Dinner was horrible. Usually I enjoy it, seeing as you can order whatever you want, but not tonight. I was still shaken up by Thalia's tree dying, Chiron leaving and the Cyclops I'd let into camp. Some of my cabin mates tried to talk to me, seeing as they hadn't seen me in months, but I was too distracted to answer them.
I saw that Clarisse had recovered from the bull attack, her arm in a sling and plaster on her cheek. Some one has stuck a sign on her back, (probably the Stolls) that read YOU MOO, GIRL, but no one was telling her. She was glaring up at the head table, and it didn't take a child of Athena to work out why.
The new activity director was sitting up there, all chummy with Mr D. He was a tall, stick-thin man with grey hair that was cut like a toddler had gone on a rampage with some safety scissors. He had dirty fingernails and his gaze flickered around constantly, twitching worse than an ADHD kid. He wore a faded orange prisoner jumpsuit that had 0001 on it.
I instantly didn't like him. It wasn't just because how he looked, or even how he looked cruelly at all us campers. It wasn't because of the stories I'd heard of him; how'd he'd taken revenge on the gods by slicing up his son and feeding him to the gods in a stew. He was punished for that by being condemned to the Fields of Eternal Punishment. He had to stand in a lake with a flowering fruit tree above him. Yet, if he bent down to have a drink, the water fell lower so he couldn't reach it. If he reached up to get some fruit to eat, the tree grew out of his reach. It was cruel, but that's what mortals got when they believed they were better than the gods.
It wasn't even because he'd taken Chiron's job, although I hated him for that too. I didn't like him just because of him. My whole body was filled with dislike for him. Children of Athena didn't have any powers so we had to follow our instincts. And right now, all my instincts told me that he was not someone that should be trusted.
I saw Percy walk in, Tyson beside him. Percy didn't look comfortable beside the Cyclops, but he looked defensive of him at the same time. He glared at everyone that looked his way, as if challenging anyone to try him.
I heard Mr D call his name, forcing Percy and Tyson to walk up to him and Tantalus, the new activities director. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the murmur of all the campers, but it was obviously nothing good. The longer they talked, the angrier Percy seemed to get, his fingers curling into fists and his ears burning red. I half-expected him to whip out Riptide and slash Tantalus to pieces. I would have helped him too.
Tantalus seemed to dismiss Percy after some time, but wouldn't let Tyson go. Percy seemed to argue it, but was forced to return to his table alone, his face red with anger and his green eyes burning with fury. Tyson looked scared standing all by himself beside Mr D and Tantalus, but I couldn't feel any pity for him. He was a Cyclops. Nothing could change that.
A conch horn sounded and we all looked up to see that Tantalus was standing, waiting for our attention. I glared at him, seeing his smug face as we all turned to look at him. He'd never got so much attention since he'd been alive and a king, several millennia ago. I hoped his second life was even shorter than his first.
"Yes, well," he said, looking at us all maliciously. "Another fine meal! Or so I am told." I felt a surge of savage pleasure as his hand snuck towards the food stacked on his plate, as if hoping it wouldn't notice. When his hand got close enough to grab it, the food zipped away, skidding down the table and out of reach.
"And here on my first day of authority," he continued, as if hoping we wouldn't notice his inability to eat. "I'd like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er, interact with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat."
Mr D started clapping, causing some satyrs to join in, more from fear than anything else. None of us campers did. I couldn't decide whether or not he was kidding.
"And now some changes!" Tantalus declared, grinning at us. "We are reinstating the chariot races!"
My jaw dropped. All my siblings looked stunned around me. Other campers were whispering in horror, although some looked excited. Percy looked confused, glancing at me as if to clear things up.
"Now I know," Tantalus continued, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems."
"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," Michael Yew yelled out from the Apollo table.
"Yes, yes!" Tantalus exclaimed excitedly. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and chose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"
The campers practically exploded into excited chatter. Everyone hated chores. It was the only bad part of camp, other than nearly dying on a daily basis of course.
"But, sir!" Clarisse suddenly exclaimed, standing up at her table. Some campers snickered when they saw the sign on her back, but she didn't seem to notice. "What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots -"
"Ah, the hero of the day," Tantalus praised, cutting her off. "Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!"
I frowned. Percy scowled.
Clarisse looked surprised. "Um, I didn't -"
"And modest, too," Tantalus continued. "Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?"
"But the tree -"
For once, I wanted to defend Clarisse. I started to rise to give Tantalus a piece of my mind, but my siblings pulled me back, fuming, into my seat. Clarisse was also dragged back down by her siblings.
Tantalus didn't seem to notice. "And now, before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this here." He pointed at Tyson.
I saw Percy's jaw tightened. His eyes hardened and his hands were curled in fists. He looked ready to rip Tantalus's head off.
Several of the campers were giving him sidelong glances and muttering about him under their breaths. I wanted to rip their heads off.
"Now, of course," Tantalus continued, "Cyclops have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes cabin, possibly?"
No one from Cabin 11 spoke. Connor and Travis Stoll looked away. I didn't blame them. I would rather lie in a bed of spiders than bunk with a Cyclops. Besides, the cabin could barely fit in a baby, nevertheless a two-metre long Cyclops.
"Come now," Tantalus said reproachfully. "The monster must be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kennelled?"
A green light suddenly burst above Tyson's head, a glittering holographic image that displayed a trident. I looked over at Percy to see all the blood drain out of his face, his anger changing to horror. I felt sorry for him. I wouldn't like to have a Cyclops as a brother.
"Well!" Tantalus exclaimed, laughing. "I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!"
Most of the campers laughed. I didn't. Claiming was meant to be important, a time for reverence. It wasn't this sort of ridicule. I didn't wish this on anyone, not even a Cyclops.
Tyson was swatting at the trident that was fading over his head, not noticing how everyone was making fun of him. Looking at him, I couldn't see how I thought he was a bloodthirsty murderer. He looked so innocent and childish, not realizing how cruel the world was.
And yet there was still a niggling voice in the back of my head, telling me that Cyclops were bad. I don't think I could even forgive Cyclops in general for what they did, both to me and my friends.
And now it looked like I would have to spend more time with one, seeing as my best friend's half-brother was a Cyclops.
