One of Sir Pterry's stand-alones, though including things like gods created by belief and the Assassins' Guild from other works.
Pteppic, heir to the throne of Djelibeybi, because of his dead mother's wishes, leaves that very ancient kingdom (now small and a buffer between two greater powers) and attends the Assassin school. Which has certain influence on his attitudes, starting with his becoming Teppic. With some temporal shifting, we get a view of how old it is, and Pteppic's growing up, before his father dies.
His father was, he knew, a god, responsible of making the sun rise and the river flood. It was the seagull that came to him at his father's death and the way the earth started sprouting about his feet that really brought it to bear.
He heads home. Where, he find, the high priest Dios is all set to continue the kingdom and making all the decisions with Teppic to appear to ratify them. In particular, to have the largest pyramid ever built for his father.
Pyramids have power. Particularly over time. Which leads into a story involving the lack of bridges, a ship that is pirate bait, tattooes, a handmaiden who does not want to take a potion, long burning resentment, the failure of pyramids to pay, and much more.
