Rebecca stood on the sidelines, watching the various couples sweep across the floor. Part of her could not believe that she was actually attending a ball in Egypt. With the Vizier, no less, the Pharaoh’s second-in-command. Even if the Pharaoh himself was not here, it would be a night to remember. It was all so overwhelming. And despite that, all Rebecca really wanted was to dance with Simonetta. It was a ridiculous thought, to dance with another woman. It would not be proper.

As it was, she could only watch as Simonetta herself seemed to be having fun as she swept around with a young soldier from the Chariotry, if Rebecca saw his uniform right. I mustn’t be jealous, she told herself. It was petty. Besides, who would not want to dance with Simonetta. She wore one of the most beautiful gowns Rebecca had ever seen. A loan from Pafnuty’s household, or so she guessed.

“You seem disappointed.” Rebecca turned around to see a woman in her late twenties or so wearing a brightly patterned kalasiris standing next to her. “Surely one of these young men would have asked you for a dance.”

“I’m sitting this one out, as they say,” Rebecca said.

“I see,” the woman said, sliding over next to Rebecca, as they both watched Simonetta. “You don’t care for dancing with the fellows.”

“It’s not that…” Rebecca started.

“I understand. Completely,” the woman said as she gave Rebecca a little tap on the backside. Then she laughed to herself. “Rebecca, isn’t it?”

“Rebecca…” She started to give her full name, but then remembered Simonetta’s warning about the power of names. “Yes, I’m Professor Wallis’ niece. Who are you?”

“Nadjmit,” the woman said.

“And you—?”

“Shh,” Nadjmit said, pressing her finger to Rebecca’s lips. “Not here.” With that Nadjmit turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Rebecca wondering what had just happened and feeling more than a little aroused.

“Rebecca?” She jumped to find Mr. Crocodile standing next to her. “Are you all right?”

“I just met a strange woman,” Rebecca said. She shook her head to push out the thoughts of Nadjmit. “May I help you, Mr. Crocodile?”

“I was just going to ask for a dance.”

“Well, I…” Rebecca started.

“I rather enjoy dancing and I don’t get much of chance in the temple of Sabik. And my other option is speaking to members of the Egyptian Language Academy who debate if a word should be pronounced as in the classical language, or with the modern pronunciation. Please, just one waltz.” He pointed to his left. “Unless you want to look like Hawk Ramsey and Torinre Mowi over there.”

“Oh dear…” Rebecca saw Hawk and Tori standing off to the side about twenty feet apart. Hawk wore the plaid kilt of a Scotsman and a formal jacket. The Ladies of Flame had commanded attention in their crimson dresses from the moment they walked in, but Tori also wore the golden sash and lion headdress of a priestess. Rebecca could not help but stare at her. Despite their finery, both of them looked like they would rather be anywhere than here. She smiled at Mr. Crocodile. “A waltz then,” Rebecca said as Mr. Crocodile took her by the hand and led her out to the floor. “I must say I don’t know too many priests who dance.”

Mr. Crocodile chuckled. “You haven’t been in Egypt long enough.” Rebecca was impressed with the way he spun her around the floor.

“Mr. Crocodile…” Rebecca started. It felt weird to say that name. “May I ask you something I don’t understand about Egyptian culture.”

“Of course.”

“What is hika? All our lessons in school in England failed explained it.”

Mr. Crocodile smiled. “No, I suppose they would not.”

“Hawk and Simonetta never really explained it to me,” she asked. “Is it forbidden?”

Mr. Crocodile stroked his chin. “No. But I see how Christians would not agree with it. Or Muslims for that matter.”

Rebecca found her curiosity getting the better of her. “What is it? It’s magic, right?”

Mr. Crocodile shrugged. “Hika is the activation of the ka.”

“The soul,” Rebecca said.

“The Egyptian soul is not a unified entity like a Christian soul,” Mr. Crocodile said. “The ka is the animating principle. Having a ka or not is the difference between being alive or dead. Everything has a ka, gods, humans, animals, trees, rocks, and so on. By activating the ka, its power can be used to effect changes upon the world.”

“By acting on the ka’s of everything else,” Rebecca said.

“That’s one way to think of it,” Mr. Crocodile said. “The power of the activated ka interacts with other principles that are rather arcane to go into now.”

“Is that why they say someone’s hika is stronger than another.”

“The ka of the gods is much more powerful than the ka of mortals and so on,” he said. “Individuals are all different, and some may have stronger hika than others.”

“How shall I know if my hika is strong?” Rebecca asked.

“That is something you’ll have to learn on your own. Hika is a skill like any other. It can be inborn and improved with practice…” About then the music stopped. “Thank you, my dear Miss Birch. You dance divinely,” Mr. Crocodile said, as he led her back to the edge of the floor.

“You dance wonderfully for a priest,” Rebecca said with a curtsey.