You see?" Damien leaned over his desk and spread out half a dozen charcoal sketches. "These are only quick studies of course. But my agent in Florence tells me this artist, Leonardo, is a master and also quite an inventor of mechanical devices--which, as you know, are my passion. Leonardo just completed a portrait of Lisa de Giocondo. He calls it the Mona Lisa . I thought I might commission him to do a portrait of me, and while he's here, I can pick his mind for mechanical secrets. How does that sound?" "Expensive," Gideon murmured.
Rick Riordan
Related You must save what you can of your life; you musn't lose it all simply because you've lost a part. HENRY JAMES I don't understand why people think everything has to have meaning. While painting the Mona Lisa did... DEVIN J. MONROE Take me to the height where success would seek my help to succeed! I ARE I’m glad you still have your survival instinct.” “We’ve all got something.” I l... PAULA STOKES I don't know if I have a favorite color. KATE MIDDLETON It's very special having a new little girl. KATE MIDDLETON I love you.” I stared stupidly at him. Was he joking again, reciting another line from ... JENNIFER ECHOLS I only wanted to . . . I mean, just now, when Mr. George interrupted us, there was something very im... KERSTIN GIER He looks at me. His face is dotted with raindrops but I think there are tears too. 'I love her... SALLY GREEN He laughs and pulls out a big Ziploc bag of something dark and round. Cookies! I lunge forward.... CARRIE JONES You're still lovely," Mor said a bit gently. Elain offered a half smile. "I suppose that war m... SARAH J. MAAS Not fair,” I muttered. “Your sword was bigger than mine.” “My sword is bigger than ever... KODY KEPLINGER Achilles was looking at me. “Your hair never quite lies flat, here.” He touched my head, just be... MADELINE MILLER I realized that day that blessings come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. CRAIG GROESCHEL YOU are YOU! Know YOU can! YOU must not be afraid because God has a prosperous future plan for YOU! ... ISRAELMORE AYIVOR When, some months later, Zoltan emailed me about his decision to run for president, I immediately ca... MARK O'CONNELL I waited for him to say something more, but he was quiet. "Was there something you wanted?" I a... STEPHENIE MEYER He slouched back in his seat, looking tired, and leaned his face on his shoulder to look at me while... MAGGIE STIEFVATER Where are you going?” He looked over his shoulder at me. “If I stay, you won’t get any sl... SARAH J. MAAS For me, an aerial picture is no different than a close-up portrait. It's a question of framing a... YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND I'm a producer. I'm a musician. And my job is to come in and, you know, put - you know, I tr... PHARRELL WILLIAMS I did a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, and his skill level was eons ahead of mine. It was really more... JOHN C. REILLY His noise is getting quieter, but I can still see it there still- See how he feels the skin of ... PATRICK NESS Tell me a truth, Senna." "I don't know how," I breath. "Then tell me a lie." "I don't... TARRYN FISHER Okay." I bounced down the stairs. "I'm decent." He was waiting at the foot of the stairs, close... STEPHENIE MEYER I jumped up from the bed and paced the small space in front of Romeo. He was absolutely nuts. "... CAMBRIA HEBERT Look, that was some weird shit, you dying and then returning from the dead. I know it was no acciden... A. VIOLET END Have you kissed many boys before?" he asked quietly. His question brought my mind back into fo... MICHELLE HODKIN You know I love you," I whispered in his ear. "I know," he whispered back, turned, I pulled my ... KRISTEN ASHLEY Morpheus puts an arm around me. “You’re all right, blossom,” he says, his mouth at my... A.G. HOWARD A heat wave crashes into my body and I tug at the collar of my winter coat. I could take this thing ... KATIE MCGARRY The issue isn't whether he loved you, it's how much. Too much. Love can be poison SARAH J. MAAS I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belong to you. SARAH J. MAAS He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain... SARAH J. MAAS Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold ... GEORGE R.R. MARTIN Hodor," said Hodor. GEORGE R.R. MARTIN You do what you love, what you need SARAH J. MAAS I turned. Rhysand leaned against the archway into the sitting room, arms crossed, wings nowhere... SARAH J. MAAS History is a wheel, for the nature of man is fundamentally unchanging. What has happened before will... GEORGE R.R. MARTIN God, I got lucky. If I'd hurt it, it would have put me out of practice for a while.” Smiling,... RICHELLE MEAD His hands shift to my shoulders, and his fingers brush over the edge of my bandage. He pulls back wi... VERONICA ROTH I guess part of me hoped that you'd come to me because you trusted me to help. And because maybe you... DEBORAH BLAKE So why hadn’t he confronted me? Why hadn’t he torn through my lies and forced me to own up that ... SAM DOGRA He laced his hands behind his neck and propped his boots on the opposite arm of the sofa. If an arti... TESSA DARE I had made up my mind to find that for which I was searching even if it required the remainder of... ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL You look different." His words, normally crisp,are now sluggish. "So do you," I say.And he does... VERONICA ROTH It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained. QUEEN ELIZABETH II Like all best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and... QUEEN ELIZABETH II My husband has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years, and I owe him a debt greater ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II It is easy enough to define what the Commonwealth is not. Indeed this is quite a popular pastime. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have to be seen to be believed. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughou... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana's loss, ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I myself prefer my New Zealand eggs for breakfast. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The British constitution has always been puzzling and always will be. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but t... QUEEN ELIZABETH II To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in th... QUEEN ELIZABETH II What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something e... QUEEN ELIZABETH II To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts an... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Grief is the price we pay for love. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a nobl... QUEEN ELIZABETH II At Christmas, I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Chr... QUEEN ELIZABETH II For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses w... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your s... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendor that are g... QUEEN ELIZABETH II We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the man... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Madam President, speaking here in Dublin Castle it is impossible to ignore the weight of history, as... QUEEN ELIZABETH II These wretched babies don't come until they are ready. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II The events that I have attended to mark my Diamond Jubilee have been a humbling experience. It has t... QUEEN ELIZABETH II In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognise how precious is the peace ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters... QUEEN ELIZABETH II No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have been aware all the time that my peoples, spread far and wide throughout every continent and o... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I used to always sing my way into the movies and the basketball games or whatever. I'd sing for ... AARON NEVILLE I thought you were dead,” I say. “It almost killed me.” “Did it?” His voice is neutra... LAUREN OLIVER We look at the Mona Lisa and say we're going to do our version of the Mona Lisa. We mirror it. B... TERRANCE HAYES I shove him back. “I can convince him.” “What? By seducing him?” Morpheus scof... A.G. HOWARD I am concussed,' I announced, entirely sure of my self-diagnosis. ''You're fine,' Takumi said a... JOHN GREEN I wanted to become a cartoon artist, a portrait artist, and an illustrator. This was my first idea. KARL LAGERFELD Step one: Invade your opponet's mind. This is just like using mind-speak. Try it on me." ... BECCA FITZPATRICK Okay?Okay ?" People in the hall stared at us. I realized I was practically shouting. "He's out... RICHELLE MEAD Should I leave you two alone?" he asked, changing the subject. "He's taken," I said, acce... DARYNDA JONES Haunted You haunt me in my dreams I can only hear my drowning screams Is it bec... STACE LEE He smirks, shaking his head and letting his eyes wander. I watch him carefully, wondering what I can... ASHLEY EARLEY This is the Valdezinator, of course!’ He puffed out his chest. ‘It works by, um, translating you... RICK RIORDAN The Farmer and the Stork
A farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cra... AESOP Yes. Kissing. Overrated." "I could change your mind," Zach said, surprising the hell out ... TRACY SUMNER I’m looking for Fat Hoochie Prom Queen,” I declared. He did not respond. “It’s a b... RACHEL COHN If you leave without me, I’ll just follow you. You can’t stop me, Cassie. How are you going to s... RICK YANCEY I don't know whether it was the general anxiety of being on a date (albeit one with my would-be date... JOHN GREEN She was scarcely a year older than I was, dark-haired, slender, with a face that would break your he... GEORGE R.R. MARTIN He should give the entire picture, not just pick out a piece where it kind of looks like, you know, ... FRIEDERIKE BOSZKO Tess, Tess, Tessa. Was there ever a more beautiful sound than your name? To speak it ... CASSANDRA CLARE He makes a face and tosses the flower at me. It lands on my cheek, and I pick it up and twirl it bet... JESSICA KHOURY Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love you?"... STEPHENIE MEYER
