The Ring of Solomon

short.
    ‘Exalted spirits,’ she said, in a voice of iron, ‘I thank you both for your intervention in this present disaster. Without your timely aid I would most certainly have perished, like these unfortunate merchants who were my recent companions. May their souls ascend most speedily to the Sun God’s realm, for they were peaceful men! But now hear my words. I am an envoy and sole representative of Himyar’s queen, travelling in haste to Jerusalem to speak with Solomon of Israel. My mission is of paramount importance. Great matters hinge upon its success. I therefore dema— I request that you assist me, that I may complete my journey at best speed. Aid me in this, and I shall come before your masters, whoever they may be, asking that they free you from your present servitude and send you back to the great abyss 3 from whence you came.’ She raised a hand towards the sky. ‘Before the Sun God and the sacred memory of my mother, this I hereby vow!’
    There was a resounding silence. Faquarl rubbed his hands together. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘Let’s eat her.’
    I hesitated. ‘Hold on – didn’t you hear what she said about winning us our freedom?’
    ‘Don’t believe a word of it, Bartimaeus. She’s human. She’s a liar.’
    ‘She’s human, yes … but she’s got something about her, don’t you think? Reminds me a bit of Nefertiti.’ 4
    ‘Never met her,’ Faquarl sniffed. ‘I was in Mycenae then, if you recall. Anyhow, who cares? I’m hungry.’
    ‘Well, I think we should wait,’ I said. ‘She could intercede with Khaba—’
    ‘ He’s not going to listen to her, is he?’
    ‘Or Solomon, maybe …’
    ‘Oh, right. Like she’s going to get anywhere near him .’
    This was all probably true enough, but I was still irritated with Faquarl for his comments earlier that afternoon, and that made me stubborn. ‘Another thing,’ I said. ‘She’ll be a witness to our fight.’
    Faquarl paused, but shook his head. ‘We don’t need a witness. We’ve got bodies.’
    ‘She called us “exalted spirits” …’
    ‘Like that makes any difference!’ Faquarl gave an impatient growl and made a side-step in the girl’s direction, but I moved slightly to block his way. He pulled up short, eyes bulging, tendons flexing in his jaw. ‘This has always been your trouble!’ he snarled. ‘Getting all soft-headed over a human just because she’s got a long neck and a steely eye!’
    ‘Me? Soft-headed? I’d eat her soon as look at her! But she might be able to help us, that’s my point. Your problem is you can’t control your appetites, Faquarl! You’d eat anything that moves – girls, stench-mites, mortuary imps, the lot.’
    ‘I’ve never eaten a mortuary imp.’ 5
    ‘I bet you have.’
    Faquarl took a deep breath. ‘Are you going to let me kill her?’
    ‘No.’
    He threw his hands up in disgust. ‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself! We’re slaves , remember – slaves of humans like that girl there. Will they ever do us a good turn? No! Building sites and battlefields 6 – that’s all they’ve wanted us for, ever since Ur. And it’ll never end, Bartimaeus, you know that, don’t you? It’s a war between us and them – and I mean all of them, not just the magicians. All those dough-brained farmers, their clasping wives, their snotty, squalling children – they’re just as bad as Khaba and the rest. This girl’s no different! They’d happily cast us into the Dismal Flame without a thought, if they didn’t always want new walls built, fields dug, or need some other tribe of brainless humans killed!’
    ‘I don’t deny any of that,’ I cried. ‘But we’ve got to be practical about chances that come our way. And this is a chance. You don’t want to go back to the quarry any more than I do, and it’s just possible that this girl might— Oh, now where are you flouncing off to?’
    Like an irritable toddler, 7 Faquarl had spun round and marched away. ‘You like her so much,’ he called, ‘you stay with her. You keep her safe. I’m off to fetch Khaba, and we’ll see if she can magic us up our freedom. Maybe you’ll be proved right, Bartimaeus. Or just maybe you’ll come to regret not feasting on her while you can!’ So saying, he spun a cloak of scarlet flame about his wings and sprang into the sky, and with a final oath that caused small avalanches to tumble down the lonely gulleys, rose up to meet the sun.
    I turned to stare at the silent girl.
    ‘Well,’ I