SOMETHING WAS WRONG AT CAMP. In a weird way, one I couldn't entirely put my finger on. Like walking into a room right after something big happened that everyone is stressing about without saying anything. Like everything was just slightly off. Nothing had been removed, but just shifted just to the side of where you knew it ought to be. 

If you just looked around, you wouldn't see anything different. Camp was in its place. We were currently approaching the Big House, which gave a good look of everything else. The strawberry field was thriving, which was a good sign that the entire valley wasn't poisoned (just the tree...) The collection of Greek buildings were still intact, as if they had been plucked out of history and plopped down yesterday. The cabins looked like...well, the cabins. A motley selection of buildings, each standing out as they were made uniquely to one of the Olympian gods. They were weird, but not out of the ordinary weird, you know? 

The difference was in the feeling. Before, camp was a safe and happy place. Campers didn't even worry about the weather. The border split even the worst storms around the camp, leaving it nice and sunny (unless a god decided otherwise – which wasn't often.) 

Things had changed. The air was tense. Usually the camp was filled with laughter as campers made games out of their training, or just played in the center area. Now they were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed. I noticed a lot of the younger kids were gone. Chiron must have contacted their parents, too, and got them to keep them at home (unlike us, I thought, and wondered when we might be able to let Mom know we were okay.) At the edge of the woods, I spotted dryads armed with boys and arrows. That was weird. They weren't fighters. When threatened, they would usually run and hide in their trees. 

While the strawberry field was safe, the rest of the valley wasn't. The surrounding trees were sickly and the grass was turning a pale yellow. The fire had been put out, there was still massive burn marks. 

The people were equally put off. Though I recognized some of the kids that passed us on our way to the Big House, none of them seemed to recognize me. Or if they did, they didn't say anything. The most acknowledgement we got was when people stopped to do a double-take when they spotted Tyson. 

Luckily, my misery about this kept getting interrupted. Every time we passed something new, Tyson would gasp "Whasthat!" I focused on explaining everything to him. That was a lot nicer, and had the bonus of being a mini-tour for Pat. 

"Those are the cabin's, for the campers," I said, after Tyson pointed to the collection of buildings. "There's one for each Olympian god or goddess. That big brown one, that's the Hermes cabin. Unclaimed kids and kids of minor gods that don't have cabins stay there as well." 

Pat studied the cabin in the distance. "That's where I'm going, isn't it?" 

"Yeah..." 

I gave him a sympathetic look. I remembered my short stay in the Hermes cabin. They were packed, to the point that there were more kids sleeping on the floor than there were in actual beds. At least I had gotten to leave. At least most new kids could imagine that they would eventually leave, because maybe they would have a parent big and important enough to get their own cabin. A Hermes kid might be able to pull rank and get a bed at least. 

Pat didn't get that. He was just going to get wedged in there like a second though. 

If I may lecture for a bit: that's the problem with putting everyone and their mother into the Hermes cabin. It was okay in practice. It makes sense for the god of travel to keep all the travelers. 

But kids of bigger gods weren't traveling, they were stuck there. I knew kids who had been unclaimed for years. And, I mean, I get not wanting to build a cabin for, say, the one Notus kid (Pat is still the only one I know.) But one kid per the hundreds of minor gods? They added up. I think they made up at least a third of our campers. That didn't even account for unclaimed kids and the hundreds of minor demigods who were safe outside of the camp 

(Heck, since this book has definitely gotten outside of camp by now, some of you "mortals" could easily be the children of super minor gods. Like Aristaeus, the god of bee-keeping and cheese-making and other cool stuff like that.) 

Anyway, what were we talking about? Right. Cabins. 

Tyson stared at us in awe. "You have...a cabin?" 

"Number three," Percy said. He pointed down at our cabin, down by the beach. 

"You live with friends in the cabin?"

"Uh..." I glanced at Percy. The truth was a little embarrassing. I mean, imagine telling your friend that your dad had broken an oath to have you and now regretted your existence? (But also was proud of you? I don't get it, either.) "No. Cabins are split up by their parents and, um, Percy and I are the only kids of Poseidon." 

"But –" Tyson started. 

We had arrived at the Big House, though, and he was interrupted by us reaching Chiron. He was listening to some 1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags. Oleander was helping him, I noticed. As soon as Tyson caught sight of our activities director, his eye went wide as a dinner plate. 

