The Ring of Solomon

few.’
    ‘Including the Rock City of Zafar, delved straight into the cliffs?’ the demon said. ‘That’s in Himyar, isn’t it? Or am I wrong?’
    Asmira hesitated. She sensed a trap and didn’t know the answer that would avoid it. ‘I never discuss particularities of my kingdom with an outsider,’ she said. ‘Cultural reticence is one of the traditions of our people. But I can discuss Israel and will do so gladly. You know King Solomon and his palace well, I assume?’
    The winged youth was gazing at her. ‘The palace, yes … Solomon, no. He has many servants.’
    ‘But when he summons you—’
    ‘His magicians summon us, as I think I’ve said. We serve their will, and they serve Solomon’s.’
    ‘And they are happy to serve him because of the—’ This time Asmira did not say the word. Something of Bartimaeus’s trepidation had infected her too.
    The djinni spoke shortly. ‘Yes.’
    ‘So you are all in thrall to it?’
    ‘I and countless others.’
    ‘So why do you not destroy it? Or steal it?’
    The djinni gave a noticeable jump. ‘Shh!’ it cried. ‘Will you keep your voice down ?’ With hasty movements it craned its neck back and forth, peering along the gorge. Asmira, reacting to its agitation, looked too, and for a moment thought the blue shadows of the rocks seemed rather darker than before.
    ‘You do not talk about the object in such terms,’ the djinni glowered. ‘Not here, not anywhere in Israel, and certainly never in Jerusalem, where every second alley cat is one of the great king’s spies.’ It rolled its eyes to the skies and continued quickly. ‘The object to which you refer,’ it said, ‘is never stolen because he who wears it never takes it off. And if anyone even thinks of trying anything in that regard, that same aforesaid person just twizzles the object on his finger and – pop! – his enemies end up like poor Azul, Odalis or Philocretes, to mention but three. That is why no one in their right mind dares defy King Solomon. That is why he sits so vain and untroubled upon his throne. That is why, if you wish to live to undertake these “great matters” you hint at, you will avoid loose talk and curb your curiosity.’ It drew a deep breath. ‘You’re all right with me , Priestess Cyrine from Himyar, for I despise those who hold me captive, and will never alert them even if something – or someone ’ – here it looked at her directly, and raised its eyebrows again – ‘arouses my deep suspicions. But I am afraid you will find that others do not share my fine moral character.’ It pointed to the north. ‘Particularly that lot ,’ it said. ‘And, needless to say, you’ll find the human is the worst of all.’
    Asmira looked where Bartimaeus pointed. A group of distant flecks was fast approaching, dark against the evening sky.

18
    P erhaps, if the djinni had not alerted her, Asmira might first have taken the objects in the sky for a flock of birds. If so, her error would not have lasted long. To begin with they were nothing but black dots – seven of them, one slightly larger than the rest – flying in close formation high above the desert hills. But then those dots grew rapidly, and soon she saw the wisps of coloured light that danced along their rushing surfaces, and the heat haze that shivered in their slipstream.
    In moments they had dropped to begin the descent towards the gorge, and now she perceived that the fleeting wisps of colour were darts of flame that made each object flash golden in the dying light – all save the largest and most central, which remained coal-black. Closer still they came; now Asmira caught the movement of their wings and heard the distant thrumming noise they made, a sound which quickly swelled to fill her ears. Once, as a little child, she had watched from the palace roof a locust plague descend upon the water meadows below the walls of Marib. The roaring that she heard now was like that distant insect storm, and brought similar apprehension.
    The formation dropped below the level of the cliffs and came towards her, following the road. It moved at great speed; with its passing, clouds of sand were sucked into the air, curling out against the hillsides, filling the gorge behind. And now Asmira could see that six of the seven objects were demons, winged, but in human shapes. The seventh was a carpet carried by yet another demon; sitting on this carpet was a man.
    Asmira stared at him, at his entourage, at the