Rick Riordan Percy Jackson and the Olympians
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I held our own chariot together through the second turn , despite the groaning of the right wheel . We passed the starting line and thundered into our final lap .
The axle creaked and moaned . The wobbling wheel was making us lose speed , even though the horses were responding to my every command , running like a well-oiled machine . The Hephaestus team was still gaining . Beckendorf grinned as he pressed a button on his command console . Steel cables shot out of the front of his mechanical horses , wrapping around our back rail . Our chariot shuddered as Beckendorf ' s winch system started working — pulling us backward while Beckendorf pulled himself forward . Annabeth cursed and drew her knife . She hacked at the cables but they were too thick . " Can ' t cut them .'" she yelled . The Hephaestus chariot was now dangerously close , their horses about to trample us underfoot . " Switch with me !" I told Annabeth . " Take the reins !" " But —" " Trust me !" She pulled herself to the front and grabbed the reins . I turned , trying hard to keep my footing , and uncapped Riptide .
I slashed down and the cables snapped like kite string . We lurched forward , but Beckendorf ' s driver just swung his chariot to our left and pulled up next to us . Beckendorf drew his sword . He slashed at Annabeth , and I parried the blade away .
We were coming up on the last turn . We ' d never make it . I needed to disable the Hephaestus chariot and get it out of the way , but I had to protect Annabeth , too . Just because Beckendorf was a nice guy didn ' t mean he wouldn ' t send us both to the infirmary if we let our guard down . We were neck and neck now , Clarisse coming up from behind , making up for lost time . " See ya , Percy !" Beckendorf yelled . " Here ' s a little parting gift !" He threw a leather pouch into our chariot . It stuck to the floor immediately and began billowing green smoke . " Greek fire !" Annabeth yelled . I cursed . I ' d heard stories about what Greek fire could do . I figured we had maybe ten seconds before it exploded .
" Get rid of it !" Annabeth shouted , but I couldn ' t . Hephaestus ' s chariot was still alongside , waiting until the last second to make sure their little present blew up . Beckendorf was keeping me busy with his sword . If I let my guard down long enough to deal with the Greek fire , Annabeth would get sliced and we ' d crash anyway . I tried to kick the leather pouch away with my foot , but I couldn ' t . It was stuck fast . Then I remembered the watch . I didn ' t know how it could help , but I managed to punch the stopwatch button . Instantly , the watch changed . It expanded , the metal rim spiraling outward like an old-fashioned camera shutter , a leather strap wrapping around my forearm until I was holding a round war shield four feet wide , the inside soft leather , the outside polished bronze engraved with designs I didn ' t have time to examine .
All I knew : Tyson had come through . I raised the shield , and Beckendorf ' s sword clanged against it . His blade shattered . " What ?" he shouted . " How —" He didn ' t have time to say more because I knocked him in the chest with my new shield and sent him flying out of his chariot , tumbling in the dirt . I was about use Riptide to slash at the driver when Annabeth yelled , " Percy !" The Greek fire was shooting sparks . I shoved the tip of my sword under the leather pouch and flipped it up like a spatula . The firebomb dislodged and flew into the Hephaestus chariot at the driver ' s feet . He yelped .
In a split second the driver made the right choice : he dove out of the chariot , which careened away and exploded in green flames . The metal horses seemed to short-circuit . They turned and dragged the burning wreckage back toward Clarisse and the Stoll brothers , who had to swerve to avoid it .