More Rick Riordan
It's not easy. I got lots of rejections when I first started out. If you want to write, you have... RICK RIORDAN All of my characters tend to be montages of different people I've met: little bits and pieces of... RICK RIORDAN I don't recommend shadow travel if you're scared of: a) The dark b) Cold shivers up your s... RICK RIORDAN Technically, even on inspection, it was against camp rules for two campers of the opposite sex to be... RICK RIORDAN Annabeth:My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris. Percy: the ... RICK RIORDAN Correct." Kekrops sounded bitter, like he regretted his decision. "My people were the original Athen... RICK RIORDAN Gods of Olympus.” Piper stared at Leo. “What happened to you ?” His hair was grease... RICK RIORDAN He turned to Frank who was trying to pull his fingers out of the Chinese handcuffs… “Okay,�... RICK RIORDAN Save yourselves!” Percy warned. “It is too late for us!” Then he gasped and pointed to th... 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It interferes with being nuts -Leo Valdez RICK RIORDAN Um," Grover said. "Percy?" "Yeah?" "I thought you'd want to know." "Yeah?" "Cerb... RICK RIORDAN Oh, come on!’ Percy complained. ‘I get a little nosebleed and I wake up the entire earth? That�... RICK RIORDAN You can keep watch, in case – you know, the lake decides to attack us or something." - Leo Valdez RICK RIORDAN He hated being filled with terror. It was embarrassing. RICK RIORDAN Have you ever noticed how parents can go from the most wonderful people in the world to totally emba... RICK RIORDAN I’ve met plenty of embarrassing parents, but Kronos, the evil Titan Lord who wanted to destroy Wes... RICK RIORDAN Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot." "He's the sun god," I said. "That's not what I me... RICK RIORDAN I wanted to argue but I found I couldn't. Athena was pretty darn smart. RICK RIORDAN There is always a way for those clever enough to find it. RICK RIORDAN When Athena falls in love, it's purely intellectual. It's a meeting of minds. The purest kind of lov... RICK RIORDAN Headache!" Zeus bellowed. "Bad. bad headache!" As if to prove his point, the lord of the univer... RICK RIORDAN your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos's traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty ... RICK RIORDAN Wisdom's daughter walks alone. That didn't just mean without other people, Annabeth realized. I... RICK RIORDAN The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation," she said. "Evil is easy to fight. ... RICK RIORDAN People usually asked her if she had a belly button. Of course she had a belly button. She couldn't e... RICK RIORDAN Athena stood in the middle of the road with her arms crossed and a look on her face that made me thi... RICK RIORDAN Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter." Annabeth squeezed my arm, then walked forward... RICK RIORDAN I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, ... RICK RIORDAN She studied me with concern. She touched the new streak of gray in my hair that matched hers exactly... RICK RIORDAN There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it. RICK RIORDAN The first lesson every child of Athena learned: Mom was the best at everything, and you should never... RICK RIORDAN Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said, "Exquisitely painful isn't it? Not being sure who you ... RICK RIORDAN Annabeth gripped the hilt of her dagger. “A bounty on our heads . . . as if we didn’t attract en... RICK RIORDAN The cord, a familiar voice said. Remember your lifeline, dummy! Suddenly there was a tug in my ... RICK RIORDAN You sneaked into my cabin?” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Percy, you’ll be seventeen in two ... RICK RIORDAN I learned a long time ago: Never bet against Annabeth. RICK RIORDAN Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge." We stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of c... RICK RIORDAN And,” Annabeth continued, “it reminds me how long we’ve known each other. We were twelve RICK RIORDAN He had no idea where the stereotype of dumb giggly blondes came from. Ever since he'd met Annabeth a... RICK RIORDAN I could have killed you.” “Or I could have killed you,” Percy said. Jason shrugged.... RICK RIORDAN I'm Dylan. I'm so cool. I want to date myself, but I don't know how! You want to date me instead? Yo... RICK RIORDAN Argh!" Thalia pushed me, and a shock went through my body that blew me backward ten feet