Queen Hylla laughed. ‘He’s got a point.’
‘The demigods of Camp Half-Blood have already been working with Camp Jupiter,’ Percy said. ‘We just didn’t realize it. During the Titan War last summer, while you were attacking Mount Othrys, we were defending Mount Olympus in Manhattan. I fought Kronos myself.’
Reyna backed up, almost tripping over her toga. ‘You … what?’
‘I know it’s hard to believe,’ Percy said. ‘But I think I’ve earned your trust. I’m on your side. Hazel and Frank – I’m sure they’re meant to go with me on this quest. The other four are on their way from Camp Half-Blood right now. One of them is Jason Grace, your old praetor.’
‘Oh, come on!’ Octavian shouted. ‘He’s making things up, now.’
Reyna frowned. ‘It is a lot to believe. Jason is coming back with a bunch of Greek demigods? You say they’re going to appear in the sky in a heavily armed warship, but we shouldn’t be worried.’
‘Yes.’ Percy looked over the rows of nervous, doubtful spectators. ‘Just let them land. Hear them out. Jason will back up everything I’m telling you. I swear it on my life.’
‘On your life?’ Octavian looked meaningfully at the senate. ‘We will remember that, if this turns out to be a trick.’
Right on cue, a messenger rushed into the Senate House, gasping as if he’d run all the way from camp. ‘Praetors! I’m sorry to interrupt, but our scouts report –’
‘Ship!’ Tyson said happily, pointing at the hole in the ceiling. ‘Yay!’
Sure enough, a Greek warship appeared out of the clouds, about a half a mile away, descending towards the Senate House. As it got closer, Percy could see bronze shields glinting along the sides, billowing sails and a familiar-looking figurehead shaped like a metal dragon. On the tallest mast, a big white flag of truce snapped in the wind.
The Argo II. It was the most incredible ship he’d ever seen.
‘Praetors!’ the messenger cried. ‘What are your orders?’
Octavian shot to his feet. ‘You need to ask?’ His face was red with rage. He was strangling his teddy bear. ‘The omens are horrible! This is a trick, a deception. Beware Greeks bearing gifts!’
He jabbed a finger at Percy. ‘His friends are attacking in a warship. He has led them here. We must attack!’
‘No,’ Percy said firmly. ‘You all raised me as praetor for a reason. I will fight to defend this camp with my life. But these aren’t enemies. I say we stand ready, but do not attack. Let them land. Let them speak. If it is a trick, then I will fight with you, as I did last night. But it is not a trick.’
All eyes turned towards Reyna.
She studied the approaching warship. Her expression hardened. If she vetoed Percy’s orders … well, he didn’t know what would happen. Chaos and confusion, at the very least. Most likely, the Romans would follow her lead. She’d been their leader much longer than Percy.
‘Hold your fire,’ Reyna said. ‘But have the legion stand ready. Percy Jackson is your duly chosen praetor. We will trust his word – unless we are given clear reason not to. Senators, let us adjourn to the forum and meet our … new friends.’
The senators stampeded out of the auditorium – whether from excitement or panic, Percy wasn’t sure. Tyson ran after them, yelling, ‘Yay! Yay!’ with Ella fluttering around his head.
Octavian gave Percy a disgusted look, then threw down his teddy bear and followed the crowd.
Reyna stood at Percy’s shoulder.
‘I support you, Percy,’ she said. ‘I trust your judgement. But, for all our sakes, I hope we can keep the peace between our campers and your Greek friends.’
‘We will,’ he promised. ‘You’ll see.’
She glanced up at the warship. Her expression turned a little wistful. ‘You say Jason is aboard … I hope that’s true. I’ve missed him.’
She marched outside, leaving Percy alone with Hazel and Frank.
‘They’re coming down right in the forum,’ Frank said nervously. ‘Terminus is going to have a heart attack.’
‘Percy,’ Hazel said, ‘you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, Octavian is going to kill you. You know that, right?’
Percy smiled. He knew the stakes were high. He knew this day could go horribly wrong. But he also knew that Annabeth was on that ship. If things went right, this would be the best day of his life.
He threw one arm round Hazel and one arm round Frank.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Let me introduce you to my other family.’
Glossary
absurdus out of place, discordant
Achilles the mightiest of the Greek demigods who fought in the Trojan War
Aesculapius the Roman god of medicine and healing
Alcyoneus the eldest of the giants born to Gaia, destined to fight Pluto
Amazons a nation of all-female warriors
Anaklusmos Riptide: the name of Percy Jackson’s sword
argentum silver
Argonauts a band of Greek heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus.
