Read Theodosia & the Eyes of Horus for Free Online

neck. "We really do have only a short time."
    Trawley stared at Stilton intently, as if trying to bend the younger man's will to his own, then finally looked away. "If time is short," he said, "let's begin the ceremony."
    I was so relieved by this reprieve that I didn't even mind that I was stuck spending the next half-hour watching a number of grown men wander around in ancient Egyptian dress and wave flowering branches in the air. They looked beyond ridiculous. Their chanting was equally nonsensical,
    50
    blathering on about the fruits of the great mysteries and whatnot. At the very end, they all laid their flowering staffs at my feet and then Trawley cast himself upon them.
    I was horrified. "Get up!" I snapped.
    "You must raise me up, O Isis. Raise me up, so like the sun rising in the sky, the Age of Horus can begin."
    Oh, for heaven's sake! I reached down, grabbed hold of his meaty arm, and yanked--none too gently. He lurched to his feet and then straightened his robes.
    "The Age of Horus is born," he declared. "All hail!"
    The rest of the men shouted out, "Hail the Age of Horus!" then fell silent.
    "Are we done?" I asked hopefully.
    Trawley closed his eyes for a long moment. Stilton stepped forward. "Her parents will miss her before too long," he said apologetically.
    His words, while not exactly true, gave Trawley pause. "Very well. We are done for the moment anyway." He took a step in my direction, using his superior height to try to intimidate me. "But the next time you come," he said, "I want you to bring the staff Whiting spoke of. I would like to see it for myself, even if it cannot raise the dead."
    I bobbed a small curtsy. "I will do my best to arrange it," I lied. The problem was, I no longer had it. Wigmere had
    51
    taken it for safekeeping. "But it's hard enough to sneak away as it is without carrying a five-foot-long stick," I pointed out.
    Trawley sighed. "Remove her," he told Stilton.
    Oh dear, he sounded angry, and I really didn't want to provoke someone as unstable as he was. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. It's just very difficult to move about freely when one is a child. And if my movements were further curtailed, we'd never have a chance to have our little talks."
    "Very well," Trawley said, sounding somewhat appeased. "But you and I shall meet again." His frantic eyes zeroed in on mine. "Soon."
    "Of course, Mr. Trawley!" I bobbed another curtsy. "It would be my pleasure."
    "Tefen." Trawley jerked his head in Edgar's direction. "See her home."
    "Very well, sir. Come along, Rosy Light." His lips twitched ever so slightly as he said this, and I resisted the urge to slug him. Instead, I high-stepped it over to his side, then followed him down the corridor. Walking quickly, we made our way to the front door, where he paused and began patting his pockets, looking for a blindfold.
    I took advantage of his distraction and opened the door and marched straight outside without waiting for the blindfold.
    52
    "Miss Theo!" he said, scandalized.
    "Too late," I chirped at him. "I've seen it. Now quit dawdling and let's get back to the museum." As we moved to the carriage, I took stock of my surroundings. It was a quiet, well-to-do neighborhood. Near Fitzroy Square, if I wasn't mistaken. Who knew a temple of the Black Sun would lurk in such normal surroundings?
    Stilton looked about nervously, anxious that none of the Black Sunners see my unblindfolded state. "In you go," he whispered, opening the carriage door. "Before the driver sees you."
    I climbed into the carriage while he gave the address of the museum to the driver. As Stilton settled into his seat, he looked serious. "I know that I'm the one who introduced you to the Black Sun," he said, picking his words carefully. "But I think it best that you don't visit them when I'm not there."
    "Visit them! I don't visit them! They jolly well kidnapped me right off the street."
    Stilton looked even more worried. "Trawley seems very focused on that staff, doesn't he?" His