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I Think I Write For Reluctant Readers. Of Course I Want Everyone To Enjoy My Books, But If The Kids In The Back Row Who Normally Don't Pick Up A Book Are Engaged With What I'm Writing, Along With The Kids Who Are Big Readers Anyway, Then I Really Feel Like I've Done My Job.

-Rick Riordan

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I Think I Write

Rick Riordan

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I Think I Write For Reluctant Readers. Of Course I Want Everyone To Enjoy My Books, But If The Kids In The Back Row Who Normally Don't Pick Up A Book Are Engaged With What I'm Writing, Along With The Kids Who Are Big Readers Anyway, Then I Really Feel Like I've Done My Job.

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The Dead See What They Believe They Will See. So Do The Living. That Is The Secret.

Egyptians Believe In The Power Of The Sunrise. They Believe Each Morning Begins Not Just A New Day, But A New World.

And Yes,percy,of Course They Are Now In Our United States. Look At Your Symbol,the Eagle Of Zeus. Look At The Statue Of Prometheus In Rockefeller Center,the Greek Facades Of Our Government Builidings In Washington. I Defy You To Find Any American City Where The Olympians Are Not Proeminently Displayed, In Multiple Places. Like It Or Not-and Believe Me,plenty Of People Weren't Very Found Of Rome,either-america Is Now The Heart Of The Flame. It Is The Great Power Of The West.and So Olympus Is Here.and We Are Here.

It's Not Easy. I Got Lots Of Rejections When I First Started Out. If You Want To Write, You Have To Believe In Yourself And Not Give Up. You Have To Do Your Best To Practice And Get Better.

He Looked Like An Evil Male Model, Showing Off What The Fashionable College Age Villain Was Wearing To Harvard This Year.

It Will Make You Powerful. But It Will Also Make You Weak. Your Prowess In Combat Will Be Beyond Any Mortal's, But Your Weaknesses, Your Failings Will Increase As Well." You Mean I'll Have A Bad Heel?" I Said. "couldn't I Just, Like, Wear Something Besides Sandals? No Offense.

Zoë Threw Up Her Hands In Exasperation. "i Hate This Language. It Changes Too Often!

I Do Not Know How Much They See Through The Mist. I Doubt It Would Matter To Them If They Knew The Truth. Sometimes Mortals Can Be More Horrible Than Monsters.

"cool" Leo Said. "i Always Wanted A Sister Who Could Beat Me Up."

You Mean A Bad Heel?" I Said. "couldn't I Just, Like, Wear Something Besides Sandals? No Offense." -percy

Then Something Occurred To Me. "get Closer," I Told Blackjack. He Whinnied In Protest. "just Within Shouting Distance," I Said. "i Need To Talk To The Statue." Now I'm Sure You've Lost It, Boss, Blackjack Said

"percy, You're A Brave Guy," She Said. "just Take The Compliment. I Swear, Is It So Hard?"

More Minions!” He Shouted. “come To Me!” That Couldn’t Be Good. Another Round Of Giant Crocs And We’d Be Dead. Why Don’t We Get Minions? I Complained To Horus, But He Didn’t Answer.

Eat Bitter, Taste Sweet," Frank Said. "i Hate That Proverb." "but It's True. What Do They Call It These Days---no Pain, No Gain? Same Concept. You Do The Easy Thing, The Appealing Thing, The Peaceful Thing, Mostly It Turns Out Sour In The End. But If You Take The Hard Path---ah, That's How You Reap The Sweet Rewards. Duty. Sacrifice. They Mean Something.

Why Would Roman Gods Want To Date Chinese Canadians?

Glad You're Back To Normal. The Makeup And The Dress Were A Lot More Intimidating Than The Dagger." "get Going, Sparky, Before I Skewer You." "sparky?

Mrs. O' Leary Is My Pet. I Couldn't Let You Stick A Sword In Her Rump, Now, Could I? That Might've Scared Her.

Why Didn’t You Sleep With The Headrest?” I Shrugged. “it Was Uncomfortable.” I Looked At Sadie For Support. “you Didn’t Use It, Did You?” Sadie Rolled Her Eyes. “well, Of Course I Did. It Was Obviously There For A Reason.

Throwing Down Your Staff May Sound Like A Sign Of Surrender, But In Egyptian Magic, It's Bad News. It Usually Means, 'hey, I'm Going To Summon A Big Nasty Thing To Kill You While I Stand Safely Inside My Circle And Laugh'.

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

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.

Hercules Used Noise! Brass Bells! He Scared Them Away With The Most Horrible Sound He Could-" Said Percy "percy... Chiron's Collection!

Tantalus Made A Wild Grab, But The Marshmallow Committed Suicide, Diving Into The Flames.

