"Be a man about it, Heru. We've put each other into worse shape over the years." Well, perhaps not. In the end, at least once there ceased to be any chance that he would be allowed to be Egypt's protector - the two of them had pulled their punches, so subtly that only the two of them knew.

"It is a food dish. Noodles, vegetables, and spices. Not quite like our food," Set added as they disappeared from the wrecked penthouse and reappeared downtown. "But it reminds me of it, somehow. The heat of it."

He set Heru on the couch and picked up his unfinished scotch. "You will want that later, I believe."