89 pages • 2 hours read
Rick RiordanThe Hidden Oracle
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Chapters 33-36Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 33 Summary
Inside the grove, the trees are talking in hushed voices, uttering bewildering disconnected phrases and sentences. Some of the trees have distinct personalities and are talking about subjects as unlikely as food processors. Apollo hums “a perfect A 440-hertz tone” to keep his focus on finding Meg (299). He finally locates her at the center of the grove, overwhelmed by the voices of the trees, all of whom want to talk to Demeter’s daughter at once. Afraid the voices may fracture Meg’s mind, Apollo directs her to hang Rhea’s wind chime on the tree’s lowest branch. As the chimes pick up the wind, the grove quietens, and the central tree begins to shake with energy. Meg commands it so speak. The tree delivers a prophecy in a single loud voice. Delivered in the form of a limerick, the puzzling prophecy is about Apollo being forced to swallow madness and death. Apollo can decipher the prophecy only in parts. Surprising Apollo again, Meg releases Apollo from her service. She plans to return to Nero, still bound to him by a sense of loyalty. Meg runs away with Peaches, leaving Apollo alone. An arrow with an oak shaft and green fletching falls at Apollo’s feet, and Apollo deposits it in his quiver.
Chapter 34 Summary
Apollo returns from the grove to find Austin has freed the other captives. Paulie the palikoi thanks Apollo, while Miranda Gardiner, daughter of Demeter, weeps at the loss of the dryads. As Apollo recounts his experience with Nero to the campers, he recalls Nero’s words about his “wrecking crew” arriving soon to destroy Camp Half-Blood, Apollo’s own dream of a bus rushing toward a giant bronze face, and Nero’s mysterious statement about his Colossus. Nero has animated the Colossus Neronis or his statue in the likeness of Apollo as a giant automaton that will destroy Camp Half-Blood while Apollo is in the Labyrinth. Though the Athena Parthenos in the camp may protect the few demigods on the grounds, the Parthenos draws her power from her followers. Because Nero has ensured most of the demigods are in the woods, the Athena Parthenos does not have enough followers in the camp to be a formidable opponent to Nero’s Colossus. As if on cue, the ground begins to rumble. The campers realize the Colossus has reached Camp Half-Blood. Apollo knows taking the quickest way out of the woods requires the help of the myrmekes. Directing Austin to play a beat, Apollo leads the campers back into the tunnel leading to the lair of the giant ants. Apollo sings “Mama” to attract the attention of the queen, who bursts out of the tunnel before him, two winged soldiers in tow. Bowing before the queen ant, Apollo requests Mama for a ride. The queen and her soldiers grab Apollo and the campers, haul them on their backs, rev their wings, and soar above the woods. As the ants near the camp, Apollo can hear the sound of screams.
Chapter 35 Summary
A hundred-foot-tall bronze statue, built to resemble Apollo, wades toward the camp with a ship’s rudder in its hand. This is the rebuilt Colossus of Nero, which the triumvirate has filled with animating magic. In the camp, the other demigods scurry around for weapons to fight the Colossus. A silver aura surrounds the Athena Parthenos, with the statue periodically shooting ultraviolet rays at the Colossus to push it back. The Golden Fleece burns with energy in a tree next to Athena’s statue, while the dragon Pelus hisses and paces, ready to defend its turf. Powerful as these forces are, they are no match against the might and malice of the Colossus. Apollo wracks his brains for tactics to fight the Colossus, knowing he does not have a seasoned demigod like Percy Jackson or a familiar one like Meg around. On Apollo’s request, Mama and the soldiers agree to circle the head of the Colossus to distract it. As Mama and the soldier ants close in on the statue’s bronze face, Apollo observes that the statue is entirely nude, which is in keeping with the tradition of ancient Greek sculpture. Apollo goads the Colossus by taunting it that he is the real Apollo, while the bronze giant is ugly. Insulted, the Colossus swings its rudder at the ants, clipping their wings and making them crash land. Apollo requests Mama and the soldiers to fly off and save themselves as the Colossus nears Apollo. Apollo’s group is joined by Will and Nico. As Apollo stares at the sealed-off nostrils in the statue’s face, he is seized by an idea. Will, Kayla, Austin, and Nico are to accompany Apollo while Ellis, Cecil, and Miranda are to distract the Colossus.
Chapter 36 Summary
Apollo asks his group of demigods to commandeer a chariot being driven by Sherman Yang, who is trying to shoot electric bolts at the legs of the Colossus. Nico steps into Apollo’s shadow, grabs Will’s hand, and disappears, only to reappear in Sherman’s shadow and capture his chariot. This mode of transport is called shadow traveling, through which Hades and his children can step into one shadow and appear in another. Apollo’s plan is to fly the chariot close to the Colossus, enchant the arrow he found in the woods with a plague, and shoot it into the statue’s ear, the only openings into its hollow head. Ideally, the arrow will infect and then kill the Colossus. Austin flies the chariot skyward. As Apollo tells the arrow he will enchant it, much to his surprise, the arrow answers back that Apollo “shalt not.” The arrow can talk because it is made from Dodona oak. Meanwhile, the Colossus breaks through the camp’s magical barriers and crushes the dining pavilion under his foot. On the talking arrow’s direction, Apollo grabs the bronze arrows sticking out of the left armpit of the Colossus. As Austin nears the giant’s armpit, Kayla manages to grab a few bronze arrows. Apollo finds only one arrow unbroken, but with a warped shaft. The talking oaken arrow tells Apollo not to hesitate and to quickly enchant the warped arrow. However, Apollo cannot seem to summon an enchantment. As Apollo flounders, a flying hellhound appears over the head of the Colossus. Riding it is Percy Jackson, holding a glowing sword of celestial bronze.
Chapters 33-36 Analysis
As the narrative nears its end, things begin to come full circle. The text also begins to set the stage for Apollo’s next quest, beginning with Meg’s departure. Meg releases Apollo from her service, leaving him feeling unmoored. Apollo’s sorrow is all the more profound, as he has developed a very real, human tenderness for Meg. Thus, Apollo has come a long way from thinking of Meg as a burden or an annoyance. The grove of Dodona, too, delivers its prophecy to Apollo, closing the major part of his quest in The Hidden Oracle. The fact that the prophecy is delivered as a limerick is a gentle rib on Apollo’s formerly grandiose notions of himself. Apollo’s milder reaction to the gentle insult signals the growth in his character. In another homecoming, Apollo and the former captives return to the familiar grounds of Camp Half-Blood, where the final apocalyptic battle is to be fought.
One of the most striking elements of this battle is that it is a feat of teamwork. Whether it be Sherman Yang distracting the Colossus with his arrows, Will and Nico grabbing his chariot, or Kayla and Austin flying with Apollo, every member of Camp Half-Blood plays their part in confronting the Colossus. Even Mama and her soldier ants risk their lives to fly Apollo close to the statue. As a god, Apollo may have been accustomed to being a powerful, solo operator, but as a human he is forced to recognize the importance of collective action. Participating in such collective action means Apollo must consult many opinions, including that of inanimate objects, such as the oaken shaft from Dodona. Apollo’s conversations with the arrow signify his growing comfort with polyphonic voices. His failure to enchant the arrow symbolizes his humanity: Despite their intentions, people sometimes fail at tasks. Persistence in the face of failure distinguishes humanity. Earlier, Apollo swore off archery and music because of his refusal to accept failure. However, now Apollo must persist in his task for his human arc in the text to be realized. Percy’s reappearance signals hope, while reassuring the reader that his initial coldness was temporary or a matter of Apollo’s perception.
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