Sure, Sis!' Then He Raised His Hands In A Stop Everything Gesture. 'i Feel A Haiku Coming On.

Annabeth's Voice Caught On The Word Friend. Percy Was A Lot More Than That. Even Boyfriend Really Didn't Cover It. They'd Been Through So Much Together, At This Point Percy Was Part Of Her--a Sometimes Annoying Part, Sure, But Definitely A Part She Could Not Live Without.

She Was Beautiful In Combat. I Know That’s A Crazy Thing To Say, Especially After We’d Just Climbed A Sewage Waterfall, But Her Gray Eyes Sparkled When She Was Fighting For Her Life. Her Face Shone Like A Goddess’s, And Believe Me, I’ve Seen Goddesses. The Way Her Camp Half-blood Beads Rested Against Her Throat—okay, Sorry. Got A Little Distracted.

But Annabeth Knew That People Saw What They Wanted To See. They Didn’t Need The Mist To Warp Their Perceptions.

No," Frank Said. "i'm Only A Centurion." Jason Cursed In Latin. "he Means He Can't Control A Whole Legion. He's Not Of High Enough Rank." Nico Swung Back His Black Sword At Another Gryphon. "well, Then, Promote Him!

I'd Like To Say I Took The News Well. The Truth Was, I Wanted To Strangle The Hunters Of Artemis One Eternal Maiden At A Time. --percy Jackson

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

It Was Almost Enough To Make Me Turn Vegetarian, Except For The Pesky Fact That I Loved Cheeseburgers.

P.s. You'll Have To Meet With Dan's Principal When You Get Back. He Got In Trouble For Doing Ninja Moves In Class. Don't Worry. This Happens All The Time.

A Little Slower, Sweetheart. Cape Cod Is Freezing Over.

Eating Next To A Twenty-foot-long Crocodile Took Some Getting Used To, But Philip Was Well Trained. He Only Ate Bacon, Stray Waterfowl, And The Occasional Invading Monster.

Then She Did Something That Really Surprised Me. She Blinked Back Tears And Put Out Her Arms. I Stepped Forward And Hugged Her. Butterflies Started Turning My Stomach Into A Mosh Pit. "hey, It's... It's Okay." I Patted Her Back. I Was Aware Of Everything In The Room. I Felt Like I Could Read The Tiniest Print On Any Book On The Shelves. Annabeth's Hair Smelled Like Lemon Soap. She Was Shivering.

So For Magic Problem-solving 101, We Headed To The Training Room And Blew Stuff Up.

What About A Compromise? I’ll Kill Them First, And If It Turns Out They Were Friendly, I’ll Apologize.

Caesar Broke The Law When He Crossed The Rubicon," Frank Said. "great Leaders Have To Think Out Side The Box Sometimes.

Race You To The Road?" I Said. "you Are So Going To Lose." She (annabeth) Took Off Down Half-blood Hill And I Sprinted After Her. For Once, I Didn't Look Back.

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.

I'd Love To Tell You I Had Some Deep Revelation On My Way Down, That I Came To Terms With My Own Mortality, Laughed In The Face Of Death, Et Cetera. The Truth? My Only Thought Was: Aaaaggghhhhh!

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.

Ceres Wanted A United Front In The Plant War." "the Plant War," Percy Said. "you're Going To Arm All The Little Grapes With Tiny Assault Rifles?

Your Former Friend Luke " Poseidon Corrected. "he Once Promised Things Like That. He Was Hermes's Pride And Joy. Just Bear That In Mind Percy. Even The Bravest Can Fall.

It's Like I Was Connected To The Plumping System.

Grover Was Sniffing The Wind, Looking Nervous. He Fished Out His Acorns And Threw Them Into The Sand, Then Played His Pipes. They Rearranged Themselves In A Pattern That Made No Sense To Me, But Grover Looked Concerned. "that's Us," He Said. "those Five Nuts Right There." "which One Is Me?" I Asked. "the Little Deformed One," Zoe Suggested. "oh, Shut Up.

Sometimes You Have To Lose A Piece To Win A Game.

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!

I Tried To Tell Them That Things Would Be Okay, But I Didn't Believe It.

Thalia's Shoulders Relaxed. "i Owe You One." "two." "one And A Half," Thalia Said. She Smiled, And For A Second, I Remembered That I Actually Liked Her When She Wasn't Yelling At Me.

It Doesn't Matter! From Waist Down, My Best Friend Is A Donkey.

