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"Take what you want," Kate told him

Frank blinked "Really?"

"Of course! You’re a VIP!"

Frank hesitated Then he stuffed some T-shirts in his backpack

"Dude," Percy said, "what are you doing?"

"She said I could," Frank whispered "Besides, I needtrip!"

He added a snow globe to his stash, which didn’t see to Percy Then Frank picked up a braided cylinder about the size of a candy bar

He squinted at it "What is--?"

"Chinese handcuffs," Percy said

Frank, as Chinese Canadian, looked offended "How is this Chinese?"

"I don’t know," Percy said "That’s just what it’s called It’s like a gag gift"

"Co, boys!" Kate called from across the hall

"I’ll show you later," Percy promised

Frank stuffed the handcuffs in his backpack, and they kept walking

They passed through an acrylic tunnel Fish swa in his throat

This is dumb, he told himself I’ve been underwater a million times And I’m not even in the water

The real threat was Kate, he ree had already detected that she wasn’t huht turn into some horrible creature and attack them Unfortunately, Percy didn’t seewith her VIP tour until they could find the sea god Phorcys, even if they alking deeper into a trap

They eht On the other side of a glass as the biggest aquariu in circles were dozens of huge fish, including two spotted sharks, each twice Percy’s size They were fat and sloith open rowled "Noe shall battle to the death!"

Kate giggled "Silly satyr Whale sharks are peaceful They only eat plankton"

Percy scowled He wondered how Kate knew the coach was a satyr Hedge earing pants and specially fitted shoes over his hooves, like satyrs usually did to blend in with gled and acted friendly, the e didn’t seem fazed

"Peaceful sharks?" the coach said with disgust "What’s the point of that?"

Frank read the plaque next to the tank "The only whale sharks in captivity in the world," he "

"Yes, and these are small," Kate said "You should see some of my other babies out in the wild"

"Your babies?" Frank asked

Judging frolint in Kate’s eyes, Percy was pretty sure he didn’t want to et to the point He didn’t want to go any farther into this aquarium than he had to

"So, Kate," he said, "we’re looking for a guy…I od, named Phorcys Would you happen to know him?"

Kate snorted "Know hi, sillies The real exhibits are right through here"

She gestured at the far wall The solid black surface rippled, and another tunnel appeared, leading through a luminous purple tank

Kate strolled inside The last thing Percy wanted to do was follow, but if Phorcys was really on the other side, and if he had information that would help their quest…Percy took a deep breath and followed his friends into the tunnel

As soon as they entered, Coach Hedge whistled "Now that’s interesting"

Gliding above them were multicolored jellyfish the size of trash cans, each with hundreds of tentacles that looked like silky barbed wire One jellyfish had a paralyzed ten-foot-long swordfish tangled in its grasp The jellyfish slorapped its tendrils tighter and tighter around its prey

Kate beaet the whale sharks! And there’s er cha red sign proclaimed: DEATH IN THE DEEP SEAS! Sponsored by Monster Donut

Percy had to read the sign twice because of his dyslexia, and then twice e sink in "Monster Donut?"

"Oh, yes," Kate said "One of our corporate sponsors"

Percy gulped His last experience with Monster Donut hadn’t been pleasant It had involved acid-spitting serpent heads, , and a cannon