"let Us Find The Dam Snack Bar," Zoe Said. "we Should Eat While We Can." Grover Cracked A Smile. "the Dam Snack Bar?" Zoe Blinked. "yes. What Is Funny?" "nothing," Grover Said, Trying To Keep A Straight Face. "i Could Use Some Dam French Fries." Even Thalia Smiled At That. "and I Need To Use The Dam Restroom."... I Started Cracking Up, And Thalia And Grover Joined In, While Zoe Just Looked At Us "i Do Not Understand." "i Want To Use The Dam Water Fountain," Grover Said. "and..." Thalia Tried To Catch Her Breath. "i Want To Buy A Dam T-shirt."

-Rick Riordan

Please Wait....
Translating....

"let Us Find The

Rick Riordan

Topic

Snacks

Water

Trying

More From Rick Riordan

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.

Cute

Breathing

Mind

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

Sea

Tides

Palaces

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

Flower

Springtime

Goddess

The Way Leo Figured It, He Spent More Time Crashing Than He Did Flying. If There Was A Rewards Card For Frequent Crashers, He'd Be, Like, Double Platinum Level.

Flying

Cards

Levels

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!

Dwarves

People

Liz

If My Mom Told One More Story About How Cute I Looked In The Bathtub When I Was Three Years Old I Was Going To Burrow Into The Snow And Freeze Myself To Death.

Cute

Mom

Years

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.

Amy

Way

Bones

Only The Fire Of Life Can Melt The Chains Of Death.

Fire

Chains

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

Ostriches

Needs

Answers

Sometimes Things Don't End Okay.

Sometimes

Ends

Okay

The House Is In The House" Chapter 38

House

Chapters

Until She Met The Exploding Statue, Annabeth Thought She Was Prepared For Anything.

Annabeth

Athena

Mets

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

Heart

Faces

Sadie

He Crossed The Street Toward The Man In The Trench Coat, Which Left Me With Two Choices: Follow My Dad And See What Was Going On, Or Do What I Was Told. I Decided On The Slightly Less Dangerous Path. I Went To Retrieve My Sister

Dad

Men

Two

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

Soul

Months

March

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.

Song

Mind

Different

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.

Pet

Might

Sticks

Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!" -cal

Hockey

Pizza

I See Murky Visions Of Other Gods And Rival Magic." That Really Didn't Sound Good. "what Do You Mean?" I Asked. "what Other Gods?" "i Don't Know, Sadie. But Egypt Has Always Faced Challenges From Outside –– Magicians From Elsewhere, Even Gods From Elsewhere. Just Be Vigilant." ~ruby & Sadie Kane About...? Possibly Greeks?

Mean

Egypt

Challenges

The Wand Ricocheted Through The Swarm, Thumping Six, Seven, Eight Of The Little Monsters Before Returning To Carter’s Hand. “not Bad,” I Said. “keep It Up!

Eight

Hands

Monsters

My Dear, I'm A Cat. Everything I See Is Mine.

Cat

Hail

Dear

I Heard Amos Yell, “for Brooklyn!” It Was An Odd Battle Cry.

Battle

Brooklyn

Cry

Hermes's Shoulders Sagged. "they'll Try, Percy. Oh, We'll All Try To Keep Our Promise. And Maybe For A While Things Will Get Better. But We Gods Have Never Been Good At Keeping Oaths. You Were Born Because Of A Broken Promise, Eh? Eventually We'll Become Forgetful. We Always Do." "you Can Change." Hermes Laughed. "after Three Thousand Years, You Think The Gods Can Change Their Nature?" "yeah," I Said. "i Do.

Thinking

Years

Broken

The Friday Before Winter Break, My Mom Packed Me An Overnight Bag And A Few Deadly Weapons And Took Me To A New Boarding School.

Mom

Friday

School

She Stared At Me. "fly, ;ole, In An Airplane, Which You Were Warned Never To Do Lest Zeus Strike You Out Of The Sky, And Carrying A Weapon That Has More Destructive Power Than A Nuclear Bomb?" "yeah," I Said. "pretty Much Exactly Like That.

Airplane

Sky

Nuclear

I Gave Her My Deluxe I'll-kill-you-later Stare.

Staring

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.

Kids

Ghost

Hades

Staying Silent, Staying Away From Him... That Was The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done.

Done

Silent

Hardest

Indeed, "hera Said. ―porphyrion, The Strongest Of His Kind. Gaea Needed A Great Deal Of Power To Raise Him Again —my Power. For Weeks I‘ve Grown Weaker As My Essence Was Used To Grow Him A New Form." ―so You‘re Like A Heat Lamp,"leo Guessed. ―or Fertilizer.

