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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.

-Rick Riordan

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Looking Up In The

Rick Riordan

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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.

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Artemis Grit Her Teeth. "i Need A Favor. I Have Some Hunting To Do, Alone. I Need You To Take My Companions To Camp Half-blood." "sure Sis!" Then He Raised His Hands In A "stop Everything" Gesture. "i Feel A Haiku Coming On." The Hunters All Groaned. Apparently They'd Met Apollo Before. He Cleared His Throat And Held Up One Hand Dramatically. "green Grass Breaks Through Snow. Artemis Pleads For My Help. I Am So Awesome.

We Are Servants Of Ma’at—order And Justice. We Don’t Kill Our Enemies For Things They Might Do In The Future.

Nico's Voice Was Like Broken Glass. "i- I Wasn't In Love With Annabeth." "you Were Jealous Of Her," Jason Said. "that's Why You Didn't Want To Be Around Her. Especially Why You Don't Want To Be Around... Him. It Makes Total Sense.

What-what Do You Want?" Annabeth Asked, Trying To Maintain A Tone Of Confidence. The Voice Cackled Maliciously. 'to Curse You, Of Course! To Destroy You Thousand Times In The Name Of Mother Night!' "only A Thousand Times?" Percy Murmured. "oh, Good...i Thought We Were In Trouble.

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

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

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!

Hazel!” He Yelled. “that Box! Open It!” She Hesitated, Then Saw The Box He Meant. Te Label Read Warning. Do Not Open. “open It!” Leo Yelled Again.

Holy Mother!" "hmph. More Like Holy Father. I'd Think You'd Know The Difference." -hephaetus

Patterns Repeat Themselves In History

That Perseus Always Won. That's Why My Momhad Named Me After Him, Even If He Was Son Of Zeus Ann I Was Son Of Posidon. The Original Perseus Was One Of The Only Heros In The Greek Myths Who Got A Happy Ending. The Others Died-betrayed, Mauled, Mutilated, Poisoned, Or Cursed By The Gods. My Mom Hoped I Would Inherit Perseus's Luck. Judging By How My Life Was Going So Far, I Wasn't Too Optimistic.

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.

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

A Guy In Greek Armor Drew His Sword And Charged, But Slipped In A Puddle Of Pina Colada.

Me? I Slept Like The Dead, Which I Hoped Wasn’t A Sign Of Things To Come.

If Anybody Felt Worse Than I Did, It Was Amos. I Had Just Enough Magic To Turn Myself Into A Falcon And Him Into A Hamster (hey, I Was Rushed!)

I Enjoy Writing For Both Kids And Adults, Though I Think I'm Better At Children's Stories Because I Was A Teacher For So Long, And I Know That Audience Well. The Process Is No Different Whether I'm Writing For Children Or Adults. Really, The Elements Of Making A Good Story Are The Same.

I Wondered If I Would Appear On A Temple Wall Painting Someday. A Blonde Egyptian Girl With Purple Highlights Running Sideways Through The Palm Trees, Screaming "yikes!" In Hieroglyphics As Neith Chased After Me. The Thought Of Some Poor Archaeologist Trying To Figure That Out Almost Lifted My Spirits.

Egypt Is The First Nome. New York Is The Twenty-first. What’s The Last One, The Three-hundred-and-sixtieth?” “that Would Be Antarctica,” Zia Said. “a Punishment Assignment. Nothing There But A Couple Of Cold Magicians And Some Magic Penguins.” “magic Penguins?” “don’t Ask.

Earthshaker, Stormbreaker, Father Of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son Of The Sea God

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.

Heroes Like You Always Have A Weak Spot. We Just Have To Find It, And Then We Can Kill You. Won't That Be Lovely? Have A Cheese 'n' Wiener!

And I Was Holding Someone Who Was Destined To Be My Best Friend, Or Possibly My Worst Enemy.

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.

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

Powdered Donuts," Tyson Said Earnestly. "i Will Look For Powdered Donuts In The Wilderness." He Headed Outside And Started Calling, "here, Donuts!

Nothing Like Adhd And A Good Fight To The Death To Make Time Fly

Being Turned Into A Lizard Can Really Mess Up Your Day.

Before Keto Could Notice, Hedge Pointed Towards The Top Of The Amphitheater. It Looked Like He Might Be Screaming, Gods Of Olympus, What Is That? Keto Turned. Coach Hedge Promptly Took Off His Fake Foot And Ninja-kicked Her In The Back Of The Head With His Goat Hoof.

