhattan Had Other Problems--whatever That Meant. And Sometimes When I Looked Across The Water, I Could Swear I Was Seeing Things. Sadie Laughed About It, But Once I Thought I Saw A Flying Horse. Probably Just The Mansion's Magic Barriers Causing Optical Illusions, But Still, It Was Weird.

Calm Down, Horus Said. "don't Tell Me To Calm Down!" Bast Frowned. "i Didn't." "talking To Him!" I Pointed At My Forehead.

Great Victory Requires Great Risk. -hera

Forget The Chicken-nugget Smoke Screen. Percy Wanted Leo To Invent An Anti-dream Hat.

A Telkhine Was Hunched Over A Console, But He Was So Involved With His Work, He Didn't Notice Us. He Was About Five Feet Tall, With Slick Black Seal Fur And Stubby Little Feet. He Had The Head Of A Doberman, But His Clawed Hands Were Almost Human. He Growled And Muttered As He Tapped On His Keyboard. Maybe He Was Messaging His Friends On Uglyface.com.

You Weren't Able To Talk Sense Into Him?" Well, We Kind Of Tried To Kill Each Other In A Duel To The Death." I See. You Tried The Diplomatic Approach.

Artemis Smiled. "you Have Done Well, My Lieutenant. You Have Made Me Proud, And All Those Hunters Who Perished In My Service Will Never Be Forgotten. They Will Achieve Elysium, I Am Sure." She Glared Pointedly At Hades. He Shrugged. "probably." Artemis Glared At Him Some More. Okay," Hades Grumbled. "i'll Streamline Their Application Process.

I Tried To Talk To Annabeth, But She Was Acting Like I'd Just Punched Her Grandmother.

"monkey Bars," Annabeth Said. "i'm Great At These." She Leaped Onto To The First Rung And Started Swinging Her Way Across. She Was Scared Of Tiny Spiders, But Not Of Plummeting To Her Death From A Set Of Monkey Bars. Go Figure.

But Grover’s Voice Was Already Growing Fainter. ‘sweet Dreams. Don’t Let Me Die!

Her Name Badge Read: Hello! My Name Is Die, Demigod Scum!

I've Never Been A Collector - Just A Consumer - And These Days Unless A Book Is Signed To Me By Another Author, I Don't Normally Have Any Qualms About Passing It To A Friend Or Donating It To The Library.

As In All Abercrombie's Books, Friends Turn Out To Be Enemies, Enemies Turn Out To Be Friends; The Line Between Good And Evil Is Murky Indeed; And Nothing Goes Quite As We Expect. With Eye-popping Plot Twists And Rollicking Good Action, Half A King Is Definitely A Full Adventure.

You Can Tell The Future?' 'more Like The Future Mugs Me From Time To Time.' Rachel Said 'i Speak Prophecies. The Oracle Spirit Kind Of Hijacks Me Once In A While, And Speaks Important Stuff That Doesn't Make Any Sense To Anybody. But Yeah, The Prophecies Tell The Future.

I Survive All Those Battles," She Growled, "and I Get Defeated By A Stupid Chunk Of Rock!

Caught In A Bad Romance. Whoaaa-oh-ooooh!" Nellie Wailed Along To The Xm Radio Blaring From The Enormous Speakers. "can I Uncover My Ears Now?" Dan Called From The Back, Where He Was Reclined Across The Leather Seat. "has Nellie Stopped Her Lady Gag Me Impression?

I Got The Feeling Poseidon Really Didn't Know What To Think Of Me. He Didn't Know Whether He Was Happy To Have Me As A Son Or Not. In A Strange Way, I Was Glad That Poseidon Was So Distant. If He'd Tried To Apologize, Or Told Me He Love Me, Or Even Smiled. It Would've Felt Fake. Like Human Dad, Making Some Lame Excuse For Not Being Around. I Could Live With That. After All, I Wasn't Sure About Him Yet, Either.

Just Remember If We Get Caught, You're Deaf And I Don't Speak English.

