17.03.2015

Walt

I officially hate flying.

We needed to get to the Brooklyn Museum as soon as possible. Did Carter keep the boat we tied to the griffin the previous day? No. Did I have an extra boat just lying around? No.

What would the logical solution be? I don't know. But here's what we did:

We hung from a rope under the griffin's belly for almost 20 minutes. Some old ladies decided they were going to chase us, trying to hit us with umbrellas, screaming "There's the hummingbird! Kill it!"

/Looks like abuela finally got that umbrella. Married in a hurricane. What a joyous day but /

Anyway.

You know who else was screaming? My arms.

When we finally opened a portal, Freak freaked out. He wouldn't go through so we had to leave him behind and hope he would find his way back home alone.

We made it to London. Television monitors in the storefronts were showing footage of Waterloo Station-something about a strange disturbance that had 'Sadie Kane' written all over it.

We used my Shu amulet to jump on to Waterloo Bridge, where we found ourselves in the middle of a heavily armed riot squad.

I, as an Egyptian magician, was about to take my Granny's advice and just pray and give it up to Jesus, when Carter remembered the sleep spell.

That's when we noticed the limousine. We stood in front of the barricades, blocking its path, and it came to a stop.

Sadie, your heroes were here! Did we look like heroes? No. We were disheveled, breathing heavily, probably looked like we'd run here all the way from Brooklyn. Every part of my body felt like it had been hit with a hammer that was now stuck above my left eye. Still, my wand was at the ready. Not that I could use it. It was the thought that counted.

Carter, being the awe-inspiring leader that he was, pointed his sword at the windshield.

"Let her go!" he yelled at the driver. "Or I'll destroy you!"

There was some commotion inside the car. Damn, was that really gonna work?

Sadie stepped out of the limo. "Hello, boys. Brilliant timing."

I frowned. "You're not in danger?"

"Not anymore."

Carter lowered his sword reluctantly. "You mean the ugly guy-"

"Is a friend. Bast's friend. He's also our driver."

"Driver to where?"

"Russia, of course," Sadie said. "Hop in."

"Sure," Carter looked more dead inside than I felt. "Whatever."

The limousine drove through Westminster while we traded stories.

"We owe you," Carter told Bes. "So you're a friend of Bast's?"

"Yeah, sure. She asks me for a favor once in a while. I try to help out."

"When Horus spoke to me," Carter said, "he warned that some of the gods might try to stop us from waking Ra. Now I guess we know who."

Sadie exhaled. "If they didn't like our plan, a fairy comment would've done. Nekhbet and Babi almost tore me apart!"

Buildings and parks zoomed past us. It was nearing 7pm and the sun had long gone down.

"You did great," Carter told Sadie.

"I'd be dead if not for Bes."

"Nah," Bes said. "Well, okay, you probably would be. But you would've gone down in style."

"It's a netjeri," Carter said all of a sudden. Were they talking about the knife? "A serpent blade. Priests used it for-"

"The opening-of-the-mouth ceremony," Sadie said. "But how does that help us?"

You could use it before my funeral.

I didn't say that, of course. The thought was there nonetheless.

"Don't know," Carter admitted. "Bes?"

"Death rituals. I try to avoid them."

Did gods ever think about death? Besides the obvious ones, of course.

"You okay?" Carter asked me.

"Yeah… just thinking." I glanced at Sadie. "About netjeri blades, I mean."

Sadie tugged at her hair, like she was trying to pull a curtain between us.

We drove in silence for a while. Finally, Bes turned onto Westminster Bridge and doubled back over the Thames.

Sadie frowned. "Where are we going? We need a portal. All the best artifacts are at the British Museum."

"Yeah," Bes said. "And the other magicians know that."

"Other magicians?" Carter asked.

"Kid, the House of Life has branches all over the world. London is the Ninth Nome. With that stunt at Waterloo, Miss Sadie just sent up a big flare telling Desjardins' followers, Here I am! You can bet they're going to be hunting you now. They'll be covering the museum in case you make a run for it. Fortunately, I know a different place we can open a portal."

It was easy to forget how big the House of Life really was while in Brooklyn. It was easy to forget we were just a bunch of kids against the literal world.

We rode through South London. Finally, a big park opened up on our left: misty green fields, tree-lined paths, and a few ruined walls like aqueducts, covered in vines. The land sloped upward to a hilltop with a radio tower. Bes jumped the curb and drove straight over the grass, knocking down a sign that said keep to the path.

"Where are we going?" Carter asked.

"Watch and learn, kid," Bes said.

