The Son of Neptune

Iris takes Frank into the dining area of the store to talk to him. She tells him that he has a strong family history of extraordinary gifts, then shows him a series of images in a rainbow. First, a time when his mother saved him from an angry bear on his grandmother’s Canadian property. Second, it shows him a memory of himself sitting in his mother’s lap and listening to her tell him about his ancestors, Xu Fu and Sung Guo, also known as Seneca Gracchus, “who fought twelve Roman dragons and sixteen Chinese dragons in the western deserts of China” (241). Finally, he recalls his mother telling him that his family was from a place called Li-Jien and that he could be anything. Iris repeats what Frank had seen in the memories, that he could be anything. He does not understand what she is trying to tell him. Iris then tries to talk him out of continuing the quest. When he insists he must go, she tells him to stop in Portland to visit a seer named Phineas who might be able to tell them where to find Thanatos. She tells him harpies plague Phineas, but that they should not kill the harpies because they are her sisters. Then she tells him he will need to kill the basilisks before they can leave. Finally, Iris suggests that Frank might be safer if he gave his piece of firewood to someone he trusts.

Frank’s only remaining weapon is the spear Mars gave him. The basilisks move through the tall grass, setting fires with their breath. Frank makes his way through the grass, searching for the crowned snakes. When he comes face to face with one, he lifts his spear to attack, but the tip pulls down toward the earth. Already feeling insecure with the spear, he worries he cannot fight with this awkward weapon just as the other two basilisks appear.

The spear tip continues to pull down toward the ground. Frank drives it into the earth and the tip breaks off. Believing he is now weaponless, Frank considers burning the grass to rid it of the basilisks. Suddenly, “a human skeleton” (252) crawls out of the ground where the spear tip is. Frank orders it to kill the basilisks. In a matter of seconds, the skeleton attacks, strangling one basilisk with its bare hands. The skeleton stomps the head of another basilisk. The skeleton then takes one of its ribs and uses it to stab the final basilisk. Once it has fulfilled its orders, the skeleton dissolves into the ground again. Percy and Hazel come out of the store and are impressed by Frank’s apparent fighting skills.