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The Hidden Oracle
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Chapters 37-39Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 37 Summary
Apollo is speechless with surprise. As Percy Jackson’s pet hellhound Mrs. O’Leary lands on the head of the statue, she proceeds to “wee-wee” on the bronze giant. Percy slides on top of the statue’s head, and Apollo asks the demigod to keep the giant from wrecking the camp as Apollo enchants the arrow. Percy slices the statue’s crown with his sword and jabs the cut-off spike into the forehead of the Colossus. He slides down the rudder the statue is holding and draws the Colossus toward the beach. Apollo feels renewed confidence, invokes his old powers as the god of plague, and enchants the bronze arrow with a sickness. Odious green mist begins to engulf the arrow. However, Apollo’s cursed arrow infects Kayla and Austin before he can shoot it at the Colossus. As Austin collapses into sneezes, the chariot plummets to the ground. Apollo manages to grab the reigns and makes a soft landing on the sand just in time. The pegasi run away with Sherman’s now-battered chariot, taking Apollo’s bow with them.
The demigods on the ground take the sick Kayla and Austin away. With only Chiron, Apollo, and Percy left on the beach, Apollo uses Chiron’s heavy centaur’s bow to shoot the enchanted arrow at the Colossus. The arrow drifts away from the Colossus. Just as it is about to plunge back toward the ground, a gust of wind catches it and shoots it into the ear of the Colossus. The Colossus stops and sneezes violently. Since its face has no other open orifices except its ears, motor oil begins to gush out of the openings, falling into the ocean. Apollo notes that the plague he chose is hay fever and may not end up killing the Colossus. However, the demigods have already considerably loosened the joints of the Colossus through their attacks. As the bronze giant sneezes violently again and again, its head separates from its body, bobs back, and is finally ejected into the sea. The decapitated Colossus topples forward into the water, raising tall tidal waves. According to Apollo, “the Colossus sneezed his head off” (338).
Chapter 38 Summary
The plague from the arrow spreads to most of the campers. Apollo and Will Solace tend to the injured and the sick. Percy summons whales and hippocampi to haul away the Colossus. Apollo notes that most of the damage to the camp is reversible, although the dining pavilion will have to be rebuilt from scratch. Ominously, the only other building that has been destroyed by the Colossus is cabin four, or the Demeter Cabin, a bad sign given what has happened to Meg. After a restless night, Apollo ponders his further course of action next to the alabaster statue of Athena. Though Apollo must leave Camp Half-Blood in search of Meg, his mortal ties to Kayla, Austin, and Will pull him back. Apollo understands that he is growing more and more human. Rachel and Percy join Apollo. Sensing Apollo’s imminent decision, Rachel tries to dissuade him from leaving the camp. However, Apollo tells her he must find and secure the other Oracles. Though Rachel wants to accompany Apollo on his quest, she must stay back to protect the Grove of Dodona.
Apollo is pessimistic about Meg’s fate, but Percy asks him not to give up on Meg as she is “one of the good guys” (346). Apollo is touched by Rachel and Percy’s human optimism and persistence. Apollo, Rachel, and Percy try to interpret the prophecy of Dodona. The “cave blue and hollow” refers to the Oracle of Trophonius (347), a dangerous ancient Oracle. Percy thinks some of the lines foretell the return of Leo Valdez, possibly referring to Leo’s bronze dragon. Since Apollo tuned Harley’s beacon, Harley may have been able to call his brother back. Apollo recounts other prophetic phrases he heard in Dodona, such as “Happiness approaches,” and “Indiana.” Rachel notes that “happy” is the English translation of “Festus,” the name of Leo’s dragon, suggesting Leo and Festus could be Apollo’s allies on his quest for Trophonius. As if on cue, Apollo looks up to see a dragon flying in. On its back are Leo Valdez and another human figure.
Chapter 39 Summary
The campers line up to punch Leo because he chose to wander off instead of returning to camp after getting resurrected following the battle with Gaia. Leo faces them at a picnic table with Percy, Apollo, and his companion, Calypso, the powerful nymph who lives on the island of Ogygia, where she famously trapped the hero Odysseus for seven years. Apollo and Calypso avoid looking at each other because of their history of conflict. When Apollo does catch sight of Calypso, he realizes she, like him, is in the mortal form of a teenager. Calypso has lost her powers since she chose to leave Ogygia with Leo. Percy is surprised to hear Calypso call Leo “babe,” but Leo tells him he would have preferred the endearment “hunk muffin.” As the punching queue winds up, Percy and Chiron tell Apollo their theory that the three members of the triumvirate have carved America into three parts to govern. Since Nero has taken New York, the second emperor is probably holding the next Oracle in the middle third of the United States. Apollo is reminded of the prophetic word “Indiana,” Indiana being in the middle of the country.
Percy bids Apollo goodbye. Though the prophecy mentions Leo’s dragon, Apollo does not want Leo and Calypso to feel obliged to accompany him on his next quest. To Calypso, Apollo’s newfound humility and sense of responsibility suggest he has changed from the imperious god she knew. As the three chat, Apollo notes that Calypso seems genuinely happy in her mortal form, and very much in love with Leo. Leo promises Apollo they will find Meg. Apollo is afraid that since Meg knows the prophecy, she may have disclosed it to Nero, alerting him to Apollo’s next move. Leo downplays Nero’s power. Though Apollo privately disagrees, he keeps quiet, lest he dampens the group’s morale. As Apollo worries about leaving his children, Will calls the campers to the amphitheater for a sing-along. Apollo decides to put his sorrow aside, seize the day, and spend the present moment with his family. Apollo, Calypso, and Leo walk toward the sound of music and laughter.
Chapters 37-39 Analysis
Percy’s arrival fills Apollo with new confidence, suggesting the power of hope. Despite Apollo’s former lack of confidence in his abilities, he manages to enchant the bronze arrow. In fact, so powerful is Apollo’s enchantment that it ends up infecting not just his companions in the chariot, but most of the campers. The force of Apollo’s magic suggests that his abilities are not truly lost but are meant to be earned back through human labor. The crash of the Colossus is the most striking image of this last section of the book, foreshadowing the eventual fall of Nero. Since the Colossus is a symbol of ego, its fall also reflects Apollo’s own growing humility. Significantly, though Apollo’s arrow strikes the crucial blow to the metal giant, he is finally killed also because of the beatings he has taken from the demigods. Thus, the fall of the Colossus, too, is a collective effort.
The arrival of Leo, Festus, and Calypso signals new beginnings. Calypso, who like Apollo is now a mortal teenager, proves a mirror for Apollo. Not only does Apollo see his own mortality in Calypso, but he is also inspired by Calypso’s seize-the-day spirit. Importantly, unlike Apollo, Calypso has willingly abdicated her immortality in exchange for her freedom. Thus, Apollo learns that a mortal existence can be a choice, depending on one’s circumstances, while an immortal life can sometimes be a burden. In the case of Calypso, who in ancient texts is presented as a mysterious temptress luring sailors, her immortal existence and divine powers are a mixed blessing. As a human, Calypso can escape the sexist implications of her former existence and live a shorter, but richer, life.
Significantly, the narrative ends with an alliance between Apollo, Leo, and Calypso, symbolizing the role teamwork will play in the rescue of Meg and Trophonius. The final image is of the trio heading toward a warm campfire, neutralizing the destructive implications of Nero’s arson. The future may seem uncertain, but the present is illuminated with hope.
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