Otrera Stayed Dead The Second Time," Kinzie Said, Batting Her Eyes. "we Have To Thank You For That. If You Ever Need A New Girlfriend...well, I Think You'd Look Great In An Iron Collar And An Orange Jumpsuit." Percy Couldn't Tell If She Was Kidding Or Not. He Politely Thanked Her And Changed Seats.

Annabeth:my Fatal Flaw. That's What The Sirens Showed Me. My Fatal Flaw Is Hubris. Percy: The Brown Stuff They Spread On Veggie Sandwiches? Annabeth:no, Seaweed Brain. That's Hummus. Hubris Is Worse. Percy: What Could Be Worse Than Hummus? Annabeth: Hubris Means Deadly Pride, Percy. Thinking You Can Do Things Better Than Anyone Else... Even The Gods.

And Togheter, Holding Hands, He And Annabeth Fell Into The Endless Darkness

They Would Find This House Of Hades. They'd Take The Doors Of Death. And By The Gods, If Leo Had To Design A Grabber Arm Long Enough To Snatch Percy And Annabeth Out Of Tartarus, Then That's What He Would Do. Nemesis Wanted Him To Wreak Vengeance On Gaea? Leo Would Be Happy To Oblige. He Was Going To Make Gaea Sorry She Had Ever Messed With Leo Valdez. "yeah." He Took One Last Look At The Cityscape Of Rome, Turning Bloodred In The Sunset. "festus, Raise The Sails. We've Got Some Friends To Save.

Cacus.” I’d Had Years Of Practice Looking Dumb When People Threw Out Greek Names I Didn’t Know. It’s A Skill Of Mine. Annabeth Keeps Telling Me To Read A Book Of Greek Myths, But I Don’t See The Need. It’s Easier Just To Have Folks Explain Stuff.

There’s Nothing Here,” Carter Said. “what Do You Want?” I Asked. “we’ve Got Wax, Some Toilet Papyrus, An Ugly Statue.

The Telkine Growled And Muttered As He Tapped On His Keyboard. Maybe He Was Messaging His Friends On Uglyface.com

Staplers--- Excellent Source Of Iron

A Styrofoam Egg Carton Caught His Eye. He Opened It And Found A Single Silver Orb With Little Blinking Red Lights. "this Is Cool, Too!" He Dropped It Into His Backpack. "dan, No!" "what? They've Got Plenty Of Other Stuff, And We Need All The Help We Can Get!" "it Could Be Dangerous." "i Hope So.

Genius Does Not Excuse Evil.

A Tinkerer,” Snapped Pasiphaë. “even Worse. I Knew Daedalus. His Inventions Brought Me Nothing But Trouble.” Leo Blinked. “daedalus…like, The Daedalus? Well, Then, You Should Know All About Us Tinkerers. We’re More Into Fixing, Building, Occasionally Sticking Wads Of Oilcloth In The Mouths Of Rude Ladies—

I Try Not To Think. It Interferes With Being Nuts" - Leo Valdez

He Understood How Dangerous Oaths Could Be. But Leo Didn't Care. "i'm Coming Back For You, Calypso," He Said To The Night Wind. "i Swear It On The River Styx.

Zoe Readied Her Arrows. Grover Lifted His Pipes. Thalia Raised Her Shield And I Noticed A Tear Running Down Her Cheek. Suddenly It Occurred To Me: This Had Happened To Her Before.she Had Been Cornered On Half- Blood Hill. She'd Willingly Given Her Life For Her Friends. But This Time She Couldn't Save Us.

On The Bright Side," Percy Said, "both Jason And I Outrank You, Octavian. So We Can Both Tell You To Shut Up.

Facinating." He Broke Into A Wide Grin. "i've Discovered Something, Khufu. This Is Not Memphis, Egypt." Khufu Gave Me A Sideways Look, And I Could Swear His Expression Meant, Duh. "i've Also Discovered A New Form Of Magic Called Blues Music," The Man Continued. "and Barbecue. Yes, You Must Try Barbecue.

