Rick Riordan The Battle of the Labyrinth - 04
be sure to mark your answer clearly on your test sheet with a number 2 pencil .” “ What ?” Annabeth looked mystified . Then a test booklet appeared on the podium in front of her , along with a sharpened pencil . “ Make sure you bubble each answer clearly and stay inside the circle ,” the Sphinx said . “ If you have to erase , erase completely or the machine will not be able to read your answers .” “ What machine ?” Annabeth asked . The Sphinx pointed with her paw . Over by the spotlight was a bronze box with a bunch of gears and levers and a big Greek letter Ȇta on the side , the mark of Hephaestus . “ Now ,” said the Sphinx , “ next question —” “ Wait a second ,” Annabeth protested . “ What about ‘ What walks on four legs in the morning ’?” “ I beg your pardon ?” the Sphinx said , clearly annoyed now . “ The riddle about the man . He walks on four legs in the morning , like a baby , two legs in the afternoon , like an adult , and three legs in the evening , as an old man with a cane . That ’ s the riddle you used to ask .”
“ Exactly why we changed the test !” the Sphinx exclaimed . “ You already knew the answer .
Now second question , what is the square root of sixteen ?” “ Four ,” Annabeth said , “ but —” “ Correct ! Which U . S . president signed the Emancipation Proclamation ?” “ Abraham Lincoln , but —” “ Correct ! Riddle number four . How much —” “ Hold up !” Annabeth shouted . I wanted to tell her to stop complaining . She was doing great ! She should just answer the questions so we could leave . “ These aren ’ t riddles ,” Annabeth said . “ What do you mean ?” the sphinx snapped . “ Of course they are . This test material is specially designed —” “ It ’ s just a bunch of dumb , random facts ,” Annabeth insisted . “ Riddles are supposed to make you think .” “ Think ?” The Sphinx frowned . “ How am I supposed to test whether you can think ? That ’ s ridiculous ! Now , how much force is required —” “ Stop !” Annabeth insisted . “ This is a stupid test .” “ Um , Annabeth ,” Grover cut in nervously . “ Maybe you should just , you know , finish first and complain later ?” “ I ’ m a child of Athena ,” she insisted . “ And this is an insult to my intelligence . I won ’ t answer these questions .” Part of me wsa impressed with her for standing up like that . But part of me thought her pride was going to get us all killed . The spotlights glared . The Sphinx ’ s eyes glittered pure black . “ Why then , my dear ,” the monster said calmly . “ If you won ’ t pass , you fail . And since we can ’ t allow any children to be held back , you ’ ll be EATEN !” The Sphinx bared her claws , which gleamed like stainless steel . She pounced at the podium . “ No !” Tyson charged . He hates it when people threaten Annabeth , but I couldn ’ t believe he was being so brave , especially since he ’ d had such a bad experience with a Sphinx before .
He tackled the Sphinx in midair and they crashed sideways into a pile of bones . This gave Annabeth just enough time to gather her wits and draw her knife . Tyson got up , his shirt clawed to shreds . The Sphinx growled , looking for an opening . I drew Riptide and stepped in front of Annabeth . “ Turn invisible ,” I told her . “ I can fight !” “ No !” I yelled . “ The Sphinx is after you ! Let us get it .” As if to prove my point , the Sphinx knocked Tyson aside and tried to charge past me . Grover poked her in the eye with somebody ’ s leg bone . She screeched in pain . Annabeth put on her cap and vanished . The Sphinx pounced right were she ’ d been standing , but came up with empty paws . “ No fair !” the Sphinx wailed . “ Cheater !” With Annabeth no longer in sight , the Sphinx turned on me . I raised my sword , but before I
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