Mentep

Mentep was the cryptek who partitioned Oltyx's mind into subminds and buffers, then spent the rest of his career pretending that was medicine. His canoptek companion Xott followed him like a conscience with legs. Am-Heht, his former master, had already gone mad on a private horizon; Mentep kept just enough sanity to be useful.

He remembered the Ghostwind when Am-Heht forced the memory back, steered the Akrops toward Drazak, and admitted the Flayed cargo to a king who did not want to hear it. Oltyx killed him for the honesty.

Ithakas needed a scientist who would say the curse out loud. It needed that scientist less than it needed someone to blame.