Resting his plate on his lap, Danielson slipped the thong and ankh amulet from around his neck. He tossed it to Dean, who caught it one-handed, eyeing it skeptically. “What good will this do me?”
Danielson began to eat again. “Mebbe none, mebbe all the good in the world. Never can tell. Now, eat up. I know it tastes like parboiled shit, but if you’re determined to walk into the lion’s den, you’ll need every ounce of your strength.”
JAK SETTLED into his twilight world without too much difficulty or too many questions. Everything was comfortably blurred, all hard edges softened and blunted. It smelled sweet and tasted like honey, though sometimes there was a sharp bitterness at the back of his palate. During these times, one part of his mind would occasionally come alive with fleeting, alarmed thoughts. But then Kela would offer him food or drink or herself, and the thoughts would be muddled and warmed by pleasure.
He had been told to always remain inside the small house and never to venture outside. He was never left alone except when he slept, which seemed to be often. When he mentioned this curious lethargy to Kela, she maintained sweetly it was all part of the healing process.
However, it seemed a little strange that his sexual energy wasn’t adversely affected. In fact, it seemed enhanced. When he was awake, it was as if he were swimming under dreamy water. All he really remembered was lying atop Kela, thrusting into her, or she was atop him, thrusting down herself. The girl was smooth and warm and avid, and he loved her, really loved her. He thought.
Nefron appeared very infrequently, usually— though he could never be sure—at night. He looked upon her hungrily whenever she arrived. He loved her, really loved her, too. She would smile at him fondly, murmur to him, stroke his head. Desire rose in him like a column of fire. After she had departed, Kela would douse the fire with a fierce heat of her own.
The twilight routine seemed to go on for days, for weeks, but he was distantly aware that his sense of time was distorted.
One time when he awoke from a slumber, he realized with a start that he hadn’t asked about Ryan, J.B., Krysty, Doc or Mildred for what felt like a very long time.
Naked, he arose from the pallet, guiltily forcing himself to remember their faces, straining his memory to count how many days and nights had passed. He couldn’t. As far as he knew, as little as two days or as many as two months had passed since he had put himself in the care of Kela and Nefron.
He checked to make sure his weapons were where they were supposed to be. He clicked through the cylinder of the Colt Python, testing the smoothness of the action. He heard the soft scuff of feet behind him and caught a whiff of a familiar perfume. He didn’t turn.
“You should have let me know you were awake,” Nefron said softly.
“Where Kela?”
“Out to get food. She’ll be back soon.”
Jak didn’t want to look at her. He found himself actually a little afraid to look at her. Already his body was responding to her presence. “When I leave?”
She laughed musically. “Growing bored with us, Jak?”
Sullenly, Jak demanded again, “When going?”
A note of anger entered Nefron’s voice. “Why are you so anxious all of a sudden?”
He didn’t respond to the question. Stubbornly, he said, “Need to see friends. Need to get out. Need talk to Ryan.”
“It is impossible. He is in the men’s workers barracks. I cannot get in there unnoticed.”
Putting down his blaster, Jak massaged his eyes with the heels of his slightly trembling hands. “Need to get out,” he said hoarsely.
“Every one of your friends is fine,” Nefron said comfortingly. “Thanks to me. You must trust me.”
“What about Krysty?” Jak asked.
“She is in high favor with Pharaoh.”
Jak frowned, saying uneasily, “Tricking him until we escape.”
“She is charmed by him, as well.”
“No way. Not believe.”
Sadly, Nefron replied, “You must come to terms with the possibility that your friend Krysty might not be able to help herself. Pharaoh possesses powers beyond your comprehension. It is a crafty, subtle power. He can enter a mind and deftly change what he finds there, and the victim of the tampering may never know what has happened until it is too late.”