The Heroes of Olympus, #2
The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XXVII Percy
Overview
Percy, Hazel, and Frank refuse Phineas’s demand and befriend the red harpy, Ella, who reveals prodigious memory and recites prophetic lines. After healing her and finding her rooftop nest, they learn Phineas’s weakness for gambling. Percy devises a high-stakes bet using Gorgon’s blood to force Phineas to reveal Thanatos’s location.
Summary
Shaken by Phineas’s cruelty, Percy leads Hazel and Frank away from the food carts with stolen dishes as a peace offering. Hazel struggles with guilt from her past, and Frank tries to defend her, but Percy proposes finding the red-feathered harpy instead of confronting Phineas.
They track the harpy to a park and lure her with food. The harpy, Ella, reveals she dislikes cheese and devours a cinnamon pastry, only to be attacked by other harpies. After the flock steals the pastry, Percy resolves to help Ella, who is wounded from Phineas’s weed whacker.
Ella blurts disconnected facts, including a prophetic line that rattles Percy. When Hazel mentions Phineas, Ella panics and flees to the roof of the Multnomah County Library. The trio follows and finds her nest of discarded books, where Ella demonstrates perfect recall of texts, calming herself by reciting passages.
As Hazel soothes Ella and treats her wound with nectar, the group learns Ella can only eat Phineas’s food due to the curse. Percy carefully asks about Phineas’s weaknesses. Ella explains that while Phineas foresees major events, he craves the unpredictability of chance and is vulnerable to gambling.
Interpreting this, Percy proposes a simple, high-stakes bet: a life-or-death game whose prize must tempt Phineas without endangering Ella. Ella notes Gaea keeps Phineas blind and that sight would entice him. Percy and Frank settle on wagering the two vials of Gorgon’s blood, and Percy asserts he has a plan.
Who Appears
- Percy JacksonLeads friends away from Phineas, comforts Hazel, befriends Ella, deduces Phineas’s gambling weakness, and plans a Gorgon’s-blood wager.
- EllaRed-feathered harpy with eidetic memory; recites books and prophecy, fears Phineas, is wounded, and accepts healing and protection.
- Hazel LevesqueStruggles with guilt, gently gains Ella’s trust, heals her with nectar, and helps interpret Ella’s clues about Phineas.
- Frank ZhangDefends Hazel, offers force as backup, supplies nectar, and produces the Gorgon’s blood vials for the planned wager.
- PhineasBlind seer empowered by Gaea; curses and abuses harpies. Offstage focus of the plan to be trapped by a gambling bet.
- HarpiesFlock at the food carts; bullies steal Ella’s pastry, illustrating the curse and Ella’s vulnerability.