Essence

Lamps

Gaea

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.

Family

Home

Trying

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.

Kissing

Shots

Romantic Kiss

Chiron, I Don't Think The Attic Is The Proper Place For Our New Oracle, Do You?" "no, Indeed." Chiron Looked A Lot Better Now That Apollo Had Worked Some Medical Magic On Him. "rachel May Use A Guest Room In The Big House For Now, Until We Give The Matter More Thought." "i'm Thinking A Cave In The Hills," Apollo Mused. "with Torches And A Big Purple Curtain Over The Entrance . . . Really Mysterious. But Inside, A Totally Decked-out Pad With A Game Room And One Of Those Home Theater Systems.

Home

Thinking

Games

Poseidon Raised His Eyebrows As They Shook Hands. “blowfish, Did You Say?” "ah, No. Blofis, Actually.” "oh, I See,” Poseidon Said. “a Shame. I Quite Like Blowfish. I Am Poseidon.” "poseidon? That’s An Interesting Name.” "yes, I Like It. I’ve Gone By Other Names, But I Do Prefer Poseidon.” "like The God Of The Sea.” "very Much Like That, Yes.

Hands

Sea

Eyebrows

It's Hard To Know What [literature] Will End Up Being Timeless And What Will Be Something That Doesn't Translate Into The Future, Especially With The Way We're Evolving Since Our Culture Is Changing So Fast.

Culture

Literature

Way

It Takes Strength And Courage To Admit The Truth.

Courage

Honesty

But Who Are You?" Percy—" I Started To Say. Then The Skeletons Turned Around. "gotta Go!" What Kind Of Name Is Percy Gotta-go?

Skeletons

Names

Kind

I Still Don't Understand What A Sea God Would Be Doing In Atlanta." Leo Snorted. "what's A Wine God Doing In Kansas? Gods Are Weird.

Wine

Atlanta

Sea

Tell You What," I Said. "after The Testing After The Demon Days, When Things Settle Down -" "things Won't Settle Down." "- I'm Going To Take You To The Mall." She Blinked. "the Mall? For What Reason?" "to Hang Out," I Said. "we'll Get Some Hamburgers. See A Movie." Zia Hesitated. "is This What You'd Call A 'date'?" My Expression Must Have Been Priceless, Because Zia Actually Cracked A Smile. "you Look Like A Cow Hit With A Shovel.

Expression

Looks

Hamburgers

No Man May Be Completely Invulnerable.

Men

May

If Anyone Asks You If You’re Taken,” I Said, “the Answer Is Yes.” “i Think I Can Live With That,” He Promised. “good,” I Said. “because You Don’t Want To See Me Be Cross.” “too Late.” “shut Up And Dance, Walt.” “shut Up And Dance, Walt.” We Did—with The Music Of A Psychotic Griffin Screaming Behind Us, And The Sirens And Horns Of Brooklyn Wailing Below. It Was Quite Romantic.

Taken

Thinking

Too Late

Hey, Moose!” I Screamed. The Set Animal Locked Its Glowing Eyes One Me. Well Done! Horus Said. Now We’ll Both Die With Honor! Shut Up, I Thought.

Eye

Animal

Glowing

Fortunately, We Did Most Of Our Athletic Stuff Inside, So We Didn't Have To Jog Through Tribeca Looking Like A Bunch Of Boot-camp Hippie Children.

Children

Hippie

Athletic

We’re On The Moon,” Sadie Murmured. “el Paso, Texas,” Bast Corrected.

Moon

Texas

Sadie

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

Rose

Underwater

Rooftops

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.

Kids

Suffering

World

The Most Dangerous Flaws Are Those Which Are Good In Moderation," She Said. "evil Is Easy To Fight. Lack Of Wisdom… That Is Very Hard Indeed.

Fighting

Evil

Flaws

Tyson," I Said "we're Turning Around!" Going The Wrong Way?" He Asked. Always," I Grumbled, But I Steered The Chariot Towards The Stands.

Way

Said

Tyson

All Of My Characters Tend To Be Montages Of Different People I've Met: Little Bits And Pieces Of Their Personalities Put Together.

Character

People

Personality

I Want Some Time Without You Organic Life Forms.

Want

Form

Without You

What’s The Best Part Of Being In Hermes Cabin? Connor: You Are Never Lonely. I Mean Seriously, New Kids Are Always Coming In. So You Always Have Someone To Talk To. Travis: Or Prank. Connor: Or Pickpocket. One Big Happy Family.