"Pony!" Tyson cried, in what could only be describe as pure, childish glee. 

Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"

"Tyson likes ponies," I explained quickly. I was scared Chiron might be angry at him (which is weird – Chiron was never like that. I guess I was still used to Gabe...) "Tyson, Chiron is a centaur. Not a pony." 

Tyson frowned. He didn't look particularly convinced. 

Annabeth ran up and hugged the centaur. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not...leaving?" 

Her voice broke. Chiron was a second father to her. Actually, I would even say that he was more of a father figure than her actual dad, since Annabeth had been living at camp since she was seven. 

"Hello, child," Chiron ruffled her hair and smiled at her warmly. Like, you know, a dad. He turned to us with the same kindness. "And you two, my goodness. You've grown over the year!"

I was definitely blushing. I actually had changed since last summer, including a growth spirt that put me a good deal taller than Percy. I had also changed my hair die – red-ish highlights replacing the original blue dip dye. No particular reason, except I wanted a change and sort of figured blue was a little on the nose for the daughter of Poseidon. Having the fact I had changed was awkward, though. It suddenly made me feel self conscious. 

"Ah. And a new comer," Chiron said. He gave Pat a solemn look. "I must apologize that your introduction is so...discordant."

"I don't mind. I killed a giant," Pat chirped. 

Chiron only shook his head. 

"Clarisse said you were...you were..." Percy choked on the final word. 

"Fired." Chrion's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."

"Besides himself, you mean," Percy growled. 

Just thinking about Mr. D made me angry, and without Ares's anger-inducing-aura. He was the camp director. He also took every chance he possible could to make sure we knew he hated us. The only people Mr. D didn't seem to be a bitter jerk to were Castor and Pollux, his twin demigod sons. Now he was firing Chiron, probably just because he hated him.

"But this is crazy!" Annabeth cried. "Chiron, you couldn't have anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!" 

"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances." 

"What circumstances?" Percy asked.

Chiron's face darkened. He stuffed a Latin-English dictionary into his saddlebag. Oleander – who I realized I had entirely forgotten about – cleared her throat. 

"It's poison from the underworld. I'm able to keep it under control, but..." Oleander shifted her feet. "I can't sit at the tree all the time. It just keeps getting worse."

I studied the girl for a moment. Oleander was a daughter of Persephone, which meant her powers had strange quirks. At the basics it was nature powers, like the Demeter cabin she stayed in (at Demeter's request. I guess she didn't want her granddaughter stuck in the Hermes's cabin.) But it was all twisted, due to Persephone's connection to the underworld. Oleander could control plants, but usually vines, poisonous plants, and dead flowers. She could control wild animals, because Persephone was the goddess of spring, but only creepy crawlies and bats and stuff. 

Oleander herself the same dichotomy. She looked like a cherub, with a round face dotted with pale freckles and fluffy strawberry hair, and dressed like a tiny Spirit Halloween advertisement. She wore a head band with little demon horns, which were followed by two little tuffs of hair. Along with the required camp t-shirt, she had fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows and had little cartoon pumpkins on them. Her tights were patterned with spider webs and there were little bat wings on the sides of her sneakers. It was like Oleander lived in a never-ending Halloween. 

Usually, Oleander was a pretty bubbly kid. Now she looked like all of the life had been drained out of her. Her face was pale and eyes hollow. It looked like Oleander hadn't slept in months. It made sense that she should be able to control underworld poison in a tree, but it was clearly taking a toll on her. 

Chiron sighed. He laid a hand on Oleander's shoulder. "I wish I did not have to put that on your shoulders, child."

"It'll be fine," Oleander said. She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You'll be back. You'll find out what's wrong."

"What is wrong?" I asked. "Oleander said it's from the underworld..."

Chiron nodded. "I'm afraid we only know so because her powers work on it. It is a venom not even I have seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."  

"Then we know who's responsible," Percy said. "Kro–"

"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy. Especially not here, not now."

I glanced over my shoulder. Names have power, especially Kronos's. Knowing him, he would summon monsters as soon as Percy finished saying his name. And the border was weak...failing...

Percy was growing angry now (as if he wasn't angry already.) "But last summer he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! This has to be his idea. He'd get Luke to do it, that traitor." 

"Just like he got Luke to attack us," I muttered. 

"Ooo, attack?" Pat repeated. 

