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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.

-Rick Riordan

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Unless You Stop Him.

Rick Riordan

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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.

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

This Is Annabeth,” Jason Said. “uh, Normally She Doesn't Judo-flip People.

Zoe Readied Her Arrows. Grover Lifted His Pipes. Thalia Raised Her Shield And I Noticed A Tear Running Down Her Cheek. Suddenly It Occurred To Me: This Had Happened To Her Before.she Had Been Cornered On Half- Blood Hill. She'd Willingly Given Her Life For Her Friends. But This Time She Couldn't Save Us.

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.

You’re That Lady,” Leo Said. “the One Who Was Named After Caribbean Music.” Her Eyes Glinted Murderously. “caribbean Music.” “yeah. Reggae?” Leo Shook His Head. “merengue? Hold On, I’ll Get It.” He Snapped His Fingers. “calypso!

Leo,” Hazel Gasped, “i Can’t—my Arms—” “hazel,” He Said. “do You Trust Me?” “no!” “me Neither,” Leo Admitted.

Knowing Too Much Of Your Future Is Never A Good Thing.

Forget The Chicken-nugget Smoke Screen. Percy Wanted Leo To Invent An Anti-dream Hat.

Team Leo!~ Leo Valdez

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

Calm Down, Horus Said. "don't Tell Me To Calm Down!" Bast Frowned. "i Didn't." "talking To Him!" I Pointed At My Forehead.

You Mix Greek And Roman, You Know What You Get? You Get Bam!

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.

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.

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

I Have Some Extra Costumes-" "no!" Ephialtes Snapped, And For Once Percy Was In Agreement.

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

But Yes. Come, Faulty Dragon People. Follow Us.

I Pictured My Mom, Alone In Our Little Apartment On The Upper East Side. I Tried To Remember The Smell Of Her Blue Waffles In The Kitchen. It Seemed So Far Away.

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

If You Were A God, How Would You Like Being Called A Myth, An Old Story To Explain Lightning? What If I Told You, Perseus Jackson, That Someday People Would Call You A Myth, Just Created To Explain How Little Boys Can Get Over Losing Their Mothers?

Knowledge Of Any Value Can't Be Given. It Must Be Sought And Earned

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

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

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!

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

I Knew There Was A Reason I Didnt Turn You Into A Banana Slug." Leonid'd Eyes Widened. "no Banana Slug! Please!" "it Was A Compliement, Silly. Forbidden Is Good! Sadie Likes Forbidden!

But This Plan Of Yous!' Tawaret Shuddered, Causing A Tsunami Of Jiggling Hippo Flesh.

Amy Gritted Her Teeth. "king Louis Xvi Even Put Franklin's Picture On A Chamber Pot!" Jonah Looked At His Dad. "do We Have Souvenir Chamber Pots?" "no." His Dad Whipped Out His Phone. "i'll Make The Call.

Everyone Thinks You've Been Kidnapped," He Said. "we've Been Scouring The Ship. When Coach Hedge Finds Out- Oh, Gods, You've Been Here All Night?" "frank!" Annabeth's Ears Were As Red As Strawberries. "we Just Came Down Here To Talk. We Fell Asleep. Accidentally. That's It." "kissed A Couple Of Times," Percy Said. Annabeth Glared At Him. "not Helping!

You Drool When You Sleep.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

If You've Ever Tried Ba Travel, I Wouldn't Recommend It-- Unless Of Course You Fancy Turning Into A Phantom Chicken And Rafting Uncontrollably Through The Currents Of The Duat.

Dealing With Any Man Means Dealing With Multiple Personalities.

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.

Leo Waited While The Fish Centaur Put Away His Supplies. Aphros's Lobster-claw Horns Kept Swimming Around In His Thick Hair, And Leo Had To Resist The Urge To Try And Rescue Them.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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!

That's It, Cupcake. You're Going Down.

You Put The Set Animal In Your Locker? Do You Know How Much Strength That Requires?” “yeah,” I Said. “i Was There.

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

Sometimes, It Takes Us A While To Appreciate Something New, Something That Might Change Us For The Better.