Lonely

Mean

Kids

My Name Is Zia Rashid.” She Tilted Her Head As If Listening. Right On Cue, The Entire Building Rumbled. Dust Sprinkled From The Ceiling, And The Slithering Sounds Of Scorpion Doubled In Volume Behind Us. “and Right Now,” Zia Continued, Sounding A Bit Disappointed, “i Must Save Your Miserable Lives.

Dust

Names

Listening

We Were Alone In A Strange Mansion With A Baboon, A Crocodile, And A Weird Cat. And Apparently, The Entire World Was In Danger. I Looked At Sadie. “what Do We Do Now?

Cat

World

Strange

I Left Him In His Wheelchair, Staring Sadly Into The Fireplace. I Wondered How Many Times He’d Sat Here, Waiting For Heroes That Never Came Back.

Hero

Waiting

Fireplaces

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

Magic

Training

Stuff

What Are These Guys?" He Whispered "canadians," Percy Said. Frank Leaned Away From Him. "excuse Me?" "uh, No Offense," Percy Said. "that's What Annabeth Called Them When I Fought Them Before. She Said They Live In The North, In Canada." "yeah, Well," Frank Grumbled, "we're In Canada. I'm Canadian. But I've Never Seen Those Things Before.

Guy

Annabeth

Canada

Percy Blinked. “so Your Brother Is A Winged Horse. But You’re Also My Half Brother, Which Means All The Flying Horses In The World Are My…you Know What? Lets’ Forget It.

Brother

Horse

Mean

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

Knives

Evil

Ifs

For Thousands Of Years, You Humans Have Been Throwing In Everything As You Come Across--hopes, Dreams, Wishes That Never Came True. Irresponsible Waste Management, If You Ask Me.

Dream

Years

Wish

Aphrodite Strikes Again, Huh? You're Gonna Be The Best-dressed Warrior In Town, Beauty Queen.

Queens

Warrior

Towns

Her Hair Is Smoldering. Her Face Was Smudged With Soot. She Had A Cut On Her Arms, Her Dress Was Torn, And She Was Missing A Boot. Beautiful.

Beautiful

Cutting

Hair

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.

Eye

Men

Missing

I’ll Distract Them,” Carter Said. “you Search. The Trophy Room Is Through There.” “carter!” But The Fool Ran Off To Protect Me. I Hate When He Does That.

Hate

Doe

Rooms

Piper Patted His Shoulder. “trust Me, Valdez. Beautiful People Never Lie.

Beautiful

Lying

People

Genius Does Not Excuse Evil.

Evil

Doe

Genius

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!

Eye

Talking

Sound

Even The Gods Couldn't Devise A Fates So Twisted.

Fate

Twisted

Percy: I’ll Walk Down To The Cabins And Connor And Travis Are Stealing Stuff From The Camp Store, And Silena Is Arguing With Annabeth Trying To Give Her A New Makeover, And Clarisse Is Still Sticking The New Kids’ Head Into The Toilets. It’s Nice That Some Things Never Change.

Nice

Kids

Giving

Laistry....i Can't Even Say That. What Would You Call Them In English?" "canadians.

I Can

Annabeth Chase

[carter Just Asked When I Became A Ram Whisperer. Do Shut Up, Carter]

Rams

Shut Up

Carter

At Least He Had Annabeth. They Would Find A Way Out Of Tartarus. They Had To. He Didn't Think Much Of Fates And Prophecies, But He Did Believe In One Thing: Annabeth And He Were Supposed To Be Together. They Hadn't Survived So Much Just To Get Killed Now.

Believe

Fate

Thinking

You Have To Rise Above The Squabbling And Chaos, And Keep Believing. You Have To Always Keep Your Goals In Mind.” -hera, Goddess Of Marriage

Believe

Goal

Mind

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.

Stupid

Remember You

Remembers You

Carter Started Down The Stairs, But I Grabbed His Arm. “hang On. What About Traps?” He Frowned. “traps?” “didn’t Egyptian Tombs Have Traps?” “well…sometimes. But This Isn’t A Tomb. Besides, More Often They Had Curses, Like The Burning Curse, The Donkey Curse—” “oh, Lovely. That Sounds So Much Better.

Lovely

Sound

Burning

Somewhere Behind Me, Zia Yelled, "hippo!" Which I Thought Was A Little Late. She Stumbled Toward Me Over The Rocking Deck, The Tip Of Her Staff On Fire. Our Ghostly Pal Setne Floated Behind Her, Grinning With Delight. "there Is It!" Setne Shook His Diamond Pink Rings. "told Ya Apophis Would Send A Monster To Kill You." "you're So Smart!" I Shouted. "now, How Do We Stop It?

