There is much tension in this chapter and Sadie would like to murder Set for daring to make certain threats.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Heheheheheh. That is all I have to say.
rage2091: Well, Menshikov definitely wants her for some reason.
Ryan Fowler: Honestly, I feel like Percy and Set working together would be so hilarious.
Guest: As I have said before, you'll have to wait and see to learn what Menshikov is up to and why, And yes, Menshikov very much needs Percy alive and he doesn't want to risk Desjardins making other orders.
Guest: I think it depends on who has the most power.
Percy would never forget that walk- and it was a walk- Sadie and Zia couldn't run while carrying Carter- so while it was a fast walk, it certainly wasn't a run.
And Percy had to spend all of it being carried by Set, who made cheerful infuriating comments the entire time, from his knowledge of the tjesu heru's venom- "Completely incurable! Fatal in about twelve hours. It's amazing stuff!" And his tussle with Menshikov: "Six vases broken over his head, and he still survives! I envy his thick skull." And their prospects of living long enough to find Bes: "Oh, you're toast, my dears! A dozen senior magicians were rallying to Menshikov when I made my, er, strategic retreat. They'll be after you shortly. I could've destroyed them all, of course, but I couldn't risk Vladimir using my secret name again. Maybe he'll get amnesia and forget it. Then if you four die—that would be both problems solved. Oh, I'm sorry, I suppose that sounded insensitive. Come along!"
By the time they spotted Bes Percy was contemplating summoning her khopesh and using it to slice Set's throat- sure it would only temporarily inconvenience him but it would be satisfying.
Finally they spotted a bridge up ahead over a frozen canal. Parked in the middle was the black Mercedes. Bes leaned against the hood, eating pieces off a chocolate chessboard. Next to him sat two large plastic bag—hopefully with more chocolate- though Percy wasn't sure she'd be able to eat it if some of it was for her- not while Carter looked like he did.
Sadie tried yelling to him, but he was too focused on his chocolate to notice them until they were a few meters away. Then he looked up and saw Set.
Sadie started to say, "Bes, don't—"
Too late. Like a skunk, the dwarf god activated his default defense. His eyes bulged out. His mouth opened impossibly wide. He yelled
"BOO!" so loudly, that it made Percy's head ache, and icicles rained down from the bridge's streetlamps.
Set didn't look the least bit fazed.
"Hello, Bes," he said. "Really, you're not so scary with chocolate smeared on your face."
Bes glared at Sadie. "What's he doing here?"
"Not our idea." Zia shot Set a dark look, and Sadie gave a very brief explanation of their encounter with Menshikov, ending it with;
"And now Carter's hurt and we have to get him out of here." "But first," Set interrupted, shifting his grip on Percy so that he could point at the Chocolate Museum bag next to Bes, "I can't stand surprises. What's in there? A gift for me?"
Bes frowned. "Sadie and Percy wanted a souvenir. I brought them Lenin's head." which was actually really touching, and Percy tried to shoot the god a grateful smile-
Set laughed with delight, "Bes, how evil! There's hope for you yet."
"Not his real head," Bes said. "It's chocolate."
"Oh…shame. Can I have part of your chessboard, then? I simply love eating pawns."
"Get out of here, Set!" Bes snapped the words.
"Well, I could do that, but since our friends are on their way, I thought perhaps we should make a deal."
Set lowered Percy so that she could stand before he snapped his fingers, and a globe of red light appeared in front of him. In it, the holographic images of six men in security uniforms piled into two white sports cars. Their headlights blazed to life. The cars swerved across a parking lot, then passed straight through a stone wall as if it were made of smoke.
"I'd say you have about two minutes." Set smiled, and the globe of light faded. "You remember Menshikov's minions, Bes. Are you
sure you want to meet them again?"
The dwarf god's face darkened. He crushed a white chocolate chess piece in his hand. "You lying, scheming, murdering—"
"Stop!" Sadie yelled the word, looking between them with a fierce look on her face, "Just stop! We don't have time to argue Carter is hurt!"
Carter groaned in his poisoned daze and Zia shifted her grip, taking more of his weight from Sadie, brushing her fingers over his forehead and murmuring softly- Zia wasn't a healer but she most likely knew the basics at least- she'd be able to ease his pain. Hopefully.
"Will you stop the magicians?" Percy turned her gaze to Set, "And before you respond, the correct answer is yes."
"Oh I do like you." Set laughed, "But no. I'm still hoping they'll kill you pesky Kanes, you see. But I was going to offer you the location of the last scroll in the Book of Ra. That is what you're after, isn't it?"
And Percy stared at him with wide eyes- she knew Set wasn't even remotely trustworthy but- something about that gleam in his eyes made her think that he wasn't lying- he was finding their chase fun. "I know it sounds crazy but I think he's telling the truth you guys."
"Is it possible he really knows the location?" Sadie's voice was slightly hushed, the question directed to Bes.
Bes grunted. "More than possible. The priests of Ra gave him the scroll for safekeeping."
"Why on earth would they do that?"
Set tried to look modest. "Come now, Sadie. I was a loyal lieutenant of Ra. If you were Ra, and you didn't want to be bothered by any old magician trying to wake you, wouldn't you trust the key to your location with your most fearsome servant?"
He had a point, Percy saw Zia give Sadie a small nod and Percy poked his arm, "Go on then. Tell us."
"Not so fast. I'll give you the location if you give me back my secret name."
"Not likely!" Sadie almost yelled the words.