His Left Eyebrow Crept Higher And Higher As I Told Him The Strange Bits Like The Glowing Letters And Serpent Staff. "well, Sadie," Inspector Williams Said. "you've Got Quite An Imagination." "i'm Not Lying, Inspector. And I Think Your Eyebrow Is Trying To Escape." He Tried To Look At His Own Eyebrows, Then Scowled.

I Think The More You Understand Myths, The More You Understand The Roots Of Our Culture And The More Things Will Resonate. Do You Have To Know Them? No, But Certainly It Is Nice To Recognise How Deeply These Things Are Embedded In Our Literature, Our Art.

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

Just Keep Moving

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

I Found That Things Weren't Going Well Upstairs. Carter Was A Crumpled Heap Of Chicken Warrior On The Slope Of The Pyramid.

And Now, Sis. Transportation For The Hunters, You Say? Good Timing. I Was Just About Ready To Roll." These Demigods Will Also Need A Ride," Artemis Said, Pointing To Us. "some Of Chiron's Campers." No Problem!" Apollo Checked Us Out. "let's See... Thalia, Right? I've Heard All About You.". Thalia Blushed. "hi, Lord Apollo." Zues's Girl. Yes? Makes You My Half Sister. Used To Be A Tree Didn't You? Glad Your Back. I Hate It When Pretty Girls Get Turned Into Trees. Man, I Remeber One Time-

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!

He [percy] Pleaded With Those Sea-green Eyes, Like A Cute Baby Seal That Needed Help. Piper Wondered How Annabeth Ever Won An Argument With This Guy.

Look, I Never Wanted To Be A Half-blood. Most Of The Time It Gets You Killed In Nasty, Dangerous Ways.

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?

If I'm Going To Survive, It Won't Be Because I Have A Lion-skin Cloak. I'm Not Hercules.

Always, Always Have A Plan

Maybe Being Home Schooled, Carter Didn’t Realize That “test” Is Normally A Bad Thing.

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!

My Name Is Percy Jackson. I'm Twelve Years Old. Until A Few Months Ago, I Was A Boarding Student At Yancy Academy, A Private School For Troubled Kids In Upstate New York. Am I A Troubled Kid? Yeah. You Could Say That.

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

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

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.

It Isn’t Easy Being A Brilliant Inventor, Always Alone. Always Misunderstood. Easy To Turn Bitter, Make Horrible Mistakes. People Are More Difficult To Work With Than Machines. And When You Break A Person, He Can’t Be Fixed. -hephaestus

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.

Gabe Scratched His Double Chin. "maybe If You Hurry With The Seven-layer Dip...and Maybe If The Kid Apologizes For Interrupting My Poker Game." Maybe If I Kick You In Your Soft Spot, I Thought. And Make You Sing Soprano For A Week.

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.

Sanchez Looked At Me And We Locked Eyes A Second Too Long. There Was Nothing I Could Do About It. The Signal Went Out. A Moment Of Clear, Silent Hostility Passed Between Us As Hotly Charged And Unintentional As A Thousand-volt Arc Through A Squirrel.

A Real Man's Weapon Is His Mind.

I Stared At Her. Maybe I Wasn't The Brightest Guy In The World When It Came To Girls, But I Was Pretty Sure Rachel Had Just Dumped Me, Which Was Lame Considering We'd Never Even Been Together.

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?

As Long As We`re Together

I Sailed On The Cold Air Currents Above The Rooftops Of Paris. I Could See The River, The Louvre Museum, The Gardens And Palaces. And A Mouse-yum. Hang On, Carter, I Thought. Not Hunting Mice.

I Get Letters From College Kids Who Have Read Percy Jackson When They Were Younger Who Tell Me, 'i Just Passed My Classics Exam.' The Books Are Accurate Enough That They Can Serve As A Gateway To Homer And Virgil.

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

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

He Had No Idea Where The Stereotype Of Dumb Giggly Blondes Came From. Ever Since He'd Met Annabeth At The Grand Canyon Last Winter,when She'd Marched Toward Him With That Give Me Percy Jackson Or I’ll Kill You Expression, Leo Had Thought Of Blondes As Much Too Smart And Much Too Dangerous.

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.