Smart

Fire

Monsters

Hope Survives Best At The Hearth.

Pandora

Hestia

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

I Tried To Think Of Something To Say. Excuse Me? Hello? Marry Me? Anything Would Have Done.

Thinking

Done

Hello

Blowfish, Did You Say?" "ah, No. Blofis, Actually." "oh, I See," Poseidon Said. "a Shame. I Quite Like Blowfish.

Shame

Poseidon

Said

Which Reminded Me...i Still Owed The Gods A Debt. "you're A Genius," I (percy) Told Annabeth.

Annabeth

Genius

Debt

Damien Vesper Didn't Plan On Killing Anyone Today

Today

Killing

Plans

You're The Last Olympian,' I Said. 'and The Most Important.' And Why Is That, Percy Jackson?' Because Hope Survives Best At The Hearth,' I Said.

Important

Lasts

Pandora

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

My Best Friend

Matter

Donkey

Wisdom's Daughter Walks Alone. That Didn't Just Mean Without Other People, Annabeth Realized. It Meant Without Any Special Powers.

Daughter

Mean

People

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.

Strong

Feel Better

Snakes

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

Sea

Monsters

Lightning

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.

Mean

Alaska

Flying

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.

Growing Up

Hair

Would Be

Hello George. Hey Martha (percy) Did You Bring Us A Rat? (george) George, Stop It!he's Busy! (martha) Too Busy For Rats? That's Just Sad. (george)

Hey

Rats

Hello

He Was Rewarded With A Silver-and-red Can Of Soda. He Brandished It At The Dolphin Warriors As If Spraying Them With Bug Repellant. "behold!" Percy Shouted. "the God's Chosen Beverage. Tremble Before The Horror Of Diet Coke!" The Dolphin-men Began To Panic. They Were On The Edge Of Retreat. Percy Could Feel It.

Warrior

Men

Dolphins

But... You're Still Getting Married?" Grover Sounded Hurt. "who's The Bride?" Ploypemus Looked Toward The Boiling Pot. Clarisse Made A Strangled Sound. "oh, No! You Can't Be Serious. I'm Not-

Hurt

Sound

Serious

I Hadn't Seen My Dad Get Violent Since The Great Spatula Incident, And I Wasn't Anxious To See A Repeat Of That.

Dad

Violent

Spatulas

I Have Strong Feelings For You, I Just Haven't Decided If Their Positive Or Negitive Yet.a

Strong

Feelings

Havens

You Have To Read A Lot So You Know What Good Writing Looks Like And You Get Inspired. You Have To Write A Lot Because It's Like A Sport - You Have To Practice. And, Also, You Have To Persevere. Don't Give Up. I Got Rejected On My First Book, Like, 14 Times, But I Just Kept Going. So Believe In Yourself And Don't Give Up.

Sports

Giving Up

Book

Dealing With Any Man Means Dealing With Multiple Personalities.

Mean

Men

Personality

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

Morning

Believe

New Day

We Heard The Army Before We Saw It. The Noise Was Like A Cannon Barrage Combined With A Football Stadium Crowd- Like Every Patriots Fan In New England Was Charging Us With Bazookas.

Football

Army

Fans

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

Hate

Hands

Language

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

Character

Odin

Norse

He Could Still See The Dragon Just Fine. It Was About Sixty Feet Long, Snout To Tail, Its Body Made Of Interlocking Bronze Plates. Its Claws Were The Size Of Butcher Knives, And Its Mouth Was Lined With Hundreds Of Dagger-sharp Metal Teeth. Steam Came Out Of Its Nostrils. It Snarled Like A Chain Saw Cutting Through A Tree.

Cutting

Knives

Feet

You Have A Humming Dodo Bird," I Said Stupidly.

Bird

Dodo Bird

Said

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.

Stupid

Feet

Long

Yay!' He Said. 'now We Can Eat Peanut Butter Sandwiches And Ride Fish Ponies! We Can Fight Monsters And See Annabeth And Make Things Go Boom!

Fighting

Monsters

Peanut Butter

I Suppose With So Many Things Suddenly Getting Better, The Things That Were Still Missing Hurt Even Worse.

Hurt

Missing

Get Better

Khufu Carefully Picked Out Everything That Ended With-o—doritos, Oreos, And Some Chunks Of Meat. Buffalo? Armadillo? I Was Scared To Even Ask.

Khufu

Meat

Oreos

Just His Luck He Was Related To This Grubby Old Dude. He Hoped All Sons Of Neptune Didn't Share The Same Fate. First, You Start Carrying A Man Satchel. Next Thing You Know, You're Running Around In A Bathrobe And Pink Bunny Slippers, Chasing Chickens With A Weed Whacker.

