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"I'll be traveling a lot," Grover warned, "between protecting nature and finding half-bloods I ," I said "You're still rinned "Except for Annabeth"

"That's different"

"Yeah," he agreed "It sure is"

In the late afternoon, I was taking one last walk along the beach when a fa"

My dad, Poseidon, was standing knee-deep in the surf, wearing his typical Berreen To rod in his hands, and when he cast it the line ay out--like halfway across Long Island Sound

"Hey, Dad," I said "What brings you here?"

He winked "Never really got to talk in private on Olympus I wanted to thank you"

"Thank ot my palace destroyed in the process, but you know--palaces can be rebuilt I've gotten so ods Even Ares wrote one, though I think Hera forced hi So, thank you I suppose even the gods can learn new tricks"

The Sound began to boil At the end of reen sea serpent erupted frohed Holding his fishing pole with one hand, he whipped out his knife and cut the line Thesize," he coame wardens will be all over rinned "You're doing ith those new cabins, by the way I suppose this hters of s next summer"

"Ha-ha"

Poseidon reeled in his empty line

I shifted ave me one of his inside-joke winks, and I still didn't knohether he was serious or not "I'll see you soon, Percy And reh to land, eh?"

With that he dissolved in the sea breeze, leaving a fishing pole lying in the sand

That evening was the last night of caned the bead this year It showed the E, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the i Olympus There were too many names, but I was proud to wear the bead I put it on my caht about the first campfire I'd ever attended, back when I elve, and how I'd felt so at hoet this summer!" Chiron told us He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight lie this summer We have upheld the honor of the camp"

He smiled at me, and everybody cheered As I looked at the fire, I saw a little girl in a brown dress tending the fla eyes No one else seemed to notice her, but I realized maybe she preferred it that way

"And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon toe harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the su, Annabeth and I stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill We watched the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the real world A few old-ti behind, and a few of the newcoh School for my sophomore year--the first time in my life I'd ever done two years at the same school