That struck me as an unusual name – British, maybe, though the kid spoke and acted very much like an American. Even with someone’s common name, a skilled magician could work all kinds of mischief. A while back, my sister, Sadie, had learned my ren, my secret name, and it still caused me all sorts of anxiety. ‘What’s your name?’ I asked, wheezing as I ran behind him.
Which reminded me, I was getting tired of calling him that. Nevertheless, I had to struggle to keep up with Camper Boy. I thought I was in pretty good shape – what with combat magic practice, hauling heavy artefacts and playing basketball with Khufu and his baboon friends (baboons don’t mess around when it comes to hoops). Then he helped me bind my hand with a strip of linen and waited while I swigged down half of my healing potion.Īfter that, I felt good enough to race after him towards the sound of the screaming.
He summoned his shoes out of the river – I had no idea how – and put them on. I won’t say we trusted each other, but at least now we had a common cause.
Now, could you please untie my sword hand from my head? I feel like a freaking unicorn.’ ‘We can continue killing each other after the crocodile is taken care of.’ Our conversation was cut short by a scream from the nearby neighbourhood – the terrified voice of a kid. Celestial bronze should’ve turned it to dust.’ ‘The point is I stuck that crocodile pretty good, but I just made it angry. ‘Okay, whatever.’ Camper Boy looked dubious. ‘For the last time, it’s not my crocodile.’ And my sword should have vaporized your crocodile.’ ‘But, while we’re on the subject, you should be dead too. ‘Don’t sound so disappointed,’ he muttered. But the thing I don’t understand … it should have killed you. ‘Look,’ I said, ‘I’m sorry about hitting you with that fist spell. In fact, it scared the holy Horus out of me.ĭespite all the swamp water I’d swallowed, my throat felt dry. Greek … not Egyptian.Īn idea started forming in my mind. I felt like the Duat was opening underneath me, threatening to pull me into the depths. His words bounced around in my head like lottery balls: Cyclopes, satyrs, demigods, Kronos. The blood loss must have been making me dizzy. ‘Dude, I don’t know what you’re talking about. ‘Part combat magician, part water elementalist? What nome are you with?’ Maybe this guy was sensing that I was bound to Horus, that I could channel the god’s power … but why did he describe everything so strangely? I’d heard the term demigod before, but it wasn’t an Egyptian concept. Most of what this guy said, I didn’t understand. A rogue demigod from Kronos’s army, I’d guess.’ If you’re not a spirit or a monster, you’ve got to be a half-blood. If you were, my sword would’ve passed right through you. ‘Oh, please.’ Camper Boy rose unsteadily, his sword antenna making him top-heavy. ‘I’m gushing blood here! And you started all this by calling me a half-blood!’ He tugged at the rope with his free hand, but of course he couldn’t make any progress.įinally he just sighed and glared at me. Unable to let go of his sword, he looked like he had a single reindeer antler sprouting next to his ear. My magic rope had wrapped round his sword arm, then lashed his hand to the side of his head. My thoughts started to clear, and I wondered why I hadn’t been skewered yet.Ĭamper Boy was sitting nearby in waist-deep water, looking dejected. The pain was still horrible, but the nausea became more manageable. I fished a piece of papyrus out of my backpack and pressed it against the wound as a makeshift bandage. There was a lot of blood, but I remembered something Jaz had told me once in the infirmary at Brooklyn House: cuts usually looked a lot worse than they were. In the back of my mind, I knew Camper Boy could kill me easily. I dropped my sword and clutched my wrist, gasping for breath, everything forgotten except the excruciating pain. I threw it and yelled the command word ‘TAS!’ – bind – just as Camper Boy’s bronze blade cut into my wrist.
0 kommentar(er)
