“Oh, dear…” Gran fainted.
Bes jumped up and caught her before she could topple into the river. The dwarf’s face went back to normal—well, normally ugly, at least—as he eased Gran onto the pavement next to Gramps.
“Thank you,” I told Bes. “Now, will you please put on some clothes?”
He gave me a toothy grin, which I could have lived without. “You’re all right, Sadie Kane. I see why Bast likes you.”
“Sadie?” my grandfather groaned, his eyelids fluttering open.
“I’m here, Gramps.” I stroked his forehead. “How do you feel?”
“Strange craving for mangoes.” He went cross-eyed. “And possibly insects. You…you saved us?”
“Not really,” I admitted. “My friend here—”
“Certainly she saved you,” Bes said. “Brave girl you have here. Quite a magician.”
Gramps focused on Bes and scowled. “Bloody Egyptian gods in their bloody revealing swimwear. This is why we don’t do magic.”
I sighed with relief. Once Gramps started complaining, I knew he was going to be all right. Gran was still passed out, but her breathing seemed steady. The color was coming back into her cheeks.
“We should go,” Bes said. “The mortals are ready to storm the bridge.”
I glanced toward the barricades and saw what he meant. An assault team was gathering—heavily armored men with rifles, grenade launchers, and probably many other fun toys that could kill us.
“Liz, Emma!” I called. “Help me with my grandparents.”
My friends ran over and started to help Gramps sit up, but Bes said, “They can’t come.”
“What?” I demanded. “But you just said—”
“They’re mortals,” Bes said. “They don’t belong on your quest. If we’re going to get the second scroll from Vlad Menshikov, we need to leave now.”
“You know about that?” Then I remembered that he’d spoken with Anubis.
“Your grandparents and friends are in less danger here,” Bes said. “The police will question them, but they won’t see old people and children as a threat.”
“We’re not children,” Emma grumbled.
“Vultures…” Gran whispered in her sleep. “Meatpies…”
Gramps coughed. “The dwarf is right, Sadie. Go. I’ll be tiptop in a moment, though it’s a pity that baboon chap couldn’t leave me some of his power. Haven’t felt that strong in ages.”
I looked at my bedraggled grandparents and friends. My heart felt it was being stretched in more directions than Bes’s face. I realized the dwarf was right: they’d be safer here facing an assault team than going with us. And I realized, too, that they didn’t belong on a magic quest. My grandparents had chosen long ago not to use their ancestral abilities. And my friends were just mortals—brave, mad, ridiculous, wonderful mortals. But they couldn’t go where I had to go.
“Sadie, it’s fine.” Emma adjusted her broken glasses and tried for a smile. “We can handle the police. Won’t be the first time we’ve had to do some quick talking, eh?”
“We’ll take care of your gran and gramps,” Liz promised.
“Don’t need taking care of,” Gramps complained. Then he broke down in a fit of coughing. “Just go, my dear. That baboon god was in my head. I can tell you—he means to destroy you. Finish your quest before he comes after you again. I couldn’t even stop him. I couldn’t…” He looked resentfully at his shaky old hands. “I never would’ve forgiven myself. Now, off with you!”
“I’m sorry,” I told them all. “I didn’t mean—”
“Sorry?” Emma demanded. “Sadie Kane, that was the most brilliant birthday party ever! Now, go!”
She and Liz both hugged me, and before I could start crying, Bes shepherded me into the Mercedes.
We drove north toward the Victoria Embankment. We were almost to the barricades when Bes slowed down.