He needed to get away, find a place to hide...

  A moment later, it was already too late. His head whipping back and forth, scanning the aisle for a means of escape, Simon stumbled backwards at the sound of approaching footsteps. Somebody was coming his way from the other end of the corridor. How could he have forgotten the patrols doing their rounds?

  As silently and as quickly as possible, he took a step backward, intent on fleeing back to the temporary safety of his chamber before the apophi guards rounded the corner. If Set decided not to kill him right away, he could always climb out of the narrow window, or at least pack some of his belongings before he took his chances with the front entrance.

  Right now, however, he needed to get away from that doorway, because it just wouldn't do to be found eavesdropping in front of the general's chambers.

  Keeping the advancing apophi in his field of vision and backing further away, he impacted, out of nowhere and with the loudest bang imaginable, with the vase behind him. For several seconds, it swayed precariously on its bottom, seemingly suspended in time, then finally keeled over with another earsplitting crash, sprinkling shards of china across the floor as it disintegrated.

  Simon was temporarily frozen with horror, and, before he could run, the footfalls of the two apophi had rounded the corner, and from the doorway emerged the incensed, blotchy face of Set, whose scarlet eyes were narrowed into slits.

  “What are you doing here?” the god bellowed as his gaze fell on Simon.

  Simon stood quite still, daring not to breathe. What was going to happen now? Would Set make true to the promise he had given his master and murder him? But Set didn't move, merely stared at him with his nostrils flaring...

  The apophi patrols came into view from the other side at that moment, hissing agitatedly, their weapon drawn and their split tongues fluttering. Snarling, Set grabbed the front of Simon's shirt, dragged him into the room, slammed him against the wall, knuckles pressing into his windpipe, and leaned in close enough that Simon could smell the nauseating sweetness emerging from his mouth.

  “What did you hear?” Set whispered softly, dangerously.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Simon didn't reply, fighting the urge to retch from the scent of blood, his glasses askew and his mouth a thin line to stop his lips from quivering. A moment later, the god released the collar of his shirt and he slumped down onto the ground, the back of his head pulsing unpleasantly where it had collided with the wall.

  “But then, what does it matter if you've heard?” Set began to pace, muttering under his breath, his face screwed into a deep frown, the only indication of his inner struggle. A moment later, he came to a halt yet again, gazing back over his shoulder, as though making sure they weren't being watched. Following his gaze, Simon saw that there was a luminescent disc, the device the god had spoken into previously, lying flat on a desk on the other side of the room. Close up, there was no doubt now that it was indeed a computer screen, a piece of technology much too modern to belong to an ancient civilization.

  That's not possible, thought Simon, alarmed.

  But he vaguely remembered the story of the Traveller, the man who travelled through time to bring technology to ancient Egypt too … Could this peculiarly futuristic screen be part of his gifts? On the other hand, given his current situation, that one out-of-time device was possibly the least of his immediate worries...

  He hauled himself back onto his feet, unwilling to meet death on his hands and knees, as Set kept glowering at him. If he was going to meet his ancestors (to which he had a fair few unfriendly things to say) now, he wasn't going to do it trembling and shivering.

  “You've put me in quite the position,” said Set softly at that moment, watching him beadily and apparently satisfied they weren't being observed. “Lord Apep wants me to kill you.”

  Does that mean Set doesn't want to kill me? Simon wondered dimly, feeling a bruise form in the back of his head.

  “He is afraid of you, Apep is. He thinks you are important, special, powerful even. But I disagree. I have been watching you closely... you couldn't charm a goat.”

  Simon felt his cheeks burn with anger but did not reply. His head was still throbbing, his nerves were on edge, and his legs feeling like jelly. He steadied himself against the wall, waiting for the dizziness to fade, but, at the same time, something warm beat against his chest once, and he knew without looking that the Infinity Key had activated again.

  Set must have seen it too, because his gaze flickered down to where the hourglass pendant shone through Simon's shirt, and a mixture of feelings flit over his face. Anger? Fear?

  “So you're going to kill me, like a good pet?” Simon shot at him hotly, desperate to divert the god's attention.

  Set's eyes flashed, his jaw clenched momentarily, then he composed himself again.

  “It don't need to,” he said quietly. “The curse will do that in due time, and until it does, I can still use you.”