Fajr
Chapter 11
"How, in Allah's name are we to get these moved?" Selim leaned back against one of the large blocks of fallen stone.
"That, I have no answer to Selim. But we must, if they were moved here with nothing more than rope and wood and muscle we can move them again." He looked over the progress that they had made. "Perhaps we should see what Sallah and Arebe can come up with for this one."
"And we better make it quick." Rick came over to stand with them. "Because the news from Marakesh is that Germany is going to be invading here, soon. With at least a division of tanks."
"And how many is that?" Ardeth closed his eyes.
"A hundred or more." Rick's voice was sharp. "Maybe somebody didn't tell them that Ahm Shere isn't what it used to be ,or maybe they don't care, either way, they're on their way here so..."
"So we have the name of our enemy then." He sighed. "Allah have mercy, we will need more guns."
"I'm sending Izzy and Jonathan to Cairo to buy all they can, explosives too. But..."
"But it will take time and we do not know how long we have, yes." He nodded. "Then we do what we can. For now, we find those things we need to find, so that perhaps we can see what it is that Allah wishes us to do with them."
"Great, and just how do we do that?"
"I was asking that myself." Selim sighed.
There was a strong sudden gust of wind where no wind should be blowing and without even thinking about it he drew his sword, and yelled for his men to do the same.
"Really, Medjai. And here I thought it amusing to knock, so to speak." The creature walked calmly up to then holding him and all of the others still with no more than a thought. "You seem to be in need of some help."
"Go to hell." He forced the words out, despite the fact that it was hard to breathe with a weight that was not there holding him in place. The thing smiled.
"Are you going to come with me?" It slammed him back against one of the blocks. "Tell your men to put away their swords, Ardeth and I will let them live. You have my word to AmmunRa, He who is lord of all Egypt."
"And why...would you...do that?"
"Because foolish Medjai, Ammun wishes it of course. Allah has need of your men, Ardeth, and Ammun has plans for us all so, do I leave them alive or not?"
"We will only try to kill you if you do." Selim's voice sounded as breathless as his own.
"So I realize. But you are no threat to me, Medjai, not now. Well, Ardeth?"
"Live today fight tomorrow." Rick said harshly in English.
"As you say. Put them away, for the moment." He found the strength for a mocking smile. "Now will you go to hell?"
"Since you keep inviting me." The thing chuckled and the pressure was gone suddenly. "Draw that O'Connell and I will snap your son's neck from here."
He turned his head to see that Rick had his hand on his pistol. After a moment his friend let go of it and just stood there. "You even think about touching him and I'll make sure I rip your tongue out this time, with my bare hands."
"At least it is an inventive thereat." The thing shook its head. "Come now O'Connell, you have repeatedly offered to join your brother on a trip to hell have you not? Shall we go?" It held up both arms and the stone blocks ahead of them were pushed aside like handfuls of sand. Rick made the three steps that brought him to Ardeth's side, gripping his arm hard. He felt Selim catch his other arm and wondered for a moment just why they thought any of it would help. Allah...if it must be..I would rather go alone. Let them be.
Then there was sand that blew out of the hole revealed by the moving of the blocks and they all turned away, covering their faces with sleeves and scarves and trying to breathe. And when the sand was gone so was the creature and there were only flames and what might have been the crumbled remains of statuary that he could see inside the shattered doorway. "Allah have mercy, it can not expect us to follow."
"So we kill it on the way out?" Rick asked. "It's going to be expecting that."
"We must try." He drew the scepter Rick had given him earlier. "Kahid, go warn the others!" The young warrior nodded and ran toward the exit. "I would think of tossing some of your dynamite in to close this portal but undoubtedly it will only blast it open again. And we would suffer the debris."
"Yeah, I hate this part, Ardeth. How the hell do we kill it if it's in once piece already/"
"We send all twelve tribes against it until we can chop it into enough pieces to get it back its coffin I suppose." He shrugged. "This is not your fight, my friend, go. Take Evelyn and Alex and Jonathan and Izzy's plane and go."
"You know ten years ago I would have done that." Rick smiled. "But it won't stop with Ahm Shere, Ardeth. And I think one powermad maniac trying to rule the world at a time is enough don't you?" He drew the shotgun from across his back. "Ready?"
"In'sh'allah." Ardeth smiled. "I will see you in Paradise, or come find you at this bar of yours, whichever is necessary."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Rick agreed.
There was a sudden gust of wind that blew out the flames just ahead of them and then rushed past before any of them could to more than swing once, Rick got off a blast but if it did any good there was no indication of it. But the scepter of Osiris lay at Rick's feet. And something that might have been a laugh echoed down the corridor leading back to the surface.
"Evie..." Rick muttered and took off at a run. Ardeth followed as quickly as he could.
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Imhotep let the wind stop just outside the tent where Evelyn, her brother, son, and a Medjai were sitting then he pushed the tent flap open and walked inside. "Princess, Alex-- .Jonathan, was it not?" He laid the book of the Dead on the table with a smile. And then placed the other bundle on it as well. "Do you have the book of AmmunRa, Princess?" He asked in the old tongue. "Sit down Medjai, I mean no harm at this moment. Do you have the book?"
"And if I do?"
"Then I suggest you read it." He smiled and began to calmly recite from the one in front of him. She matched it, reciting the spell she had once used against him and repeated again in Thebes. They finished at almost the same time. "There, you see? I thank you for your help, Nefertiri. I will leave you your family in one piece, as a gesture of my gratitude." He picked up the bundle again.
"You didn't bring one of those horrible things back to life, did you?"
