Unfortunately, he was making the conscious decision not to heed what she’d said. There was no point in second-guessing himself. He was here, and this had to be dealt with. And the fact that he could still see himself in his mind’s eye, lunging forward, wrapping his hands around Lodec’s throat and squeezing and squeezing ...

He took a deep breath and shook it off, and suddenly the hairs on his neck were standing on end.

Calhoun had an almost infallible inner warning sense. He really didn’t know how he had come by it. All he knew was that it had saved his life on any number of occasions, and this might very well be one of them.

He pivoted and Kebron, seeing that his commanding officer had suddenly come to full alert, likewise turned to see what it was that had alarmed Calhoun.

The creature that greeted their eyes was as big, if not bigger, than Zak Kebron. His skin was darkest black, so much like the depths of space that Calhoun might have expected to see stars floating against it. His head looked like that of some great beast.

Calhoun was utterly taken aback, but he did not let the fact that he was startled show. Furthermore, although he had not had an opportunity to discuss Si Cwan’s “adventures” with him in detail, Shelby had been good enough to forward him her logs and accounts of what the Thallonian had told her and he’d read them over quickly before beaming down to Danter. So he had at least some idea of who and what he was facing.

“Anubis, I take it,” Calhoun said evenly.

“Very good, Captain!” Lodec said, looking quite pleased, as if Calhoun was a clever student who had just produced some marvelously timely answer.

“And is your plan to try and treat Lieutenant Kebron and myself with the same distinctive lack of hospitality that you provided Si Cwan and his sister? To try and manhandle us, toss us about?”

“Please. Try,” said Kebron. Calhoun noticed Kebron’s fist tightening, and a slight snapping sound coming from it. Apparently Kebron was cracking his knuckles.

“I already told you, Captain,” Lodec said with a heavy sigh. “Although, in the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t been all that long since Si Cwan’s abrupt departure from our world, much has changed in—”

“Death,” Anubis said abruptly, interrupting Lodec as though what he had to say was of no consequence. He was pointing a taloned finger at Calhoun.

“Are you threatening me?” Calhoun asked calmly.

It was hard to tell if Anubis was smiling, or even capable of doing so, for his thin canine lips were drawn tightly back against his teeth. He lowered his hand and growled in a deep, hoarse manner, “We have much in common, you and I. In a way, we are brothers.”

“Striking family resemblance,” deadpanned Kebron.

Calhoun fired him a look, then turned back to Anubis. “We have nothing in common. You know what I’m seeking. I want a sample of ambrosia, and I want Artemis. Unless you’re willing to provide either of those, we have nothing to talk about.”

“We have much to talk about,” Anubis replied.

He began to stride toward Calhoun, and Kebron promptly interposed himself, providing a looming living barrier between the advancing “god” and the Excaliburcaptain.

Anubis didn’t appear to give Kebron any more priority than he had Lodec. He seemed to be considering only Calhoun and himself to be the only two individuals in the room. It was flattering in a way. A sick, perverse way, but a way. Nevertheless, he came to a halt a foot or so short of Kebron, although it was difficult to tell whether he was doing so because he thought Kebron posed a threat.

“We are very much alike,” Anubis said. His pointed teeth clicked together when his long snout moved in speech. “We have made death an art. We embrace it. We guide our opponents to the other side knowing, as we do so, that how we die defines how we live. If we greet death with bravery, we are brave. If we meet it sniveling, we are cowards. The measure of a man is taken in his last breath. We both understand that in a way that others cannot possibly.”

“What I understand is that you’re beginning to annoy the hell out of me,” Calhoun said. He suddenly wished he had his sword with him. He had a phaser on his hip, and Kebron who was as strong as any ten men guarding his back, but nevertheless the blade he’d wielded as a Xenexian warlord would have provided him a greater measure of security. “What I understand is that your kind nearly destroyed my ship and killed members of my crew.”

“These are non-issues,” said Anubis.

“To you, perhaps,” said Calhoun, bristling. “To me they are very real issues indeed.”

“You can learn so much more than you know now,” Anubis told him.

“That’s nice to hear. But I’ve no intention of learning it from you.”

“Perhaps you will, despite yourself.”

Suddenly he made a swift motion toward Calhoun.

Zak Kebron, far speedier than anyone unfamiliar with him would have thought, matched the move and was directly in the path of Anubis. Kebron usually disdained to use weapons of any kind. He considered his own body all the weapon he required, and besides, his gargantuan fingers did not fit easily around the trigger mechanism of a phaser.

Anubis’s hand whipped out and around, and he was holding his short scythe. The curved blade swept right through Kebron’s guard, slicing across his chest. Kebron staggered and the blade was a blur, cutting right and left across Kebron at will. Blood welled up from Kebron’s chest, blood with the same color and consistency of tar.

Another low growl escaped Anubis’ lips. It was a growl that was matched only by the sound coming from Calhoun’s own mouth as he charged forward. Anubis switched his attention from Kebron to Calhoun and brought his scythe whipping around.

Kebron was not accustomed to dodging, and certainly wasn’t built for it. His tough hide was normally all the protection he required. Not this time, however. Calhoun suspected that, had any of the cuts been even an eighth of an inch deeper, Kebron’s organs would be splattering out onto the floor. He wasn’t certain whether it was remarkable luck on Zak’s part or supreme control on the part of Anubis. Nor was he intending to wait to figure it out.

“You will learn respect,” Anubis said quietly. “Even one who is such a purveyor of death that he could be my brother, will still learn respect.”

Calhoun tapped his combadge. “Calhoun to Excalibur.Two to—”

And then Kebron, with a roar, charged Anubis.

Anubis appeared briefly taken aback, and then he swung his scythe once more. Kebron buckled at the knee and took the point of the scythe in his shoulder. It buried itself in there and Anubis tried to yank it out. But it was in too deep.

The Egyptian “god” was clearly startled, and then Kebron thrust one of his massive hands forward, catching Anubis just under the jaw. Anubis lost his grip on his scythe as he was literally lifted off his feet, and he crashed to the ground several yards away.

Kebron grabbed at the scythe and then, with a grunt, pulled it clear. More of his dark blood massed at his shoulder, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. “I’m guessing, without this, you’re helpless,” he rumbled.

That was when Anubis’ eyes began to glow red. He reached behind his back and suddenly there was another scythe in his hand. “You guessed wrong.”

And suddenly Lodec was in between them, his arms spread to either side. “No!”he cried out, and to Calhoun’s surprise, turned to Anubis. “Please, great one,” he implored, “I have promised these individuals safe passage! I have spoken to them of how matters have changed! I would not presume to question your righteous wrath, but this action is most unfortunate in terms of ongoing relationships with Calhoun and his associates! I beg you not to do this thing!”

Calhoun’s hand hovered over the combadge, prepared at a moment’s notice to call for emergency beam-up. It was against his nature to run, but he had a wounded man who required immediate attention. Besides, the way Anubis was staring at Lodec, it seemed as if the god was just as content to annihilate his follower as he was Calhoun and Kebron.