"Not eating size," he complained. "I have to release the little ones or the game

wardens will be all over me."

 

"Little ones?"

 

He grinned. "You're doing well with those new cabins, by the way. I suppose this

means I can claim all those other sons and daughters of mine and send you some

siblings next summer."

 

"Ha-ha."

 

Poseidon reeled in his empty line.

 

I shifted my feet. "Um, you were kidding, right?"

 

Poseidon gave me one of his inside-joke winks, and I still didn't know whether

he was serious or not. "I'll see you soon, Percy. And remember, know which fish

are big enough to land, eh?"

 

With that he dissolved in the sea breeze, leaving a fishing pole lying in the

sand.

 

That evening was the last night of camp — the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus

cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and

etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all