THE PROPHECY OF ANU-RA

Author: Wendy shywalk@origin.net.au

Part one

{Egypt; Secret location of the Med-Jai}

"NO, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE!" A fist slammed onto the table as its owner leapt to his feet. "He is a treasure hunter, an adventurer. He is not the ‘Wahid’<one> we seek," the grey-whiskered Med-jai announced with all confidence.

Ardeth Bay sat in silence, listening closely as his fellow chieftain’s argued the merits of the link of the ‘Prophecy’ to his friend Rick O’Connell.

"But Asim, he has shown his worth many times. He has saved us, not only at Hamunaptra, but at Ahm Shere," another Med-jai quickly defended.

"And you forget Hamadi, he and his wife were also part of the cause of both resurrections. In their lust for wealth and knowledge that did not belong to them, they sought out the elements of our destruction."

"And you too forget Asim," Ardeth’s voice was soft, but broke no argument as he rose to his feet. "That he bears the mark of the Med-jai. He ‘is’ Med-jai and so will be spoken of with respect."

Asim acknowledge his rebuke with a respectful bow, "I am sorry, Ardeth. You are right."

Ardeth bowed back as he glanced at each Med-jai leader in turn, "We can argue for many sunrises and sunsets about Rick O’Connell’s 'true' heritage, but we cannot argue his heart. He has proven himself many times worthy of the title Med-jai. But that aside, what we do know for certain and one of the reasons we are meeting this way, is that the Anu-Ra have heard whisperings of the man who not only defeated 'He shall not be named' twice, but challenged the Scorpion King and won. It will be their duty to hunt O’Connell down and kill him. It is ‘our’ duty whether he is the ‘Wahid’ or not, to make sure that does not happen."

"Is he not safe where he is, in London with his family?" Hamadi asked.

"The mortal army of Anubis has a long and powerful reach. Rick O’Connell will not be safe anywhere."

Closing the book that she had been only half-heartedly reading, Evelyn O’Connell glanced over the balcony at her family below. While watching the heart-warming scene of a father and son playing chess by the fireplace, Evelyn could see even from second floor library, that Rick’s mind was not on the game. In fact, she doubted her husband’s mind was even in the same country, let alone the same room as his family.

After destroying Imhotep for the second and hopefully last time and returning to London, Evelyn had seen a pensive change in her husband. And she had grown tired of ignoring it. It was time talk to Rick about it.

"Alex, why don’t you go and see what Uncle Jonathan is doing?"

Evelyn called to her son as she made her way the stairway.

"Checkmate!" Alex grinned at his father as he pushed himself to his feet and scampered toward his mother.

Abruptly brought back to the present by his son’s winning cheer, Rick looked up in time to see Alex run toward the staircase to greet his mother. Watching as Evelyn stooped to talk to her son, Rick suddenly shuddered as if someone had just walked over his grave. All his fears and memories suddenly assaulted him and he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of how close he had come to loosing his family. Quickly jumping to his feet, Rick looked away from his fears and resting both arms on the mantle piece, stared into the flickering flames below.

"Rick?"

How he loved that voice. As he had stared down at her beautiful face, so deathly still and silent, at Ahm Shere, Rick had thought he was never going to hear her voice again. Pushing his fears back down, Rick forced a smile to appear as he turned to his wife. "I’m never going to win you know. You feel somewhat inadequate when your own eight year old son beats you at Chess."

"He’ll be nine next month and you will never be ‘inadequate’ in our eyes," Evelyn smiled as she slid into her husband’s arms, burying herself into his chest.

"Yeah, but you're biased. Save a woman from Mummies and Scorpion Kings and she thinks you can save the world."

The small tremor in his husband’s body didn’t go unnoticed by Evelyn as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "You did….twice," she joked back, her frown of concern hidden against his chest.

"I didn’t do it alone, Evie. Anyway that’s all over now," Rick said as he kissed the top of her head and moved away.

"Is it?" Evie asked as she watched her husband go back to watching the fire. "You know we have never really talked about what Ardeth said…."

"I don’t care what Ardeth said," Rick snapped. Realizing he was talking his frustration out on his wife, he turned around and smiled in an attempt to alleviate her concerns. "It’s a tattoo Evie, that’s all it is and ever will be. Someone’s idea of a big joke and it was on me, so let’s drop it, okay?"

"I would," Evelyn conceded, "But I know this is eating you up inside. You haven’t been the same since we got home."

"Of course I’m not the same Evie," Rick smile had long disappeared as he managed to choke out his pain. "I nearly lost my son and I did lose you."

"Alex is alive, you saved him and I’m right here," Evelyn implored Rick to see the bright side.

"You were ‘dead’ Evie," Rick stated as ran his trembling fingers through her hair. "If it wasn’t for Alex and Jonathan……God, you were dead," he cried as he hand dropped away from her hair.

Reaching out for the receding arm, Evelyn pressed the palm of Rick’s hand to her chest so that he could feel the vibration of her pulsing heartbeat. "I’m alive Rick. It doesn’t matter how, who, or why. I’m alive. We’re alive." She whispered as she proved her point and captured Rick’s lips with her own.

{Egypt; Cairo}

"We now know it to be true, Ubaid."

"I can't be, yet…." Ubaid Ammon cursed as he rued the realization of the prophecy. Long flowing red robes swirled around as the Anu-Ra leader paced the floor. "Where is this…. 'Wahid' now?"

"He has gone back to his country. Why not just leave him there?" Husani asked.

Ubaid fingered the tattoo of Ra, his Lord and master that adorned his right cheek, "Because he will not stay there. Ardeth Bay and the Med-jai will seek him out and protect him as they did twenty-eight years ago. The Anu-Ra has failed once to kill this 'Wahid', we must not fail again."

Part two

Professor Percival Marsden burrowed through the pile of newspapers that cluttered his already overly burdened desk. He chose one of the papers, only to narrow his eyes with contempt and toss the periodical aside. One by one the publications were picked up and dismissed with critical regard.

"Disreputable rags!" He exclaimed as he tossed another newspaper into the wicker wastepaper basket that was now filled to overflowing. "Live Mummies running amok in London. I've never read anything so ridiculous in my life."

"Yet, they're all reporting the same occurrences, Professor," Chander Sahir, Marsden's Indian manservant pointed out as he agitated the dwindling fire with a iron poker. "Can they all be so wrong?"

"Don't tell me you still believe in this sort of cheap deceit, Sahir? I thought I educated out that 'feeble minded Indian' part of you," The Professor said, dismissing his manservant's opinions. "This was all designed to sell newspapers, and garner some undeserved attention to adventurers that profess to be archeologists. If it weren't for that insipid woman and her colonial husband, archeology now wouldn't be suffering under tainted the brush of this mad 'histrionics'. The O'Connells are at the center of this charade, I'll bet my thirty-five-year old archeological reputation on it," he blustered, swiping the clutter from his desktop with one wide swoop of his arm.

Accustomed to his master's brusque manner, Sahir nodded his agreement and continued to refuel the fire by adding another log.

