Attrition of the Gods: Book 1 of the Mystery Thriller series Gods Toys. by P.G. Burns Page B

committed in the Orient. If one of them emerges victorious the rest of you should be worried. Asher is also aiding the whore-empress in Russia while Zeb was deeply involved with the Medici family. Like you, he was convinced the power is in banking here in Europe. Somehow this has all gone wrong for him, but I suspect you already know that.”
    A wry smile spread across Isaac’s face.
    Amitiel continued. “Levi seems to be using a lot of energy up on the Americas. He took the guise of a French immigrant, calling himself Marin Duvall. He has placed a lot of hope in the continent becoming the power centre of the world.”
    Isaac laughed. “It’s just a bunch of savages and pilgrims who will probably kill each other. Anyway, the Europeans own most of the Americas already. What is he thinking? Does he expect to start a revolution?”
    “Then there is Reuben, still championing the Holy Roman Empire.”
    Isaac snorted. “It is neither Holy, nor Roman, and definitely not an empire.”
    Amitiel laughed. “I will share that with a poet I know, if you will allow it?”
    “Be my guest.”
    “Simeon was flitting between the French and the Spanish.”
“Rather him than me.”
    Amitiel nodded. “And as I said, Simeon has gone native, Benjamin is persisting in Persia and then you have decided to finance the whole game.”
    Isaac detected a hint of scepticism in Amitiel’s voice. “You don’t think much of my new tactic.”
    “On the contrary, I believe it is a game changer. I only worry how Reuben will respond.”
    “He will probably invoke the slaughter of as many humans as possible; that seems to be his favourite ploy. I mean, he is slightly predictable. I often wonder if there will be an Earth worth winning.”
    “That’s exactly what Simeon said. Now I have told you all I can about the state of play.”
    Isaac watched as Amitiel twisted her wine cup nervously. He sighed.
    “And so to the second reason you are here?” he said.
    “We think someone is murdering Djinn.”
    “Murdering Djinn? What do you mean ‘murdering’? That’s not possible. Djinn return, they don’t die!”
    “It’s been three thousand years, but since the thirteen arrived here only Daniel has ‘fallen’. And even he admits his return was his own fault.”
    Isaac chuckled to himself, remembering the circumstances. Amitiel scoffed and continued.
    “So, anyway, Manasseh was disqualified, he ascended back to the Gheisthelm as expected. Nothing strange there.” She went to get another bottle and poured another glass of wine, drinking it in one go as if she needed the courage to continue. “But then over the last sixty-odd years Gad, Naphtali and Ephraim have all ‘fallen’ and none have returned.”
    Isaac suddenly began to comprehend the seriousness of this conversation. “Three in so few years… You think they were murdered? Why not just ask them by whom?”
    “You’re not listening, Isaac. They haven’t returned! Now Zeb has disappeared too, he was in the physical guise of Gian Gastone de Medici who was murdered. With no heir, his death has ended the dynasty he built over three hundred years. Zeb did not return to Gheisthelm. No explanation can be found.”
    Isaac shook his head. “Are you saying someone has removed their Vril? Are you saying they are actually, properly dead?”
    Amitiel sat back down. “We believe so. The only way this could have happened is to remove or destroy the Pineal Amulet. Who else would know how to do this? It can only be one of the thirteen.”
    “You mean one of the remaining seven; six are gone, remember. I hope I am not a suspect.”
    “All of you are suspects and potential targets. Chamuel actually thinks it could be a human but that could only happen with the help of one of the Djinn. No human could know about the Vril or its location in the brain.”
    Isaac was not sure if being a suspect or a target was the most worrying.
    “Well, it’s obvious isn’t it? You just told me Simeon’s gone all