I was suddenly aware of him and Tyson. I supposed Tyson knew about the mythological world, being that he was a cyclops, but Pat was totally out of the loop. I didn't even know if he knew the basics. Demigods didn't tend to be the kinds of kids who were into mythology before they learned it was real. Chiron seemed to realize that as well. 

"Why don't you take our new camper to see our orientation film?" Chiron said to Oleander. "I suspect he would appreciate a more coherent explanation. Yes?"

Pat nodded slightly. Oleander led him out of Chiron's room, probably into the Big Houses's presentation room. A sudden heaviness fell over the room. I realized we had all been holding a lot back for them – Pat being new and Oleander being a child ("Wow, Attie, weren't you a child?" Yeah! I was! And it sucked, which is why I didn't want Oleander to have to deal with it, too.) 

"I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it," Chiron said. "I did not wish to mention it to Oleander, since the child has dedicated herself to saving the tree, but I suspect it only has a few weeks of life left unless..." 

"Unless what?" Annabeth asked. 

"No," Chiron said. "A foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying. Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago."

"Couldn't a –" I almost asked if a god could fix it, but I decided against it. "Where do we find this magic poison healing thingy? And what is it?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah! We'll go find it!"

Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boombox. Then he turned and rested his hand on Percy's shoulder. Chiron looked him in the eyes. "Percy, you must promise me that you will not act rashly. I told your mother I did not want you two to come here at all this summer. It's much too dangerous. But now that you are here, stay here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."

I wondered why Percy was the one getting this lecture. Did Chiron trust me extra or something? Or maybe he didn't think I would be willing to go help (he was right, I was sort of hoping someone else would go find this magic item, but it still hurt my feelings.) 

"Why?" Percy asked. "I want to do something! We want to do something. We can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be –"

"Overrun by monsters," Chiron said. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer! He almost took your life."

I grumbled and twisted my mood ring. "Yeah, you don't have to remind me."

It had been the second time that summer I thought Percy was going to die. The third that I almost lost a loved one. All because Kronos had decided that we were considered a threat to him. I didn't like thinking about it. I still had nightmares – not prophetic ones, thankfully – of Percy dying and Mom dissolving into dust, and not coming back this time. 

I knew what Percy wanted. He'd talked about it a lot during the school year. He wanted to go running off to find Luke and get his revenge. Maybe jump into Tartarus to fight Kronos himself. Every single time I'd talked him down from it. I was scared, to be honest. I wanted to curl up and hide until everything was solved. I definitely didn't want Percy to be putting himself in danger trying to start a fight he couldn't survive. 

He couldn't fight Luke. I knew it. Chiron knew it. Everyone knew it. But for some reason, Percy just didn't get it. 

Annabeth was struggling not to cry. Chiron brushed a tear from her cheek. "Stay with Percy and Attie, child," he told her. "Keep them safe. The prophecy – remember it all."

"I – I will."

"Um..." Percy interrupted. "Would this be the super-dangerous prophecy that has us in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell us about it?"

Nobody answered. Rude. Percy muttered to himself. 

"Chiron..." Annabeth said. "You told me the gods made you immortal only so long as you were needed to train heroes. If they dismiss you from camp –"

The realization hit like a lightening strike. "Wait, are you going to die?" I blurted out. 

There was a sad glint in Chiron's eyes. He told Annabeth, "Swear you will do your best to keep Percy and Attie from danger. Swear upon the River Styx."

"Wait, Annabeth –" I protested. 

An oath upon the River Styx was serious. The same kind that the Big Three had made to swear off kids. Maybe Zeus and Poseidon had gotten off scot free, but Annabeth wasn't a god. What happened to her would be a lot worse. 

"I – I swear it upon the River Styx," Annabeth said, without hesitation. 

Thunder rumbled outside. 

"Very well," Chiron said. He seemed to relax, as if he hadn't just stuck a thirteen year old in a life changing (life threatening) pact. "Perhaps my name will be cleared and I shall return. Until then, I go to visit my wild kinsmen in the Everglades. It's possible they know of some cure for the poisoned tree that I have forgotten. In any event, I will stay in exile until this matter is resolved...one way or another."

Annabeth stifled a sob. Chiron patted her shoulder awkwardly. "There, now, child. I must entrust your safety to Mr. D and the new activities director. We must hope...well, perhaps they won't destroy the camp quite as quickly as I fear."

"Who is this Tantalus guy, anyway?" Percy demanded. "Where does he get off taking your job?"