into the wa... RICK RIORDAN This is Annabeth,” Jason said. “Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people. RICK RIORDAN You drool when you sleep. RICK RIORDAN Hey, can I see that sword you were using?" I showed him Riptide, and explained how it turned fr... RICK RIORDAN I'm calm," Rachel insisted. "Every time I'm around you, some monsters attack us. What's to be nervou... RICK RIORDAN Remind me again-why do you hate me so much?" I don't hate you." Could've foole... RICK RIORDAN Leo: Rainbows. Very macho. Annabeth: Butch is our best equestrian, he gets along great with the... RICK RIORDAN It's okay,” he said. “We're together.” He didn't say you're okay , or we're alive ... RICK RIORDAN Monkey bar," Annabeth said. "I'm great at these." She leaped onto to the first rung and start swingi... RICK RIORDAN She raised an eyebrow. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?" You'd probably ki... RICK RIORDAN Once she was gone, I knelt next to Annabeth and felt her forehead. She was still burning up. "Y... RICK RIORDAN Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" I asked. "It only works on wild animals.... RICK RIORDAN Percy: Don't I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right? Annabeth: Come back alive,... RICK RIORDAN You are okay?" he asked. "Not eaten by monsters?" "Not even a little bit." I showed him that I ... RICK RIORDAN What if it lines up like it did in the Trojan War ... Athena versus Poseidon?" "I don't know. B... RICK RIORDAN The real story of the Fleece: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, okay? They w... RICK RIORDAN A telkhine was hunched over a console, but he was so involved with his work, he didn't notice us. He... RICK RIORDAN Percy (to Annabeth): If I was going to pick one person in the world to reattach my head, I'd pick yo... RICK RIORDAN Dreams like a podcast, Downloading truth in my ears. They tell me cool stuff." "Apoll... RICK RIORDAN Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderf... RICK RIORDAN It's hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one. RICK RIORDAN Rachel: You're a half-blood, too? Annabeth: Shhh! Just announce it to the world, how about? RICK RIORDAN I turned to Dionysus. "You cured him?" "Madness is my specialty. It was quite simple." "Bu... RICK RIORDAN My name is Percy Jackson. I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding stude... RICK RIORDAN Hermes gazed up at the stars. "My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons... RICK RIORDAN Hermes smiled. "I knew a boy once ... oh, younger than you by far. A mere baby, really."Her... RICK RIORDAN It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inv... RICK RIORDAN Like water leaking through a dam," said Piper. "Yeah," smiled Percy. "We've got a dam hole." RICK RIORDAN I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mor... RICK RIORDAN A hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve. RICK RIORDAN Very slowly using two fingers, Annabeth drew her dagger. Instead of dropping it, she tossed it as fa... RICK RIORDAN I said hello to the poodle. RICK RIORDAN Nico, you can do this," Jason said. "It might be embarrassing, but it's for the scepter." RICK RIORDAN Love is on every side, Cupid said. And no one's side. Don't ask what Love can do for you.<... RICK RIORDAN Is this guy Love or Death?" Jason growled.Ask your friends, Cupid said. Frank,... RICK RIORDAN Images flashed through his mind. He saw Nico and his sister on a snowy cliff in Maine, Percy Jackson... RICK RIORDAN You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats th... RICK RIORDAN Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing. RICK RIORDAN The real world is where the monsters are. RICK RIORDAN It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. RICK RIORDAN I felt like one of Apollo's sacred cows- slow, dumb, and bright red. RICK RIORDAN We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again. RICK RIORDAN Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of h... RICK RIORDAN The main courtyard was filled with warriors - mermen with fish tails from the waist down and human b... RICK RIORDAN She whirled when the monster was almost on top of her. I thought the thing in her hands was an umbre... RICK RIORDAN Leo,” Hazel gasped, “I can’t—my arms—” “Hazel,” he said. “Do you trust me?”