augury a sign of something coming, an omen; the practice of divining the future
aurae invisible wind spirits
aurum gold
basilisk snake, literally ‘little crown’
Bellerophon a Greek demigod, son of Poseidon, who defeated monsters while riding on Pegasus
Bellona the Roman goddess of war
Byzantium the eastern empire that lasted another 1,000 years after Rome fell, under Greek influence
Celestial bronze a rare metal deadly to monsters
Centaur a race of creatures that is half human, half horse
centurion an officer of the Roman army
Cerberus the three-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld
Ceres the Roman goddess of agriculture
Charon the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron, which divide the world of the living from the world of the dead
cognomen third name
cohort a Roman military unit
Cyclops (Cyclopes, pl.) a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead
denarius (denarii, pl.) the most common coin in the Roman currency system
drachma the silver coin of Ancient Greece
Elysium the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous in the Underworld
Erebos a place of darkness between Earth and Hades
faun a Roman forest god, part goat and part man. Greek form: satyr
Fields of Asphodel the section of the Underworld where the souls of people who lived lives of equal good and evil rest
Fields of Punishment the section of the Underworld where evil souls are eternally tortured
Fortuna the Roman goddess of fortune and good luck
Fulminata armed with lightning; a Roman legion under Julius Caesar whose emblem was a lightning bolt (fulmen)
Gaia the earth goddess; mother of Titans, giants, Cyclopes and other monsters. Known to the Romans as Terra
Gegenes earthborn monsters
gladius a short sword
gorgons three monstrous sisters (Stheno, Euryale and Medusa) who have hair of living, venomous snakes; Medusa’s eyes can turn the beholder to stone
graecus Greek; enemy; outsider
greaves shin armour
gris-gris a voodoo amulet that protects from evil or brings luck
harpy a winged female creature that snatches things
Hercules the Roman equivalent of Heracles; the son of Jupiter and Alcmene, who was born with great strength
Hyperboreans peaceful northern giants
ichor the golden blood of immortals
Imperial gold a rare metal deadly to monsters, consecrated
at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors
Iris the rainbow goddess
Juno Roman goddess of women, marriage and fertility; sister and wife of Jupiter; mother of Mars. Greek form: Hera
Jupiter Roman king of the gods; also called Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the best and the greatest). Greek form: Zeus
karpoi grain spirits
Laistrygonians tall cannibals from the north, possibly the source of the Sasquatch legend
Lar (Lares, pl.) house god, ancestral spirit
legion the major unit of the Roman army, consisting of infantry and cavalry troops
legionnaire a member of a legion
Liberalia a Roman festival that celebrated a boy’s rite of passage into manhood
Lupa the sacred Roman she-wolf that nursed the foundling twins Romulus and Remus
Mars the Roman god of war; also called Mars Ultor. Patron of the empire; divine father of Romulus and Remus. Greek form: Ares
Minerva Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
Mist magic force that disguises things from mortals
Mount Othrys the base of the Titans during the ten-year war with the Olympian gods; Saturn’s headquarters
muster formal military inspection
nebulae cloud nymphs
Neptune the Roman god of the sea. Greek form: Poseidon
Otrera first Amazon queen, daughter of Ares
pallium a cloak or mantle worn by the Romans
Pantheon a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome
Penthesilea a queen of the Amazons; daughter of Ares and Otrera, another Amazon queen
Periclymenus a Greek prince of Pylos and a son of Poseidon, who granted him the ability to shape-shift. He was renowned for his strength and participated in the voyage of the Argonauts.
Phineas a son of Poseidon, who had the gift of prophecy. When he revealed too much of the plans of the gods, Zeus punished him by blinding him.
pilum a Roman spear
Pluto the Roman god of death and riches. Greek equivalent: Hades
Polybotes the giant son of Gaia, the Earth Mother
praetor an elected Roman magistrate and commander of the army
Priam the king of Troy during the Trojan War
principia the headquarters of a Roman camp
probatio testing period for a new recruit in a legion
pugio a Roman dagger
Queen Hippolyta’s belt Hippolyta wore a golden waist belt, a gift from her father, Ares, that signified her Amazonian queenship and also gave her strength.
retiarius Roman gladiator who fought with a net and trident
River Styx the river that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld
Romulus and Remus the twin sons of Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia who were thrown into the River Tiber by their human father, Amulius. They were rescued and raised by a she-wolf and, upon reaching adulthood, founded Rome.
Saturn the Roman god of agriculture, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and the father of Jupiter. Greek equivalent: Kronos
scorpion ballista a Roman missile siege weapon that launched a large projectile at a distant target
Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) ‘The Senate and People of Rome’; refers to the government of the Roman Republic and is used as an official emblem of Rome
shades spirits
Sibylline Books a collection of prophecies in rhyme written in Greek. Tarquinius Superbus, a king of Rome, bought them from a prophetess named Sibyl and consulted them in times of great danger.
spartus a skeleton warrior
spatha a cavalry sword
Stygian iron like Celestial bronze and Imperial gold, a magical metal capable of killing monsters
Tartarus husband of Gaia; spirit of the abyss; father of the giants; also the lowest region of the world
Terminus the Roman god of boundaries and landmarks
Thanatos the Greek god of death. Roman equivalent: Letus
Tiber River the third-longest river in Italy. Rome was founded on its banks. In Ancient Rome, executed criminals were thrown into the river.
trireme a type of warship
triumph a ceremonial procession for Roman generals and their troops in celebration of a great military victory
Trojan War the war that was waged against the city of Troy by the Greeks after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta. It started with a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera and Aphrodite.
