those boats, guarding the bridges and tunnels will be pointless."

 

"You're right," I said.

 

I looked at the campers, all of them grim and determined. I tried not to feel

like this was the last time I'd ever see them all together.

 

"You're the greatest heroes of this millennium," I told them. "It doesn't matter

how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win." I raised Riptide

and shouted, "FOR OLYMPUS!"

 

They shouted in response, and our forty voices echoed off the buildings of

Midtown. For a moment it sounded brave, but it died quickly in the silence of

ten million sleeping New Yorkers.

 

Annabeth and I would've had our pick of cars, but they were all wedged in

bumper-to-bumper traffic.

 

None of the engines were running, which was weird. It seemed the drivers had had

time to turn off the ignition before they got too sleepy. Or maybe Moipheus had

the power to put engines to sleep as well.

 

Most of the drivers had apparently tried to pull to the curb when they felt

themselves passing out, but still the streets were too clogged to navigate.