25
ETERNAL EMBRACE
by
TaleBearer
Just as dawn began to lighten the eastern horizon, Julia sighted the outermost sentries of the Med-Jai camp. They sat astride their horses on a range of low hills overlooking the desert plain. Julia reined in, sliding down out of her camel's saddle to check on Ardeth Bey. He hung limp and senseless across the saddle of another camel. His pulse was weak but steady.
Routier dismounted. He drank from his canteen, then offered it to Julia. She drank a mouthful of the tepid water, then braced Ardeth's head against her shoulder, trickling some of the water between his lips.
"They are coming." Routier pointed to the empty range of hills where the Med-Jai sentries had been standing.
Julia eased Ardeth's head back down against the camel's side. "Say absolutely nothing. Let me do the talking. One wrong word and your head will go bouncing across the sand."
As if that vivid image wasn't enough to make Routier pale beneath his natural swarthiness, the Med-Jai sentries now thundered toward them. The first Med-Jai to reach them pulled the veil from his face. Ahmed. Relief swept over Julia, so intense she nearly fainted dead away.
"The Creature rose again, but now he is dead!" Julia coughed, her throat still parched. She gulped more water from the canteen. "Ardeth Bey needs medical attention immediately!"
Ahmed barked orders at the four Med-Jai who had ridden up behind him. Two of them took charge of the camel that bore Ardeth Bey's unconscious body and rode back the way they'd come. The other two flanked Routier, rifles at the ready.
"Who is he?" Ahmed asked.
"This man helped me save Ardeth Bey from the Creature and the people who brought it back to life."
"How?" Ahmed rode closer to Routier, peering at him. "How did he come to you?"
Julia sighed. Ahmed's command of English wasn't the best, but not a single thing got past him.
"When I went to the marketplace to buy a horse, this man abducted me before the Med-Jai could stop him."
"He took you prisoner?" Ahmed scowled. "Then he is friend to those who raised the Creature!"
"Not anymore!" Julia cried, but not fast enough.
Ahmed snarled in Arabic. One Med-Jai struck Routier across the back of the head with his rifle butt, knocking Routier out of the saddle. All three Med-Jai dismounted, drawing their scimitars.
"Wait!" Julia lunged forward, putting herself between the Med-Jai and Monsieur Routier. "Kill him now and you rob Ardeth Bey of the justice that belongs to him alone!"
Ahmed turned a cold eye on her. Julia clapped her hands to her mouth. Blind panic shot through her. To an Arab, that statement would mean only one thing. Adultery. She drew a shaky breath, tried to steady her voice.
"No, Ahmed. That is not what I mean." She struggled to maintain her composure in the face of Ahmed's darkening scowl. "All I ask is that you wait until Ardeth Bey is well enough to decide what he wants done with us."
Ahmed's glare fell to the ring on her left hand. He muttered something to the other two Med-Jai. They sheathed their scimitars, then dragged Routier up onto his feet and bound his hands with a length of rope. Julia dragged at her camel's reins, trying to force it to kneel so she could mount. It shook her off, nearly jerking her off her feet.
"Infernal beast!" She whacked it across the neck with her prod. "Do as you're told!"
The camel sank down beside her. She tried to mount up. Fatigue left her clumsy. Strong hands steadied her and lifted her up into the saddle. Ahmed. He hauled the camel back up onto its feet, then mounted his horse, tying the camel's reins to his saddle. The other two Med-Jai mounted up as well. One secured Routier's leash to the back of his saddle.
"Run, dog," Ahmed said to Routier, "or be dragged through the sand like the jackal's leavings." He kicked his horse into motion with the familiar cry of "Yalla! Imshi!"
#
A tent little larger than a prison cell awaited Julia. When Ahmed helped her down from her camel and pointed to the tent, she hadn't even considered arguing with him. One of the Med-Jai women, anonymous in her modified chadar, brought Julia a jug of water and a dish of dates. Despite her hunger and thirst, she drank only a few sips of water, then stretched out on the dusty blanket.
Much later, when night had fallen and the sands had given up the heat of the day, voices outside her tent roused Julia from her uneasy doze.
"Miss Lawrence?" Mr. Kufti's voice. "Are you awake?"
Julia sat up. "Yes, Mr. Kufti. Do come in."
Two Med-Jai women, each heavily veiled in their chadar, came in behind him.
"My dear Miss Lawrence!" Mr. Kufti hurried forward to take her hands in his.
"How is Ardeth? Will he recover?"
"Yes, yes, put your mind at ease there."
"Oh, thank God!" Julia let her head sink into her hands and rubbed at her temples. Ardeth would be all right. The rest of it was nothing compared to knowing that.
Mr. Kufti patted her shoulder. "I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to see you safe and well."
"Thank you, Mr. Kufti. I assure you, I'm just as happy to have survived. It was a close thing."
"And yet once again you have prevailed, and against the Creature himself!" He shook his head, beaming. "I must say, Miss Lawrence, you do wear the Med-Jai robes well."
Julia gave him a faint smile. The Med-Jai women had given her a clean set of their clothing, complete with chadar. Her female jailers now brought tea and more food, dishes of hummus, pita bread and falafel. One woman set a small oil lamp on the one table in the tent and lit it, providing a gentle illumination. The women moved back into the shadows in the far corner of the tent. This chaperonage almost made Julia laugh. If the Med-Jai couldn't trust Mr. Kufti, who in the world would they trust?
