Fejr:ToC
Fajr
Chapter 10
Imhotep sat at the small table waiting with growing impatience and concern for his guests to arrive. It was well past midnight in the waking world and yet neither Ardeth or O'Connell had ventured into sleep. Ammun alone knew what the two fools had done to themselves now. How was he to fulfill Ammun's will if they were incapable of doing what they were supposed to do. There was no certainty of course that Ammun would blame him for the two Medjai's failure but he was not going to risk it if he could at all prevent it.
Finally, he felt the slight tremor in the veil between the world he was privileged to live in now and the waking world his guests came from. And the bed in front of him was filled with them both. Back to back much as he expected them to be. He smiled just a little and then got up, intending to wake them both. But the exhaustion was obvious even in sleep. "What have you done now, Medjai?" He walked over to Ardeth's side and reached out to touch the wounded shoulder. There was no sign of the injury now which was good and nothing of pain to his mind only sadness and grief. He skimmed lightly over O'Connell's sleeping thoughts as well and found the same. So whatever had kept them to the waking world had not caused them any harm. Good. He smiled to himself and then took the time to admire his young guest. Do you know how tempted I am to take your weapons and lie them on the floor and slide in beside you? I could you know, leave your brother to the waking world's dreams, and be in his place when you wake. Would you know it at first or could I do as he did and roll you into my arms before you woke? It would almost be worth it to see your reaction when you woke. You are pleasing Ardeth...and I would relish a chance to feel you in my arms, willingly and with affection, even if you thought me someone else at first. I may have to try that yet.
Sometimes his young guest was entirely too fun to tease. And now that the two warriors had decided to play the game as well it was even more entertaining. I should thank you O'Connell for making him enjoy this despite himself. Do you realize that it only makes the game more enjoyable to play? No, you would stop if you did. You truly do not like that I desire him do you? Who is jealous of whom, warrior? Now is that not an intriguing thought. Do you desire him too? Hmm. If so how far are you willing to pursue the game? Well now, I shall have to try this and see. He poured himself more coffee and then sat back down to plan the next moves in the game of words and attention he was finding so entertaining.
O'Connell woke first, reaching no doubt for his wife but finding his arms empty. He could pick up the knowledge of where he was as it filled the young American's mind and then amusement and concern and he rolled over to see to his brother. Imhotep did his best to ignore the young man, keeping his eyes to Ardeth instead. And the annoyance and anger that got were exactly what he expected. Then much as he had the other day he turned his brother toward him, and away from Imhotep's gaze. Ardeth stirred a bit, waking slowly and after a moment of confusion relaxed into his brother's arms. He said something in English that was both amused and resigned.
O'Connell chuckled and then just stroked his hand through the dark hair.
Surprise caught Ardeth's thoughts back into Arabic long enough for Imhotep to realize it was not really a move he had expected or recalled, but he didn't object either, only chuckled sleepily.
"Was there something you wanted to discuss?" O'Connell asked after a long moment.
"Discuss? No." He smiled. "I was simply, enjoying the wonderful day Ammun has granted us and thanking him for his gifts. Such rare moments should be treasured should they not? Comfort is a fleeting thing in the world of waking, warriors, who am I to steal it from you here? If however, you can be kind enough guests to join me for the day I would see you both in the courtyard once I have see to my god's midday. There is some concern for the news you will find in the morning, and if it concerns my god it concerns me. And that, warriors, should concern you as well should it not?" He set his cup down on the table. "I will send Tahiri for you both and we shall take the midday meal in the courtyard." He got up with a smile. "Well played, Medjai well played." He left the two alone to make of that what they would.
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"Bastard." Rick muttered.
"Mmm, you do enjoy annoying it." Ardeth chuckled, rolling away and to his feet. "I wonder why it is I do not wake when you do that."
"What put your head on my shoulder? I got that from you in Aswan actually."
"It is good to know I trust you in my sleep as much as I do when I am awake. As odd as that sounds considering we are still sleeping."
"I think I've given up on trying to figure that part out." Rick got up with a sigh, pulling his pistols out from underneath his pillow and holstering them with the ease of long practice. "Wonder what this news it that has it and Ammun nervous?"
"I could wish we were not to find out. Anything that can concern a god who can control He who shall not be named with such ease makes me more than nervous."
"Yeah me too."
"I suppose we shall know soon enough." He headed out onto the balcony. Rick followed after a moment. "Do you wonder what it is Paradise really looks like?'
"No." He smiled a bit. "Evie offered to tell me once."
"Did she?" Ardeth turned to look at him. "And you did not want to know?"
"At the time, no. I had her in my arms and our son was safe and I saw you'd survived the army of Anubis so I wasn't much concerned with whatever heaven looked like. I was just pretty damned happy with right then and there."
"As you should have been." Ardeth agreed. "Nefshen spoke truer than she realized my friend, you are a lucky man."
"Yeah. I am." He agreed. "It could have turned out so much worse. I could have even survived it and it wouldn't have meant a damned thing if I lost my family."
"Death is hardest on those who survive it. Dying may be hard on whoever has to suffer it. But death..no. I almost find I agree with the creature, it is only the beginning, not for the one who dies, but for those of us left to carry the memory. And I, Allah be praised have never had to lose the woman I love."
