“Yes. Luckily, Seth’s duplicity regarding Amon and his brothers was discovered in time and his plans were thwarted before he could finish what he’d started. Knowing that Seth would continue to attempt to unmake the three princes since he had invested so much energy in them, Anubis took them out of the equation by making them servants of Egypt and instilling in them the celestial powers of the gods. As long as they retain their power, Seth cannot destroy them and achieve what he seeks.”
“In that case, why can’t Seth just unmake other people? Like me or you or Amon’s father, for example? Wouldn’t he gain power from that?”
“In theory, yes, but the gods would be alerted and would intervene. In the case of Amon’s, Asten’s, and Ahmose’s births, since Seth was the one who caused them to be born in the first place, the only god who would hear and respond to the danger would be himself. To destroy one’s own creations results in an infusion of power so ultimate, nothing can be denied the immortal that achieves it. And yet, it comes with a terrible price.”
“How did Anubis know to come and help if he wasn’t alerted?”
“The people expressed such heartfelt prayers and concern for their beloved princes, especially the mothers of the princes, that the gods could not ignore their faithful pleas.”
Our conversation was interrupted when Asten and Amon approached. Asten frowned at Dr. Hassan, giving him a meaningful glance. The doctor winced as if he’d been reprimanded, though no words had been exchanged, and nodded in obeisance. I wondered if they were angry with him for telling me too much.
In my mind, I had a right to know, so I took Dr. Hassan’s hand and patted it reassuringly. “We have decided that we will seek out the temple,” Asten declared. “It is imperative that we locate our brother.” Amon’s head hung low, and he seemed to be having a hard time focusing. I closed my eyes and tried to sense what he was feeling, but it was like I was shut out by a wall made of stone, and no matter how high I climbed or how far along it I walked, there was no way around it.
“Amon?”
“All will be well, Young Lily,” he whispered in a hollow voice. “You must trust in Asten’s guidance.”
“Forget that!” I spat as I stood, no longer holding back. The struggle to remain upright somewhat diminished my righteous indignation, but still I pressed on and jabbed Amon in the chest.
“I can’t help but notice,” I said as I poked, “that you are pretty much ignoring me and making drastic decisions without any regard for my feelings on the subject. As you are aware, I am as invested in the outcome of this adventure as you are, so I have a right to know what’s. Going. On,” I declared, punctuating each word with three final prods.
In all my life, I’d never voiced a demand to be involved, to be able to make a choice for myself. Doing so made me feel a bit proud. I doubted that I had the fortitude to assert myself in the same way with my parents, but doing so with Amon and his brother was a big step forward.
Amon wrapped his hands around mine, squeezing softly. “I am sorry, Lily. I did not mean to leave you by the wayside. I just want to protect you.” He seemed so tired; his skin was cold. The sun radiating off his form wasn’t warming him like it had before we encountered the dying shabti.
“I get that,” I answered more gently. “I really do. But I’m made of stronger stuff than you think. You can tell me the truth. I promise I won’t run away.”
Asten watched us with open fascination, while Dr. Hassan looked embarrassed to be witnessing our exchange. For a moment I wondered if Amon was going to respond, but then he finally lifted his gaze and reached up to push some hair behind my ear.
“Very well,” he said with a sigh. “But know that what must be done, must be done. I will leave it to Asten to explain everything.”
With a final squeeze of my hand, he stepped aside and spoke briefly to Dr. Hassan in Egyptian. Then he chanted a spell to release the golden falcon. The great bird waited silently as Asten gave us some brief instructions.