George Unhinged His Jaw And Coughed Up A Little Plastic Bottle Filled With Chewable Vitamins. "you're Kidding," I Said. "are Those Minotaur-shaped?" Hermes Picked Up The Bottle And Rattled It. "the Lemon Ones, Yes. The Grape Ones Are Furies, I Think. Or Are They Hydras? At Any Rate, These Are Potent."

Humor Was A Good Way To Hide The Pain.

Who Are You?" Ethan Nakamura. I Have To Kill You." ??

This Is The Wilderness School. 'where The Kids Are Animals

Tell The Sun And Stars Hello For Me.

Die Human, Die!! Die Nasty Polluting Person!!!!' Yelled Grover. I Turned Him So He Faced Me. He Kept On Clicking His Plastic Gun Towards Me As If I Was Part Of The Game.

It Takes Strength And Courage To Admit The Truth.

I Am Never, Ever, Going To Make Things Easy For You, Seaweed Brain. Get Used To It.

Frank Imitated The Voice Of Vitellius: 'they're Wimps! Back In My Day, We Died All The Time, And We Liked It!

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?

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.

See, Bad Things Happen To Me On Field Trips. Like At My Fifth-grade School, When We Went To The Saratoga Battlefield, I Had This Accident With A Revolutionary War Cannon. I Wasn't Aiming For The School Bus, But Of Course I Got Expelled Anyway. - Percy Jackson

Doughboy," I Said. "what Is This Scroll?" "a Spell Lost In Time!" He Pronounced. "ancient Words Of Tremendous Power!" "well?" I Demanded. "does It Tell How To Defeat Set?" "better! The Title Reads: The Book Of Summoning Fruit Bats!

My Point Is That Love Is The Most Powerful Motivator In The World. It Spurs Mortals To Greatness. Their Noblest, Bravest Acts Are Done For Love.

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

Far, Far Below, Red Liquid Bubbled. Blood? Lava? Evil Ketchup? None Of The Posibilities Were Good.

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.

Ever Hold Your Hand Over A Torch (sorry, A Flashlight For You Americans).

Bast Crouched Down And Began Making Weird Chittering Noises. Uh-oh. She Was Imitating Birds. I'd Seen Enough Cats Do This When They Were Stalking. Suddenly My Own Obituary Flashed In My Head: Carter Kane, 14, Tragically Died In Paris Wen He Was Eaten By His Sister's Cat, Muffin.

If You Don't Like It You Can Kiss My Quiver

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

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

Getting Something And Having The Wits To Use It...those Are Two Different Things.

Damien Vesper Didn't Plan On Killing Anyone Today

Unless You Stop Him. Perhaps Next We Meet." "you'll Be Just As Annoying?" I Guessed. He Fixed My With Those Warm Brown Eyes. "or Perhaps You Could Bring Me Up To Speed On Those Modern Courtship Rituals." I Sat There Stunned Until He Gave Me A Glimpse Of A Smile-just Enough To Let Me Know He Was Teasing. Then He Disappeared. "oh, Very Funny!" I Yelled.

I Touched The Combination Lock. I Concentrated So Hard I Felt Like I Was Dead-lifting Five Hundred Pounds. My Pulse Quickening. A Line Of Sweat Trickled Down My Nose. Finally I Felt Gears Turning. Metal Groaned, Tumblers Clicked, And The Bolts Popped Back. Carefully Avoiding The Handle, I Pried Open The Door With My Fingertips And Extracted An Unbroken Vial Of Green Liquid. Hal Exhaled. Thalia Kissed Me On The Cheek, Which She Probably Shouldn't Haven't Done While I Was Holding A Tube Of Deadly Poison. "you Are So Good," She Said. Did That Make The Risk Worth? Yeah, Pretty Much.

The Bridge Fell Away Into The Chasm, And The Cyclops Howled ... With Delight, Because He Was Standing Right Next To Us.

Here's A Tip, Alyconeus. Next Time You Choose The Biggest State For Your Home, Don't Set Up Base In The Part That's Only 10 Miles Wide. Welcome To Canada, Idiot.

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

I Keep Forgetting About Your Amnesia. Heh. Forgetting About Amnesia. That's Funny.

