the thunderbolt theft

The horrible thing was:

I could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoe, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoe sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it lookeda thousand times more evil. He was all the things I'd originally disliked about Zoe, with none of the goodI'd come to appreciate. "Let Artemis go, " Zoe demanded. Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be myguest."

Zoe opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almosttaking off his fingers. "Hoo-hoo, " Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have allthe Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of ourpalace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

I looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell me something. She motioned her head towardLuke. But all I could do was stare at her. I hadn't noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her blondhair was now streaked with gray. "From holding the sky, " Thalia muttered, as if she'd read my mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand, " I said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth firstmet, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns toembrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantlyflattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there isno escape."

Atlas smiled."

Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached us, studying Thalia and me. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of achallenge."

"Fight us, " I said. "And let's see."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath ourdignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward, " I said. Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia. "As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong, " Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it werepainful. If I didn't hate his guts so much, I almost would've felt sorry for Kim. "Thalia, you still can join us.

Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!" He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared:

a pond ringed in black marble, big enoughfor the Ophiotaurus. I could imagine Bessie in that pool. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more Iwas sure I could hear Bessie mooing. Don't think about him! Suddenly Grover's voice was inside my mind—the empathy link. I could feelhis emotions. He was on the verge of panic.

I'm losing Bessie. Block the thoughts ! I tried to make my mind go blank. I tried to think about basketball players, skateboards, the differentkinds of candy in my mom's shop. Anything but Bessie. "Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus, " Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke…" Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers havedone nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!" Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me, " Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The three of us together.

Fighting for a betterworld. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree…" His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. I believed that Luke was indanger. His life depended on Thalia's joining his cause. And I was afraid Thalia might believe it, too. "Do not, Thalia, " Zoe warned. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp.

A sacrificialflame. "Thalia, " I said. "No."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, I saw images in the mist all around us:

black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, madeof fear and shadow. "We will raise Mount Othrys right here, " Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Oncemore, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and my heart fell. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beachwhere thePrincess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even name. The whole shipmust've been emptied, because there were hundreds, many more than I'd seen on board last summer.

And they were marching toward us. In a few minutes, they would be here. "This is only a taste of what is to come, " Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood.

And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing shewanted in the world was to believe him. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know youanymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia, " he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me… Don't makehim destroy you."

There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, we would be overwhelmed. I met Annabeth'seyes again. She nodded. I looked at Thalia and Zoe, and I decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to die fighting withfriends like this. "Now, " I said. Together, we charged. Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguardsfled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Lukewas still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrilsof power. As for me, I did the stupidest thing in my life, which is saying a lot. I attacked the Titan Lord Atlas. He laughed as I approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greekbattle armor. "Go on, then!" "Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!" I knew what she was warning me about. Chiron had told me long ago:

Immortals are constrained byancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve . Once Iattacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might. I swung my sword, and Atlas knocked me aside with the shaft of his javelin. I flew through the air andslammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It wasbecoming real. "Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows. "Did you think, simply becauseyou could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me ?"

The mention of Ares sent a jolt through me. I shook off my daze and charged again. If I could get to thatpool of water, I could double my strength. The javelins point slashed toward me like a scythe. I raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at theshaft, but my arm felt like lead. My sword suddenly weighed a ton. And I remembered Ares's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago:

When you need itmost, your sword will fail you . Not now ! I pleaded. But it was no good. I tried to dodge, but the javelin caught me in the chest and sentme flying like a rag doll. I slammed into the ground, my head spinning. I looked up and found I was at thefeet of Artemis, still straining under the weight of the sky. "Run, boy, " she told me. "You must run!" Atlas was taking his time coming toward me. My sword was gone. It had skittered away over the edgeof the cliff. It might reappear in my pocket—maybe in a few seconds—but it didn't matter. I'd be deadby then. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Annabeth was onthe ground, desperately struggling to free her hands. "Die, little hero, " Atlas said. He raised his javelin to impale me. "No!" Zoe yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor. "ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter. I reached down and felt Riptide back in my pocket. I couldn't fight Atlas, even with a sword. And then achill went down my back. I remembered the words of the prophecy:

The Titan's curse must onewithstand . I couldn't hope to beat Atlas. But there was someone else who might stand a chance. "The sky, " I told the goddess. "Give it to me."

"No, boy, " Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, like quicksilver. "You don'tknow what you're asking. It will crush you!" "Annabeth took it!" "She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long."

