Akhensenamen takes the tray from the girl, who curtsies and moves away from her. The Queen floows the corridors to her brother-husbands rooms, while the girl rushes of towards the Temple of Amon.
The servant girl throws herself at the feet of the High Priest
"It is done, Lord Merenra."
The High Priest looks at the prostrate form below him. He motions to the burly Priest behind him.
"Take her away, Sobek's Children will be delighted with her."
The girl looks up, blanches and tries to get to her feet to flee. A hand clasped on her arm prevents her.
"My...my lord..." she stutters.
The priest slaps her with the back of his hand.
"Shut up, wench" and drags her with him.
"Time to honour the gods."
"Morning, my love" Akhesenamen greets her brother-husband who she found reading some documents.
"Your breakfast, heart of my heart"
She places the tray on Tut-Ankh-Amun's desk and kneads his shoulders as he breaks his fast.
Sunlight streams through the windows painting many coloured patterns on the floor and walls. A falcon cries high up in the sky as suddenly the light fades.
Pharaoh coughs, chokes.
Daylight turns into night as Tut-Ankh-Amun's body jerks violently.
Falls to the ground, his skull hitting the tiled floors with a cracking sound.
He shudders and grows still.
"Noooooooooo!"
Four burly Egyptian guards blocked them at the entrance to Pharaoh's chamber. Soon they were joined by MRed, Incon and most of the others. Behind the guards through the closed doors loud sobbing could be heard.
"What has happened?" yelled Civis to the Captain of the three other guards.
"Pharaoh is dead," said the Captain.
"Jayhawk?" questioned Civis. Jayhawk's eyes changed colors as he seemed to be staring at an object a great distance away.
"It is true, Civis."
"Can you help?"
"I'm not sure; but I will try." The angel turned to the Captain. "You will let us pass." The angel's eyes flashed gold and crimson.
"But my orders..."
"You will let us pass." The Captain lost courage and permitted the doors to be opened and the Romans to enter.
The room was peopled by Ay, the Royal Physician, The Queen-Sister, Horemheb and the High Priest. The lifeless body of the Pharaoh was lying on his bed.
Horemheb whirled about as soon as he realized who had entered. "How dare you enter the chamber of Pharaoh! You are not welcome here!"
Akhensenamen stifled sobs long enough to react nearly immediately. "They are welcome here as friends as long as I am queen." Horemheb glanced at the Queen and mumbled something under his breath and ceased to protest.
Jayhawk approached the prone Pharaoh. "I have some healing talents which may be of assistance, My Lady; but I don't know if I'm in time." The Royal Physician's face turned red.
"You are no physician, foreigner!" shouted the Royal Physician.
"And you are not a healer of Pharaohs, Royal Physician," retorted Akhensenamen. "I give him my permission."
Jayhawk approached the Pharaoh. He studied his face and seemingly lifeless body. Then Jayhawk's eyes flashed greens and blues, finally ending in a brightening then dulling golden hue. He lowered his eyes, then his head. His eyes moistened though tears did not flow.
"I cannot save him, My Lady. He is beyond my help. I am truly and deeply sorry." The Queen's tears flowed anew.
The Romans returned to their chambers sobered by the morning's events.
"Why couldn't you save him, Jayhawk? You have saved many of us on other occasions," asked a confused Civis.
"Because, Civis, I have the power to heal any wound or malfunction of the body. But I cannot extract an unnatural substance. If I were to bring him to life he would only die once more from the substance that invaded him. Civis, Pharaoh was poisoned. He did not die from a head wound. He was dead before he fell. He was murdered.
"Poison! But the Queen, did she...?"
"No, Civis, it was not the Queen. The other Egyptians in Pharaoh's chamber know the answer.
____________________________________________
-Civis Romanus
Ay stepped regally onto the stone promotory point to address the people of Thebes. The High Priest stood before him. Horemheb stood behind him. The Priest spoke first.
"People of Amun-Ra, Children of the Nile...By the word of the all powerful, all knowing gods of Egypt, Ay has been named and accepted among them. He shall be Pharaoh in place of Tut-Ankh-Amun, who shall travel now in the glorious afterlife! All honor and obedience unto Ay!" The people voiced their pledge to Ay.
Horemheb stepped forward. "The Great and Powerful Army of Egypt pledges itself to the glory of Egypt and Ay, its Pharaoh!" Again, the people cheered.
Ay sat in the throne of Egypt, carried to the point for this purpose. "People of Egypt," began Ay. "For these three days we shall celebrate the passing into a glorious afterlife of the god, Tut-Ankh-Amun. On the third day he shall be placed in his tomb with the vessels he shall need for his journey. By the powers of Pharaoh given to me by the gods I declare the next three days, days of rest and celebration for all Egyptians."