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

I Am Committed To Writing Appropriate Books For The Middle Grades. This Means No Bad Language, No Gratuitous Or Explicit Violence, And No Sexual Content Beyond What You Might Find In A Pg-rated Movie – Expressions Of Who Likes Whom, Holding Hands, And Perhaps The Occasional Kiss. The Idea That We Should Treat Sexual Orientation Itself As An Adults-only Topic, However, Is Absurd. Non-heterosexual Children Exist. To Pretend They Do Not, To Fail To Recognize That They Have Needs For Support And Validation Like Any Child, Would Be Bad Teaching, Bad Writing, And Bad Citizenship.

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

I'll Succeed,' Hazel Promised. 'and Hecate? I'm Not Choosing One Of Your Paths. I'm Making My Own.

That’s Narmer With The Spoon,” I Guessed. “angry Because The Other Bloke Stole His Breakfast Cereal?

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

Think Positive Girl, Or The World Ends.

Amos Stopped Before The Entrance, Which Was The Size Of A Garage Door—a Dark Heavy Square Of Timber With No Visible Handle Or Lock. “carter After You.” “um, How Do I—” “how Do You Think?” Great Another Mystery. I Was About To Suggest We Ram Amos’s Head Against It And See If That Worked.

Dealing With Any Man Means Dealing With Multiple Personalities.

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.

True Success Requires Sacrifice.

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

Some Risks Are Worth Taking, Even If It Means Losing A Life.

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.

Juno: "the Heroes Of Olympus Must Unite! After Your Victory Over Kronos In Manhattan...well I Fear That Wounded Jupiter's Self-esteem." Percy: Cause I Was Right And He Was Wrong" Juno: "he Should Be Used To That After Being Married To Me So Long, But Alas.

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

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!

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

Brother Dear,” I Said, “did Your Soul Leave Your Body While Amos Was Talking, Or Did You Actually Hear Him? Egyptian Gods Real. Red Lord Bad. Red Lord’s Birthday: Very Soon, Very Bad. House Of Life: Fussy Magicians Who Hate Our Family Because Dad Was A Bit Of A Rebel, Whom You Could Take A Lesson From. Which Leaves Us—just Us—with Dad Missing, An Evil God About To Destroy The World, And An Uncle Who Just Jumped Off The Building—and I Can’t Actually Blame Him.” I Took A Breath. [yes, Carter, I Do Have To Breathe Occasionally.]

I Hate It When People Let Me Down, When Things Are Temporary. I Think That's Why I Want To Be An Architect." "to Build Something Permanent," I Said. "a Monument To Last A Thousand Years.

Great,” Percy Said. “i Always Wanted To Be Glue.

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.

The World May Need Fixing, But It's Worth Preserving.

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.

I Try To Craft Books That Are Fun, That Are Sort Of Subversively Educational So Kids Learn But They Don't Really Feel Like They're Being Lectured To, And I Want Kids To Always Finish One Of My Books And Think, "that Was Great, Where's The Next One?"

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.

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.

Oh You Two Look Delicious," Bast Said, Licking Her Lips. "no, No-er, I Mean Wonderful. Now, Off You Go!

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

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

She Wanted Me To Betray You Guys, And I Was Like, 'pfft, Right, I'm Gonna Listen To A Face In The Potty Sludge'.

I've Got This." Apollo Stepped Forward. His Fiery Armor Was So Bright It Was Hard To Look At, And His Matching Ray-bans And Perfect Smile Made Him Look Like A Male Model For Battle Gear. "god Of Medicine, At Your Service.

Now, My Brethren!" Poseidon's Voice Was So Loud I Wasn't Sure If I Was Hearing It From The Smoke Image Or From All The Way Across Town. "strike For Olympus!

A Truly Great Artist Has Many Talents.

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.

Travis: The Aphrodite Kids Were Ripping Each Other’s Clothes And Throwing Lipstick And Jewellery. It Was Like A Rabid Herd Of Wild Bratz.

I Never Thought I'd Get To See Rome," Hazel Said. "when I Was Alive, I Mean For The First Time, Mussolini Was In Charge. We Were At War." "mussolini?" Leo Frowned. "wasn't He Like Bff's With Hitler?" Hazel Stared At Him Like He Was An Alien. "bff's?" "never Mind." "i'd Love To See The Trevi Fountain," She Said. "there's A Fountain On Every Block," Leo Grumbled. "or The Spanish Steps," Hazel Said. "why Would You Come To Italy To See Spanosh Steps?" Leo Asked. "that's Like Going To China For Mexican Food, Isn't It?" "you're Hopeless," Hazel Complained. "so I've Been Told.

Life Is Only Precious Because It Ends, Kid.