Running

Weed

Fate

She’s Pretty,” Zethes Mumbled. “i Mean, She’s Right.

Mean

Any Moment Now..." The Girl [calypso] Stared Out At The Water. No Magical Raft Appeared. "maybe It Got Stuck In A Traffic," Leo Said.

Girl

Water

Calypso

I Think Every Writer Struggles In Some Way With Writers Block. The Trick Is To Plan Out What You Are Going To Say Beforehand. I Found Out That If You Make An Outline You're Much Less Likely To Get Blocked When You Get Into The Middle Of The Story.

Block

Struggle

Thinking

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.

Book

Butterfly

Hair

Percy Frowned "you Have A Feast For Tuna?

Tuna

Neptune

Son Of Neptune

He Pinched The Name Tag And Ran His Fingers Under The Letters. "can You Read This, Mate? It Says C-h-a-r-o-n. Say It With Me: Care-on." "charon." "amazing! Now: Mr. Charon." "mr. Charon." "well Done.

Names

Done

Care

I Know You'll Do What's Best For Annabeth." "how Can You Be Sure?" "because She'd Do The Same For You.

Annabeth

Knows

Just Tell Me, Percy, Do You Still Have The Birthday Gift I Gave You Last Summer?" I Nodded And Pulled Out My Camp Necklace. It Had A Bead For Every Summer I'd Been At Camp Half-blood, But Since Last Year I'd Also Kept A Sand Dollar On The Cord. My Father Had Given It To Me For My Fifteenth Birthday. He'd Told Me I Would Know When To "spend It," But So Far I Hadn't Figured Out What He Meant. All I Knew That It Didn't Fit The Vending Machines In The School Cafeteria.

Summer

Father

School

If Not For The Horses, Piper Would've Died.

Horse

Pipers

Died

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.

Brother

Son

Looks

It Wasn't Exactly Like Talking, But It Went Something Like This: Could You Give Us A Ride North, Percy Asked, Like As Close To Portland As Possible? Eat Seals, The Whale Responded. Are You Seals? No, Percy Admitted. I've Got A Man Satchel Full Of Macrobiotic Beef Jerky, Though. The Whale Shuddered. Promise Not To Feed Me This, And I Will Take You North. Deal.

Men

Talking

Whales

Being A Hero Doesn’t Mean You’re Invincible. It Just Means That You’re Brave Enough To Stand Up And Do What’s Needed.

Hero

Mean

Brave

Nico, I've Seen A Lot Of Brave Things. But What You Just Did? That Was Maybe The Bravest.

Brave

Hades

House Of Hades

Tyson- "cash? Like...green Paper?" Percy- "yeah." Tyson- "like The Kind In Duffel Bags?" Percy-"yeah, But We Lost Those Bags Days A-g-g--." "tyson! How Did You--" Tyson- "thought It Was A Feed Bag For Rainbow. Found It Floating In Sea, But Only Paper Inside. Sorry.

Sorry

Sea

Rainbow

No, No,” Leo Said. “rainbows. Very Macho.

Rainbow

Said

Macho

Rowww!” Bast Wailed. The Wrecking Ball Rolled Straight Over Her, But She Didn’t Appear Hurt. She Leaped Off And Pounced Aain. Her Knives Sliced Through The Metal Like Wet Clay. Within Seconds, The Wrecking Ball Was Reduced To A Mound Of Scraps. Bast Sheathed Her Blades. “safe Now.” “you Saved Us From A Metal Ball,” Sadie Said. “you Never Know,” Bast Said. “it Could’ve Been Hostile.

Hurt

Knives

Clay

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.

Mother

Rocks

Secret

Amos Sipped His Coffee. "sorry If That Distubed You. Khufu's Very Picky. He Only Eats Foods That End In -o. Doritos, Burritos, Flamingos." I Blinked. "did You Say-" "carter," Sadie Warned. She Looked A Little Queasy, Like She'd Already Had This Conversation. "don't Ask.

Sorry

Coffee

Khufu

You Know What Would Help This Boy?" Demeter Mused. "farming." Persephone Rolled Her Eyes. "mother-" "six Months Behind A Plow. Excellent Character Building.

Mother

Character

Eye

The Dead Aren't Scary. They Are Just Sad.

Scary

Frank Held Up The Chinese Handcuffs. “keep It Simple.

Simple

Chinese

Handcuffs

You Will Not Believe Me, But I Am Proud Of Your Strength. Sometimes. . . Sometimes The Only Way I Can Care For My Children Is To Keep My Distance.

