The Red Pyramid

brisket, bread and pickles, the works. He was playing his guitar with a portable amp. Khufu stood nearby, covering his ears.

“Oh, good.” Thoth strummed a chord that sounded like the death cry of a sick donkey. “You lived.”

I stared up at the pyramid in amazement. “Where did this come from?

You didn’t just...build it, did you?” I remembered my ba trip to Set’s red pyramid, and suddenly pictured gods building monuments all over the U.S. Thoth chuckled. “I didn’t have to build it. The people of Memphis did that. Humans never really forget Egypt, you know. Every time they build a city on the banks of a river, they remember their heritage, buried deep in their subconscious. This is the Pyramid Arena—sixth largest pyramid in the world. It used to be a sports arena for...what is that game you like, Khufu?”

“Agh!” Khufu said indignantly. And I swear he gave me a dirty look.

“Yes, basketball,” Thoth said. “But the arena fell on hard times. It’s been abandoned for years. Well, no longer. I’m moving in. You do have the ankh?”

For a moment, I wondered if it had been such a good idea helping Thoth, but we needed him. I tossed him the necklace.

“Excellent,” he said. “An ankh from the tomb of Elvis. Powerful magic!”

Sadie clenched her fists. “We almost died getting that. You tricked us.”

“Not a trick,” he insisted. “A test.”

“Those things,” Sadie said, “the shabti—” “Yes, my best work in centuries. A shame to break them, but I couldn’t have you beating up on real magicians, could I? Shabti make excellent stunt doubles.”

“So you saw the whole thing,” I muttered.

“Oh, yes.” Thoth held out his hand. Two little fires danced across his palm—the magic essences we’d seen escape from the shabti’s mouths. “These are...recording devices, I suppose you’d say. I got a full report. You defeated the shabti without killing. I must admit I’m impressed, Sadie. You controlled your magic and controlled Isis. And you, Carter, did well turning into a lizard.”

I thought he was teasing me. Then I realized there was genuine sympathy in his eyes, as if my failure had also been some kind of test.

“You will find worse enemies ahead, Carter,” he warned. “Even now, the House of Life sends its best against you. But you will also find friends where you least expect them.”