Authors Note: OK, first, can I say a huge apology to silver-wolf-demon-girl for this being about two months too late. Uni, life and lack of being able to write got in the way. I hope you like it.

I don't think this is quite as good as my other fic, I think Bart's slightly less funny, but I still think it's decent. Please Read and review :)

Chapter 1

It wasn't a bad outcome all things considered. There'd been an unfortunate mishap when some soldiers had decided to follow us but the run down sandy street where we were currently residing was now deserted*, giving a clear path to our objective i.e. the burial chamber right ahead of us. There was just one problem with this otherwise not-that-bad situation.

(* Mostly due to the aforementioned soldiers being dead at my feet.)

"That was a little violent for you, Bartimaeus," said Faquarl from behind me.

Unfortunately, I'd been lumbered with a companion. Not for the first time either, for the last near enough a century we'd been dragged together in various life threatening situations by various uncouth masters. It was amazing we hadn't killed each other yet*.

(* Especially since we'd been trying to bunk each other off at every nearest opportunity.)

We'd been forced into servitude to our current master for about twenty odd years now; a Roman magician, hook nosed and hunchbacked, he had all the beauty and grace of a landlocked trout*. The mission he'd sent us on was the usual sort, steal artefact of immense power and bring it back to him etc, nothing exciting. Except that it was the first time I'd been in Egypt since the hundred and sixty two years since Ptolemy's death, we weren't even that far from Alexandria.

(* Then again, the same could be said for Faquarl.)

The fat Nubian moved to stand beside me, apparently to assess the damage I'd wrought.

"Bit overzealous weren't you? You didn't even give them a chance to scream."

I shrugged, scanning the Sumerians handsome eyes over the lifeless broken forms of the Egyptian soldiers that scattered the narrow, and now blood spattered, street. "Like you'd have done any different. Besides, the sooner we get this over with the better, right?"

"Still, you're not normally this, bloodthirsty, shall we say. And you could've had the common courtesy to leave one for me."

He was right, annoyingly, it was a bit too much carnage for my usual refined and dignified tastes. Still, you try spending over a decade with Faquarl, see how you fare? Even with my famed patience, his constant sarcasm and boasting would grate on anyone.

"What? Can't I enjoy a bit of wanton destruction? Besides, It's not as if you'd have been any cleaner about it*" I replied making my way towards the mud brick building in front of us, side stepping the puddles of blood.

(* In fact, If they'd ambushed Faquarl there wouldn't have been any bodies, the place would've been scattered with body parts and rather more blood. Probably with a few parts suspiciously missing and him looking a little more pot-bellied even than usual.)

"What's the matter Bartimaeus, you seem a bit out of sorts?"

"The companies just been grating on me for a while, that's all."

"Oh come off it, you've been like this since we were first summoned. You've been even more insufferable than usual and that's saying something; constantly in a bad mood, snapping at everything. You've basically been acting like a natterjack impling for the last 100 years. Frankly, it's even started to get on my nerves." He deniged to follow me to the entrance of the place.

"Really, Faquarl...?" I replied scathingly, examining the wood of the door for any hexes. This place was meant to be cursed and me, in my infinite wisdom, wasn't one to take chances.

Finding nothing that was going to kill us* I kicked it in. It splintered inwards sending shards of wood careering into the darkness beyond. I stepped inside and threw up a few wisp lights to light the place.

(* Not right now anyway. I wouldn't bet on the same outcome once we got in there.)

"...I didn't think you cared?" I finished.

It was a shoddy place, no decoration, the walls weren't even straight. Faquarl could've done a better job. Wrapped bodies lined the walls, shoved into alcoves without the usual adornments or precious items. The whole place was strange in itself though, Egyptians weren't buried in mass graves. It made me half wonder what these people had done.

Then I remembered I didn't care. Well, it was none of our business, all we were looking for was what had been hidden here.

Faquarl had moved past me to go through the archway at the end of the hall. I looked around the room, occasionally pulling bodies out of their resting places to be dumped unceremoniously on the floor. Nothing. There were a couple of old broken pots and other things shoved in there with them but that was it, nothing magical at all. I glanced at the plaques, crudely made and etched, the names of occupants could barely be made out. I moved on.

The next room was no better, just more scattered corpses tucked into holes. My erstwhile companion had moved on long ago to be lost to the rooms further ahead. Thankfully*.

(* With any luck he'd miss a trap and get himself killed for me.)

I spoke too soon.

"Still taking a gander at the dead Bartimaeus? There's nothing there, you only have to look on the seventh plane. It's about as much use as those wisp lights you've thrown up. Honestly, it's like you want people to know we're here." A voice called from what sounded like a couple of rooms ahead of me.