He chuckled. "Only to have you make it mortal so you could kill it again? Hardly. AmmunRa gives you a fine gift, Nefertiri, keep both books. You will need them, I have no doubt. Ah, here comes your husband and Ardeth. It is wonderful, is it not, when everything works?" And he turned and walked back outside. "Do come, I would like you to see this."
"Oh bloody hell..." Her brother muttered as he left. "Not again."
"Bis'mil'Allah rakhman el rahim..."
"Mum! What did it mean by..."
"Rick."
He chuckled at the overlap of voices and strode toward the edge of the dunes. "Hello again, Medjai. I trust you have your scepter, O'Connell? You will have as much need of it in the days to come. Really, I mean neither of you harm at the moment ,Medjai , nor your family, O'Connell, or your tribes Ardeth. I only do as AmmunRa bids me and give you those objects you were to find." He smiled. "And I found your gift, Ardeth."
"What?" They had both come to a stop just out of easy reach, Ardeth with his sword in one hand and the scepter of Horus in the other. O'Connell had that large gun of his and the scepter of Osiris in the other.
"You recall the wager do you not? If I find you a gift you would keep you must come to dinner and be a good guest." He chuckled, pleased to see Nefertiri her son and her brother skirt around him to join O'Connell and several of the other come up to join Ardeth.
"You would remind me of that now?" Ardeth looked at him in undisguised disbelief. "You are mad."
"We have had that discussion already." He laughed. "Ah Medjai, it must amuse the gods to no end to have us on the same side. Truly it is the only explanation. Your gift Ardeth Bay, will you have me take it back?" And he let the bird go and it winged its way to its master's outstretched arm with a whisper of wings. "I will expect you for dinner." And he let the sand swirl about him until he was long gone from Ahm Shere.
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Ardeth stared for a long moment at the spot where the creature had been and then at all those gathered around. "Allah have mercy, I do not understand." He sheathed his sword carefully. "Horus..." He trailed one hesitant finger along the soft feathers as Horus walked his way up his arm until he could touch his beak to Ardeth's jaw. "Yes," he said softly. "I missed you too."
"Ardeth?" Selim's voice was uncertain.
"I told you it was mad, Selim. Now it seems it is tired of only haunting our dreams and would bother us during the day." He sighed. "Are we all well?"
"It certainly scared us to death." Evelyn muttered. "But it only put Horus on the table, read the spell from the book of the dead, had me recite the one that made it moral and then told us to come see whatever it had planned. I wasn't expecting it to give out gifts."
"I am beginning to think it almost always does what we do not expect, only to see our reactions." He sighed. "I wish to Allah, I knew what to think now."
"You don't think it was serious, do you? About the gods expecting us to work with it?" Rick asked, one arm around Evelyn and the other hand on Alex's shoulder.
"It gave us the scepter of Osiris and the Book of the Dead. And it harmed none of us in the doing. I no longer know what to think. Come, we will sit and try to make sense of some of this. And I would hear more of this Germany we are to face." He took the scepter of Horus from his still outstretched left hand with his right. "How appropriate my friend. Shall I give it to you then?" He retracted the spear and put it away at his belt. "I will have you know, I have to go to dinner and be a good guest now, my friend. So, you will have to catch your own. Allah, but it is worth it. I will even thank it I think, Horus. If only to confuse it as it would confuse me." He chuckled. "I truly did not think it could find me a gift I wanted to keep."
"Come, I will find something for Horus to eat." Arebe offered him a leather gauntlet. "And we will see what it is we know and what it is Allah would have us fight."
"As you say." He agreed. He pulled the glove on and let Horus find a comfortable perch now that the bird had to worry less about his grip. "There, Arebe will find you dinner. Are you hungry my friend or do you wish to stretch your wings? You flew to my hand well enough, so I think you must be truly whole. Welcome back to us little warrior. Thanks be to Allah and AmmunRa that you are here."
Horus turned to look at him and then flapped his wings and took off to circle over head a few times before coming back and this time settling on the rim of the shield still slung across his shoulder.
"Are you reminding me of your namesake then, my friend?" He turned his head to look at the bird perched on the shield rim. "What is it that I should be avenging then, hmm?"
Horus only tapped his beak against his chin again.
"I did you know, I cut him down and watched him die in the dirt, my friend, for making you fall from the sky. And it was a hard fight let me tell you." He stroked the soft feathers again. "You will have to find a different perch, my friend. I do not intend to keep this with me constantly."
Horus folded his wings and kept where he was.
"Do I then?" He smiled a bit. "Would that please you?"
Another tap of beak against his jaw.
"You'll have me believing he understands you." Rick shook his head.
"Of course he does." He smiled back. "Horus, you remember Rick, do you not? He is my brother and my other best friend. He is of course not quite as clever as you, but he is a bit better with a pistol."
Rick rolled his eyes. "Thanks."
"You are welcome." He smiled.
"Hello, Horus, it's good to see I'll have some help guarding his back. Allah knows he needs it."
Horus caught one piece of his hair in his beak and began to groom it as he would his own feathers. Ardeth chuckled. "I think he may agree with you."
"Then he's as smart as you say he is." Rick returned. "Let's go see what we can do with what we've got to win a war against and enemy we really know nothing about."
"Walking with Asps in the dark with our hands tied behind our backs, perhaps?"
"This just gets better and better."
