He raised his head with a look of desperation.“It’s not like it happens constantly.In fact, mostly it’s not reallyseeinganything at all.It’s just an… an instinct.You know—like when it’s obvious that someone’s mucked up their analysis of Punic orthography.”
“I don’t actually know when someone is doing that,” Ellie replied in a deliberately reasonable tone.“Because no one has figured out how to decipher Punic yet.”
Neil looked queasy.
Ellie couldn’t blame him.She was feeling a little queasy herself.
Her brother had beenseeing through time?How could that be possible?
But then, she was also acquainted—however unpleasantly—with a man who always knew when someone was lying, which was just as impossible.
Was Neil like Jacobs?What did that even mean?
Ellie didn’t know.
“How long has this been happening?”she demanded.
“I don’t know.”Fear and discomfort tightened Neil’s words.“I didn’t realize I was doing it at all until Sayyid brought the whole thing up, and then made me—”
Neil clamped his mouth shut.
Adam knelt down beside him, his voice calm.“Made you what, buddy?”
Neil pressed his fingers to his eyes behind his spectacles.“Find the Staff of Moses in a cubit box.”
Ellie’s head began to spin.
“But I thought Sayyid found the staff,” Constance protested as she joined them.
Neil stiffened with a flash of indignation.“Sayyid isn’t the only one who can find things, you know!”
“Apparently not,” Ellie agreed numbly.Very gently, she reached out and took one of her brother’s hands.“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It… It just seemed so…” Neil forced himself to meet her eyes, his expression desperately unhappy.“I’m sorry, Peanut.”
Ellie clasped his hand a little tighter, at a loss for how else to respond.
What could she say?Her brother had supernatural powers—Neil, of all people!The most unmagical person in the world!
“This isfascinating,” Constance asserted with obvious relish.
“And we’re gonna have to shelve the topic for later.”Adam pushed to his feet.“We need to move.”
Subhas had been reluctantly translating for his grandmother.At her response, he looked up at the sky as though striving for patience.
“Tari Penu is full of opinions today.”He lowered his glare to Neil and Constance.“Fine.You two can join us.”
Constance bounced to her feet.“Excellent!Come on, Stuffy!”
She hauled Neil upright.
Adam’s attention shifted worriedly to the northwest.
Ellie was worried too.She was far from certain how far Jacobs’ forced indulgence would extend.She could still remember the moment on the cliffs behind Tell al-Amarna when his sheer fury at her and Adam’s constant interventions had threatened to tip the scales of whatever dark calculation had otherwise stayed his hand.
The weight of how suddenly the stakes had shifted settled over her like lead.She and Adam had to find a way to bring Vanika home—while letting go of the purpose that had brought them out here in the first place.It would be up to Subhas to save the Brahmastra now, but Ellie could see that he was a natural leader who clearly had the trust and support of his people.Constance and Neil would be there as well, with whatever help they could offer.
And as for Neil… Ellie hadn’t even begun to wrap her head around the revelation of the secret power he had been hiding from her for who knew how long.
