“Hang on,” I said. “Shoe?”
“S-h-u,” she said. “The god of the wind.”
“Oh.” I wished these gods had names that weren’t common household objects. “Go on, please.”
“Ra ordered my father, Shu, to keep us apart, forever. I am exiled to the sky, while my beloved Geb cannot leave the ground.”
“What happens if you try?”
Nut closed her eyes and spread her hands. A hole opened where she was sitting, and she fell through the air. Instantly, the clouds below us flickered with lightning. Winds raged across the flat, throwing books off the shelves, ripping away paintings and flinging them into the void. My teacup leaped out of my hand. I grabbed the sofa to avoid getting blown away myself.
Below me, lightning struck Nut’s form. The wind pushed her violently upward, shooting past me. Then the winds died. Nut settled back onto the couch. She waved her hand and the flat repaired itself. Everything returned to normal.
“That happens,” she said sadly.
“Oh.”
She gazed at the city lights far below. “It has given me appreciation for my children, even Set. He has done horrible things, yes. It is his nature. But he is still my son, and still one of the gods. He acts his part. Perhaps the way to defeat him is not the way you would imagine.”
“Hints, please?”
“Seek out Thoth. He has found a new home in Memphis.”
“Memphis...Egypt?”
Nut smiled. “Memphis, Tennessee. Although the old bird probably thinks it is Egypt. He so rarely takes his beak out of his books, I doubt he would know the difference. You will find him there. He can advise you. Be wary, though: Thoth often asks for favors. He is sometimes hard to predict.”
“Getting used to that,” I said. “How are we supposed to get there?”
“I am goddess of the sky. I can guarantee you safe travel as far as Memphis.” She waved her hand, and a folder appeared in my lap. Inside were three plane tickets—Washington to Memphis, first-class.
I raised my eyebrow. “I suppose you get a lot of frequent flyer miles?”
“Something like that,” Nut agreed. “But as you get closer to Set, you will be beyond my help. And I cannot protect you on the ground. Which reminds me: You need to wake up soon. Set’s minion is closing in on your hideout.”
I sat up straight. “How soon?”
“Minutes.”
“Send my spirit back, then!” I pinched my ghostly arm, which hurt just like it would on my normal arm, but nothing happened.
“Soon, Sadie,” Nut promised. “But two more things you must know. I had five children during the Demon Days. If your father released all of them, you should consider: Where is the fifth?”
I racked my brain trying to remember the names of all of Nut’s five children. Bit difficult without my brother, the Human Wikipedia, around to keep track of such trivia for me. There was Osiris, the king, and Isis, his queen; Set, the evil god, and Horus, the avenger. But the fifth child of Nut, the one Carter said he could never remember...Then I recalled my vision in the Hall of Ages—Osiris’s birthday and the woman in blue who’d helped Isis escape Set. “You mean Nephthys, Set’s wife?”
“Consider it,” Nut said again. “And lastly...a favor.”
She opened her hand and produced an envelope sealed with red wax. “If you see Geb...will you give him this?”
I’d been asked to pass notes before, but never between gods. Honestly, Nut’s anguished expression was no different than those of my love-struck friends back at school. I wondered if she’d ever written on her notebook: geb + nut = true love or mrs. geb.
“Least I can do,” I promised. “Now, about sending me back...”
“Safe travels, Sadie,” the goddess said. “And Isis, restrain yourself.”
The spirit of Isis rumbled inside me, as if I’d eaten a bad curry.
“Wait,” I said, “what do you mean restrain—”