"But we didn't kill him, did we?"

 

As I said it, I knew it was a naive hope. We might blow up his ship and

disintegrate his monsters, but a Titan lord wouldn't be so easy to kill.

 

"No," Poseidon admitted. "But you've bought our side some time."

 

"There were demigods on that ship," I said, thinking of the kid I'd seen in the

stairwell. Somehow I'd allowed myself to concentrate on the monsters and Kronos.

I'd convinced myself that destroying their ship was all right because they were

evil, they were sailing to attack my city, and besides, they couldn't really be

permanently killed. Monsters just vaporized and re-formed eventually. But

demigods . .

 

Poseidon put his hand on my shoulder. "Percy, there were only a few demigod

warriors aboard that ship, and they all chose to battle for Kronos. Perhaps some

heeded your warning and escaped. If they did not . . . they chose their path."

 

"They were brainwashed!" I said. "Now they're dead and Kronos is still alive.

That's supposed to make me feel better?"

 

I glared at the mosaic — little tile explosions destroying tile monsters. It

seemed so easy when it was just a picture.