“Caught in a bad romance. Whoaaa-oh-ooooh!"Nellie wailed along to the XM radio blaring from the enormous speakers."Can I uncover my ears now?" Dan called from the back, where he was reclined across the leather seat. "Has Nellie stopped her Lady Gag Me impression?”

“My dear children!"Nellie whopped him upside the head with her backpack."Ow!" Uncle Alistair curled over, cupping his hand over his good eye."Nellie!" Amy said."Sorry," Nellie muttered. "I thought he was one of the bad guys.”

“Amy, Dan, and Nellie were sitting at a table in a conference room, examining reproductions of Franklin documents-some so rare, the librarians told her, the only copies existed in Paris. "Yeah, here's a rare grocery list," Dan muttered. "Wow.”

“NOW, MY BRETHREN!" Poseidon's voice was so loud I wasn't sure if I was hearing it from the smoke image or from all the way across town. "STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!”

“The cord, a familiar voice said. Remember your lifeline, dummy!Suddenly there was a tug in my lower back. The current pulled at me, but it wasn't carrying me away anymore. I imagined the string in my back keeping me tied to the shore."Hold on, Seaweed Brain." It was Annabeth's voice, much clearer now. "You're not getting away from me that easily."The cord strengthened.I could see Annabeth now- standing barefoot above me on the canoe lake pier. I'd fallen out of my canoe. That was it. She was reaching out her hand to haul me up, and she was trying not to laugh. She wore her orange camp T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was tucked up in her Yankees cap, which was strange because that should have made her invisible."You are such an idiot sometimes." She smiled. "Come on. Take my hand."Memories came flooding back to me- sharper and more colorful. I stopped dissolving. My name was Percy Jackson. I reached up and took Annabeth's hand.”

“Percy?" Annabeth gripped his arm."Oh, bad," he muttered. "Bad. Bad." He looked across the table at Frank and Hazel. "You guys remember Polybotes?""The giant who invaded Camp Jupiter," Hazel said. "The anti-Poseidon you whacked in the head with a Terminus statue. Yes, I think I remember”

“We were halfway back to the fireplace when Set caught us by surprise.He was going on with his list of ridiculous ingredients: "And snakeskins. Yes, three large ones, with a sprinkling of hot sauce--" Then he stopped abruptly, like he'd had a revelation. He spoke in a much louder voice, calling across the room. "And a sacrificial victim would be good! Maybe a young idiot magician who can't do a proper invisibility spell, like CARTER KANE over there!"Menshikov stared right at me. "My, my... how kind of you to deliver yourselves. Well done, Set.""Hmm?" Set asked innocently. "Do we have visitors?”