the_blood_of_olympus_-_rick_riordan

Grover heaved a sigh. ‘Even on a good day, it’s hard to organize nymphs and dryads. With Gaia
stirring, they’re almost as disoriented as the gods. Katie and Miranda from the Demeter cabin are out
there right now trying to help, but if the Earth Mother wakes …’ He looked around the table
nervously. ‘Well, I can’t promise the woods will be safe. Or the hills. Or the strawberry fields. Or –’
‘Great.’ Jake Mason elbowed Clovis, who was starting to nod off. ‘So what do we do?’
‘Attack.’ Clarisse pounded the ping-pong table, which made everyone flinch. ‘The Romans are
getting more reinforcements by the day. We know they plan to invade on August first. Why should we
let them set the timetable? I can only guess they’re waiting to gather more forces. They already
outnumber us. We should attack now, before they get any stronger; take the fight to them!’
Malcolm, the acting head counsellor for Athena, coughed into his fist. ‘Clarisse, I get your point.
But have you studied Roman engineering? Their temporary camp is better defended than Camp Half-
Blood. Attack them at their base, and we’d be massacred.’
‘So we just wait?’ Clarisse demanded. ‘Let them get all their forces prepared while Gaia gets
closer to waking? I have Coach Hedge’s pregnant wife under my protection. I am not going to let
anything happen to her. I owe Hedge my life. Besides, I’ve been training the campers more than you
have, Malcolm. Their morale is low. Everybody is scared. If we’re under siege another nine days –’
‘We should stick to Annabeth’s plan.’ Connor Stoll looked about as serious as he ever did, despite
the Easy Cheese around his mouth. ‘We have to hold out until she gets that magic Athena statue back
here.’
Clarisse rolled her eyes. ‘You mean if that Roman praetor gets the statue back here. I don’t
understand what Annabeth was thinking, collaborating with the enemy. Even if the Roman manages to
bring us the statue – which is impossible – we’re supposed to trust that will bring peace? The statue
arrives and suddenly the Romans lay down their weapons and start dancing around, throwing
flowers?’
Rachel set down her marker pen. ‘Annabeth knows what she’s doing. We have to try for peace.
Unless we can unite the Greeks and Romans, the gods won’t be healed. Unless the gods are healed,
there’s no way we can kill the giants. And unless we kill the giants –’
‘Gaia wakes,’ Connor said. ‘Game over. Look, Clarisse, Annabeth sent me a message from
Tartarus. From fricking Tartarus. Anybody who can do that … hey, I listen to them.’
Clarisse opened her mouth to reply, but when she spoke it was Coach Hedge’s voice: ‘Nico, wake
up. We’ve got problems.’