Just Because You Don't See Me Doesn't Mean I Wasn't There

I Don't Like You Two Going Off On You Won. Just Remember: Behave. If I Hear About Any Funny Business, I Will Ground You Until The Styx Freezes Over.

Percy," My Father Said, "what Exactly Do You Mean?" "kronos Couldn't Have Risen If It Hadn't Been For A Lot Of Demigods Who Felt Abandoned By Their Parents," I Said. "they Felt Angry, Resentful, And Unloved, And They Had A Good Reason.

Can We Just Call Them Storm Spirits?” Leo Asked. “venti Makes Them Sound Like Evil Espresso Drinks.

Yours In Demigodishness, And All That. Peace Out!

As An Author, I Don't Really Think Too Much About Being A Celebrity. It's Not Like Being A Movie Star Or A Tv Star. It's Not As If People Recognize Me When I Walk Down The Street. That Hardly Ever Happens, And It's Just As Well. But It Is Great When People Know My Books, When I Walk Through An Airport And See Them In The Bookstore, Or When I See Someone Reading A Book On A Plane Or On A Train, And It's Something I've Written. That's A Wonderful Feeling.

Hazel Blinked. “two Gods Had A Horse For A Kid?” “long Story.

I Try Very Hard To Be Annoying. Don’t Insult My Ability To Annoy.

Percy Was Getting Tired Of Water. If He Said That Aloud, He Would Probably Get Kicked Out Of Poseidon’s Junior Sea Scouts, But He Didn’t Care.

Your Mom Is A Rainbow Goddess?" "you Got A Problem With That?" "no, No. Rainbows. Very Macho.

Now, Sorry About That Kill-on-sight Business.

The Other Thing That Troubled Me: Dad Was Clutching His Workbag. Usually When He Does That, It Means We're In Danger. Like The Time Gunmen Stormed Into Our Hotel In Cairo. I Heard Shots Coming From The Lobby And Ran Downstairs To Check On My Dad. By The Time I Got There, He Was Just Calmly Zipping Up His Workbag While Three Unconscious Gunmen Hung By Their Feet From The Chandelier, Their Robes Falling Over Their Heads So You Could See Their Boxer Shorts. Dad Claimed Not To Have Witnessed Anything, And In The End The Police Blamed A Freak Chandelier Malfunction.

[jason] Faltered When He Looked At Leo, Who Was Mimicking Taking Notes With An Air Pencil. “go On, Professor Grace!” He Said, Wide-eyed. “i Wanna Get An A On The Test.

Percy Looked At Coach Hedge And Frank. “a Trap?” “probably,” Frank Said. “she’s Not Mortal,” Hedge Said, Sniffing The Air. “probably Some Kind Of Goat-eating, Demigod-destroying Fiend From Tartarus.” “no Doubt,” Percy Agreed. “awesome.” Hedge Grinned. “let’s Go.

Polyphemus Stiffened. "who Said That?" "nobody!" Annabeth Yelled. That Got Exactly The Reaction She'd Been Hoping For. The Monster's Face Turned Red With Rage. "nobody!" Polyphemus Yelled Back. "i Remember You!" "you're Too Stupid To Remember Anybody," Annabeth Taunted. "much Less Nobody.

The Meeting Was Like A War Council With Donuts. Then Again, Back At Camp Half-blood They Used To Have Their Most Serious Discussions Around The Ping-pong Table In The Rec Room With Crackers And Cheez Whiz, So Percy Felt Right At Home.

The Forge Looked Like A Steam-powered Locomotive Had Smashed Into The Greek Parthenon And They Had Fused Together.

And If I Was Humming "happy Birthday" And Smiling Stupidly As I Fled For My Life—well, That Was Nobody's Business, Was It?

Imagine Your Body Replaced By Dust And Vapor, And Having A Tingly Feeling In Your Stomach Without Even Having A Stomach. Imagine Having To Concentrate Just To Keep Yourself From Dispersing Into Nothing. I Got So Angry, A Flash Of Lightning Crackled Inside Me. “don’t Be That Way,” Amos Chuckled. “it’s Only For A Few Minutes.