"Pack our bags, Sahir," Marsden ordered.

"And where are we going, sir, if I may ask?" Sahir turned and bowed submissively.

"No matter what I think of the O'Connells and their part in this bizarre hysteria, they have come back from Egypt with some magnificent finds. Artifacts way out of the reach of some damn American and his bookish wife. No, there is more to this couple than meets the eye and I plan to find out exactly what that is." Marsden promised as he made his way over to lounge chair, "oh, and Sahir."

"Yes, sir."

"Clean that mess up will you," Marsden gestured off-handily to the mess on the floor.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Mum! Mum!" Alex excitedly called.

Enjoying the afternoon sun, Evelyn slipped the glasses off her face, and looked up from the book that she had been reading, to see her son pulling excitedly on Ardeth Bay's hand. The Med-jai Chieftain was just as she last saw him, though he was now minus the wounds incurred in battling Imhotep and his minions. Draped in his usual black and adorned silver robes, he was a striking looking man. His shoulder length black hair framing the tattooed features that cast him without doubt as Med-jai.

"Ardeth, what a surprise, what are you doing here?" Smiling, but silently curious, Evelyn rose to her feet and went to greet her now, old friend. "Alex, let Ardeth's hand go before you pull his arm out of his socket," she gently chided her son.

"Evelyn, how are you?" Ardeth bowed respectfully as Alex reluctantly released his hand.

"Fine, fine and you?" Evelyn excused herself and turned her attention to her son for a moment, "Alex, go and find your father for me. Don't tell him why I want him. We'll surprise him." She winked, before turning back to Ardeth. "You seemed recovered from our last adventure," she said as she gestured for Ardeth to take a seat.

"Well, not that I will be in a hurry to take another London bus. I think once is enough for any Med-jai warrior," Ardeth lightly bantered as he accepted the seat, while keeping his eyes on the surrounding gardens.

Evelyn followed Ardeth's line and sight and began to worry that the Chieftain was expecting unwelcome visitors, "Um, Ardeth, you aren't expecting anyone 'else' are you?" She frowned slightly. "Not to be rude, but just why are you here?"

Ardeth's answer was cut short as a concerned voice interrupted.

"What's on fire?" Rick called out as he followed his son's frantic, but garbled message.

"Alex!" Evelyn admonished her son as jumped up from her chair, "What on earth did you tell your father?"

Alex stopped in his tracks, looking puzzled at his mother's reaction, "Well you wanted him to be a surprise," the youngster defended as he pointed to visitor sitting with his back to them.

Even from behind, Rick recognized the features of the Med-jai warrior and his hand subconsciously began rubbing the leather bracelet on his right wrist. "What are you doing here?" He managed to voice as he watched Ardeth stand and turn to face him.

"We must talk," Ardeth simply said.

Part three

"We must talk."

"We must not," Rick echoed Ardeth's words as his eyes darted around the grounds searching out any signs of danger. "The minute you and I get together, someone usually ends up bleeding."

"Rick! You know Ardeth wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." Reproaching her husband's tone, Evelyn turned to Alex and started to guide her son into the house. "Let's go and see if we can get Uncle Jonathan out of bed, shall we, Alex?"

"Every time there's something interesting to listen to I've gotta go and look for Uncle Jonathan," Alex complained. As he saw it, he had faced as much danger as the adults had; and anyway, he just hated being left out of everything.

"Tough!" Evelyn grinned as she prodded Alex forwarded with a gentle hand on his back.

With both O'Connell men duly castigated, Rick shot the Med-jai warrior an impatient look, before like his son, reluctantly ceding to his wife's wishes. "Well, you heard my wife, start talking."

Ardeth had known before making to the trip to London, that Rick's American upbringing coupled with his unwillingness to face his past, was always going to be a stumbling block to making his friend believe. "But will you listen, allowing yourself to hear?" He asked softly.

"I'll listen," Rick said. "Though I don't make any promises on the hearing part of the deal."

Accepting Rick's compromise, Ardeth gestured for Rick to walk with him, as he began to recount the story of the Prophecy to the adverse listener. "For many generations the Med-jai have been told of the 'Wahid', the one of two tribes, born at the sign of two moons, who would grow to manhood and save the world. Three times he will be challenged and three times he will succeed."

"Great story," Rick said dryly. "But what's that got to do with me." His eyebrows arched up and he looked at Ardeth in disbelief, "You 'are' kidding me? You don't actually think I'm this….'Wahid' person do you? You're nuts!"

"Listen, please," Ardeth pleaded with Rick. " The Anu-Ra lived in fear of what the birth of this child would mean to their future plans for resurrecting the underworld. In the first year of the Prophecy many Med-jai warriors were killed trying to protect their children, often failing in their attempts. We lost many good men. My father, himself a Chieftain, gave up his life to save mine."

Rick stunned look gave way to compassion, sighing he shook his head, "I'm sorry about your father, Ardeth, I really am, but even if you are 'right' about me being this 'Wahid' person, which you're not, but even if you were right, we can't prove any of it. I don't know who I am, who my parents were. I don't where I was born other than in Egypt somewhere. I don't even know how I came to be at the orphanage in the first place."

"Then you must come back with me and we must find out the truth," Ardeth suggested.

"Go back? Why should I go back?" Rick asked as he frustratingly ran a hand through his unruly fringe.

"Because 'Wahid' or not, the Anu-Ra already know about you and as you have already seen, the underworld has long fingers, even here in London."

Startled by the news, Rick's head whipped around as he look toward the house, "Evy," he whispered fearfully. He had lost his wife once, he couldn't bear to lose her, or Alex again.

"You all must come with me. The Med-jai will pay with their lives to keep your family safe," Ardeth promised before firmly grasping wrist, Rick's fingers covering the brown leather bracelet that hid the adventurer's Med-jai tattoo from the world. "No matter how much you try and hide yourself, you are Med-jai and you know you need to know the truth."

Part four

The dock was busy. Passengers rushing to catch their steamers scrambled to dodge grime-covered workers in the middle of off loading cargo. All the while Professor Marsden sat in his handsome cab twisting his upright, silver, eagle-head cane in his hands, as he watched the chaotic scenes before him.

Sahir coughed into his hand to excuse his intrusion, "Excuse me, Professor Marsden, sir."

"What did you find out?" Marsden asked, barely acknowledging his manservant.

"I have found out that the O'Connells, including their son Alex, Mrs. O'Connell's brother, a Jonathan Carnahan and a unnamed man have booked passage on the four o'clock steamer."

"Destination?"

"Cairo, sir."

"And this stranger, what does he look like?"

"He is not from here, sir. He is very impressive looking. Carries himself with much dignity."

"Damn it man, a description of his looks, what does he look like?" Marsden snapped as he glared at Sahir from inside the cab.

"Pardon," Sahir bowed, keeping his eyes lowered as he had been taught.

"He dresses in a black garb, somewhat Arab in appearance, with intricate silver adornments on the cloth. His is marked in an unusual fashion, he…."

