Background Image

...

Poseidon Held Out His Arms And Gave Me A Hug. I Realized, A Little Embarrassed, That I'd Never Actually Hugged My Dad Before. He Was Warm—like A Regular Human—and He Smelled Of A Salty Beach And Fresh Sea Air.

-Rick Riordan

...

Please Wait....
Translating....

Poseidon Held Out His

Rick Riordan

...

Poseidon Held Out His Arms And Gave Me A Hug. I Realized, A Little Embarrassed, That I'd Never Actually Hugged My Dad Before. He Was Warm—like A Regular Human—and He Smelled Of A Salty Beach And Fresh Sea Air.

Views: 8

Topic

More From Rick Riordan

Mugged By My Own Mother.

The Right Choice Is Hardly Ever The Easy Choice.

Before I Could Lose My Courage, I Said, "don't I Get A Kiss For Luck? It's Kind Of A Tradition, Right?" I Figured She Would Punch Me. Instead, She Drew Her Knife And Stared At The Army Marching Toward Us. "come Back Alive, Seaweed Brain. Then, We'll See.

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

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.

Poseidon Held Out His Arms And Gave Me A Hug. I Realized, A Little Embarrassed, That I'd Never Actually Hugged My Dad Before. He Was Warm—like A Regular Human—and He Smelled Of A Salty Beach And Fresh Sea Air.

I Need To Use The Dam Bathroom, I Need To Use The Dam Snack Bar, I Want A Dam Tee-shirt.

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

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

Everyone Hates Clowns," Otis Said. "even Other Clowns Hate Clowns.

For Once, I Didn't Look Back.

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

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.

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

You Can Do This" I Murmured. "you Are My Brother. I Love You. All The Embarrassing Bits, All The Annoying Bits, Which I Imagine Is Most Of You--a Thousand Zias Might Run Away From You If They Knew The Truth. But I Won't. I'll Still Be Here.

What Exactly Did You Find In Atlanta?” Frank Unzipped His Backpack And Started Bringing Out Souvenirs. “some Peach Preserves. A Couple Of T-shirts. A Snow Globe. And, Um, These Not-really-chinese Handcuffs.” Annabeth Forced Herself To Stay Calm. “how About You Start From The Top—of The Story, Not The Backpack.

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

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

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

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

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

Otis Barreled Towards Them Empty-handed, Before Apparently Realizing That A) He Was Empty-handed And B) Charging Towards A Large Body Of Water To Fight A Son Of Poseidon Was Maybe Not A Good Idea.

Die,human! Die, Silly Polluting Nasty Person!

Behold!" Percy Shouted. "the God's Chosen Beverage. Tremble Before The Horror Of Diet Coke!

It Is True I Do Not Like Fire. But Leo Valdez's Flames Are Not Strong Enough To Trouble Me." Somewhere Behind Hazel, A Soft, Lyrical Voice Said, "what About My Flames, Old Friend?" "you," He Said From Percy's Mouth. "me," Hecate Agreed. "it Has Been Millennia Since I Fought At The Side Of A Demigod. What Do You Say? Shall We Play With Fire?

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.

Bes Had Indeed Put On His Ugly Outfit. He Climbed Onto The Roof Of The Limbo And Stood There, Legs Planted, Arms Akimbo, Like Superman-exept With Only The Underwear. I Wasn't Sure What To Say Except: "put Some Clothes On!" "these Children Are Under My Protection," Bes Insisted. "i Don't Know You," I Said, "i Never Met You Before Today." "nonsense. You Expressly Asked For My Attention." "i Didn't Ask For The Speedo Patrol!

Leo Valdez Deserved A Special Punishment," She [khione] Said. "i Have Sent Him To A Place From Which He Can Never Return.

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.

Stupid Sixteen Year Old Kid Falling From The Sky! I'm Late!

Well … Zeus Approves, Aeolus Muttered. ―he Says … He Says It Would Be Better If You Could Avoid Saving Her Until After The Weekend, Because He Has A Big Party Planned—ow! That‘s Aphrodite Yelling At Him, Reminding Him That The Solstice Starts At Dawn. She Says I Should Help You. And Hephaestus… Yes. Hmm. Very Rare They Agree On Anything. Hold On

There's My Baby!" I Cried, Quite Carried Away, "there's My Poochiekins!" ... "sadie," My Dad Said Firmly, "please Do Not Refer To The Devourer Of Souls As 'poochiekins'.