________________________________________
It was rest indeed for most Egyptians, but not all. Stone carvers and masons were busy finishing the dead Pharaoh's tomb. His death came so unexpectedly it was hardly finished. Goldsmiths and jewelers too worked hours without rest to create the adornments appropriate for a soon to be entombed Pharaoh.
It can be said of Ay that his knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the death of Tut-Ankh-Amun did not sway him from ensuring the former boy-king was well prepared for his journey. He did have affection for the boy and was saddened that Amun-Ra had decided to take him at so young and tender an age.
_________________________________________
The long procession had snaked its way into what later would be called the Valley of the Kings. The properly dessicated mummy of the boy-king had been carried the distance in its intricately fabricated gold and bejeweled inner coffin. His death mask was hidden beneath the lid of the inner coffin. Slaves staggered under the combined weight of the coffin of Pharaoh and its content.
The hot desert sun burned and blistered men attempting to lower the coffin into the opening. The only respite for slaves inside was the coolness of the passageways and the inner chamber. At last the inner coffin of Tut-Ankh-Amun was laid in the stone sarcophagus that would be its final resting place.
Akhensenamen was the last to see the magnificent inner coffin as she placed a bouquet of purple flowers mingled with salty tears on the breast of the bejeweled image of her Husband-brother. The stone lid of the sarcophagus was lowered into place. The tomb was sealed from within and without. Tut-Ankh-Amun began his final journey.
________________________________________
"My Queen..." A voice called to Akhnensenamen. "A word with you please." It was the Egyptian girl who brought the drink each day from the Priest.
"Yes, speak," replied the Queen.
"My Queen, a terrible wrong has been done. The King, your brother, was poisoned. The High Priest bade me to bring him the potion from the Royal Physician. The High Priest poured it into the goblet I brought to you. He told me it would make the King great among the gods and I would be chosen to become a priestess because I did the work of the gods. It was a lie...My Queen, I am so ashamed." The girl began to cry uncontrollably.
"Cease your crying, you will bring the guards, girl! Now tell me, was the Priest and the Royal Physician the only man involved?"
"No, My Queen *sniff* I overheard the names of Horemheb *sniff* and Ay.
"Go. Say nothing of this to anyone and you shall live."
The girl quickly rose to her feet, then hesitated. "My Queen, one more thing. I saw the place where the Royal Physician keeps the potion. Would you wish to know the place?"
"Yes," answered Akhensenamen.
________________________________________
In Pharaoh's chamber Ay paced back and forth. Horemheb stood by waiting for Pharaoh's decision. The Royal Physician was sitting on a chair waiting as well.
Ay stopped pacing, "Alright Horemheb, arrest the foreigners now, but do not kill them. Understand?"
"Yes Pharaoh, by your command." Horemheb left the room, a smirk forming on his face and his mind focussing on the chess game of royal accession.
"Pharaoh Ay, may I know when Akhensenamen will be mine to claim?" asked Imhotep.
Imhotep disgusted Ay. Healer turned murderer, Ay thought, you are not worthy of her. But to Imhotep he said, "My consort shall be named Queen today. Akhensenamen shall be yours tomorrow, for then she shall no longer be queen and can be given freely to anyone of my choosing.
"Accepted, my Pharaoh!" But Imhotep couldn't mask the foulness of his mind behind the false image portrayed on his face. As Imhotep left the room, Ay sensed the growing evil surrounding the man who claimed to be a healer.
_____________________________________
-Civis Romanus
Ay couldn't withstand their fury. "Easy woman. They are alive. I have had them arrested. They are in Thebes' prison."
"Release them!" she cried out.
"I cannot. Horemheb would not allow it."
"Are you not Pharaoh, Ay?"
"In most things, yes. But not in this. You would not understand."
"You would be surprised what I understand, Ay," said Ankhensenamen bitterly as she turned to leave Ay's chamber. "You didn't even have the decency to permit a ceremony before you handed me off to Imhotep. Shame on you, Ay. Shame on all of Egypt."
______________________________________________
Later that evening...
Imhotep reclined on the extended seat in his chamber, Ankhensenamen in attendance. The gauzilly opaque gown she wore intrigued the man and kept his attention focussed.
"A drink, my lord?" asked the former queen innocently.
"Yes...You are uncommonly kind this evening...why?" he asked curiousity piqued.
"It is better to be happy with one's fate than to protest needlessly. The gods dictate I should be here with you and I accept that," she replied pleasantly. "Here is your drink."
Imhotep absent mindedly took the goblet into his hands and downed its contents without further thought. He didn't notice the odd taste until after the goblet was empty.
"What was that, Ankhensenamen?"
"An elixir of life and freedom."
"How thoughtful of you consort, to bring that to me."