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Imhotep checked over the banquet hall again, pleased to see the cooks had done an excellent job in setting up the feast. He had assured them that not only was he certain of his guest arriving and staying, but that he would definitely eat. He went to the room he had given the Medjai and sat down to wait. This evening at least, his guest went to sleep reasonably early. He sipped the coffee he had waiting and then smiled as the veil trembled and his young guest was once more asleep in bed, alone this time. He had no intention of inviting O'Connell to this particular banquet. This one he intended to enjoy. He smiled a bit more and moved over to the bed side and brushed the long waves away from his guest's face. "How can one be so blessed with beauty and yet so very unknowing of its effects? You could have any woman you wished if you set your mind to it. And more than a few men, I would imagine. Here certainly. But it does not even cross your mind that the smiles and looks mean anything at all, does it? I have to practically toss it in your face and that makes you nervous. But, no matter how much, you dislike the game, playing it is better than it ending, is it not? You are so certain I will simply decide to take what I want. Why would I do that now, Ardeth when it would have been easy enough to do when you first arrived? Or if I pressed the point of letting your brother go if you would be in my bed. Foolish warrior, where is the sport in that? Someday Ardeth, I will have you doubting it would be all that horrible a fate, and then of course you will worry that much more that you might enjoy it. What will you do then, Medjai? What will you do then?"
He chuckled to himself letting the young man sleep for a bit and going back to his coffee and contemplation.
Ardeth stirred finally, realizing with growing familiarity where he was and then rolling over to look for his brother no doubt.
"This evening's invitation was only for one." He answered the unspoken question.
A sigh but only resignation and acceptance to the sound and the young man rolled out of bed and gathered up his weapons. "I suppose I shall be thankful for you letting him sleep."
"Hmm. He will undoubtedly not think so kindly of it. You will have to convince him you did not spend the evening in my bed, I am sure."
Anger and then a bitter sort of acceptance. "You are probably right."
"Of that I have no doubt. So, as the wager stood I believe I was to give you a gift and ask you, shall I take it back, and if you said no you were to come to a banquet and be as good a guest to me as you would to any of your fellow Medjai. Correct?"
"As you say."
"Shall I take it back then?"
A small smile and a joy that lit those expressive brown eyes. "No." It came with a nod of acceptance of his lost wager. "Thank you for the gift, it is truly wondrous."
He smiled just a bit himself. "As all good gifts should be. I have a banquet prepared for us and entertainment for the evening. Do you wish some coffee first?"
Something like surprise and disbelief but he nodded. "As you say. For me it is only the middle of the night after all."
"Ah, well here AmmunRa has just gone to battle with Set once more and gifted us with another night in paradise."
"May his journey be as easy a victory as it can be." Ardeth offered, coming over to the table and taking the other chair.
"That is a good wish, Medjai." He agreed and then poured Ardeth a cup of coffee and handed it to him. "So what news came from Marakesh today that caused AmmunRa, He who is lord of all Egypt, to send me to the waking world and retrieve what you undoubtedly would have retrieved on your own in the days to come?"
"Germany marches on Egypt." Ardeth replied. "With many more of those troops that you destroyed earlier. Many more and with weapons unlike any we have ever faced."
"You have many warriors at Ahm Shere do you not? I recall many."
"I have. But what good is the best warrior on horseback if he faces a machine that can destroy mountains?"
Imhotep sighed. "As you say. I am certain your god would not simply gather the might of the Medjai together if he did not feel that there was some hope for your victory."
"I will have faith that Allah will have this outcome be something he wills. I can do no other."
"Then odd as it might seem, Medjai, I will offer a prayer to my god that your victory is swift and that you and your people survive it well."
More disbelief and confusion and a prayer to Allah for patience and understanding. "If you are praying for our victory, creature I am truly frightened of what Allah will give us."
He chuckled. "That, is a point I meant to make of this evening, Medjai. You may, if you wish, stumble over that silly title you have given me before or you may call me by my proper title of High Priest, or even simply Priest, or you may if Allah has not somewhere in that book of yours expressly forbid it, call me by name. But I doubt very much you would refer to any of your fellow Medjai by such an insult."
A sigh but then his young guest nodded. "As you say. It will be difficult at times to remember I am certain but I would offer you no discourtesy tonight." He took a long swallow of coffee.
"Good. If I wanted to be insulted, I would have invited your brother to accompany you."
That got a smile. "As you say. It amuses him I think." A shrug.
"Some of your brother's amusements I can understand, Ardeth. Some however escape me. Why would one bait a crocodile if one did not expect to get bitten?"
An odd smile. "To keep one's friend from being bitten in your place of course."
"Ah." He nodded. "So, if I were to tell your brother that I find him pleasing that would be better than telling you the same?"
Ardeth choked on his coffee and Imhotep had to laugh at the utter disbelief in his thoughts. "Oh Allah, that might be more than any of us would survive."
He chuckled. "It might at that. He is though, pleasing I mean, in an odd outlandish sort of way." He shrugged. "And he has courage and bravery both, and honor and dedication and he loves well. Are not all of those things to find pleasing?"
More disbelief and confusion and then a resigned sigh. "They are, if not in the sense that you use the word."
"Pleasing?" He chuckled. "Desirable?" He tried instead. "We are at the moment speaking in the abstract, Ardeth. Of attributes and behaviors and not of-- more obvious physical attractions. Your brother is, without a doubt a good man to have at your back for any confrontation."
"He is." Ardeth agreed. "I could not ask for better."
"Then you are a fortunate man." Imhotep smiled. "As is your brother. Because you are undoubtedly all those things I have just mentioned and modest as well."
"Do you expect me to be flattered?" Ardeth asked, raising one eyebrow at the question.
"Flattered? No." He sipped his own coffee with a smile. "Flattery implies somehow that there is a level of untruth to what one has said. I meant it. It is a compliment Ardeth, nothing more or less."
"Then I shall thank you for the compliment, if not for the way you would intend it."
He chuckled. "I intended it as only that. Now if I were to tell you that I find you as attractive as you are admirable, that would be a different sort of compliment altogether."
A resigned sigh. "As you say."
He chuckled again. "Since you are my guest this night, Ardeth, why do you not tell me that tale you never finished of the man who lived outside Baghdad?"
