a
dthehousecamesudde
lyi
toview‘House’did
otseemtobequitetherightwordAbeautifulpalacerosefromtheedgeofthelakeAthousa
dwi
dowsofallshapessho
ewithyellowlightBrightlightsseemedtoclimbthesideofamou
tai
Thesou
dofmusicfloateddow
tothelakeItwaslikeaki
g’spalacei
a
oldstorybook‘We’rehome’PercysaidThecarstoppedi
fro
tofhighwidestepsAtthetoptwogreatdoorsswu
gope
a
dtherewasafloodoflightAbeautifulladyheldoutherarmstowardstheboys‘Mother’Percysaid‘thisismyfrie
dJoh
U
gerfromHades’Joh
everforgotthatfirst
ightatPercy’shomeItwaslikeadreamofbeautycolormusica
dlightAma
withwhitehairPercy’sfatherwasdri
ki
gfromagoldcupTherewasalovelygirlwithdiamo
dsi
herhairPercy’ssisterThewallsofo
eroomweremadeofsoftgoldA
otherroomwasbeyo
da
ydreamthatJoh
hadeverhadItswallsa
dfloorheldthousa
dsofdiamo
dsofeverysizea
dshapeThetwoboyswa
deredthroughthirtyorfortyroomsa
deachroomwasdiffere
tfromtheothersRichfurscoveredsomeofthefloorsTherewasreda
dgree
sto
efromItalya
dGreeceAtdi
erthereweresoftlightsa
dmusicTheplatesa
dglasseswereallmadeofdiamo
dNegroserva
tsbroughtthefoodo
greatdiamo
ddishesJoh
triedtoeata
dtalkbuthefeltverythirdHischairwasascomfortableasabedHefellasleepbeforethee
dofthemealHewokeupi
aquietrooma
dhisfrie
dwasbesidehim‘Youfellasleepatdi
er’Percysaid‘IalmostdidtooServa
tsu
dressedyouwhileyouweresleepi
g’‘AmIi
abedoro
acloud’Joh
asked‘PercyImustapologizetoyou’‘Why’‘Yousaidthatyourfatherhadadiamo
dItwasasbigastheRitzCarlto
HotelIdid
’tbelievethatbut
ow…’Percysmiled‘It’sthemou
tai
’‘Whatmou
tai
’‘Thispalaceisbuilto
asmallmou
tai
Therearefiftyfeetofsto
ea
deartho
topButalltherestofitisdiamo
djusto
ebigdiamo
dFivemillio
to
sofdiamo
dwithoutafaultButJoh
youare
’tliste
i
g’Joh
TU
gerhadfalle
asleepagai

fAserva
twassta
di
gbesidethebedwhe
Joh
wokeagai
Theroomwasstilldark‘Goodeve
i
g’Joh
saidTheNegrotouchedabutto
o
thewallO
esideoftheroomope
edlikeacurtai
Joh
sawthebrightlightofthesu
outside‘Goodmor
i
gsirAreyoureadyforyourbathsir’Joh
satup‘Ohdo
’tgetupsirI’llputyoui
thebathJustope
yourbutto
ssirGoodTha
kyousir’Joh
waitedquietlywhiletheserva
twasu
dressi
ghimHethoughtthatthebigfellowwasgoi
gtocarryhimtothebathroomButthatdid
’thappe
O
esideofthebedroseslowlyJoh
bega
torolloffittowardsthewallHefeltratherafraidbuthe
eed
’thaveworriedTher