I'm The Son Of Jupiter, I'm A Child Of Rome, Consul To Demigods, Praetor Of The First Legion. I Slew The Trojan Sea Monster, I Toppled The Black Throne Of Kronos, And Destroyed Titan Krios With My Own Hand. And Now I'm Going To Destroy You Porphyrion, And Feed You To Your Own Wolves." "wow, Dude," Leo Muttered, "you Been Eating Red Meat?

We’ve All Got Weaknesses. Me, For Instance. I’m Tragically Funny And Good-looking.

Armed With My Sword And Wand, I Was All Set For A Stroll Through The Swamp To Look For A Hungry Monster. Oh, Joy!

A Weapon, I Told Horus. I Need A Weapon. I Reached Into The Duat And Pulled Out An Ostrich Feather. “really?” I Yelled. Horus Didn’t Answer

So Why Are We Practicing This, Anyway?" Percy Asked. "do You Guys Spend A Lot Of Time Laying Siege To Fortified Cities?

What About King Tut’s Tomb?” I Protested. “that Boy King?” Zia Rolled Her Eyes. “boring. You Should See Some Of The Good Tombs.

Stop!" Narcissus Got To His Feet. "this Is Not Right! This Person Is Obviously Not Awesome, So He Must Be..." He Struggled For The Right Words. It Had Probably Been A Long Time Since He'd Talked About Anything Other Than Himself. "he Must Be Tricking Us." Apparently Narcissus Wasn't Completely Stupid.

Percy Glanced Over. He Saw The Fallen Giant And Seemed To Understand What Was Happening. He Yelled Something That Was Lost In The Wind, Probably: Go! Then He Slammed Riptide Into The Ice At His Feet. The Entire Glacier Shuddered. Ghosts Fell To Their Knees. Behind Percy, A Wave Surged Up From The Bay-a Wall Of Gray Water Even Taller Than The Glacier. Water Shot From The Chasms And Crevices In The Ice. As The Wave Hit, The Back Half Of The Camp Crumbled. The Entire Edge Of The Glacier Peeled Away, Cascading Into The Void-carrying Buildings, Ghosts, And Percy Jackson Over The Edge.

What Did He Say?" Hazel Asked. "with The Cussing Removed? He Said He Can Get Us To The Top," Percy Replied.

Listen, Frank Zhang Has Moves. He's Probably Gonna Turn Into A Kangaroo And Do Some Marsupial Jujitsu On Their Ugly Faces.

A Truly Great Artist Has Many Talents.

That Sounded About As Likely As Apophis And Ra Becoming Facebook Buddies, But I Decided Not To Say Anything.

Everyone Thinks You've Been Kidnapped," He Said. "we've Been Scouring The Ship. When Coach Hedge Finds Out- Oh, Gods, You've Been Here All Night?" "frank!" Annabeth's Ears Were As Red As Strawberries. "we Just Came Down Here To Talk. We Fell Asleep. Accidentally. That's It." "kissed A Couple Of Times," Percy Said. Annabeth Glared At Him. "not Helping!

Maybe If He Did Really Well They'd Give Him Some Mouldy Apples.

Tyson Thought Annabeth Was Just About The Coolest Thing Since Peanut Butter, And He Seriously Loved Peanut Butter.

Blackjack," Percy Said, "this Is Piper And Jason. They're Friends." The Horse Nickered. "uh, Maybe Later," Percy Answered. Piper Had Heard That Percy Could Speak To Horses, Being The Son Of The Horse Lord Poseidon, But She'd Never Seen It In Action. "what Does Blackjack Want?" She Asked. "donuts," Percy Said. "always Donuts.

It's Not Bad Enough I Am Exiled? It's Not Bad Enough You Take Away The Few Good Heroes I'm Allowed To Meet? You Think It's Funny To Send Me This This ― This Charbroiled Runt Of A Boy To Ruin My Tranquility? This Is Not Funny! Take Him Back!