"Ali Baba, I never did get to that did I?" The young man nodded. "Very well."
Imhotep listened to the tale, more for the enjoyment of his guests telling it than for the tale itself although it had its amusing and entertaining parts.
"So he finally made a wise decision did he?" He asked at the end. "His wife at least was a good choice."
"She was." Ardeth agreed. "She saved his life."
"So she did. Well told, Ardeth, well told. Come, we shall have dinner now if you think you can eat. I am hungry."
"I can eat." His guest agreed.
"Did you bring the word of Allah with you today, Medjai?"
"I did." He pulled the book from his robes. "Why?"
"I would hear more of it of course. I am curious yet to the appeal of Islam but it seems to cultivate great warriors."
"I suppose it is easier to face battle bravely knowing one is assured one's place in paradise by doing that." Ardeth agreed.
"As you say. That may be a good part of it yes." He walked into the main hall and over to the banquet table. "No wine I take it, Ardeth?"
"Will I need it?"
There was a surprising bit of seriousness to the question. He smiled. "If I tell you no will you believe me?"
A sigh. "I am your guest, would it not be rude to not believe you?"
"As you say." He smiled. "No, you will not need it. I was only teasing. I have rather fond memories of the first banquet here when I gave you wine."
"Do you?" Ardeth shrugged. "The dancing was enjoyable yes."
"Watching you toss young Alex through the image of Mut was enjoyable as well. That was well done."
A small smile. "It did seem to surprise everyone."
"It did that. Karkaday then? Tea?"
"Tea will be fine." Ardeth replied. Imhotep handed him a plate and filled his own before heading to the dais and taking his seat and the goblet of wine Shusha had waiting. Tahiri came with Ardeth's tea and set that beside the other chair.
"I hope you will eat something, tonight."
"I was expecting to." His guest answered as he set his plate down. "As long as I am not going to be part of the entertainment of course. No crocodiles this evening?"
"No." He chuckled. "That was also well done though. I did it to annoy the Princess actually not to cause you any harm. But you fought well."
"I did not know that my health was a matter of concern for you at that point."
He chuckled. "A matter of concern? No. I would not go that far. But someone should be concerned for your health I think, you seem to care little for it yourself."
A nod and a bit of amusement. "Some days no doubt most of my tribe would agree with you."
"You need a wife like your young hero from Baghdad."
Ardeth coughed and then stared at him in amazement.
'What?" He chuckled. "Really Ardeth, I am flattered that you think my opinion of your marital status should matter." He sipped his wine.
"Matter?" His young guest managed after a bit. "I-- suppose I let myself hope for a moment it might."
"Deter my appreciation?" He offered. "Certainly not. And then of course you would have two women to explain to why you keep sharing your bed with your brother."
A resigned sigh. "Many reasons."
"No doubt." He smiled a bit more. "He is pleasing is he not?"
Amusement now. "I think it is better if I do not tell him you said so."
"As you say." he agreed. "Tonight I fear you must sleep alone."
"Thanks be to Allah."
He had to laugh. "Tempting as always Ardeth, but the game is much to enjoyable to just rush through so, would you not agree?"
Studied silence. "Even I will admit that the-- game as you say, is worth continuing for as long as possible."
He looked over at his young guest and then shook his head. "Really Ardeth, if I wanted so unsporting an end to the whole thing, it would be already done."
"I have already said I do not understand you and that I find you mad. How am I to know when the game ends?" So much bound up in those few words.
He nodded. "Then I give you my word, you will know well in advance when I tire of the game, Medjai, I swear it to AmmunRa, he who is lord of all Egypt."
Disbelief and then resignation that gave way a little to hope. "It is something."
"As you say." He smiled again. "But for now, we have entertainment," He paused and then chuckled. "Perhaps you will not have to sleep alone at that."
Confusion and then something like embarrassment and disbelief. "She is beautiful."
"So she is." He agreed. And he clapped his hands together so that the dancing could begin.
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Rick pulled himself from a crazy dream of having a snowball fight with Evie, Alex, Ardeth, and two of his old, and now dead friends from the orphanage in Cairo. The fact that they'd been having the snowball fight in Cairo certainly hadn't helped the dream make any sense. Evie was curled up beside him and he rolled onto he back sometime during the night, so her head was on his shoulder. The tent was almost pitch black inside but he could make out the not so dark moonlit outside around the edges of the door flap and a few of the conceptions along one wall. Alex was a small bundle of darker black about five feet Beyond Evie's left shoulder. Jonathan was out of sight somewhere against the far wall by their feet. One of the Medjai he didn't know as well slept near the doorway just in case he supposed and Ardeth was lying next to his still on his side.
Damn it. I hate thinking you're there alone. Just be careful, huh? It frightened him more than anything had in a long time to think of what that damned thing might do to his friend, and what surviving it might do to Ardeth. You'll hate yourself just like you did in Aswan, and I don't know that any god or spell or book will be able to make it right. He recalled how lifeless Ardeth had sounded on the roof before he'd fallen back to sleep. Soulless, Ardeth had said. Maybe that was a good description. He'd seen it in too many eyes in his life and damn but he didn't want to see it in Ardeth's.
"Bis'mil'Allah rakhman el rahim." He whispered softly, and squeezed his friend's shoulder with his free hand.
Evie reached over and laid her's on top of his and said something almost as silently in Egyptian.
"When did you wake up?" He asked, pulling her hand away as he did his and tangling their fingers to lie against his chest.
"Before you did." She replied softly. "Is he all right?"
"I don't know. I'm not there." He sighed.
"Was he before you woke up?"
"No, I mean I haven't been there all night."
"Oh." She snuggled closer. "Shall we wake him?"
