Gary Gygax - Dangerous Journeys 1 - Anubis Murders Read Online Free PDF

lordship," he hastened to add. Seeing no anger in the coppery face of the Egyptian, Carlos continued. "Men with such looks—strangers, hollow-eyed spell-workers, surely—are never intent on doing good! Why else would they consult with a witch? Is there a feud which you are involved in? A vendetta, perhaps? You must save yourself and we who are here to serve you—perhaps leaving now would be best. . . ."
    Managing to change the derisive laugh to a discrete clearing of his throat, Setne looked the frightened Iberian squarely in the face. "Most unlikely, Carlos, most unlikely indeed. Contrary to that, I believe we will prepare a little reception for these three gaunt men you say are coming." Carlos started to protest. Inhetep silenced him with a look. "See that the rest of the household is alerted. Have ices, cold tea, hot coffee, and some sweet cakes ready. Place chairs in the veranda, three facing west, two opposite them. Hurry!" The servant started to run off. "Wait! Tell the Lady Rachelle to attend me instantly. I'll be there in a few minutes."
    "It is done," Carlos fairly panted, looking confident and worried all at once. At that Inhetep did actually laugh.
    "At last! Something to break the monotony," he said to no one. Then, whistling tunelessly under his breath, the wizard-priest went into the nearby villa, long-legged strides covering the distance faster than had Carlos' running. "Let's see what death has in store!"
    — 3 —
    ANUBIS, SON OF SET?
    Despite the warmth of the noonday sun, the men wrapped themselves in hooded cloaks of dark blue wool. Only their faces were visible, pale ovals shadowed by the deep cowls of their garments. The three seemed to glide along the dusty track between the groves. The rutted road led only to the villa on the shore of the Mare Librum.
    If they saw the peasants who served the villa fleeing through the trees, the indigo-clad men showed no sign of it. When they reached the door of the residence, the central figure nodded, and the planks of the door gave forth a sonorous noise, as if someone had rapped on them with a billet of wood.
    Rachelle opened the portal. "Salutations, wayfarers," she said to the three strangely garbed men. She spoke in the language known as Trade Phonecian, the lingua franca of Yarth. "Is there something you wish?"
    "We seek an Egyptian, a priest and magus of
    some renown. His name is Inhetep. He is here." The middle figure of the group spoke, and the last sentence was not a question but a statement of fact. There was neither deference nor challenge in his tone—no respect, no threat. "Now we will enter," he said firmly. His Trade Phone-cian was heavily accented.
    "Perhaps," Rachelle responded, without moving from her position squarely in the entryway. "Please be so kind as to throw back your cowls first. I must also know your names in order to properly announce you. Only then will I give you three permission to come in."
    It seemed as if the central figure was about to voice some protest, but the man on his left made a slight bow and tugged back his hood, and so did the man on the right. Pulling back his own cowl, the middle stranger said, "I am Aldriss."
    Rachelle looked at the man on the right. "You are . .. ?"
    "Tallesian," he said in a harsh voice.
    "And . . . ?"
    The other man gave a small smile as if sharing some secret with the girl. "You may call me the Behon."
    For a few heartbeats Rachelle stood unmoving, head cocked to one side, eyes fixed on the three men. They were lean and pinch-faced. They were indeed men as gaunt as death. "Follow me, and I will announce your presence to Magister Inhetep."
    She led them through the villa and back outside to the place Setne had chosen. The sun wasn't quite at its zenith, and its rays streamed over the wizard-priest's shoulders where he sat quietly awaiting the visitors. Rachelle announced each of them; Inhetep said nothing in reply, so the girl led them to the three chairs opposite the Egyptian. Then she seated