The hidden oracle Quotes

“To call the place an anthill would be like calling the Versailles Palace a single-family home. Earthen ramparts rose almost to the tops of the surrounding trees--a hundred feet at least. The circumference could have accommodated a Roman hippodrome. A steady stream of soldiers and drones swarmed in and out of the mound. Some carried fallen trees. One, inexplicably, was dragging a 1967 Chevy Impala.”

“To call the place an anthill would be like calling the Versailles Palace a single-family home. Earthen ramparts rose almost to the tops of the surrounding trees--a hundred feet at least. The circumference could have accommodated a Roman hippodrome. A steady stream of soldiers and drones swarmed in and out of the mound. Some carried fallen trees. One, inexplicably, was dragging a 1967 Chevy Impala.”

“But Percy Jackson has always been reliable. You have nothing to fear. Besides, he likes me. I taught him everything he knows.”She frowned. “You did?”I found her innocence somewhat charming. So many obvious things she did not know. “Of course. Now let’s go up.”

“I’ll be back with the sandwiches,” she said. “But I had some leftover seven-layer dip.”“Yum.” Percy dug in with a tortilla chip. “She’s kinda famous for this, guys.”Sally ruffled his hair. “There’s guacamole, sour cream, refried beans, salsa—”“Seven layers?” I looked up in wonder. “You knew seven is my sacred number? You invented this for me?”Sally wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, actually, I can’t take credit—”“You are too modest!” I tried some of the dip. It tasted almost as good as ambrosia nachos. “You will have immortal fame for this, Sally Jackson!”

“Oh, why does college have to happen to perfectly good people?”

“This brings to mind an expression I coined ages ago: A peach a day keeps the plague spirits away!'Percy sneezed. 'I though it was apples and doctors.'The karpos hissed.'Or peaches,' Percy said. 'Peaches work too.''Peaches,' agrees the karpos.Percy wiped his nose. 'Not criticizing, but why is her grooting?”

“Meg turned and gazed out the rear windshield, probably checking for any shiny blobs pursuing us. “At least we’re not being—”“Don’t say it,” Percy warned.Meg huffed. “You don’t know what I was going to—”“You were going to say, ‘At least we’re not being followed,’” Percy said. “That’ll jinx us. Immediately we’ll notice that we are being followed. Then we’ll end up in a big battle that totals my family car and probably destroys the whole freeway. Then we’ll have to run all the way to camp.”Meg’s eyes widened. “You can tell the future?”"Don’t need to.” Percy changed lanes to one that was crawling slightly less slowly. “I’ve just done this a lot.”

“Nosoi?” Percy planted his feet in a fighting stance. “You know, I keep thinking, I have now killed every single thing in Greek mythology. But the list never seems to end.”“You haven’t killed me yet,” I noted.“Don’t tempt me.”

“I see you like to study,” I said. “Well done.”Percy snorted. “I hate to study. I’ve been guaranteed admission with a full scholarship to New Rome University, but they’re still requiring me to pass all my high school courses and score well on the SAT. Can you believe that? Not to mention I have to pass the DSTOMP.”“The what?” Meg asked.“An exam for Roman demigods,” I told her. “The Demigod Standard Test of Mad Powers.”Percy frowned. “That’s what it stands for?”“I should know. I wrote the music and poetry analysis sections.”“I will never forgive you for that,” Percy said.”

“You’re gonna be like Aquaman?” she asked. “Get the fish to fight for you?”“Thanks,” Percy said. “I haven’t heard enough Aquaman jokes for one lifetime.”

“Yep, that pretty much describes my life: because Poseidon.”