"The elixir was for you, life and freedom is for me," she replied with a twisted grin.
A burning feeling began in his stomach. Imhotep's vision began to blur, his throat to close and his speech to slur.
"What have you done to me woman?!"
"What you deserved, killer of Pharaoh...a voyage of your own begun the same way you began my husband-brother's voyage. But there will be no tomb for you, Imhotep. You are not Pharaoh, nor will you ever be!"
Imhotep tried to rise to his feet, staggered and collapsed onto the floor. He couldn't breathe and could barely speak. He grabbed onto the edge of a cabinet on which rested a large ring with the image of a scarab engraved on its face. With the last of his energy he grasped the ring and placed it on his finger. "I am not through with you, woman. You will feel my revenge and know it is Imhotep who punishes you!" He glanced down at the ring, smiled one last evil smile and collapsed to the floor in silent spasms. Then he moved no more.
The figure of a female servant entered from behind a thick curtain. It was the girl spurned by the High Priest. "My Queen, the passageway is clear. We can enter the prison. There are guards still loyal to you. They will help."
"I will change clothes and we will make our way there immediately."
_____________________________________________
At an oasis outside of Thebes:
"Hello young man and young lady. Who are you?"
"My name is Ramesses and this is Nephisis, my friend."
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"Pharaoh wants me dead," the boy answered. The girl said nothing. "Who are you?"
"Oh, my name is Titanicus. Jayhawk told me about you and your friend (Titanicus winked at Ramesses). She's very pretty." The young girl blushed a brilliant pink. "I'm here to rescue them...and you...Where are they?"
"In Thebes' prison, sir."
"A minor inconvenience...Now, young man...take her hand and do what I tell you to do..." Titanicus instructed them in what they were to do. A brilliant flash of light followed and both children disappeared. Titanicus then created a floating shimmering opening in the air and deftly stepped into it leaving the oasis behind.
_____________________________________________
-Civis Romanus
Meanwhile in the Thebes prison.
"Why are you just sitting there? Can't you do something?"
Civis paced the sell in a very bad temper. Incontinentia was worrying about Tusky. The other were subdued, but more sad because of the demise of the young pharaoh than for being locked up.
It had happened before and they had always managed to get out of harms way.
"Relax, Civis, just relax"
The angel smiled at his Roman friend.
"All will work out"
Just then a noise was heard at the cells door. Shortly afterwards it creaked open and the silhouette of Akhensenamen could be seen. The young servant, Meri-isis, close behind her.
"My Queen?" Civis flashed a confused look at the angel.
The young queen rushed into the room and threw herself into Jayhawk's arms and started crying. He wrapped his sable wings around her in comfort.
"Oh, hurry, quickly." Meri-isis whispered from the door opening.
"Oh, I think I can hear them coming, please hurry...."
"Lord Horemheb, she's here!"
A harsh voice sounded from the darkness.
She fled inside the cell.
Civis hand reached for a sword that was no longer there. Meri-isis at his side he faced the Egyptian General.
"You won't get a way with this, you know?"
The General laughed, a sound as harsh as the desert.
"I will. Oh, I will. Only Ay is between me and the Throne of the Two Lands and he is a weak reed at best.
Commend yourself to your gods, stranger. Death is yours and the Devourer of Souls is going to gorge herself on foreigners."
Suddenly a light started to pulse from the wall next to where Horemheb was standing. A hole appeared and a young man stepped though.
"Titanicus!" Civis almost shouted.
"Welcome, young mage. I see you got my message."
Horemheb started for his sword, but a quick spell from Titanicus froze him and his guards in their place.
"Hurry, " he said "the portal will lead you back to our own time and age. It won't stay open for ever though."
"Tusky..." Incontinentia sounded panicky.
"Don't worry, Incon, Titanicus already took care of him."
The young mage smiled as Incontinetia's brightened like the sun.
Jayhawk unwrapped himself from the queen's embrace and gently pushed her towards Civis.
"Follow, Civis, my Queen."
As the last of the travellers disappeard through the rapidly diminishing hole, Jayhawk turned to Horemheb.
The general's face was livid with anger. The angel's eyes flashed and turned a coppery hue.
"Know that you are cursed.
For killing a child no child will spring of your loins.
No child will carry your name.
No child will brighten your old age.
You will wither away in loneliness, yoor rule, but the rule of one."
Jayhawk closed his eyes and together with Titanicus hole, disappeard.
------------------
Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of Eternity, King of the Gods, whose names are manifold, whose forms are holy, thou being of hidden form in the temples, whose Ka is holy."
-- Book of the Dead (1240 BC)
______________________________________________
They stepped out of the shimmering opening in space and time into the courtyard of the Governor's Palace in Thebes in the age of Pax Romana, the opening quickly closing behind them. Tusky waited for them. Also present were Ramesses and Nephisis.