I Can't Summon Anymore Gas!" Leo Warned. The His Faced Turned Red. 'wow, That Came Out Wrong. I Mean The Burning Kind.

Silena Appeared Out Of The Woods, Her Sword Drawn. Her Aphrodite Armour Was Pink And Red, Colour Coordinated To Match Her Clothes And Makeup. She Looked Like Guerilla Warfare Barbie.

Five Syllables," Apollo Said, Counting Them On His Fingers. "that Would Be Real Bad.

For The Rest Of My Life I Would Always Be Thinking About Her. She Would Always Be My Biggest What If. -perseus Jackson

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

Set’s Storm Is Gathering,” Amos Said With A Twinkle In His Eyes. “shall We Drive Into Is?

Hades Raised An Eyebrow. When He Sat Forward In His Throne, Shadowy Faces Appeared In The Folds Of His Black Robes, Faces Of Torment,as If The Garment Was Stitched Of Trapped Souls From The Fields Of Punishment, Trying To Get Out. The Adhd Part Of Me Wondered, Off-task, Whether The Rest Of His Clothes Were Made The Same Way. What Horrible Things Would You Have To Do In Your Life To Get Woven Into Hades' Underwear?

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

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

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.

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.

Almost Everything Strange Washes Up Near Miami.

Sea Of Monsters

I Want A Room Decorated With Bones!" Dan Said. "where'd They Come From?" "cemeteries," Amy Said. "back In The 1700s, The Cemeteries Were Getting Overcrowded, So They Decided To Dig Up Tons Of Old Bodies–all Their Bones–and Move Them Into The Catacombs. The Thing Is...look At The Dates. See When They Started Moving Bones Into The Catacombs?" Dan Squinted At The Screen. He Didn't See What She Was Talking About. "is It My Birthday?

Great, I Thought. We Just Blowtorched A National Monument.

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.

Chiron Insisted That We Talk About The Labyrinth In The Morning Which Is Like 'hey, Your Life's In Mortal Danger. Sleep Tight!

Piper To Drew: P: In Case Youthink Im Not A True Daughter Of Aphrodite Dont Even Look At Jason Grace. He May Not Know It Yet But He’s Mine. If You Even Try To Make A Move, I Will Load You Into A Catapult And Shoot You Across Long Island Sound.

I Want To Build Some Thing Permanent.

I Stepped Forward. Call Me Old-fashioned, But I Wanted To Keep His Focus On Me And Not Annabeth. I Think It’s Polite For A Guy To Protect His Girlfriend From Instant Incineration.

Tyson! Thank The Gods, Annabeth Is Hurt!" "you Thank The Gods That She Is Hurt?" He Asked, Puzzled.

Freak Is Easily Spooked. Flesh-eating Monsters Tend To Scare Him Away. So Do Fireworks, Clowns, And The Smell Of Sadie's Weird British Ribena Drink. (can't Blame Him On That Last One. Sadie Grew Up In London And Developed Some Pretty Strange Tastes.

Love And War Always Go Together. They Are The Peaks Of Human Emotion! Evil And Good, Beauty And Ugliness

Save Yourselves!" Percy Warned. "it Is Too Late For Us!" Then He Gasped And Pointed To The Spot Where Frank Was Hiding. "oh No! Frank Is Turning Into A Crazy Dolphin!" Nothing Happened. "i Said," Percy Repeated, "frank Is Turning Into A Crazy Dolphin." Frank Stumbled Out Of Nowhere, Making A Big Show Of Grabbing His Throat. "oh No," He Said, Like He Was Reading From A Teleprompter, "i Am Turning Into A Crazy Dolphin.

Hera: Ohh, Thalia Grace, When I Get Out Of Here, You'll Be Sorry You Were Ever Born. Thalia: Save It! You've Been Nothing But A Curse To Every Child Of Zeus For Ages. You Sent A Bunch Of Intestinally Challenged Cows After My Friend Annabeth Hera: She Was Disrespectful! Thalia: You Dropped A Statue On My Legs. Hera: It Was An Accident! Thalia: And You Took My Brother

Carter Kane, 14, Died Tragically In Paris When He Was Eaten By His Sister’s Cat Muffin.

Curse Us Eh/i'll Make You Pay!/i Don't Want To Rhyme All Day!

We Wandered The Halls Of An Infinite Magic Nursing Home, Led By A Hippo Nurse With A Torch. Really, Just An Ordinary Night For The Kanes.

