A 1

The ghosts let out a collective gasp. Then they all began shouting at once.
“How does she know this?” one demanded.
“The girl has gleaned our secrets!”
“Silence!” the pater ordered.
“But she might know about the ordeals!” another cried.
“The ordeals!” Annabeth said. “I know about them!”
Another round of incredulous gasping.
“Ridiculous!” The pater yelled. “The girl lies! Daughter of Athena, choose your way of death. If
you do not choose, the god will choose for you!”
“Fire or dagger,” Annabeth guessed.
Even the pater looked stunned. Apparently he hadn’t remembered there were victims of past
punishments lying on the floor.
“How—how did you… ?” He gulped. “Who are you?”
“A child of Athena,” Annabeth said again. “But not just any child. I am…uh, the mater in my
sisterhood. The magna mater, in fact. There are no mysteries to me. Mithras cannot hide anything
from my sight.”
“The magna mater!” a ghost wailed in despair. “The big mother!”
“Kill her!” One of the ghosts charged, his hands out to strangle her, but he passed right through
her.
“You’re dead,” Annabeth reminded him. “Sit down.”
The ghost looked embarrassed and took his seat.