AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Carter stared at the papyrus. ‘You’re thinking we could invoke an Ancient Greek word the same way we do with hieroglyphs?’
‘It’s worth a try,’ Annabeth said. ‘Which of you is better with that kind of magic?’
‘Sadie,’ Carter said. ‘I’m more a combat magician.’
‘Giant-chicken mode,’ I remembered.
‘Dude, my avatar is a falcon-headed warrior.’
‘I still think you could get a sponsorship deal with KFC. Make some big bucks.’
‘Knock it off, you two.’ Annabeth handed her scroll to Sadie. ‘Carter, let’s trade. I’ll try your khopesh; you try my Yankees cap.’
She tossed him the hat.
‘I’m usually more of a basketball guy, but …’ Carter put on the cap and disappeared. ‘Wow, okay. I’m invisible, aren’t I?’
Sadie applauded. ‘You’ve never looked better, brother dear.’
‘Very funny.’
‘If you can sneak up on Setne,’ Annabeth suggested, ‘you might be able to take him by surprise, get the crown away from him.’
‘But you told us Setne saw right through your invisibility,’ Carter said.
‘That was me,’ Annabeth said, ‘a Greek using a Greek magic item. For you, maybe it’ll work better – or differently, at least.’
‘Carter, give it a shot,’ I said. ‘The only thing better than a giant chicken man is a giant invisible chicken man.’
Suddenly the ground shook under our feet.
Across the soccer fields, towards the south end of the island, a white glow lit the horizon.
‘That can’t be good,’ Annabeth said.
‘No,’ Sadie agreed. ‘Perhaps we should charge in a little more quickly.’
The vultures were having a party.
Past a line of trees, a muddy field stretched to the edge of the island. At the base of a small lighthouse, a few picnic tables huddled as if for shelter. Across the harbour, the Statue of Liberty glowed white in the storm, rainclouds pushing around her like waves off the prow of a ship.
In the middle of the picnic grounds, six large black buzzards whirled in the rain, orbiting our buddy Setne.
The magician was rocking a new outfit. He’d changed into a red quilted smoking jacket – I guess to match his red crown. His silk trousers shimmered in red and black paisley. Just to make sure his look wasn’t too understated, his loafers were entirely covered in rhinestones.
He strutted around with the Book of Thoth, chanting some spell, the same way he’d done back at the fort.
‘He’s summoning Nekhbet,’ Sadie murmured. ‘I’d really rather not see her again.’
‘What kind of name is Neck Butt, anyway?’ I asked.
Sadie snickered. ‘That’s what I called her the first time I saw her. But,
really, she’s not very nice. Possessed my gran, chased me across London …’
‘So what’s the plan?’ Carter asked. ‘Maybe a flanking manoeuvre?’
‘Or,’ Annabeth said, ‘we could try a diversionary –’
