The Lightning Thief: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Annabeth hails a taxi and asks the driver to take them to L.A. She hands him her LotusCash card, and when the driver swipes it, an infinity symbol comes up. He speeds all the way to L.A. On the drive, Percy shares his dream with Annabeth and Grover, but he can’t remember the details—he knows he recognized the invisible voice and that the thing in the pit has a nickname, but that’s it. Annabeth’s eyes widen at one point, but she insists that it had to have been Hades. She thinks that the thief must’ve failed to fetch the bolt, which would explain the Furies’ behavior on the bus. Percy asks why they’re going to the Underworld if he already has the bolt, and Grover suggests that they’re going to blackmail Hades for Mom.

Percy tells his friends that the thing in the pit is waiting for two items. Catching Annabeth’s look, Percy asks if she knows what’s in the pit, but Annabeth refuses to talk about it. Percy feels like he’s missing something important and that confronting Hades is the wrong move. Annabeth assures Percy that the answer is still in the Underworld since Percy saw spirits of the dead. At sunset, they arrive at the beach in Santa Monica. Percy walks into the water, discovers he can breathe and see, and jumps when a shark nuzzles his leg. Percy grabs its dorsal fin, and the shark carries him deeper into the ocean.

A beautiful woman rides toward Percy on a giant sea horse. Percy bows to her and says that she’s the woman who spoke to him in the Mississippi. She introduces her self as Nereid, a sea spirit who serves in Poseidon’s court. Nereid explains that they’ve been watching Percy for years, but Percy asks why Poseidon isn’t helping him more if he’s so interested. Nereid reminds him that gods can’t show favoritism, but they can help indirectly. This is where she comes in. She gives Percy three pearls and says that only three mortals have gone to the Underworld and made it out alive. If Percy needs help, he should smash a pearl. She adds that what belongs to the sea will return to the sea. Then, she warns him that Hades feeds on doubt, so Percy must trust his judgment.

Percy swims to shore and shows Grover and Annabeth the pearls. Annabeth grimaces and insists that all gifts have prices. They take the bus into West Hollywood looking for the entrance to the Underworld, but the driver hasn’t heard of DOA Recording Studios. They can’t find it anywhere. Percy stops in front of an appliance store to watch Barbara Walters interview Smelly Gabe about Percy and Mom. Gabe fake cries and says that if it weren’t for his new girlfriend, he’d be a wreck. The screen cuts to a photo of Percy. Grover hauls Percy away. It starts to get dark, and at an alley, a gang of rich kids circles the trio. Percy instinctively uncaps Riptide and swings at the leader, but it passes through his body. Percy shouts for Annabeth and Grover to run.

They race through the city until they come to the only open business in the area: Crusty’s Water Bed Palace. They go in, hide behind a bed, and watch the boys run past. A seven-foot-tall, hairless guy with leathery skin and clothes straight out of the 1970s comes up behind them and introduces himself as Crusty. He grumbles about the bad kids outside and then insists that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover look at waterbeds by forcibly leading Percy into the showroom. Crusty shows them a bed with built-in lava lamps that gives massages. Grover leaps on. Crusty says “almost” and then leads Annabeth to another bed and pushes her down. He snaps his fingers, says, “Ergo,” and ropes tie down Grover and Annabeth.

Crusty insists he’ll let Grover and Annabeth go, but only after he “makes them fit”—the beds are exactly six feet long, so he needs to stretch Annabeth and Grover to make them exactly six feet tall. Percy asks for Crusty’s real name: it’s Procrustes. Percy recognizes the name; Procrustes is a giant who tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality. Percy decides to flatter Crusty. He compliments the beds, agrees that Annabeth is inconsiderate, and asks what Crusty does when customers are too tall. Crusty procures a huge axe and says he cuts off any excess. Percy inspects a bed with motion stabilizers and asks if it’ll work for a big guy like Crusty. He asks Crusty to show him. Crusty falls for the trap—Percy ties him up and “shortens” him with Riptide. He discovers a flier and address for the DOA Recording Studios.