The Ring of Solomon

are just mere trinkets, and others quite impossible to fathom.’
    A crashing sound came from the far end of the golden room. Asmira winced. ‘Well, any rapid tips would be most welcome. Do you have some silver knives?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Throwing stars?’
    ‘I don’t think so.’
    ‘Right. Well, I’ll have that sword, for a start.’
    ‘I wouldn’t.’ Solomon knocked aside her outstretched hand. ‘Once picked up, it can’t be put down. Notice those yellowed finger-bones fixed to the hilt?’
    ‘That shield, then?’
    ‘Too heavy for any normal arm. It is said to have been King Gilgamesh’s. We might try these , however.’ He passed her two silvery metal eggs, the size of a man’s closed fist.
    ‘What are they?’ Asmira said.
    ‘Something aggressive, we hope. What about these?’ He indicated three short wood sticks, each with a bulb of glass at the end. Things inside the bulbs moved restlessly.
    Asmira heard stealthy sounds beyond the arch. She took the sticks. ‘Keep looking,’ she said. ‘Don’t go anywhere near the door. I’ll try to hold them off.’
    Flitting to the arch, she stood with her back flat against the wall, and peeped round into the enchanted room. There they were: six of Khaba’s demons from the gorge, fanning out amongst the chairs and tables. As before, they wore men’s bodies; this time their heads were those of beasts – a wolf, a bear, two eagles, a hideous, grinning ape and, worst of all, a locust, grey-green and glistening, with quivering antennae. Despite the ferocity of their guises, they went slowly, with evident hesitation; behind came Khaba, urging them onwards with feeble strokes of his essence-flail. His wounded hand had been bandaged in black cloth ripped from his robe; his steps were those of an invalid. Asmira saw him look repeatedly towards the balcony in expectation. He was holding back, keeping out of range – waiting for his chief servant to return once more.
    Asmira pressed her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She imagined Bartimaeus flying, desperate and alone. She imagined the shadow-demon close behind, stretching out its clawing fingers to engulf him and the Ring …
    She took a deep breath.
    Skipping sideways from the arch, she gave a carefree yell. ‘Over here!’
    The bestial heads looked up. ‘That is the girl who maimed your master!’ Khaba cried. ‘Tear her to pieces! He who kills her wins his freedom!’
    As one, the demons sprang, smashing through tables, hurling chairs sideways into the walls, leaping the pool in single bounds, converging on the place where Asmira stood her ground.
    When they were fifteen feet away, she threw the eggs and bulb-sticks, one after the other, at great speed.
    The two eggs hit the eagle-demons head on and exploded violently, blowing holes clean through the centre of their midriffs. They raised their beaks, uttered plangent cries, became vapour and were gone.
    Two of the bulb-sticks missed their targets by inches and landed on the marble floor, shattering like eggshells. Vertical fountains of green fire rose up, sending nearby demons somersaulting backwards, to the accompaniment of whoops and cries. The final stick struck the demon with the locust head just above its foot. The spur of fire ignited the upper regions of its leg. With a scream, it leaped into the plunge-pool and disappeared in a cloud of steam.
    Asmira stepped calmly back inside the arch, where Solomon was rummaging through the shelves. ‘Two down,’ she said. ‘One wounded. What else have you got?’
    The king had rolled up his sleeves, and his grey hair was disordered about his face. ‘I should have sorted this out years ago … It’s so hard to tell …’
    ‘Give me anything.’
    ‘Well, try these.’ He tossed her a clay cylinder, stamped with stars, and a sealed terracotta jar.
    Asmira darted back to the arch. The golden room was filled with smoke. Through it moved four hulking forms.
    She hurled the cylinder at the nearest; it struck, broke to dust, did nothing.
    She threw the jar: on breaking, it emitted a soft, sad sighing, then a trill of raucous laughter. The demons, which had jumped back in doubt, came on at faster speed.
    Behind them, the Egyptian gave a ragged oath. ‘You idiots! A child could deal with this! Hit her with magic from a distance!’
    Asmira moved back into the room, just in time to escape the vaporization of the floor outside. Several Detonations struck the wall, sending blocks half through the