"I'd sell my soul to not have to do it again." Rick agreed. "Kinda odd, but you know I can almost see why the damned thing did what it did. If it meant losing Evie, or facing that curse? No contest."
Ardeth put a hand on his shoulder. "I am not surprised you would think so. But I would be hard pressed to allow it. The old god's can not have your soul, my friend. Any more than you would let me lose mine."
Rick nodded, remembering for a moment that horrible dream he'd had on the flight to Hamanaptura. And that brought to mind the story he'd heard Winston tell often enough. "Well, I might not get to Paradise when I die, unlike you and Evie, but you won't have to go all the way to hell with me."
"I would."
He chuckled. "I know. But we'll never get past Fiddler's Green, well I won't so you're going to be stuck there with me. I'll have to teach you to drink though."
"You mentioned that place before, in Aswan. What is Fiddler's Green?"
"It's a bar, half way on the road to hell." Rick smiled. "The old U.S. calvary used to say that there are no calvary men in hell, because half way there is this bar called Filler's Green. And as you go past it, you hear old friends and comrades inside so you go in for a drink. And you stay and swap stories and enjoy the company and then the barkeep will fill up your canteen for you to take on the rest of the road. But he always leaves it just empty enough that you finish it before you get to the gates of hell. And it's better to go back and get it refilled than to make the rest of the journey."
"Ah, so you never quite make it to hell is that it?" Ardeth chuckled. "Not my conception of the concept of Purgatory but I suppose it will do if it must. What am I to do to keep busy while you are drinking?"
"Trade horse riding tips with the old timers? Watch the dancing girls?" Rick shrugged.
"Ah, well you did not tell me there would be entertainment." Ardeth shook his head. "I would rather you come to Paradise with Evelyn and I though. Because you know she will send me after you, or come herself and she might not be so forgiving of the dancing girls."
"Right." Rick chuckled himself. "She really would do it you know. Send you after me I mean."
"Certainly, but she would undoubtedly want to go with me just to keep me from further trouble. So there we would be like Inanna and her handmaiden trying to find Damuz. And we would undoubtedly get into so much trouble in the attempt you would have to break out yourself to come rescue us."
He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Right. Okay, it's a plan. Whichever one of us gets to Paradise first has to make sure the others get there too."
"Of course." Ardeth offered him his hand. "I swear it to Allah."
"Around here you know that just might happen."
A small smile. "We can always hope so my friend."
"Though hell should bar the way , huh? Okay. But you get to tell my wife." He took Ardeth's hand and shook it once.
"I thought we would invite her to join the oath, no?"
He laughed. "Might as well. I guess were kinda lucky she isn't here for this. Which when you think about it is kinda something like Fiddler's Green isn't it?"
"I had noticed the similarity yes. So I have no doubts that you would come to hell itself to guard my back if you had to."
"No. I guess not." He looked down at the courtyard. "Speaking of hell do we go join the damned thing for lunch?"
"It seems wise. I would know what we face tomorrow if I can. I can deal with being polite for lunch it gets us the answers we will need."
"Yeah, well there are worse deals with devil."
Ardeth rolled his eyes but there was more seriousness to the tone. "Do not remind me, please."
"Over my dead body, buddy."
"We shall pray it does not come to that, hmm?" Ardeth clasped his shoulder. "Let us go, the sun has passed midpoint now and I would enjoy the shade."
"Yeah." Rick followed him back into the room and then out into the hall. There were tables and cushions set up in the courtyard under one of the largest palm trees. Tahiri smiled at them as they came over and bowed her head quickly. Ardeth said something to her in ancient Egyptian and she indicated the temple behind them.
"She says the creature is still seeing to AmmunRa, and that she was going to come get us as soon as lunch was set up. Shall we be rude guests and eat before it arrives?"
"Probably confuse it if we eat at all. Sure why not?" He sat down and then took the glass of karkaday Tahiri offered him with a smile. She flushed a bit but smiled back and then filled one for Ardeth and a third she left on the table and went to speak to one of the other women.
"No flirting with her, Rick. She's nervous enough about your wife." Ardeth reminded him.
"I wasn't flirting, just trying to be friendly. So tell me how to say thank you in Egyptian."
Ardeth smiled. "Ni-tau."
"Ni-tau." He repeated. "Okay, that's easy enough."
"Good afternoon, did you rest well?" The damned thing asked as it walked over, looking like one of those carvings come to life again.
"We did not go back to sleep." Ardeth answered with a shrug. "Why waste the morning sleeping?"
Rick had to smile. You're getting good at this. "Especially when there are other things to do." He added.
The thing chuckled, looking honestly amused. "As you say. It is good that you enjoyed yourselves then. AmmunRa, He who is lord of all Egypt has told me that you have found the armor of the Scorpion King. He is pleased by this but not at the time you have taken to do so. There is more to be found at Ahm Shere, and neither your god or mine wish us to fail."
"It might help if we knew what we were looking for." Rick pointed out.
"That I was not told." The thing sat down and took a long drink out of the goblet Tahiri had left for it. "AmmunRa seems to think that you should know this already."
"We have the armor, we will be trying for the rest tomorrow. If Allah wills we will find what more we need then." Ardeth shrugged. "We can do no other."
"As you say." The thing nodded. "What follows this news from Marakesh disturbs Egypt to its core, Medjai Neb grumbles in his banks and AmmunRa himself watches with concern from the sky. What could come to Egypt now that would worry the gods?"
