“She’s pretty,” Zethes mumbled. “I mean, she’s right.”

“How do we beat her? I asked.You pretty much don’t, Horus said. She is the incarnation of the sun’s wrath. Back in the day when Ra was active, she would have been much more impressive, but still. .She’s unstoppable. A born killer. A slaying machine—“Okay, I get it!” I yelled.”

“I smiled at the giant. “Actually, Cacus, I have another secret weapon.”The giant’s eyes lit up with greed. “Another weapon? I will steal it! I will copy it and sell the knockoffs for a profit! What is this secret weapon?”“Her name is Annabeth,” I said. “And she’s one of a kind.”

“Gaea?” Leo shook his head. “Isn’t that Mother Nature? She’s supposed to have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her and dear and rabbits doing her laundry.”“Leo, that’s Snow White,” Piper said.”

“So Beckendorf was pretty popular?" Leo asked. "I mean-before he blew up?”

“Percy looked at Coach Hedge and Frank. “A trap?”“Probably,” Frank said. “She’s not mortal,” Hedge said, sniffing the air. “Probably some kind of goat-eating, demigod-destroying fiend from Tartarus.”“No doubt,” Percy agreed. “Awesome.” Hedge grinned. “Let’s go.”

“Stop smiling!” she ordered. “I can see you, Carter. Oh…and, uh, hullo, Walt.”The pot monster made squeaky grinding noises as it stood up straight. One clunky arm rose and tried to fix Sadie’s nonexistent hair. Leave it to Sadie to beself-conscious around boys, even when she’s made out of pots and duct tape.”