"Tattoos on the face and hands," Marsden looked lost in thought as he added to Sahir's information. "Med-jai."

"You know this man, sir?"

"No, but I know of his kind. So, we now have two pieces of a very intriguing puzzle." Reaching into his jacket, Marsden retrieved a wad of pound notes and leafing through the contents, pealed off a large amount of money. "Book passage on the same steamer for us, state room for me of course."

"As you wish, sir," Sahir took the money and backed away to book the passage.

===========================================

"So, Ardeth, about this 'Wahid' business, any money offerings, or gold deities involved for our man Rick?" Jonathan excitedly asked the Med-jai chieftain as they packed the car for their trip.

"No," Ardeth replied slightly amused with Jonathan's preoccupation for riches.

"No lost cities of treasures, or scepters of gold?" Jonathan was rapidly losing hope of finding anything of value on this trip.

"No."

"What about…."

"No."

"No, Jeweled…."

"No, sorry." Ardeth shrugged as he moved to help Evelyn with one of her bags.

"No gold idols, no jewels, no golden scepters." Jonathan whined as he leaned casually against the car watching the others pack the bags. "What is archeology coming to when a man can't make a decent leaving out of the dead."

"Dead is what you'll be if you don't start helping us pack," Rick warned his brother in law as he threw a carpetbag at the unprepared man stomach.

As air escaped Jonathan's lean form, he smiled through clench teeth as he pried the bag from what he was sure, was a dented stomach. "Right, as you say, many hands and all that."

Part five

Unable to sleep, and wondering what the Hell he was doing returning to Egypt, Rick stood at the starboard end of the steamer, watching the night sky. He had so many questions. Questions about who his parent's were, his past, yet the adventurer couldn't hide the fact that he wasn't sure he was quite ready to hear the answers.

Slipping off his leather band that he used to cover his marked wrist, he fingered the lines of the tattoo. Barely visible under the night sky, Rick didn't need to see it, he knew each line of the brand by heart and as he traced its course, he pondered the secrets it continued to hold for him.

"What are you afraid of?" A soft asked from behind him.

About to replace the band, his wife's hand reached out to stop him.

"Why hide who you are, Rick," she said as she gentle took hold of Rick's arm, her thumbs gently caressing the tattoo.

"Because you were right, I am scared," Rick answered, looking away as he eased his arm from his wife's tender grasp and continued to restore the leather band to his wrist. "I'm scared that you, Alex and Jonathan are in danger because of me and this stupid mark."

"That 'stupid mark' as you call it, is part of who you are." Evy gently rebuked her husband as she placed her hand on his cheek and guided his full attention back to her, "and that's why we're here. It's not because of any danger that we might be in back home; it's because you have to do this and we need to be with you. Rick, everyone has a right to know who they were, who they are."

Rick smiled as he pulled Evy in close, savoring the feel of her body, "Even if it means they used to be an Egyptian princess?"

Smiling back, Evy snuggled into her husband's chest, "Even if it means they are the prophesied 'Wahid'."

Wrapping his arms tightly around his wife, Rick breathed in the scent of hair and unseen by Evelyn her husband's smile faded.

========================================

Having received word that Ardeth Bay had indeed left for London as predicted, Ubaid Amen pondered on his next move as he sat, cleaning his sword. Even after all these years, he still marveled at the intricate jackal design that had been carved into the hilt and had never once tired looking at it. When the blade was in his hands, it felt like Ra, himself had picked him to wield his power.

Holding the weapon to the air, Ubaid watched the light reflect over the steel curves and wondered how many lives its razor sharp blade had taken. He knew of the many that his grandfather and father had taken, but one in particular came to mind as he hoped soon to add the son of Aswad Bay to the sword's history.

Many times the sword had tasted just mere drops of Ardeth's blood, but with the talk of the 'Wahid', he hoped that it would soon be able to feast. The Med-jai chieftain had always been a formidable enemy in their confrontations, an enemy worthy of an Anu-Ra leader. He was looking forward to taking Bay's head, before destroying the 'Wahid' once and for all.

===============================================

Asking for a little more time alone on deck, Rick kissed his wife goodnight, watching her until she disappeared into the doorway that lead to the cabins. But it wasn't long until he felt another presence.

"How long were you going to stand there?" Rick asked the man who had emerged from the shadows.

"Until you were ready to speak," Ardeth replied.

"Then you could be waiting a long time."

"I can wait," the Med-jai answered as he started to step back into the darkness from where he came.

"She agrees with you, you know," Rick nodded in the direction that Evy had just gone.

"This does not surprise me, does it you?"

"With Evy, nothing surprises me." The half-hearted smile dying on his lips as he stared out over the ocean. "Do you really believe that I am a Knights Templar….. this 'Wahid' that you think I am?"

Ardeth followed Rick's line of sight, mindful of saying too much too soon. "The first time I saw you up close, that first night; the night we faced each other weapon to weapon, I knew there was something about you. After all, I let you live didn't I?"

"Hang on a minute, 'You' let me live?" Rick was quickly roused from his deep thoughts, by the Chieftain's claim. "If memory me serves right, the lit stick of dynamite that I held in my hands had something to say about who was leaving that night."

"And the sword in my hands said I would leave on my terms," Ardeth smiled as he bantered back at the adventurer.

"Ah, yes, but by that time I had already shot a 'sword' out of your hands once already."

"True, yet, I had used that same sword to dislodge your gun from your hands moments after."

"Okay, so that brings us back to the dynamite………….

Part six

With Alex back with his sister Evelyn, Jonathan thought he would take a stroll along the deck and see if there were any patsies-- gentleman willing to join him a hand of cards. After all, if this trip was not going to garner him anything of monetary value, then a man had to make some extra money any way he could.

Jonathan had to admit his wealth, or more to the point, his lack of it was still a sore spot for the archeologist-come adventurer. Having risked his life to secure the massive gold and diamond encrusted jewel off the top of the quickly imploding pyramid of Amn Shere; he was more than irritated on their return to London, when he had been ordered to hand the jewel over to the authorities.

It hadn't mattered to British government that it was 'he' that had risked life and limb as he hung upside down from that flying death trap Izzy laughingly called a dirigible as the world of Ahm Shere was sucked back from whence it came. Nor did it matter to them that ownership was nine tenths of the law, or as he liked to think of it, finders keepers. No, all that had seemed to matter was that they had been seen to be instrumental in the near destruction of the British Museum, bullet hole damage in countless street building and the sabotage of one double-decker bus.

The fact that the curator of the Museum was still missing and might have had a hand in the devastation, was neither here nor there to the administrators of the Museum and the O'Connells and Jonathan were quickly found accountable. The price for that accountability? The donation of one priceless artifact; the Jewel of Ahm Shere. Now he was down to prowling ship decks for a card game to add to his rapidly depleting coffers.

After completing a near full turn of the deck, Jonathan had given up finding anyone still awake, let alone up for a game of chance and was about to head back to his room.