"He asked us not too." He reminded her. "Or believe me I would." "How bad has it been for you two while I wasn't there?"
He stroked his hand through her hair. "It hasn't been bad at all, sweetheart. It's just-- that we both keep waiting for the other shoe to fall, you know?"
"Yes. I'm glad. I was worried."
"I noticed." He squeezed her fingers tightly. "We both have standing pardons, and it isn't like it couldn't hurt us here apparently as easily as it could there. And since AmmunRa and Allah have something in mind for us, well for Ardeth anyway, the damned thing isn't likely to do anything to piss off Ammun."
"So why are you so worried for him then?"
How the hell do I answer that? Because it could do so much harm with out really causing his friend that much physical damage and that maybe it would think it was worth the risk...or... "Because I'm not there and I don't know that it won't-- just decide to see how much damage it can do just because it can."
"I suppose it could just fix it afterwards. Couldn't it?" She shivered. "That wouldn't keep either of you from whatever it is Allah needs you for."
"God." He swallowed hard because he hadn't thought of that at all. It wasn't the physical part of it that had really worried him up until that point, only the fall out afterwards but if she was right...Oh God. Allah, Ammun, any one, please he's too good a man to hurt like that. No matter if we defeat the thing and the Germans and whatever else it won't mean a damned thing if he's already lost. "I guess-- we're going to have to go on faith, huh?"
"In'sh'allah." she whispered. "Just hold me, hmm?"
"Yeah." He pulled her close, only a little surprised when she moved their clasped hand's back to Ardeth's shoulder.
"MaSalaama, my friend."
"Yeah." He agreed and they laid like that for a very long time before either of them fell back asleep.
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Ardeth set his plate aside, content for the moment to watch the dancers as they moved about the floor. He vaguely recalled watching the men with torches dance once before but that was a memory more than a little hazed by wine.
"So does this unhappy god of yours not let you dance as well as drink?"
"No, Allah does not prohibit dancing or music. It is a wonderful thing to dance with one's friends and share the joy the music brings." He answered.
"That is good to know." The creature smiled a little. "I would hate to think your world was quite that dull, ."
"No, it is different, but it is not dull." He disagreed.
"As you say. Perhaps next time I am fortunate enough to walk the waking world you will have to invite me to a banquet and provide the entertainment."
Allah have mercy, he thought to himself trying to imagine for a moment what that would be like, a gathering of the Medjai, dancing, feasting, story telling, and there in the middle of it all the very creature they were sworn to keep buried. Somehow, it was almost amusing.
"Really Ardeth, try calling me something else. It will not hurt you. I swear it." His host sighed.
"As you say." He returned but he took a deep breath and then gave the least offensive title he could manage. "We would have to keep you in disguise Priest as I would not want to have to provide entertainment and keep my fellow from killing you all at the same time."
His host chuckled. "There is truth to that. Thank you for the attempt at least. Will I have to get you another gift before you will use my name?"
"If you can find me another gift I treasure as much as the one you have given me I will thank you by name." He offered with a smile. "Is that a wager?"
"Hmm, tempting, truly. Hard to manage though." There was honest amusement in the voice. "Very well, I will find another gift and I will say to you are you pleased enough to thank me properly and you can answer yes or no. But I want a very nice thank you, and you have to come to dinner again."
He sighed. "A nice thank you, your name, and another banquet. It would have to be a wondrous gift." He smiled just a little.
"Is not your falcon such a gift?" His host asked in return.
"He is." Ardeth had to agree. "I did thank you did I not?"
"You did. I am glad you were pleased. I think it was almost worth the effort just for the look on your face when it happened." A chuckle. "Does no one give you presents, Medjai?"
"Most of those who do, have never thought to bring me a friend back from the dead I am certain." He rolled his eyes. "A unique gift, Priest. I am thankful."
"Good." A smile that was only slightly teasing. "He is almost as pleasing to watch in motion as his owner."
"I could benefit from half his grace." He returned, ignoring the compliment once more.
"As you say. Ah, you best decide if you are sleeping alone or not, ."
He cast the thing an uncertain look before he realized that Nefshen had taken the floor and relaxed again. He told you, you will have some warning before the game ends at least, swore it to AmmunRa even. It is both a blessing and a curse as it was meant to be no doubt. Now you must wait for the warning and then wait for the rest. Allah, please, I am only one man, be kind to me oh my God and walk with me through those dark places I must travel. He amended the prayer Evelyn had offered the other night and then with a small smile thought that just perhaps it had been granted at that. May Horus walk between you and all the dark places you must travel. And now he had his friend back to go with him on at least his waking journeys. It was no small miracle and he could put up with even his insane host and its teasing for the joy of having Horus back.
He was more than slightly embarrassed when the young dancer repeated the move she had the other night and bent over backwards almost putting her head into his lap in the process. But she smiled at him and then straightened and turned so that she was facing him so she could run the back of her fingers along his jaw. "No companion?" She asked softly.
"No." He answered honestly enough.
"Pity." She smiled again and then twirled away to offer a not nearly so teasing smile to his host. And then she twirled back onto the floor.
"She does desire you, Ardeth." His host chuckled.
"As you say. I will be thankful then that there is at least someone here who's interest I do not object too."
A soft laugh. "As you say. I will give her credit for exceptional taste. And bravery." A smile. "You could do far worse, Ardeth. She is beautiful."
"She is." He agreed, not really certain how he felt about the young woman's so obvious interest. Or how he would react if she offered him another bracelet and all it entailed. Would it be such a bad thing to enjoy the pleasure she offered so freely?
"You are an odd man, Ardeth. And an intriguing guest." His host chuckled. "So does your god also forbid you to enjoy yourself in bed? And how does he expect to keep up the number of followers if he does?"