Incontinentia rushed to the side of her favored elephant. "Did you miss me, boozy woozy," she cooed in her own inimitable way. The elephant gleefully absorbed it with a pachyderm's typical acknowledgement. His trunk was wrapped gently around Incon's shoulder.
Titanicus smiled at the group. "Just in time, my friends?"
"As usual, Sorceror; and most welcome. Thank you," responded Civis as he grasped the arms of his friend in the typical Roman greeting. "But we have some work yet to do."
"That is true; transport back to your homes."
"Yes," acknowledged Civis. "But there is more. We must assist the two young ones, and provide for Akhensenamen and Meri-isis. Then the last of us can be transported."
"Understood, Civis," replied Titanicus. The Sorceror went to work. Et Flavius, the first to be transported, returned to his forested home in the quiet highlands where the brewing of beer had become a fine art. MRed, mouse, Ankhy and the others all departed in turn. Left now were Incon and Tusky, the Egyptians, Civis and the angel (who needed no such help).
"Your pleasure, Governor?" inquired Titanicus.
"Brittania, of course. I hope I haven't missed the annual Lambada Festival!"
"By your command, Incon, and a pleasant arrival," said Titanicus. Incon and BT disappeared almost immediately. "Now for the youngsters. Civis, in my travels I have encountered an Egyptian family of good means who are childless and would welcome these two. They know me from years past. I can transport the children back in time a few years. If I do, the children will be of majority age by this time next year. But I think they must not actively remember these events or they will become disoriented."
Jayhawk spoke for the first time since arriving in Pax Romana. "Titanicus is correct, Civis. The children must not have memory of these events for a time. I can arrange this before they are taken to their new home."
"So be it," responded Civis, trusting to the angel's judgement. "And Ankhensenamen?"
"The ladies will be in my care. I will provide for them until they are established," replied Jayhawk.
"Then I will take my leave, Titanicus. All seems to be right and in good hands."
"Until we meet again, Civis..." were the last words he heard from Titanicus before a dizzying, pulsing sensation of lightness enveloped him and Civis found himself once again in his villa near Roma.
There, by the fountain, sat his consort, quietly reading from a scroll. "Apolita, I am back."
A little startled, the young woman dropped her scroll and cried out, "Civis!" Then she leaped to her feet, rushed to the warrior, grasped him in a hug and covered his face with kisses. Civis melted as usual.
When the onslaught of kisses stopped, Apolita looked at Civis' somewhat weathered and careworn face. "Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yes, all is well, except for one thing."
"What is that, my love?" she wondered.
Ever the warrior, Civis replied. "I lost my sword again."
And finally, back in the city of Thebes of Pax Romana...
___________________________________________
-Civis Romanus
Ankhensenamen and Meri-isis were properly situated with Roman families known to Caesar and above suspicion when matters of loyalty were involved. Their guardians were part of the inner circle of the Province of Aegyptus and had their fingers tightly pressed on the provincial pulse. Suffice it to say, these guardians of the two young women knew more about the Governor of Aegyptus than the Governor knew about them...and Caesar wanted it that way.
Jayhawk was ill at ease as he stood just outside the portal of the villa where he had completed a final check on the well being of the two women. He knew they were safe and would be well cared for, but he had the odd feeling that this safety was fleeting in the far future.
On a wavelength only a seraph could sense,Jayhawk felt a disturbing vibration, as if great evil was slowly growing. His 'Vision' brought blurry scenes of adventure, conflict and the growth of an immense evil that burrowed ever closer under the Aegyptus sand. The evil he saw had a voice, a name and an origin. The voice today could barely be heard but would be heard with increasing volume in the future: The Vision changed to a view of the Valley of the Kings. A common grave could be seen near a sandstone boulder with heiroglyphics carved into its surface. In the grave lay a hastily mummified man bearing a single article of jewelry, a heavy ring on his finger with the image of a scarab carved into its stone. There was something amiss about the mummy...the corpse was not dead... Suddenly Jayhawk's Vision snapped back to the here and now. In a twinkle, the angel disappeared. Jayhawk was enroute once again to a pleasant villa near the great city of Roma to visit a friend.
BY...THE...RING...AND...ITS...POWER... I...IMHOTEP...WILL...HAVE...MY...REVENGE.
"Well," said the Seraph. "I wonder if good old Civis Romanus is in the mood for another adventure. After all...
It's only been a few days since the last one!"
As for the next story...just keep your eyes on this forum ------------------
Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of Eternity, King of the Gods, whose names are manifold, whose forms are holy, thou being of hidden form in the temples, whose Ka is holy."
-- Book of the Dead (1240 BC)
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