"And why?" Ardeth asked. "We are no longer the glory we were when this was in the waking world." He gestured at the temple around them.
"Egypt only has three things that anyone in Europe or America knows anything about." Rick shrugged. "The Canal, Tombs, and treasure." He thought for a bit more. "And curses."
"We are gathered at Ahm Shere, that is outside the current boundaries of Egypt and the canal is at the Red Sea. So I doubt it is that which we should concern ourselves with. Perhaps the threat does not come from Europe?"
"Africa?" Rick shrugged. "What's in Africa that could worry the gods?"
"What is in Marakesh?" The creature asked. "Where, I should ask, is Marakesh?"
"Is there papyrus?" Ardeth set his goblet aside. The creature said something to one of the women about and a few minutes later there was papyrus, ink and a brush.
"Can you write on that?" He had to ask.
"Yes." Ardeth smiled. "Here is Egypt," he carefully painted the outline on the map. "This is the Nile." A long twisting line down the center. "Here is the canal and Gaza, this the Mediterranean, and this Jordan, Palestine, and Arabia." A few more lines. "The rest of Africa is this way, the Sudan, Libya, and this all the way here, is Marakesh. And then the coast curves down to the great hump and up here is Spain and Italy and Greece; which I can never recall the shape of, but something like this. The Dardanelles, Turkey and back to Arabia." He finished that part of the map. "We are here." He placed a small dot toward the end of the Nile he'd drawn. "Where the Blue Nile joins the White. Here is Ethiopia...and then down to Madagascar."
"Kush." The creature put in. "It will do us well to know them by both names."
"As you say. Kush is here, where we are at Ahm Shere. This is the great Sahara...Akewa was Greece yes?"
"Acheawa." The thing answered. "Hittatia is here, Asyria here." It took the brush from Ardeth and labeled those places with hieroglyphics.
Ardeth rolled his eyes and then took the brush back and put the modern Arabic under that. "So, what comes from across the Sahara that worries the gods?"
Rick looked at the map for a long moment. "There isn't anything much in Morocco. Maybe it's only something that Jonathan has heard while he was there that we need to know. What comes from anywhere on this map that could worry the gods?"
Silence. "What causes your world to tremble now?" The creature asked finally.
"Germany." Rick answered without thinking about it. "Hell America is worried about it and we've got an Ocean ten times the size of the Med between us and them."
"The Axis?" Ardeth asked. "We have heard little about them in the desert except for those that invaded Ethiopia."
"Italy." Rick pointed to it on the map. "But what about Italy wanting to take over Ethiopia worries the gods, huh? It isn't the first time that's happened."
"No." Ardeth looked at the map again. "And why Ahm Shere? Are we only to find what we need, gather there and then move on? It is hard to move all twelve tribes, so I would not think that Allah would gather us there only to move us again."
"And there isn't a whole lot left to Ahm Shere." Rick agreed.
"This enemy you spoke of, what were the words you used?" The creature asked.
"Germany, Axis, Nazis." Rick shrugged. "Germany's about here. And it's making a big stir with taking over smaller countries around. Italy's here and they're allies with Germany. Together with Japan which is way over here they're the Axis powers."
"Axis." The thing tried the word. "Very well."
"Was it not you who destroyed their tanks over a week ago now?" Ardeth looked up from the map in surprise.
"Destroyed what?"
"There were troops coming from the Sahara into Egypt, only a few but we had reports of a sandstorm that was not a sandstorm swallowing them all."
"Ah, yes, there were troops. Ammun woke me and told me that they were not to reach Egypt. So I did as my god commanded and they did not." The thing shrugged.
"So if AmmunRa's willing to wake you up to destroy them, maybe it is Germany we have to worry about?" Rick looked back at the map.
"I do not think it is that simple. Because, obviously that has already been dealt with. What does Allah want the Medjai gathered at Ahm Shere for that he would speak with AmmunRa and tell me so?"
"Something threatens Egypt, Medjai. And you are her guardians as you have always been."
"I hate waiting for orders." Rick grumbled.
"Again O'Connell we agree." The thing sighed. "I will speak with my god again before he journeys to battle Set once more. Perhaps he will at least tell me from which direction the enemy comes..." He paused. "But perhaps there is another who is more likely to answer. Come, let us see Osiris' bright son at Edfu, or this sister at Abydos will give us the answers that we will need as warriors." It got to its feet.
"We are going to ask for answers from Horus and Sekhmet?" Ardeth translated that for Rick.
"We shall see if their priests have answers that a god of battle might give." It agreed. "Come." And then it headed toward the temple again.
"Do we go?" Rick asked.
"I would know what we face and perhaps here of all places it is possible to get answers."
"Right, okay. You know even last time I was in Egypt I would have thought this was strange."
His friend smiled. "And I." He agreed, but he got to his feet and Rick followed as the creature led them through the forest of columns and out through a far doorway that led toward a huge sacred pool in the distance. They followed it up some steps to a high pylon that over looked the fields behind the temple. "Now what?"
"We send for answers." The creature replied. And then it spoke to the man that appeared out of the other doorway. Ardeth listened but shrugged.
"He says only to send word to Edfu and Abydos to ask what it is that the are needed for."
"How are we going to do that? It isn't like we can just call them up is it?"