Mr. Kufti took a seat on a cushion on the far side of the table then leaned forward to peer at Julia. His scrutiny made her self-conscious enough to put one hand to her windblown hair, still hanging askew in its tangled braid.
"How are you, Miss Lawrence? If even half of what I've heard is accurate, you must be on the verge of collapse."
"I think it might be time for that vacation you keep suggesting I take. I'm sure Ardeth could do with one as well."
Mr. Kufti poured them both a cup of tea. "He has taken a serious beating, perhaps several. We are all most anxious to know exactly what happened to him."
His expectant look made Julia want to crawl under her blanket and hide. She was so tired, and there was so much left to do.
"Perhaps I might be of some small assistance there," Mr Kufti said. "If you would be good enough to tell me what you have to say, I can act as your go-between with the Council Elders."
"'Go-between'? Does that mean I will not be allowed to speak before the Council myself?"
"It is not the usual way."
"Nothing about this business has been the 'usual way!'" Julia sprang to her feet, caught the hem of her chadar beneath her heel, and just managed to land on her bed. "I killed the Creature, Mr. Kufti! I killed it! First I saw that half-rotted monster, then I met Imhotep himself! And that was even worse!"
Mr. Kufti rose and sidled around the table to put a paternal arm around her shoulders.
"My poor Miss Lawrence. No one should be made to suffer what you have endured."
Julia sobbed against his dusty tweeds. "They'd chained Ardeth up like a dog! Miss Dumont made all these hideous remarks about what she'd done to him while he was under her spell."
"Spell?" Mr. Kufti said. "She actually used some form of sorcery?"
"She had copies of the pages from the Book of the Dead and the Book of Life! She spoke Ancient Egyptian well enough to converse with that monster! She knew exactly what she was doing!"
"There, there, Miss Lawrence." Mr. Kufti patted her shoulder. "It's over. All is well."
"All is not well!" Julia pulled away. "Ahmed thinks the worst about me and Monsieur Routier!"
"Miss Lawrence, please. Calm yourself!"
"The Med-Jai all hate me! They know I'm the reason Ardeth Bey was vulnerable to attack!"
Mr. Kufti started to reply, but hesitated.
"I knew it!" Julia took the four strides that brought her to the other side of the tent. "I can just imagine what they've done to Monsieur Routier. Poor wretched man! He was the only one with sense enough to see just how mad Miss Dumont really was!"
"Monsieur Routier is alive. The Med-Jai would have hacked him to bits the instant they discovered he was responsible for your capture if you had not insisted Ardeth Bey be consulted first."
"So now the matter under discussion must be what to do with me! What shall it be? Deportation? Execution? I've heard that stoning is still popular in this part of the world!"
Mr. Kufti caught her by the shoulders and gave her a none too gentle shake. "Miss Lawrence, you must take yourself in hand. This is no time to go to pieces. You have every right, I know, but do as I say."
"Or what? What can you or the Med-Jai do to me that hasn't already been done?"
Mr. Kufti regarded her with a steady, pitying look. "Now I know you are much too distressed for any further conversation. You of all people should know better than to ask such a dangerous question."
He called out in Arabic. Another man entered the tent, carrying a small black leather bag. Julia recognized it as a Gladstone bag, the sort carried by doctors. The man opened the bag and took out a syringe and a small bottle of clear liquid. The sight of that made Julia dive under the reach of the doctor. She rolled, knocking over one of the Med-Jai women who collided with Mr. Kufti. That slowed him down long enough for Julia to roll out the tent flap and onto the sand. She gathered up her skirts, scrambled to her feet, and took off at a dead run. Behind her, voices shouted in Arabic.
"Miss Julia!"
Animal instinct drove Julia onward into the darkness.
"Miss Julia! Stop!"
Heavy bodies collided with hers, slamming into her from the right and the left. She went down in a tangle of robes, arms, legs and flying sand. One body sat across her legs while rough hands stretched out her right arm and shoved the sleeve of the chadar up. The harsh smell of alcohol made her scream. The sting of the needle sent the drug burning into her veins. Her screams faded as the stars blurred above her then went out.
#
Three days later Ardeth Bey had recovered enough to leave his bed and take the seat prepared for him under an awning that shaded him from the merciless African sun. The Med-Jai assembled around him, both honor guard and audience.
Julia stood before him, still slightly dizzy from the effects of the sedative. She'd slept for twelve hours, then awakened to a paralyzing resignation. She could only wait and see what judgment the Med-Jai had passed on her. Julia had to force herself to raise her eyes and look at Ardeth. Her heart ached to see how much thinner and paler he seemed. The wealth of silky black curls hanging down across his shoulders now bore threads of silver here and there. He'd aged ten years overnight.
On his right, stood Mr. Kufti. Even though he'd ordered her sedated, Julia found the sight of him oddly comforting. Mr. Kufti was her only link between the unwritten laws of British society and the unwritten but equally iron laws of Med-Jai culture.
"Miss Lawrence." Ardeth Bey's voice was hoarse. "Tell me what happened. Every moment of it, from the time you escaped your guards to the instant Ahmed sighted you riding toward our camp."
Julia explained her secret hoard of supplies and the chadar that had enabled her to escape to the marketplace in search of the horse that would take her on her quest for Ardeth Bey.
"Why did you disobey me?" he asked. "Why did you do the very thing I had forbidden?"
