Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4
The Battle of the Labyrinth
by Rick Riordan
Contents
9 • I SCOOP POOP
Overview
Percy completes Geryon’s impossible stable-cleaning task by discovering a new use of his sea-god powers, while also choosing not to harm an innocent naiad’s river. Geryon breaks his bargain, forcing Percy into a fight that he wins with an unexpected archery shot through all three of Geryon’s hearts. The victory frees the group, removes Nico from immediate Titan danger, and leads Percy to confront Nico’s grief by suggesting they summon Bianca.
Summary
Percy approaches the filthy stables and discovers that Geryon’s horses are flesh-eating monsters eager to eat him despite his being Poseidon’s son. Remembering Hercules’s solution, Percy considers diverting the nearby river, but the river is too far away and the horses make direct work impossible.
At the river, Percy meets an angry naiad who refuses to let her water be used as sewage again. Percy chooses not to bully her with his power, and because of that restraint, the naiad gives him a clue: the Texas land was once under the sea, and its dirt contains ancient seashells. Percy returns to the stables and discovers that throwing the fossilized shells into the muck creates saltwater springs.
Percy uses the springs to dissolve the manure and scour the horses clean, but the power nearly gets out of control and threatens to poison the naiad’s river. Percy forces the seawater to stop just in time, exhausts himself, and makes the terrified horses promise not to eat people anymore.
Percy rushes back to the ranch house and finds Geryon hosting a barbecue while Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and Nico are bound and gagged. Geryon admits Percy completed the task but refuses to honor the deal because Percy did not make him swear on the Styx. When Geryon orders Eurytion to kill Percy, Eurytion refuses, tired of serving and dying for Geryon.
Percy battles Geryon and learns that Geryon’s three hearts make ordinary sword attacks useless. Percy flees into the house, grabs a bow, prays to Artemis and Apollo, and fires one perfect arrow through all three of Geryon’s chests, reducing him to sand. Percy frees his friends and thanks the gods with a burnt offering.
With Geryon gone for about a hundred years, Percy encourages Eurytion to change the ranch, protect the animals, and stop dealing with the Titans. Eurytion reveals that the Titans do not yet know about Nico. Nico still blames Percy for Bianca’s death and insists he will bring her back, so Percy proposes that Nico try summoning Bianca’s spirit, believing Bianca has been warning Percy through Iris-messages.
Who Appears
- Percy JacksonCleans the stables with seawater, defeats Geryon, and pushes Nico to contact Bianca.
- GeryonThree-bodied ranch owner who breaks his bargain and is destroyed by Percy’s arrow.
- Nico di AngeloCaptured and grieving; rejects Percy’s help but agrees to try summoning Bianca.
- EurytionCowherd who refuses Geryon’s order, releases the group, and considers reforming the ranch.
- Annabeth ChaseBound captive freed by Percy; warns Nico about Kronos and questions Eurytion.
- Grover UnderwoodTied captive threatened by Orthus and freed after Geryon’s defeat.
- TysonBound captive who struggles against his ropes and celebrates Percy’s victory.
- NaiadRiver spirit who refuses pollution but gives Percy the clue about ancient seashells.
- OrthusEurytion’s two-headed dog, initially threatening captives but obedient to the cowherd.
- Flesh-eating horsesMonstrous stable horses that threaten Percy, then submit after saltwater baths.