He Could't Have Survied A Hundred Foot Drop. I'm Sorry Annabeth.

Are You Kidding?" She Looked At Me As If I'd Just Dropped From The Moon. Her Cheeks Were Bright Red. "what's The Problem Now?" I Demanded. "me, Go With You To The...the 'thrill Ride Of Love'? How Embarrassing Is That? What If Somebody Saw Me?" "who's Going To See You?" But My Face Was Burning Now, Too. Leave It To A Girl To Make Everything Complicated. "fine," I Told Her. "i'll Do It Myself." But When I Started Down The Side Of The Pool, She Followed Me, Muttering About How Boys Always Messed Things Up.

The Death Mist Is Not For Helping!" Akhlys Shrieked. "it Shrouds Mortals In Misery As Their Souls Pass Into The Underworld. It Is The Very Breath Of Tartarus, Of Death, Of Despair!" "awesome," Percy Said. "could We Get Two Orders Of That To Go?

Yeah." He Took One Last Look At The Cityscape Of Rome, Turning Bloodred In The Sunset. "festus, Raise The Sails. We've Got Some Friends To Save.

Destroy It?' Leo Was Appalled. 'you've Got A Life-size Bronze Dragon, And You Want To Destroy It?' 'it Breathes Fire,' Nyssa Explained. 'it's Deadly And Out Of Control.' 'but It's A Dragon!

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

The Best People Have The Rottenest Luck

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-

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.

Hmm…” Jason Snapped His Fingers. “i Can Call A Friend For A Ride.” Percy Raised His Eyebrows. “oh, Yeah? Me Too. Let's See Whose Friend Gets Here First.

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.

Keep Climbing,' He Told Himself. 'cheeseburgers,' His Stomach Replied. 'shut Up,' He Thought. 'with Fries,' His Stomach Complained.

Then There Were The Shabti, Magical Figurines That Were Supposed To Come To Life When Summoned. A Few Months Ago, I’d Fallen For A Girl Named Zia Rashid, Who’d Turned Out To Be A Shabti. Falling In Love For The First Time Had Been Hard Enough. But When The Girl You Like Turns Out To Be Ceramic And Cracks To Pieces Before Your Eyes—well, It Gives “breaking Your Heart” A New Meaning.

Falling In Love

Why Would Roman Gods Want To Date Chinese Canadians?

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

He Had A Crush On A Blueberry Bush Once.

I Thought Maybe He Was Seeing Another Tree. - Juniper

According To Festus, Our Flying Table, Buford, Made It Back Safely While We Were In Charleston, So Those Eagles Didn't Get Him. Unfortunately, He Lost The Laundry Bag With Your Pants." "dang It!" Frank Barked, Which Leo Figured Was Probably Severe Profanity For Him. No Doubt Frank Would've Cursed Some More -busting Out The Golly Gees And The Gosh Darns- But Percy Interrupted By Doubling Over And Groaning. "did The World Just Turn Upside Down?" He Asked. Jason Pressed His Hands To His Head. "yeah, And It's Spinning. Everything Is Yellow. Is It Supposed To Be Yellow?

We Need Music," Nico Said. "how's Your Singing?" "um, No. Can't You Just, Like, Tell It To Open? You're The Son Of Hades And All." "it's Not So Easy. We Need Music." I Was Pretty Sure If I Tried To Sing, All I Would Cause Was An Avalanche.

No, No, I Never Mess Around.

The Cafe Windows Wrapped All The Way Around The Observation Floor, Which Gave Us A Beautiful Panoramic View Of The Skeleton Army That Had Come To Kill Us.

Can You Surf Really Well, Then?" I Looked At Grover, Who Was Trying Hard Not To Laugh. "jeez, Nico," I Said. "i've Never Really Tried." He Went On Asking Questions. Did I Fight A Lot With Thalia, Since She Was A Daughter Of Zeus? (i Didn't Answer That One.) If Annabeth's Mother Was Athena, The Goddess Of Wisdom, Then Why Didn't Annabeth Know Better Than To Fall Off A Cliff? (i Tried Not To Strangle Nico For Asking That One.) Was Annabeth My Girlfriend? (at This Point, I Was Ready To Stick The Kid In A Meat-flavored Sack And Throw Him To The Wolves.)

