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"Working fine" I turned back to Walt "How are you feeling?"

For some reason, his whole body tensed He looked atto corner hi room incident The three-headed snake What did you think I ht…sorry, just a weirdDid Amos have an explanation?"

I wondered what I’d said to upset him, but I decided to let it pass I filled him in on my conversation with Aood listener But he still see, he stepped over to the railing where Khufu was perched "Apophis let that thing loose in the house? If we hadn’t stopped it--"

"Amos thinks the serpent didn’t have e and scare us"

Walt shook his head in disuess It knows Felix throws a mean shoe"

I couldn’t help but s of That gray light you blasted the snake with…and the way you handled the shabti practice du it to dust--"

"How did I do it?" Walt shrugged helplessly "Honest, Carter, I don’t know I’ve been thinking about it ever since, and…it was just instinctive At first I thought maybe the shabti had some kind of self-destruct spell built into it, and I accidentally triggered it Soic items--cause them to activate or shut down"

"But that wouldn’t explain how you did it again with the serpent"

"No," he agreed He seemed even roos, and Walt didn’t even try to stop hi to push his to dust--it wouldn’t have anything to do with…you knohatever you were telling Jaz?"

There it was again: that caged-animal look

"I know," I said quickly, "it’s none ofupset lately If there’s anything I can do…"

He stared down at the river He looked so depressed, Khufu grunted and patted him on the shoulder

"Sometimes I wonder why I ca?" I asked "You’re great at ot a future here"

He pulled so out of his pocket--one of the dried-up scarabs fro…it’s like a bad joke Things are complicated for ot the feeling he was talking about more than our four-day deadline to save the world

"Look, if there’s a proble about the way Sadie and I are teaching--"

"Of course not You’ve been great And Sadie--"

"She likes you a lot," I said "I know she can co If you want her to back off…"

[Okay, Sadie Maybe I shouldn’t have said that But you aren’t exactly subtle when you like souy uncohed "No, it’s nothing about Sadie I like her, too I’h!" Khufu barked so loudly, it s I turned and realized that he was snarling at the scrying bowl

The scene was still Gran and Gra roo rong The lights and TV were off The sofa had been tipped over

I got a metallic taste in e until I could see the front door It had been s?" Walt came up next to me "What is it?"

"Sadie…" I focused allher I knew her so well that I could usually locate her instantly, but this time the oil turned black A sharp pain stabbed behind my eyes, and the surface of the oil erupted in flaet burned Khufu barked in alar it hurtling toward the East River

"What happened?" Walt asked "I’ve never seen a bowl do--"

"Portal to London" I coughed,with burned olive oil "Nearest one Now!"

Walt seemed to understand His expression hardened with resolve "Our portal’s still on cool-down We’ll need to go back to the Brooklyn Museuriffin," I said

"Yeah I’ too"

I turned to Khufu "Go tell A Sadie’s in trouble No tiht over the side of the balcony--taking the express elevator down

Walt and I bolted fro up the stairs to the roof

7 A Gift fro-headed Boy