You’re going.”
Mal laughed. They didn’t get to choose their place
in Sutekh’s hierarchy, or their roles. The job of liaison
was his whether he wanted it or not. And that was definitely anot.But passing it off to Dagan really wasn’t
an option, no matter how appealing the thought.
“Thanks for the offer, Dae.” He made a shooing
motion. “But you can run along now, like a good lad.”
“Running along’s a fine plan, Mal.” Dagan mimicked Mal in both tone and action. “Yoube a good lad.
I’ll face Osiris.”
“You will be judged,” whispered the sentry to their
left.
“Dandy,” Dagan muttered.
Mal clenched his jaw, then he used the only argument that might sway big brother, withmightbeing the
key concept. “When Sutekh gives an order, he expects
it to be obeyed.”
Not that Mal had even the slightest desire to take on
the task of intermediary. He was no good little soldier.
In fact, he had a bit of a problem with authority. But
he had his reasons for wanting to obey this particular
command: If he stepped up to the plate and took the
job parleying with Osiris and the others, then his
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SINS OF THE HEART
brothers would be spared. An important consideration,
but he had another reason, one he wasn’t about to blurt
in front of an endless procession of Osiris’s sentries.
He wanted to face Osiris, question him, find out what
he knew. Because he didn’t buy the platitudes Osiris had
sent to each of them when Lokan died, the messages
identical, written on papyrus with shiny gold leaf.So