A conch horn blew across the valley. It was almost dinner, I realized. How long had it been? The school and the police must have contacted Mom by now. And what about Pat's family? What about every one else in school, who probably now thought we were evil now?

Wait. Were we wanted again?

"Go," Chiron said. "You will meet him at the pavilion. Percy, Attie, I will contact your mother and let her know you're safe. No doubt she will be worried by now."

"And Pat's," I interrupted. 

When Chiron looked confused, I explained what had happened at the gym. He nodded. "I will speak with the boy. Meanwhile, you two must remember my warning. You are in grave danger. Do not think for a moment that the titan lord has forgotten you!"

Then, he clopped out of the apartment and down the hall. Tyson called after him, and eventually I had to keep him from chasing after Chiron and getting himself in trouble. Still, he was bawling as hard as Annabeth was. I almost felt the same. Chiron...he'd been the best teacher I'd ever had. There was some others that really, really tried, but for obvious reasons he was the only one who really got it. 

Percy frowned. "I forgot to mention my dreams about Grover..."

He had. There had been so many things going wrong, I forgot about the first thing that had gone wrong. Had that really been this morning? It felt so long ago. 

♆

THE SUN WAS SETTING AS WE ARRIVED IN THE DINING PAVILION. The other campers were filing in. For a moment we just stood by one of the columns, watching as they did. Annabeth took a deep breath and went to join her siblings from the Athena cabin. She went to the front of the line. A lot of them were older, but none of them complained about her being the head councilor or getting dinner first. Annabeth had been there the longest – six summers in total. From a distance, I could tell Annabeth was still fighting back tears. Still stared hard at the person in front of her. 

Clarisse led the Ares cabin in next. She had one arm in a sling and a nasty-looking gash on her cheek, but otherwise she was okay. I guess. A piece of paper was taped on her back that read YOU MOO, GIRL! Veerle kept trying to get close enough to yank it off her back without getting her attention, but clearly it wasn't working. The rest of the cabin did little more than snickering about it. 

Other cabins came filing after that. Hephaestus, Demeter, Apollo, Aphrodite, Dionysus. Naiads, dryads, and satyrs filtered their way in front the surrounding nature. 

The Hermes cabin came in last. I spotted Pat, who was with the new head councilors – Travis and Conner Stoll. Technically Travis was about a year older, but they acted like they were twins. Such as, you know, sharing the leadership role. Seeing him with the other Hermes campers, I would have thought they were related if I hadn't already seen him claimed. 

At the end of the line, I saw PB taking up the back of the line. She seemed distracted. I could only imagine why. PB had been part of the group that came to camp with Thalia, along with Annabeth and Luke. Last year, she had listened to Luke slowly fall to Kronos in his dreams, unaware it was him. Now her old friend had poisoned the tree that held the spirit of a different old friend. 

You know. Normal and not at all weird stuff like that. 

As soon as the last camper filed in, Percy and I led Tyson to the center of the pavilion. Conversations faulted. Everyone was watching him, even if they didn't openly turn their heads to see. I could hear people muttering, though they spoke just quietly enough that I couldn't make out their words. Percy must have, though. He turned and glared in their direction. 

Mr. D sat at the head table. He studied us like someone had dropped a small rat in front of him. "Well, well, well," he drawled, "If it isn't Peter and Allie Johnson. My millennium is complete."

I was going to let it go – Mr. D never got our names right – but Percy snapped, "Percy and Attie Jackson...sir." 

"Yes. Well, as you long people say these days: Whatever."

Mr. D was sipping on a Diet Coke. Behind him a satyrs was peeling the skin off grapes (I was suddenly reminded of the Gray Sisters' eye and almost lost my appetite) and handing them to him one at a time.

Where Chiron usually sat was someone I didn't recognize. A man in a threatbare orange prison's jumpsuit, labeled 0001. To some extent he reminded me of PB – pale and thin, with dark shadows under his eyes like he'd never slept in his life. He even had choppy hair, though his was gray and significantly thinner. They couldn't be related, though. I knew it as soon as I looked into his eyes. There was something there, a strange mix of anger and hunger, that made me feel like he was going to rip my face off at any second. 

"These children," Dionysus said to him, "you need to watch. Poseidon's children, you know."

"Ah!" the prisoner said. "Those ones."

His tone sounded like this was the tail end of many discussions about us. I grimaced. I didn't want these guys talking about me. 