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

She Pulled Away. “i Missed You, Percy.” Percy Wanted To Tell Her The Same Thing, But It Seemed Too Small A Comment. While He Had Been On The Roman Side, He’d Kept Himself Alive Almost Solely By Thinking Of Annabeth. I Missed You Didn’t Really Cover That.

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.

Annabeth’s Hand Slipped Into Mine. Under Different Circumstances I Would’ve Been Embarrassed, But Here In The Dark I Was Glad To Know Where She Was. It Was About The Only Thing I Was Sure Of.

Because I Know You, Percy Jackson. In Many Ways, You Are Impulsive, But When It Comes To Your Friends, You Are As Constant As A Compass Needle. You Are Unswervingly Loyal, And You Inspire Loyalty. You Are The Glue That Will Unite The Seven.

People Can Be Creul,people Can Be Mean, What They Say About Us Is Not True It Makes It There Opinion, And It Doesnt Mean Thats How The Rest Of The World See's It.

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

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

Just Remember If We Get Caught, You're Deaf And I Don't Speak English.

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!

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

Just Keep Moving

Annabeth's Face, Her Blond Hair And Gray Eyes, The Way She Laughed, Threw Her Arms Around Him, And Gave Him A Kiss Whenever He Did Something Stupid. She Must Have Kissed Me A Lot, Percy Thought.

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

I Told You I Try Not To Live In The Past And Nothing Could Change The Fact That My Mum Was Gone. But I’m A Liar. The Truth Was, I’d Had One Dream Ever Since I Was Six: To See My Mum Again. To Actually Get To Know Her, Talk To Her, Go Shopping, Do Anything. Just Be With Her Once So I Could Have A Better Memory To Hold On To.

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.

Sadie Kane Here. If You're Listening To This, Congratulations, You Survived Doomsday.

Congratulations

A Giant Vulture With A Girl Hanging From Its Feet Tends To Attract Attention.

Jeez, Hazel," Percy Said, "tell Your Horse To Watch His Language." Hazel Tried Not To Laugh. "what Did He Say?" "with The Cussing Removed? He Said He Can Get Us To The Top." Frank Looked Incredulous. "i Thought The Horse Couldn't Fly!" This Time Arion Whinnied So Angrily, Even Hazel Could Guess He Was Cursing. "dude," Percy Told The Horse, "i've Gotten Suspended For Saying Less Than That.

Piper Bit Her Lip. The Last Thing She Wanted To Do Was Check Katopris For More Terrifying Images. 'i've Tried,'she Said.'the Dagger Doesn't Always Show What I Want To See. In Fact,it Hardly Ever Does' 'please,'percy Said.'try Again.' He 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. 'fine,'she Sighed,and Drew Her Dagger

Percy, Meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy." I Stared At Annabeth, Figuring She'd Crack Up At This Practical Joke They Were Playing On Me, But She Looked Deadly Serious. "i'm Not Saying Hello To A Pink Poodle," I Said. "forget It." "percy," Annabeth Said. "i Said Hello To The Poodle. You Say Hello To The Poodle." The Poodle Growled. "i Said Hello To The Poodle.

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

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!

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

His Lion And Hippo Legs Twitched. I Wondered If Netherworld Monsters Dreamed Of Chasing Rabbits.

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

Percy?" Annabeth Gripped His Arm. "oh, Bad," He Muttered. "bad. Bad." He Looked Across The Table At Frank And Hazel. "you Guys Remember Polybotes?" "the Giant Who Invaded Camp Jupiter," Hazel Said. "the Anti-poseidon You Whacked In The Head With A Terminus Statue. Yes, I Think I Remember

All Right Cupcakes Listen Up!

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

Vitellius Would've Given Percy An Hour-long Lecture On The Subject, Probably With A Powerpoint Presentation.