... RICK RIORDAN Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out! RICK RIORDAN She held up her calloused, grimy fingers. Leo couldn't help thinking there was nothing hotter than a... RICK RIORDAN Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames. RICK RIORDAN Everyone thinks you've been kidnapped," he said. "We've been scouring the ship. When Coach Hedge fin... RICK RIORDAN Huh," Leo said. "Well, if you ever get off this island and want a job, let me know. You're not a tot... RICK RIORDAN Um...is that thing tame ?" Frank said. The horse whinnied angrily. "I don't think so... RICK RIORDAN Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyson pounding the Earthborn into the ground like a game of wha... RICK RIORDAN Frank imitated the voice of Vitellius: 'They're wimps! Back in my day, we died all the time, and we ... RICK RIORDAN He [Death] pulled a pure-black iPad from thin air. Death tapped the screen a few times and all Frank... RICK RIORDAN Just his luck he was related to this grubby old dude. He hoped all sons of Neptune didn't share the ... RICK RIORDAN Look," Percy continued, "I know I'm new here. I know you guys don't like to mention the massacre in ... RICK RIORDAN Part of their problem was Percy. He fought like a demon, whirling through the defender's ranks in a ... RICK RIORDAN Juno: "All roads lead there child. You should know that." Percy: "Detention? RICK RIORDAN They all ordered massive plates of eggs, pancakes, and reindeer sausage, though Frank looked a littl... RICK RIORDAN Percy tried to remember. He really did. For some reason, Annabeth and he had visited a spa and decid... RICK RIORDAN That's because we keep weapons in the attic, silly boy. Do you think this is the first time m... RICK RIORDAN Tyson, Frank is a descendant of Poseidon." "Brother!" Tyson crushed Frank in a hug. Percy ... RICK RIORDAN Elections only happen in two ways," Reyna said. "Either the legion raises someone on a shield after ... RICK RIORDAN You speak horse?" Hazel asked. "Speaking to horses is a Poseidon thing," Percy said. "Uh, I mea... RICK RIORDAN Frank stared at him. "Unfair? You can breathe underwater and blow up glaciers and summon freaking hu... RICK RIORDAN They're Lares. House gods." "House gods," Percy said. "Like...smaller than real gods, but large... RICK RIORDAN I'm fine!" Percy yelled out as he ran by, followed by a giant screaming bloody murder. RICK RIORDAN This is Leo. I'm the... What's my title? Am I like, admiral, or captain, or..." "Repair boy." RICK RIORDAN Reyna sent me to get Percy," Frank said. "Did Octavian accept you?" "Yeah," Percy said. "He sla... RICK RIORDAN Percy scowled. "I-I know you." Nico raised his eyebrows. "Do you? RICK RIORDAN Annabeth's face, her blond hair and gray eyes, the way she laughed, threw her arms around him, and g... RICK RIORDAN Two hundred Romans, and no one’s got a pen? Never mind!" He slung his M16 onto his bac... RICK RIORDAN There!" Mars finished writing and threw the scroll at Octavian. "A prophecy. You can add it to your ... RICK RIORDAN Jeez, Hazel," Percy said, "tell your horse to watch his language." Hazel tried not to laugh. "W... RICK RIORDAN Hey!" said the guy in the video. "Greetings from your friends at Camp Half-Blood, et cetera. This is... RICK RIORDAN Life is only precious because it ends, kid. RICK RIORDAN Now, come over here so I can pat you down." "But you don't have-" Percy stopped. "Uh, sure." RICK RIORDAN Can you surf really well, then?" I looked at Grover, who was trying hard not to laugh. "Je... RICK RIORDAN Hera, do not dare take credit! You have caused at least as many problems as you fixed! RICK RIORDAN He wondered if...his dad, Zeus, would write him a note: “Please excuse Jason from eternal damnatio... RICK RIORDAN Usually I give demigods something simple like a shopping trip, singing a funny song, that sort of th... RICK RIORDAN Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts t... RICK RIORDAN If you look at it from any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous deer droppings, but Chiron w... RICK RIORDAN Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo." Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister. Used to be... RICK RIORDAN The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. “Miss me?” The satyrs fell over... RICK RIORDAN My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And ... RICK RIORDAN Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and me. "These two are dangerous. It'd be mu... RICK RIORDAN But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!" Chiron and Grover glanced nervously ... RICK RIORDAN Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their paren... RICK RIORDAN Your uncle," Poseidon sighed, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done w... RICK RIORDAN I looked at Thalia. "You're afraid of heights." Now that we were safely down the mountain... RICK RIORDAN Doesn't miss many meals, does he?" Zeus muttered. "Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leadi... RICK RIORDAN The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods." I hesita... RICK RIORDAN As for my brothers," Zeus said, "we are thankful"-he cleared his throat like the words were hard to ... RICK RIORDAN It's just Annabeth mom jeez! RICK RIORDAN Хей! - извика Гроувър. - Тя май припадна! - Гррр! - обади... RICK RIORDAN Той ме погледна тъжно, сякаш мислеше какви цветя да изб... RICK RIORDAN Синдром на Дефицит на Вниманието (СДВ) RICK RIORDAN You're cute when you're worried, your eyebrows get all scrunched together. RICK RIORDAN then things got even stranger. Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute befo... RICK RIORDAN There are parties and then there are huge major blowout parties. And then there are Olympian parties... RICK RIORDAN Apollo?” I guessed… He put a finger to his lips. “I’m incognito. Call me Fred.” ... RICK RIORDAN Percy smiled. He knew the stakes were high. He knew this day could go horribly wrong. But he also kn... RICK RIORDAN Hazel squinted. "How far?" "Just over the river and through the woods." Percy raised an ey... RICK RIORDAN Can’t this thing go any faster?” Thalia demanded. Zoe glared at her. “I cannot control tr... RICK RIORDAN Erre es korakas, Blinky!" Dionysus cursed. "I will have your soul! RICK RIORDAN In a way, it's nice to know that there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame ... RICK RIORDAN THAT'S IT!" Terminus cried. "That's AGAINST THE RULES!" Polybotes frowned, obviously confused t... RICK RIORDAN Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes. RICK RIORDAN Go on with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. RICK RIORDAN If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. RICK RIORDAN She'd also called me brave...unless she was talking to the catfish. RICK RIORDAN A big sacrifice is coming, and you won't have the courage to make it. That will cost you dearly. It ... RICK RIORDAN Gaea?” Leo shook his head. “Isn’t that Mother Nature? She’s supposed to have, like, flowers ... RICK RIORDAN Humans see what they want to see. RICK RIORDAN Remake the world, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. RICK RIORDAN Then she did something so unexpected Nico would later think he dreamed it. She walked up to Nico, wh... RICK RIORDAN You will suffer, son of Hades!’ What else is new? Nico thought. RICK RIORDAN This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I th... RICK RIORDAN Christmas in the Underworld was NOT my idea. If I'd known what was coming, I would've called i... RICK RIORDAN I had a crush on Percy," Nico spat. "That's the truth. That's the big secret. RICK RIORDAN For a long time,’ Nico said, ‘I had a crush on you. I just wanted you to know.’ Percy looked a... RICK RIORDAN He turned, registering a face with blond hair, and for a split second he thought it was Will Solace.... RICK RIORDAN Good. So you may be dense, but you’re not an idiot.’ ‘How can you even talk to me like t... RICK RIORDAN Nico," I said at last, "shouldn't you be sitting at the Hades table?" He shrugged. "Techn... RICK RIORDAN Oh, did you expect me to play fair?" Cupid laughed. "I am the god of love. I am never fair. RICK RIORDAN With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later. RICK RIORDAN Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can." Grover cracked a smile.... RICK RIORDAN Because I know you, Percy Jackson. In many ways, you are impulsive, but when it comes to your friend... RICK RIORDAN Be careful of love. It'll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wro... RICK RIORDAN What about a compromise? I’ll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I’ll apol... RICK RIORDAN Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind... RICK RIORDAN Don't feel bad, I'm usually about to die. RICK RIORDAN I nodded, looking at Rachel with respect. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue pla... RICK RIORDAN Grover was sniffing the wind, looking nervous. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand... RICK RIORDAN Don't you ever feel like, what if the world really IS messed up? What if we COULD Do it all over aga... RICK RIORDAN She looked at me, like she was drinking in the fact that I was still here. And I realized I was doin... RICK RIORDAN The world was collapsing, and the only thing that really mattered to me was that she was alive. RICK RIORDAN How did you die?" "We er....drowned in a bathtub." "All three of you?" "It was a big ... RICK RIORDAN Love conquers all," Aphrodite promised. "Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between... RICK RIORDAN Ever had a flying burrito hit you? Well, it's a deadly projectile, right up there with cannonballs a... RICK RIORDAN Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face. RICK RIORDAN I will call him Small Bob," said Bob. "He is a good monster." End of discussion.The Tita... RICK RIORDAN We’ve arrived,” Leo announced. “Time to Split.” Frank groaned. “Can we leave Valdez i... RICK RIORDAN Wow. When he started looking back on the war with Kronos as the good old days--that was sad. RICK RIORDAN Images flashed through his mind. He saw Nico and his sister on a snowy mountain cliff in Maine, Perc... RICK RIORDAN You promised, Seaweed brain. We would not get separated! Ever again! RICK RIORDAN Nico, I've seen a lot of brave things. But what you just did? That was maybe the bravest. RICK RIORDAN Annabeth?” Percy said again. “You’re planning something. You’ve got that I’m-planning-s... RICK RIORDAN