Suddenly the truth smacked me in the face. I felt almost as thick as Carter.
“Oh, I see. She mentioned a horrible time at a palace, didn’t she? She’s the one who freed you in Russia.”
Bes mopped his neck with the handkerchief. He really was sweating quite a lot. “Wh-what makes you say that?”
“Because you’re so embarrassed around her! Like…” I was about to say “like she’s seen you in your underpants,” but I doubted that would mean much to the God of Speedos. “Like she’s seen you at your worst, and you want to forget it.”
Bes stared at Tawaret with a pained expression, the way he had stared at Prince Menshikov’s palace in St. Petersburg.
“She’s always saving me,” he said bitterly. “She’s always wonderful, nice, kind. Back in ancient times, everyone assumed we were dating. They always said we were a cute couple—the two demon-scaring gods, the two misfits, whatever. We did go out a few times, but Tawaret was just too—too nice. And I was kind of obsessed with somebody else.”
“Bast,” Carter guessed.
The dwarf god’s shoulders slumped. “That obvious, huh? Yeah, Bast. She was the most popular goddess with the common folk. I was the most popular god. So, you know, we’d see each other at festivals and such. She was…well, beautiful.”
Typical man, I thought. Only seeing the surface. But I kept my mouth shut.
“Anyway,” Bes sighed, “Bast treated me like a little brother. She still does. Has no interest in me at all, but it took me a long time to realize that. I was so obsessed, I wasn’t very good to Tawaret over the years.”
“But she came to get you in Russia,” I said.
He nodded. “I sent out distress calls. I thought Bast would come to my aid. Or Horus. Or somebody. I didn’t know where they all were, you understand, but I had a lot of friends back in the old days. I figured somebody would show up. The only one who did was Tawaret. She risked her life sneaking into the palace during the dwarf wedding. She saw the whole thing—saw me humiliated in front of the big folk. During the night, she broke my cage and freed me. I owe her everything. But once I was free…I just fled. I was so ashamed, I couldn’t look at her. Every time I think of her, I think about that night, and I hear the laughing.”
The pain in his voice was raw, as if he were describing something that had happened yesterday, not three centuries ago.
“Bes, it isn’t her fault,” I said gently. “She cares about you. It’s obvious.”
“It’s too late,” he said. “I’ve hurt her too much. I wish I could turn back the clock, but…”
He faltered. Tawaret was walking toward us, leading the frog goddess by the arm.
“Now, dear,” Tawaret said, “just come with us, and we’ll find your room. No need for leaping.”
“But it’s a leap of faith,” Heket croaked. (I mean she made that sound; she didn’t die in front of us, thankfully.) “My temple is around here somewhere. It was in Qus. Lovely city.”
“Yes, dear,” Tawaret said. “But your temple is gone now. All our temples are gone. You have a nice bedroom, though—”
“No,” Heket murmured. “The priests will have sacrifices for me. I have to…”
She fixed her large yellow eyes on me, and I understood how a fly must feel right before it’s zapped by a frog tongue.
“That’s my priestess!” Heket said. “She’s come to visit me.”
“No, dear,” Tawaret said. “That’s Sadie Kane.”
“My priestess.” Heket patted my shoulder with her moist webbed hand, and I did my best not to cringe. “Tell the temple to start without me, will you? I’ll be along later. Will you tell them?”
“Um, yeah,” I said. “Of course, Lady Heket.”
“Good, good.” Her eyes became unfocused. “Very sleepy now. Hard work, remembering…”
“Yes, dear,” Tawaret said. “Why don’t you lie down in one of these rooms for now?”
She shepherded Heket into the nearest vacant room.
Bes followed her with sad eyes. “I’m a terrible dwarf.”
Perhaps I should’ve reassured him, but my mind was racing on to other matters. Start without me, Heket had said. A leap of faith.