Section 9: pages 66-74 Summary

In St. Louis, Annabeth insists on sightseeing since they have a three-hour layover, but when the arches' observation deck closes, Percy is left behind to wait for the next elevator. As he converses with the old woman next to him about her dog, the dog transforms into a Chimera, and the woman introduces herself as Echidna, mother of the monsters. The Chimera knocks Percy's sword into the river, and Percy soon jumps from the observation deck; luckily, he is caught by Grover in mid-air, but they fall into the river since their weight is too great for the flying shoes. Underwater, Percy encounters Nereid, a water nymph sent to tell him that his mother's fate is not as hopeless as it appears. When Percy realizes he can breathe under water, she assures him that he has nothing to fear...