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I Tried To Imagine How Things Could Get Much Worse. The Gods Were In The Midwest Fighting A Huge Monster That Had Almost Defeated Them Once Before. Poseidon Was Under Siege And Losing A War Against The Sea Titan Oceanus. Kronos Was Still Out There Somewhere. Olympus Was Virtually Undefended. The Demigods Of Camp Half-blood Were On Our Own With A Spy In Our Midst. Oh, And According To The Ancient Prophecy, I Was Going To Die When I Turned Sixteen—which Happened To Be In Five Days, The Exact Same Time Typhon Was Supposed To Hit New York. Almost Forgot That.

-Rick Riordan

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I Tried To Imagine

Rick Riordan

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I Tried To Imagine How Things Could Get Much Worse. The Gods Were In The Midwest Fighting A Huge Monster That Had Almost Defeated Them Once Before. Poseidon Was Under Siege And Losing A War Against The Sea Titan Oceanus. Kronos Was Still Out There Somewhere. Olympus Was Virtually Undefended. The Demigods Of Camp Half-blood Were On Our Own With A Spy In Our Midst. Oh, And According To The Ancient Prophecy, I Was Going To Die When I Turned Sixteen—which Happened To Be In Five Days, The Exact Same Time Typhon Was Supposed To Hit New York. Almost Forgot That.

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Child Of Lightning, Beware The Earth, The Giants' Revenge The Seven Shall Birth, The Forge And The Dove Shall Break The Cage, And Death Unleash Through Hera's Rage.

Sadie," He Said Forlornly, "when You Become A Parent, You May Understand This. One Of My Hardest Jobs As A Father, One Of My Greatest Duties, Was To Realize That My Own Dreams, My Own Goals And Wishes, Are Secondary To My Children's.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Which Meant His Only Assets Were One Whiny Imprisoned Goddess, One Sort-of-girlfriend With A Dagger, And Leo, Who Apparently Thought He Could Defeat The Armies Of Darkness With Breath Mints.

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

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Families Are Messy. Immortal Families Are Eternally Messy. Sometimes The Best We Can Do Is To Remind Each Other That We're Related For Better Or For Worse...and Try To Keep The Maiming And Killing To A Minimum.

Do You Have A Favorite Constalation, Percy?' I Was Still Kind Of Wondering About The Little Green Snakes He'd Shoved Into His Jogging Shorts, But I Said. 'uh, I Like Hercules.' 'why?' 'well... Because He Had Rotten Luck. Even Worse Than Mine. It Makes Me Feel Better." The Jogger Chuckled. 'not Because He Was Strong And Famouse And All That?' 'no.

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Seriously, Who Has Monogrammed Pajamas?

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Aretmis Gripped Her Bow. “let Us Pray I Am Wrong.” Can Goddesses Pray?

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There Are Parties And Then There Are Huge Major Blowout Parties. And Then There Are Olympian Parties. If You Ever Get A Choice Go For The Olympian.

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You Can’t Control Every Contingency. You Have To Accept That. Let It Scare You. Trust That It’ll Be Okay Anyway.

Lightning Thief Was Good But The Sea Of Monsters Is Better And Has More Action!

Different Elevator Music Was Playing Since My Last Visit-that Old Disco Song "stayin' Alive." A Terrifying Image Flashed Through My Mind Of Apollo In Bell-bottom Pants And A Slinky Silk Shirt.

But If She'd Realized That Nine Desiccated Zombie Nymphs Would Be Waiting For Her, She Never Would Have Come Down Here.

No More Lastrygonians.” Ella Fluttered Down And Landed Next To Them. “six Minus Six Is Zero. Spears Are Good For Subtraction, Yep.

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?

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

She Often Had To Remind Herself That She Couldn't Do Everything Alone. She Wasn't Always The Best Person For The Job. Sometimes She Got Tunnel Vision And Forgot About What Other People Needed.

I Love Norse Mythology - Thor And Odin And Loki - Amazing Characters.

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

About The Prophecy That Rachel Did At The End Of "the Last Olympian," Percy Jackson Will Participate This Prophecy, Along With Annabeth? Sorry For Spelling Errors

They Chose The Olive" "they Must Really Like Olives" "forget It" "now If She Invented Pizza That I Can Understand" -percy To Annabeth In The Lightning Theif

I Can’t Believe Sadie’s Going To Let Me Have The Last Word. Our Experience Together Must’ve Really Taught Her Something. Ow, She Just Hit Me. Never Mind.