He could not help but flush. Bis'mil'Allah rakhman el rahim, how do I answer that? "Passion is not forbidden, only that it should be shared between a husband and wife."
"And how does one know how to share passion with one's spouse if one has had no other practice?"
He forced down a deep breath. "Like all in marriage I would suppose you find it out together."
His host set the wine goblet down and regarded him for a long moment and he could not fathom the look in his eyes. "You are serious."
"Is that so surprising?" He asked in return. "I will not say it is required for a husband to be as unknowledgeable as a wife, thanks be to Allah or there would be few enough men who could marry, but it is not something we flaunt."
"Thanks be to Ammun, for a moment there my young Medjai I thought perhaps you were even less knowledgeable than I had feared."
That took him a moment and damn the thing if he did not flush. "Would it matter?" He managed the question finally.
"Matter? As a deterrent you mean? No, Ammun knows it might even make it more appealing to tease you."
"Then I will, Allah forgive me, be thankful for my indiscretions when I was young and foolish." He took a long swallow of his drink. "I take from this unimaginable conversation that your gods do not require or expect fidelity?"
"Fidelity and virginity are two very different things my young warrior. Men and women both are free to share passions when and where they will, until they are married. Then one is expected to stay faithful only onto ones spouse. It is a testament to the love they share that they do so even knowing what other joys there may be in the world." A sigh. "You should ask your brother on that, I think. It seems to me, he and Nefertiri are a fine example of exactly what I mean."
Ardeth had to consider that for a long moment. Knowing Rick it was very likely that he had done far more than flirt with his dancing girls and yet in no way could he find fault or doubt his friend's devotion and love for his wife. "As you say. It is not our way, but there may be some honor in it none the less."
"And yet your god allows for a man to have how many wives?"
"Four." Ardeth answered. "Though most men have only one or two. And a man must be able to provide for all of them equally in possessions, affection, and care. Otherwise he can not marry again and they are free to divorce him."
"How odd." His host shook his head.
"Does your god not allow more than one wife to a husband?" He asked after a moment. He knew he recalled that Pharaoh had, had many wives. Ramses the Great alone was said to have fifty.
"He did." There was something like sadness to the voice now. So he turned to look at the man beside him. "Pharaoh may have as many wives as it pleases him to have, or concubines, or slaves. But Pharaoh is the embodiment of the gods here on earth and so what rules might apply to the rest of us of course do not apply to Pharaoh. No, Ardeth, we are allowed only one wife."
"So are the Christians I believe and some of the Jews I think have gone to that although I do not understand since we are all children of the same book."
"Truly, Ardeth this god of yours is beyond my understanding. I will only thank Ammun that I have his blessing and am permitted to serve him as I do."
"As you say."
"So Allah would not be pleased if you were to take Nefshen's token?"
"That I can not answer, it is not forbidden only discouraged for men to make themselves too familiar with passion before they wed and she is not a child of Allah so there would be no shame for her..." He shrugged. "I do not know your answer."
"How very odd, Ardeth. How very odd indeed." A sigh. "There is precious little joy in the waking world my young Medjai, perhaps you would to well to find what you can when you visit us here in paradise."
He looked back at the dance and smiled just a little. "She is beautiful."
"She is." His host agreed. "It is odd is it not, Medjai, what a man can find beautiful?"
It took quite a bit not to flush at that. "What makes you say that?"
"I was quoting you actually." His host chuckled. "When you asked me if I found you beautiful."
"When I what?" He kept what annoyance he could from his voice.
"AmmunRa is beautiful, this city is beautiful, you said. And then you went on to say that I must find you pleasing if not so beautiful as that. It is a different sort of beauty to be certain yours and hers. But any weapon can be beautiful if it is well made and wielded well. I see no reason why I should not apply the word to you, Medjai."
He sighed. "And that, is only more proof that there is not understanding between us."
"As you say." The thing smiled again. "But for now we are ignoring the wonderful dance for this, unbelievable conversation, as you said." He chuckled and then called out to the floor. "I apologize Nefshen the Medjai and I were deep in a discussion of Allah and I kept him from enjoying your dance. Refresh yourself and then if you will forgive my rudeness you may dance for us again."
She twirled to a stop and then pouted. "All that and you only now notice?" She rolled her eyes. "Men."
Ardeth had to smile. "Please, it is my fault as well, and your dancing is one of the few entertainments I have here that I enjoy."
She smiled a bit more and then walked over to him with a very purposeful saunter and ran her hand along his jaw again. "For you, Medjai, I will dance again."
He flushed just a little and then threw a prayer to Allah for forgiveness and returned the caress. "Then I will enjoy my stay just a little. Are you thirsty?" He offered her the refilled goblet of tea.
"Thank you." She took a long drink and then licked her lips and smiled. "Let me rest a bit, and I will find something that will keep your attention." She giggled and then twirled away and headed out through one of the side doors.
"Well played, Ardeth. Well played. Allah will forgive you I am certain."
"In'sh'allah." He agreed. It was a slight transgression to be sure and it was far preferable to wondering all night when his host might decide to come and watch him sleep.
"More enjoyable for you certainly. I alas, will have to find other entertainment. Your bed is well made, but still, I fear, too small for three."
"Not even if it were to rain in Aswan." He replied cooly.
"As you say."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imhotep stood just outside the curtained balcony and listened to the sounds of his young guest and dancer as they came in the far door form the hall. Ardeth chuckled at something and then was hushed by a long soft kiss as the door closed. He drew the shadows deeper around him and looked in on the pair. "Nefshen, wait, please?" Ardeth asked finally.
"Did you want to make certain your bed is empty?" She teased.
Embarrassment and then amusement. "My brother is kind enough, I think, to find somewhere else to sleep if he was here."