My mood deteriorated dramatically. Not that it wasn't bad in the first place, Faquarl was right grudgingly, my personality hadn't been quite as cheery and upbeat as my usual wont but I wasn't about to tell the djinni who I'd willingly leave to die an undignified death under the backside of an elephant the reason I was in such a fowl temper. Not a chance. I'd never hear the end of it.

"Just being cautious Faquarl. you know, it's better than being dead."

I carried on rummaging around for a bit. Not because I thought there was anything to find* but because it would annoy the spirit in the other room.

(* To be honest, I had as much chance of finding something useful among these mass of bones as I had of finding Nefertiti's anklet in Viking England.)

Then something caught my eye. An alcove near the floor on my right contained a mummy that didn't seem to match the others. It looked newer, dusty and yellowing like the rest, but I'd been around long enough for my keen eyes to make out the slight differences.

Because I was stalling for time and throwing ancient dead guys around the place was getting tiresome* I decided to investigate. I walked over to it, crouched on the dirt floor and slid the thing out of its hiding place to lie on the ground at my feet. It was small, a child maybe (though it probably could've just as easily been an old man), slight with it, with narrow shoulders and a slim frame. Not that old, I guessed a little over a hundred years*. I'd guess the rest were around two thousand. I wondered what the kid had done to be buried with this unsavoury lot...

(* Something so mundane could only keep a spirit of my intellect and rigor entertained for so long.)

(* Which I guess would've been old for you lot, but I'm an ancient djinni of renowned talent and prestige, a hundred years is nothing to me.)

...Ice went through me.

"Bartimaeus, I think I've found it. I don't think our masters going to be too pleased, though." It was Faquarls voice*, irritated and sulky. When I didn't respond he carried on, his grating voice getting progressively louder* as he made his way back to me.

(* As if it would've been anyone else's.)

(* And it had been hard to stomach at a distance.)

"While you've been skulking around back here, as usual, I've searched every room thoroughly. This is all I've managed to find."

He held up what looked like a bronze plate from the archway, it had symbols etched onto it, now well worn away. I barely gave it a glance before turning back to the child I was crouched at the head of.

Faquarl carried on unnoticing, leaning against the brickwork casually. "It's the only thing in here with any sort of magic in it what-so-ever, and it matches the description we were given. I don't think 'renowned object of fearsome power' does it justice though 'Quaint trinket that couldn't maim an injured insect' is more like it. Our masters not going to be best pleased."

I said nothing, just continued staring at the wrapped face, hands clenched into fists by my sides.

"Are you actually being quiet for once?" He noticed the corpse at my feet. "Looks new that one, probably put in here to hide it. Let's face it this is the last place anyone sane would look for anything. Murder most likely." He noticed my expression. "Old master was he?"

"Something like that." I said in a clipped voice.

"Well, whatever he did to anger you so much you'd better put it behind you, we need to go face the wrath of our current master and it's better to get the inevitable over with sooner rather than later."

I spoke then. "No."

"No? Weren't you the one that said..?"

"I need to go do something." I said tonelessly. And with that I stood moved round the body and then bent and picked it up. It didn't give, it stayed stiff and straight, I could've hefted the thing under my arm like it was a plank of wood, but I didn't.

To be honest, I wasn't even sure why I was doing this. It was a body, a corpse, it was about as much Ptolemy as I was. And he didn't deserve it. But he didn't deserve to be left here either, he was better than this.

Faquarl was looking at me blankly. "What are you going to do...?"

But I was through the door at that point, back onto the deserted and decrepit street beyond. There I turned into the glorious roc, all gold and red feathers, the epitome of avian grace and beauty. I picked the boy up carefully in my talons and soared away into the sky.

I heard Faquarl call out in stunned confusion*. I half hoped he wouldn't follow me. No such luck, I heard the beating of wings behind me and turned to see an eagle with all the grace and poise of a flying outhouse in clumsy pursuit.

(* Ok, maybe I was a little pleased at this, that I'd made Faquarl totally lose control of the situation. What can I say.)

I made my way over deserts and cities, old and new. It would've been quite nostalgic had not the dulcet tones of my pursuer been carrying on the wind telling me to stop in terms I certainly won't get into right now, there might be children looking at this*.

(* Then again, any children reading this have probably read and done worse knowing you lot.)

So I sailed on the wind, expertly blocking out the noise that was Faquarl for the most part and looking round with my expert eyes for a suitable destination. About two hours later one came into view.