“Because I don’t understand all the ramifications of the things Kawab told me. He isn’t—wasn’t—a mage himself, so he doesn’t even know the ramifications. It’s lore that he learned and memorized and then intended to pass on. To other disciples of the order, but they were being persecuted at the time, so there were no others. They had been killed or had fled or had obeyed when Kawab commanded them to go into hiding. There was no one left to teach.”

“Only you,” said Anonoei. “But you were enough.”

“For sixteen hundred years or so,” said Wad. “Until now.”

“And now?”

“Set is surely still alive somewhere. Waiting for a chance to get control of Danny North.”

“If he can,” said Anonoei.

“Danny is a strong-willed boy,” said Wad. “Stronger than me. So maybe he can resist. As long as he doesn’t do something stupid, like inviting Set in.”

“What form could such an invitation take?” asked Anonoei.

Now that his memory had been awakened, Wad could think back to the lore of possession that, as a gatemage, he had been required to learn. “Words, of course. Calling the Belmage by name, if they have names—maybe the name didn’t matter, just the fact of calling.”

“And no other way?”

“A Belmage could jump from one person to another if they had some kind of physical intercourse.”

“Sex.”

“Or a deep kiss. Or a common flow of blood—two wounds pressed together. There were some people so weak-willed that a Belmage could jump between them with only a steady gaze connecting them. But few Mithermages are so weak as that.”

“That’s how it is with me,” said Anonoei. “A weak person, my voice alone is enough. A little stronger, and I have to have them in gaze before I can send my outself into them and turn them to my will. If I’m going to ride them like a heartbeast—well, before passing through the Great Gate, I didn’t have the power to do that. And even now, I can’t do it without consent. Without … the kiss.”

Wad understood the hesitation. It wasn’t kissing she had used. She had doubtless slept with several of her toadies in order to be able to ride them as heartbeasts.

“So you’re saying that they are like manmages,” said Wad.

“Or manmages are like … Sutahites?”

“Like Set. Like the devil and his angels. Yes. Like that.”

“No wonder everybody fears and hates us,” said Anonoei.

“Including me,” said Wad. “Not hate, but fear. I always wonder if you’ve used your magery on me.”

“Not deliberately,” said Anonoei. “I’ve never sent anything into you. But I do this by reflex. I’m sure that I’ve probably had some influence I wasn’t even aware of. But never enough to control you. Your choices have been your own.”