The house was rather large for a building in the city's heart, which spoke volumes about the immense wealth of the family. Before the trio even had time to knock, a servant opened the door and stood before them, scrutinizing their appearance. If Anaïs had to guess what little game he had just engaged in, she would bet that he had assessed their social rank at a glance to act accordingly. When he seemed satisfied with his observation, he smiled at the guests.

"Good day and welcome to the home of Emsaf, son of Thutmose," he exclaimed in an almost overly welcoming tone. "I don’t believe my lord had an appointment so early this morning, so I must ask what brings you here?"

"My son and his fiancée are soon to be married," Isis announced in a serious tone. "We are looking for a somewhat… original wedding gift to bring them luck and good health. I’ve heard that your master has a collection of curious objects, some of which might greatly interest us. We’ve traveled a long way for this purpose, you see."

The goddess emphasized her last statement with a pressing tone. If the master of the house only received guests by appointment, it would guarantee a useless waste of time. The servant glanced at them one by one, visibly deep in thought. After a couple of tense seconds, just as the trio’s nerves began to tighten, a smile once again appeared on his lips, and he stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter.

"I wouldn’t dream of turning away noble guests who’ve traveled such a long way to speak with my master," he concluded, closing the door behind them. "Please, follow me."

The entrance of the house was an immense hall filled with hunting trophies, exotic sculptures, and bizarre paintings. It was clear that Emsaf was an eccentric man who enjoyed spending a fortune to amass as many oddities as possible. Anaïs did not doubt that every corner of his house must be overflowing with similar collectible items.

A second, younger servant approached the first, who whispered a few words in his ear. Judging by the age of their guide and the way the other servants bowed to him, he must have been the head steward of the house. The young man left, but not before respectfully greeting the guests, and the host’s representative informed them that the master of the house would be notified of their presence and that they could wait while observing the incredible collection of curiosities in the hall.

Anaïs’ eyes delighted in every oddity, a necessary distraction after Isis had introduced the fake couple as fiancés. She had asked them to play along, and Anubis was doing so attentively, following closely behind the young woman, their bodies almost touching, his fingers close enough to hers to hold her hand at any moment. He seemed almost amused by how much the announcement had unsettled Anaïs, judging by the sly smile on his face. His reaction didn’t sit well with his fake fiancée, who wanted to regain some control over the situation. She grabbed the god’s arm in response, clinging to it and drawing their bodies closer together. Of course, she also took care to press her chest against his arm in her sudden approach. Layers of fabric separated their skin, but the gesture was quite suggestive.

"I’m sure we’re going to find an exceptional wedding gift among all these unusual objects, aren’t we, darling?" she exclaimed, exaggerating the pet name in what she hoped was a seductive tone.

"I fear finding an object as exquisite as you will be difficult, my dear," he replied playfully. "The most precious thing in this room is you—a true work of art."

Anaïs almost burst out laughing but held back at the last second, her face contorting into a mix between barely contained hilarity and a wide smile. She turned her back to the servant to hide her reaction as best she could, but nearly lost control when she saw Isis roll her eyes upon hearing her son’s overly sweet compliments, worthy of Sobek himself. Only the hand she pressed against her lips kept her from letting out an ungraceful laugh, and she nearly choked trying to suppress it. The servant raised his eyebrows at her little performance but refrained from commenting. He had no remarks to make to noble citizens, even if their manners were somewhat lacking.

Ten minutes later, as the trio began to grow impatient, a small, plump man with graying hair finally entered the hall to greet them with open arms. His steps were quick, and his overflowing enthusiasm was contagious. He greeted them as if they were old friends, a business tactic Anaïs recognized for what it was. His experienced merchant’s eyes must have noticed the richness of their attire. At least, Anaïs assumed he had figured out that they were prepared to spend a significant sum to get what they came for. His overly kind demeanor toward strangers arriving unannounced in the middle of the morning was telling. People like him were plentiful in her modern time, so she expected his friendly exterior to hide a ruthless negotiator, possibly even a cruel man.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" he cried, bowing slightly before his guests. "One of my little butterflies whispered in my ear that you were looking for something extraordinary. You’ve come to the right place!"