"That is good. I do not desire Nefertiri's husband, or to share the bed with more than just you."
Ardeth flushed just a little. "But you would share it with me?"
A soft laugh and she ran her fingers along his jaw an then traced his lips with one. "Do you doubt it?"
"No. I am only flattered that you would desire it."
"It is I who am flattered. I do not know what gift I have given Bastet that she finds such favor with me tonight." And she kissed him again, soft skin and jewelry sliding across the dark fabric of his robes as she put her arms around him. He had to lean down into the kiss because she was so much shorten than he. Ardeth sighed and one hand came up to slide thorough her long braids, the other resting hesitantly against the small of her back.
"I am not certain it is such a favor." His voice was deeper than Imhotep had heard it before, a little breathlessness behind it.
"No?" She laughed. "Do not try to tell me you do not know how attractive you are. I will not believe you."
A soft sigh but he traced her cheek with gentle fingers. "I am glad you find me so. You are so very beautiful you know."
"I am glad you find me so." She teased back and then ran her hands up across his chest to his shoulders. "Say your name for me again so that I may get it right."
"Ardeth" He rolled the r just a bit.
"Ardeth." She repeated, making it a caress of its own. "What does it mean?"
"It is only the name of a follower of the Prophet." He replied.
She tilted her head to one side and studied him for a moment. "How odd. Ardeth, it is a strange name for you to carry but it suits you." She ran one hand through his hair, freeing a bit more of its curl. "What is this strange world of yours like that you wear so much?" Her fingers stroked down his neck and then continued down his chest. "I will be all night undoing it all."
He laughed, only a little embarrassed now. "That, I can help with."
"Good." She kissed him again, more serious this time and Ardeth's soft groan was a pleasant sound. Nefshen appeared in no true hurry, sliding against him and letting one kiss slip into several, until they were both gasping. Then she backed up, pulling him with her as she swayed, her movements full of all the grace she had in the dance and just as seductive. "You are too tall, Ardeth, to do this on our feet. Come to bed."
And the confusion was a obvious on the young man's face as it was in his thoughts. "On our feet?"
Imhotep chuckled silently to himself. You are so naive my young Medjai. Ammun knows that is almost as intriguing as the rest of you.
Nefshen laughed and the tilted her head to one side, considering the possibilities. "You might have the strength to hold my weight, Ardeth but what if you lose your footing?"
A deeper flush across his cheeks. "I-- would hate to disappoint you Nefshen, but I truly have on idea what you mean."
She looked at him again. "No?"
"No."
"Well then " A teasing smile and she moved back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Lift me up, Ardeth, so that I can kiss you well."
He put his arms around her waist and lifted, then groaned again as she wrapped one leg around his waist and the other around one of his to help the grip and kissed him fully. A long heated sharing of breath as their tongues slid against each other. Imhotep closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the soft sounds almost as much as the image.
"Allah have mercy, Nefshen. I will fall and hurt us both."
She laughed. "So, we shall not try this without all your clothes in the way?" She kept one arm around his neck and the other hand slid down his chest, long fingers spread over his stomach and just teasing for a moment a little lower.
Ardeth groaned, the sound heavier now, somehow darker and sweeter to hear. "Please."
"Bed, Ardeth." Nefshen teased, sliding against him as she lowered her feet to the ground. "Sit." She pulled him around and pushed so that he sat down on the bed. "How do I do this, hmm?" She looked at him for a long moment then smiled and walked the two steps to the bed with a swing of her hips as if she were dancing. It was hard not to chuckle at Ardeth's astonishment as she went to her knees in a slow shimmy to run one hand up each of his boots. "Are you not warm in so much, Ardeth?"
"I do not think it is my clothing that make me warm."
"No?" she smiled. "These feel good." She slid her hands along his boots again to the tops. "But how do I undo them?"
Here." His hands fumbled with hers and he undid the buckles. Imhotep smiled, remembering the feel of doing the same and wishing for a moment that he had, had the luxury of drawing it out as she did before sliding her hands back up Ardeth's legs to his waist. She started to undo his sash but he caught her hands. "You will hurt yourself." He drew his long sword and set it beside the bed, and then placed his other blades on the small chest at the bedside. Nefshen chuckled.
"You are Medjai to the bone are you not, Ardeth? Why keep your weapons so close here in the safety of Thebes?"
A sigh and something like dark amusement. "Habit I suppose. Little good though they will do me here, as you say."
Imhotep smiled at that. It was true enough if not for the reasons Nefshen would be thinking of.
"Any more, swords I should worry about?" She slid her hands up his legs again and then kissed him fully, those long fingers sliding up to caresses him gently through the layers of fabric. "Or only this?"
"Please..." The word was almost too soft to hear.
"Has it been so long, Ardeth? How long have you been at battle then?"
Ardeth flushed again but caught her hands and brought them to his shoulders instead. "You would not believe me if I told you."
"No?" She laughed and then moved to undo his sash with a slow pull. "It is good to know that you share your shield-mate's bed for only sleeping. I would hate for the princess to be angered at you."
"So would I." Ardeth laughed. "It is good to know, that you thought I might be though."
"Really?" She kissed him again. "He is pleasing enough that I could almost be tempted to share you with him." The words were broken up with kisses and then she pushed him back onto the bed and straddled his waist, long dark braids sliding over her breasts and her skirt riding high on her thighs. Ardeth's hands went to her waist and he groaned again as she swung her hips in a slow circle. "But tonight, Ardeth, it is only you and I."
"Then I will be thankful that your gods and mine have given us this."
"So am I." She laughed and repeated the slow circle of her hips. "How do I find my way through all of this?"
"If you.-- do not stop, you will not need to."
