Rick Riordan The Battle of the Labyrinth - 04
Annabeth pursed her lips . “ I ’ ll fill you in later , Percy . We ’ d better get back to our cabins .
Inspection is starting .” *** It didn ’ t seem fair that I ’ d have to do cabin inspection when I just got to camp , but that ’ s the way it worked . Every afternoon , one of the senior counselors came around with a papyrus scroll checklist . Best cabin got first shower hour , which meant hot water guaranteed . Worst cabin got kitchen patrol after dinner .
The problem for me : I was usually the only one in the Poseidon cabin , and I ’ m not exactly what you would call neat . The cleaning harpies only came through on the last day of summer , so my cabin was probably just the way I ’ d left it on winter break : my candy wrappers and chip bags still on my bunk , my armor for capture the flag lying in pieces all around the cabin .
I raced toward the commons area , where the twelve cabins — one for each Olympian god — made a U around the central green . The Demeter kids were sweeping out theirs and making fresh flowers grow in their window boxes . Just by snapping their fingers they could make honeysuckle vines bloom over their doorway and daisies cover their roof , which was totally unfair . I don ’ t think they ever got last place in inspection . The guys in the Hermes cabin were scrambling around in a panic , stashing dirty laundry under their beds and accusing each other of taking stuff . They were slobs , but they still had a head start on me .
Over at the Aphrodite cabin , Silena Beauregard was just coming out , checking items off the inspection scroll . I cursed under my breath . Silena was nice , but she was an absolute neat freak , the worst inspector . She liked things to be pretty . I didn ’ t do “ pretty .” I could almost feel my arms getting heavy from all the dishes I would have to scrub tonight .
The Poseidon cabin was at the end of the row of “ male god ” cabins on the right side of the green . It was made of gray shell-encrusted sea rock , long and low like a bunker , but it had windows that faced the sea and it always had a good breeze blowing through it .
I dashed inside , wondering if maybe I could do a quick under-the-bed cleaning job like the Hermes guys , and I found my half-brother Tyson sweeping the floor .
“ Percy !” he bellowed . He dropped his broom and ran at me . If you ’ ve never been charged by an enthusiastic Cyclops wearing a flowered apron and rubber cleaning gloves , I ’ m telling you , it ’ ll wake you up quick . “ Hey , big guy !” I said . “ Ow , watch the ribs . The ribs .” I managed to survive his bear hug . He put me down , grinning like crazy , his single calf-brown eye full of excitement . His teeth were as yellow and crooked as ever , and his hair was a rat ’ s nest . He wore ragged XXXL jeans and a tattered flannel shirt under his flowered apron , but he was still a sight for sore eyes . I hadn ’ t seen him in almost a year , since he ’ d gone under the sea to work at the Cyclopes ’ forges . “ You are okay ?” he asked . “ Not eaten by monsters ?” “ Not even a little bit .” I showed him that I still had both arms and both legs , and Tyson clapped happily . “ Yay !” he said . “ Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies ! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM !” I hoped he didn ’ t mean all at the same time , but I told him absolutely , we ’ d have a lot of fun this summer . I couldn ’ t help smiling , he was so enthusiastic about everything . “ But first ,” I said , “ we ’ ve gotta worry about inspection . We should …” Then I looked around and realized Tyson had been busy . The floor was swept . The bunk beds were made . The saltwater fountain in the corner had been freshly scrubbed so the coral gleamed . On the windowsills , Tyson had set out water-filled vases with sea anemones and strange glowing plants from the bottom of the ocean , more beautiful than any flower bouquets the Demeter kids could whip up . “ Tyson , the cabin looks … amazing !” He beamed . “ See the fish ponies ? I put them on the ceiling !” A herd of miniature bronze hippocampi hung on wires from the ceiling , so it looked like they were swimming through the air . I couldn ’ t believe Tyson , with his huge hands , could make things so delicate . Then I looked over at my bunk , and I saw my old shield hanging on the wall .
“ You fixed it !”
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