Children

Distance

Believe

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.

Teacher

Kids

Thinking

I Can't Promise That Every Child With Learning Differences Will Become A Novelist, But I Do Think All Children Can Become Lifelong Readers.

Children

Thinking

Differences

You Might As Well Ask An Artist To Explain His Art, Or Ask A Poet To Explain His Poem. It Defeats The Purpose. The Meaning Is Only Clear Thorough The Search.

Art

Creativity

Purpose

Beckendorf Closed Eyes Tight And Brought His Hand Up To His Watch. From That Distance, The Explosion Shook The World. Heat Seared The Back Of My Head. The Princess Andromeda Blew Up From Both Sides, A Massive Fireball Of Green Flame Roiling Into The Dark Sky, Consuming Everything....i Stared Out The Window Into Deep Blue Water. Beckendorf Was Supposed To Go To College In The Fall. He Had A Girlfriend, Lots Of Friends, His Whole Life Ahead Of Him. He Couldn't Be Gone.

Girlfriend

Distance

Princess

Oh, I Wouldn't Say Love Always Makes You Happy. Sometimes It Makes You Incredibly Sad.

Sometimes

Make You Happy

Love Always

I Concentrated Hard And Snapped My Fingers. "you Don't See The Sword," I Told The Girl. "it's Just A Ballpoint Pen." She Blinked. "um . . . No. It's A Sword, Weirdo.

Girl

Fingers

Weirdo

At The Feast Of Fortune, She'll Awaken, And The Demigods Will Be Cut Down Like-- Like---" "like Our Low Prices At Bargain Mart!" Stheno Suggested.

Cutting

Lows

Fortune

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.

Rainbow

Ponies

Annabeth

May The Gods Be With You

May

God Is With You

She Glared At Me Like She Was About To Punch Me, But Then She Did Something That Surprised Me Even More. She Kissed Me. "be Careful Seaweed Brain." She Said Putting On Her Invisible Cap And Disappearing. I Probably Would Have Sat There All Day, Trying To Remember My Name, But Then The Sea Demons Came.

God

Sea

Names

Now Fight Me! For Today Thee House Of Hades Will Be Called The Saviors Of Olympus.

Fighting

House

Olympus

And When Demigods Use Cell Phones, The Signals Agitate Every Monster Within A Hundred Miles. It's Like Sending Up A Flare: Here I Am! Please Rearrange My Face!

Phones

Cells

Here I Am

I Didn't Answer, But, Please - Nothing Is Obvious With Boys. For Such Simple Creatures, They Are Quite Baffling.

Boys

Simple

Answers

Eat Bitter, Taste Sweet

Sweet

Taste

Bitter

Frank Zhang! I, Jason Grace, Praetor Of The Twelfth Legion Fulminata, Give You My Final Order: I Resign My Post And Give You Emergency Field Promotion To Praetor, With The Full Powers Of That Rank. Take Command Of This Legion!

Order

Giving

Grace

My Eighth Grade Teacher, Mrs. Pabst, Had Done Her Master's Thesis On Tolkien. She Showed Me How The Trilogy Was Patterned After Norse Mythology. She Was Also The First Person To Encourage Me To Submit Stories For Publication. The Idea Of Writing A Fantasy Based On Myths Never Left Me, And Many Years Later, This Would Lead Me To Write Percy Jackson.

Teacher

Writing

Years

We Swallowed A Few Bites-not To Much Scince The Food Of The Gods Can Burn You To Ashes Is You Overindulge. I Guess Thats Why You Don't See Many Fat Gods

Ashes

Fats

Bites

Safety From What? Who's After Me?" Oh, Nobody Much," Grover Said, Obviously Still Miffed About The Donkey Comment. "just The Lord Of The Dead And A Few Of His Blood-thirstiest Minions.

Blood

Safety

Lord

That's Why We Live By A River. Occasionally, I Forget And Pat Lit On The Back--' 'i Hate That.' King Midas & Lit

Kings

Hate

Rivers

You Seem To Be Clean," Terminus Decided. "do You Have Anything To Declare?" "yes," Percy Said. "i Declare This Is Stupid.

Stupid

Clean

Said

No Hero Is Above Fear.

Hero

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

Talking

Giants

Annabeth

Why Would Roman Gods Want To Date Chinese Canadians?

Chinese

Want

Roman Gods

Amos Clapped His Hands. “khufu!” I Thought He’d Sneezed, Because Khufu Is A Weird Name, But Then A Little Dude About Three Feet Tall With Gold Fur And A Purple Shirt Came Clambering Down The Stairs. It Took Me A Second To Realize It Was A Baboon Wearing An L.a. Lakers Jersey.

