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Summary

Chapter 17

Annabeth wakes Percy, who had fallen asleep on the hippocampus’s back, and tells him they are somewhere in Miami, Florida. They leave the hippocampi and realize they have been gone from Camp Half-Blood for ten days. They must get the Golden Fleece back to camp tonight or Thalia’s tree will die.

Clarisse begins to argue with Percy and Annabeth, blaming them for ruining the quest. Percy asks her what the Oracle of Delphi, the entity who delivers predictions of the future to aid demigods on their quests, told her. Clarisse recites the following: “You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone, / You shall find what you seek and make it your own, / But despair for your life entombed within stone, / And fail without friends, to fly home alone.” Percy realizes what the prophecy means, and tells Clarisse to fly back to New York alone with the Fleece. He explains that they only have enough money for one plane ticket, and that Percy cannot travel by air anyway because the sky is Zeus’s domain, and Zeus might kill him. He tells Clarisse that the Oracle predicted she would fail without friends, meaning she would need their help, but she would have to fly home without them.

Read more about the Oracle of Delphi's prophecy.

Clarisse leaves in a cab for the airport; Annabeth is stunned (and a little impressed) that Percy would so willingly give all the glory to Clarisse. They discuss Percy’s plan for a moment when Luke suddenly emerges, holding a sword to Percy’s throat. Luke and his henchmen then lead Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson back onto the Princess Andromeda. Luke demands they hand over the Golden Fleece once they board the cruise ship, and is shocked and enraged to learn that Percy already sent Clarisse to New York with it. He decides to go the Miami airport and get the Fleece himself. On the way, Percy secretly contacts Camp Half-Blood with an Iris message and tricks Luke into confessing he poisoned Thalia's tree, thereby clearing Chiron’s name. An outraged Luke then calls for his warriors to surround the heroes, and he tells Percy he will never leave the ship alive. 

Chapter 18

Percy baits Luke into a one-on-one fight. Though Percy is able to hold his own for a while, Luke eventually injures him in the leg. Because water can heal him, Percy tries to get to the pool, but he knows he won’t make it. Luke orders his henchmen to eat Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson, but they are saved by the sudden arrival of Chiron and his relatives (the Party Ponies) who fight off Luke’s army before carrying the heroes to safety. Chiron says the fight was something of a draw; they did not have the numbers to take down the Princess Andromeda, and Luke’s forces were not organized enough to pursue them. He praises Percy and his friends for finding the Golden Fleece and says he and his fellow centaurs will take them back to Camp Half-Blood. 

Chiron then asks Annabeth and Grover to give him a moment alone with Percy. He tells Percy that he’s aware of Percy’s knowledge of the prophecy. Percy asks if it is about him, and Chiron says it’s still too early to know and that all Percy can do is train and let the Fates decide. He also warns Percy that Kronos will likely want to kill him now that he knows Percy will never turn to his side. Percy asks why Chiron is able to speak of Kronos with such familiarity, and Chiron admits that Kronos is his father—it’s why he was blamed when Thalia’s tree was poisoned.

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