Percy thinks that nothing should surprise him anymore, if he believes in the Greek gods, which he has no choice but to (thanks dad), then aliens and Santa Claus were both plausible. "Does this mean we need to start wearing those tin foil hats?" He remembers a kid at his third school who always wore one and it is easier to joke while he works things out.

"So all we need to do is beat this new bad guy and we can go home?" Home, Percy's stomach wrenched, hopefully they would still have a home to go back to.