Bes drove straight up the hill. Close to the top was stone staircase maybe thirty feet wide, built into the hillside. It seemed to lead nowhere. Bes slammed on the brakes and we swerved to a stop. Spread out below us was the whole of London.

Two sphinxes made of weathered stone lay on either side of the stairs, watching over the city. Each was about ten feet long with the typical lion's body and pharaoh's head, but they seemed totally out of place in a London park.

"Those aren't real," Carter said.

Bes snorted. "Of course they're real."

"I mean they aren't from Ancient Egypt. They're not old enough."

"Picky, picky," Bes said. "These are the stairs to the Crystal Palace. Big glass-and-steel exhibit hall the size of a cathedral used to sit right here on this hill."

Sadie frowned. "I read about that in school. Queen Victoria had a party there or something."

"A party or something?" Bes grunted. "It was the Grand Exhibition in 1851. Showcase of British Imperial might, et cetera. They had good candied apples."

"You were there?" Carter asked.

Bes shrugged. "The palace burned down in the 1930s, thanks to some stupid magicians-but that's another story. All that's left now are a few relics, like these stairs and the sphinxes."

"A stairway to nowhere."

"Not nowhere," Bes corrected. "Tonight it'll take us to St. Petersburg."

I sat forward. Artefacts opened portals for two reasons: 1) over the years they had accumulated a built up of energy inside them. Like magical batteries. And 2) they had a physical connection to Egypt.

The Crystal Palace was old, but not old enough. And it had certainly never been on Egyptian land.

Did they use materials taken from Egypt? Or was it possible to create an energy build up strong enough through mere popularity?

"But if the sphinxes aren't really Egyptian," I said, "how can they open a portal?"

Bes grinned. "Depends on what you mean by really Egyptian, kid. Every great empire is a wannabe Egypt. Having Egyptian stuff around makes them feel important. That's why you've got 'new' Egyptian artifacts in Rome, Paris, London-you name it. That obelisk in Washington-"

"Don't mention that one, please," Sadie said.

"Anyway," Bes continued, "these are still Egyptian sphinxes. They were built to play up the connection between the British Empire and the Egyptian Empire. So yeah, they can channel magic. Especially if I'm driving. And now..." He looked at me. "It's probably time for you to get out."

I couldn't say I was surprised. The curse was pretty visible in Duat. Besides, I was on the verge of my strength. I could make it home but using any more magic could end up being fatal. In Menshikov's territory, I would be a liability.

"Hang on," Sadie said. "Why can't Walt come with us? He's a magician. He can help."

Bes's expression turned serious. "Walt, you haven't told them?"

"Told us what?" Sadie demanded.

Not here. Not now. And not like this.

I clutched my amulets. "It's nothing. Really. It's just... I should help out at Brooklyn House. And Jaz thought-"

Sadie's expression changed so quickly, I faltered.

"Yes?" Her tone was dangerously calm. "How's Jaz doing?"

"She's-she's still in a coma," I said. "Amos says she'll probably make it, but that's not what I-"

"Good," Sadie said. "Glad she'll get better. So you need to get back, then. That's brilliant. Off you go."

I knew Sadie was upset over Jaz's state. Still, it hurt that she was taking it out on me.

"It's not that I want to go back," I managed.

"But you can't go with us," Bes said firmly. "Go on, kid. It's fine."

There was a trace of concern in his voice. The last thing I needed was a deity's pity.

There was something else I wanted to do before I left. My fingers brushed the scarab shell in my pocket as I took out the amulet.

"Sadie, about your birthday... you, um, probably don't want any more presents. But I made this for you."

It was golden and it had a small symbol, positioned in the middle of the chain.

"That's the basketball hoop on Ra's head," Carter said.

He was a teacher, if anyone's forgotten.

When we frowned at him, he tried to backtrack. "I mean it's the symbol that surrounds Ra's sun crown. A never-ending loop, the symbol of eternity, right?"

Sadie swallowed. "Eternity?"

I shot Carter a look. Thankfully, he got the message and shut up.

"Yeah," I said, "um, it's called shen. I just thought, you know, you're looking for Ra. And good things, important things, should be eternal. So maybe it'll bring you luck. I meant to give it to you this morning, but I kind of lost my nerve."

Sadie stared the talisman glittering in her palm. "Walt, I don't-I mean, thank you, but-"

"Just remember I didn't want to leave," I said. "If you need help, I'll be there for you." I caught Carter's eyes. "I mean both of you, of course."

"But now," Bes said, "you need to go."

"Happy birthday, Sadie. And good luck."

I got out of the car and trudged down the hill and into the woods. When I was sure I was out of sight, I slumped against a tree.

There was no way I was going to open a portal. I knew who to call, but gods, was she going to make me pay for it.