"Excuse me sir, are you Jonathan Carnahan?"

Jonathan turned to see a man with salt and pepper hair, puffing away on pipe as he sat casually at a deck table.

"Yes, I am, have we met?" <And do I owe you money? > Jonathan thought, frowning as he tried to place the face.

The stranger placed his pipe on an ashtray as he rose to his feet, offering an outstretched hand to the puzzled man. "No, we haven't had the pleasure, but I know you by reputation. Please let me offer you a drink."

Jonathan was never one to refuse a drink and especially a drink offered from an opened bottle of the finest malt whiskey that he had seen in a long time. "Thank you, Mr…."

"Oh, sorry. Marsden, Professor Percival Marsden, Mr. Carnahan," the professor present himself as he gestured to an empty chair. "Please, take a seat."

Nodding, Jonathan sat down, licking his lips as he eyed the whisky.

"I must say that it is an honor it is met you at last. After everything I have read about you, I feel like I am in auspicious company." Marsden smiled as he reached into the bag on the deck beside him and pull out another glass. "Oh," he smiled indicating the glass. "I always come prepared for company. I see it as a sign of good breeding."

"Indeed," Jonathan agreed as lifted the now filled glass and proposed a toast. "To the voyage."

"To the voyage," Marsden return the toast before taking a sip from the glass.

"So, you've heard of me?" Jonathan had to admit to himself that he found it somewhat of a boost to his ego that someone knew who he was. Ever since they had returned from Hamunaptra over ten years ago, it was Evelyn that had been lauded as the serious archeologists, while he was seen as a playboy who only job was to entertain at parties with wild stories of walking mummies. Not that he didn't like the attention of the women who held on to his every word, but it was somewhat refreshing to be taken seriously for once.

"Heard of you?" Marsden repeated as he learned forward in his chair, seeming to fix Jonathan with a penetrating glare. "Maybe I should explain in more detail who I am Mr. Carnahan. I am not only a professor in Egyptology, but I am also archeologist with over thirty-five years in the field and. I have had more than one or two major discoveries myself in that time. Oh, though nothing compared to the magnitude of your finds of course. I sir, am in awe of your talent to find the undetectable. The jewel from the formally thought mythical pyramid of Ahm-Shere alone is 'the' greatest find of this century."

Jonathan's chest expanded a little as the professor's praise hit their mark.

"Well, I wasn't alone, my sister and her husband had something…."

"Your sister, Evelyn O'Connell isn't it? Yes, I'm sure she had something to do with it, but she is just a woman after all and for all their 'education', they can only do so much. And as for her husband, from what I've heard about him, he's simply nothing more than adventurer," Seeing Jonathan starting to get uncomfortable with his generalization of his family, Marsden quickly added, "Though I am sure they all had their small part to play in your success of course. So what takes you back to Egypt this time?" He asked as he topped up Jonathan's drink, "Something you might like to share with a fellow archeologist?"

"No digs I'm afraid, not this time," Jonathan replied wistfully.

"Must be something very important to bring the whole O'Connell family back to Egypt so soon? Oh, I'm sorry," the Professor apologized. "That was ill-mannered of me."

"No, no, quite all right old man," Jonathan waving off, the Professor's apology as he leaned in closer. "It's personal business that brings us back this time, but just between one archeologist and another, with the Med-jai on my side, I haven't lost hope of finding something ….."

"Jonathan!"

On hearing the commanding tone of the voice, Jonathan excused himself, and made his way over to Rick, who stood waiting at the ship's railing.

"Who's your friend?" Rick nodded toward the stranger.

"Just a fellow archeologist."

"Fellow archeologist, huh?" The faint trace sarcasm in Rick's voice, though not meant with any malice, was not lost on Jonathan.

"Yes, Rick, I am an archeologist and I was a damn good one, thank you very much!"

Realizing he had actually hurt his brother in law's feeling, Rick smiled hoping to ease the tension that had suddenly appeared. "Whoa, Jonathan, I didn't mean anything by it. It's not like you've gone out of your way to be taken seriously here."

"Well, maybe it's about time I did," Jonathan responded.

Part seven

Rick watched Jonathan excuse himself from the stranger and fellow passenger and storm toward his room.

"Way to go O'Connell," Rick quietly chastised himself as he watched his brother-in-law leave. "You had to be a warrior from God, you couldn't be something more useful, like the diplomat from God could you?"

He hadn't meant to hurt Jonathan's feelings, but in jokingly making light of his wife's brother's archeology career, he seemed to have unknowingly struck a raw nerve in the usually less than scholarly Englishman.

Rick had never seen this side of Jonathan Carnahan before and was more than a little surprised at this less self-absorbed version. Not that he ever saw Jonathan as selfish, far from it. The man had braved his own fears more than once to save not only individual members of the family, but Ardeth Bay as well. Rick realized that Jonathan definitely deserved better than to have his credentials belittled even if there was no malice intended and made a promise to himself to apologize to his brother-in-law when he saw him next.

"Mr. O'Connell?"

Rick turned to see that the man, who had been only moments before so deep in conversation with his brother-in-law, had left his chair and was now standing behind him.

"I know you?" Rick asked as he eyed the stranger with some mistrust.

"No, we have yet to be introduced, my name is Professor Marsden and you are the famous Rick O'Connell. Your brother-in-law and I was just talking about you."

The thought that he might again have found Jonathan letting loose with information that wasn't in their best interest, was suddenly draining the concerned feelings he had for his brother-in-law. It was one thing to let slip on Hamunaptra's whereabouts, but it was another for Jonathan to openly talk about things that didn't concern him.

"Were you now." Rick's words were spoken through pursed lips. "And just how did I become such an interesting topic of conversation?"

"Why Mr. O'Connell, surely you jest?" Professor Marsden exclaimed. "The O'Connell and Carnahan finds are famous the world over. They will be talking about your archeology luck for many years to come."

"Luck?" Rick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, there is always a bit of luck involved in finds, don't you think?"

"No luck at evolved at all, my wife knew exactly what she was doing, Mr. Marsden." Rick said proudly, as he deliberately misquoted Marsden's title.

"It's 'Professor' Marsden, Mr. O'Connell, and I'll be bidding you goodnight, sir" The Professor replied curtly as he turned and abruptly walked back to his table.

"Touchy," Rick smiled to himself.

===============================

Ubaid caressed the Jackal tattoo on his check with the back of his hand as he impatiently waited for news on this 'Wahid'. He was still unsure of the claim that the western-bred adventurer was the 'one' but he was not one to take any chances. Innocent of being the 'Wahid' or not, maybe with the death of Rick O'Connell the Med-jai would find that no prophecy could match the power of Anu-Ra.

"Ubaid?"

"What have you learned?" Ubaid asked as he looked up to see his right hand man, Husani standing before him.

"The 'Wahid' and his family are on their way to Cairo," Husani smiled.

"And Ardeth Bay?"

"It seems he has taken upon himself to be, the Wahid's personal guard."

