Hi,” Piper Said, As Casually As She

Frank Couldn't Breathe Underwater. But Where Was He? Percy Turned In A Full Circle. Nothing. Then He Glanced Up. Hovering Above Him Was A Giant Goldfish. Frank Had Turned -clothes, Backpack, And All- Into A Koi The Size Of A Teen-aged Boy. "dude." Percy Sent His Thoughts Through The Water, The Way He Spoke To Other Sea Creatures. "a Goldfish?" Frank's Voice Came Back To Him: "i Freaked. We Were Talking About Goldfish, So It Was On My Mind. Sue Me.

George Unhinged His Jaw And Coughed Up A Little Plastic Bottle Filled With Chewable Vitamins. "you're Kidding," I Said. "are Those Minotaur-shaped?" Hermes Picked Up The Bottle And Rattled It. "the Lemon Ones, Yes. The Grape Ones Are Furies, I Think. Or Are They Hydras? At Any Rate, These Are Potent."

We'de Have To Get In And Get Out The Hard Way; And If We Made A Mistake, There Was No Telling What Sort Of Curse We'de Unleash: Monster Guardians, Plagues, Fires, Exploding Donkeys(don't Laugh; They're Bad News).

He Could Still See The Dragon Just Fine. It Was About Sixty Feet Long, Snout To Tail, Its Body Made Of Interlocking Bronze Plates. Its Claws Were The Size Of Butcher Knives, And Its Mouth Was Lined With Hundreds Of Dagger-sharp Metal Teeth. Steam Came Out Of Its Nostrils. It Snarled Like A Chain Saw Cutting Through A Tree.

Maybe It's Okay To Still Be A Kid Every Once In A While.