Elections Only Happen In Two Ways," Reyna Said. "either The Legion Raises Someone On A Shield After A Major Success On The Battlefield-and We Haven't Had Any Major Battles-or We Hold A Ballot On The Evening Of June 24, At The Feast Of Fortuna. That's In Five Days." Percy Frowned. "you Have A Feast For Tuna?

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

I Excel At Pulling Strings!” Said Arachne. “i’m A Spider!

Well, Actually It Carried Cadmus. Europa Fell Off And Died Along The Way, But That's Not Important.' It Was Probably Important To Her.

Leo. Jason Said, You're Wierd. Yeah, You Tell Me That A Lot. Leo Grinned. But If You Don't Remember Me, That Means I Can Reuse All My Old Jokes. Come On!

My Goal In The Classroom Was Always To Make Sure They Were Having So Much Fun That They Didn't Realize They Were Learning.

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

I’d Been To The British Museum Before. In Fact I’ve Been In More Museums Than I Like To Admit—it Makes Me Sound Like A Total Geek. [that’s Sadie In The Background, Yelling I Am A Total Geek. Thanks, Sis.]

So Beckendorf Was Pretty Popular?" Leo Asked. "i Mean-before He Blew Up?

Aphros Nodded, A Glint Of Pride In His Eyes. “we Have Trained All The Famous Mer-heroes! Name A Famous Mer-hero, And We Have Trained Him Or Her!” “oh, Sure,” Leo Said. “like…um, The Little Mermaid?” Aphros Frowned. “who? No! Like Triton, Glaucus, Weissmuller, And Bill!” “oh. ”leo Had No Idea Who Any Of Those People Were. “you Trained Bill? Impressive.

No Man May Be Completely Invulnerable.

So," I (percy) Said Glumly. "we're Going To Get A Ride From Your Brother, Huh?" Artemis's Silver Eyes Gleamed. "yes, Boy. You See, Bianca Di Angelo Is Not The Only One With An Annoying Brother. It's Time For You To Meet My Irresponsible Twin, Apollo.

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

Piper!” Frank Yelled. “counter Those Empousai! We Need Some Chaos.” “thought You’d Never Ask.” She Started Catcalling At The Female Demons: “your Makeup Is Smeared! Your Friend Called You Ugly! That One Is Making A Face Behind Your Back!

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

Stop!" He Yelled At The Others. "multigrain Fighting Is Not Allowed!

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

He Was Dressed Just Like On Tv, With Lots Of Silver Chains And Bracelets, Ripped Jeans, And A Black Muscle Shirt (which Was Kind Of Stupid, Since He Didn't Have Any Muscles).

Love Was The Most Savage Monster Of All.

I Told Tantalus To Go Chase A Doughnut.

Many Of The Best Traps Are Simple. You Just Have To Think About It, And Hope Your Victim Doesn't.

The Baboon Is Driving,” I Noted. “should I Be Worried?

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

Come On," I Said. "i've Got Some Questions For Thoth. And Then I'm Going To Punch Him In The Beak.

Think Long And Hard About How You Proceed, Nico Di Angelo. You Cannot Lie To Cupid. If You Let Your Anger Rule You... Well, Your Fate Will Be Even Sadder Then Mine.

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.

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

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

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.

Sometimes It Is Better To Have Someone You Mistrust Close To You, So That You Can Keep An Eye On Him - Chiron

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

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.

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

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

This Is Graceland. Home Of The Most Famous Musician In The World.” “michael Jackson Lived Here?” “no, Dummy,” Carter Said. “elvis Presley.

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.

Gaea?” Leo Shook His Head. “isn’t That Mother Nature? She’s Supposed To Have, Like, Flowers In Her Hair And Birds Singing Around Her And Dear And Rabbits Doing Her Laundry.” “leo, That’s Snow White,” Piper Said.

I Can’t Believe How Much This Place Has Grown,” Hazel Muttered. The Taxi Driver Grinned In The Rearview Mirror. “been A Long Time Since You Visited, Miss?” “about Seventy Years,” Hazel Said. The Driver Slid The Glass Partition Closed And Drove On In Silence.

The Truth Hit Him. Jason Wasn't Quite Roman Anymore. His Time At Camp Half-blood Had Changed Him. Reyna Had Recognized That. Apparently, So Did The Undead Legionnaires. If Jason No Longer Gave Off The Right Sort Of Vibe, Or Aura Of A Roman Leader.