"How Med-jai of him," Ubaid scoffed. "Our man?"

"Still close by and undetected. He will keep us informed of their movements."

"And he is to do nothing," Ubaid reiterated his orders. "Ardeth Bay is not stupid and this will need to be handled with some intelligence to get under the Med-jai chieftain's guard. Anyway," the Anu-Ra leader became thoughtful. "Ardeth Bay's head is mine."

Part eight

As the days and nights passed on board the steamer, Rick found himself more and more distanced from his brother-in-law. While Jonathan was always more than courteous in Evelyn and Alex's presence as soon as they were gone, so too were any civilities that had been aimed in Rick's direction.

Waiting on deck for his wife to arrive, it hadn't gone unnoticed by Rick that Jonathan again preferred the company of his new friend, Professor Marsden. On more than one occasion, O'Connell had tried to apologize to Jonathan over his ill-considered words that had so offended his brother-in-law. Nevertheless, Jonathan would shrug off Rick's expressions of regret with an icy shoulder, seemingly more content to spend his time in conversation with Professor Marsden than making peace.

"This is really silly, Rick, I wish you would let me have a word with Jonathan," Evelyn sighed, pondering her brother's stubbornness as she joined her husband on the deck.

"No way, Evy," Rick said to his wife, rejecting her offer with a slight frown. "This is between me and Jonathan. There's no need for you to get in the middle of this."

"But that's exactly where I am-- in the middle. You know I love you both. If you'd just let me"

Wrapping his arms around Evelyn, Rick shook his head, "No," he gently chided before kissing the tip of her nose. "We'll survive this. I hurt Jonathan's pride. He has every right to be mad at me, but once he's had some time to think about it, I'm sure he'll come around."

"I hope so," Evelyn said wistfully as she nuzzled into her husband's chest.

"By the way, where is that wayward son of ours?" Rick tried to keep the concern out of his voice as he asked about his son Alex, but it was hard. After Ahm-Shere, the fear of losing his family was still deeply ingrained in the adventurer.

"Don't worry, he's fine," Evelyn placated her husband with a smile. "The captain is showing him the inner workings of the engine room. You know Alex, if it moves, he has to know why and how."

Still uncertain that his son's safety was assured, Rick continued to look up and down the steamer.

"Ardeth is with him."

Rick's eyebrows arched in surprise, "You asked a Med-jai chieftain, a leader of thousands, a warrior of God -- to play 'nanny' to our son?"

"Of course not," Evelyn shrugged. "He offered."

"He offered," Rick repeated as he shook head, a grin starting to spread on his face.

"Rick," Though secretly pleased to see a smile return to husband's face, Evelyn wasn't sure she wanted to see it aimed at a scimitar-carrying warrior. "Don't you dare tease Ardeth." She warned.

"Now, Evy, would I do that?" Rick asked as he feigned innocence.

"Yes, you would," Evelyn smiled back.

=================================

Professor Marsden kept watch on the tall American adventurer from the corner of his eye as he continued to get closer to Jonathan Carnahan. The disagreement between the boorish Englishman and his family, though unexpected, was working to his advantage, as their conversations became more in-depth and less guarded.

"Mr. Carnahan."

"Jonathan, please." The younger Englishman smiled affably.

"Of course, then I insist you call me Percival, Jonathan. I mean that's what friends do, don't they."

"Indeed they do Percy," Jonathan saluted as he sipped on a warm whiskey.

Marsden barely managed to hide his distaste behind a smile as his fellow Englishman hacked away at his name, turning an honored title handed down through four generations of Marsdens, into a school yard titter. Putting aside his true feelings for his new traveling companion, Marsden realized he was running out of time. Even with Jonathan Carnahan on his side, the steamship would soon arrive in Egypt and if he was going to find out how the O'Connells got their information, he would need to know more.

With no words expected, Marsden motioned for his manservant, Sahir, to top up Jonathan's drink while he leaned in closer to his slowly relaxing companion.

"Jonathan?"

"Mm, yes, Percy," Jonathan answered as he licked the malt tasted from his lips.

Marsden cringed slightly, but continued, "I am not usually one to pry into other peoples business, but my curiosity has got the better of my manners and I must ask you about the gentleman that you and your family travel with."

"Oh, you mean, Ardeth?" Jonathan answered casually, seeing nothing wrong in the professor's interest. When he himself first had set eyes on the chieftain, he had been more than curious, he had been afraid of this fearsome man in black.

"Ardeth? If that is his name--he is a remarkable looking fellow. The markings and the robes, they are very unusual," Marsden continued to probe.

"Not for a Med-jai warrior they're not," Jonathan explained.

"Mead-je?" Marsden frowned, deliberately misquoting the name.

"No," Jonathan shook his head and spoke more clearly. "'M-e-d-j-a-i. They are a very ancient group of people you know. Their sole purpose in life is to guard the ancient cities. Can you imagine that?"

"Oh, that Med-jai," Marsden feigned recall. "I remember reading about them in the ancient text. They guarded the Pharaohs in life, but surely in these enlighten times, and with the Pharaohs long since dead, these men are no longer needed?"

"Oh, no on the contrary, old boy," Jonathan continued, failing to notice the look of disdain Marsden aimed in his direction at his casual reference. "You have no idea when you are going to need a Med-jai warrior at your back," Jonathan said cryptically.

"I don't understand."

Jonathan physically shuddered as he recalled the many battles fought against Imhotep and the scorpion King. "And I hope you never do."

"Oh come now, Jonathan," Marsden politely snorted. "Please don't tell me that you believe in those absurd curse rumors?"

"Believe?" Jonathan replied as he down the last of his whiskey. "Percy, old man, if you had seen what I 'have' seen, you would not doubt even the tooth fairy."

Now Marsden knew he had been right all along. That it was the O'Connells that had fabricated the 'live mummy' theory to explain the chaos and destruction that surrounded the British Museum that night. However, that still did not explain how the O'Connells had found Ahm Shere, or the treasures that were supposedly from the missing city of Hamunaptra.

"This Ardeth chap," Marsden said quickly changing the subject. "He is a friend?"

"Oh you could say that. You know he is actually more than 'just' a warrior, he's--," Jonathan lowered his voice as he looked around as if making sure the would not be overheard. "A Med-jai chief."

"A chieftain?" Marsden looked suitably impressed. A Med-jai chieftain away from his people was one thing, but in London, that was unheard off. He was more sure than ever that this 'Med-jai was the source of the O'Connells amazing luck, but he needed to be sure. Noting the near empty bottle, Marsden gestured to Sahir for another. "My finest bottle Sahir, understand?"

Sahir bowed, "Yes, sir, right away."

"Oh no," Jonathan said shaking his head. "I shouldn't. I mean it's a bit early in the day at all that--but I guess it would be impolite to refuse."

"Indeed it would, especially over a card game," Marsden replied as he pulled a deck from his pocket. "After all, I do believe I have some money to win back." And some information to learn.