Grover Didn't Say Anything For Awhile. Then, When I Thought He Was Going To Give Me Some Deep Philosophical Comment To Make Me Feel Better, He Said, "can I Have Your Apple?

But I Felt As If I’d Just Been Photoshopped Out Of My Own Book Cover. And If There Was One Thing I Wasn’t Used To, It Was Being Ignored

The Wind Blowing Through My Ripped Clothes Was So Cold That I Felt Like A Percysicle.

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

I Don't Recommend Shadow Travel If You're Scared Of: A) The Dark B) Cold Shivers Up Your Spine C) Strange Noises D) Going So Fast You Feel Like Your Face Is Peeling Off In Other Words, I Thought It Was Awesome.

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

Upper East Side

So, If I Looked Him Up On Google Maps-

Back When I Was On My First Assignment As A Seeker, I Was Way Out In Arizona. Brought In This Kid Named Clarisse.” “clarisse?” “sibling Of Yours,” Hedge Said. “ares Kid. Violent. Rude. Lots Of Potential.

I Guess It Started In London, The Night Our Dad Blew Up The British Museum.

Grover And Nico Came Back From Their Walk, And Grover Helped Me Fix Up My Wounded Arm. "it's Green!" Nico Said With Delight.

So...your Name Means Mr.underwear." -frank

If Somebody Offers You Hapi Pills, Just Say No!

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

What's Cabin Nine?" Leo Asked. "and I'm Not A Vulcan!" "come On, Mr. Spock, I'll Explain Everything.

Entertain Me, Heroes Of Olympus. Give Me A Reason To Do More." Bacchus To Percy And Jason

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.

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

Leo: "so...giants Who Can Throw Mountains. Friendly Wolves That Will Eat Us If We Show Weakness. Evil Espresso Drinks. Gotcha. Maybe This Isn't The Best Time To Bring Up My Psycho Babysitter." Piper: "is That Another Joke?

It’s Not Important,” Silena Insisted. “we Have To Find Charlie!” Another First: A Child Of Aphrodite Uninterested In Jewellery.

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.

We Did All The Standard Camp Numbers: "down By The Aegean," "i Am My Own Great-great-great-great Grandpa," "this Land Is Minos's Land.

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.

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

I Tried Very Hard. But I Can't Help It. The Fates Are Cruel. They Sent You To Me, My Brave One, Knowing That You Would Break My Heart.

Is Tyson Okay?' I Asked. The Question Seemed To Take My Dad By Surprise. 'he's Fine. Doing Much Better Than I Expected. Though 'peanut Butter' Is A Strange Battle Cry.

As In All Abercrombie's Books, Friends Turn Out To Be Enemies, Enemies Turn Out To Be Friends; The Line Between Good And Evil Is Murky Indeed; And Nothing Goes Quite As We Expect. With Eye-popping Plot Twists And Rollicking Good Action, Half A King Is Definitely A Full Adventure.

The End Of The World Started When A Pegasus Landed On The Hood Of My Car

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

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.

Annabeth Thalia And I Hadn't Seen Each Other In Months But Between The Blizzard And The Thought Of What We Were About To Do We Were Too Nervous To Talk Much. Except For My Mom. She Talks More When She's Nervous. By The Time We Finally Got To Westover Hall It Was Getting Dark And She'd Told Annabeth And Thalia Every Embarrassing Baby Story There Was To Tell About Me.

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

She Deserved At Least One Person Who Saw Her And Knew How Good She Was.

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

Chaos Is Impatient. It's Random. And Above All It's Selfish. It Tears Down Everything Just For The Sake Of Change, Feeding On Itself In Constant Hunger. But Chaos Can Also Be Appealing. It Tempts You To Believe That Nothing Matters Except What You Want.

The Real World Is Where The Monsters Are.

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

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.

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

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.

It Is," I Said. "and It's Not Even Difficult. But I Need Your Promise On The River Styx." "what?" Dionysus Cried. "you Don't Trust Us?" "someone Once Told Me," I Said, Looking At Hades, "you Should Always Get A Solemn Oath." Hades Shrugged. "guilty.