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

Leo Got Up And Brushed Himself Off. "i Hate That Guy". He Offered Jason His Arm Like They Should Go Skipping Together."i`m Dylan. I`m So Cool, I Want To Date Myself, But I Can`t Figure Out How! You Want To Date Me Instead? You`re So Lucky!" "leo" Jason Said "you`re Weird

I'm So Glad You're Here," Aphrodite Said. "war Is Coming. Bloodshed Is Inevitable. So There's Really Only One Thing To Do." "uh... And That Is?" Annabeth Ventured. "why, Have Tea And Chat, Obviously

Nico Drank From The Chalice, Then Offered It To Jason. "you Asked Me About Trust, And Taking A Risk? Well, Here You Go, Son Of Jupiter. How Much Do You Trust Me?" Frank Wasn't Sure What Nico Was Talking About, But Jason Didn't Hesitate. He Took The Cup And Drank.

Why Did Adults Have To Be So Thick? They Always Say “tell The Truth,” And When You Do, They Don’t Believe You. What’s The Point?

Telling The Truth

No Which Fish Are Big Enough To Land

Coach Hedge Grunted Like He Was Pleased To Have An Excuse. He Unclipped The Megaphone From His Belt And Continued Giving Directions, But His Voice Came Out Like Darth Vader's. The Kids Cracked Up. The Coach Tried Again, But This Time The Megaphone Blared: "the Cow Says Moo!

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

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.

While Coach Hedge Was Having Dinner On The Foredeck, A Wild Pegasus Appeared From Nowhere,stampeded Over The Coach’s Enchiladas, And Flew Off Again, Leaving Cheesy Hoof Prints All Across The Deck. “what Was That For?” The Coach Demanded.

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.

It Was One Of Those And So They Died/the End Stories, That Made Us Demigods Feels All Warm And Fuzzy Inside.-percy

My Sister, With Her Ratty Red-highlighted Hair And Her Linen Pajamas And Her Combat Boots—how Could She Possibly Worry About Being Possessed By A Goddess? What Goddess Would Want Her, Except The Goddess Of Chewing Gum?

Frank Stared At Her. "but You Throw Ding Dongs At Monsters." Iris Looked Horrified. "oh, They're Not Ding Dongs." She Rummaged Under The Counter And Brought Out A Package Of Chocolate Covered Cakes That Looked Exactly Like Ding Dongs. "these Are Gluten-free, No-sugar-added, Vitamin-enriched, Soy-free, Goat-milk-and-seaweed-based Cupcake Simulations." "all Natural!" Fleecy Chimed In. "i Stand Corrected." Frank Suddenly Felt As Queasy As Percy.

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

The Feast Of Fortuna Had Nothing To Do With Tuna, Which Was Fine With Percy.

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

Her Perfume Was A Mixture Of Roses And Tear Gas.

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.

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

Someday, You Will Make An Excellent Guardian Ba.” “thanks,” I Muttered. “can’t Wait To Be Poultry Forever.

How Does Galdoila Know About The Reward?" I Asked. "he Reads The Signs," Grover Said. "duh." "of Course," I Said. "silly Me.

But Magic Is Neither Good Nor Evil. It Is A Tool, Like A Knife. Is A Knife Evil? Only If The Wielder Is Evil.

Yeah, Well,” Nico Said, “not Giving People A Second Thought…that Can Be Dangerous.

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

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

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

The Real World Is Where The Monsters Are.

They Had A Silent Staring Contest, But Percy Didn’t Back Down. When He And Annabeth Started Dating, His Mother Had Drummed It Into His Head: It’s Good Manners To Walk Your Date To The Door. If That Was True, It Had To Be Good Manners To Walk Her To The Start Of Her Epic Solo Death Quest.

Oh...my...god,"drew Whimpered."who..." Anubis Ignored Her (bless Him For That) And Held Out His Elbow For Me - A Sweet Old-fashioned Gesture. " May I Have This Dance?" "i Suppose," I Said,as Non Committally As I Could. I Looped My Arm Through His, And We Left The Plastic Bags Behind Us, All Of Them Muttering,"oh My God! Oh My God!" No ,actually, I Wanted To Say. He's My Amazingly Hot Boy God. Find Your Own.

Let Me Explain: There Are Dragons, And Then There Are Drakons. Drakons Are Several Millennia Older Than Dragons, Andmuch Larger. They Look Like Giant Serpents. Most Don't Have Wings. Most Don't Breathe Fire (though Some Do). All Are Poisonous. All Are Immensely Strong, With Scales Harder Than Titanium. Their Eyes Can Paralyze You; Not The Turn-you~to-stone Medusa-type Paralysis, Buttheoh~my~gods-that~big~snake~is~going~to~eat~me Type Of Paralysis, Which Is Just As Bad.

