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ecause I am strong。 But that is the only thing we have in mon； and before this night is over； even that will not be true。 Because you will be buried in the sand； and I will be laughing in the city as I free it of the last of your kind。〃
He was amused at that。 〃Does your blessed Suzama permit such killings？〃
〃I will tell Suzama about it after I am done。〃
〃And you think you could destroy all Setians so easily？〃
I shrugged。 〃I have had no trouble in the past。〃
He came close and his smile vanished。 〃You are a fool。 I sent mere apprentices to test your strength。 In all the time you have been in the city； you have met fewer than a handful of our secret order。 And you didn't even know them when you met them。 We seldom e out from the depths of the Great Pyramid。 Only I； Ory； the leader regularly attends to the things of this world。 But I will not share this world with another； neither you nor Suzama。 It is your choice。 You join us now； and swear a sacred oath to me； or you will not leave this place alive。〃
I laughed。 〃You keep telling me what I don't know。 I tell you that you don't know what I am。〃 I drew my sword。 〃The blood that runs in my veins is not human； but I have the strength of many humans。 Draw your sword and fight me； Ory。 Die like a soldier rather than a coward and fake priest who puts silly spells on unsuspecting souls。〃
But he did not draw his sword。 He lifted his arms upward。
A strange red light shimmered in his eyes。
His voice； as he spoke； boomed like thunder。
〃Behold the night of Set； the will of those who came before humanity。 It lives inside the stars that shine with the light of blood。 Look up and see what force you think to defy。〃
Such was the strength in his voice； that I did glance up for a moment。 To my utter astonishment the night sky had changed。 Above me were fresh constellations laid over the old ones。 They shone with brilliant red stars that seemed to pulse like stellar hearts feeding the burning blood of one huge ravenous cosmic being。 Just the sight of them filled me with nausea。 How had he managed to change the heavens？ He must be a powerful sorcerer； I thought。
I drew my sword and moved toward him to cut off his head。
But there was flash of green light。
The metal of my sword flowed like liquid onto the sand。
My hand burned； the flesh literally black。 The pain was so excruciating that I was forced to my knees。 Ory towered over me； and behind his large skull the red stars seemed to grow even brighter。 It was as if a bunch of them had clustered together and begun to move toward us。 Through the mist of my agony I saw them form a circle and begin to spin。 The very air seemed to catch fire around them。 Ory gloated over me。
〃We Setians control the elements；〃 he said。 〃That was fire； in case you didn't know。 Now I will show you the earth element。〃
He laid his big foot on my chest and kicked hard。 He was many times stronger than I； I realized too late。 Crashing down hard on my back； my arms spread out to my aides as if I were about to be crucified。 No doubt that was the effect he was searching for。 Before I could bring them back up and defend myself the red stars over his head seemed to throb again and I heard the sand crack on both sides； for a moment it seemed alive； the very ground； liquid mud shot through with veins of brains； and I watched in horror as it reached out like a thick fist and grabbed my lower arms and covered my hands。 Then the sand turned to stone and I could not move。 All this seemed to happen in a moment。 Ory withdrew his dagger and knelt beside me and held the tip close to my eyes。
〃Now you have seen a demonstration of real power；〃 he said。
I spat in his face。 〃I am not impressed。〃
He wiped away the spit and played the tip of the dagger over my eyelids。 〃You are beautiful； Sita。 You could have been mine。 But I see now it would have been impossible to dominate you。 Above all else a Setian must control those who are beneath him。〃
〃Kill me and be done with it。 I am tired of talking to you。〃
He smiled softly。 〃You will not die easily。 I know how quickly your wounds can heal； but I also know that a deep wound cannot heal around a dagger such as this； which is poisoned； and which will fit nicely somewhere in your barren womb。〃
He stabbed me then； low down in my abdomen； and the blade burned like ice frozen from the tears of a thousand previous victims。 I knew then that the stories about him and his dagger were true。 He had cut out many eyes and eaten them in front of his victims。 But he wouldn't blind me now because he wanted me to see the sun when it rose； and the millions of flies that would cover my body。 His poison was subtle； not designed to immediately kill； but to draw out my agony。
I noticed that the red stars were no longer in the sky。
Ory stood and climbed back onto his camel。
〃The earth can move as easily in the city as it can in this place；〃 he said。 〃When the sun is high in the sky； the Temple of Isis will be buried along with your precious Suzama。 You may hear the destruction even from here。 Just know that the flies that feed here are always hungry； and that it will not be long before you join her。〃
〃Ory！〃 I called as he rode off。
He paused。 〃Yes Sita？〃
〃I will see you again someday。 It is not over。〃
〃For you it is。〃 He laughed as he rode away。
The sun rose and the flies came。 Slowly my wound bled and steadily my pain increased。 It seemed as if the desert wind were fire and the sky rained darts。 The sound of the many flies sucking on my blood was enough to drive me mad。 The filthy insects polluted my soul as much as my wound。 All I had to look forward to was the midday sun； when my friend would die。 I had a feeling I would hear something。
The day wore on。 Breathing became a nightmare。 Existence itself was the greatest torture。 How I prayed to die then； for the first time ever。 How I cursed Krishna。 Where was his fabled grace now？ I had not disobeyed him。 Only he had set me up before an unstoppable foe。 There was no hope for the world； I realized。 The Setians were worse than a million vampires。 And they were spreading across the stars。
The sun reached its high point。 It was a red sun。
The interior of my skull began to boil and I heard myself scream。
Then the noise came； waves of rolling thunder。 The ground began to shake； then to dance； tearing apart at the seams。 The frozen sand that bound my arms and legs cracked； and I would have been able to stand if the entire desert had not suddenly been transformed into a torrential ocean。 What had Ory set in motion？ The elements had gone insane。 The earth believed it was water。 Beyond the Bowl of Flies I heard sand dunes pitch and break like waves upon a shore。
Then it stopped and all was silent。
Pulling out the dagger； I brushed off the flies and crawled out of the bowl。 When I reached the upper rim； I stared at a desert I did not recognize。
It was entirely flat。
Slowly； for me； my wound healed。
Somehow I managed to stagger back to the city。 Ory's poison was still in my veins but maybe it had lost some of its potency。 When the city finally