"Um, thanks," I said.

 

I turned, but before I could leave, Poseidon called, "Honor guard!"

 

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the

door — an aisle for me to walk through. They came to attention.

 

"All hail, Perseus Jackson," Tyson said. "Hero of Olympus . . . and my big

brother!"

 

TWENTY-ONE

 

BLACKJACK GETS JACKED

 

Annabeth and I were on our way out when I spotted Hermes in a side courtyard of

the palace. He was staring at an Iris-message in the mist of a fountain.

 

I glanced at Annabeth. "I'll meet you at the elevator."

 

"You sure?" Then she studied my face. "Yeah, you're sure."

 

Hermes didn't seem to notice me approach. The Iris-message images were going so

fast I could hardly understand them. Mortal newscasts from all over the country

flashed by: scenes of Typhon's destruction, the wreckage our battle had left

across Manhattan, the president doing a news conference, the mayor of New York,