How It All Goes Down
Jason
- There's no clear need for battle right now, though, so Jason, Leo, and Piper stop Hedge from attacking.
- Lit comes in and looks pretty dangerous. Piper convinces him to chill out, though.
- The old guy says he's King Midas.
- They all chat, and Hedge points out that King Midas has been dead a long time. Midas agrees that he has, and admits that this is strange.
- Hedge still wants to kill him, but the demigods send him outside to stand guard and stop threatening everyone.
- They learn that Lit's full name is Lityerses and that sometimes he's called the Reaper of Men because of his swordplay and, you know, because he kills people. They are somewhat uncomfortable with this knowledge, which only seems right.
- Midas makes gold for profit these days, and says he never repented for getting the golden touch. It seems the stories are mistaken, and that Midas instead learned that running water could reverse the spell.
- Midas turns Piper's backpack to gold (very cool), and now they can't put the storm spirits in the pack (not very cool).
- Midas says he turned his daughter to gold because she was annoying. Is it just us, or is he seeming creepier and creepier?
- Midas also has donkey ears from messing with the gods.
- Jason realizes what Shmoop had already figured out, which is that Midas is a bad guy working for the giants and the evil earth woman.
- Midas reveals that the Hunters of Artemis (including Jason's sister Thalia) came through recently looking for Percy Jackson.
- Then the king offers them the choice of being turned to gold or killed by Lit.
- Piper tries to charmspeak him, but he just grabs her and turns her to gold. And then, while he's at it, he turns Leo to gold too.
- Midas explains that his power stops all others, which seems like bad news for Jason.
- Jason chooses to fight Lit rather than being turned to gold.
- Lit attacks, but Jason confuses him by busting out his Roman-style fighting skills. Midas and Lit are Greeks, and were dead during the Roman Empire, so they're thoroughly confused. This is why you need to pay attention in school.
- Jason knocks Lit over and tricks Midas into helping him up, which of course turns him to gold.
- Then Jason does his magic Zeus thing and blasts lightning through the roof. Rain pours in, turning all the statues back from gold.
- Midas is now surrounded by all the people he turned to gold. Uh-oh.
- Hedge bursts in, and the group escapes.