Khufu

Hands

Names

Amy, Dan, And Nellie Were Sitting At A Table In A Conference Room, Examining Reproductions Of Franklin Documents-some So Rare, The Librarians Told Her, The Only Copies Existed In Paris. "yeah, Here's A Rare Grocery List," Dan Muttered. "wow.

Paris

Sitting

Amy

We’ve Arrived,” Leo Announced. “time To Split.” Frank Groaned. “can We Leave Valdez In Croatia?

Croatia

Splits

Frank

So, You Wrecked Alcatraz Island, Made Mount St. Helens Explode, And Displaced Half A Million People, But At Least You're Safe." "yep, That Pretty Much Covers It.

Islands

People

Alcatraz

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.

Children

Real

Sacrifice

Annabeth: Hey, Seaweed Brain. Percy: Will You Stop Calling Me That? Annabeth: You Know You Love It.

Brain

Annabeth

Hey

Nico Di Angelo Ran Up To Me With A Big Grin On His Face. "percy, This Is Awesome!" His Blue-feathered Bronze Helmet Was Falling In His Eyes, And His Breastplate Was About Six Sizes Too Big. I Wondered If There Was Any Way I'd Looked That Ridiculous When I'd First Arrived.

Fall

Eye

Blue

Maybe It’s The Other Way Around,” Jason Suggested. “maybe People With Special Gifts Show Up When Bad Things Are Happening Because That’s When They’re Needed Most.

People

Special

Jason

I'm Dylan. I'm So Cool. I Want To Date Myself, But I Don't Know How! You Want To Date Me Instead? You're So Lucky!

Lucky

Want

Dylan

And If Someone Doesn’t Believe In Any Afterlife?” I Asked. Walt Gave Me A Sad Look. “then That’s What They Experience.

Believe

Afterlife

Looks

Hope Does Not Leave Without Being Given Permission.

Inspirational

Life

Doe

Dreams Like Podcast. Downloading Truth In My Ears. They Tell Me Cool Stuff.

Dream

Ears

Stuff

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

Party

Hard Work

Done

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.

Dust

Feelings

Body

I've Always Liked The Idea That Writing Is A Form Of Travel. And I Started My Writing Career As A Mystery Novelist For Adults.

Writing

Careers

Ideas

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!

Greek

Wish

Tvs

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.

Powerful

Mean

Weakness

The Real World Is Where The Monsters Are.

Life

Real

Monsters

Jason Scratched His Head. "you Named Him Festus? You Know That In Latin, ‘festus’ Means ‘happy’? You Want Us To Ride Off To Save The World On Happy The Dragon?

Latin

Mean

Dragons

Even From Far Away, I Could See People Being Chased By Hellhounds, Burned At The Stake, Forced To Run Naked Through Cactus Patches Or Listen To Opera Music.

Running

People

Naked

Amos Sipped His Coffee. The Faraway Look On His Face Reminded Me Of My Dad. “i Don’t Want To Scare You.” “too Late.

Dad

Coffee

Scare

A Real Man's Weapon Is His Mind.

Real

Men

Mind

It's Funny How Humans Can Wrap Their Mind Around Things And Fit Them Into Their Version Of Reality.

Life

Reality

Humanity

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!)

Battle

Boxers

Shorts

Back Up Shall We? When My Brother, The Crazy Chicken Warrior, Turned Into A Falcon And Went Up The Pyramid’s Chimney With His New Friend, The Fruit Bat, He Left Me Playing Nurse To Two Very Wounded People—which I Didn’t Appreciate, And Which I Wasn’t Particularly Good At.

Brother

Crazy

Warrior

He’d Learned Years Ago It Was Better Not To Dwell Too Much On Who Was Related To Whom On The Godly Side Of Things. After Tyson The Cyclops Adopted Him As A Brother, Percy Decided That That Was About As Far As He Wanted To Extend The Family.

Brother

Godly

Years

Swords Can’t Solve Every Problem.

Problem

Solve

Mark Of Athena

In The Duat, Anubis Looked As He Always Had, With His Tousled Dark Hair And Lovely Brown Eyes, But I’d Never Seen Him Filled With Such Rage. I Realized That Anyone Who Dared To Hurt Me Would Suffer His Full Wrath, And Walt Wasn’t Going To Hold Him Back.

Hurt

Eye

Dark

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

Liars

Answers

Daedalus

Dakota's Head Was Stuck In His Toga. He Staggered Around Olike A Kool-aid-stained Ghost. "um," Percy Said, "should I Wear My Bed Sheets?