"In my dreams I saw you bewitched by Anck-su-Namun. She used Miss Dumont, working from the afterlife to steal the body she needed to carry out her plan of revenge." Julia glanced at Mr. Kufti. "I tried, Ardeth. I tried to send help to you. No one would believe me. So I had to come after you myself."
"I heard your voice calling me, again and again," Ardeth Bey said. "I was suspicious, yet I could not stand the thought of learning later you really were in need."
Julia's heart leaped as part of the weight oppressing her fell away. Even knowning it might be a trap, Ardeth had still chosen to take the risk rather than abandon her.
"She made a braid from your hair and hers. That's what helped her control you."
"Old, old evil." Ardeth Bey nodded. "Continue."
Julia kept to the bare facts of her arrival at the caverns, Miss Dumont's mad scheme, and the grisly demise of the Captain, Thomas and DiPaglia.
"So." Ardeth Bey's weary expression hardened. "The Creature had regained his powers. How did you do it, Miss Lawrence? How did you render him mortal again? You can neither read nor write in the language of that time."
Julia mopped at her streaming brow with the cuff of her chadar. At Ardeth Bey's nod one of the assembled Med-Jai stepped forward with a canteen. Julia sipped from it, then handed it back.
"Let's just say I'm a very good liar. I convinced the Creature that Miss Dumont meant to use him the same way she used everyone else. Once Miss Dumont realized she wasn't going to get her way, she threatened the Creature with destroying him. She could read the incantation required, and she'd brought along a copy of the necessary lines from the Book of Life."
"A most resourceful woman."
"Indeed she was." Julia smiled ruefully. "What a pity her vanity ruined her for any more worthwhile purpose."
"I do not speak of Miss Dumont." Ardeth Bey stared into her eyes. For a moment, Julia thought she saw a flash of his old tenderness. "I speak of you, Miss Lawrence. Who else could possibly have been clever enough to use the arrogance, the presumption, the all-consuming lust for power present in both the Creature and Miss Dumont as the means of turning them against each other?"
Julia watched him, wary. Was he praising her, or did his words mean something else entirely? "It was the only thing to do."
"It was nothing short of a miracle. And at the same time, you discovered not only how Miss Dumont enslaved me, but how to free me as well." He shook his head. "You amaze and astonish me, Julia Lawrence. Again and again you tell me you have no knowledge of Seti I and his time, yet you still found ways to conquer the evils that linger from his reign."
"A British writer once said knowing one will be hanged in two weeks' time tends to concentrate the mind wonderfully. The same principle applied here. Lives were at stake. Yours, mine, and others."
"Others. Yes. That brings us to the matter of your escort."
Ardeth Bey raised his hand. Two Med-Jai hustled Routier forward and shoved him down on his knees in the sand before Ardeth Bey. He looked battered and bruised and thoroughly out of temper, but no worse. Ardeth Bey leaned forward to study Routier, his eyes narrowing.
"I am told you were responsible for delivering this lady into the hands of the Brotherhood's worst enemies."
Routier said nothing, keeping his head bowed.
"Speak, dog!" Ardeth Bey snapped. "Have you nothing to say for yourself?"
Routier raised his head. He looked not at Ardeth Bey, but at Julia.
"Ardeth, please," she said. "This man has proven himself our ally."
"How?"
"While they held me captive, Thomas and DiPaglia wanted to take my ring. Monsieur Routier stopped them. More than once, he made them leave me alone."
"And what did he ask in return?"
"For mercy, should the Med-Jai take him."
"Mercy?" Ardeth Bey shoved himself up out of his chair. "Why should this trespassing thieving dog deserve any shred of mercy?"
"He's not as bad as they were!"
"A scarab is worse than a scorpion. That does not make the scorpion your friend!"
"Yes, Ardeth." Julia backed up a step. "You're right."
"Tell me this," Ardeth Bey said. "Did he touch you?"
Julia hesitated.
"He did, didn't he? In return for his 'protection,' he demanded that which he had no right to even think of!"
The back of Ardeth Bey's hand struck Routier across the face. Weary as Ardeth was, the blow was still enough to send Routier sprawling on his back in the sand.
"No! Ardeth!" Julia thrust out one hand to hold him off. "Let me explain! Monsieur Routier thinks he's quite gallant. When we made this, er, arrangement, he kissed me. Just once, quickly, more of a mockery than anything else."
Silence descended. For long minutes there was no sound at all but the occasional snort or whinny from the horses or a jingle of harness. Ardeth Bey straightened up to his full height, put one hand on the hilt of his scimitar, then stepped forward to tower over Routier.
"Do you know who this lady is?" His voice hissed out between his teeth.
"Of course, Monsieur Bey." Routier stayed down. "Madame is your woman. Everyone knows that."
"'Everyone'?"
"Mais oui. It's all over Cairo. When the Captain first sent me out to make inquiries about Madame, many people told me about a Med-Jai who had taken up with a British woman. He had made arrangements for her to live in a most luxurious flat where he might visit her."
Julia gasped. All of Cairo knew about them? A scalding blush stung her cheeks. She wanted to sink down into the sands and hide from this unbearable news. Small wonder the man selling knives in the bazaar had been so anxious to have her take his wares as a gift. He wouldn't dream of treating Ardeth Bey's mistress like any other tourist to be cheated.
