Part 60 (1/2)
She closed it. Opened it. Closed it again. ”What are you doing here?” she demanded at last.
DARKNESS. CONDEMNED SOULS. I GET AROUND.
”Obviously.”
I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T.
Claire snorted. Only a rookie would fall for that.
IT'S ABOUT YOUR LITTLE SISTER.
Her toes were at the edge of the shadow before she was even aware of moving. ”You stay away from my sister!”
OH, I'M SO SCARED. MAKE ME.
About to reach into the possibilities, Osiris' voice snapped her back into reason. ”You two know each other?”
”We've met.” Walking carefully, deliberately, back to Lance's side, Claire turned on one bare heel and glared at the shadow. ”Last couple of times it happened, I kicked metaphorical a.s.s.”
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, THIRD TIME LUCKY.
”Really? You know what else they say?” She folded the fingers of her right hand into an ”L” and tapped it against her forehead. ”Loser. Loser. Loser.”
”Keeper!” The Lord of Judgment's voice had picked a tone somewhere between Darth Vader and her mother. ”Stop taunting the Eater of the Dead.”
”Sorry.”
YOU WILL BE.
”And that's enough out of you as well.” Osiris stepped down off the throne, his size changing from gigantic to merely tall. ”Anubis, bring out the scales.”
Claire didn't exactly catch where Anubis brought the scales out from. It appeared between one heartbeat and the next, the onyx center post exactly as tall as Osiris, the onyx arms, the same measure. Shallow golden bowls hung at the end of golden chains.
”Thou turnest thy face upon Amentet and thou makest the earth to s.h.i.+ne as with refined copper.”
”Lance, what are you doing?”
He lifted his eyes from the small screen. ”Sucking up!”
This had to be the most sensible thing he'd said since the beach. ”Carry on.”
”Those who have lain down, rise up to see thee, they breathe the air and they look upon girls, girls, girls. You wanna see girls? We got the best at . Wait a minute, that last bit's something else I downloaded!”
”I guessed.”
”How'd it get into this file?”
”Shut up, Lance.”
”But I have more!”