Summary

Percy and Annabeth were in Central Park resting leisurely after a picnic lunch. Suddenly, she asked him if he had forgotten something. Since Annabeth was his new girlfriend he was afraid to answer fearing he’d say the wrong thing. Finally, she told him that it was the one-month anniversary of their first kiss. She mentioned the dinner he promised her that night which he forgot, too. He was about to admit his forgetfulness when a delivery truck roared up. The sign on the side of the truck read, “Hermes Express.” It was Hermes, the messenger of the gods, who apparently had a delivery from on high.

Hermes had helped Percy out over the years. The summer before, Percy battled Luke, Hermes’ demigod son, who’d been corrupted by the Titan Kronos. Luke’s death hadn...