He motioned for them to follow him into the next room, his eyes gleaming. It was a massive office, the walls lined with shelves filled with hundreds of papyri. If Anaïs had to give it a nickname, she would call it the “mini Library of Alexandria,” given how impressive the number of scrolls was. There was also a large wooden desk about two meters long, covered with even more extravagant objects. She even spotted a large map, nearly a meter long, depicting Egypt and several surrounding countries. Thick ink marks were placed at certain strategic points, and a few illegible scribbles stained the map here and there, probably indicating points of interest. The room had high ceilings, allowing hunting trophies to sit above the shelves. There was so much information crammed into this office that Anaïs didn’t know where to look first.

It feels like visiting a museum...

"Impressive, isn’t it? And this is just a small part of my collection," Emsaf boasted, gesturing toward the sofa and chairs on the other side of the desk.

Golden goblets awaited them on the coffee table, along with a carafe of wine, which the steward quickly poured once everyone was seated. He filled each cup with the red liquid, then retreated to a corner of the room to give his master and the guests some privacy.

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"Go ahead, drink," Emsaf invited proudly, grabbing his goblet and taking a sip. "It’s a fine vintage from the land of Sham. A rather rare delicacy, the traveling merchant who deals in it only passes through twice a year with a limited number of bottles."

Anaïs hesitated, her vivid imagination advising her not to ingest a drink from a stranger. The two deities were equally cautious, first sniffing the contents as if checking for poison. A lack of scent didn’t mean a lack of lethal substance—Anaïs had seen enough thrillers to know that—but she decided to trust Anubis, who eventually accepted the goblet and took a small sip. Anaïs was less modest, discreetly drinking half of her cup when she found the wine to her liking. It was just to calm her nerves, she told herself, avoiding the critical side-eye from the jackal god after she placed her nearly empty cup back on the table. Fortunately for her, Isis hadn’t noticed.

"My father and his father before him began collecting all these marvelous curiosities to enrich their personal collection," Emsaf recounted, his eyes sparkling with emotion. "I’m merely following in their footsteps after they passed on their passion and love for these rare oddities to me. Parting with any of them is always painful, but I am a merchant as well as a collector. My prices are not... affordable for the average person, as you can imagine."

It was obvious from the way his voice vibrated with adoration as he spoke of his collection that he was a true enthusiast. So, it was no surprise that he demanded exorbitant sums; the only question left was whether his price was within the realm of reason. This was no ordinary artifact the trio was after. A connoisseur like Emsaf recognized the value of things, and even if he hadn’t necessarily guessed that the pieces in his possession belonged to Osiris, Anaïs did not doubt that he knew they were of great worth. Especially when distinguished and noble strangers came in person to buy them. The collector clearly had the upper hand in the negotiations.

"It’s an extraordinary collection that you and your family have amassed over the years, indeed," confirmed Isis, who was not hesitant to flatter him to win his favor. "I’ve never seen anything like it. No doubt we will find what we seek. We’ve brought what we need to ensure it."

With a wave of her hand, she silently commanded Anubis to give her something. He rummaged through his satchel and pulled out a purse, shaking it slightly so the sound of gold coins clinking together would reach their host’s ears before handing it to his mother’s delicate fingers. The collector nodded, satisfied.

"Tell me, what kind of item are you looking for? I could let you observe my entire collection all day, but something tells me you’ve come up with a specific idea in mind. Am I wrong?"

This guy is smart, Anaïs noted mentally. He’s not going to give up the pieces so easily, I can feel it.

Isis hesitated for a moment, seemingly uncertain about diving straight in. Emsaf had already guessed they were after a specific artifact, so there was no need to beat around the bush.

