“Anat? Is that not the name of Lel’s current ruler?” Sedna wondered silently, though she forced her face to remain calm.

  “Yes, Queen Anat. What is the matter?” Tezcatlipoca asked.

  “It is somewhat unusual,” Anat replied, her image steady within the crystal. “One of my infiltrators on this continent briefly transmitted a signal, but it ceased immediately. As mental communication is restricted in this region, I cannot confirm whether it was interference. I suspect she may be in danger.”

  “Would you have me trace the origin of the signal?” the king of Tula asked, irritation faintly visible in his expression.

  “I have triangulated the signal. I shall send you the coordinates. Tell me—where are you at present?”

  Tezcatlipoca nearly answered, Nitassinan, but corrected himself. “I am in an abandoned northern region of the continent. I was informed that men from across the ocean once settled near here. I thought it an ideal place to ambush the man you seek.”

  “I see. I remain stranded in a desert—we lost our bearings—but we shall find our way soon,” Anat replied, exhaustion heavy in her voice. “Were this not urgent, I would not ask this favor.”

  She is unaccustomed to moving without her absurd divine powers, Tezcatlipoca thought.

  “I shall send the map. Examine it and proceed there with haste,” Anat concluded. Her image faded.

  A three-dimensional projection appeared, highlighting a northern zone near a vast lake.

  “Very well, great Anat. I shall go there personally,” Tezcatlipoca responded, voice almost military.

  “I trust you,” Anat’s voice echoed before the signal cut off. The map vanished, and the crystal dimmed.

  The king-god dismissed the device and turned to Sedna, who maintained her elderly composure despite knowing this must concern Orniskem—and that their location would soon be traced.

  “Sedna, you heard all of that, did you not?”

  “I did,” she answered calmly.

  “I suspect you know more than you admit. Either you shelter the fugitive, or visitors from across the sea have already arrived and taken him. Am I mistaken?” His tone was steady, though edged with irritation.

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  “I have done nothing to warrant your suspicion, king of Tula.”

  “Do you know how I shall react if I discover you have kept me standing here sleepless for seven days in vain?”

  “You chose to remain standing in that position, tasting scarcely a morsel,” Sedna replied evenly. “You might easily have delegated the task.”

  Tezcatlipoca laughed softly.

  “If you intend to attack this village, it would be a waste of your time—and of your men,” she continued.

  Silence stretched between them. Nukilik subtly prepared his bow. Yet Tezcatlipoca interrupted with louder laughter.

  “You are correct, Sedna. Though I am a conqueror, I have no desire to claim these lands.”

  Sedna signaled Nukilik to lower his weapon.

  “I know not why you lied, but I assume you had reason. I respect that. I shall not retaliate,” Tezcatlipoca added with a lowered smile. “Moreover, I informed that bitch of Lel that this was not your settlement, but abandoned territory. You would be wise to relocate immediately.”

  “I am… grateful,” Sedna replied.

  “Do not thank me. It is a favor—and I shall collect another.”

  “I am at your mercy, then. What do you desire?”

  Tezcatlipoca summoned the crystal again and displayed Anat’s map.

  “This region—give me directions and distance.”

  Sedna studied it carefully.

  “If memory serves, those are Dene lands. The region is called Taltheilei. It lies over six thousand kilometers west of here.”

  She added, “I can offer little more detail. The land resembles much of this region—but you will see a vast lake surrounded by pines and numerous tipi dwellings.”

  “Six thousand kilometers? That rivals the distance from Tula to here. It will take time. Curse Anat,” he muttered.

  “It is a long journey. Why not rest and enjoy Innu hospitality?” Sedna suggested, hoping to delay him.

  “If I do not go at once, that woman will kill me,” he replied sharply. “With my speed, I shall arrive within an hour or two.”

  “With but one leg?” Sedna asked.

  Tezcatlipoca’s divine aura surged.

  His form shifted violently. Flesh twisted into that of a massive jaguar with an anthropomorphic face. His garments remained, yet his lost leg reformed beneath this transformation. He grew nearly twice his former size, standing upright with terrifying presence.

  “I once assimilated the essence of the jaguar god Tepeyóllotl. I wield his strength and form,” he growled. His voice was no longer smooth—it roared with violence.

  He crouched.

  Like lightning, he vanished.

  Though divine suppressors hindered flight, in this form Tezcatlipoca tore through the skies unhindered. Only shattered earth and debris marked where he had stood.

  “Lady Sedna,” Nukilik asked, shaken, “why reveal their location? Was he not hunting them?”

  “He spared our lives and concealed our position from Lel’s forces,” she answered. “Now we must move.”

  “And his soldiers?”

  “We shall inform them of their king’s direction, though none here speak their tongue.”

  Nukilik hesitated. “Do you believe those visitors from across the sea can withstand such a god?”

  Sedna closed her eyes.

  “We have done all we can. The rest lies in their hands. We must have faith.”

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