Imagine Jumping Into A Pit Of Boiling Acid. Now Multiply That Pain Times Fifty." -percy

I Don't Feel That Way Anymore," Nico Muttered. "i Mean... I Gave Up On Percy. I Was Young And Impressionable, And I- I Don't..." His Voice Cracked, And Jason Could Tell The Guy Was About To Get Teary-eyed. Whether Nico Had Really Given Up On Percy Or Not, Jason Couldn't Imagine What It Had Been Like For Nico All Those Years, Keeping A Secret That Would've Been Unthinkable To Share In The 1940s, Denying Who He Was, Feeling Completely Alone- Even More Isolated Than Other Demigods. "nico," He Said Gently, "i've Seen A Lot Of Brave Things. But What You Did? That Was Maybe The Bravest.

The Most Important Thing Whenever We're Connecting Kids To Books, Is That We Try To Match The Book To The Kid And Make Sure That Reading Is A Fun, Rewarding Experience Outside The Classroom.

Ever Had A Flying Burrito Hit You? Well, It's A Deadly Projectile, Right Up There With Cannonballs And Grenades.

Suddenly His Expression Turned To Alarm. He Sprinted Toward Us. For A Moment I Had An Absurd Vision Of Myself On The Cover Of One Of Gran’s Old Romance Novels, Where The Damsel Wilts Into The Arms Of One Half-dressed Beefy Guy While Another Stands By,casting Her Longing Looks. Oh, The Horrible Choices A Girl Must Make! I Wished I’d Had A Moment To Clean Up. I Was Still Covered In Dried River Muck, Twine, And Grass, Like I’d Been Tarred And Feathered. Then Anubis Pushed Past Me And Gripped Walt’s Shoulders. Well…that Was Unexpected.

The Cafe Windows Wrapped All The Way Around The Observation Floor, Which Gave Us A Beautiful Panoramic View Of The Skeleton Army That Had Come To Kill Us.

Apparently, Word Of The Chicken Man Incident Hadn’t Spread Quite Yet.

Reyna Sent Me To Get Percy," Frank Said. "did Octavian Accept You?" "yeah," Percy Said. "he Slaughtered My Panda.

Oh, Lord. I Was Beginning To Think Like Neith. Soon I'd Be Huddled In An Underground Bunker Eating Army Rations And Cackling As I Sewed Together The Pockets Of All The Boys Who'd Jilted Me.

Annabeth Laced Her Fingers Through His. In The Light Of His Bronze Sword, Her Face Was Beautiful. 'we're Together,' She Reminded Him. 'we'll Get Through This.

I Told You I Try Not To Live In The Past And Nothing Could Change The Fact That My Mum Was Gone. But I’m A Liar. The Truth Was, I’d Had One Dream Ever Since I Was Six: To See My Mum Again. To Actually Get To Know Her, Talk To Her, Go Shopping, Do Anything. Just Be With Her Once So I Could Have A Better Memory To Hold On To.

There Were A Lot Of Answers I Might've Given, From "i Knew That" To "liar!" To "yeah Right, And I'm Zeus." - Percy, After Quintus Says That He Is Daedalus

You Spoke The Truth, Percy Jackson. You Are Nothing Like... Like Hercules. I Am Honored That You Carry This Sword.

Percy Pushed On His Side Furiously And The Crack Closed. His Eyes Blazed With Anger. She Hoped He Wasn’t Mad At Her, But If He Was She Couldn’t Blame Him. If It Keeps Him Going, She Thought, Then Let Him Be Angry.

Why Are They So Sad?” I Asked. “well, They’re Dead,” Carter Speculated.

The Princess Andromeda?" "went Ka-boom.

Frank Heard A Laugh Behind Him. He Glanced Back And Couldn't Believe What He Saw. Nico Di Angelo Was Actually Smiling. "that's More Like It," Nico Said. "let's Turn This Tide!

My Mother Was Gone. The Whole World Should Be Black And Cold. Nothing Should Look Beautiful.

