The mobster giant Hippolytos kneeled. ‘My king, I bring word of the enemy!’
Porphyrion took his throne. ‘Speak.’
‘The demigod ship sails around the Peloponnese. Already they have destroyed the ghosts at Ithaca and captured the goddess Nike in Olympia!’
The crowd of monsters stirred uneasily. A Cyclops chewed his fingernails. Two dracaenae exchanged coins like they were taking bets for the End-of-the-World office sweepstake.
Porphyrion just laughed. ‘Hippolytos, do you wish to kill your enemy Hermes and become the messenger of the giants?’
‘Yes, my king!’
‘Then you will have to bring fresher news. I know all this already. None of it matters! The demigods have taken the route we expected them to take. They would have been fools to go any other way.’
‘But, sire, they will arrive at Sparta by morning! If they manage to unleash the makhai –’
‘Idiot!’ Porphyrion’s voice shook the ruins. ‘Our brother Mimas awaits them at Sparta. You need not worry. The demigods cannot change their fate. One way or another, their blood shall be spilled upon these stones and wake the Earth Mother!’
The crowd roared approval and brandished their weapons. Hippolytos bowed and retreated, but another giant approached the throne.
With a start, Piper realized this one was female. Not that it was easy to tell. The giantess had the same dragon-like legs and the same long braided hair. She was just as tall and burly as the males, but her breastplate was definitely fashioned for a woman. Her voice was higher and reedier.
‘Father!’ she cried. ‘I ask again: Why here, in this place? Why not on the slopes of Mount Olympus itself? Surely –’
‘Periboia,’ the king growled, ‘the matter is settled. The original Mount Olympus is now a barren peak. It offers us no glory. Here, in the centre of the Greek world, the roots of the gods truly run deep. There may be older temples, but this Parthenon holds their memory best. In the minds of mortals, it is the most powerful symbol of the Olympians. When the blood of the last heroes is spilled here, the Acropolis shall be razed. This hill shall crumble, and the entire city shall be consumed by the Earth Mother. We will be the masters of Creation!’
The crowd hollered and howled, but the giantess Periboia didn’t look convinced.
‘You tempt fate, Father,’ she said. ‘The demigods have friends here as well as enemies. It is not wise –’
‘WISE?’ Porphyrion rose from his throne. All the giants took a step back. ‘Enceladus, my counsellor, explain to my daughter what wisdom is!’
The fiery giant came forward. His eyes glowed like diamonds. Piper loathed his face. She’d seen it too many times in her dreams when her father was held captive.
‘You need not worry, princess,’ Enceladus said. ‘We have taken Delphi. Apollo was driven out of Olympus in shame. The future is closed to the gods. They stumble forward blindly. As for tempting fate …’ He gestured to his left, and a smaller giant shuffled forward. He had ratty grey hair, a wrinkled face and eyes that were milky with cataracts. Instead of armour, he wore a tattered sackcloth tunic. His dragon-scale legs were as white as frost.
He didn’t look like much, but Piper noticed that the other monsters kept their distance. Even Porphyrion leaned away from the old giant.
‘This is Thoon,’ Enceladus said. ‘Just as many of us were born to kill certain gods, Thoon was born to kill the Three Fates. He will strangle the old ladies with his bare hands. He will shred their yarn and destroy their loom. He will destroy Fate itself!’
King Porphyrion rose and spread his arms in triumph. ‘No more prophecies, my friends! No more futures foretold! The time of Gaia shall be our era, and we will make our own destiny!’
The crowd cheered so loudly that Piper felt as if she were crumbling to pieces.
Then she realized someone was shaking her awake.
‘Hey,’ Annabeth said. ‘We made it to Sparta. Can you get ready?’
Piper sat up groggily, her heart still pounding.
‘Yeah …’ She gripped Annabeth’s arm. ‘But first there’s something you need to hear.’
XIX
Piper
WHEN SHE RECOUNTED her dream for Percy, the ship’s toilets exploded.
‘No way are you two going down there alone,’ Percy said.
Leo ran down the hall waving a wrench. ‘Man, did you have to destroy the plumbing?’
Percy ignored him. Water ran down the gangway. The hull rumbled as more pipes burst and sinks overflowed. Piper guessed that Percy hadn’t meant to cause so much damage, but his glowering expression made her want to leave the ship as soon as possible.