In A Way, It's Nice To Know That There Are Greek Gods Out There, Because You Have Somebody To Blame When Things Go Wrong. For Instance, When You're Walking Away From A Bus That's Just Been Attacked By Monster Hags And Blown Up By Lightning, And It's Raining On Top Of Everything Else, Most People Might Think That's Just Really Bad Luck; When You're A Half-blood, You Understand That Some Devine Force Is Really Trying To Mess Up Your Day.

Humans See What They Want To See.

I Held Out The Painting Of The Cat And The Snake. “it’s A Cat And A Snake,” Thoth Said. Thank You, God Of Wisdom. You Placed It For Us To Find, Didn’t You? You’re Trying To Give Us Some Sort Of Clue.” “who, Me?” Just Kill Him, Horus Said. Shut Up, I Said. At Least Kill The Guitar.

The Weight Of The Sky Dropped Onto Atlas's Back, Almost Smashing Him Flat Until He Managed To Get To His Knees, Struggling To Get Out From Under The Crushing Weight Of The Sky. But It Was Too Late. "noooooo!" He Bellowed So Hard It Shook The Mountain. "not Again!" Atlas Was Trapped Under His Old Burden.

I Sat Up And The Blankets Fell Away.i Looked Down And Found I Was Wearing Pokemon Pajamas. "sadie,"i Said,"i'm Going To Kill You." She Batted Her Eyes Innocently."but The Street Merchant Gave Us A Very Good Deal On Those.walt Said They Would Fit You." Walt Raised His Hand."don't Blame Me,man.i Tried To Stick Up For You." Bes Snorted,then Did A Pretty Good Imitation Of Walt's Voice:"at Least Get The Extra-large Ones With Pikachu.

Why Can't You Place A Blessing Like That On Us?" I Asked. "it Only Works On Wild Animals." "so It Would Only Affect Percy," Annabeth Reasoned. "hey!" I Protested.

Maybe—just Maybe—sadie Had My Best Interests At Heart. (i Just Caught Her Making Faces At Me, So Maybe Not.)

Annabeth Sat Up And Glared At Her Ankle. "you Had To Break," She Scolded It. The Ankle Did Not Reply.

It's First Owner...well, Things Didn't Turn Out Too Well For Her. Her Name Was Helena.' Piper Let That Sink In. "wait, You Mean The Helena? Helena Of Troy?' Annabeth Nodded. "and It's Just Sitting In Your Toolshed?

I Haven't Devoured A Soul In...what Month Is This? March?

May The Gods Be With You

God Is With You

The Romans Always Wanted Bread And Circuses-food And Entertainement! As We Destroy Their City, I Will Offer Them Both. Behold, A Sample!" Someething Dropped From The Ceiling And Landed At Percy's Feet: A Loaf Of Sandwich Bread In A White Plastic Wrapper With Red And Yellow Dots. Percy Picked It Up. "wonder Bread?" "magnificent, Isn't It?" Ephialtes Eyes Danced With Crazy Excitement.

Hi, This Is Ganymede, Cup-bearer To Zeus, And When I'm Out Buying Wine For The Lord Of The Skies, I Always Buckle Up!

No Doubt Carter Would Describe The Underground City In Excruciating Detail, With Exact Measurements Of Each Room, Boring History On Every Statue And Hieroglyph, And Background Notes On The Construction Of The Magical Headquarters Of The House Of Life. I Will Spare You That Pain. It's Big. It's Full Of Magic. It's Underground. There. Sorted.

I Imagined Loading The God Of The Sea Into A Taxi And Taking Him To The Upper East Side.

Upper East Side

He Was Slumped Over, Blood Trickling From The Side Of His Mouth. I Shook His Furry Hip, Thinking, No! Even If You Are Half Barnyard Animal, You're My Best Friend And I Don't Want You To Die!

It Almost Made Me Long For The Flying Pig. --percy

Okay," Annabeth Said. "what Exactly Do You Smell?" "something Bad," Tyson Answered. "great," Annabeth Grumbled. "that Clears It Up.

With Her Braided Hair And White Dress, She Seemed To Glow In The Moonlight.

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

Enemy Giants Moved Towards The Breech, And Tyson Picked Up The Fallen Warrior’s Club. He Yelled Something To His Fellow Blacksmiths – Probably ‘for Poseidon!’ – But With His Mouth Full Of Peanut Butter It Sounded Like, ‘puh Pteh Bun.’ His Brethren All Grabbed Hammers And Chisels, Yelled, ‘peanut Butter!’ And Charged Behind Tyson Into Battle.

Piper Gripped His Hand And Followed Him, “if I Fall, You’re Catching Me.” “uh, Sure.” Jason Hoped He Wasn’t Blushing. Leo Stepped Out Next. “you’re Catching Me, Too, Superman. But I Ain’t Holding Your Hand.