"yeah, Flattering." Percy Raised Riptide. "but Actually I'm The Son Of Poseidon. I'm From Camp Half-blood."

Dejardins Was So Stunned, He Momentarily Forgot How To Speak English. "ce N'est Pas Possible. On Ne Pourrait Pas-

We Need A Shroud. A Shroud For The Son Of Hermes.

Keep A Demon Busy, I Thought. Right. Maybe He Fancies A Game Of Tiddlywinks.

Suspecting And Knowing Are Not The Same.

Tell The Sun And Stars Hello For Me.

Piper Gave Lit A Friendly Sorry-about-that Smile. Even With Her Hair Messed Up And Wearing Two-day-old Clothes, She Looked Extremely Cute, And Jason Felt A Little Jealous She Was Giving Lit That Smile.

Erre Es Korakas, Blinky!" Dionysus Cursed. "i Will Have Your Soul!

Piper Leaned Toward [jason], Her Caramel Braid Falling Over Her Shoulder. Her Multicolored Eyes Made It Hard For Him To Think Straight. “and Where Is This Place?” She Asked. “a . . . Uh, A Town Called Split.” “split.” She Smelled Really Good—like Blooming Honeysuckle. “um, Yeah.” Jason Wondered If Piper Was Working Some Sort Of Aphrodite Magic On Him—like Maybe Every Time He Mentioned Reyna’s Name, She Would Befuddle Him So Much He Couldn’t Think About Anything But Piper. He Supposed It Wasn’t The Worst Sort Of Revenge.

He's Nuts" Bianca Said "we Need To Jump Off This Cliff" I Said "oh Nice Idea!! Your Nuts Too

Go Chase A Donut. -percy Jackson.

Americans Are An Odd Bunch, But They Grow On You.

Hubris Means Deadly Pride. Thinking You Can Do Things Better Than Anyone Else.

Percy," My Mom Said. "i Give You My Blessing." "be Safe Brother!" Tyson Pleaded. "enchiladas!" Grover Said. I Wasn't Sure Where That Came From, But It Didn't Seem To Help Much.

Annabeth Recognized Something Else In Her Face, Too - In The Hard Set Of Her Mouth And The Deliberate Way She Raised Her Chin Like She Was Ready To Accept Any Challenge. Reyna Was Forcing A Look Of Courage, While Holding Back A Mixture Of Hopefulness And Worry And Fear That She Couldn't Show In Public. Annabeth Knew That Expression. She Saw It Every Time She Looked In A Mirror.

When In Doubt, Start From The Top. -jason Grace

Coach Hedge Shouted, 'let The Movie Star Go, You Big Ugly Cupcake! Or I'm Gonna Plant My Hoof Right Up Your...

Percy And Reyna Occupied Matching Praeters' Chairs On The Dais, Which Made Percy Self-conscious. It Wasn't Easy Looking Dignified Wearing A Bedsheet And A Purple Cape. "the Camp Is Safe," Octavian Continued. " I'll Be The First To Congragulate Our Heroes For Bringing Back The Legion's Eagle And So Much Imperial Gold! Truly We Have Been Blessed With Good Fortune. But Why Do More? Why Tempt Fate?" "i'm Glad You Asked." Percy Stood, Taking The Question As An Opening. Octavian Stammered, " I Wasn't--" "--part Of The Quest," Percy Said. "yes I Know. And Your'e Wise To Let Me Explain, Since I Was.

That's Great. Except For The Fact That It's Completely Unimportant.

Her Freckles Were Orange, As If Somebody Had Spray-painted Her Face With Liquid Cheetos.

I Can Try To Disable It," I Said, "but If I Mess Up, This Whole Apartment Is Going To Fill With Gas. We'll Die." Thalia Swallowed. " I Trust You. Just... Don't Mess It Up.

Yes, Horus Said. I Remember This Place. It’s El Paso, I Told Him. Unless You Went Out For Mexican Food, You’ve Never Been Here.

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