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

Ancient History

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.

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

Hope," Frank Grumbled. "i'd Rather Have A Few Good Weasels.

Tell The Sun And Stars Hello For Me.

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

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?

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

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

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

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

Then There Was Nico Di Angelo. Dang, That Kid Gave Leo The Freaky-deakies. He Sat Back In His Leather Aviator Jacket, His Black T-shirt And Jeans, That Wicked Silver Skull Ring On His Finger, And The Stygian Sword At His Side. His Tufts Of Black Hair Struck Up In Curls Like Baby Bat Wings. His Eyes Were Sad And Kind Of Empty, As If He’d Stared Into The Depths Of Tartarus—which He Had.

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

A Surgeon Would Never Hesitate To Amputate A Rotting Hand, No Matter How Faithfully It Had Served Its Owner In The Past.

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

How Do We Beat Her? I Asked. You Pretty Much Don’t, Horus Said. She Is The Incarnation Of The Sun’s Wrath. Back In The Day When Ra Was Active, She Would Have Been Much More Impressive, But Still. .she’s Unstoppable. A Born Killer. A Slaying Machine— “okay, I Get It!” I Yelled.

I Should’ve Been Very Cross With Anubis. Kissing Me Without Permission—the Nerve!

He Had A Note Excusing Him From Pe For The Rest Of His Life Because He Had Some Kind Of Muscular Disease In His Legs. He Walked Funny, Like Every Step Hurt Him, But Don't Let That Fool You. You Should've Seen Him Run When It Was Enchilada Day In The Cafeteria.

Teachers And Librarians Are Some Of My Favorite People, Especially Since I Was A Teacher Myself. I Love Talking To Them Because They Have Wonderful Ideas About How To Share Books, And Especially About How To Share My Books With Kids.

I Have To Be Careful. My Readers Are Very Detail-oriented, And If I Make A Mistake They'll Call Me On It.

She Tied Her Blond Hair Back With A Strip Of Denim Torn From Her Pants Leg, And In The Fiery Light Of The River, Her Grey Eyes Flickered. Despite Being Beat-up, Sooty, And Dressed Like A Homeless Person, She Looked Great To Percy. So What If They Were In Tartarus? So What If They Stood A Slim Chance Of Surviving? He Was So Glad That They Were Together, He Had The Ridiculous Urge To Smile.

I Don't Think About Being Famous, Really. Being An Author, I Don't Generally Get Stopped As I Walk Down The Street. It's Not Like Being A Movie Star.

We Only Came Close To Dying Six Or Seven Times, Which I Thought Was Pretty Good. Once, I Lost My Grip And Found Myself Dangling By One Hand From A Ledge Fifty Feet Above The Rocky Surf. But I Found Another Handhold And Kept Climbing. A Minute Later Annabeth Hit A Slippery Patch Of Moss And Her Foot Slipped. Fortunately, She Found Something Else To Put It Against. Unfortunately, That Something Was My Face. "sorry," She Murrmured. "s'okay," I Grunted, Though I'd Never Really Wanted To Know What Annabeth's Sneaker Tasted Like.

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

People Of Earth, I Come In Peace!

Rachel: They Asked Me A Lot Of Questions About You. I Played Dumb. Annabeth: Was It Hard?

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

Heroes!" Euryale Said With Disgust. "they Always Bring That Up, Just Like Our Mother! 'why Can't You Turn People To Stone? Your Sister Can Turn People To Stone.' Well, I'm Sorry To Disappoint You, Boy! That Was Medusa's Curse Alone. She Was The Most Hideous One In The Family. She Got All The Luck!" Stheno Looked Hurt. "mother Said I Was The Most Hideous.

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

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

When I Write, I'm Still Imagining A Kid Reading It On Paper. I Read E-books When I Travel, But In General I Still Prefer Holding An Old-fashioned Book In My Hands. There's A Special, Tactile Experience.

You're A Stalker With Hooves." "i Am Not! I Followed Her To The Big House And Hid In A Bush And Watched The Whole Thing.

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.

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

'are You Guys Busy?' Juniper Asked. 'well,' I Said, 'we're In The Middle Of This Game Against A Bunch Of Monsters And We're Trying Not To Die.' 'we're Not Busy,' Annabeth Said.

