-Amos Kane (Thirty-seven-years-old)-

The dark haired woman peered at her list again. "Look, you don't sign up for the auditions, you don't get in. There are fees and such a thing as fairness," she snarled as she faced me.

"I'm here to see a friend," I restrained my tone. How many times do I have to say the same thing?

"Yeah, and I'd like to someday be a millionaire. So I guess we both don't get what we want." She rolled her eyes as I caught myself wanting to straight up slam her head against the wall.

Chill Amos, she's just doing her job. Maybe Set rubbed off on me after hosting him willingly for almost two years. "What if I get you closer to that goal?" I pulled a hundred dollar bill out.

She considered the thought for a moment. "Double it and I think the door will magically open."

Lady, if I wanted it to 'magically open' I would have done so already. I pulled another hundred out and handed it to her. I had to hold back the laugh from the mere image of her screaming about ghosts to the idea. She got up and opened the door, gesturing to me to hurry in before anyone sees.

The door closed behind me just as I stepped in, letting the dark envelop me from the theater lights being focused on the stage. There was a young blonde standing nervously straight as she sang "The Sound of Music". Right, Christmas is coming up again. I already dreaded the reminder as I hesitated down the ramp.

She was interrupted by her second round of the chorus line by one of the judges clearing his throat. "Why don't you shake your limbs a bit before you lock up and pass out?" He offered nicely.

She let out a nervous laugh, doing what he suggested quickly. "Sorry, first audition," she excused.

"You're doing fine. Beautiful soprano voice," The other judge complimented to make her relax a little more.

I cleared my throat as I stood a foot away from the man and woman who were now writing something down and debating casting. "I have a message for a guy named Tom," I quickly spoke up as they both took me in.

The man lowered his glasses, eyes shining like the moon as usual. "You have the wrong name, but I might be able to help."

The female judge turned to the blonde on stage, "Thank you for coming in, we'll call you in roughly a week."

The blonde nodded in understanding and left the stage. "Lucky you, last audition." Thoth stood up, taking me in fully. "Weird, you seem a bit lost, Amos."

"I wonder what made you come to that conclusion." I rolled my eyes as the woman took me in with confusion as well.

"Well, you had quite the growth spurt didn't you? I could have sworn you were four inches shorter a week ago," she put in.

I took her in again to find myself lost on where I know her from. Thoth cleared his throat, "Kane, meet Hathor. How did you find me?"

I rolled my eyes, "Thoth, I ran into the baboons raiding a Burger King. Khufu told me."

Thoth nervously laughed. "They haven't killed anyone have they?"

"No, but a good portion of the staff was escaping from the back. I think I heard one screaming about hairy dwarves climbing in through the window." I waved the thought away. "What are you doing judging for a play?"

"Balance, I thought you had this figured out already."

"You feel the need to keep balance in the casting of a musical?"

Thoth immediately pointed behind him to Hathor. "The last time I let her pick a cast, everything went to chaos. Someone has to keep the dosage equal." He lowered his hand to his side, "Like you've apparently managed with your own life. Come, let's talk in the back."

The two gods gathered their paperwork and went up the ramp. Thoth unlocked the door to the far right, leading to a small office that appeared to already be cluttered with scrolls. "It's a bit cramped, sorry." Thoth let out an embarrassed smile as he gestured us in.

The room was bigger than it looked from the outside, tables outlining the walls holding stacks of scrolls and books. All I could do was roll my eyes. For being the god of knowledge, you'd think he would take care of what he reads more than he actually does.

Thoth closed and locked the door, Hathor throwing the paperwork in her hands into a blue binder. "Sit, I assume you have a lot to get off your chest," Thoth insisted.

Hathor quickly dissolved the binder into the Duat, proving herself to be ten times more organized than Thoth. "Are you seeking love advice? You appear to still be without a spouse-"

"Are you blind?" Thoth snarled. "That isn't the reason he's here! He didn't call for you either, he called for me."

Hathor immediately glared at him, "Are you threatened by me, Thoth?"

"Uh, Hathor," I spoke up before Thoth could cross her into Sekhmet somehow. "I'm here for help." I pulled the book I had grabbed from Brooklyn House from the Duat, finding the blue light illuminating the bags I had used to cover it.

Both gods stared at it for about a minute. Hathor cleared her throat, "Well, I'll leave you two boys to it. But the offer is still up, Amos." She left the room, Thoth having to lock it again.

"Well, you came to the right god," Thoth started, gently taking the book from me. "Don't worry, I certainly won't tell on your time-traveling."

"You think Hathor-"

"No," Thoth scooted some scrolls around a crowded table to make room for the book. "She probably won't think there's anything weird until you come back. Now, where did you find this lovely trap?"

I watched him carefully remove the bags, making sure not to touch the actual book. "I broke into the Twenty-First Nome to find it."