==================================

"You found that interesting, young O'Connell?" The Med-Jai Chieftain queried the child at his side.

"Sure did, didn't you?" The youngster asked eagerly.

"I'm sorry to say, I did not. Though I do find it interesting that your people have this need to go faster than a horse or camel or to fly higher than the birds."

"Haven't you ever wanted to fly like a bird, Ardeth?" The youngest asked as they made their way down the berth corridors.

"I cannot say that I have." Ardeth said truthfully. "As I have painfully found out with the machines your people make, they tend to fall from the sky like stones from the clouds. No, I think I will leave flying up to the Gods' birds."

Alex suddenly stopped and turned to look at Ardeth, a look of concern on his face. "You came back because of the mark on dad's arm, didn't you?"

Ardeth hadn't been expecting the question and wasn't sure what to say to answer the boy. "That is something that maybe you should ask you father. It is not my place to speak to you of these things."

Alex wasn't about to take that for an answer. He was worried about his father. "Dad's in trouble, isn't he? That's why you're here--to look after him."

Ardeth knelt down, putting his gently on Alex's shoulder. "Your father is the strongest man I have ever known. I have seen him defeat a desert and stand off many enemies to protect those he cares for and for those he has known for only a fracture of a time. He does not need me."

"But you need him, don't you?"

Ardeth smiled as he rubbed his hand into the blonde hair on Alex's head. "You are a very clever boy."

"I'm not a boy, I'm nearly nine," Alex frowned as he straightened his shoulders.

"You are nearly man," Ardeth said seriously as he stood to his full height. "I apologize." He bowed as he tipped his hand to his chest and his forehead and began to walk away, only to pause, and call over his shoulder. "But, you 'still' will have to ask your father. Coming?"

"Rats!" Alex whined as he ran to catch up. Adults were such spoilsports.

About to make their way up the stairs toward the deck, Ardeth and Alex stepped back as a group of passengers made their way down the stairs. A mixed grouping of English men and women happily descended the stairs, only to stop talking when they set eyes on the strange looking man in black.

Noting the young white child at his side, one of the women covered her mouth with her hand and whispered into the ear of her traveling companion. The man frowned, seemingly in disagreement before shrugging his shoulders and nodding his reluctant acquiescence.

"Excuse me lad," The mustached gentleman inquired of Alex, keeping an eye on the marked man as he stepped closer. "Are you all right with this 'gentleman'?"

"Of course, why shouldn't I be?" Alex asked with child-like innocence.

"Your parents know that you are alone with this--er--man?" The stranger persisted.

"Yes," Alex said more forcefully, he wasn't too young to understand what the stranger was suggesting and he didn't like it at all. "If it's any of your business!"

The woman whose idea it had been for her husband to intervene shook her head with dismay at the young boy's rudeness.

"Alex!" Ardeth gently reprimanded. "Apologize for your rudeness."

"But--"

"Apologize, please," Ardeth repeated.

"Sorry," Alex through clenched teeth, his head hanging down as he looked at his feet.

"Not much of an apology," the woman sniped to her friends.

"At least my young friend's rudeness was spoken with honor, yours was not," Ardeth said as he gave a half-hearted bow and gestured for Alex to continue up the stairs to the deck.

"I beg your pardon?" The mustached man said, taking offense at Ardeth's implication.

"Excuse me, Ladies, Gentlemen," Sahir said as he carefully pressed his way through, carrying the bottle he was ordered to fetch from the cabin pressed to his chest.

"Damn foreigners!" One of the men said as he pushed Sahir toward the step.

Only Ardeth's quick action stopped Sahir from falling onto the stairwell. "Are you all right?" The Med-jai asked as he helped the Indian to regain his footing as the passengers moved away tittering amongst themselves.

"I've had worse. Thank you sir," Sahir said as he checked to make sure the whiskey bottle was intact and made his way up the stairs to the professor.

Alex was waiting upstairs as Ardeth appeared on deck, noting a small streak of blood on the Med-jai's hand. "You're hurt."

Ardeth hadn't felt a blow or any pain and giving the back of his hand a quick glance and seeing a small cut, he shook his head. "Do not worry yourself, it is nothing but a scratch, young O'Connell."

Alex quickly dismissed his concerns as he spotted his parents at the bow of the boat. About to run to see them, he stopped and looked back at Ardeth, "You know, those people were wrong. We're not in England anymore," he smiled. "They're the foreigners."

Ardeth smiled at the truth of the young man's words, absently rubbing the scratch as he watched Alex turn away and run down the decking toward his parents.

Part nine

Though he tried not to show it, Rick was more than a little relieved to see Alex make his reappearance back on deck. The more rational side of him had known his son would come to no harm under the Med-jai chieftain’s watchful eye, but the father in him still felt the suffocating feeling of helplessness left over from Alex’s kidnapping, a feeling that still physically ached at its memory.

"Mom! Dad!" Alex called as he ran across the deck toward his waiting parents. "It was brilliant. You should have seen it. It was amazing down there. I mean, Izzy’s sky trawler was great, but this, the engine is huge." The youngster babbled on excitedly.

Rick and Evelyn listened patiently, as their son continued to extol the virtues of the steam engine versus sky travel.

With his hand on Alex’s shoulder and stooped slightly so he could hear Alex better over the passing passengers, Rick was still listening, when he noticed that Ardeth still languished back near the stairway. Though there was nothing unusual in Ardeth’s tendency to stay out of the way of the on deck traffic, there was something odd in the Med-Jai’s posture that didn’t sit well with the adventurer.

"Remember where you were up to Alex, I want to hear all about it when I get back," Rick winked as he tapped his son on the shoulder and made a move to leave.

"Rick?"

"It’s okay, I just want to talk to Ardeth for a minute. Won’t be long," Rick said waving off any concerns Evelyn might have with a wink.

=================================

The sensation had struck without warning. It had taken a fraction of time for the Med-jai chieftain to go from alert sentinel to a man barely able to focus on his next breath. Using the wall of the ship for support, Ardeth clenched his teeth against the searing pain that seemed to pulse through his veins with each hard won breath.

The closer Rick got to Ardeth, the more noticeable the Med-jai’s pale features became.

"Don’t tell me after all this time you’ve suddenly realized that you can’t take to sea travel? You should’ve listened to me and let us take a plane," Rick teased, attempting to hide his concern as he reached his obviously sick friend.

With all of Ardeth’s energy occupied with his struggle to fight the oncoming darkness, there was nothing left for him that would allow him to vocalize his helplessness in words, nor was there anything left to keep him on his feet.

"Ardeth, what is it? What’s wrong?"

If Rick didn’t think Ardeth could get any paler, he was mistaken. Just as the adventure reached a hand out a hand in support, the Med-jai’s unfocused brown eyes rolled back into his head and he began slide down the wall toward the deck.

Responding quickly, Rick caught the black robed Egyptian and with no choice, heaved the now unconscious man over his shoulder.

Having kept a close eye on Ardeth and what seem to have caused Rick so much concern, Evelyn had seen the Med-jai’s collapse. "Rick!" She cried out as she ran across the deck with Alex close behind.