"I am Tantalus," the prisoner said. Alarm bells went off in my head, but I couldn't tell if that was because I recognized the name or if his creepy smile was just freaking me out. "On special assignment here until, well, until Lord Dionysus decides otherwise. And you, Perseus and Atalanta Jackson, I do expect you two to refrain from cause anymore trouble."

"Sure," I grumbled. 

"Trouble?" Percy demanded. 

I elbowed him in the ribs and he whined. It wasn't that I didn't agree with his indignant tone. It was just...This Tantalus guy was giving me weird energy. I didn't want to start picking fights until I knew what I was up against. 

Dionysus snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared on the table – the front page of today's New York Post. My stomach dropped as soon as I saw the title. Past experiences made me hate the news paper. What I saw just proved my anxieties right. There were photos of our yearbook pictures from Meriwether Prep. I didn't bother reading it, because I knew exactly what it would be. They were blaming Percy and me for the exposition at the gym. 

Because of course they did. 

"Yes, trouble," Tantalus said with satisfaction. "You caused plenty of it last summer, I understand."

"If you want to put it that way," I said, slowly, before Percy could make whatever smart comment he was thinking. "You could also say we fixed a problem someone else caused. If you want." 

Tantalus sneered at me. "Arrogant, too." A satyr placed a plate of barbecue in front of him, catching his attention. He turned to his empty goblet and said, "Root beer. Barq's special stock. 1967."

I didn't know we could get that specific. The glass filled itself with foamy soda. Tantalus reached towards the goblet hesitantly, like he was afraid it would bite him if he moved too quickly. There was a strange sparkle in Mr. D's eyes. Something like...amusement?

"Go on, then, old fellow," he said. "Perhaps now it will work."

Tantalus grabbed for the glass, but it scooted away from him before he could even touch it. A few drop of root beer sloshed out. Tantalus tried to dab them up with his fingers, but the drops rolled away. Again, before he could even touch them. He growled and trued toward the plate of barbecue. When he tried to stab at the brisket, the plate skittered down the table and flew off the end, straight into the coals of the brazier. 

Suddenly I remembered where I knew his name. 

"Blast!" Tantalus muttered. 

"Ah, well," Dionysus said. He wasn't trying all that hard to sound sympathetic. "Perhaps a few more days. Believe me, old chap, working at this camp will be torture enough. I'm sure your old curse will fade eventually."

"Eventually." Tantalus was staring at Dionysus's Diet Coke. "Do you have any idea how dry one's throat gets after three thousand years?"

"You're that spirit from the Fields of Punishment," Percy said. "The one who stands in the lake with the fruit tree hanging over you, but you can't eat or drink."

Tantalus sneered again. "A real scholar, aren't you, boy?"

"You must've done something really horrible when you were alive," Percy said. He sounded slightly impressed, because he was an idiot. "What was it?"

Tantalus's eyes narrowed. Behind him, the satyrs were shaking their heads vigorously, a blatant DO NOT SAY THAT sign. 

"I'll be watching you, Percy Jackson," Tantalus said. He jabbed a bony finger at me. "And you, girl, don't think I forgot you. I don't want either of you causing problems at my camp."

"Your camp has problems already...sir," Percy snapped. 

"Oh, go sit down, Johnsons," Dionysus sighed. "I believe that table over there is yours – the one where no one else ever wants to sit."

Where no one else can sit, I thought. Still, I tried to herd Percy and Tyson towards the table. Mr. D didn't seem intimidating, but he was a god, and not the sort you want to mess with. 

"Oh, no," Tantalus said. I realized he was studying Tyson. "The monster stays here. We must decide what to do with it."

"Him," Percy snapped. "His name is Tyson."

I asked, "And what do you mean, 'do with him?' Tyson just helped save the camp. Those bulls would have burned the whole place to the ground."

"Yes," Tantalus sighed. "And what a pity that would've been."

Dionysus snickered, like they were the mean girls in a movie. 

"Leave us," Tantalus ordered. "while we decide this creature's fate."

Tyson turned to us, his eye wide with fear. I gently squeezed his hand. Percy promised we would find him somewhere to stay. That was all we could do for him, however, before we had to head to the Poseidon table. A wood nymph brought us both a plate of Olympian pizza. It was meant to be olive-and-pepperoni, but they'd somehow known to leave off the meat for mine (so, maybe I'd decided to go vegetarian. Blame Grover! Every time I saw meat, all I could think of was what a nice conversation he would have had with it when it was alive.) 