Beckendorf, Whose Legs Were Now Working Fine (nothing Like Being Chased By A Huge Monster To Get Your Body Back In Order) Shook His Head And Gasped For Breath. “you Shouldn’t Have Turned It On! It’s Unstable! After A Few Years, Automatons Go Wild!

I Couldn't Believe I'd Come This Far, Lost Tyson, Suffered Through So Much, Only To Fail - Stopped By A Big Stupid Monster In A Baby-blue Tuxedo Kilt. Nobody Was Going To Swat Down My Friends Like That! I Mean... Nobody, Not Nobody. Ah, You Know What I Mean.

Thank Artemis, It Is You! That Little Scar On Your Lip--you Tried To Eat A Stapler When You Were Two!" ... Hedge Nodded Like He Approved Of Jason's Taste. "staplers--excellent Source Of Iron.

Why Won't You Drown?" He Wailed, Pummeling Me With His Fists. "i'm Poseidon's Son," I Said. "curse That Upstart! I Was Here First!

I Was Wishing I'd Bought Some Of That Camp Half Blood Orange Thermal Underwear..." ?!?!

Ella Is Nervous,” The Harpy Muttered From Her Perch On The Railing. “the Elephant. The Elephant Is Watching Ella.

He Nodded Nervously. ‘he Looks Like A Magician. I Hate Magicians. They Usually Have Rabbits.’ I Stared At Him. ‘you’re Scared Of Bunnies?’ ‘blah-hah-hah! They’re Big Bullies. Always Stealing Celery From Defenceless Satyrs.

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

There's Another Problem," Percy Said. "i'm Not Good With Air Travel. It's Dangerous For A Son Of Neptune." "you'll Have To Risk It...and So Will I," Frank Said. "by The Way, We're Related." Percy Almost Stumbled Off The Roof. "what?

I’m A Cat. I Respect The Sanctity Of Sleep.

I Thought Maybe He Was Seeing Another Tree. - Juniper

Anubis Frowned. He Locked His Very Nice Eyes With Mine. “you’re Not Dead.” “no,” I Said. “though We’re Trying Awfully Hard.

I Pulled Out Riptide.

That's Because We Keep Weapons Int The Attic, Silly Boy. Do You Think This Is The First Time Monsters Have Attacked Our Family?" "weapons," Frank Grumbled. "right. I've Never Handled Weapons Before." Grandmother's Nostrils Flared. "was That Sarcasm, Fai Zhang?" "yes, Grandmother." "good. There May Be Hope For You Yet.

She Led The Way. Eyeless Sockets Of The Dead Seemed To Stare At Them As They Passed. "these Are Cool," Dan Decided. "maybe I Could-" "no, Dan," Amy Said. "you Can't Collect Human Bones." "awww.

She Sacrificed Her Life To Make Things Right," Mitchell Grumbled. "she[silena Beuregard] Was A Hero

Make Things Right

Also ... The Plan Sounded Exactly Like The Sneaky, Twisted, Ridiculously Annoying And Noble Sort Of Thing Leo Valdez Would Do.

So, Great. This Is Camp…what Do You Call It? Camp Fish-blood?” Aphros Frowned. “i Hope That Was A Joke. This Is Camp __________.” He Made A Sound That Was A Series Of Sonar Pings And Hisses.

Stars," She Whispered. "i Can See The Stars Again, My Lady." A Tear Trickled Down Artemis's Cheek. "yes, My Brave One. They Are Beautiful Tonight." Stars," Zoe Repeated. Her Eyes Fixed On The Night Sky. And She Did Not Move Again.

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.

He Looked Like Those Paintings Of Baby Angels - What Do You Call Them, Hubbubs? No Cherubs. That's It. He Looked Like A Cherub Who'd Turned Middle-aged In A Trailer Park.

But (peresphone) Was Like, The Goddess Of Flowers." Grover Looked Offended. "springtime.

I Am Persephone" She Said, Her Voice Thin And Papery. "welcome, Demigods. Nico Squashed A Pomegranate Under His Boot. "welcome? After Last Time, You've Got The Nerve To Welcome Me?" I Shifted Uneasily, Because Talking That Way To A God Can Get You Blasted Into Dust Bunnies. "um, Nico-" "it's All Right," Persephone Said Coldly. "we Had A Little Family Spat." "family Spat?" Nico Cried. "you Turned Me Into A Dandelion!

If Annabeth's Mother Was Athena, The Goddess Of Wisdom, Then Why Didn't Annabeth Know Better Than To Fall Off A Cliff?

Trantulus Casually Roasted A Marshmallow And Reached Out For It But The Marshmallow Commited Sucide And Dived Into The Flames.