They're Not So Bad. They Just Need Some Attention. ...like Pets. Or My Brother.

I Love Teaching. I Love Working With Kids... Maybe Some Day I'll Go Back To The Classroom. I'm Not Ready To Say It'll Never Happen.

"all Roads Lead There Child. You Should Know That." "detention?"

Just Keep Moving

Selling One's Book To Hollywood Is Rather Like Selling Someone Your House. After It's Sold, It Isn't Yours Anymore. They Can Paint It A Different Color, Tear It Down And Build Something New, Or Do Anything They Want.

Maybe That's Why He Had Started To Fear Suffocation. It Wasn't So Much Drowning In The Earth Or Sea But The Feeling That He Was Sinking Into Too Many Expectations, Literally Getting In Over His Head. Wow...when He Started Having Thoughts Like That, He Knew He'd Been Spending Too Much Time With Annabeth.

You're A Demigod Percy, Half God And Half Mortal!

And Of Course I'm In The Press All The Time. So Many Books Have Been Written About Me; Into Thin Air, Up In The Air,gone With The Wind-

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.

We Passed Hieroglyphic Scrolls, Gold Jewelry, Sarcophagi, Statues Of Pharaohs, And Huge Chunks Of Limestone. Why Would Someone Display A Rock? Aren't There Enough Of Those In The World?

"boys," Annabeth Interrupted, "i'm Sure You Both Would've Been Wonderful At Killing Each Other. But Right Now You Need Some Rest."

We Ran, Plowing Through Another Pile Of Peppers. [no, I Didn't Pick A Peck Of Them, Sadie - Just Shut Up.]

The Truth Is Harsh." Anubis Said. "spirits Come To The Hall Of Judgement All The Time, And They Cannot Let Go Of Their Lies. They Deny Their Faults, Their True Feelings, Their Mistakes.......right Up Until Ammit Devours Their Souls For Eternity. It Takes Strength And Courage To Admit The Truth.

The Right Choice Is Hardly Ever The Easy Choice.

Now, I Figured That The Built-up Gas In Most Boys' Locker Rooms Was Enough To Cause An Explosion, So I Wasn't Surprised When The Flaming Dodgeball Ignited A Huge Whooooooom!

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.

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.

Whoa," Connor Stoll Said. "back Up. Zoom In Right There." "what?" Annabeth Said Nervously. "you See Invaders?" "no, Right There—dylan's Candy Bar." Connor Grinned At His Brother. "dude, It's Open. And Everyone Is Asleep. Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?" "connor!" Katie Gardner Scolded. She Sounded Like Her Mother, Demeter. "this Is Serious. You Are Not Going To Loot A Candy Store In The Middle Of A War!" "sorry," Connor Muttered, But He Didn't Sound Very Ashamed.

I Felt Like One Of Apollo's Sacred Cows- Slow, Dumb, And Bright Red.

We'd Just Released A Zebra In Las Vegas.

We Started This Together, Leo. Seems Only Right You Come Along. You Find Us A Ride, You're In." "yes!" Leo Pumped His Fist. * * * * * Jason Gazed Up At The Dragon And Shook His Head In Amazement. "leo, What Have You Done?" "found A Ride!" Leo Beamed. "you Said I Could Go On The Quest If I Got You A Ride. Well, I Got You A Class-a Metallic Flying Bad Boy! Festus Can Take Us Anywhere!

I Am Your Friend Bob!

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.

Good Luck, Boss. Don't Let'em Turn You Into Horse Meat! (blackjack)

You..." The Centaur's Eyes Flared Like A Cornered Animal's. "you Should Be Dead.

I Tried To Imagine How Things Could Get Much Worse. The Gods Were In The Midwest Fighting A Huge Monster That Had Almost Defeated Them Once Before. Poseidon Was Under Siege And Losing A War Against The Sea Titan Oceanus. Kronos Was Still Out There Somewhere. Olympus Was Virtually Undefended. The Demigods Of Camp Half-blood Were On Our Own With A Spy In Our Midst. Oh, And According To The Ancient Prophecy, I Was Going To Die When I Turned Sixteen—which Happened To Be In Five Days, The Exact Same Time Typhon Was Supposed To Hit New York. Almost Forgot That.