Ardeth shrugged. The creature took some papyrus from another man who came out of the building and carefully drew a few hieroglyphic on two pieces before rolling them into tiny tubes. Another two men came from the main building behind them with the answer to Rick's questions. Large falcons sat on both men's arms and accepted the messages into the casings on their feet.
"Some things don't change, huh?" Rick asked with a smile.
Ardeth nodded, but Rick didn't miss the sadness in his eyes.
"Why didn't you get another bird, Ardeth?"
His friend sighed. "How does one simply replace a friend, Rick? No, I avenged him that will do. If we must send messages, I will let Arebe do it. He is better with falcons."
The two birds took to the sky and circled the temple once and then were winging in separate directions over the Nile to the west.
"It may do no good, but it might." The creature walked back over to them. "Do you still use birds to send messages, Medjai?"
"Sometimes." Ardeth agreed softly. "Not as much as we used to."
The thing looked from Ardeth to him and then back again. "Your world is a dull place, warriors."
"We could wish." Rick replied. "It's usually pretty crazy."
"As you say. Do you have many pets, Ardeth?"
"None." His friend replied coldly. "I do not have time for them, nor use. There are horses and camels for traveling dogs for helping to guard the camp, and a few cats to catch rodents and bugs, but we are not a people for possessions. No."
"I see." The thing smiled a little. "In that then, you have changed more than I realized." It shook its head. "The Medjai that I recall from Memphis, when it was the waking world, were some of the most honored and therefore well possessioned people in Egypt. There was an entire city of Medjai out near Armana. Do you still stay there?"
"No." Ardeth shook his head. "Not for almost two thousand years now."
"Things do change, do they not? Come, it is hot up here with no shade. There will be no answer until before nightfall I would not think."
"Then we may not be here for it. There is little night left for us in Ahm Shere."
"I noticed that you were late in arriving. I thought perhaps you had done yourself more injury, Ardeth. It is rare that you come to Thebes well."
Rick almost smiled at that. He could agree all to easily. "Thought we'd try it just for variety." He smiled.
"As you say." The creature headed back down the stairs. "What kept you to the waking world so long?"
"We-- had to see one of the tribe to Paradise." Ardeth answered quietly.
The thing paused and then continued to walk until they were back inside the temple. Then it stopped again and lit a brazier against one wall. "May Ma'at guide you safely to through the halls of death and all of the challenges you will face to see you safely by the side of your god." It smiled a little. "We can all use a prayer or two and a light to see us through the darkness, Medjai."
Rick looked at Ardeth but his friend only shrugged.
"Nuts. Just nuts." Rick muttered to himself but they went back to the courtyard and their interrupted lunch.
"It is a pity you can not swim, Ardeth it would be a good day to swim." The creature sighed. "Do you swim O'Connell?"
"Yeah. Guess it isn't a skill you need much in the middle of the desert though."
"No. Sometimes we would play in the oasis pools or in the Nile when I was a child but I never learned to swim." Ardeth shrugged.
"I learned it in the Legion. Iit was that or drown. They kept marching us through rivers in full kit." He shook his head. "Crazy bastards."
"I have never understood the western form of leadership. How does one lead if one is behind one's men?"
Rick chuckled. "By ordering them to get shot first. That way you're around to order more of them to get shot later."
Ardeth shook his head. "That is very strange, I do not think I would like to follow someone who would not be willing to fight and die beside me."
"I had that problem a lot."
"It is a strange world you live in." The creature shook its head. "Even Pharaoh would ride into battle with his army."
"Can't say as I was ever really good at following orders, but if we are going into battle here soon. I'll follow." Rick gripped his friend's shoulder.
"That, my friend, I do not doubt. I could ask for no better." Ardeth smiled and then gripped his hand.
"Thanks." He smiled back, not missing the smirk that the exchange got them from their host. He held the grip a few moments longer than he would have normally and then let go. "I just wish we knew that the enemy was likely to be."
"For now there is nothing we can do for that. Come, we shall we go down to the river and spend a drowsy afternoon in the shadows and with a cool breeze off the water. Even if you can not swim, Ardeth. I will not even toss you in the river for the pure enjoyment of it. Tempting though it might be."
"Watching him drown?" Rick didn't even try to keep his voice calm.
The thing chuckled. "Hardly, that was annoying. Afterwards was worth it though."
Ardeth flushed and Rick stepped over without thinking about it. "Okay?" He asked softly in English.
"Only embarrassed as usual." Ardeth replied. "I should know better than to let it bait me so." A sigh. "I suppose I should be thankful you left me my clothes at least." The last was in arabic with only a trace of anger to the words.
"Little good though they did you, yes. Really Ardeth, if I was going to be that rude of a host do you think you would awake here each morning dressed?" The thing smiled. "Not that I understand your fondness for wearing so much in this heat as it is. Why so modest when Allah has gifted you with such beauty?"
Ardeth sighed. "I am as thankful for Allah's gifts as any man. It is your interest I would do without."
"Would Allah give out such gifts if they were not to be admired? Your wife is very beautiful O'Connell as she was when she sat beside her father in Memphis. Is it somehow a crime for you to admire her or for others to do so?"
"Admire? No. Torment and bother, hell yes. I'd shoot them." He smiled coldly.
