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

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He met my eyes pleadingly.“Help!”
I reached for my sword, but it had been taken from me and hadn’t reappeared in my pocket yet.
The centaur struggled to get up as the giantapproached, his javelin ready.
Ataloned hand gripped my shoulder. “If you value yourfriendsss ’livesss ,” mydracaena guard said, “you
won’t interfere.Thisisssn’t your fight. Wait your turn.”
The centaur couldn’t get up. One of his legs was broken. The giant put his huge foot on the horseman’s
chest and raised the javelin. He looked up at Luke. The crowd cheered, “DEATH!DEATH!”
Luke didn’t do anything, but the tattooed sumo dude sitting next to him arose. He smiled down at the
centaur, who was whimpering, “Please! No!”
Then the sumo dude held out his hand and gave thethumbs down sign.
I closed my eyes as the gladiator giant thrust his javelin. When I looked again, the centaur was gone,
disintegrated to ashes. All that was left was a single hoof, which the giant took up as a trophy and
showed the crowd. They roared their approval.
A gate opened at the opposite end of the stadium and the giant marched out in triumph.
In the stands, the sumo dude raised his hands for silence.
“Good entertainment!” he bellowed. “But nothing I haven’t seen before. What else do you have, Luke,
Son of Hermes?”
Luke’s jaw tightened. I could tell he didn’t like being calledson of Hermes . He hated his father. But he
rose calmly to his feet. His eyes glittered. In fact, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
“Lord Antaeus,” Luke said, loud enough for the crowd to hear. “You have been an excellent host! We
would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory.”
“A favor I have not yet granted,” Antaeus growled. “I want entertainment!”
Luke bowed. “I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a
brother of yours.” He pointed at me. “Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.”
The crowd began jeering at me and throwing stones, most of which I dodged, but one caught me on the
cheek and made a good-sized cut.
Antaeus’seyes lit up.“A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!”
“If his death pleases you,” Luke said, “will you let our armies cross your territory?”
“Perhaps!”Antaeus said.
Luke didn’t look too pleased about the “perhaps.” He glared down at me, as if warning me that I’d
better die in a really spectacular way or I’d be in big trouble.