He Dropped The Rest Of The Cokes Into The Grave And Pulled Out A White Paper Bag Decorated With Cartoons. I Hadn’t Seen One In Years, But I Recognized It — A Mcdonald’s Happy Meal. He Turned It Upside Down And Shook The Fries And Hamburger Into The Grave. “in My Day, We Used Animal Blood,” The Ghost Mumbled. “it’s Perfectly Good Enough. They Can’t Taste The Difference.” “i Will Treat Them With Respect,” Nico Said. “at Least Let Me Keep The Toy,” The Ghost Said.

Ah... Much Better" He Said. "backbiter, Luke Called It. An Appropriate Name. Now That It Is Reforged Comeplately, It Shall Indeed Bite Back

Warning: The Following Is A Transcript Of A Digital Recording. In Certain Places, The Audio Quality Was Poor, So Some Words And Phrases Represent The Author's Best Guesses. Where Possible, Illustrations Of Important Symbols Mentioned In The Recording Have Been Added. Background Noises Such As Scuffling, Hitting, And Cursing By The Two Speakers Have Not Been Transcribed The Author Makes No Claims For The Authenticity Of The Recording. It Seems Impossible That The Two Young Narrators Are Telling The Truth, But You, The Reader, Must Decide For Yourself.

Background Noise

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

Don't Stay In One Place Too Long. It Was The Only Way To Stay Ahead Of The Sadness.

At First I Was Protecting You Two Because I Promised. Now Even If I Hadn't Promised, I Would. You Two Are Like Kittens To Me. I Won't Fail You Again." I'll Admit I Got A Lump In My Throat. I'd Never Been Called Someone's Kitten Before. Sadie Sniffled. She Brushed Something From Under Her Eye. "you're Not Going To Wash Us, Are You?

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.

So Let Me Get This Straight,” Carter Said. “the Two Guys You Liked—one Who Was Dying And One Who Was Off-limits Because He’s A God—are Now One Guy, Who Isn’t Dying And Isn’t Off-limits. And You’re Complaining.

Deadlines Just Aren't Real To Me Until I'm Staring One In The Face.

They're Lares. House Gods." "house Gods," Percy Said. "like...smaller Than Real Gods, But Larger Than Apartment Gods?

Daddy Will Explain. Come, He Is Blowing Up Monsters.

The Real Story Of The Fleece: There Were These Two Children Of Zeus, Cadmus And Europa, Okay? They Were About To Get Offered Up As Human Sacrifices, When They Prayed To Zeus To Save Them. So Zeus Sent This Magical Flying Ram With Golden Wool, Which Picked Them Up In Greece And Carried Them All The Way To Colchis In Asia Minor. Well, Actually It Carried Cadmus. Europa Fell Off And Died Along The Way, But That's Not Important." "it Was Probably Important To Her.

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.)

'you're Dionysus,' I Said. 'the God Of Wine.' Mr. D Rolled His Eyes. 'what Do They Say These Days, Grover? Do The Children Say "well Duh!"?' 'y-yes, Mr. D.' 'then, "well, Duh!" Percy Jackson. Did You Think I Was Aphrodite, Perhaps?' 'you're A God.' 'yes, Child.' 'a God. You.'

It’s Hard To Look In Charge When You’re Hunched Over Like Quasimodo.

Stand Your Ground!" Stheno Yelled. "i've Got Free Samples!

Stand Your Ground

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

That Is Exactly How People Beat Chinese Handcuffs. They Turn Into Iguanas.

And Now, Anubis, I Find You In This Den Of Iniquity, This Morass Of Questionable Behavior, This...this--' 'school?

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.

I Have A Great Deal Of Sympathy For Reluctant Readers Because I Was One. I Would Do Anything To Avoid Reading. In My Case, It Wasn't Until I Was 13 And Discovered The 'lord Of The Rings' That I Learned To Love Reading.

It Takes Strength And Courage To Admit The Truth.

Well, I Hope You Like It Here, Leo. It Used To Be .......really Nice.

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