Krystal109
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« on: February 26, 2010, 01:55:27 AM » |
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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Chapter 10: I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus
Written by Chris
Edited by Krystal
Percy, Annabeth and Grover are all packed and ready to go; Annabeth with her Yankees cap and Grover with a bag full of cans and his pipes. Percy and the others waved goodbye to the other campers and gathered on Half-Blood Hill, next to Thalia’s tree, where Chiron was waiting. After a quick introduction to Argus, the surfer Percy met during his unconsciousness and head of security, Luke comes running up to say goodbye. He wishes them good luck and offers Percy a gift, flying sneakers from his dad. As an annoyed Annabeth stomps away, Percy realizes he won’t be able to use the shoes and offers them to Grover instead.
As Percy thinks depressingly about how Poseidon didn’t give him any special gift for his journey, like Hermes shoes, or Athena’s invisibility cap, Chiron surprises him with a pen. It was the same pen that Chiron had given him to kill Mrs. Dodd’s, a pen that when uncapped, transforms into a celestial bronze sword known as Anaklusmos or Riptide. He explains that Riptide will kill any monsters out there, that it’s very deadly, but will not harm humans. And added benefit, especially to Percy, is that the pen can never be lost and will always reappear in Percy’s pocket.
Curious about the gods, Percy asks Chiron about their immortality and the time of the Titans. Chiron explains that this is the Fifth Age and that Kronos ruled as king of the Titans in the Fourth Age, known as the Golden Age. But Kronos was a brutal leader who cared nothing for humans and when Zeus took over they imprisoned the Titans for eternity. No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, but may the fates forbid the gods shall suffer the same fate as the Titans. All one can do is follow their destiny.
Argus drove them west as Percy learned a little more about the rivalry between Athena and Poseidon. When they arrived at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, Percy noticed a missing boy flyer with his picture on it and tore it down. As he stares into the distance, being so close to home, he thought about Gabe and his mother. Grover breaks the silence and says that the reason Sally married Gabe was to protect Percy; Gabe’s scent being so strong it could mask even a demigods scent. His mother was a brilliant woman and now she was gone, all due to Hades. The truth was he didn’t care about Zeus, his father, or the lighting bolt; he only cared about getting his mother back.
After waiting around for the bus to arrive, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover finally boarded and sat in the far back. It didn’t take long for Grover to start getting nervous at the smell of monsters and when Mrs. Dodds and her sister’s boarded Percy knew they were in trouble. The Furies took position in the front of the bus, a clear sign that no one would be leaving, and the bus started to pull away. Percy and the others looked around for an escape, but as the ladies excused themselves to the bathroom it became clear that there was no escape. Knowing that the Furies are after Percy, Annabeth throws her baseball cap at Percy and tells him to make a run for it. When Percy makes it to the front of the bus a hideous wailing made him look back. The old ladies were no longer old ladies; they had transformed, and were attacking Annabeth and Grover.
Percy decides to help his friends and takes command of the bus, eventually crashing it into the New Jersey woods. As the Furies regain their balance and head for his friends again, Percy pulls off the Yankees cap and pulls out Riptide. A battle ensues in which both Mrs. Dodds’ sisters are destroyed and she is tied and pinned to the ground. As she curses the lot of them thunder shakes the bus and Annabeth urges them to escape; just in time to avoid a lightning bolt shred the bus apart. With nowhere else to go, the three rush through the forest trying to escape their predators.
Characters Involved
Percy Jackson
Grover Underwood
Annabeth Chase
Mr. Brunner/Chiron
Argus
Luke Castellan
Mrs. Dodds/Alecto
Megaera
Tisiphone
Characters Mentioned
Athena
Thalia Grace
Zeus
Hermes
Hercules
Jason
Poseidon
Cyclopes
Titans
Kronos
Prometheus
The Fates
Sally Jackson
Gabe Ugliano
Hades
Oracle of Delphi
Places Visited
Camp Half-Blood
Half-Blood Hill
Greyhound Station
Greyhound Bus
Woods near the Hudson River
Memorable Quotes
Percy: In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday,” both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes. (Page 150)
Luke: Luke smiled. “Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don’t use them much these days…” His expression turned sad. (Page 151)
Percy: After Luke was gone, I told her, “You’re hyperventilating.”
Annabeth: “Am not.” (Page 151)
Grover: “Aaaaa!” Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van. (Page 152)
Chiron: “The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into,” Chiron told me. “Its name is Anaklusmos.”
Percy: “’Riptide’,” I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily. (Page 153)
Percy: “Our destiny…assuming we know what that is.”
Chiron: “Relax,” Chiron told me. “Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history.”
Percy: “Relax,” I said. “I’m very relaxed.” (Page 156)
Percy: “Remind me again – why do you hate me so much?” (Page 157)
Questions for consideration:
Why do you think Luke was willing to give up his magic shoes to Percy? What does it tell you about his relationship to his father, Hermes?
Now that we know why Sally Jackson married Gabe, what do you think about all the sacrifices she has made for him? What do you think Gabe is thinking now?
Is there anything in this chapter that you’d like to discuss with everyone else?
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