“I saw a lot out there in the world， Percy，” Luke said. “Didn’t you feel it-the darkness gathering， the monsters growing stronger Didn’t you realize how useless it all is All the heroics-being pawns of the gods. They should’ve been overthrown thousands of years ago， but they’ve hung on， thanks to us half-bloods.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Luke ... you’re talking about our parents，” I said.
He laughed. “That’s supposed to make me love them Their precious Western civilization is a disease， Percy. It’s killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground， start over with something more honest.”
“You’re as crazy as Ares.”
His eyes flared. “Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time， Percy， I could explain. But I’m afraid you won’t live that long.”
The scorpion crawled onto my pants leg.
There had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think.
“Kronos，” I said. “That’s who you serve.”
The air got colder.
“You should be careful with names，” Luke warned.
“Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams.”
Luke’s eye twitched. “He spoke to you， too， Percy. You should’ve listened.”
“He’s brainwashing you， Luke.”
“You’re wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago， Percy My father， Hermes， wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I’d done， that was the best he could think up.”
“That’s not an easy quest，” I said. “Hercules did it.”
“Exactly，” Luke said. “Where’s the glory in repeating what others have done All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn’t in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this”-he pointed angrily at his scar-“and when I came back， all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then， but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile， something no hero had ever had the courage to take.When we went on that winter-solstice field trip， while the other campers were asleep， I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus’ master bolt right from his chair. Hades’ helm of darkness， too. You wouldn’t believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant； they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling， and I knew they’d discovered my theft.”
The scorpion was sitting on my knee now， staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried to keep my voice level. “So why didn’t you bring the items to Kronos”
Luke’s smile wavered. “I ... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt- Artemis， Apollo， my father， Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him， but I wasn’t careful enough. He disarmed me， took the items of power， threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos’ voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares’s head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go， and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence.” Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade， as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. “Afterward， the Lord of the Titans ... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood， in my dreams， I was told that a second hero would arrive， one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way-from Ares down to Tartarus.”
“You summoned the hellhound， that night in the forest.”
“We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn’t safe for you， so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked.”
“The flying shoes were cursed，” I said. “They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus.”
“And they would have， if you’d been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr， which wasn’t part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse.”
Luke looked down at the scorpion， which was now sitting on my thigh. “You should have died in Tartarus， Percy. But don’t worry， I’ll leave you with my little friend to set things right.”
“Thalia gave her life to save you，” I said， gritting my teeth. “And this is how you repay her”
“Don’t speak of Thalia！” he shouted. “The gods let her die！ That’s one of the many things they will pay for.”
“You’re being used， Luke. You and Ares both. Don’t listen to Kronos.”
“I’ve been used” Luke’s voice turned shrill. “Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you Kronos will rise. You’ve only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest-the ones who serve him.”
“Call off the bug，” I said. “If you’re so strong， fight me yourself.”
Luke smiled. “Nice try， Percy. But I’m not Ares. You can’t bait me. My lord is waiting， and he’s got plenty of quests for me to undertake.”
“Luke...”
“Good-bye， Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won’t be part of it.”
He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.
“波西，外面的世界我看多了。”卢克说：“你不觉得现在黑暗汇集，而怪物更壮大了吗你难道不明白这一切都是白费心思吗所有的英雄都是天神的爪牙。天神应该在几千年前被推翻，可是他们今天仍然继续掌权，这都要感谢我们混血人。”
我不敢相信现在发生的事。
“卢克……你说的是我们的父母。”我说。
他笑了。“这表示我应该爱他们吗波西，他们所珍视的西方文明是病态的，这东西正在毁灭这个世界，唯一的解决方法就是将之烧成尘土，开启另一个更好的新时代。”
“你和阿瑞斯都疯了。”
他的眼中燃烧着怒火。“阿瑞斯是个笨蛋，他从来不了解他所服侍的真正主人。波西，假如我有时间的话，我可以跟你解释，不过恐怕你活不到那时候了。”
蝎子爬上我的裤管。
一定有办法可以突围，我需要时间想一想。
“克罗诺斯，”我说：“他就是你的主人。”
空气变冷了。
“你不应该直呼他的名字。” 卢克警告我。
“是克罗诺斯指使你偷走闪电弹和黑暗之舵，他是到你梦里跟你说的。”
卢克双眼抽搐。“波西，他也对你说了，你该听的。”
“卢克，你被他洗脑了。”
“你错了，他让我知道我的天分白白地浪费掉了。波西，你知道两年前我的寻找任务是什么吗我父亲赫耳墨斯要我从赫斯珀里德斯的果园里偷出金苹果，归还给奥林匹斯。在我完成所有的训练后，那竟是他所能想到的最佳任务。”
“那并不容易。”我说：“海格立斯以前也成功过。”