“The Cyclops was about to roll the stone back into place, when from somewhere outside Annabeth shouted, "Hello, ugly!"Polyphemus stiffened. "Who said that?""Nobody!" Annabeth yelled.That got exactl;y the reaction she'd been hoping for. The monster's face turned red with rage."Nobody!" Polyphemus yelled back. "I remember you!""You're too stupid to remember anybody," Annabeth taunted. "Much less Nobody."I hoped to the gods she was already moving when she said that, because Polyphemus bellowed furiously, grabbed the nearest boulder (which happened to be his front door) and threw it toward the sound of Annabeth's voice. I heard the rock smash into a thousand fragments.To a terrible moment, there was silence. Then Annabeth shouted, "You haven't learned to throw any better, either!"Polyphemus howled. "Come here! Let me kill you, Nobody!""You can't kill Nobody, you stupid oaf," she taunted. "Come find me!"Polyphemus barreled down the hill toward her voice.Now, the "Nobody" thing would have confused anybody, but Annabeth had explained to me that it was the name Odysseus had used to trick Polyphemus centuries ago, right before he poked the Cyclops's eye out with a large hot stick. Annabeth had figured Polyphemus would still have a grudge about that name, and she was right. In his frenzy to find his old enemy, he forgot about resealing the cave entrance. Apparently, he did even stop to consider that Annabeth's voice was female, whereas the first Nobody had been male. On the other hand, he'd wanted to marry Grover, so he couldn't have been all that bright about the whole male/female thing.I just hoped Annabeth could stay alive and keep distracting him long enough for me to find Grover and Clarisse.”

“Polyphemus stiffened. "Who said that?""Nobody!" Annabeth yelled.That got exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for. The monster's face turned red with rage."Nobody!" Polyphemus yelled back. "I remember you!""You're too stupid to remember anybody," Annabeth taunted. "Much less Nobody.”

“Percy, we're going to Polyphemus' island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k...a C-y-k..." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. We could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean!”

“Neither torch nor dagger," Annabeth said firmly. "There is a third test, which I will pass." "A third test?" the pater demanded. "Mithras was born from rock," Annabeth said, hoping she was right. "He emerged fully grown from the stone, holding his dagger and torch." The screaming and wailing told her she had guessed correctly. "The big mother knows all!" a ghost cried. "That is our most closely guarded secret!" Then maybe you shouldn't put a statue of it on your altar, Annabeth thought.”

“Hey, ugly!" Annabeth yelled. I hoped she was talking to the giant, not me.”

“Annabeth hesitated. "Then we'll all go." "No," I said. "It's too dangerous. If they got hold of Nico, or Rachel for that matter, Kronos could use them.You stay here and guard them."What I didn't say: I was also worried about Annabeth. I didn't trust what she would do if she saw Luke again. He had fooled her and manipulated her too many times before."Percy, don't," Rachel said. "Don't go up there alone.""I'll be quick," I promised. "I won't do anything stupid."Annabeth took her Yankees cap out of her pocket. "At least take this. And be carful.""Thanks." I remembered the last time Annabeth and I had parted ways, when she'd given me a kiss for luck in Mount St. Helens. This time, all I got was the hat.”