MENSHIKOV LOOKED LIKE HE'D SWUM through the Lake of Fire without a magic shield. His curly gray hair had been reduced to black stubble. His white suit was shredded and peppered with burn holes. His whole face was blistered, so his ruined eyes didn't seem out of place. As Bes might've said, Menshikov was wearing his ugly outfit.
The memory of Bes made me angry. Everything we'd gone through, everything we'd lost, was all Vlad Menshikov's fault.
The sun boat ground to a halt on the scarab-shell beach.
Ra warbled, "Hel-lo-o-o-o-o!" and stumbled to his feet. He began chasing a blue servant orb around the deck as if it were a pretty butterfly.
The demons dropped their shovels and assembled on the shore. They looked at each other uncertainly, no doubt wondering if this were some sort of clever trick. Surely this doddering old fool could not be the sun god.
"Wonderful," Menshikov said. "You brought Ra, after all."
It took me a moment to realize what was different about his voice. The gravelly breathing was gone. His tone was a deep, smooth baritone.
"I was worried," he continued. "You took so long in the Fourth House, I thought you'd be trapped for the night. We could have freed Lord Apophis without you, of course, but it would've been so inconvenient to hunt you down later. This is much better. Lord Apophis will be hungry when he wakes. He'll be most pleased that you brought him a snack."
"Wheee, snack," Ra giggled. He hobbled around the boat, trying to smash the servant light with his flail.
The demons began to laugh. Menshikov gave them an indulgent smile.
"Yes, quite amusing," he said. "My grandfather entertained Peter the Great with a dwarf wedding. I will do even better. I will entertain the Lord of Chaos himself with a senile sun god!"
The voice of Horus spoke urgently in my mind: Take back the weapons of the pharaoh. This is your last chance!
Deep inside, I knew it was a bad idea. If I claimed the weapons of the pharaoh now, I'd never return them. And the powers I'd gain wouldn't be enough to defeat Apophis. Still, I was tempted. It would feel so good to grab the crook and flail from that stupid old god Ra and smash Menshikov into the ground.
The Russian's eyes glittered with malice. "A rematch, Carter Kane? By all means. I notice you don't have your dwarf babysitter this time. Let's see what you can do on your own."
My vision turned red, and it had nothing to do with the light in the cavern. I stepped off the boat and summoned the hawk god's avatar. I'd never tried the spell so deep in the Duat before. I got more than I asked for. Instead of being encased in a glowing holograph, I felt myself growing taller and stronger. My eyesight grew sharper.
Sadie made a strangled sound. "Carter?"
"Large bird!" Ra said.
I looked down and found I was a flesh-and-blood giant, fifteen feet tall, dressed in the battle armor of Horus. I brought my enormous hands to my head and patted feathers instead of hair. My mouth was a razor-sharp beak. I shouted with elation, and it came out as a screech, echoing through the cavern. The demons scrambled back nervously. I looked down at Menshikov, who now seemed as insignificant as a mouse. I was ready to pulverize him, but Menshikov sneered and pointed his staff.
Whatever he was planning, Sadie was faster. She threw down her own staff, and it transformed into a kite (the bird of prey kind) as large as a pterodactyl.
Typical. I pull something really cool like morphing into a hawk warrior, and Sadie has to show me up. Her kite buffeted the air with its massive wings. Menshikov and his demons went somersaulting backward across the beach.
