BLOOD OF OLYMPUS

xix
Piper
WHEN SHE RECOUNTED her dream for Percy, the ship’s toilets exploded.
‘No way are you two going down there alone,’ Percy said.
Leo ran down the hall waving a wrench. ‘Man, did you have to destroy the plumbing?’
Percy ignored him. Water ran down the gangway. The hull rumbled as more pipes burst and sinks
overflowed. Piper guessed that Percy hadn’t meant to cause so much damage, but his glowering
expression made her want to leave the ship as soon as possible.
‘We’ll be all right,’ Annabeth told him. ‘Piper foresaw the two of us going down there, so that’s
what needs to happen.’
Percy glared at Piper like it was all her fault. ‘And this Mimas dude? I’m guessing he’s a giant?’
‘Probably,’ she said. ‘Porphyrion called him our brother.’
‘And a bronze statue surrounded by fire,’ Percy said. ‘And those … other things you mentioned.
Mackies?’
‘Makhai,’ Piper said. ‘I think the word means battles in Greek, but I don’t know how that applies,
exactly.’
‘That’s my point!’ Percy said. ‘We don’t know what’s down there. I’m going with you.’
‘No.’ Annabeth put her hand on his arm. ‘If the giants want our blood, the last thing we need is a
boy and a girl going down there together. Remember? They want one of each for their big sacrifice.’
‘Then I’ll get Jason,’ Percy said. ‘And the two of us –’
‘Seaweed Brain, are you implying that two boys can handle this better than two girls?’
‘No. I mean … no. But –’
Annabeth kissed him. ‘We’ll be back before you know it.’
Piper followed her upstairs before the whole lower deck could flood with toilet water.
An hour later, the two of them stood on a hill overlooking the ruins of Ancient Sparta. They’d already
scouted the modern city, which, strangely, reminded Piper of Albuquerque – a bunch of low, boxy,
whitewashed buildings sprawled across a plain at the foot of some purplish mountains. Annabeth had
insisted on checking the archaeology museum, then the giant metal statue of the Spartan warrior in the
public square, then the National Museum of Olives and Olive Oil (yes, that was a real thing). Piper
had learned more about olive oil than she ever wanted to know, but no giants attacked them. They
found no statues of chained gods.
Annabeth seemed reluctant to check the ruins on the edge of town, but finally they ran out of other
places to look.