"Ah, well then, it is a good thing for me that it is not your wife I admire is it not?" And then the thing laughed and got to its feet. "Come now, let us go to the river. You can explain to me why your god is so unhappy with both his sons and his daughters showing their beauty, Ardeth. I truly do not understand the reasoning."
"Bis'mil'Allah rakhman el rahim." Ardeth muttered.
"I'm going to just knock it into next week, if it's the last thing I do."
"A small price to pay O'Connell. A small price to pay." The thing tossed back. Ardeth gripped his arm and kept him where he was.
"Live today fight tomorrow, remember?"
"Yeah, I still hate it." He growled. "How do you keep so calm?"
"Calm?" Ardeth chuckled without much humor. "I am not calm. It is only that while it enjoys the game I need not truly worry that it will-- decide to end the playing. I find myself much like the snake charmers at the bazar my friend, if I keep its attention, then I will not get bitten."
Rick closed his eyes and counted very slowly to ten. "He's going to have to kill me first."
A sad smile. "No. Unfortunately for us both, my friend he could pin you to the wall with a thought and make you watch. We walk with asps, Rick. All we can do is try to keep moving and pray."
He swallowed hard. "I'd blow its brains out if I could."
"I know that." Ardeth sighed. "Come, we will do our best to keep a few victories to this game."
Rick nodded and then smiled. "It didn't like this morning much did it?"
"When you had me in your arms? No." A smile that lightened his friend's eyes again. "I would almost think it believes us sometimes."
"Yeah. Okay, so if it annoys the hell out of it for us to get along so well let's." And he slipped his arm around Ardeth's shoulders.
His friend chuckled. "Claiming territory again?"
"If it works? Hell yes."
"If it works, I will hardly object." Ardeth agreed and then laughed. "But you will have to explain it to Evelyn."
"She told me to keep you out of trouble right? So I am." He grinned. "Let's go swimming, well I'll go swimming you can cool off. And it can go hang."
"We could hope." Ardeth sighed. "It will undoubtedly make more comments about its-- interest, Rick. You can not keep it from doing so, and I would hate for it to truly get angry enough to hurt you when there is no cause."
"I'll try to behave. If you can put up with it I can put up with you having to put up with it."
"Thank you."
But damned if I let him hurt you. Rick thought to himself. No way in hell.
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"Wake up, Rick." Evelyn's voice was meant for the man behind him but it woke him as well. He blinked, finding it odd to have been on the sunny bank of the Nile one moment and then in the darkened tent. And much chillier as well. He was glad now for the robes he would have happily shed in Thebes if not for their host. It had seemed truly content to laze by the river and occasionally dive into the cool water. Rick had relaxed a little when the level of teasing had not continued although he stayed closer to Ardeth than he would have here. Finally, he'd taken off his boots and rolled up his slacks to stick his feet in the water. Ardeth smiled remembering the look the creature had given him when Rick calmly reached over and laid one hand on his calf and offered to undo his boots for him. He'd been both amused and a little surprised at his own calm reply of certainly since you are getting so good at it. Rick had just grinned and done just that. And it was worth it for the damned thing's look of annoyance and something oddly like respect. Well played as it had said. And any victory in this was victory enough.
"Is it time for prayers?" He sat up himself, yawning as he did so.
"You have time for coffee." Arebe answered offering him a cup. "Did you rest at all?"
"Enough." He answered. "Whatever news comes from Marakesh today we are undoubtedly going to need our tribes to defeat it. Let us pray to Allah for understanding old friend." He turned to his brother. "I will come get you for breakfast, all right?"
"Sounds good." Rick agreed. Evelyn smiled at him and then snuggled back up in his arms. He went with Arebe and left his friends have at least these few minutes alone. If there was any way to steal them the time he would give them a few hours to themselves this morning. Perhaps he could give Alex the horse he had promised and set the boy to riding with the other Medjai about his age and see about getting the Medjai to begin clearing some of the rubble out of the passage that led to the area they expected they might find the book of the Dead. He doubted very much that once they
reached that area of the pyramid and Evelyn's brother arrived from Marakesh that there would be much time for any of them.
He took the refill of coffee Amal handed him and then went to join the others for prayer. It took little effort actually to give his friend's their morning alone. And if he wasn't quite as subtle about it as he could have been both of them were equally forward on occasion. He found Selim, Sallah, and Arebe looking over the maps of the pyramid and joined them.
"From what Rick and Evelyn and Alex have said they had to have lost the book in what had once been a sacred pool, here." Sallah pointed to an area on the drawing. And for a moment Ardeth saw the map that he had sketched in Thebes that night. He blinked and then nodded.
"And we reach that area how?"
"We take the right tunnel after our bridge and then down the stairs here." Sallah indicated the area. "There should be a doorway that opens onto a large pathway flanked by scorpion statues the main one of which Rick says is the one the curator said unlocked the army of Anubis."
"Let us avoid that one then." Arebe smiled a little.
"Yes." Ardeth agreed. "Then where?"
"Down several passages until we reach the doors that go into the lowest level. I am hoping that it remains in good shape, and that takes us to the main temple area which is where we should find both the book of the Dead, the spear of Osiris and the crevice in the earth where He who shall not be named fell."
Ardeth nodded. "It will be good to know where we stand finally." He looked over the map again. "Tell everyone to wear their battle gear, and to bring ropes in case there is more crevices to cross, and each of you choose three warriors you would most like beside you and we will take this battle to where the creature lies."
