A 1

The ghosts cheered and threw spectral confetti as Bacchus strode around the stadium with his
arms raised triumphantly, exulting in the worship. He grinned at the demigods. “That, my friends, is a
show! And of course I did something. I killed two giants!”
As Percy’s friends disembarked from the ship, the crowd of ghosts shimmered and disappeared.
Piper and Nico struggled down from the emperor’s box as the Colosseum’s magical renovations began
to turn into mist. The arena floor remained solid, but otherwise the stadium looked as if it hadn’t
hosted a good giant killing for eons.
“Well,” Bacchus said. “That was fun. You have my permission to continue your voyage.”
“Your permission?” Percy snarled.
“Yes.” Bacchus raised an eyebrow. “Although your voyage may be a little harder than you expect,
son of Neptune.”
“Poseidon,” Percy corrected him automatically. “What do you mean about my voyage?”
“You might try the parking lot behind the Emmanuel Building,” Bacchus said. “Best place to
break through. Now, good-bye, my friends. And, ah, good luck with that other little matter.”
The god vaporized in a cloud of mist that smelled faintly of grape juice. Jason ran to meet Piper
and Nico.
Coach Hedge trotted up to Percy, with Hazel, Frank, and Leo close behind. “Was that
Dionysus?” Hedge asked. “I love that guy!”
“You’re alive!” Percy said to the others. “The giants said you were captured. What happened?”
Leo shrugged. “Oh, just another brilliant plan by Leo Valdez. You’d be amazed what you can do
with an Archimedes sphere, a girl who can sense stuff underground, and a weasel.”
“I was the weasel,” Frank said glumly.