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

I Stared At Him (dionysus). "you're...you're Married? But I Thought You Got In Trouble For Chasing A Wood Nymph-

We Were Just Looking At Maps.

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!

It's Natural To Feel Fear. All Great Warriors Are Afraid. Only The Stupid And The Delusional Are Not.

Percy Imagined What That Would Be Like: Getting An Apartment In This Tiny Replica Of Rome, Protected By The Legion And Terminus The Ocd Border God. He Imagined Holding Hands With Annabeth At A Cafe. Maybe When They Were Older, Watching Their Own Kid Chase Seagulls Across The Forum.

When I Was Alive, I Mean The First Time, Mussolini Was In Charge. We Were At War.” “mussolini?” Leo Frowned. “wasn’t He Like Bffs With Hitler?

The Next Microsecond, As The Water Erupted Around Me, I Realized Too Late That I Should've Brought The Entire Twenty-first Nome To Help Me.

Athena Always, Always Has A Plan.

Is A Knife Evil? Only If The Wielder Is Evil.

Nice Creepy Reptile,” Frank Said, Very Aware Of The Driftwood In His Coat Pocket. “nice Poisonous, Fire-breathing Reptile.

And Do You Know What A Full-fledged War Would Look Like, Percy?" "bad?" I Guessed. "imagine The World In Chaos. Nature At War With Itself. Olympians Forced To Choose Sides Between Zeus Amd Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions Dead. Western Civilization Turned Into A Battleground So Big It Will Make The Trojan War Look Like A Water-balloon Fight." "bad," I Repeated.

Liz Cleared Her Throat. "isn't There A More Polite Term We're Supposed To Use Nowadays? Like....little Person, Or Vertically Challenged,or-" "i'm Not Going To Call Myself The God Of Vertically Challenged People," Bes Grumbled. "i'm A Dwarf!

People Are More Difficult To Work With Than Machines. And When You Break A Person, He Can't Be Fixed.

I Could Always See Myself Being A Teacher. I Remember Sitting In Class As A Kid, Listening To The Teacher And Thinking, You Know, I'm Pretty Sure I Could Explain That A Little Bit Better.

As For Me, I Did The Stupidest Thing In My Life, Which Is Saying A Lot. I Attacked The Titan Lord Atlas.

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

Leo: Rainbows. Very Macho. Annabeth: Butch Is Our Best Equestrian, He Gets Along Great With The Pegasi. Leo: Rainbows, Ponies... Butch: I'm Gonna Toss You Off This Chariot.

Um," Grover Said. "percy?" "yeah?" "i Thought You'd Want To Know." "yeah?" "cerberus? He's Saying We've Got Ten Seconds To Pray To The God Of Our Choice.after That...well...he's Hungry.

The More You Know, The More You Try To Change Them, And That Can Be Disastrous.

Before I Could Figure Out How To Apologize For Being Such An Idiot, She Tackled Me With A Hug, Then Pulled Away Just As Quickly. "i'm Glad You're Not A Guinea Pig." "me, Too." I Hoped My Face Wasn't As Red As It Felt.

To A Degree, The Greek And Roman Mythological Heroes Are Just The First Superheroes. They Appeal To Children For Much The Same Reason. These Gods And Heroes May Have Powers, But They Get Angry And They Do The Wrong Thing. They Are Human Too.

Met Them. Killed Them. Got The T-shirt.

If You’re Listening To This, Congratulations! You Survived Doomsday. I’d Like To Apologize Straightaway For Any Inconvenience The End Of The World May Have Caused You. The Earthquakes, Rebellions, Riots,tornadoes, Floods, Tsunamis, And Of Course The Giant Snake Who Swallowed The Sun—i’m Afraid Most Of That Was Our Fault. Carter And I Decided We Should At Least Explain How It Happened.

Congratulations

Red Cattle," Annabeth Said. "the Cattle Of The Sun." "what?" I [percy] Asked. "they're Sacred To Apollo." "holy Cows?

Dude! Said A Party Pony As He Unloaded His Gear. Did You See That Bear Guy? He Was All Like: 'whoa, I Have An Arrow In My Mouth!

Looking Up In The Sky, I Saw The Stars Were Brighter Now. They Made A Pattern I Had Never Noticed Before- A Gleaming Constellation That Looked A Lot Like A Girls Figure- A Girl With A Bow, Running Across The Sky. "let The World Honor You, My Huntress. Live Forever In The Stars.

I Guessed His Name Was Face Of Horror. I Wondered How Long It Had Taken His Mom To Think Of That. Bob? No. Sam? No. How About Face Of Horror?