"As you say." Selim rose to his feet. "We will gather our men and be ready."
"Ahmer will be sorry he didn't arrive in time." Arebe smiled. "I will go tell Gamal."
"Thank you." He turned to Sallah. "Will you come with us?"
"Where you go, my friend, we follow." The man clasped his arm. "We are Medjai."
"Thanks be to Allah." He agreed and then turned back to the pyramid for a moment. "I will go find Kahid, he is good at this sort of climbing through ruins."
"And the O'Connells." Selim said. "We would not want to leave them behind."
"We might, but it would be useless." He smiled. "I will get them as well."
"After you find Kahid I think." His uncle smiled a little. "And we have gathered the others."
"As you say." He smiled back. Let them have as much time as they could steal.
He took the time to speak to several of the band leaders within the tribes and set them out to scouting patrols. Something was coming, something that had even the old gods nervous and it would do them well to know of it in advance if they could. Arebe sent out three falcons to deliver messages to the other leaders who were not yet with them. Ardeth smiled a little, watching the birds circle into the sky. Some things did indeed stay the same. Odd how at times he could almost forget that the damned thing was something to be feared and hated and enjoy the wonder that was Thebes and then in the space of a moment have the very precarious nature of his visit brought home. Yet Ammun had spoken to him and told him that he had a task to perform for Allah, and that wonder and joy made the less enjoyable times in Thebes almost seem insignificant. Annoyance was after all a small price to pay for hearing the voice of one of the old gods was it not? And if AmmunRa, chose to allow the creature to remain as his priest then Ardeth would take on faith that there was a cause and do as Allah willed.
"Are we heading in to find the Book of the Dead?" Rick asked, walking over to stand beside him as he finished unsaddling his horse. Evelyn smiled as she slipped under her husband's arm.
"I was going to come find you." He nodded. "Selim and the others should be gathering at the entrance. I sent riders out to scout the area and see if we can find some idea of what it is that worries the gods." He turned back toward the pyramid. "And Arebe sent out falcons to see if the other chieftains have any more knowledge as they ride to join us here."
"Sounds like a plan. Whatever is coming is going to get here pretty soon I'd guess."
"I do wish that we had a little more warning of what it might be." Evelyn sighed.
"As do we all. But this time at least we have some warning, that is an improvement over the last two adventures is it not?"
"It is." Rick smiled. "Ready to go?"
"Y'Allah." Ardeth smiled back. "As always."
"That becomes a bit literal around you, you know." Evelyn shook her head. "We go for Allah?" She tried the English. "It lacks something."
"We go with Allah." Ardeth corrected. "As we always do...perhaps it is better to say Allah goes with us?"
"Crazy language with no verbs." Rick shook his head. "Let's just hope he does and get to it."
"Spoken like a my friend." Ardeth chuckled and walked down to meet the rest of the warriors who would brave the pyramid with them.
"Rick brought the scepter and I brought the book of AmmunRa, just in case. Do you want that shield of Horus we found at Hamanaptura as well?"
"It might do us some good." He agreed. "If I have the translation right it is to grant the bearer the protection of Horus is it not?"
"Grace of Horus," Evelyn corrected. "Hetem-heset-heru."
"What does that mean?" Rick asked.
"That of course we do not know." He smiled a little.
"Great, so not only are we walking with Asps were doing it in the dark."
"What would life be without challenge?" He smiled a bit more. "It is an apt description though."
"It is. Let's brave the snake pit then shall we?" Evelyn patted his arm. "Y'Allah, Medjai The day is getting old."
He chuckled. "As you say." He got the shield from the storage tent and then they went to join the others. "Selim, Arebe, Gamal, are we ready?"
"We are." Selim nodded. "Allah go with us."
"In'sh'allah." He agreed nodding at the other and then taking the lead and heading into the pyramid. It took surprisingly little time to navigate the passages and come to the doors that Sallah had mentioned this morning. "How do we open them?"
"I'm not sure, they were open already last time I was here." Rick shrugged. "Then again the damned thing had already gone through them."
"Yes but we can not just wish them open can we?" He returned.
"Back to doing it the hard way then." Rick pulled his crowbar from his pack. "My turn again?"
"No. We would do better I think if you had that spear ready." He took the crowbar from his friend. "Be ready." It was all he needed to say, the fanned out weapons drawn and waiting. He slung the shield onto his back as he had seen depictions of many warriors on the walls of tombs and temples do. "Anything I should know Sallah, Evelyn?"
"Apparently the Scorpion King was not fond of written curses." Evelyn replied. "It's his symbol, with the crowns of both upper and lower Egypt and a prayer to Anubis for his strength."
"Well, that at least is something. It is always good to know who one is expected to fight." He set the bar into place between the doors and pulled. They gave but only in the sense that they warped even further on the frame but did not open.
Selim moved to his side and pressed his shoulder against the door, Arebe, and several others moving to do the same. He pulled on the bar again and the doors grated forward not much, but enough that they could squeeze through. And nothing seemed to care to come out. He handed Rick back the crowbar and took up his torch. Taking another deep breath he stepped into the darkness beyond, his boots crunching down once more on the remains of scorpions. He waved the torch in front of him but although there were more of them here they seemed as dead as the ones they had found the day before. There were blocks of stone in a haphazard pattern ahead and he paused, because there should have been a ramp leading over a large pit and a huge scorpion statue on his left. The room filled with torch light as the others followed him in. The room was full of dead scorpions and more than a few scarab beetles. But they all seemed dead enough. The former bridge was now more of a path of stepping stones through a sea of black bodies.
