Page 35 (1/2)

The Sphinx gave his

'Oh no,' it said 'You don't catch ot to tell me the answer'

'Oh, blow,' said Teppic

'Thought you had me there, didn't you?' said the Sphinx

'Sorry'

'You thought you could get rinned

'It orth a try,' said Teppic

'Can't blame you So what's the answer, then?'

Teppic scratched his nose

'Haven't a clue,' he said 'Unless, and this is a shot in the dark, you understand, it's: A Man'

The Sphinx glared at him

'You've been here before, haven't you?' it said accusingly

'No'

'Then soht?'

'Who could have talked? Has anyone ever guessed the riddle?' said Teppic

'No!'

'Well, then They couldn't have talked, could they?'

The Sphinx's claws scrabbled irritably on its rock

'I suppose you'd better rumbled

'Thank you,' said Teppic

'I'd be grateful if you didn't tell anyone, please,' added the Sphinx, coldly 'I wouldn't like to spoil it for other people'

Teppic scrambled up a rock and on to You Bastard

'Don't you worry about that,' he said, spurring the ca the way the Sphinx wasout

You Bastard had gone only twenty yards or so before an enraged bellow erupted behind hiot the etiquette that says a ca All four feet hit the sand and pushed

This ti irrational

It wasn't that the gods were disobeying theods always had It took great skill to persuade a Djelibeybi god to obey you, and the priests had to be fast on their toes For example, if you pushed a rock off a cliff, then a quick request to the gods that it should fall doas certain to be answered In the saods ensured that the sun set and the stars caods to see to it that palround and their leaves on top was certain to be graciously accepted On the whole, any priest who cared about such things could ensure a high rate of success

However, it was one thing for the gods to ignore you when they were far off and invisible, and quite another when they were strolling across the landscape It made you feel such a fool

'Why don't they listen?' said the high priest of Teg, the Horse-Headed god of agriculture He was in tears Teg had last been seen sitting in a field, pulling up corn and giggling

The other high priests were faring no better Rituals hallowed by time had filled the air in the palace with sweet blue sh assorted livestock to feed a fadom as if they owned it, and the people therein were no more than insects

And the croere still outside Religion had ruled in the Old Kingdom for the best part of seven thousand years Behind the eyes of every priest present was a graphic iht, for one moment, that it ruled no more

'And so, Dios,' said Koomi, 'we turn to you What would you have us do now?'

Dios sat on the steps of the throne and stared glooods didn't listen He knew that He knew that, of all people But it had never h the motions and came up with an answer It was the ritual that was iods were there to do the duties of a aphone, because who else would people listen to?

While he fought to think clearly his hands went through the uided by neural instructions as rigid and unchangeable as crystals

'You have tried everything?' he said

'Everything that you advised, O Dios,' said Koo the was here, he would intercede for us'

He caught the eye of the priestess of Sarduk He hadn't discussed things with her; indeed, as there to discuss? But he had an inkling that there was so there She didn't like Dios very much, but was less in awe of hi is dead,' said Dios

'Yes, we heard you Yet there seems to be no body, O Dios Nevertheless, we believe what you tell us, for it is the great Dios that speaks, and we pay no heed to ossip'

The priests were silent Malicious gossip, too? And somebody had alreadyamiss here

'It happened many tido went to intercede with the gods Was sent to intercede with the gods'

The edge of satisfaction in her voice made it clear that it was a one-way trip

Kooht and horror Oh, yes Those were the days Some countries had experio A few years of feasting and ruling, then chop - and make way for a new administration

'In a tih-born minister of state would suffice,' she went on

Dios looked up, his face ony of his tendons

'I see,' he said 'And ould be high priest then?'

'The gods would choose,' said Koomi

'I daresay they would,' said Dios sourly 'I am in some doubt as to the wisdoods in the netherworld,' said the priestess