"She has gone to a house near the dock market, lord."
"Excellent," Meren replied. "We'll go there now."
"Wait, lord. You must have an escort."
"He's right, Father."
Meren threw up his hands. "I don't want to frighten the old woman. You may bring one man. And be quick. I'm leaving the moment my chariot is ready. I don't want her to run off elsewhere before we get there."
He was pleased with Abu's speed. By the time he stepped into his chariot, his aide had returned with Reia. Abu drove Meren while Reia accompanied Kysen. The trip to the dock market neighborhood was slowed by darkness, and in the market itself Meren called a halt.
"It isn't far, lord," said Abu.
Meren glanced around the open space bordered by houses, workshops, and storage buildings. Those few still up at this hour weren't likely to be drawn to an empty market.
"I don't want the aged one to be frightened away by the noise of our approach," Meren said. "Reia will remain here with the chariots."
Soon he was standing in front of a meager house squeezed between two larger ones. The street was empty and silent. Meren held up a hand to prevent Abu from opening the door. Kysen began to ask him a question, but Meren silenced him with a gesture. Perhaps he was imagining that the quiet of this street was different from that of the others nearby or the market.
There seemed to be a void of sound surrounding this house, an absence of the noises that should have hung in the distance. Here it was as if the night had swallowed sound as it engulfed light. No dogs barked, no babies cried. Even the wind seemed afraid to blow, and Meren could hardly hear his own breathing. He glanced around, noting the deserted rooftops, the doorsteps without cats. This street was near the rough dock taverns. No doubt its inhabitants stayed inside with their doors barred at night.
He turned to Kysen and Abu. "Ky, you and Abu stay here. I don't want to alarm Satet and whoever she's visiting."
"Lord, I don't think there's anyone else in the house," Abu said. "It's too quiet."
"They may be in the rear."
"At least allow me to come with you," Kysen said.
"No. This is probably where her sister is staying, and we must go carefully so that we don't frighten off this cursed royal cook."
"I should at least go to the roof," Kysen said.
"Very well."
Meren pushed open the door to reveal a darkened front chamber. Beyond he could see a dim yellow glow. Nodding to Kysen, he slipped inside and shut the door. As he walked toward the light, a goose honked, causing him to start. Then he heard Satet.
"Be quiet, Beauty. I'll be finished soon. I must fold this sheet, or it won't fit in the basket. Look, I found my cosmetics box. I knew Hunero took it with her when she left."
Meren stepped into a kitchen lit by a single lamp. To his left lay a staircase that led to the second floor; to his right, an oven sat against the far wall beneath a ventilation hole in the roof. Jars of fruit, oil, and beer sat on shelves, while baskets lined the walls. Before one of them, near the oven, knelt Satet. She placed a folded linen sheet in a basket and looked up at him.
"You! Go away. I can't instruct your cooks anymore. I have this house now, and I'll be busy selling bread in the market."
"Where is your sister?"
"I don't know. She's terribly lazy. She might be asleep." Satet turned to Beauty, who was pecking at bread crumbs scattered by the oven. "What do you think, Beauty? Tell him what an indolent Hunero is. Was my sister not asleep when we first found her?"
Meren walked over to the stairs that led to the second story and glanced into darkness. He looked over his shoulder at Satet.
"You should have told me you found your sister."
As he spoke, Satet picked up a small cosmetics box, placed it on top of the sheet in the basket, and straightened. She glanced his way and gasped. Her mouth formed a cavern, while her eyes widened to the size of ripe olives. Meren looked at her expression and at the same moment felt a presence behind him. He whirled and dropped to a crouch. Something buzzed by his head, and he heard a snarl.
Meren threw himself backward. A giant shadow chased him, and he caught a glimpse of blank yellow eyes. With the speed of a leopard, claws lashed at him. It was all he could do to scramble out of reach before the ax came at his head again. There was no time to draw his dagger, no time to do anything but dodge, veer, and duck to avoid being slashed or hacked. He jumped aside as the creature sprang at him. Satet whimpered and fell to the floor senseless. Beauty squawked when Meren stepped on her foot, then flapped her wings and hissed.
Eater of Souls swung the ax, but with both hands Meren grabbed the arm that bore the weapon. To his horror, his strength was as a child's against the creature. The arm jerked free. The ax flew up. A clawed hand grabbed his neck, and he felt the blades cut into his flesh. It was then that he remembered his voice.
He shouted an alarm, twisted in that animal grip, and kicked. Eater of Souls roared, but struck again with the ax as Meren tried to pull free. Meren saw the blow coming, stopped struggling, and lunged down, pulling Eater of Souls with him. They hit the floor as he heard the front door crash open. Something hissed by his ear. Meren grabbed blindly and found Beauty. Snagging the goose by her neck, he threw her at Eater of Souls. Beauty landed on the creature's chest, wings flapping, neck stretched. She hissed once, then struck, lunging past the gaping jaws.
Meren heard a scream as he rolled away and jumped to his feet. The ax dropped as Eater of Souls drew both arms up for protection against the pummeling beak. At that moment Kysen raced down the stairs, his dagger drawn. Abu was in the doorway with his own weapon. Both drew back their arms, but Meren cried out.
"No!"
Eater of Souls thrust the goose away, grabbed the ax, and scrambled to a crouch. Grunting, her breath coming in loud rasps, she prepared to throw the weapon.
"Reshep, don't!"
The ax paused high in the air. The crocodile head tilted to the side. Then a high voice with the texture of sand issued from beneath the snout.
"Ammut, the Devouress, Eater of Souls, comes to destroy transgressors. I am sent by the gods to protect the favored one."
The voice sent waves of cold crashing through Meren's body. It wasn't Reshep's. This voice slithered through muddy, sluggish water. It basked motionless in the boiling heat of the sun for hours, then slid beneath the water close to the shore and lunged at unsuspecting and thirsty gazelles. And yet there was an undertone of grit, a rumbling purr that belonged in the deserts and savanna where it stalked prey through the tall grass.
Meren exchanged glances with Kysen and Abu. Neither had moved once they heard that voice. Kysen lifted his brows in a question. Meren shook his head.
"Reshep, I know it's you under that mask. Stop now."
"The gods have sent Eater of Souls."
"Reshep?" Kysen gaped at Eater of Souls. "Are you certain? Reshep has such a vain, lazy heart."
Abu shifted his weight, his arm still cocked to throw his dagger. "He's possessed."
Eater of Souls paid Abu no heed. The dead yellow eyes seemed to stare at Kysen, but then the snout turned and pointed toward Meren. In the shadowed light he could see that the preserved crocodile's head fit over Reshep's. The lower jaw came down to conceal half the man's face, while the lion's mane attached to it covered his neck and shoulders. A hippo hide emerged from the lion's mane in front and back and was attached to Reshep's kilt by leather thongs.
Reshep raised his arm to point at Meren. His hand was covered by a thick leather gauntlet. Finger stalls of polished bronze ended in curved, clawlike razors. One of them pointed at Meren.
"Evil one, source of pain and emptiness. Usurper of glory, worship, and power. You steal what is rightfully the favored one's, and you must be devoured."