As was custom, we gave Poseidon a part of our food. Once we returned, I chewed absentmindedly at a slice of pizza. It wasn't so much to eat it – my appetite was totally gone – as it was to have something to keep my mind busy. I stared hard at Mr. D and Tantalus, as if I could will them to go easy on Tyson. 

♆

ONE OF THE SATYRS BLEW THE CONCH HORN. It was nearing the end of the meal and almost everyone was talking instead of eating. They paused to turn and listen to what Tantalus had to say. 

"Yes, well," he said. As he spoke, he tried to inch his hand towards the food, as if he might sneak up on it. It did. It shot across the table as soon as he got within six inches. "Another fine meal! Or so I am told. And where on my first day of authority, I'd like to say what a pleasant from of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of summer, I hope to torture, er, interact with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat."

Dionysus clapped politely. There were a few other half hearted applause. Percy and I shared a glanced across the table. Personally, I'd prefer if he never interacted with us. Any of us. And maybe fell in a ditch and died again while he was at it. 

Tyson was still handing at the head table. He was clearly uncomfortable and trying to get out of the way, but every time he moved Tantalus pulled him back. 

"And now some changes!" Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile. "We are reinitiating the chariot races!" 

Murmuring broke out at all the tables – excitement, fear, disbelief. 

"Now I know," Tantalus continued, raising his voice over the sound, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems." 

"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," someone at the Apollo table called. 

Just some fun summer camp activities! I winced. That sounded bad, even by camp standards.

"Yes, yes!" Tantalus said. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"

Whispers exploded from around the tables. For obvious reasons, the group of teenagers and kids didn't like chores. If I wasn't exhausted and hyper focused on making sure nothing happened to Tyson, I might have even joined in their excitement. 

It was Clarisse who objected. She looked nervous, but stood up to speak anyway. "But sir! What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots –"

"Ah, the hero of the day," Tantalus exclaimed. "Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!"

Clarisse blinked, then blushed. "Um, I didn't –"

"And modest, too." Tantalus grinned. "Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?"

Her further protests were ignored. Several of her cabin mates pulled her back to the seat. I shot Clarisse a sympathetic look. We weren't best friends, but I had to admit that she cared a lot about the camp. If there was anyone who was on our side right now – and I hated to say this – it was Clarisse. 

Tantalus continued, "And now, before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Annabeth Chase and the Jackson brats have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this here." He waved a hand towards Tyson. 

There was uneasy murmuring among other campers. They were giving us side ways glances, which made me want to melt into the floor. 

"Now, of course," he said, "Cyclopes have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes's cabin, possibly?"

At once the Hermes table looked nervous. Travis and Connor suddenly looked really interested in the table cloth. To his credit, Pat raised his hand...right before it was snatched down by the girl next to him. I didn't blame them. Aside from the fact that cyclopes were technically monsters, the Hermes cabin was over crowded. They barely had room to fit Pat, let alone him and Tyson. 

"Come now," Tantalus chided. "The monster may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kenneled?"

I gritted my teeth. I hated the way that Tantalus was talking about Tyson like he was some kind of dog. Actually, I don't think anyone would talk to a dog with that much distain. 

Suddenly, everybody gasped. 

There was a screech as Tantalus scooted his seat away from Tyson in surprise. I gawked at the green light that burned right over my friend's head. It was one of the claiming holograms, which was already a surprise. I don't think anyone thought monsters got claimed. Even more surprising was which symbol it was: the three prong trident. 

At once everyone began to roar with laughter. Percy's face had gone bright red and Tantalus was howling some mocking comment. Something about knowing where to put "the beast." 

I wasn't listening. I had taken the chance to hurry over to Tyson. He was too mystified by the glowing trident above him to realize everyone was making fun of him. 

"What was that?" Tyson asked, his voice filled with awe. 

"Remember when Pat was claimed?" I said. Tyson nodded. "It was that, except for..."

I paused. I was still processing what it meant. Tyson, however, didn't take much prompting. His eye widened and a grin grew across his face. 

"Poseidon," he said. "Tried to tell you. Cyclopses are children of Poseidon."

Oh. Right. Tyson had been trying to tell us something. I turned to look at Percy, who was making a face like he was trying to dissolve like a dead monster. I smiled weakly. Guess Tyson could sit with us after all.