"Broke in?" Thoth paused to give me an interested look. "You didn't actually find this yourself?"

"I think the younger me did," I confirmed.

Thoth immediately frowned. "You make any enemies recently?"

I laughed at the thought, which seemed to answer his question. "Right, you're a Kane. All you have to do is breathe and find yourself fighting a Menshikov."

"I don't believe this is the work of a Menshikov," I defended.

"Of course it isn't, this kind of magic doesn't fit their style. Theirs is more painful," Thoth grimaced at the thought. "Never mind them; you seem to have crossed paths with a resourceful and vengeful magician this time." He said as he took in the inside cover of the book, using a pen to turn it. "To my favorite Chief Lector, who finds himself a man full of regrets. I gift you a solution, enjoy."

I gave him a confused look as he peered up at me. "Doesn't ring any bells?" Thoth asked for confirmation.

"Apparently someone who knows me too well." I snarled to the thought, trying to puzzle out who it could be.

Thoth turned the page, focusing intently on the page. "Well, this one is rambling about a Carter Kane."

My eyebrows furrowed, my breathing seeming a bit constricted to the thought. "Is this helping any?" Thoth asked, before turning the page again.

"Yeah, it's someone from my timeframe." I cleared my throat in an attempt to keep calm. "Is there any names other than a Kane in there?"

"Hey, I might be a speed reader, but I just finished reading the second page. Give me a break," Thoth complained. "Sadie Kane, a lot of fruitful names in that rant."

"Okay," I spoke up before he could continue on. "Could you tell me what kind of spell was applied to it? I would like to be back before whatever happens."

Thoth slipped the pen away, abruptly closing the book. "Yeah, it's a time-swap kind of spell. Tricky, kind of requires Khonsu's help to make sure it works."

Khonsu, not exactly someone to turn to for help. I must have had it show in my expression because Thoth's hands suddenly clamped on my shoulders to snap me back to reality. "I don't suggest going to him for help," he quickly answered what I was trying to decide. "Actually, you may want to consider making an appearance to the Hall of Ages."

My mouth turned dry, noting what that meant. "If you don't, I'll drag you there by both of your ears," Thoth threatened. "Iskandar will understand, you're not the first one to time travel by mistake Kane."

"I kind of expected that, that's why I came here." I rolled my eyes out of slight irritation.

Thoth pulled his hands away, turning his attention to the book again. "I'll see about dispelling it, and then you might want to mull it over. Never know, it might just be in front of you. Also, Iskandar's good about keeping secrets, even about the future. You don't need to worry if he finds out whom you are and that you're Chief Lector, blah blah-"

"How do you know that?" I snapped, more surprised than anything.

Thoth smirked, "Amos, that cape stays with your ba whether you want it to or not. Also, you have a chaotic aura to you that's just starting to rub off."

A few years ago, I probably would have threatened to choke the deity before me. But I didn't, instead I found myself kind of amused by the thought. Though it would be best if I could hide it from certain magicians that are strong enough to peer at bas.

Thoth cracked his fingers before pulling a few scrolls out, scanning them before pulling one out, laying it on top of the book's front cover. Drawing an ink pen from the air, he proceeded to speak in Ancient Egyptian while scribbling. A minute of this passed with the blue light overtook the desk, making Thoth back off as we watched it die down completely now.

"Oh good, for a second there I thought I triggered it," Thoth admitted with a nervous laugh.

I watched as he cautiously peeled the scroll off, finding the book simply as a book for once. "Here, take a good look at that when you have the time." Thoth handed it over.

I hesitated to take it to find nothing happened. Relieved exhale, I quickly put it back in the Duat. "You broke into the Twenty-First Nome," Thoth brought up again. "Was that fun?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "Depends on your definition of fun really."

"Well, it's not every day that someone has to break into their own home. Magicians don't like using keys; it's always trap this and curse this," Thoth rambled a bit.

If it wasn't for his help, I probably would have stood here arguing over that statement. In the end though, he's right. I'd just be arguing for the magicians' defense against the god. "Anyways, the point is, did you have fun?" Thoth returned.

I thought it over for a moment. It's been awhile since I've had to sneak around the house, seventeen years exactly. "Sure," I finally answered, earning a grin from the god.

"I won't tell on you," Thoth laughed. "After all, Chief Lectors have a reputation of being strict law enforcers; they aren't allowed to have fun."

"Now you're just making stuff up," I rolled my eyes. "One more question, where's the closest relic?"

Thoth snapped his fingers, making a portal between us. "I assume you intend for Cairo?"

Right, I forgot that Iskandar had given him full access to the First Nome originally. "Thanks Thoth, and sorry for-"

Thoth just waved it away. "No problem, I needed a break from Hathor in the first place. Good luck, I'll be seeing you around."

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