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Phorcys’s mouth stretched into that wind tunnel smile. “Exactly! I taught the twins everything
they know, or at least I tried to. They never listened. Their first big trick? They tried to reach
Olympus by piling mountains on top of one another. It was just an illusion, of course. I told them it
was ridiculous. ‘You should start small,’ I said. ‘Sawing each other in half, pulling gorgons out of a hat.
That sort of thing. And matching sequined outfits. Twins need those!’”
“Good advice,” Percy agreed. “And now the twins are—”
“Oh, preparing for their doomsday show in Rome,” Phorcys sneered. “It’s one of Mother’s silly
ideas. They’re keeping some prisoner in a large bronze jar.” He turned toward Frank. “You’re a child
of Ares, aren’t you? You’ve got that smell. The twins imprisoned your father the same way, once.”
“Child of Mars,” Frank corrected. “Wait…these giants trapped my dad in a bronze jar?”
“Yes, another stupid stunt,” said the sea god. “How can you show off your prisoner if he’s in a
bronze jar? No entertainment value. Not like my lovely specimens!”
He gestured to the hippocampi, who were bonking their heads apathetically against the glass.
Percy tried to think. He felt like the lethargy of the addled sea creatures was starting to affect him.
“You said this—this doomsday show was Gaea’s idea?”
“Well…Mother’s plans always have lots of layers.” He laughed. “The earth has layers! I suppose
that makes sense!”
“Uh-huh,” Percy said. “And so her plan…”
“Oh, she’s put out a general bounty on some group of demigods,” Phorcys said. “She doesn’t really
care who kills them, as long as they’re killed. Well…I take that back. She was very specific that two
must be spared. One boy and one girl. Tartarus only knows why. At any rate, the twins have their
little show planned, hoping it will lure these demigods to Rome. I suppose the prisoner in the jar is a
friend of theirs or some such. That, or perhaps they think this group of demigods will be foolish
enough to come into their territory searching for the Mark of Athena.” Phorcys elbowed Frank in the
ribs. “Ha! Good luck with that, eh?”