The Sea of Monsters

As punishment, Tantalus sentences Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson to kitchen duty. While they work, Percy tells Annabeth about his dream again, and Annabeth starts to hope Grover really found the Golden Fleece. To find it and rescue Grover, they have to traverse the Sea of Monsters, which mortals know as the Bermuda Triangle. The quest is beyond dangerous, but the fleece will “revitalize any land where it’s placed” and is the camp’s only hope (87).

That night, Percy and Annabeth present the idea to Tantalus in front of the entire camp to force him into agreeing. He counters the Bermuda Triangle is huge and they wouldn’t know where to look. Percy realizes the numbers the Gray Sisters gave him are coordinates, which he uses to strengthen his argument until the whole camp is behind him. Finally, Tantalus agrees and gives the quest to Clarisse, who accepts.

That night after Tyson falls asleep, Percy sneaks out of their cabin to go sit by the ocean. Hermes (messenger God and Luke’s father) pays him a visit to ask what Percy’s going to do about the quest. Percy doesn’t know, and Hermes offers the idea that things might turn out all right if Percy saves camp, even though he’d be breaking the rules to do so. He gives Percy two gifts: a Thermus containing the winds from the corners of the Earth and a bottle of vitamins Percy should only take when he absolutely needs them. With the parting request to make an effort for his family, Hermes points to a ship floating out in the bay, conjures up three duffle bags, and disappears with the warning that the camp’s harpies are on patrol, leaving Percy alone with “five minutes to make an impossible decision” (106).

Annabeth and Tyson arrive as soon as Hermes is gone. Percy explains everything, and they both agree to go. Percy asks Poseidon for help getting to the ship Hermes pointed out, and three hippocampi (half-horse, half-fish) arrive. The creatures take Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson to the ship, which is named the Princess Andromeda and has a figurehead of a screaming woman. Percy coaxes Tyson away from his hippocampus, which he named Rainbow, and the three board the ship. Despite it being a massive cruise ship, it’s deserted, and Percy senses “something familiar. Something dangerous” that he can’t quite place (114). That night, Percy dreams of Tartarus and Grover, neither of which makes him feel better.

The next morning, Percy and the others wake to a voice announcing the day’s activities and a bunch of other passengers on the ship who all seem to be in a trance. While hiding from two snakelike monsters, they hear Luke’s voice telling someone “they’ll take the bait” (120). Though they want to leave immediately, the three resolve to find out what Luke’s up to first.