Contents
I: Annabeth
II: Annabeth
III: Annabeth
IV: Annabeth
V: Leo
VI: Leo
VII: Leo
VIII: Leo
IX: Piper
X: Piper
XI: Piper
XII: Piper
XIII: Percy
XIV: Percy
XV: Percy
XVI: Percy
XVII: Annabeth
XVIII: Annabeth
XIX: Annabeth
XX: Annabeth
XXI: Leo
XXII: Leo
XXIII: Leo
XXIV: Leo
XXV: Piper
XXVI: Piper
XXVIII: Piper
XXIX: Percy
XXX: Percy
XXXI: Percy
XXXII: Percy
XXXIII: Annabeth
XXXIV: Annabeth
XXXV: Annabeth
XXXVI: Annabeth
XXXVII: Leo
XXXVIII: Leo
XXXIX: Leo
XL: Leo
XLI: Piper
XLII: Piper
XLIII: Piper
XLIV: Piper
XLV: Percy
XLVI: Percy
XLVII: Percy
XLVIII: Percy
XLIX: Annabeth
L: Annabeth
LI: Annabeth
LII: Leo
Glossary
To Speedy –
strays and wanderers are often sent by the gods
I
Annabeth
Until she met the exploding statue, Annabeth thought she was prepared for anything.
She’d paced the deck of their flying warship, the Argo II, checking and double-checking the ballistae to make sure they were locked down. She’d confirmed that the white ‘We come in peace’ flag was flying from the mast. She’d reviewed the plan with the rest of the crew – and the backup plan, and the backup plan for the backup plan.
Most importantly, she’d pulled aside their war-crazed chaperone, Coach Gleeson Hedge, and encouraged him to take the morning off in his cabin and watch reruns of mixed martial arts championships. The last thing they needed as they flew a magical Greek trireme into a potentially hostile Roman camp was a middle-aged satyr in gym clothes waving a club and yelling, ‘Die!’
Everything seemed to be in order. Even that mysterious chill she’d been feeling since the ship launched had dissipated, at least for now.
The warship descended through the clouds, but Annabeth couldn’t stop second-guessing herself. What if this was a bad idea? What if the Romans panicked and attacked them on sight?
The Argo II definitely did not look friendly. Two hundred feet long, with a bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete … well, it wasn’t the most appropriate ride for a meet-and-greet with the neighbours.
Annabeth had tried to give the Romans a heads-up. She’d asked Leo to send one of his special inventions – a holographic scroll – to alert their friends inside the camp. Hopefully the message had got through. Leo had wanted to paint a giant message on the bottom of the hull – WASSUP? with a smiley face – but Annabeth vetoed the idea. She wasn’t sure the Romans had a sense of humour.
Too late to turn back now.
The clouds broke around their hu
ll, revealing the gold-and-green carpet of the Oakland Hills below them. Annabeth gripped one of the bronze shields that lined the starboard rail.
Her three crewmates took their places.
On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like a madman, checking his gauges and wrestling levers. Most helmsmen would’ve been satisfied with a pilot’s wheel or a tiller. Leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviation controls from a Learjet, a dubstep soundboard and motion-control sensors from a Nintendo Wii. He could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by sampling an album or raise sails by shaking his Wii controllers really fast. Even by demigod standards, Leo was seriously ADHD.
Piper paced back and forth between the mainmast and the ballistae, practising her lines.
‘Lower your weapons,’ she murmured. ‘We just want to talk.’
Her charmspeak was so powerful that the words flowed over Annabeth, filling her with the desire to drop her dagger and have a nice long chat.
For a child of Aphrodite, Piper tried hard to play down her beauty. Today she was dressed in tattered jeans, worn-out trainers and a white tank top with pink Hello Kitty designs. (Maybe as a joke, though Annabeth could never be sure with Piper.) Her choppy brown hair was braided down the right side with an eagle’s feather.
Then there was Piper’s boyfriend – Jason. He stood at the bow on the raised crossbow platform, where the Romans could easily spot him. His knuckles were white on the hilt of his golden sword. Otherwise he looked calm for a guy who was making himself a target. Over his jeans and orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, he’d donned a toga and a purple cloak – symbols of his old rank as praetor. With his wind-ruffled blond hair and his icy blue eyes, he looked ruggedly handsome and in control – just like a son of Jupiter should. He’d grown up at Camp Jupiter, so hopefully his familiar face would make the Romans hesitant to blow the ship out of the sky.
Annabeth tried to hide it, but she still didn’t completely trust the guy. He acted too perfectly – always following the rules, always doing the honourable thing. He even looked too perfect. In the back of her mind, she had a nagging thought: What if this is a trick and he betrays us? What if we sail into Camp Jupiter, and he says, Hey, Romans! Check out these prisoners and this cool ship I brought you!
Annabeth doubted that would happen. Still, she couldn’t look at him without getting a bitter taste in her mouth. He’d been part of Hera’s forced ‘exchange programme’ to introduce the two camps. Her Most Annoying Majesty, Queen of Olympus, had convinced the other gods that their two sets of children – Roman and Greek – had to combine forces to save the world from the evil goddess Gaia, who was awakening from the earth, and her horrible children, the giants.