eluded her easily and merged into the cramped halls leading to the parlors, wriggling through clusters of guests and boys, realizing that he should have gone the other way, down to the laundry, where at least he might hide until the anniversary was over, even at the risk of never leaving it again.
Instead he emerged in the foyer before the parlors and ran right into Bogrevil, who was escorting someone from the main stairs. “Well, well, escaped from a harem, have we? Where’s your tray?” He seemed to be drunk, but it only increased his malevolence. He turned to the guest behind him and asked, “May I recommend to you this handsome creature? He’s very quiet, but you can tell just by lookin’ that his essence is the stronger for it.”
The guest considered him for but a moment, then nodded. “Definitely,” he said, a deep, almost sultry voice.
“Good,” Bogrevil replied, and clamped onto Diverus’s wrist. “Time spent with an afrit will do you proper, my boy. World of good, take you down a peg and remind Eskie who she owes her life to.” He started forward as the besotted woman with the gold mask emerged out of one narrow corridor, still lacking half her costume. She pointed at Diverus, the blindfold hanging from her hand. “Pretty boy,” she repeated. Bogrevil turned to the client, grinning. “See there, he’s very popular.” He snatched the blindfold from her and snapped it to get the sentinel’s attention. The huge Kotul took the woman by the shoulder and guided her toward the stairs. Bogrevil called out, “Be sure someone retrieves—ah, ne’er mind, I’ll do it meself.” Then with an exaggerated wigwag he led the way down the narrow hall. Boys and clients stepped aside to let him through.
In the afrit corridor Bogrevil directed them to the room the woman had just abandoned. He marched Diverus to the box in the corner and, by twisting his wrist, forced him to his knees. “Get in there. Now.” He didn’t let go, so Diverus could only crouch beneath the steepled tines and step both feet inside. Bogrevil released him. “If you try to come out of here,” he said, “I’ll drown you myself. You understand?”
The client, with obvious dismay at the tone of what was occurring, took the blindfold Bogrevil held out to him, and went around to the far side of the water pipe.
Bogrevil swept up the abandoned cape and boots; then, as if a signal had been sounded, he rushed out into the corridor before anything emerged from the hookah, transparently fearful. He might have been in league with the monstrosities, but clearly he didn’t want to encounter them.
The curtain snapped shut.
Diverus lay in the box, watching the flicker of candles, listening to the breathing of the client. He waited, anticipating he didn’t know what—Eskie had said that it put the victims to sleep before preying upon them, but how specifically he still didn’t know. He didn’t want to be awake.
Slowly he became aware of the candles growing dimmer, the light fading away. But the darkening room only made him more alert. Then on the curved ribs above him something slithered. Its grayish fingers ended in black talons, and it pulled itself along the tines as if climbing up a wall rather than dragging along horizontally. He was sure he was supposed to be asleep by now. The glowing orbs of its eyes became visible at the bottom periphery of his sight, and he squeezed his eyes closed so as not to see more. Shortly he could feel it directly above him, feel it staring down at him with such a magnetic pull that finally he couldn’t help himself.
He looked up.
Gone was the white-eyed monster, gone the tines of bone and the room. Above him on a sharp outcrop of rock sat a beautiful sphinx. Her hair was plaited in a rainbow around her smooth and perfect face. Her full breasts rested upon her paws, and her paws upon a pink marble ledge. She watched him with such tenderness that his chest grew chilly with emotion. He wanted to climb up on the ledge with her, to rest beside her. She smiled to him, reading his thoughts. Then she raised her head, looking past him, and he turned to follow her gaze.
On the far side of him a strange black booth had been set up in the sand, with a pale blue screen in its center. The world about them darkened. While the screen began