"There was a path, where those blocks are, and the crevices were pretty deep around it. And filled with these things when they were alive." Rick came over to stand beside him. "So, we probably want to be really careful crossing this. I sure as hell don't want to end up over my head in dead scorpions."
"Allah forbid." He shuddered. "Better than live ones as I suppose someone might be able to pull you out. But certainly not a pleasant thing. Give me a hand?" He held out his left arm and Rick gripped it firmly, as carefully as he could he stepped out onto the first block of stone. It held with surprising solidity. Kahid moved to land beside him with a quick leap and a smile.
"I will go if you will hold this for me?" The young man asked with a grin. "It is why I am here is it not?" He handed Ardeth the end of a rope which he had tied around him in a harness of sorts. "We will always follow you, Ardeth, but sometimes it is good to send out scouts." And then he seemed to judge the distance easily and made the leap to the second stone, which held as a safely as the first. Ardeth wished he had some of the young man's ease at this and then passed the end of the rope to Rick and reached out to grip Kahid's arm as he made the leap across. The block held both of them as easily as one. Rick let go of the rope and Ardeth held it and Kahid made another jump, this one hampered a bit by the fact that the next block was higher and at an angle but he gripped the top with his hands and pulled himself up to the half-fractured surface. He found good footing and then jumped hard. But the rock simply sat there uncaring. "Come, I will give you a hand." He held out his arm. Ardeth turned and helped Rick to the bock beside him noticing that Arebe was behind him waiting. He let Rick hold the safety rope once more and made the leap, grabbing onto Kahid's outstretched arm. He outweighed his tribesman by a bit but he found a good grip with his free hand and climbed up with the young man's help. "Four more to go." Kahid smiled a little indicating the blocks ahead. "We'll need to leave someone here with a rope to make certain we can get back up to this one. I don't know that I could make the leap in the opposite direction."
He turned to his fellow Medjai, knowing very well it was not going to be an order they were happy with. "Husan, you are the strongest here, so you must come last and hold this place for us so we may come back out again."
"As you say, Ardeth. But I am not happy." The chieftain agreed.
"I would have you beside us if I could old friend. Be careful there Kahid."
"Certainly, how else will you find your way across?" The young man smiled and then leapt to the next block with ease. Ardeth tied the end of Kahid's rope around his waist and then leaned over the block he was on and offered Rick his arm. It was much the same for him as it had been for Kahid no doubt because Rick weighed more than he did but he kept the grip and then pulled his friend to stand beside him on the stone. The block did not seem to mind the extra weight and held nicely. They repeated the same steps easily enough one after the other. Finally, Husan tied one long rope securely to a fallen statue and followed until he reached the highest stone block and sat down. Selim clasped his shoulder and then followed the others. Ardeth watched from the far steps as Sallah came to stand beside him and then Evelyn was all but picked up and passed between Gamal and Selim and then to Rick. Then Selim made the last leap as well and they were all standing on the steps that led up to the pathways Sallah had shown him on his map. They made some progress toward the lower chambers but it was hard going, squeezing between increasingly tumbled stone blocks. And then they came to the second doors which were no longer standing, only tumbled in to the great mass of rubble that awaited them.
"Great. Now what?" Rick stood next tho him and looked out over the mess. "There's a entrance buried under that wall that should lead to where the book, the scepter and that damned thing are." He indicated the left wall.
Ardeth sighed. "Now we see how many men we can get in here to move the stone I suppose. What other choice do we have?"
"Not much."
"Sallah, will you and Evelyn go back to those papyruses and see if perhaps there is another way to do this?" He turned to look at his friends.
"Certainly. We might get lucky." Evelyn shrugged.
"It is worth trying." Sallah agreed.
"Why don't you go with them for now?' He looked over at Rick. "Jonathan should be arriving soon and I would know the news from Marakesh."
"All right. Then I'll come back and help you dig."
"As you say, there is certainly enough work to be done."
"Here," Rick pulled the scepter of Horus from his pack. "You open it like this," A quick twist and the thing became a spear. "Just in case whatever's in there doesn't like you waking it up before I get back."
He smiled and took the spear, retracting it to its former size and sticking it through the sash next to his sword. "Thank you."
"No problem. See you later." Rick clasped his shoulder and then went with Sallah and Evelyn. Ardeth nodded and then turned with the others back to the task at hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
"You are more of a maniac with this thing than you were with that balloon." Jonathan muttered, half-stumbling off the plane. "Rick your friend is a lunatic! Hello Evie."
Evie smiled at her brother and then hugged him. "Bad flight?"
"We flew this close to the ground!" He held up one hand about waist high. "I thought we were going to crash."
"It wasn't that bad now. But I did want to stay low. Just in case."
"Actually," Rick smiled. "Higher would have been better, see you remember that wall of water that nearly got us all here last time?"
"Like I'm going to forget something like that!" Izzy grumbled.