Ardeth Bey stared at Routier, his knuckles whitening around the hilt of his scimitar, then turned to face Mr. Kufti. "Is this true?"
Mr. Kufti looked pained. "I am sorry to say it is."
Julia watched Ardeth Bey's expression change as he struggled between anger, grief, and even shame. Then he threw back his shoulders and stood tall.
"This lady," he said, "is my wife."
From the Med-Jai women burst gasps of shock and sighs of dismay. The warriors remained as stony-faced as ever. Even so, harsh mutterings passed among them. Ardeth Bey drew his scimitar and put the very tip of the blade under Routier's chin. Never had Julia seen him like this, possessed by a killing rage, on the very brink of bloodshed. Again Routier looked to her to save him.
"Ardeth! Wait!" Julia clung to his sword arm. "If not for Monsieur Routier's help, you would be dead! He protected me so I could do my best to kill the Creature before it killed you! We owe Monsieur Routier our most profound gratitude!"
Keeping his scimitar at Routier's throat, Ardeth Bey took Julia's chin in his free hand and glared down into her eyes. "Do you speak the truth, Julia? Do you swear before me, before the entire Brotherhood, before Allah Himself that every word you speak is the absolute truth?"
"I swear, Ardeth. With my whole heart I promise you every single word is true."
Still he glared down at her. Julia trembled in his grasp. As he had done so many times before, Ardeth Bey would now make a decision that would change the course of their future together. After an eternity Julia measured in agonized heartbeats, Ardeth released her chin, sheathed his scimitar, then laid his arm around her shoulders and held her tight against his side. Julia put her arms around his waist, steadying herself and bracing him as well. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to fling herself about in a mad dance of relief. Ardeth was willing to embrace her in public. Ardeth didn't care what the assembled Med-Jai thought. Ardeth believed her.
Ardeth Bey glared down at Routier. "Because you kept my wife from further harm, because you did what you could to help her, I will grant her request for mercy. Get out of Egypt. Should any Med-Jai set eyes on you again, you will die."
"As you wish, Monsieur Bey." Routier got to his feet. "Au revoir, madame. It has been a rare pleasure knowing you."
"Goodbye, Monsieur Routier. Find yourself an honest line of work."
Two Med-Jai brought Routier's camel. He mounted up, then turned one last charming smile on Julia, this one tinged with regret.
"Think a kind thought for me now and then, won't you?"
Routier urged his camel into a gallop, headed east toward Libya. Once he was out of sight, Ardeth Bey sank back down into his seat. He wiped a weary hand across his face.
"Thank you, Ardeth." Julia knelt beside him and held his hand to her cheek.
Ardeth stroked her hair. "It is far from over, Julia." He beckoned a group of women forward. "Go with them. They will see to your needs while I speak to the Council."
"But-- You believe me, don't you?"
"I fear that may not be enough."
"I don't understand."
"Surely you realize everything has changed. Absolutely everything, now that they all know you are my wife."
Ardeth Bey struggled up onto his feet. With two Med-Jai on either side of him, he walked toward a cluster of tents. Julia felt suddenly cold despite the punishing heat of the day. One of the Med-Jai women touched Julia's shoulder. Julia turned to look at her and was struck by something familiar, something in the woman's height and bearing.
"I am Afsaneh," the woman said, "sister to Ardeth Bey."
For once Mother's endless lectures on proper etiquette came to her assistance. Despite her exhaustion and distress, Julia heard herself saying all the right things.
"How do you do? It's an honor to meet you."
"The honor is mine. I hoped the day would come when I might meet this Englishwoman who saved my brother's life."
Julia was at a loss. She hadn't expected to be treated like a visiting dignitary. "I did what had to be done."
"And now you must rest. Come with us. We can offer you a cooling bath, fresh clothing, food and drink."
"Thank you. Thank you very much." Julia let them lead her away.
#
Later that afternoon Mr. Kufti came to see Julia in her new lodgings. Another tent, but far more spacious and well-appointed. Julia now wore a fresh set of robes as well as the required chadar. Afsaneh herself had insisted on helping Julia with her bath, admiring the fairness of Julia's skin and the auburn color of her hair. Apparently Arabic women were under the impression everyone in England was blonde. Now that the Med-Jai knew Ardeth Bey considered her his wife, they were treating her like a queen. At least until the Council reached its decision.
"Won't you sit down, Mr. Kufti? Perhaps the lady who attends me will be kind enough to have tea brought to us."
The woman nodded, then stepped out through the door of the tent. Julia waited until the tea arrived. While they sipped at the sweet brew, she gathered what was left of her courage.
"Tell me, Mr. Kufti, do the Med-Jai have anything like annulment? Something one step less disgraceful than divorce?"
"Miss Lawrence, really. Why should you be worrying about that?"
"Please, Mr. Kufti. I'm no longer just your bluestocking secretary from merry old England. I've killed a man who was not a man. I managed to save one life as well, but it doesn't feel like it balances out."
"No, it doesn't, does it?" Mr. Kufti abandoned his cheery social mask. "Very well, Miss Lawrence. Let us speak frankly. You have certainly earned that much consideration from me."
"Thank you, Mr. Kufti." She chose her next words with great care. "How likely are the tribal elders to honor the vows Ardeth and I have made to each other?"
"I really don't know. This is a most unusual situation, in so many ways."
"Am I right in assuming they aren't going to be happy about this?"