"I'll die anyway, " I said. "Give me the weight of the sky!" I didn't wait for her answer. I took out Riptide and slashed through her chains. Then I stepped next toher and braced myself on one knee—holding up my hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For amoment, Artemis and I bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing I'd ever felt, as if I were beingcrushed under a thousand trucks. I wanted to black out from the pain, but I breathed deeply. I can dothis . Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and I held it alone. Afterward, I tried many times to explain what it felt like. I couldn't. Every muscle in my body turned to fire. My bones felt like they were melting. I wanted to scream, but Ididn't have the strength to open my mouth. I began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky'sweight crushing me. Fight back ! Grover's voice said inside my head. Don't give up . I concentrated on breathing. If I could just keep the sky aloft a few more seconds. I thought aboutBianca, who had given her life so we could get here. If she could do that, I could hold the sky. My vision turned fuzzy. Everything was tinged with red. I caught glimpses of the battle, but I wasn't sureif I was seeing clearly. There was Atlas in full battle armor, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as hefought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as herarm, and sheslashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form asshe maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Or perhaps that was just my fevered brain.

Zoe shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He roared in pain each time one foundits mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting. Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back withthe aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration. "Yield!"Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."

He bared his teeth. "Well see, my old friend."

Sweat poured down my face. My hands were slippery. My shoulders would've screamed with agony ifthey could. I felt like the vertebrae in my spine were being welded together by a blowtorch. Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammedinto the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. Heleaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward me. Get ready, she spoke in my mind. I was losing the ability to think through the pain. My response was something likeAgggghh-owwwwwwww . "You fight well for a girl."

Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. I saw the trick coming. Atlas's javelin sweptaround and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for thekill. "No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into theTitan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside hisdaughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks. I wanted to shout her name, run to her aid, but I couldn't speak or move. I couldn't even see where Zoehad landed. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to bewounded. She didn't get up. "The first blood in a new war, " Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward. As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulledbackward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her, I saw himcoming down on top of me and I realized what would happen. I loosened my grip on the sky, and asAtlas slammed into me I didn't try to hold on. I let myself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all Iwas worth. The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to hisknees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late. " Noooooo !" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. " Not again !" Atlas was trapped under his old burden. I tried to stand and fell back again, dazed from pain. My body felt like it was burning up. Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia hadtears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat. He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands andclattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat. For a moment, there was silence. "Well?"

Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but I could hear fear in his voice. Thalia trembled with fury. Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streakedwith dirt. "Don't kill him!" "He's a traitor, " Thalia said. "A traitor!" In my daze, I realized that Artemis was no longer with me. She had run off toward the black rockswhere Zoe had fallen. "We'll bring Luke back, " Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He… he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?"

Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please yourdad?"

Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear. "No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost hisbalance, terror on his face, and then he fell. "Luke!" Annabeth screamed. We rushed to the cliff's edge. Below us, the army from thePrincess Andromeda had stopped inamazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks. Despite how much I hated him, Icouldn't stand to see it. I wanted to believe he was still alive, but that was impossible. The fall was fiftyfeet at least, and he wasn't moving. One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!" Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. I pulled her back as a wave of javelinssailed over our heads. We ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as we passed. "Artemis!" I yelled. The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoe lay in the goddess's arms. Shewas breathing. Her eyes were open.

But still… "The wound is poisoned, " Artemis said. "Atlas poisoned her?"

I asked. "No, " the goddess said. "Not Atlas."

She showed us the wound in Zoe's side. I'd almost forgotten her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The bitewas much worse than Zoe had let on. I could barely look at the wound. She had charged into battleagainst her father with a horrible cut already sapping her strength. "The stars, " Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia, " I said. "Come on! We have to get her some."

No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was tooshocked to stir. We might've met our doom right there, but then I heard a strange buzzing noise. Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky. "Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering theground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering. "Dad?"

yelled Annabeth in disbelief. "Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by. This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking aroundfor another strafe. "A brave man, " Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, We must get Zoe away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyeswere fluttering. "Hang in there!" I told her. "It'll be all right!" The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight betweenthe wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. I realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chasemust've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as themachine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder. "That's… my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement. We didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering fromtheir surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon. Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the mostbeautiful deer I had ever seen. It landed right next to us. "Get in, " Artemis said. Annabeth helped me get Thalia on board. Then I helped Artemis with Zoe. We wrapped Zoe in ablanket as Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air. "Like Santa Claus's sleigh, " I murmured, still dazed with pain. Artemis took time to look back at me. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legendcame from?"

Seeing us safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed us like an honor guard. It must havebeen one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area:

a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel. Behind us, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, butthe loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under theweight of the sky.

to be continued....