The Ring of Solomon

lying there the best part of twenty-four hours, if I’m any judge of dead men.’ 3
    ‘The magic’s cold too,’ I said, surveying the scattered debris. ‘Detonations, mainly – fairly high-powered ones, though there were a few Convulsions here and there. Nothing too sophisticated, but very brutal.’
    ‘Utukku, you think?’
    ‘I’d say so. I found a footprint: bulky, but not big enough to be an afrit.’
    ‘Well, we’ve got a scent at last, Bartimaeus! I’d suggest going back to tell our master right away, but let’s face it – he’s unlikely to want to hear anything from you .’
    I glanced about me once more. ‘Speaking of Khaba,’ I said quietly, ‘I had an odd experience just now. When you came down, you didn’t happen to see anything else here with me?’
    Faquarl shook his gleaming head. ‘You seemed just as isolated as ever, if slightly more jittery. Why?’
    ‘Only I thought I had Khaba’s shadow after me—’ I stopped myself, cursed. ‘Not thought, know – it was creeping after me along the gorge. Just now! Only when you turned up, it scarpered.’
    Faquarl frowned. ‘Really? This is bad.’
    ‘Tell me about it.’
    ‘Yes, it means technically I may have saved you from a nasty fate. Please don’t tell anyone about this, Bartimaeus. I’ve got a reputation to maintain.’ He rubbed his chin meditatively. ‘Odd, though, that Khaba should move against you out here,’ he mused. ‘Why not back at camp? Why the secrecy? It’s an intriguing little problem.’
    ‘I’m glad you feel that way,’ I snarled. ‘Personally speaking, it’s a bit more urgent than that.’
    The Nubian grinned. ‘Well, what can you expect? In all honesty, I’m surprised you’ve survived this long. Khaba’s got a grudge against you after that hippo debacle. And then, of course, there’s the ongoing issue of your personality. That’s two good reasons to bump you off for starters.’
    I stared at him askance. ‘My personality? Meaning what?’
    ‘How can you even ask the question? I’ve been around the ziggurat a few times, Bartimaeus, but I’ve never known a spirit like you. Ghuls 4 are bad enough, skrikers 5 likewise – they may all have appalling habits, but by Zeus at least they don’t talk out of turn so loudly, or cheek their betters the way you do. Let’s face it, just the sight of you is enough to drive any reasonable spirit insane.’
    Whether it was my recent shock, or the smug expression on his face, my temper snapped. Blue flames flared between my fingers; I stepped in fury towards him.
    Faquarl gave an indignant snort. Shards of green lightning crackled about his pudgy hands. ‘Don’t even think about it. You haven’t got a chance.’
    ‘Is that so, my friend? Well, let me tell you—’
    I halted; my fires died suddenly away. At the same time Faquarl let his hands fall back. We stood silent on the road, facing each other, listening hard. We could both detect the same sensation: an almost imperceptible shivering on the planes, with every now and then a faint, decisive thud. It was familiar and it was not far off.
    It was the noise of djinn being summoned.
    As one, we leaped into the air, our quarrel forgotten. As one, we changed. Two eagles (one plump, unsavoury; one a paragon of avian grace and beauty) rose up between the cliffs. We circled high above the wastes, which shimmered brown and white beneath the sun.
    I checked the higher planes, where colours are more muted and less distracting, and gave a cawk of triumph. Away to the south, distant luminosities moved upon the ground. The lights – evidently those of several spirits – were closing in on where the spice road passed among some barren hills.
    Without a word the eagles banked their wings. Side by side, we shot south towards the road.

    1 You could tell this by the little evil looks he flashed, and his overall froideur when I passed by. Subtle clues, yes, but I’m a sensitive sort and I spotted them. The regular occasions when he shook his fists and cursed my name by all the death gods of Egypt only served to back up my theory.
    2 Battle of Qadesh : major engagement between the Egyptians under Rameses the Great and the Hittites under King Muwatallis back in 1274 BC. Faquarl and I had fought in separate divisions of the pharaoh’s armies, and helped carry out the final pincer movement that drove the enemy utukku from the field. Many great deeds were done that day, not all of them by me. Two centuries later, the