“You stood up to the dragon so Beckendorf would have his chance to jump - now that was brave.""Or pretty stupid.""Percy, you're a brave guy," she said. "Just take the compliment. I swear, is it so hard?”

“Percy, you're a brave guy," [Annabeth] said. "Just take the compliment. I swear, is it so hard?”

“So you'll teach me?" Val asked.Ravus nodded agin. "I will make you as terrible as you desire.""I don't want to be - ," she started, but he held up his hand."I know you're very brave," he said."Or stupid.""And stupid. Brave and Stupid." Ravus smiled, but then his smile sagged. "But nothing can stop you from being terrible once you've learned how.”

“Terrible thought she was brave. She remembered it now, heard his voice in her head as if he stood next to her. "They scared. Not you, though." Terrible thought she was brave, and if he - a man whose name was Terrible, a man whose path people scrambled to get out of - thought so, it must be true. She could do this, she would do this.”

“Now, come over here so I can pat you down.""But you don't have-" Percy stopped. "Uh, sure."He stood next to the armless statue. Terminus conducted a rigorous mental pat down."You seem to be clean," Terminus decided. "Do you have anything to declare?""Yes," Percy said. "I declare that this is stupid.”

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