"Evy, find a doctor, and hurry," Rick said urgently as he headed for the stars. "When you find him, bring him to our cabin."

"Is he going to be all right?" Alex asked his mother as he watched his father carry Ardeth carefully down the stairs.

"Of course," Evelyn replied with a forced smile as she tried to keep her own fears at bay. "He’s a Med-jai."

Part ten

"Well?" Rick glared at a gawking passenger as he made his way down the corridor of the steamer to his cabin with his Ardeth still slung unconscious over his shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

Unsure whether he should be offended by the stranger’s reproach, or embarrassed at being caught staring, the male passenger quickly shifted his gaze and scurried away, but not before making himself a promise to inform the captain of what he had seen.

Feeling the Med-jai slipping, Rick repositioned the unmoving man and hurried on his way.

=================================

"Jonathan!"

Turning to sound of his sister’s desperate call, Jonathan frowned as he watched Evelyn and Alex moving quickly toward him, "Jonathan, I need your help, we need to find a doctor."

"What is it, Alex?" he frowned, puzzled as placed a hand on his nephew’s cheek, "He looks fine to me." As if he would know anyway, having had nothing at all to do with children until his sister married Rick and then had Alex, he just expected feeling a child’s face was the thing to do.

"No, not Alex, it’s…."

"Rick?" Pretending not to care, Jonathan couldn’t stop the concern from creeping into conscience and his voice. "What’s wrong with him?"

"No, Jonathan," Evelyn said impatiently. "If you’ll let me explain, it’s Ardeth. Something is desperately wrong with him."

Ignoring the relief he felt that his brother-in-law wasn’t the one in trouble, Jonathan looked nervously around the deck, how he so hated responsibility. "We need a doctor, right….yes…right….a doctor," he stammered as he ferreted without thought, through his pocket.

"He won’t be in there, Jonathan," Evelyn sighed with exasperation.

"Right, of course," Jonathan said as he yanked his hands from his pockets as an idea suddenly struck. "The Captain, he’ll know,"

"Jonathan, Mrs. O’Connell." Professor Marsden interrupted as he cleared his throat. "If you are in need of a physician, you’ve found him."

"Who, you, Percy?" Jonathan asked somewhat surprised at his traveling companion’s unknown profession.

"Yes, I Percy," Marsden flinched slightly, as he hard himself brutalize his own name. "And if I can be of any service," he nodded, with a slight mannerly bow to Evelyn. "I offer it gladly."

"Thank you," Evelyn smiled gratefully. "Anything you can do, please."

"Sahir, fetch my things." Marsden ordered his manservant.

Sahir showed no emotion as he acknowledged the command with a bow and quickly did as he was told.

=================================

"How is he?" Evy asked of her husband as she entered their cabin.

"He woke up," Rick explained, the concern evident on his face. "But he passed out again. He was in a lot of pain, Evie. Did you find a doctor?" He asked as he took a quick scan of the doorway and saw his son and brother-in-law.

"Yes, she did. Now, if you’ll just step aside, I’ll take a look at your friend for you." Professor Marsden announced, as he stepped out from behind Jonathan, and stepped toward the bed.

Within an instant Rick was standing in front of Marsden, barring the Professors way with his somewhat formidable bulk. "Not so fast, Professor."

"Rick what are you doing?" Evelyn exclaimed, clearly shocked at her Rick’s bizarre behavior. "Let the Professor see to Ardeth."

Rick wanted to move. He felt somewhat ridiculous fending off this man in front of his family, knowing how desperately Ardeth needed a doctor, but something made him stand his ground, even against his wife’s voiced astonishment. Something deep inside him, demanded he do everything it took to protect the helpless Med-jai. "I thought you were a professor of Archeology?"

With his aggravation at having to explain himself clearly visible, Marsden sighed as he went into a vague reference to his family dealings. "My father would only allow me to undertake my archeology studies on the condition that I took a doctorate in medicine first. A ‘respectful’ career to fall back, as my father would say." Holding up his hand to suspend anymore questions, the professor glanced over to the dark-haired man in the bed. "Mr. O’Connell, please believe me, whatever you think of me and maybe, I of you, I ‘am’ a physician and I think your friend is in need of one, ‘now’."

"Rick, you’re being absurd. You wanted a doctor, let him help Ardeth please," Evelyn beseeched her husband.

Rick didn’t know where these emotions were coming from, but they were like a tied propelling him to protect the Med-jai chieftain at all costs. Waging the battle to defend Ardeth to the last breath, Rick nodded and stepped aside.

Watching Marsden sent to work on Ardeth, Evelyn frowned as she tried to read what was going on in her husband’s head. "What was that all about?"

Never taking his eyes of Marsden, Rick shook his head, "Not now Evie, not now."

Part eleven

Marsden could feel the eyes of Rick O’Connell boring into him, watching his every movement as he stepped up to the bed where the unconscious Med-jai lay. Taking a moment to scrutinize the Egyptian who still lay unmoving, his breathing barely detectable under his black ritual clothing, Percival took a mental note of the glistening sheen of sweat that coated what exposed skin was visible. The Med-jai’s sun-bronzed features also seemed to have paled slightly making the ceremonial tattoos that adorned the chieftain’s cheeks even more prominent to an observer’s eye.  

"Well?" O’Connell impatiently inquired from over his shoulder.

"I am a doctor, Mr. O’Connell," Marsden snapped without turning his attention away from his new patient. "I am not God. If you will give me time to examine my patient, I might have a better idea as to what the problem might be. If you and the rest of your family wouldn’t mind waiting out…"

"I’m not leaving!"  

A startled Evelyn looked up at her husband, recognizing the passion behind his refusal. He would not be moved. She wasn’t sure if it was mistrust of Jonathan’s new friend that had unsettled Rick or the situation that had brought them back to Egypt, but whatever was bothering him, she knew there was no power on earth that would shift him now.

"As you wish," Marsden sighed, before glancing over to Jonathan and the young boy at his side as they looked on from the still open doorway. "But do you really think this is the place for the boy?"

Alex opened his mouth, wanting to let the stranger know that he wasn’t a ‘boy’, he was more than just a child, but his concern for Ardeth far outweighed his adolescent indignation, so he closed it, without a word.

Trying to understand and control his growing fears for the Med-jai, Rick absent-mindedly rubbed at the leather wrist strap, wondering if somehow the mark it covered could be the cause of not only his, but Ardeth’s troubles as well. Dismissing the link for its farfetched improbability, he refocused his concerns for a moment on his son. Though Rick hated to admit it, Marsden was right. If something should happen……  

"Do what the professor says, Alex, wait outside," Rick entreated his son gently.

"But Da…." Again out of habit, Alex found himself about to argue his position, but instead he stopped mid-sentence, realizing that there were more appropriate times to make a stand. Nodding his agreement, he snatched one more glance at his unconscious friend, before sighing and turning to walk out the door.