Leo Had Wanted To Paint A Giant Message On The Bottom Of The Hull-wassup? With A Smiley-face-but Annabeth Had Vetoed The Idea.

Boys Are Usually Forbidden To Have Any Contact With The Hunters. The Last One To See This Camp..." She Looked At Zoe. "which One Was It?" That Boy In Colorado," Zoe Said. "you Turned Him Into A Jackalope." Ah, Yes." Artemis Nodded, Satisfied. "i Enjoy Making Jackalopes.

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.

And You, Percy, Are My Favorite Son.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

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.

Would Grandmother Scold Him? Would She Say, “frank! Thank The Gods, You've Come. I'm Surrounded By Monsters.” More Likely She'd Scold Him, Or Mistake Them For Intruders And Chase Them Off With A Frying Pan.

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

The Sign Was Spray-painted In Arabic And English, Probably From Some Attempt By The Farmer To Sell His Wares In The Market. The English Read: Dates-best Price. Cold Bebsi. "bebsi?" I Asked. "pepsi," Walt Said. "i Read About It On The Internet. There's No 'p' In Arabic. Everyone Here Calls The Soda Bebsi." "so You Have To Have Bebsi With Your Bizza?" "brobably.

Spontaneous Combustion Is A Form Of Harm, Mr. D," Chiron Put In.

Surfing?” He Asked. She Laughed, And The Sound Sent A Shock Wave Through The Water. The Wailing Faded To Background Noise. Annabeth Wondered If Anyone Had Ever Laughed In Tartarus Before—just A Pure, Simple Laugh Of Pleasure. She Doubted It.

Background Noise

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

Your Destiny Grows Clearer, Jason Grace. When The Choice Comes Again- Storm Or Fire- Remember Me. And Do Not Despair.

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

I Will Call Him Small Bob," Said Bob. "he Is A Good Monster." End Of Discussion.the Titan Hefted His Spear And They Continued Marching Into The Gloom.

How Flattering,” I Grumbled. “my Soul Glows.

Now The Tattoos," Zia Announced. "brilliant!" I Said. "on Your Tongue," She Added. "excuse Me?

Tyson Dropped The Two Warriors He Was About To Tie Into A Knot And Jogged After Us. He Jumped On The Centaur's Back. 'dude!' The Centaur Groaned, Almost Buckling Under Tyson's Weight. 'do The Words "low-carb Diet" Mean Anything To You?

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

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.

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

It Was Like Percy Had Faced Death Before, Like He Knew About Grief. What Mattered Was Listening. You Didn’t Need To Say You Were Sorry. The Only Thing That Helped Was Moving On—moving Forward.

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.

Leo Fell In Love With Every Girl He Saw-as Long As She Was Completely Out Of His League.

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

We Tend To Think Of Divorced Or Complicated Families As A Modern Invention, And That Is Not At All True. You Only Have To Read The Greek Myths To See Broken Homes, Widows, Divorce, Stepchildren, Children Trying To Get Along With New Parents.

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

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.

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.

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.

Coach Hedge Grumbled As He Tended Their Wounds. “how Come I Never Get Invited On These Violent Trips?

She Had To Go On This Quest. The Fate Of The World Might Depend On It. But Part Of Him Wanted To Say: Forget The World. He Didn’t Want To Be Without Her.

Leo Scratched His Head. “well I Dunno About Enchiladas-“ “enceladus,” Piper Corrected. “whatever. But Old Potty Face Mentioned Another Name. Porpoise Fear, Or Something?” “porphyrion?” Piper Asked. ”he Was The Giant King, I Think.

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

Who Are You And Why Are You My Cat?

If You're Heading Downtown From Centeral Park, My Advice Is To Take The Subway. Flying Pigs Are Faster But Way More Dangerous

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

The Horse Seemed To Bend Time And Space As He Ran, Blurring The Landscape And Making Frank Feel Like He'd Just Drunk A Gallon Of Whole Milk Without His Lactose-intolerance Medicine: "seven Hundred And Fifty Miles Per Hour. Eight Hundred. Eight Hundred And Three. Fast. Very Fast.

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

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.

So You Can't Live In Manhattan?' She Asked. Amos's Brow Furrowed As He Looked Across At The Empire State Building. 'manhattan Has Other Problems. Other Gods. It's Best We Stay Separate.

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.

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

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