Patterns Repeat Themselves In History

Hello!” The Girl In The Blood-red Dress Beamed At Leo. “are You Dionysus?” There Was Only One Answer To That. “yes!” Leo Yelped. “absolutely. I Am Dionysus.

Don't Underestimate Camp Half-blood.

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

Whoa, Boy, He Told Himself. Golden Rule For Demigods: Thou Shalt Not Hokey Pokey With Psychos.

Her Perfume Was A Mixture Of Roses And Tear Gas.

Nothing Lasts Forever. But The Thing Is, You Can Reuse Some. Use Your Mind. - Leo's Mother, The Lost Hero

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

What The Creeping Crud Is That?" [percy] Demanded. "you’re Inside A Giant Glowing Chicken-man!" "hawk!" I Yelled. I Decided That If I Survived This Day I Would Have To Make Sure This Guy Never Met Sadie. They’d Probably Take Turns Insulting Me For The Rest Of Eternity.

I Couldn’t Miss Percy’s Fifteenth Birthday,” Poseidon Said. “why, If This Were Sparta, Percy Would Be A Man Today!” "that’s True,” Paul Said. “i Used To Teach Ancient History.” Poseidon’s Eyes Twinkled. “that’s Me. Ancient History.

We Can’t Make A Portal—” “we’ve Got A Flying Boat,” Carter Offered.

Leo: I'm Almost Out Of Gas! Woah, That Came Out Wrong. I Meant The Burning Kind!

Fair... You'd Be Amazed How Often I Hear That Word, Frank Zhang,and How Meaningless It Is. Is It Fair Your Life Will Burn So Short And Bright? Was It Fair When I Guided Your Mother To The Underworld? No, Not Fair. And Yet It Was Her Time. There Is No Fairness In Death. If You Free Me, I Will Do My Duty.

Coach Hedge Yelled,“thar She Blows! Kansas, Ahoy!” “holy Hephaestus,” Leo Muttered. “he Really Needs To Work On His Shipspeak.

I’ll Leave You Guys To Get Acquainted. Somebody Show Leo To Dinner When It’s Time?” “i Got It,” One Of The Girls Said. Nyssa, Leo Remembered. She Wore Camo Pants, A Tank Top That Showed Off Her Buff Arms, And A Red Bandanna Over Her Mop Of Dark Hair. Except For The Smiley-face Band-aid On Her Chin, She Looked Like One Of Those Female Action Heroes, Like Any Second She Was Going To Grab A Machine Gun And Start Mowing Down Evil Aliens. “cool,” Leo Said. “i Always Wanted A Sister Who Could Beat Me Up.

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

It Blew My Mind That This Stuff Had Survived For Two Thousand, Three Thousand Years.

One The Next Corner Stood A Cinder Block Restaurant With A Hand-painted Sign That Read Chicken & Waffles. There Was A Queue Of Twenty People Outside. “you Americans Have The Strangest Taste. What Planet Is This?

I Wasn't Sure Whether I Was Supposed To Kneel Or Buy Stamps From Him Or What.

The Gods Need Heroes. They Always Have.

We Walked On The Beach, Fed Blue Corn Ships To The Seagulls, And Munched On Blue Jelly Beans, Blue Saltwater Taffy And All The Other Free Samples My Mom Brought Home From Work. I Guess I Should Explain The Blue Food. See, Gabe Had Once Told My Mom There Was No Such Thing. They Had This Fight, Which Seemed Like A Really Small Thing At The Time. But Ever Since, My Mom Went Out Of Her Way To Eat Blue. She Baked Blue Birthday Cakes. She Mixed Blueberry Smoothies. She Bought Blue-corn Tortilla Chips And Brought Home Blue Candy From The Shop.

I Had Nightmares About What Poseidon Might Turn Me Into If I Were On The Verge Of Death-plankton Maybe." -percy Jackson

"something Was Wrong With Luke," Annabeth Muttered, Poking At The Fire With Her Knife. "did You Notice The Way He Was Acting?" "he Looked Pretty Pleased To Me," I Said. "like He'd Spent A Nice Day Torturing Heroes." "that's Not True! There Was Something Wrong With Him. He Looked... Nervous. He Told His Monsters To Spare Me. He Wanted To Tell Me Something." "probably, 'hi, Annabeth! Sit Here With Me And Watch While I Tear Your Friends Apart. It'll Be Fun!"

Imitation Is Flattery

Hazel Frowned. "why That One?" "you Don't See The Ghost?" Frank Asked. "ghost?" Nico Asked. Okay... If Frank Was Seeing A Ghost That The Underworld Kids Couldn't See, Something Was Definitely Wrong.