"I imagine the traditionalists will be having a fit. Ardeth Bey will one day be chieftain of the twelve tribes of the Med-Jai. He comes from a very important line, and that line continues through him."
"So he has to have just the right wife."
"Like any king or prince, my dear. The rules are much the same."
"And I'm just a commoner. Worse, I'm a Christian. Worse still, I'm a foreigner."
Mr. Kufti nodded, looking uncomfortable. "That is a problem, I'm afraid. Your faith is neither here nor there, since you are still one of the People of the Book. Everyone's immediate concern will be the proper upbringing of Ardeth Bey's sons as Med-Jai."
Julia smiled, thin and cold. "I can teach them to ride. I can teach them to shoot. I can teach them even more about silly British heiresses who come flitting about looking harmless when they're perfectly capable of unleashing certain doom on the entire human race."
Mr. Kufti nodded. "Yes, yes, Miss Lawrence, you are entitled to at least one 'I told you so.'" His expression became unreadable again. "Speaking of Miss Dumont, I have not been able to learn what happened to her. The Med-Jai who cleared the cavern tell me they found no sign of her other than the ritual items she left behind."
Julia let the silence stretch. How was she to answer that question? Mr. Kufti was Med-Jai, but he was also part of the unofficial government of Cairo. The British authorities would expect some explanation for the disappearance of so prominent an heiress.
"Do you know what became of Miss Dumont, Miss Lawrence? Things were no doubt quite hectic toward the end, but I thought you might perhaps have some idea."
Julia took a long drink of her cooling tea. "I can honestly tell you I have no idea precisely what happened to Miss Dumont, Mr. Kufti. The last I saw of her, she was slinking across the cavern toward that horrible pool of black slime. From then on I'm afraid I was rather busy either killing the Creature or keeping Ardeth Bey alive."
Now it was Mr. Kufti's turn to let the silence stretch. "You're absolutely sure of that, Miss Lawrence? Now that you've had an opportunity to rest, no other details come to mind?"
"I didn't kill her, Mr. Kufti, if that's what you really want to know."
Mr. Kufti sat back. "Not at all, Miss Lawrence. It's just that there will be...inquiries. Questions to be answered. A possible investigation."
"I don't envy you the paperwork, Mr. Kufti. The British authorities can be so tedious when any member of the nobility that wealthy falls off the face of the earth."
Mr. Kufti's expression sharpened. Now she had his complete attention. Would he take the hint?
"It's so sad, isn't it?" she went on. "These dilettantes come to Cairo to see the glories of Ancient Egypt. They're totally unprepared for the climate or the harsh physical demands archaeology places on its scholars. Instead of enjoying the wonders of their silly dreams, all they find is heat they can't bear, hieroglyphs they can't read, and, for the few truly foolhardy, dehydration, delusion, and death."
Mr. Kufti smiled briefly, nodding. "You know only too well how dangerous the Sahara can be for a woman too trusting and too inexperienced, yes?"
"Oh yes. I'm living proof that only a few of us are lucky enough to survive such lapses of judgment."
Mr. Kufti set his cup aside and stood up. "If you will excuse me, Miss Lawrence, I believe it is time I looked in on the discussion taking place. My opinion may be required on some matters."
Julia rose to see him out. "Mr. Kufti, if you need to call any character witnesses on my behalf, just ask Ahmed, Kamal, Jaleel and Fakhar to speak for me. They were my regular bodyguards."
"I will keep that in mind, Miss Lawrence." He started to duck out through the tent flaps, then paused and turned back to her. "If it's any comfort, I can't think of a woman more qualified to be Ardeth Bey's companion in this life."
Julia smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Kufti." On impulse, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Now go and be the superb diplomat you are."
With a faint, slightly foolish smile, Mr. Kufti hurried off toward the tent where the Council of Elders convened.
#
Nightfall came. Julia sat in her tent, listening for anything that might tell her what was happening in the Council meeting. Afsaneh sat across the tent from her, mending some harness. The privacy of this de facto harem permitted them to relax without their chadar. That allowed Julia to get a better look at the first member of Ardeth Bey's family she'd been privileged to meet. Afsaneh was beautiful, with large dark eyes, thick dark brown hair, and the same intensity of expression Ardeth Bey habitually wore. Julia sensed in her a formidable personality.
Afsaneh glanced up at Julia. "Be patient, Miss Lawrence. The Elders will do what is best."
"I'm afraid I'm not accustomed to the obedience that is part of a Muslim woman's life. I feel I must speak on my own behalf when it's my life and my future that hang in the balance."
"Your life is not in danger, Miss Lawrence. The Med-Jai owe you too much to repay the debt in blood."
"Thank you, but that's rather cold comfort. Without Ardeth Bey, my life is no life at all."
"But you come from mighty England. How could you wish to live anywhere else?"
"Home is sometimes not so much a particular place or building as it is a state of mind. My home is with Ardeth Bey."
Afsaneh smiled. "Do you love him so much, then?"
"More than anything. More than life itself."
Afsaneh bent her head over her work. Out of the corner of her eye, Julia could see Afsaneh looked troubled.
"I feel so guilty," Julia said. "I wanted to kill the Captain and Thomas and DiPaglia with my bare hands. They were the ones who shot Mohammed and Daoud and Yussuf. They came to a bad end, which is something, but I still wish I had been the one to avenge my bodyguards."
