THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH Percy Jackson ... - No one's invited.

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“Are they?All of them?All the time?” She pursed her lips. “Tell me, Percy. I have no wish to argue with
you.but do you support the gods because they are good, or because they are your family?”
I didn’t answer. She had a point. Last winter, after Annabeth and I had saved Olympus, the gods had
had a debate about whether or not they should kill me. That hadn’t been exactly good. But still, I felt like
I supported them because Poseidon was my dad.
“Perhaps I was wrong in the war,” Calypso said. “And in fairness, the gods have treated me well. They
visit me from time to time. They bring me word of the outside world. But they can leave. And I cannot.”
“You don’t have any friends?” I asked. “I mean…wouldn’t anyone else live here with you?it’s a nice
place.”
A tear trickled down her cheek. “I…I promised myself I wouldn’t speak of this. But—”
She was interrupted by a rumbling sound somewhere out on the lake. A glow appeared on the horizon.
It got brighter and brighter, until I could see a column of fire moving across the surface of the water,
coming toward us.
I stood and reached for my sword. “What is that?”
Calypso sighed.“A visitor.”
As the column of fire reached the beach.Calypso stood and bowed to it formally. The flames dissipated,
and standing before us was a tall man in gray overalls and a metal leg brace, his beard and hair
smoldering with fire.
“Lord Hephaestus,” Calypso said. “This is a rare honor.”
The fire god grunted.“Calypso.Beautiful as always. Would you excuse us, please, my dear? I need to
have a word with our young Percy Jackson.”
***
Hephaestus sat down clumsily at the dinner table and ordered a Pepsi. The invisible servant brought him
one, opened it too suddenly, and sprayed soda all over the gods work clothes. Hephaestus roared and
spat a few curses and swatted the can away.
“Stupid servants,” he muttered. “Good automatons are what she needs. They never act up!”
“Hephaestus,” I said, “what’s going on? Is Annabeth—”
“She’s fine,” he said.“Resourceful girl, that one. Found her way back, told me the whole story. She’s
worried sick, you know.”
“You haven’t told her I’m okay?”
“That’s not for me to say,” Hephaestus said. “Everyone thinks you’re dead. I had to be sure you were
coming back before I started telling everyone where you were.”