Fairness Means Everyone Gets What They Need. And The Only Way To Get What You Need Is To Make It Happen Yourself.

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

Don't Decide Yet," Hephaestus Advised. "wait Until Daybreak. Daybreak Is A Good Time For Decisions.

Artemis Smiled. "you Have Done Well, My Lieutenant. You Have Made Me Proud, And All Those Hunters Who Perished In My Service Will Never Be Forgotten. They Will Achieve Elysium, I Am Sure." She Glared Pointedly At Hades. He Shrugged. "probably." Artemis Glared At Him Some More. Okay," Hades Grumbled. "i'll Streamline Their Application Process.

Staplers--- Excellent Source Of Iron

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.

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

Falling In Love

I Looked Back, But Bast And Sadie Seemed Fine. They Were Still Staring At The Water As If It Were Some Amazing Internet Video.

I Am Your Friend Bob!

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.

Writing 'book 1: The Maze Of Bones' Didn't Feel Much Different Than Writing One Of My Other Novels, But I Thought It Was Very Innovative To Offer The Website And Trading Card Components As Well For Those Readers Who Wanted To Go More In Depth With The Cahill Experience.

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.

Frank Tugged Again With No Luck. Even Hazel Was Trying Not To Laugh. Frank Grimaced With Concentration. Suddenly, He Disappeared. On The Deck Where He’d Been Standing, A Green Iguana Crouched Next To An Empty Set Of Chinese Handcuffs. “well Done, Frank Zhang,” Leo Said Dryly, Doing His Impression Of Chiron The Centaur. “that Is Exactly How People Beat Chinese Handcuffs. They Turn Into Iguanas.

Ever Had A Flying Burrito Hit You? Well, It's A Deadly Projectile, Right Up There With Cannonballs And Grenades.

Did You Bring Me A Rat?" "he Has No Time For Rats, George." "no Time For Rats? That's Just Sad.

[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.

I Will Feast On Enemies Of Ra Until My Belly Is Full!” “charming,” Sadie Whispered.

I Pressed Play And Started Up Chiron's Favorite--the All-time Greatest Hits Of Dean Martin. Suddenly The Air Was Filled With Violins And A Bunch Of Guys Moaning In Italian. The Demon Pigeons Went Nuts. They Started Flying In Circles, Running Into Each Other Like They Wanted To Bash Their Own Brains Out.

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

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

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

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

I Can See The Stars Again M'lady.

Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!" -cal

Don’t Judge Someone Until You’ve Stood At His Forge And Worked With His Hammer, Eh?

All Invincible And Stuff

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.

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?

That’s Right, Sadie. For Our First Real Date, I Picked Up Zia In A Boat Pulled By A Deranged Griffin. So What? Like Your Dates Aren’t Weird?

Monsters Don't Die. They Just Dissipate Into Smoke And Dust, Which Saves Heroes A Lot Of Trouble Cleaning Up After A Fight.

Yes I Remember My Sixteenth." Vitellius Said "wonderful Omen! Happily Chicken In My Underpants." "excuse Me.

Texting, Even Browsing The Internet - All These Things Can Attract Monsters.

There Was Tyson Moving Into The Poseidon Cabin, Giggling To Himself Every Fifteen Seconds And Saying, "percy Is My Brother?" Like He'd Just Won The Lottery. Aw, Tyson," I'd Say. "it's Not That Simple.

The Gods Need Heroes. They Always Have.

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

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

Otrera Stayed Dead The Second Time," Kinzie Said, Batting Her Eyes. "we Have To Thank You For That. If You Ever Need A New Girlfriend...well, I Think You'd Look Great In An Iron Collar And An Orange Jumpsuit." Percy Couldn't Tell If She Was Kidding Or Not. He Politely Thanked Her And Changed Seats.

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

Imitation Is Flattery

Think About Isis,” Jaz Repeated. “and Sadie…there Is A Purpose. You Taught Us That. We Choose To Believe In Ma'at. We Create Order Out Of Chaos, Beauty And Meaning Out Of Ugly Randomness. That's What Egypt Is All About. That's Why Its Name, Its Ren, Has Endured For Millennia. Don't Despair. Otherwise Chaos Wins.

