“There’s nothing here,” Carter said.“What do you want?” I asked. “We’ve got wax, some toilet papyrus, an ugly statue.”

“Carter pulled out several lengths of brown twine, a small ebony cat statue, and a thick roll of paper. No, not paper. Papyrus. I remember Dad explaining how the Egyptians made it from a river plant because they never invented paper. The stuff was so thick and rough, it made me wonder if the poor Egyptians had had to use toilet papyrus. If so, no wonder they walked sideways.”

“We can’t make a portal—”“We’ve got a flying boat,” Carter offered.”

“Do you have anything to declare?' the statue asked me. 'Yes. I do have something to declare.' I said. 'I declare this is [dumb]”

“[Carter just asked when I became a ram whisperer. Do shut up, Carter]”

“In the center stood a marble alter, where a kid in a toga was doing some sort of ritual in front of a massive golden statue of the big dude himself:Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt. "It doesn't look like that," Percy muttered."What?" Hazel asked."The master bolt," Percy said."What are you talking about?""I-" Percy frowned. For a second, he'd thought he remembered something. Now it was gone. "Nothing, I guess.”

“The first thing we pulled out was a lump of white gunk.“Wax,” Carter pronounced.“Fascinating.”