Bed

Togas

Ghost

The Wood Nymph Instructors Left Me In The Dust. They Told Me Not To Worry About It. They'd Had Centuries Of Practice Running Away From Lovesick Gods. But Still, It Was A Little Humiliating To Be Slower Than A Tree.

Running

Dust

Practice

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.

Pigs

Hug

Red

There," Zoë Suggested."by The Embarcadero Building." "good Thinking," Chuck Said. "me And Hank Can Blend In With The Pigeons." We All Looked At Him. "kidding," He Said. "sheesh, Can't A Statues Have A Sense Of Humor?

Thinking

Pigeons

Sense Of Humor

The Waiter Brought Fresh-baked Bread And Cheese, A Bottle Of Sparkling Water For Annabeth, And A Coke With Ice For Me (because I’m A Barbarian).

Ice

Water

Annabeth

Somewhere Behind Me, Zia Yelled, "hippo!" Which I Thought Was A Little Late. ~carter Kane

Littles

Late

Hippo

June Cackled With Delight, Muttering, "whoops!" As A Car Almost Killed Them.

June

Car

Delight

If I Had My Way," Dionysus Said, "i Would Cause Your Molecules To Erupt In Flames. We'd Sweep Up The Ashes And Be Done With A Lot Of Trouble. But Chiron Seems To Feel This Would Be Against My Mission At This Cursed Camp: To Keep You Little Brats Safe From Harm." "spontaneous Combustion Is A Form Of Harm, Mr. D," Chiron Put In. "nonsense," Dionysus Said. "boy Wouldn't Feel A Thing. Nevertheless, I've Agreed To Restrain Myself. I'm Thinking Of Turning You Into A Dolphin Instead, Sending You Back To Your Father.

Father

Boys

Thinking

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.

Trying

I Trust You

Said

Grover Wore His Fake Feet And His Pants To Pass As Human. He Wore A Green Rasta-style Cap, Because When It Rained His Curly Hair Flattened And You Could Just See The Tips Of His Horns. His Bright Orange Backpack Was Full Of Scrap Metal And Apples To Snack On. In His Pocket Was A Set Of Reed Pipes His Daddy Goat Had Carved For Him, Even Though He Only Knew Two Songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 And Hilary Duff's "so Yesterday," Both Of Which Sounded Pretty Bad On Reed Pipes.

Song

Orange

Curly Hair

Before I Could Do Anything Rash, A Familiar Voice Behind Me Said, "hello, Sadie." The Other Girls Let Out A Collective Gasp. My Pulse Quickened From "slow Walk" To "fifty-meter-dash." I Turned And Found That-yes, Indeed-the God Anubis Had Crashed Our Dance.

Girl

Voice

Pulse

I'm Afraid Not." Hades Sighed. "my Son Here Convinced Me That Perhaps I Should Prioritize My List Of Enemies." He Glared At Me With Distaste. "as Much As I Dislike Certain Upstart Demigods, It Would Not Do For Olympus To Fall. I Would Miss Bickering With My Siblings. And If There Is One Thing We Agree On - It Is That You Were A Terrible Father.

Father

Sibling

Fall

Grand Buildings Made Her Feel Better--maybe Because Being In A Place So Permanent Made Her Feel More Permanent.

Feel Better

Building

Made

I Realized That Anyone Who Dared To Hurt Me Would Suffer His Full Wrath, And Walt Wasn’t Going To Hold Him Back.

Hurt

Wrath

Suffering

Like Water Leaking Through A Dam," Said Piper. "yeah," Smiled Percy. "we've Got A Dam Hole." "what?" Piper Asked. "nothing," He Said. "inside Joke.

Water

Dams

Pipers

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

Depressing

People

Percy!” He Bellowed. He Dropped His Broom And Ran At Me. If You’ve Never Been Charged By An Enthusiastic Cyclops Wearing A Flowered Apron And Rubber Cleaning Gloves, I’m Telling You, It’ll Wake You Up Quick.

Wakes You

Gloves

Rubber

Is It Fair Your Life Burns So Short And Bright? Death Had Asked. "no Such Thing As Fair," Frank Told Himself. "if I'm Going To Burn, It Might As Well Be Bright.

Might

Wells

Frank

Yes,' She Said. 'the Great Prophecy Has Begun.' Pandemonium Broke Out.

Broke

Said

Pandemonium

Now, Leave." All Three Boys Slumped Forward. Percy Fell Face-first Into His Pizza. "percy!" Annabeth Grabbed Him.

Boys

Three

Annabeth

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.

Tired

Sea

Water

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

Sea

Helping

Creatures

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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