Warped: Sea of Monsters (A Percy Jackson Fanfic) (Book 7)

Chapter 13: Clarisse Blows Up Everything (Percy's POV)

"You are in so much trouble," Clarisse said.
We'd just finished a ship tour we didn't want, through dark rooms overcrowded with dead sailors. We'd seen the coal bunker, the boilers and engine, which huffed and groaned like it would explode any minute. We'd seen the pilot house and the powder magazine and gunnery deck (Clarisse's favorite) with two Dahlgren smoothbore cannons on the port and starboard sides and a Brooke nine-inch rifled gun fore and aft—all specially refitted to fire celestial bronze cannon balls.
Everywhere we went, dead Confederate sailors stared at us, their ghostly bearded faces shimmering over their skulls. They approved of Annabeth because she told them she was Virginia. They also liked Isa and Ben because they were from Florida, though Isa explained to me that those who fought in the Confederacy that were from Florida were not very many, because at the time, it had still been just mostly swamp land, and battles couldn't be fought there. They were interested in me, too, because my name was Jackson—like the Southern general—but then I ruined it by telling them I was from New York. They all hissed and muttered curses about Yankees.
Tyson was terrified of them. All through the tour, he insisted Annabeth hold his hand, which she didn't look too thrilled about. Noah was whimpering the whole time, and Isa tried to comfort him, but he just kept whimpering.
Finally, we were escorted to dinner. The CSS Birmingham captain's quarters were about the size of a walk-in closet, but still much bigger than any other room on board. The table was set with white linen and china. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, and Dr Peppers were served by skeletal crewmen. I didn't want to eat anything served by ghosts, but my hunger overruled my fear. That seemed to be the same case for Isa.
"Tantalus expelled you for eternity," Clarisse told us smugly. "Mr. D said if any of you show your face at camp again, he'll turn you into squirrels and run you over with his SUV. Well, that is unless that Hiccup guy keeps on having his dragon turn Tantalus to ash every time Mr. D brings him back."
Isa cheered. "Yes! Thank you, Hiccup Haddock and Toothless, you wonderful Viking and dragon! You're just mad because Hiccup doesn't play favorites and isn't completely biased for you. I knew having Hiccup there was a good decision. He's not incompetent like Tantalus.
"Did they give you this ship?" I asked Clarisse.
"'Course not. My father did."
"Ares?"
Clarisse sneered. "You think your daddy is the only one with sea power? The spirits on the losing side of every war owes a tribute to Ares. That's their curse for being defeated. I prayed to my father for a naval transport and here it is. These guys will do anything I tell them. Won't you, Captain?"
The captain stood behind her looking stiff and angry. His glowing green eyes fixed me with a hungry stare. "If it means an end to this infernal war, ma'am, peace at last, we'll do anything. Destroy anyone."
Clarisse smiled. "Destroy anyone. I like that."
Tyson gulped. Noah whimpered.
"Clarisse," Annabeth said, "Luke might be after the Fleece, too. We saw him. He's got the coordinates and he's heading south. He has a cruise ship full of monsters—"
"Good! I'll blow him out of the water."
"You don't understand," Annabeth said. "We have to combine forces. Let us help you—"
"No!" Clarisse pounded the table. "This is my quest, smart girl! Finally I get to be the her, and you three will not steal my chance."
"Uh, hello?" Ben commented. "Am I invisible?"
"Where are your cabin mates?" I asked. "You were allowed to take two or three friends with you, weren't you?"
"They didn't. . .I let them stay behind. To protect the camp."
"You mean even the people in your own cabin wouldn't help you?"
"Shut up, Prissy! I don't need them! Or you!"
"Clarisse," I said. "Tantalus is using you. He doesn't care about the camp. He'd love to see it destroyed. He's setting you up to fail. And as long as Hiccup is still there, Tantalus can't use you. So you should take advantage of that."
"No! I don't care what the Oracle—" She stopped herself.
"What?" I said. "What did the Oracle tell you?"
"Nothing." Clarisse's ears turned pink. "All you need to know is that I'm finishing this quest and you're not helping. On the other hand, I can't let you go. . ."
"So we're prisoners?" Annabeth asked.
As soon as Noah heard the word 'prisoners' he went into a terrified fit, crying in a shrilly caterwaul.
"Noah!" Isa cried. "Calm down! You're gonna end up alerting Everest!"
Whoever Everest was, it seemed Noah wanted him to find us, because he started crying louder.
"M'lady," the captain said, "you want me to get that irritating creature out of here?"
"Hey, don't you dare, Clarisse," Isa said sternly. "Noah can understand English perfectly. The thought of being a prisoner scares him. If you throw him off the boat, sure, he can swim fast underwater, and can breathe underwater, but he can't swim forever. And if you don't want to get pinned and body slammed under the beta wolf that's the size of a horse, who is also very aggressive towards people he doesn't trust, and is capable of tearing off your limbs, I suggest you be very careful about choosing your next words. Otherwise, you won't get a beating from just Everest, but me too."
Isa was giving her a death glare, the irises of her eyes blood red with anger. That's how I knew she wasn't kidding. Everest sounded like a formidable wolf, and he was only the beta? Usually the alpha is superior to the beta, so I could only imagine how formidable the alpha must be.
Clarisse seemed to have a calm demeanor, not at all threatened. "Guests. For now." She propped her feet up on the white linen tablecloth and opened another Dr Pepper. "Captain, take them below. Assign them hammocks on the berth deck. If they don't mind their manners, show them how we deal with enemy spies."