"He likes to do the same trick with sand. Higher is definitely better. Just in case of course." He grinned. Evie shook her head but she smiled as well.
"You are going to get me killed!"
"You haven't even got shot at once this trip, quit complaining." He put his arm around Evie's shoulders. "So, Jonathan, how's Marakesh?"
"Mara...oh Morocco, right, well same as always really, hot, very nice casinos, wonderful shopping and worrying that Spain is going to come charging across the rock of Gibralter and try and take over. Someone really should tell them the Crusades and the Knights of Malta and all that are long gone you know."
"So nothing go on in the rest of the world? Just same old same old?"
"Well I wouldn't go that far. We're at war you know."
"We?" Evie looked over at him. "Who's at war Jonathan?"
"England Evie, His Majesty and all the rest of us I imagine. Dreadful mess, I wouldn't suggest going home. Germany's taking over France."
"What?" Evie stopped to look at him. "You aren't serious?"
"Perfectly. Horrible mess. From the sound of it they'll do it to. Then we're next. Not a good time to go home I don't think. Fancy us coming to your side of the Pond?"
"We might have to consider it, yeah." Rick sighed. "Any body deciding to come over this way soon?"
"Well there's those Italians in Ethiopia...and there's rumors that the Nazi's are sending some troops to take the Canal. But then there's always rumors that the German's are going to take the Canal they tried that last time and it failed miserably. But His Majesty has sent more troops to hold it."
"Great, more military in Egypt. The Egyptians are going to love that."
"And there is some crazy bastard who said that the German's were sending an entire tank division straight through the Sahara for God's sake, like anyone would be crazy enough to do that. Not that Hitler isn't apparently a fruitcake of monumental proportions. VonBork, this wonderful man I was gamming with in Morocco says that he thinks he's Alexander, Cesar, Napoleon and who knows who else all rolled into one. Which still doesn't explain why he'd sent an entire division of tanks into the Sahara. What in the world is in the middle of the Sahara?"
Rick sighed, and tightened his arm around Evie. "In case you missed it, Jonathan. We are."
"We...ah right, but nobody knows about this place."
"We do, and so did those other guys you mentioned you know Alexander, Cesar, and Napoleon. We just got out alive. But now that we've finished off the undead little cannibals there isn't much standing between Germany and the pyramid is there?"
"The pyramid's buried." Jonathan stopped and just stared out at the encampment of Medjai and the excavations going on below. "Oh God, this is going to get nasty again isn't it?"
"You don't know the half of it." Rick sighed. "Let's go warn Ardeth." He shook his head. "Tanks-- I'd almost rather fight those mummy guards you know. Those I know how to kill. Izzy what's our supply of dynamite look like?"
"I brought you a case like you asked. We are not going to war with the Germans are we Rick?"
"No. You are going back to Cairo and taking Jonathan with you and you are going to get me every explosive and machine gun available on the black market."
"Now wait a moment we just..." Jonathan began.
Rick just grabbed his brother in law by the lapels. "We are going to need that. And if I thought for a moment that it would do a damned bit of good I'd put Evie and Alex on the plane with you."
"You would not." Evie gripped his arm. "And put my brother down, Rick. We've dealt with worse before we'll do this together like we always do."
"I knew you'd say that."
"Well we aren't going anywhere tonight." Izzy put it. "I've got to put in oil and let her cool down and that'll put us taking off at night. Not happening out here my friend. So we leave for Aswan in the morning. Fine. Hope you have the money to cover this."
Rick looked down at the pyramid below. "All the gold you can carry, Izzy. All the gold you can carry."
"Let's get to work then."
"Why am I going back to Cairo? Wouldn't you be better at this?" Jonathan asked.
"I'm...expected for dinner." He sighed. "Like always."
"What?"
"Come on Jonathan, I'll explain it to you. Rick, please, love, they aren't here yet, we don't know that they're coming and even if they do we've got ten tribes of the Medjai here already, with more to come."
"They're men on horseback, Evie, with some guns and swords and all the guts in the world. But those tanks are going to mow them down like wheat. What in the world does Allah expect them to do?"
"We'll know that when it happens I suppose." She leaned up on tiptoe and kissed him. "I'll go explain it to Jonathan, you go warn Ardeth."
"Right."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imhotep woke to the voice of AmmunRa, He who was lord of all Egypt. And as he had done before he listened to his god, knowing somehow that this was not Thebes he woke in. AmmunRa told him that there were things to be done at Anubis' lost temple in Ahm Shere and that even all the were not going to find those things it time. Allah did not bestow upon his followers the strength to move mountains with a thought these days it seemed. So Ammun would send this new god of Egypt a man who could. And perhaps reminded the young one of what it meant to be the God of Gods of Egypt.
Imhotep listened to his god and then bowed, swearing to do as Ammun commanded.
"See that you do." Said the voice of the god in the waking world. "I am pleased with thee, Imhotep and so I restore to you that which was taken from you in waking world, walk you the sands of Egypt in my name do so as benefits the High Priest of Thebes. Go."
And he blinked and found that he was standing on the area of desert that was
still littered here and there with the troops he had destroyed before. And AmmunRa
had been kind indeed because he was whole and himself in this world as he was
in Thebes. He drew his powers about him with a thought, overjoyed to find them
whole and went to Ahm Shere. This time, perhaps, he would see if the Medjai
would offer him dinner.
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