"Among our people, vengeance is not the responsibility of women."
"I understand and respect that. However, my father raised me to believe that when someone does you a good turn, it's your duty to repay that kindness at every opportunity. The best way to avenge my guardians would be to see to it the men who killed them never lived to kill another Med-Jai."
Afsaneh put the harness aside. "Is it true that you shot the spinning dagger out of the air before it could kill my brother?"
"Yes."
"Is it true that you stood by his side, afire with the power of Sekhmet?"
"Yes."
"Is it true that you yourself killed the Creature when it was about to slay my brother?"
"Yes, Afsaneh. You were nearby when I swore to Ardeth Bey every word I spoke was true. I stand by that oath."
"Where do you get your courage from, English lady? Why are you so strong when others like you wither in the desert sun?"
"I don't know. My father taught me the only way to have friends is to be one. Ardeth Bey saved my life, saved my very soul when Collins would have sacrificed me in that horrid half-witted attempt at necromancy." Julia still shuddered at the memory. "In some parts of the world, if you save a person's life, that life belongs to you."
"You have saved my brother's life. Does that mean his life belongs to you?"
"I suppose it does. If one believes in that practice."
"Do you?"
Julia closed her eyes. Images wheeled through her mind. The moment when Ardeth Bey first lowered his veil and let her see the Med-Jai tattoos marking his face. How her heart leaped to see him again that day in Mr. Kufti's office. Sharing her bed with him. Sharing her soul with him when the powder in the Sekhmet ushabti turned them both into the avatars of gods.
"What I believe is neither here nor there. Ardeth Bey's life belongs to the Med-Jai."
Afsaneh nodded. "It is good that you understand that."
"Some facts are written in stone. I can drive myself mad wishing this particular fact was different, or I can simply accept it."
Again Afsaneh nodded. "You are very wise, Julia Lawrence. I have never known of a Christian woman who understood what it means to submit to the will of Allah."
"It must be the will of Allah, the way Ardeth Bey and I have been brought together time and time again."
Afsaneh abruptly stood up and hurried out of the tent. Julia watched her rush across the sand and disappear among the tents. Minutes later, many voices rose in what sounded like a heated argument. A few louder voices shouted down the rest. Julia sat still, clasping her hands together so tightly her fingers ached. Did that uproar mean the decision had been reached?
Two figures came striding across the sand toward her tent. Neither was tall enough to be Ardeth Bey. The tent flap opened to reveal Afsaneh, followed by Mr. Kufti. Afsaneh pointed at Julia and spoke an urgent stream of Arabic. Mr. Kufti asked Afsaneh a question. She nodded, then made shooing motions with her hands.
"What is it?" Julia asked. "Mr. Kufti, whatever is she saying?"
"Miss Lawrence," Mr. Kufti said. "You appear to have made a very favorable impression on Afsaneh. She insists you be allowed to speak before the Council of Elders."
A sudden wild surge of hope drove Julia up onto her feet. "Was that what I just heard? All that shouting?"
"Yes, it was. For Afsaneh to burst in on the Council of the Elders was unthinkable. She must believe very strongly in whatever you have to say."
"Will they hear me? Did they grant her request?"
"That is why I am here. Afsaneh has asked me to take you to them."
With a cry of delight Julia seized Afsaneh in a sudden fierce embrace. "God bless you, Afsaneh! Pray Allah I say the right things!"
Julia dashed out of the tent. Mr. Kufti caught up with her and dragged her to a halt.
"Slowly, Miss Lawrence. With dignity." He held out her chadar.
"Yes. Yes, of course." Julia slipped it on over her head and smoothed it into place.
"When I call you forward, go and stand before the Council. Speak plainly, and keep it brief. Formal courtesy is always appropriate. Can you do this?"
"Yes, Mr. Kufti. I can and I will."
"I have complete faith in you, Miss Lawrence. Ah, here we are."
Two Med-Jai stood on either side of the opening to the Council tent. They parted the flaps before her. Mr. Kufti led her onward, into the heat of many bodies packed closely together, smelling of sand, sweat, leather and horses. The inside of the tent was ringed with Med-Jai. They stood four or five deep around a half-circle of a dozen old men who sat on cushions on the floor. With hair and beards varying from salt-and-pepper to silvery white, they had to be in their sixties or seventies. Their robes were the finest Julia had seen, their faded tattoos almost lost among their wrinkles. Their scars were by far the most serious. One Elder lacked a left arm. One had only a stump below one knee. Another wore an eye patch.
"Wait here," Mr. Kufti murmured.
He left her standing between two Med-Jai. Julia was pleased to recognize Jaleel and Fakhar. Each greeted her with a slight nod.
Mr. Kufti stepped into the half-circle and spoke, gesturing toward Julia. One of the Elders replied. Mr. Kufti turned to her and held out his hand. Julia moved ahead to stand beside him.
"I will translate for you," he said, "should that be needed."
"Thank you, Mr. Kufti. What would I do without you?"
"Go on, my dear. Speak."
Julia looked at each of the Elders in turn, then bowed. "The Council of Elders is extremely gracious to let me speak before them. I am very grateful." She struggled to tame the wild churning of her thoughts. There was so much she wanted to say. "When I first met Ardeth Bey, he showed me mercy I did not fully appreciate by warning me to get away from Mr. Collins and return to Cairo. When Mr. Collins proved himself the greedy swine the Med-Jai knew him to be, Ardeth Bey delivered me from a horrible death." She faltered, then steadied herself. "Whenever I've had any opportunity to help Ardeth Bey, I've done everything I could. Everything I have done, I have done with this one goal in mind. Please believe me."
