How It All Goes Down
Zia Sets a Rendezvous
- Carter complains about how Sadie got to tell an interesting part of the story about the Land of the Dead, and he's stuck narrating Interstate 10 through Texas.
- Basically, it was a long and boring drive. Sadie, Carter, and Bast left New Orleans in a borrowed van, having decided (after Carter's vision) that airplanes might not be a good idea, since Set loves storms.
- However, the House of Life magicians are also after them. The more Carter thinks about Desjardins, the more he's confused: sure, the dude is angry and arrogant, making him a good host for Set, but he also saved all those people on the plane, which doesn't seem like typical behavior for someone hosting a god of chaos and destruction.
- Bast and Khufu take turns driving while Sadie and Carter rest. Yes, baboons can drive, apparently.
- Bast is upset because she abandoned Sadie and Carter in the Land of the Dead, thus breaking the promise she'd made to their father to protect them.
- This is a big deal, since Carter and Sadie are the most powerful magical children born in centuries. According to Bast, they're the best candidates to reconcile the House of Life and the gods before stuff gets crazy and Set destroys the world.
- About that: Bast has a plan. But it's dangerous. Duh.
- Carter heads to the back porch of the RV to practice with his sword. Horus starts coaching him with swordplay. It's pretty cool to have a warrior god giving you fighting tips.
- Horus warns Carter that in addition to the incoming fight with Set, another challenge approaches. Carter already kind of knew this, based on his last ba vision: something will go down at a river. Suddenly, a vision of Zia appears. She doesn't have much time to talk, but she wants to tell Carter that the magicians are after them and that they know to go to Phoenix.
- Carter first thinks that the magicians are also coming to fight Set, but Zia corrects him: they're coming to stop Carter and Sadie, because they're worried about them becoming too powerful.
- Zia has something important to tell Carter, but it has to be said in person. She suggests a rendezvous in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She begins to warn Carter about Amos.
- Zia's image vanishes, leaving Carter alone.