Rick Riordan
The Sea Monsters - 02
now—screeching like crazy, making the whole forest rustle. Nobody else seemed to be paying them
much attention, but they made me nervous. Their beaks glinted strangely. Their eyes seemed
shinier than regular birds.
Tyson was having trouble getting our horses under control. I had to talk to them a long time
before they would settle down.
He's a monster, lord! they complained to me.
He's a son of Poseidon, I told them. Just like ... well, just like me.
No! they insisted. Monster! Horse-eater! Not trusted!
I'll give you sugar cubes at the end of the race, I said.
Sugar cubes?
Very big sugar cubes. And apples. Did I mention the apples?
Finally they agreed to let me harness them.
Now, if you've never seen a Greek chariot, it's built for speed, not safety or comfort. It's
basically a wooden basket, open at the back, mounted on an axle between two wheels. The driver
stands up the whole time, and you can feel every bump in the road. The carriage is made of such
light wood that if you wipe out making the hairpin turns at either end of the track, you'll probably tip
over and crush both the c