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Percy was staring at the waves when Annabeth, Tyson and I found him. "What's wrong?" Annabeth asked. "I heard you calling for help." "Me too," Tyson said. "You shouted: Bad things are attacking." "I didn't call you," Percy said. "I'm doing well." "Okay, then I can go back to sleep," I mumbled and was about to leave, but Annie crapt my arm. "But then who..." Annabeth saw the four yellow duffel bags and then the thermos and candy bottle in his hand. "What ...?" "Just listen," Percy said. "We do not have much time." Percy told us about my conversation with Hermes. "If we don't have much time, you wouldn't have had to tell us everything now," I murmured. Percy looked at me in surprise, "What..." "Children of Apollo aren't that sunny at night, ignore her," Annabeth said. I was about to reply when I heard screaming in the distance - the harpies had picked up our scent. "Percy," Annabeth said. "We have to go." "We're going to get kicked out of here. Trust me. I know about getting kicked out." "So what? If we fail, there won't be any camp to return to anyway." "Yes, but you promised Chiron I promised to keep you away from danger. And I can only do that if I come with you. Tyson can stay here and tell them..." "I want to go," Tyson said. "No," Annabeth had panic in her voice now. "I mean...Percy, please. You know that's impossible." "Hello, you were just talking about time pressure and now you're discussing it. Make up your mind because I don't want to be eaten today." But I was ignored again and Annie and Tyson looked at Percy and waited for an answer. The cruise ship was now moving further and further away.
"We can't leave him here," Percy decided. "Otherwise Tantalus will punish him for leaving us." "Percy," Annabeth said, "We want to go to Polyphemus' Island, Polyphemus is a C-y-c..." She stamped her foot in frustration. Annie was intelligent, but she was also dyslexic. We could have spent all night trying to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean." "Tyson can come with me," Percy insisted. "If he wants" Tyson clapped his hands. "Want." Annabeth glared at him, but she probably realized that Percy wouldn't change his mind. Maybe she just knew we didn't have time for further discussion. "All right," she said. "How do we get on the ship?" "Hermes said that my father will help us." "Well then, Aquamen! What are you waiting for?" I spoke up. "Ah, Dad," he called. "How are you?" This may indeed be something. "Percy," Annabeth whispered. "It is urgent." "We need your help," he called a little louder. "We need to get on that ship out there, I mean...before we get eaten and stuff, so..." At first nothing happened. "Thats a great start," I murmured. Then about a hundred meters further out, four white lines appeared on the surface of the sea. They came at us like claws tearing through the ocean. As they neared the beach, the surf opened up and the heads of four white steeds rose from the waves. Tyson gasped. "Fish ponies!" He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, I saw that they only looked like horses from the front. Their rear halves were silver fish bodies with sparkling scales and caudal fins in every color of the rainbow. "Hippocampi," Annabeth said. "How beautiful they are!" The one closest to her whinnied in agreement and nudged Annabeth with his snout. "We can admire them later," I said. "Come on." "There!" a voice screamed behind us. "Bad children who left the cabins. Small snack for happy harpies." Five harpies fluttered atop the dunes - plump little hags with pinched faces and claws and wings too small for their bodies. They looked like a cross between tiny diner hostesses and dodos. They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were mean as hell once they caught their victim. "Tyson," Percy said. "Grab a duffel bag." He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth open. "Tyson?" "Huh?" "Wait, I'm still in my sleeping clothes," I remarked. I couldn't see myself setting off on a mission in a pair of Michaels old sweatpants and Lees hoodie.