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.

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

I Started To Walk Away, But She [clarisse] Called Out, "percy?" "yeah?" "when You, Uh, Had That Vision About Your Friends..." "you Were One Of Them," I Promised, "just Don't Tell Anybody, Okay? Or I'de Have To Kill You." A Faint Smile Flickered Across Her Face "see You Later." "see You

I Have Moments Like That Alot, When My Brain Falls Asleep Or Something, And The Next Thing I Know I've Missed Something, As If A Puzzle Piece Fell Out Of The Universe And Left Me Staring At The Blank Place Behind It. -- Percy Jackson

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

I Guess We're Even,sadie.first,walt And I Rushed Off To Save You In London.then,you And Walt Rushed Off To Save Me.the Only One Who Got Shafted On Both Deals Was Walt.poor Guy Gets Hauled All Over The World Pulling Us Out Of Trouble

All Right Cupcakes Listen Up!

The Whole Campfire Idea Freaked Piper Out. It Made Her Think Of That Huge Purple Bonfire In The Dreams, And Her Father Tied To A Stake. What She Got Instead Was Almost As Terrifying: A Sing-along.

If I'm Dead," He Murmured. "why Does It Hurt So Much?

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!

Oh, Did You Expect Me To Play Fair?" Cupid Laughed. "i Am The God Of Love. I Am Never Fair.

When He Pulled Away, He Smiled Kindly At Me. I Felt So Good, I'll Admit I Teared Up A Little. I Guess Until That Moment I Hadn't Allowed Myself To Realize Just How Terrified I Had Been The Last Few Days. "dad-" "shhh," He Said. "no Hero Is Above Fear, Percy. And You Have Risen Above Every Hero. Not Even Hercules-

While Leo Fussed Over His Helm Controls, Hazel And Frank Relayed The Story Of The Fish-centaurs And Their Training Camp. 'incredible,' Jason Said. 'these Are Really Good Brownies.' 'that's Your Only Comment?' Piper Demanded. He Looked Surprised. 'what? I Heard The Story. Fish-centaurs. Merpeople. Letter Of Intro To The Tiber River God. Got It. But These Brownies--' 'i Know,' Frank Said, His Mouth Full. 'try Them With Ester's Peach Preserves.' 'that,' Hazel Said, 'is Incredibly Disgusting.' 'pass Me The Jar, Man,' Jason Said. Hazel And Piper Exchanged A Look Of Total Exasperation. Boys.

I Come To Writing The Same Way I Come To Teaching, Which Is That My Goal Is Always To Create Life-long Readers.

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

We Choose To Believe In Ma'at. We Create Order Out Of Chaos, Beauty Out Of Ugly Randomness. That's What Egypt Is All About.

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.

I Prefer To Be The Noisiest Thing In My Environment Thank You Very Much.

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

The World Was Collapsing, And The Only Thing That Really Mattered To Me Was That She Was Alive.

I Pulled Out Riptide.

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.

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?

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

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!

Even Little Herley, Who Couldn't Have Been More Than Eight, Looked Like He Could Go Six Rounds With Chuck Norris Without Breaking A Sweat.

Schist," Said An Angry Voice From The Grass. Hazel Raised Her Eyebrows. "excuse Me?" "schist! Big Pile Of Schist!

The Sign Read Mouse Pass Gas Frank: "that's Wrong

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.

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.

Why Does It Have To Be So Hard? Why Can't It Be A Happily-ever-after Ride-into-the-sunset Feeling All The Time?

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

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

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.

Evil Is Easy To Fight. Lack Of Wisdom...that Is Very Hard Indeed.

Zia Turned Toward Us, Her Expression Grim. “i Will Show You To Your Quarters. In The Morning, Your Testing Begins. We Will See What Magic You Know, And How You Know It.” I Wasn’t Sure What She Meant By That, But I Exchanged An Uneasy Look With Sadie. “sounds Fun,” Sadie Ventured. “and It We Fail This Test?” Zia Regarded Her Coldly. “this Is Not The Sort Of Test You Fail, Sadie Kane. You Pass Or You Die.

June Smiled. "so What Will It Be? Safety, Or A Future Of Pain And Possibility?"

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

I’ve Met Plenty Of Embarrassing Parents, But Kronos, The Evil Titan Lord Who Wanted To Destroy Western Civilization? Not The Kind Of Dad You Invited To School For Career Day.

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

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.

