Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--vi. rhea learns that luke holds grudges

RHEA WOKE TO A SHIP'S WHISTLE and a voice on the intercom---some guy with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy. 

"Good morning, passengers! We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! Don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge at one o'clock, and for our special guests, disemboweling practice on the Promenade!"

Rhea groaned, throwing away the hand that was covering her face. She turned to look at Annabeth, who was looking as if she had just gone through Tartarus. 

"I'm never sleeping with you again." Rhea declared. "You fight when you sleep."

Annabeth shot her a glare, her gray eyes stormy with annoyance.

"And your grumpy too." Rhea mused. "Great."

Once all of the questers were all dressed, they ventured out into the ship and were surprised to see other people. A dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast. A dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. Crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers.

Nobody paid the quartet much attention. But there was something wrong.

As the family of swimmers passed, the dad told his kids: "We are on a cruise. We are having fun."

"Yes," his three kids said in unison, their expressions blank. "We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool."

They wandered off.

"Good morning," a crew member told them, his eyes glazed. "We are all enjoying ourselves aboard the Princess Andromeda. Have a nice day." He drifted away.

"This has got to be the creepiest thing I have ever seen." Rhea shuddered, shifting closer to Percy.

"Agreed." Percy murmured. 

"Guys, this is weird," Annabeth whispered. "They're all in some kind of trance."

They then passed a cafeteria and saw their first monster. It was a hellhound--a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line and its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs. It must've been young, because it was small compared to most--no bigger than a grizzly bear. Rhea gagged at the sight of it all.

The weird thing was: a middle-aged couple was standing in the buffet line right behind the devil dog, patiently waiting their turn for the eggs. They didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"Not hungry anymore," Tyson murmured.

"I hear you, big guy." Rhea agreed.

A reptilian voice came from down the corridor," Ssssix more joined yesssterday."

Annabeth gestured frantically toward the nearest hiding place--the women's room--and all four of them ducked inside. 

Something--or more like two somethings--slithered past the bathroom door, making sounds like sandpaper against the carpet.

"Yesss," a second reptilian voice sounded. "He drawsss them. Ssssoon we will be ssssstrong."

The things slithered into the cafeteria with a cold hissing that might have been snake laughter.

Annabeth looked at the twins. "We have to get out of here."

"You think I want to be in the girls' restroom?" Percy demanded.

"I mean the ship, Percy! We have to get off the ship." Annabeth said in exasperation. 

"Smells bad," Tyson agreed. "And dogs eat all the eggs. Annabeth is right. We must leave the restroom and ship."