"It's quite simple. Just say 'I give you back your name.' You'll forget the proper way to say it— Both of you now." Set's hand landed on Percy's shoulder again, gripping it tightly, too tightly- it was actually painful. "Hey! Let go-"
"Oh you are sick," Sadie snarled the words, and Percy realised what Set was doing and she growled.
"Set I know your secret name too you aren't gonna hurt me."
"Hm, maybe not, but I could easily take you and drop you off with Menshikov before either of you can give me an order- I have no clue why he wants you but he seems very keen to take you alive-"
"And how about you let go of my sister and I use your secret name to force you to tell me where it is?" Sadie demanded- and she looked like she wanted to strangle Set. Percy couldn't blame her for that. Percy was feeling that urge too- and she was scared- because what was it that Menshikov wanted from her?
In any case Set was shrugging, "Perhaps you could make me let little Persephone here go, and with a few days to research the correct spell you might manage it. Unfortunately..." He cupped his ear to his hand. In the distance, tires squealed—two cars, traveling fast, getting closer. "You don't have a few days." Bes cursed in Egyptian. "Don't do it, girl. He can't be trusted."
"Can we find the scroll without him?"
"Well…maybe. Probably not. No."
The headlights of two cars swerved onto the Nevsky Prospekt, roughly half a mile away.
They were out of time. Percy closed her eyes, feeling sick, "I give you back your name-" and she could feel the magic leaving her- she still knew the name- but she couldn't remember exactly how to say it right, how to use it against him
"Percy!" Zia almost yelled her name- and Set laughed.
"Why thank you Persephone. See Sadie, at least one of you has common sense, now it would be such a shame if Menshikov got you Percy wouldn't it?"
"Let go of me!" Percy's voice was panicked as she started to struggle, "I gave up your name! I did what you said-"
"Alright alright!" Sadie's voice was panicked and she looked near tears- and Bes moved quickly as Sadie let go of Carter and stepped forward, "Let her go for fuck sake!" she shook her head. "I'll do it okay, but I have one last order."
"There we go." and finally Set was letting go of Percy's shoulder and he pushed her forward, Sadie meeting her halfway, letting Percy latch onto her as Sadie wrapped her arms around her protectively, letting Percy press her face into her shoulder.
Percy could hear Zia and Bes getting Carter into the car, but she didn't lift her face to look as Sadie took a deep breath, tangling her fingers into Percy's curls like an anchor, and the feeling was oddly comforting. And Sadie spent a few moments, probably considering how to phrase her order before she spoke. "Evil Day, you are not to harm the Kane family, and that includes Sally and Percy- they're Kanes in all ways other than blood. You'll maintain a truce with us at least until—until Ra has been awakened."
"Or until you try and fail to awaken him?" Set asked innocently.
"If that happens," Sadie said "the world is going to end. So why not? I will do what you ask concerning your name. In exchange, you will tell me the location of the last part of the Book of Ra, without trickery or deception. Then you'll depart for the Duat."
Set considered the offer. And when Percy did lift her head and turn it too look she could see that the two white sports cars were only a few blocks away now. Bes shut Carter's door and ran back over.
"We have a deal." Set decided after a moment, "You'll find the scroll at Bahariya. Bes knows the place I mean."
Bes didn't look happy. "That place is heavily protected. We'll have to use the Alexandria portal."
"Yes." Set grinned. "You're very lucky you have little Persephone with you now aren't you? Though I wonder just what she is capable of. And I wonder how long you'll be able to hold your breath if she's not strong enough."
"What's that 'sposed to mean?"
"Never mind, never mind. Now, I believe you owe me a secret name."
"I give you back your name," Sadie stated without any hesitation, "You evil asshole."
Set smiled, tossing them Menshikov's sunglasses, which Percy caught automatically. "I hope you live after all, both of you. You're almost as amusing at your little sister is Sadie. But if they do kill you, at least enjoy the experience."
"We will." Percy muttered, her voice thick with sarcasm as Sadie snorted.
"Gosh thanks Set."
"And just because I like you so much, I have a free piece of information for you. One which might just come in handy. Iskander hid something before his death-"
"What-" Percy's eyes widened as she pulled away from Sadie, "What did he hide?"
"You'll have to find out yourselves But what was hidden was hidden in Makan al-Ramal al-Hamrah."
"What's so important-"
"Oh if you're truly hoping to wake Ra, what's hidden there may just be very helpful. Now, happy travels!" Set disappeared in a cloud of blood-colored mist. A block away, the two white sports cars barrelled toward them. A magician stuck his head out the sunroof of the lead car and pointed his staff in their direction.
"Time to leave," Bes said. "Get in!"
And Percy and Sadie scrambled into the limo- where Zia was already sat with Carter, combing her fingers through his short hair, her eyes slightly red- she'd been crying, she'd managed to get him out of his winter coat already and she was still muttering some sort of healing spell under her breath- Carter was shivering, his skin had a thin sheen of sweat coating it-but at least he didn't actually seem to be in pain- though he was unconscious.
And as soon as the door was shut behind them Bes took off-and he drove like a maniac- the icy streets didn't bother him at all.
Neither did traffic signals, pedestrian pavements, or canals, which he twice jumped without bothering to find a bridge. Fortunately, the city was mostly empty that time of morning.
They wove through central St. Petersburg while the two white sports cars closed behind them.
Percy shifted, moving so that she could stare out of the car window- on the plus side the pain from all the cuts was fading-possibly from the cold, possibly just from exhaustion.
The only thing she could think of, was that they needed to get away.