Cheers, Carter. At Least You Have The Sense To Hand Me The Microphone For Important Things. Honestly, He Drones On And On About His Plans For The Apocalypse, But He Makes No Plans At All For The School Dance. My Brother's Priorities Are Severely Skewed.

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

He Warned Me The Greediest Wishes Cause The Greatest Sorrows.

Aphrodite: Pfft. That's Not The Point. Follow Your Heart. Percy: But... I Don't Know Where It's Going. My Heart, I Mean.

No Hero Is Above Fear.

Identify The Moral Dilemma Driving The Novel. The Successful Novel Will Haunt A Reader Because It Deals With Some Ethical Or Moral Dilemma That Makes The Reader Wonder What He Or She Would Do In The Protagonist's Place.

The Name Says It All. That's Where Dad (hades) Tries Out His New Punishment Ideas, But He Says The Traditional Ones Still Work Best: The Lava Flows, The Minefields Full Of Exploding Surprises, Burning At The Stake, Running Naked Through Cactus Patches... You Name It, We've Got It Here - Nico Di Angelo

I Imagined Having That Bronzed Dragon In Our Fight Against The Titan Lord Kronos. His Monsters Would Think Twice About Attacking Camp If They Have To Face That Thing. On The Other Hand, If The Dragon Decided To Go Berserk Again And Attack The Campers-that Would Pretty Much Stink.

Die, Enemies Of Ra!" Sekhemet Yelled. "perish In Agony!" "she's Almost As Annoying As You," I Told Horus. "impossible," Horus Said. "no One Bests Horus.

After The Satyrs Filed In To Dinner, The Hermes Cabin Brought Up The Rear. They Were Always The Biggest Cabin. Last Summer It Had Been Led By Luke, The Guy Who Fought With Thalia And Annabeth On Top Of Half-blood Hill. For A While, Before Poseidon Had Claimed Me, I'd Lodged In The Hermes Cabin. Luke Had Befriended Me...and Then He'd Tried To Kill Me.

Doubtful, But It Did Work... "annabeth?" Percy Said Again. "you're Planning Something. You've Got That I'm-planning-something Look." "i Don't Have An I'm-planning-something Look." "yeah, You Totally Do. Your Eyebrows Knit And Your Lips Press Together And ---" "do You Have A Pen?" She Asked Him. "you're Kidding, Right?" He Brought Out Riptide. "yes, But Can You Actually Write With It?" "i--i Don't Know," He Admitted. "never Tried.

Apollo?” I Guessed… He Put A Finger To His Lips. “i’m Incognito. Call Me Fred.” A God Named Fred?

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.

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

What Colors Are The Eyes Of Anubis?" "brown...duh.

The Thing About Plummetting Downhill At Fifty Miles An Hour On A Snack Platter - If You Realize It's A Bad Idea When You're Halfway Down, It's Too Late.

A Vampire!" I Stammered. Then I Noticed Her Legs. Below The Cheerleader Skirt, Her Left Leg Was Brown And Shaggy With A Donkey's Hoof. Her Right Leg Was Shaped Like A Human Leg Was It Was Made Of Bronze. "uhh, A Vampire With-" "don't Mention The Legs!" Tammi Snapped. "it's Rude To Make Fun.

The First Time Calypso Came To Check On [leo], It Was To Complain About The Noise. “smoke And Fire,” She Said. “clanging On Metal All Day Long. You’re Scaring Away The Birds!” “oh, No, Not The Birds!

My Fatal Flaw Is Hubris. The Brown Stuff They Spread On Veggie Sandwiches? No, Seaweed Brain. That's Hummus. Hubris Is Worse. What Could Be Worse Than Hummus?

She Whirled When The Monster Was Almost On Top Of Her. I Thought The Thing In Her Hands Was An Umbrella Until She Cranked The Pump And The Shotgun Blast Blew The Giant Twenty Feet Backwards, Right Into Nico's Sword. "nice One," Paul Said. "when Did You Learn To Fire A Shotgun?" I Demanded. My Mom Blew The Hair Out Of Her Face. "about Two Seconds Ago. Percy, We'll Be Fine. Go!

Alabaster, You Told Me Earlier That Heroes Don't Die. You May Be Right, But I Can Tell You One Thing." Claymore Looked The Boy In The Eyes. "i'm Not A Hero.

This Is Leo. I'm The... What's My Title? Am I Like, Admiral, Or Captain, Or..." "repair Boy." "very Funny, Piper.

Trending Author

Charles Henry Parkhurst

Melanie Lynskey

Category