The Lightning Thief: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Ares is waiting for Percy, Annabeth, and Grover when they at the diner—he says that they looked good on TV. Percy calls Ares a jerk as he hands over the shield, which makes Annabeth and Grover catch their breath. Ares ignores them and points to a semi-truck which reads that it contains wild animals—it’ll stop in Vegas and then head to L.A. The god then hands over a backpack filled with clothes, money, and Oreos. Percy starts to refuse it, but Grover interrupts and thanks Ares. Inside the diner, the waitress drags the cook to the window, and the cook snaps a photo of Percy. Even more annoyed, Percy asks Ares for news of Mom. Ares says that Mom is alive and being kept as a hostage to control Percy. He laughs when Percy insists that no one is controlling him.

After Ares leaves, Grover points to the diner, where two men whose coveralls match the semi are paying. He leads Percy and Annabeth into the semi—it reeks. Percy uncaps Riptide to cast a light. The scene is sad: there’s a lion, a zebra, and an antelope, all with the wrong food in their cages. The lion’s blankets are soiled, and flies buzz around his eyes. Grover and Percy are ready to beat up the drivers when the truck starts. They switch the food dishes, refill the animals’ water, and cut a balloon off the antelope’s horn. Percy muses that he has plenty of time to get to L.A. before the solstice, but he’s concerned that the gods are toying with him and watching him all the time.

Annabeth apologizes for freaking out at the water park and admits that she’s terrified of spiders. Percy guesses that it’s because of Arachne, and Annabeth confirms this. Percy reminds her that they’re a team. Annabeth asks if Luke really said nothing in the Iris message. After a minute, Percy relays what Luke said about nobody turning into a pine tree. Grover brays and confirms that he was Thalia’s keeper and that the two half-bloods who got safely to camp were Annabeth and Luke. Annabeth and Grover explain that Grover’s mission was to just rescue Thalia since Hades was after her, but Grover thought he could save all of them. The Kindly Ones caught up. Both Annabeth and Percy assure Grover that it wasn’t his fault, no matter what the Council of Cloven Elders says. Percy says that Grover has the biggest heart and that he’ll find Pan, but Grover falls asleep.

Percy asks Annabeth if the bead on her necklace with a pine tree on it was from that first year—it is. Annabeth explains that the counselors paint the most important event of the summer on that year’s bead. Percy then asks if the college ring is her dad’s. Annabeth takes a shaky breath and says that he sent it to her two years ago with an apology and an invitation to live with him. Annabeth went, but her stepmom was still awful, and so Annabeth returned to Camp Half-Blood in the winter. Percy suggests that she try again. Then, after another bit of silence, Percy asks if the possible coming war will break down like the Trojan War did, with Athena fighting Poseidon. Annabeth says she doesn’t know, but she’s fighting alongside Percy because they’re friends. She falls asleep instantly.

Percy’s nightmare begins normally: he’s taking a test in a straitjacket. Abnormally, though, Thalia is also there in a straitjacket, and she tells Percy that someone has to get out. Percy decides to go scold Hades, and the straitjacket dissolves. Then, he’s back in the dark cavern listening to the monstrous thing in the pit talking to someone else about an exchange. Percy almost recognizes the other voice saying that Percy suspects nothing, referring to the thing in the pit as the “Crooked One,” and asking if he couldn’t have just delivered what he stole. The thing in the pit notices Percy and shows him a vision of a black marble throne room. Mom is at the foot of a dais. Percy’s body withers as the evil laugh booms.

Grover shakes Percy awake—they have to hide because the drivers are coming to check the animals. One trucker throws a bucket of water in the lion’s face, and the other tells the zebra that he’s going to get sawed in half in a magic show. In his head, Percy hears the zebra beg him to free it. A banging comes from outside, and the trucker disappears. Annabeth takes off her cap, and Grover says that according to the lion, these truckers are smugglers. Percy wonders why he can hear the zebra and not the other animals as the zebra assures Percy he’ll be fine. Percy pulls out Riptide and slashes the lock. The zebra leaps over the truckers, who give chase. Percy frees the antelope and the lion too, and then the trio also leaves the truck.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover wander the streets until they end up in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The doorman smiles warmly and invites them to come inside. Though Percy has learned to be suspicious, he can tell this guy is normal and sympathetic. One look at the lobby—which is filled with a waterslide, a climbing wall, snack bars, and video games—and Percy agrees to enter. A bellhop hands them room and cash cards and seems confused when Percy asks how much is on the cards. Percy leads the way to their room, which has three separate bedrooms and a stocked snack bar. Percy showers and discovers clothes that fit, which seems odd. He throws away the backpack from Ares and thinks that he needs to talk to his friends—but it can wait.

Grover, Percy, and Annabeth head downstairs to play games. Eventually, Percy realizes that something is wrong. At a sharpshooting game, Percy notices a kid named Darrin dressed like he’s an Elvis impersonator’s son. Darrin says that the game is groovy and looks startled when Percy refers to a game as “sick.” When Percy asks what year it is, Darrin says it’s 1977. Percy tries to talk to other people. They all claim they’ve been in the hotel a short time, but they also say it’s 1985 or 1993. Percy wonders how long he’s been here and struggles to remember Mom’s name and their quest. He drags Annabeth away from her game by talking about spiders. They find Grover and drag him away too. Outside, the weather is stormy, and Percy discovers Ares’s backpack. He then discovers that he has one day to complete his quest.