She laughed again, a soft silvery sound that made Ardeth laugh with her. But she raised herself up on her knees and looked down at him. "Show me."
And gods but he wanted to give that same order and have it obeyed with such willingness and enjoyment. Ardeth undid the lacing that held his robes closed with a slight awkwardness that was only that much more endearing to Nefshen and Imhotep both. She helped where she could and then shifted back so he could sit up and shrug them off. The moonlight played along strong shoulders and along his back before he laid back down. Nefshen ran her hands down his chest, teasing lightly along his ribs with her nails. "So many tattoos, Ardeth."
"A rite of passage and a testament to faith."
"Do they not hurt?" She traced one along his shoulder.
"Now? No. When they are done? Yes."
She shook her head. "You should not give yourself pain, warrior. There is too much given to us without our consent."
"True enough.. They do not pain me, and your hands feel very good when you trace them."
"Do they?" She smiled and then leaned down and traced the one on his right cheek with her tongue instead before kissing him again. Ardeth whispered something in Arabic that even Imhotep could not understand and pulled her against him. She laughed and raised herself on both arms to look down at him. "Show me the rest."
"Rest of...? Ah." He smiled but there was embarrassment now and shyness. "I need to sit up then."
"Just undo them, Ardeth. I will do the rest." She nibbled at his throat and he arched his back with a hiss that held nothing but pleasure. Imhotep swallowed his own and gave himself a long moment to imagine what the skin tasted like and how that uncontrolled sound of passion would sound right next to his ear. He opened his eyes to see Nefshen slide back off her knees until she stood beside the bed and then drew the dark pants down his legs and onto the floor.
"Nefshen, please."
She laughed that same silvery chuckle and undid the belt that held her dancing skirts in place and let them fall to the floor as well. Ardeth pushed himself onto his hands and watched, enthralled and embarrassed and aroused all at once. Imhotep would have given a great deal to see the look in the young Medjai's eyes at that moment. "Am I so beautiful to look at, Ardeth?" Nefshen whispered.
"Yes."
"Then we are even on this." She licked her lips and then went back to her knees and lowered her head to tease him with her tongue. Ardeth did his best to bite back the cry that evoked but it was a sweet sound none the less. His thoughts slid from Egyptian to Arabic to the language of his tribes and back again as he finally managed to tangle his hands in her braids and pull her away.
"Have mercy-- please?"
Imhotep wondered for a moment if that was for Nefshen or Allah to hear but the young woman laughed and then got to her feet and rolled them both onto the bed, winding up underneath Ardeth's considerable weight on her small frame and not minding a bit. "Kiss me." She commanded again, and the envy was even stronger this time. Gods but he wanted to be in her place. He wondered absently to himself when the teasing had grown to real desire. But it was a flame now that was certain. Nefshen brought Ardeth's head to her breast and he obliged her hesitantly, so obviously uncertain of how to please her. She sighed and then stroked her hands through his hair. "I am not that fragile, harder now." He must have obliged because she arched her back this time and moaned. "More."
Ardeth chuckled just a little, pleased to have found something she enjoyed and raised his head to look at her. "More?"
"Yes, " she sighed. "Again? Please?"
"Yes," he agreed, his voice a low growl now, eyes completely black in the moonlight but the desire undeniable and he lowered his head to her breasts again. Long fingers raked down his back, just short of pain Imhotep guessed from the groan the move pulled from Ardeth. Nefshen pulled one of his hands to between her legs and he stopped his kisses to look down at her in confusion. "What...?"
"Oh Hathor, you can not be as innocent as you would let me believe, can you Ardeth?" Her voice was soft.
Embarrassment now and a flash of regret or shame. "I..."
"Blessed goddess you are. Oh bright lady, what did I do for the gods to grant me this? Come here Ardeth, kiss me."
He did, a long melting slide of tongues his hands in her hair now and her's in his. "I am sorry."
"Sorry? For giving me such a gift of teaching you the joy to be found in this? Take that back." She smiled at him and Imhotep smiled as well, reminding himself to find a very nice gift for her, she could have been very cruel about it instead.
"I-- if you wish. I-- was only worried, I had disappointed you."
"You have made me honored foolish warrior . Now kiss me again, and let me show you how honored I am."
He smiled, a warm soft smile that only made him look so very appealing and then kissed her as she requested, letting her guide him where she would have his lips next. When he returned to her breasts she drew his hand back between her legs and then gasped. "Yes?" He asked, breathless himself now.
"Yes." She laughed and then raised her hips a bit more. "My turn now." And she must have returned the caresses because Ardeth's thoughts went to pure pleasure and he threw his head back with a groan. Nefshen laughed and then pushed him onto his back and found her place above him, sliding down until they were completely joined. Ardeth only choked off another of those cries that roused him further. Nefshen laughed again, that soft chuckle that was so hard not to join in. "Please, tell me, this feels as good for you as for me, Ardeth."
"Oh Allah I hope so." He returned. "Please? More? Something?"
"More." She agreed and twisted her hips as she had earlier and then took his hands and brought them to her breasts. "Like this." She ran her own fingers over his chest. Ardeth whispered something and did so. And then Nefshen froze for a long moment finding her own completion and drawing Ardeth's out of him with a cry that he did not even try to smother.
He stood in the shadows for a very long time as they lay entwined on the bed,
their breathing slowing and an occasional sigh or soft murmur the only sounds.
He smiled to himself, enjoying the unsatisfied burn of desire that coiled in
his stomach. "It may take me another eternity Ardeth but I will have that
with you. Somehow, willing and with only joy. It is a good thing I learned patience
the hard way, Ardeth." And he left his young guest and Nefshen to themselves.
For now, it was just enough to desire something so strongly again.
Fejr:ToC