The Elders spoke among themselves. Then the most senior turned to her.
"Julia Lawrence, we, the Council of the Elders of the Brotherhood of the Med-Jai, wish to offer you our most profound thanks for all of the assistance you have given so willingly and so well. Never have we seen a woman of Great Britain possessed of the skills and determination you have demonstrated."
Julia bowed again. "The good opinion of this Council means the world to me."
"However, we must consider very carefully the matter of Ardeth Bey's marriage. His family line is a line of princes. He must have a wife that will do him honor in every particular."
Julia nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"Are you that woman, Julia Lawrence?"
"I don't know, sir. I do know I would try my absolute best to be worthy of that honor."
"Do you think it fitting that a woman of your country should marry a man of ours?"
"I am proud to be a subject of the British Empire, just as I know Ardeth Bey is proud to be Med-Jai. We are both warriors, determined to know the truth and to preserve it. Other than that I cannot say."
The Elder spoke to Mr. Kufti, who replied at length. Julia held herself still, keeping an iron grip on her composure.
"Julia Lawrence." The Elder spoke directly to her again.
"Sir?"
"Do you love Ardeth Bey?"
"I do, sir. With everything in me."
"Are you willing to give up your English life to live as the wife of a Med-Jai?"
As the many implications of that question sank in, Julia clenched her eyes shut against the tears that blinded her. How could she possibly promise to abandon her father? The Med-Jai demanded total devotion from the members of their tribe. She could no longer live with one foot in two worlds.
"Oh Daddy," she whispered. "I'm sorry." She raised her head, heedless of the tears streaming down her cheeks. "If that is the only way the Council will let us be together, then yes, I will give up my English life."
The Elders conferred with each other again. Inspiration struck Julia.
"Please!" she cried. "May I please be allowed to make a suggestion to the Council?"
The most senior Elder nodded. "Speak."
"If it pleases the Council, consider me in the same role that Mr. Kufti fulfills. I can pursue my scholarly life in Cairo or in London. I can be one more link in the chain that is the Med-Jai, circling the world and keeping it safe." Julia sank down onto her knees. "Please. I know I'm just one Englishwoman too far from home, but if you let me, I'll do everything I possibly can to help the cause of the Med-Jai. As I love Ardeth Bey, so I will follow him in his duty."
The Council regarded her with impassive faces.
"I killed He Who Must Not Be Named! I shot him twelve times, assuming every bullet I fired did in fact hit him. If that does not prove my dedication to you, I don't know what more I can do!"
Mr. Kufti's hand settled on her right shoulder. "Let me speak a word on Miss Lawrence's behalf. Not only has she slain the Brotherhood's greatest enemy, she has shed her own blood in the service of the Med-Jai. As much as any woman not born of this tribe can be, Miss Lawrence has shown herself to be a warrior for God."
The Elders considered Julia in silence, then the most senior Elder spoke.
"Leave us now."
"Thank you so much for your willingness to hear me." Julia bowed down until her forehead touched the carpet.
Mr. Kufti helped her to her feet. "Well done, Miss Lawrence."
"Thank you, Mr. Kufti," she murmured. "Truly, you are a good friend."
"As are you, my dear." He turned her back toward the entrance.
There stood Ardeth Bey, dressed in full Med-Jai attire even unto his black hat. His veil concealed his expression, but in his eyes shone a light that was unmistakable. As Julia passed by him, his fingers curled around hers in a brief caress. No matter what happened next, she'd made him proud of her.
#
Once again Julia found herself lying alone in a tent out in the middle of the Sahara. A thousand stars glimmered in the night sky. The temperature had fallen far enough to make the warmth of her blankets comfortable. Mr. Kufti had advised her to get some sleep, as if that was even a remote possibility. The Council would no doubt be in session long into the night. Whatever the Council's final decision, it would set a precedent that would enter into the lore of the Med-Jai, a matter to be approached with the utmost care.
What would tomorrow bring? Even if the Council granted her request, her life would never again be the same. She had committed to abandoning her life in England. She had sworn to follow Ardeth Bey in his duty. The price for remaining with Ardeth Bey might well be seeing even less of him than she had up til now. If the Elders chose to send her to England to carry out some mission there, she had no way of knowing when or if she'd ever see Ardeth Bey again. And yet, there was the delicate issue of his sons and heirs. Surely the Elders wouldn't send her into exile without giving him some kind of opportunity to see to it she fulfilled a wife's first duty. And then what? Would they consign her to the care of Afsaneh and her handmaidens? The very idea of nine months of pregnancy spent in the grueling heat of the Sahara made Julia groan aloud. Perhaps Mr. Kufti could persuade the Council to let Julia stay in Cairo during her confinement.
Boots crunched in the sand outside her tent.
"Miss Julia?" Jaleel's voice.
"Yes, Jaleel? Has the Council made their decision?"
"Please come with us, Miss."
"But-- I'm not dressed."
"The chadar will preserve your modesty. Please, Miss. We must hurry."