Annabeth:my Fatal Flaw. That's What The Sirens Showed Me. My Fatal Flaw Is Hubris. Percy: The Brown Stuff They Spread On Veggie Sandwiches? Annabeth:no, Seaweed Brain. That's Hummus. Hubris Is Worse. Percy: What Could Be Worse Than Hummus? Annabeth: Hubris Means Deadly Pride, Percy. Thinking You Can Do Things Better Than Anyone Else... Even The Gods.

I Prayed The Monsters Would Give Up. Or That Perhaps Philip Of Macedonia Would Climb Back To The Terrace (do Crocodiles Climb?) And Renew The Fight.

I Love New York. You Can Pop Out Of The Underworld In Central Park, Hail A Taxi, Head Down Fifth Avenue With A Giant Hellhound Loping Behind You, And Nobody Even Looks At You Funny.

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

I Blinked The Sleep Out Of My Eyes And Realized My Head Was In Khufu’s Lap. The Baboon Was Foraging My Scalp For Munchies. “dude.” I Sat Up Groggily. “not Cool.” “but He Gave You A Lovely Hairdo,” Sadie Said. “agh-agh!” Khufu Agreed.

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.

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

Yes, Horus Said. I Remember This Place. It’s El Paso, I Told Him. Unless You Went Out For Mexican Food, You’ve Never Been Here.

Whasthat!" "um ... Those Are The Toilets.

My Dear Children!" Nellie Whopped Him Upside The Head With Her Backpack. "ow!" Uncle Alistair Curled Over, Cupping His Hand Over His Good Eye. "nellie!" Amy Said. "sorry," Nellie Muttered. "i Thought He Was One Of The Bad Guys.

On A Basketball Court, Five Players Were In The Middle Of An Intense Game. They Wore Assortment Of Jerseys From Different American Teams, And They All Seemed Keen To Win—grunting And Snarling At Each Other, Stealing The Ball And Pushing. Oh…and The Players Were All Baboons.

Even Strength Must Bow To Wisdom Sometimes.

Stop Smiling!” She Ordered. “i Can See You, Carter. Oh…and, Uh, Hullo, Walt.” The Pot Monster Made Squeaky Grinding Noises As It Stood Up Straight. One Clunky Arm Rose And Tried To Fix Sadie’s Nonexistent Hair. Leave It To Sadie To Be Self-conscious Around Boys, Even When She’s Made Out Of Pots And Duct Tape.

My Stomach Churned. The Monster Had Mimicked Thalia Perfectly. If I'd Heard That Voice In The Dark, Calling For Help, I Would've Run Straight Toward It.

Percy Looked At His Friends. “i’m Getting Tired Of This Guy’s Shirt.

The Last Time I'd Seen The Minotaur, He'd Been Wearing Nothing But His Tighty Whities. I Don't Know Why. Maybe He'd Been Shaken Out Of Bed To Chase Me.

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.

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

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!

Death Has More In Common With Love Than You Might Imagine.

The Driver Got Out Smiling. He Looked About Seventeen Or Eighteen, And For A Second, I Had The Uneasy Feeling It Was Luke, My Old Enemy. This Guy Had The Same Sandy Hair And Outdoorsy Good Looks. But It Wasn't Luke. His Smile Was Brighter And More Playful. (luke Didn't Do Much More Than Scowl And Sneer These Days.) The Maserati Driver Wore Jeans And Loafers And A Sleeveless T-shirt. "wow" Thalia Muttered. Apollo Is Hot." "he's The Sun God," I Said. "that's Not What I Meant.

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.

When I Was Young, My Favorite Picture Book Was 'fletcher And Zenobia,' Written By Edward Gorey And Illustrated By Victoria Chess. It's Long Out Of Print Now, But Its Mix Of Macabre Humor And 1960s Psychedelia Made It A Perfect Children's Book For The Times.

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Henrique Capriles Radonski

J. B. Priestley

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