“I very much doubt it.” She knelt by the water. “Now, Sadie, if you’d do the honors?”
“How?”
“Just ask for Nephthys to appear. She was Isis’s sister. If she’s anywhere on this side of the Duat, she should hear your voice.”
Sadie looked doubtful, but she knelt next to Bast and touched the water. Her fingertips caused ripples that seemed much too large, rings of force emanating all the way across the river.
“Hullo, Nephthys?” she said. “Anyone home?”
I heard a splash downriver, and turned to see a family of immigrants crossing midstream. I’d heard stories about how thousands of people cross the border from Mexico illegally each year, looking for work and a better life, but it was startling to actually see them in front of me—a man and a woman hurrying along, carrying a little girl between them. They were dressed in ragged clothes and looked poorer than the poorest Egyptian peasants I’d ever seen. I stared at them for a few seconds, but they didn’t appear to be any kind of supernatural threat. The man gave me a wary look and we seemed to come to a silent understanding: we both had enough problems without bothering each other.
Meanwhile Bast and Sadie stayed focused on the water, watching the ripples spread out from Sadie’s fingers.
Bast tilted her head, listening intently. “What’s she saying?”
“I can’t make it out,” Sadie whispered. “Very faint.”
“You can actually hear something?” I asked.
“Shhh,” they both said at once.
“‘Caged’...” Sadie said. “No, what is that word in English?”
“Sheltered,” Bast suggested. “She is sheltered far away. A sleeping host. What is that supposed to mean?”
I didn’t know what they were talking about. I couldn’t hear a thing.
Khufu tugged at my hand and pointed downriver. “Agh.”
The immigrant family had disappeared. It seemed impossible they could cross the river so quickly. I scanned both banks—no sign of them—but the water was more turbulent where they’d been standing, as if someone had stirred it with a giant spoon. My throat tightened.
“Um, Bast—”
“Carter, we can barely hear Nephthys,” she said. “Please.”
I gritted my teeth. “Fine. Khufu and I are going to check something—”
“Shh!” Sadie said again.
I nodded to Khufu, and we started down the riverbank. Khufu hid behind my legs and growled at the river.
I looked back, but Bast and Sadie seemed fine. They were still staring at the water as if it were some amazing Internet video.
Finally we got to the place where I’d seen the family, but the water had calmed. Khufu slapped the ground and did a handstand, which meant he was either break dancing or really nervous.
“What is it?” I asked, my heart pounding.
“Agh, agh, agh!” he complained. That was probably an entire lecture in Baboon, but I had no idea what he was saying.
“Well, I don’t see any other way,” I said. “If that family got pulled into the water or something...I have to find them. I’m going in.”
“Agh!” He backed away from the water.
“Khufu, those people had a little girl. If they need help, I can’t just walk away. Stay here and watch my back.”
Khufu grunted and slapped his own face in protest as I stepped into the water. It was colder and swifter than I’d imagined. I concentrated, and summoned my sword and wand out of the Duat. Maybe it was my imagination, but that seemed to make the river run even faster.
I was midstream when Khufu barked urgently. He was jumping around on the riverbank, pointing frantically at a nearby clump of reeds.