THEY TRIED FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HOURS, BUT IT WAS NO GOOD. The boulder wouldn't move. They yelled into the cracks, tapped on the rock, did everything they could think of to get a signal to Grover, but if he heard them, they couldn't tell.
Even if by some miracle we managed to kill Polyphemus, it wouldn't do us any good. Grover andClarisse would die inside that sealed cave. The only way to move the rock was to have the Cyclops do it.
In total frustration, Percy stabbed Riptide against the boulder. Sparks flew, but nothing else happened. A large rock is not the kind of enemy you can fight with a magic sword.
Annabeth , Viviene and Percy sat on the ridge in despair and watched the distant baby-blue shape of the Cyclops as he moved among his flocks. He had wisely divided his regular animals from his man-eating sheep, putting each group on either side of the huge crevice that divided the island.
The only way across was the rope bridge, and the planks were much too far apart for sheep hooves.They watched as Polyphemus visited his carnivorous flock on the far side. Unfortunately, theydidn't eat him. In fact, they didn't seem to bother him at all. He fed them chunks of mystery meat from a great wicker basket, which only reinforced the feelings I'd been having since Circe turned Percy into a guinea pig-that maybe it was time Percy joined Grover and became a vegetarian.
"Trickery," Annabeth decided. "We can't beat him by force, so we'll have to use trickery."
"Okay," I said. "What trick?'
"I haven't figured that part out yet."
"Great."
"Polyphemus will have to move the rock to let the sheep inside."
"At sunset," Percy said. "Which is when he'll marry Clarisse and have Grover for dinner. I'm not sure which is grosser."
"I could get inside," Viviene said, "invisibly. Annie give me your cap."
"No, I'll go-"
"No." Viviene glared. "If he catches me, I'll fight. I'm a better fighter, Annie."
"What about us?" Percy and Annabeth asked in usion as Annabeth handed Viviene her yankees cap.
"The sheep," Viviene mused. She gave Percy one of those sly looks that always made him wary.
"How much do you like sheep?"
"Just don't let go!" She said, standing invisibly somewhere off to Percy's right. That was easyfor her to say. She wasn't hanging upside down from the belly of a sheep.
***
The sun was going down.
No sooner was in position than the Cyclops roared, "Oy! Goaties! Sheepies!"
The flock dutifully began trudging back up the slopes toward the cave.
"This is it!" Viviene whispered. "I'll be close by. Don't worry."
Percy made a silent promise to the gods that if they survived this, he'd tell Viviene she was a genius. The frightening thing was, he knew the gods would hold him to it.
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RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !
Fanfiction"I suggest you stop this nonsense." "No. No unless she does as I say, or I swear, I will murder Percy right here right now." "Don't you dare touch a single hair on Percy, do you hear me?" Viviene yelled, taking a step closer to her father. " I fucki...
