"Percy," my father said, "what exactly do you mean?" "Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents," I said. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."

"Husband, we talked about this," Persephone chided. "You can't go around incinerating every hero. Besides, he's brave. I like that."Hades rolled his eyes. "You liked that Orpheus fellow too. Look how well that turned out."

"Piper wondered if Olympian gods ever blasted their kids with lightning for being evil, or grounded them in the Underworld."

"She'd felt more pain from Nico in their brief connection than she had from her entire legion during the battle against the giant Polybotes."

"A telkhine was hunched over a console, but he was so involved with his work, he didn't notice us. He was about five feet tall, with slick black seal fur and stubby little feet. He had the head of a Doberman, but his clawed hands were almost human. He growled and muttered as he tapped on his keyboard. Maybe he was messaging his friends on uglyface.com."

"You'll do well, Percy. Just remember your strengths and beware your weaknesses."

"We had enough quite enough snobbery in this world without exporting it to the hereafter."

"We went about our usual routines - combat practice, volleyball practice, archery practice, strawberry-picking practice (don't ask), lava-wall-climbing practice ... You'll find we practice a lot here."

"What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologize."

"Doors vurst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war godling?"I wanted to say, 'Well, these guys don't look like peace activists'. But I thought that might be a dangerous answer."

"Nico di Angelo ran up to me with a big grin on his face."Percy, this is awesome!" His blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes, and his breastplate was about six sizes too big. I wondered if there was any way I'd looked that ridiculous when I'd first arrived."

"The whole crew sat on the deck, without a storm or a monster attack to worry about for the first time in days, and ate ice cream. Well, except for Frank, who was lactose intolerant. He got an apple."

"All right,' Nico relented. 'Maybe a little '. He managed to take off his aviator jacket and wad it into a pillow before he keeled over and began to snore."

"I looked at the campers, all of them grim and determined. I tried not to feel like this was the last time I'd ever see them all together. 'You're the greatest heroes of this millennium,' I told them. 'It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win.' I raised Riptide and shouted, 'FOR OLYMPUS!' They shouted in response, and our forty voices echoed off the buildings of Midtown."

"Percy: I'll walk down to the cabins and Connor and Travis are stealing stuff from the camp store, and Silena is arguing with Annabeth trying to give her a new makeover, and Clarisse is still sticking the new kids' head into the toilets. It's nice that some things never change."

"We need music," Nico said. "How's your singing?""Um, no. Can't you just, like, tell it to open? You're the son of Hades and all.""It's not so easy. We need music."I was pretty sure if I tried to sing, all I would cause was an avalanche."

"As a teacher, I've never seen anything like 'Harry Potter.' That's why I smart when people talk about the 'next' 'Harry Potter.' There is no 'next' 'Harry Potter.'"

"Zoe readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to me: this had happened to her before.She had been cornered on Half- Blood Hill. She'd willingly given her life for her friends. But this time she couldn't save us."

"Naturally, Coach Hedge went ballistic; but Percy found it hard to take the satyr seriously since he was barely five feet tall."Never in my life!" Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!""Coach," Annabeth said, "it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep.""Besides," Percy said, "you're starting to sound like Terminus."Hedge narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll-I'll terminus you, buddy!"

"Just for you non-sea-god types out there, don't go swimming in New York Harbor. It may not be as filthy as it was in my mom's day, but that water will still probably make you grow a third eye or have mutant children when you grow up."

"Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

"Those movies... ridiculously inaccurate. The real gods of Asgard - Thor, Loki, Odin, and the rest - are much more powerful, much more terrifying than anything Hollywood could concoct."

"Aphros nodded, a glint of pride in his eyes. "We have trained all the famous mer-heroes! Name a famous mer-hero, and we have trained him or her!"Oh, sure, Leo said. "Like, um, the Little Mermaid?Aphros frowned. "Who? No! Like Triton, Glaucus, Weissmuller, and Bill!"Oh. Leo had no idea who any of those people were. "You trained Bill? Impressive."

"Thalia had been turned into a pine tree when she was 12. Me... well, i was doing my best not to follow her example. I had nightmares about what Poseidon might turn me into if i were ever in the verge of death-plankton, maybe. Or a floating patch of kelp."

"Poseidon raised his eyebrows as they shook hands. "Blowfish, did you say?"Ah, no. Blofis, actually."Oh, I see, Poseidon said. "A shame. I quite like blowfish. I am Poseidon."Poseidon? That's an interesting name."Yes, I like it. I've gone by other names, but I do prefer Poseidon."Like the god of the sea."Very much like that, yes."

"Flirting with random women in a tavern? That sounds like Helios. Well, it sounds like most of the gods, actually."

"Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need."

"Anybody have any money?Frank checked his pockets. "Three denarii from Camp Jupiter. Five dollars Canadian.Hedge patted his gym shorts and pulled out what he found. "Three quarters, two dimes, a rubber band and-score! A piece of celery.He started munching on the celery, eyeing the change and the rubber band like they might be next."

"The dead praetor raised his sword. ''Our desires reveal us. They show us for who we really are. Someone has come come for you, Jason Grace."