"It’s said that you possess some rather special body parts… Human remains that don’t decay and supposedly have magical properties... We’re prepared to offer a considerable sum to acquire them."

The goddess spoke in a low voice, as though sharing a secret. And indeed, judging by the collector’s reaction, they weren’t supposed to know. His face immediately hardened, and his eyes narrowed, as though he was now looking at them in a very different, much more suspicious way. Moments ago, he had treated them as friends, but that seemed to be over. Three seconds passed in total silence before his accusatory expression dissipated and he regained his composure, a merchant’s smile once again finding its way to his lips.

"I don’t know how you found out, but those artifacts are not for sale," he replied in an unequivocal tone. "However, I’m certain my collection contains many other extraordinary objects that will satisfy your desires… Perhaps even exceed them."

"You see," Isis continued, looking at the false couple, "I’ve already promised them it would be the perfect gift to bring happiness and prosperity to their marriage... I can’t go back on a promise."

Anaïs nodded, grimacing to reinforce her mother-in-law’s words, while Anubis supported the act by taking the young woman’s hand in his and placing it on his thigh with a tender smile. Even knowing it was all an act, she couldn’t stop the flutter of tiny butterflies that stirred in her stomach at the sight of his affectionate gesture. A large part of her hoped the emotion was genuine, even if the act was forced. Yet, their performance didn’t seem to move the experienced merchant, who remained completely impassive.

"I’m sorry," he replied as neutrally as possible. "Even if those artifacts are of great importance to you, they are even more so to me. I cannot sell them."

His voice had broken slightly toward the end of his speech. It was barely noticeable, but coupled with his suddenly vague and almost… tormented look, Anaïs’s instincts told her he had a real reason for wanting to keep them for himself. Something beyond mere collection. The display of emotion lasted only a second before his features returned to their usual stoic, confident negotiator’s demeanor.

"Very well," Isis conceded, likely having reached the same conclusion. "Allow us to take our leave then, to confer and perhaps decide on another item from your collection."

Now that the deal was off the table, Emsaf had once again transformed into that smiling man, radiating a welcoming and benevolent aura. He jumped to his feet and snapped his fingers to call his butler, who immediately approached the group.

"Of course!" he exclaimed energetically. "Khephren will escort you to the door. Feel free to glance at my collection on your way out. If any of my treasures change your mind, or if you need a more in-depth tour, return at any hour of the day. I’ll offer you a good price to apologize for the inconvenience."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Isis said, also rising. "We’ll be sure to let you know."

After a polite exchange of smiles, the butler led them to the hall and opened the door, noticing the trio had no interest in the rest of the collection. There was no point pretending at this stage. He bowed to bid them farewell before closing the door behind them, leaving them alone on the street under the gaze of a few curious passersby.

"What do we do now?" Anaïs asked, turning toward the collector’s house.

Before either of the two gods could respond, a small falcon dove from the sky to their location and landed on the outstretched arm that Isis had presented to it. She leaned close to the bird and whispered a few words into its ear, covering her mouth with her free hand so any onlookers wouldn’t be able to read her lips. A few seconds later, the falcon was back in the sky, circling Emsaf’s estate. Anubis remained silent, clearly letting his mother take charge of the day’s operation.

"We investigate," she finally declared with determination. "Everything has a price. If he won’t sell us the pieces, it’s because he needs them for something. If we can find out why he wants to keep them, we can resume negotiations."

"And what if nothing changes his mind?" Anaïs followed up, somewhat skeptical.

They had other options, like revealing their true identities or attempting to steal the pieces, though that was no small task. Since they were so valuable to the collector, the body parts were likely hidden in a secure, secret location, maybe even heavily guarded. Only Emsaf and a select few probably knew of their existence. Anaïs doubted that Emsaf was the type to be careless.

"Let’s try the gentle approach first."