Concerned as much for her upset son as she was for her oddly behaving husband, Evelyn was torn, "Jonathan, could you, please?" She implored her brother.

"Yes, yes, of course," Jonathan replied, silently relieved to be leaving the room, unsure as he was as to the outcome of Med-jai chieftain’s illness. "I just hope that Ardeth….well, you know," he stammered as he rushed off to find his nephew.

Though a non-practicing physician, Percival always kept his bag of supplies modernized. Traveling through these bug-infested, God-forsaken countries, he knew it was best to be prepared for anything.  

"Sahir," he commanded with an outstretched hand and a click of his fingers. "My bag."

As servile as always, the manservant stepped forward and passed the bag to the professor, before bowing and stepping back to his place behind his brusque employer.

With his son taken care of, Rick was about to continue his watch over Professor Marsden and his patient, when he felt a slight touch to his arm.

"Rick, please, what is it?" Evelyn asked as she tried in vain to search his face for the answers. "Why are you acting this way?"

"What way?" Rick countered somewhat defensively. "I’m worried about Ardeth, Evy, that’s all."

Evelyn wasn’t going to be dismissed so easily as she lowered her voice so their conversation would not be over heard. "It’s more than that and you know it Richard O’Connell."

Now he knew he was in trouble. Evelyn rarely called by his full name and when she did, he had learned to concede to defeat. But how could explain something to his wife that he couldn’t even explain to himself.

His past was something that as a child he had laid awake wondering about. Who his father was? What did his mother looked like? Did they ever know him at all? Did they love him? But as the years went by and there were no answers to his endless questions, he detached himself from his mysterious past and left it in the dark recesses of his dreams, until now.

"Evy, Please," Rick beseeched his wife. "Did you know what it all meant when your dreams lead you to the bracelet of Anubis?"

‘Anubis’

Marsden continued his examination, but was more intent to listen more carefully to the couples’ conversation than to the heartbeat of his patient. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The bracelet of Anubis was a legend, a myth. Surely the O’Connells were not alluding to a find of ‘that’ significance? And what if they were? What if, he suddenly thought to himself as he pondered his patient in a little more detail, this man could lead him to it?

"I didn’t understand what you were going through, but I went along with it. I need you to do the same."  

Evelyn smiled as she remembered how much they went through because of her dreams of her former life as Princess Nefertiri. "You thought I was crazy."

The tension eased a little as Rick managed to reciprocate the smile. "But such a beautiful kind of crazy," he said as he pulled her into an embrace.

Realizing she had to let her husband do what he felt he had to, Evelyn hugged Rick back before releasing him, "You do what you have to. I’ll go and sit with Jonathan and Alex. Let us know how Ardeth is as soon as you know something."

"I will," Rick agreed as he watched his wife go.

Marsden was examining his patient with renewed fervor, when the Med-jai’s eyes snapped open and as a groan escaped his pursed and pale lips, he grabbed the professor’s wrist. "What…. are….you…doing?"  

Part Twelve

If Marsden was surprised by his patient’s sudden awareness, he was even more astonished at the strength that still seemed to flow through the Med-jai’s as the Egyptian’s grip tightened around his wrist. Unable to extricate himself from his reluctant patient, the Professor desperately turned to Rick for help. “Mr. O’Connell, please? Will you explain to your friend that I do not mean him any harm, and that I am here, after all, only to help.”

Marsden’s plea was barely acknowledged as Rick, his concern for Ardeth paramount in his mind, moved quickly to his friend’s side.

“Ardeth,” Rick entreated as he attempted to pry the ailing Med-jai’s iron grip from the professor’s wrist.

Dark brown eyes, bright with fever, but still powerfully intimidating sustained their penetrating glare on the stranger as the ill Med-jai warrior refused to let go.

“Ardeth? It’s all right,” Rick gently urged his friend. “He’s right, he’s just trying to help you.”

“O’Connell?” Ardeth queried the familiar voice.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Rick replied with an encouraging smile. “So, how about you let the man go now, okay?”

Adjusting his line of sight, Ardeth’s eyes came to rest on his friend, “Do …you… trust… him?” He asked breathlessly.

Glancing across at now red-faced Professor, Rick, shook his head as he turned back to Ardeth. “No, I don’t.”

“I beg your…” Marsden indignantly spluttered, as he attempted to squirm his arm from the Med-jai’s grasp.

“But,” Rick interrupted. “For whatever his reasons, I do believe he will do what he can for you and don’t worry, I won’t leave your side.”

Weakly nodding his agreement, the Med-jai relented and released his grip on the flustering professor, his arm dropping to bed as he succumbed once again to darkness.

Rubbing his wrist, Marsden glared at the two men, briefly reconsidering his offer to help before remembering his reasons for being there in the first place. The Med-jai was no good to anyone dead.

“As ‘touched’ as I am with regard to your estimations of my integrity, Mr. O’Connell, I would like to continue my examination before your friend gets any worse.” With a brief self-assuring touch to Ardeth’s shoulder, Rick nodded before stepping back, but never taking his eyes off the Marsden for a moment. He had told Ardeth the truth, he didn’t trust the Professor, but he also knew that with no other help available, Marsden was all they had.

Rick watched as Marsden checked the Med-jai, examining everything down to his fingernails before a frown creased his face.

“When did this happen?” Marsden seemed to be asking no one in particular as he took a closer inspection of Ardeth’s left hand.

“What?” A worried Rick asked as he stepped closer to see what the Professor was referring to.

“This scratch,” Marsden gestured to a small wound on the back of Ardeth’s hand. “I wouldn’t usually take note of such a small injury, but it seems fresh, and it’s already very infected. This could be the problem right here. I’m just not sure.”

“But if it’s only a scratch, why…?”

“I don’t know why, Mr. O’Connell,” Marsden answered as began to forage around in his bag. “It could be a bite that your friend scratched which caused it become infected. Heaven knows, with the bugs and germs around these foreign places, it could anything, I just don’t know…Ah, there they are,” he announced as he pulled some vials with different colored contents from his bag.

“What are they?” Rick asked suspiciously.

“Herbs, Mr. O’Connell. I once met a Chinese apothecary, slightly interesting man. Sometimes even the most backward of countries can surprise you.” Marsden explained before turning to his silent manservant. “Sahir, prepare what I will need. I’m going to need to brew a tea to try to fight the fever and infection and mix a poultice which I will wrap around the wound to try and draw out the poison.”

“Poison?” Rick repeated, as he looked from Ardeth back to the professor.

“As I said Mr. O’Connell, I don’t know what is causing the symptoms your friend is exhibiting, but they are severe enough for poison to one of the causes. Or as I have already said, it could be as simple as an infected bite, which in itself is a kind of poison.” Marsden elaborated as moved over to the table to mix the quantities he would need. “I’m two days from Cairo, Mr. O’Connell, and in the room of a damn steam ship. Do you honestly think I can do some of my best diagnosing here? But, I will do the best I can. The rest will be up to your friend and his God.”

TBC