Blood Lines

safe from whatever magics could be wrapped around it.
    They walked a short distance further, until the sounds of Bloor Street faded and then, in mutual agreement, crossed over to the park. After dark on a November evening, they walked alone on paths damp with fallen leaves, under trees nearly bare. No one would overhear the words to be spoken; no one would have to die because they had heard.
    The scattering of lights pushed back the darkness only in isolated areas; in the rest of the park the night stretched unbroken from infinity to the ground. Little light of any kind reached the bench they chose and as Henry watched Tawfik lower himself carefully down, he realized that the other had no better than mortal vision.
    So I hold the advantage of sight. For all the good it will do.
    Tawfik smelled of excitement, not fear, and his heart beat only a fraction faster than human norm. The movement of his blood called to the Hunger even as the weight of his life overwhelmed any desire Henry had to feed. Henry could smell the fear on himself and his own heart, while still ponderously slow by mortal measuring, beat faster and harder than it had in years.
    Tawfik spoke first, his voice sounding mildly amused. "You have a hundred questions, why not begin?"

    Why not? But where? Perhaps with the question he himself had answered. "What are you?"
    'I am the last remaining priest of the god Akhekh."
    'What are you doing here?"
    'Do you mean how do I come to be here, in this century, in this place? Or do you mean what am I doing now I am here?"
    'Both."
    Tawfik shifted on the bench. "Well, that is, as they say, a long story and as you have only until dawn…"He saw no reason to lie to the Nightwalker about how and what he was and, although he would chose his words carefully, he was also willing to speak of his plans. After all, he wanted to win young Richmond's trust.
    Fortunately, Dr. Rax provided him with a twentieth century framework to hang his story on.
    'I was born about 3250 BC, in Upper Egypt just before Merinar, who had been King of Lower Egypt, created one empire that stretched the length of the Nile. I was, at the time of the conquest, a high-ranking priest of Set-not the Set that common history remembers, he was then a benevolent god, unfortunately on the losing side. After the conquest, Horus the elder, the highest of the gods of Lower Egypt, cast Set down and declared him unclean. Set, still very powerful, merely worked his way into the new pantheon." Tawfik's tone grew slightly dry. "Egyptian gods were, if nothing else, flexible.
    'I, as a ranking priest, had been cast down with my god, stripped and scourged and thrown out of my temple. Only mortal and already middle-aged, I hadn't the luxury of concerning myself with Set's long-term plans. I wanted immediate revenge and I was willing to do…" He paused and Henry saw him frown as he remembered. "I was willing to do anything to regain the power and prestige I had lost.
    'To me came Akhekh, a minor and dark deity, who in the confusion of the heavens had managed to get hold of more power than usual. ' Swear to me,' said Akhekh,'dedicate your life to my service, and I will give you the time you need for your revenge. I will make you more powerful than you have ever been. Become my priest and I will give you the power to destroy the ka of your enemies. You will feed on their souls and with such nourishment live forever. ' "
    Tawfik turned to face Henry and smiled tightly. "Now do not for a moment think that Akhekh made this offer out of regard for me. The gods exist only as long as belief exists. A change in those who believe, means a change in the gods. When no one believes any longer, the gods lose definition, their sense of self if you will, and are absorbed back into the whole." He caught a powerful negative flare from the Nightwalker's ka and inclined his head politely toward the other man. "You wanted to say…?"
    Henry hadn't intended to say anything, but he found that when challenged he couldn't hold back. I will not be like Peter and deny my lord . "There is only one God."
    'Richmond, please." Tawfik didn't bother to keep the amusement out of his voice. "You, at least, should know better.
    Perhaps there may someday be only one god, when all people dream and desire alike, and there are certainly less gods now than there were before I was entombed. But one god? No. I can… introduce you to my god, if you wish."
    The night seemed to grow a little darker.
    'No." Henry