So, If I Looked Him Up On Google Maps-

Great Victory Requires Great Risk. -hera

Neither Torch Nor Dagger," Annabeth Said Firmly. "there Is A Third Test, Which I Will Pass." "a Third Test?" The Pater Demanded. "mithras Was Born From Rock," Annabeth Said, Hoping She Was Right. "he Emerged Fully Grown From The Stone, Holding His Dagger And Torch." The Screaming And Wailing Told Her She Had Guessed Correctly. "the Big Mother Knows All!" A Ghost Cried. "that Is Our Most Closely Guarded Secret!" Then Maybe You Shouldn't Put A Statue Of It On Your Altar, Annabeth Thought.

Sometimes She Teased Me That She’d Eventually Catch Up To Me In Age And Be My Older Sibling. Looking At Her Now, With That Determined Glint In Her Eyes And The Confidence In Her Voice, I Could Almost Believe Her

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

Shut Up, Me" Leo Said Out Loud. "what?" Piper Asked. "nothing," He Said. "long Night. I Think I'm Hallucinating. It's Cool.

Perseus, You Are Not The Hero.

I Need To Talk To Clarisse," Annabeth Said. I Stared At Her As If She'd Just Said "i Need To Eat A Large, Smelly Boot." "what For?

Wonderful, Annabeth Thought. Her Own Mother, The Most Levelheaded Olympian, Was Reduced To A Raving, Vicious Scatterbrain In A Subway Station. And, Of All The Gods Who Might Help Them, The Only Ones Not Affected By The Greek-roman Schism Seemed To Be Aphrodite, Nemesis And Dionysus. Love, Revenge, Wine. Very Helpful.

I'll Show Them 'love Is Worthless,'" Silena Beauregard Grumbled As She Strapped On Her Armor. "i'll Pulverize Them!

Oh, God,” I Said. “sorry, Sorry. Do I Die Now?” --sadie To Zia

Who Are You And Why Are You My Cat?

Desjardins Was Literally Fuming. His Tattered Robes Still Smoked From Battle. (carter Says I Shouldn’t Mention That His Pink Boxer Shorts Were Showing, But They Were!)

The Entrance To The Underworld Is In Los Angeles.

Sugar And Caffeine. My Willpower Crumbled.

As We Rose Over The Rooftops I Caught My Breath-well, If You Can Catch Your Breath Underwater.

Fairness Does Not Mean Everyone Gets The Same. Fairness Means Everyone Gets What They Need.

I Smiled At The Giant. “actually, Cacus, I Have Another Secret Weapon.” The Giant’s Eyes Lit Up With Greed. “another Weapon? I Will Steal It! I Will Copy It And Sell The Knockoffs For A Profit! What Is This Secret Weapon?” “her Name Is Annabeth,” I Said. “and She’s One Of A Kind.

You Sure You're Not A Roman, Annabeth? Or An Amazon?

Percy Smiled At Her - That Sarcastic Troublemaker Smile That Had Annoyed Her For Years But Eventually Had Become Endearing. His Sea-green Eyes Were As Gorgeous As She Remembered. His Dark Hair Was Swept To One Side, Like He'd Just Come From A Walk On The Beach. He Looked Even Better Than He Had Six Months Ago - Tanner And Taller, Leaner And More Muscular. Percy Threw His Arms Around Her. They Kissed And For A Moment Nothing Else Mattered. An Asteroid Could Have Hit The Planet And Wiped Out All Life, And Annabeth Wouldn't Have Cared.

And I Could Always Set Coach Hedge On Fire,” Leo Volunteered. “then He Can Be Fire.” The Thought Of A Blazing Satyr Screaming, “die, Scumbag!” As He Attacked Gaea Was Almost Enough To Make Piper Laugh— Almost.

Kids, If Anything, Are Harder To Write For Because They Are A More Discerning Audience. They Will Not Stay With You If You Go Off On A Tangent Or If You Give Them Extraneous Information That Doesn't Serve The Story. You Really Have To Tell A Tight Story. You Have To Give Them Humor And Suspense And Believable Characters. All Those Things That Adults Want Too, But You Have To Be Really On Your Game When You're Writing For Kids.

Life Is Only Precious Because It Ends, Kid.

Wow. When He Started Looking Back On The War With Kronos As The Good Old Days--that Was Sad.

I Love Greek Mythology, Wish There Was A Tv Series, Like Being Human Or Smallville, But With The Series Based Around Percy Jackson And The Olympians, Holla Mayne!

Hey! Guy With Scary Eyes?" Madison Called Out. "you Know What A Moose Does When Someone Insults Her Family?" Ivan Raised His Eyebrows. "she Does This." Madison Crouched Down And Charged Ivan. Her Head Hit Him In The Stomach.

Survive First. Figure Out Crayon Drawing Of Destiny Later.

