“Most people call it The Book of the Dead,” he told me. “Rich Egyptians were always buried with a copy, so they could have directions through the Duat to the Land of the Dead. It’s like an Idiot’s Guide to the Afterlife.”

“A weapon, I told Horus. I need a weapon.I reached into the Duat and pulled out an ostrich feather.“Really?” I yelled.Horus didn’t answer”

“Right," she said, "We're going to the Land of the Dead and I shouldn't think negative.”

“If I'm dead," he murmured. "Why does it hurt so much?”

“But how do we even get to the land of the dead?” I asked. “I mean…without dying.”

“If you've ever tried ba travel, I wouldn't recommend it-- unless of course you fancy turning into a phantom chicken and rafting uncontrollably through the currents of the Duat.”

“Me? I slept like the dead, which I hoped wasn’t a sign of things to come.”