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?

True, You're The Weakest Of Us All, But You're Still One Of The Five, And There Is Power In Collecting The Complete Set." He Paused, Then Grinned. "the Complete Set! That's Funny! Now Let's Consume Your Energy And Entomb Your Soul, Shall We?

I'm Stupid," Leo Mumbled. "pi Would Expand Outward, Because It's Infinite." He Reversed The Order Of The Numbers, Starting In The Center And Working Toward The Edge. When He Aligned The Last Ring, Something Inside The Sphere Clicked. The Door Swung Open. Leo Beamed At His Friends. "that, Good People, Is How We Do Things In Leo World. Come On In!" "i Hate Leo World," Frank Muttered. Hazel Laughed.

No," I Said. "i Choose The Prophecy. It Will Be About Me." "why Are You Saying That?" She Cried. "you Want To Be Responsible For The Whole World?" It Was The Last Thing I Wanted, But I Didn't Say That. I Knew I Had To Step Up And Claim It. "i Can't Let Nico Be In Any More Danger," I Said. "i Owe That Much To His Sister. I…let Them Both Down. I'm Not Going To Let That Poor Kid Suffer Any More.

Do Not Despair. Heroes Rarely Live Up To To Our Expectations

They Send A Person Who Can Never Stay," She Whispered. "who Can Never Accept My Offer Of Companionship For More Than A Little While. They Send Me A Hero I Can't Help ... Just The Sort Of Person I Can't Help Falling In Love With." ... As I Sailed Into The Lake I Realized The Fates Really Were Cruel. They Sent Calypso Someone She Couldn't Help But Love. But It Worked Both Ways. For The Rest Of My Life I Would Be Thinking About Her. She Would Always Be My Biggest What If.

Falling In Love

I Do Like To Wrap Things Up And Leave Some Things To The Readers' Imagination.

Hazel Squinted. "how Far?" "just Over The River And Through The Woods." Percy Raised An Eyebrow. "seriously? To Grandmother's House We Go?" Frank Cleared His Throat. "yeah, Anyway.

You Must Carry On My Spirit. It Can No Longer Be Carried By A God. It Must Be Taken Up By All Of You. - Pan

He Was Making A Brave Attempt, But Jason Could See The Sadness Lingering In His Eyes. Something Had Happened To Him... Something To Do With Calypso.

I Like Both Greek And Egyptian. More Greek Stories Have Survived, So We Know More About Them. They've Always Been My Favorite. On The Other Hand, I Like The Egyptian Stories Because They're Not As Commonly Known And They Have An Exotic Flavour.

He Also Didn't Mind Piper's Using Him For A Pillow. She Had A Cute Way Of Breathing When She Slept - Inhaling Through The Nose, Exhaling With A Little Puff Through The Mouth. He Was Also Disappointed When She Woke Up.

I Hoped They Couldn't Run Very Fast With Those Stubby Little Legs And Flippers, But They Waddled Along Pretty Well.

A Ruby-encrusted Orb Popped Its Top And Helicopter Blades Unfolded. Leo Was Glad Buford The Table Wasn't Here-he Would've Fallen In Love.

I Don't Care What Your Nose Says! The Last Time You Smelled Half-blood, It Turned Out To Be A Meatloaf Sandwich!" "meatloaf Sandwiches Are Good! But This Is A Half-blood Scent, I Swear. They Are On Board!" "bah, Your Brain Isn't On Board!

And In The Fountain Squatted A Giant Crab. I’m Not Talking ‘giant’ Like $7.99 All-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crab. I’m Talking ‘giant’ Like Bigger Than The Fountain.

The Demigods Have Left For Alaska," Stheno Said. "they Fly Straight To Their Death. Ah, Small "d" Death, I Mean. Not Our Prisoner Death. Although, I Suppose They're Flying To Him Too.

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.

Frank Had Decided That Whatever His Fate Was, He Wouldn’t Worry About It. He Would Just Do The Best He Could To Help His Friends.

Hold Up." Leo Stepped Forward, Wagging His Wii Controller. "did You Just Call My A Ship A Monstrosity? I Know You Didn't That.

You Never Know!” Neith Snapped. “the Point Is, I’ll Survive The Apocalypse. I Can Live Off The Land!” She Jabbed A Finger At Me. “did You Know The Palm Tree Has Six Different Edible Parts?” “um—” “and I’ll Never Be Bored,” Neith Continued, “since I’m Also The Goddess Of Weaving. I Have Enough Twine For A Millennium Of Macramé!” I Had No Reply, As I Wasn’t Sure What Macramé Was.

All I Could Think To Say Was, "the Lakers Are My Home Team!

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