Puzzled, anxious, more than a little wary, Julia pulled the chadar on over the lightweight cotton sleeping shift Afsaneh had provided. Julia untied the cords that secured the tent doors and slipped out. There stood Jaleel, Fakhar, Kamal and Ahmed. What did it mean, that the Council had sent the bodyguards handpicked by Ardeth Bey himself?
"Good evening, gentlemen."
"Good evening, Miss," Jaleel replied. "If you will come this way, please."
He led her not toward the Council tent, but in the opposite direction. He and Kamal walked ahead of her while Ahmed and Fakhar followed behind. An armed escort, within the boundaries of the Med-Jai camp? Her heart sank. The news must be bad indeed. The Med-Jai were well aware of how dangerous she could be. They must now regard her as an enemy to be kept under constant watch.
The tent they approached shone from within with the light of oil lamps. When Jaleel opened the tent flap for her, scented air wafted out. Incense. She looked to Jaleel, her eyes imploring some kind of reassurance. His stony expression softened.
"Go in, Miss. All your questions will be answered."
Julia still hung back. Once she crossed this threshold, everything changed. She turned to Ahmed and reached out to lay her hand on his shoulder. He flinched but didn't move away.
"This may be the last time I see the four of you," Julia said. "Let me thank you for your kindness, for your protection, and for all the little things you have done for me while you were my guardians."
Ahmed took her hand from his shoulder. To Julia's complete astonishment, he held it between his. "May Allah smile upon you, lady." He bowed. "Our thanks to you as well."
Julia took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and ducked inside the tent. Her four guardians departed. The oil lamps threw a warm golden light, but she could still see very little.
"All right," she said. "I'm here. What now?"
A shadow rose from the corner of the tent where the bedroll lay. With a swish of robes, the figure moved forward into the light. Ardeth Bey. He still looked so tired, so thin beneath the midnight blue robe he wore, its silver designs winking and glittering in the lamplight. Yet his eyes shone and his smile was as bright as ever. He held out his arms to her.
"Julia. My love. My bride."
Julia flung aside the chadar and threw herself into his arms. She held him so tight his laughter faded into gasps. He eased her arms loose a little.
"Oh, my sheytana. I cannot imagine what you must have said to my sister to make her come charging into the Council of Elders with her eyes burning like the sun."
"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't get her into any trouble."
"Not at all. That Afsaneh should champion your cause was just one more proof that you are the woman meant for me."
"For a moment there I thought I'd upset her, talking about how much I wished I'd been the one to kill Thomas and the others."
"You said that?" Ardeth pushed her back just enough to look down into her face.
Julia nodded. "Granted, I couldn't have done much more than shoot the bastards. That was a quicker death than they deserved."
"Indeed." His grim expression melted into a smile. "No wonder Afsaneh was so impressed with you."
"It's just lucky for me she has no idea what they'd think of me back home in England. I imagine Arabic doesn't have any equivalent terms for 'bluestocking' and 'spinster,' does it?"
"You must stop thinking of yourself that way, Julia. I heard what Mr. Kufti said about you. He called you a warrior for God. You cannot know how much that means, coming from him."
"But I do, Ardeth. I know about his wife."
"He told you about her? What happened to her?"
"Yes." Julia held Ardeth tighter, wincing at the memory of the pain on Mr. Kufti's face. "That made me even more determined to see to it nothing came between you and me."
"Julia." Ardeth buried his face in her hair. "If you are the stuff the British Empire is made of, small wonder they rule so much of the world."
"Am I still British? You haven't told me exactly what the Council has decided."
"Mr. Kufti was quick to point out all the advantages of your suggestion. That was a stroke of genius, Julia. That will allow you your life in England as well as your life here among the Med-Jai."
"Then—they agreed? To all of it?"
"To all of it."
Julia threw her head back and let out a shout of pure joy. She'd won.
"There are a few conditions," Ardeth Bey said. "The Council insists on a proper Muslim wedding."
"That's fine."
"It will take a week, perhaps two, for all the necessary preparations to be made. Never have the Med-Jai witnessed a wedding such as this."
"No doubt!"
"The Council has agreed to honor the vows you and I made to each other. That being so, I am finally free to give you the wedding gift you deserve."
He drew her with him to a low table covered by a cloth. The lamplight showed Julia gleams of silver beneath the thin fabric. He lifted the cloth away to reveal a dozen or more necklaces, the finest Tuareg workmanship she had ever seen. Agates of red and green and gold and brown adorned the necklaces in single color patterns, mixtures, and stone pendants. Silver spirals, large and small, represented the cycle of life. Hands of Fatima with intricate geometric designs hung on silver chains. More designs than Julia's eye could take in all at once!
"Choose, my love," Ardeth said. "You came to this desert seeking this treasure for your studies. It is only right that I give you the very thing that brought the two of us together."
Speechless with wonder, Julia held out her left hand, making her ring shine in the lamplight. She studied the necklaces until she found the one that had to be there, the one that matched her ring.
"This one." She lifted up a longer chain made of tiny rectangular links, solid and flat and marked with diamond patterns. In the center of each diamond shape was a small agate cabochon, each a different color. From the chain hung a pendant of rich carnelian surrounded by more of the little agate cabochons.
"An excellent choice." Ardeth took the chain from her hand and hung it around her neck, lifting her hair away and then smoothing it back down over her shoulders. "You have chosen the pattern for love and prosperity."
"Your love is the greatest treasure I could ever possess."
"I do love you, sheytana." Ardeth planted a trail of burning kisses down her throat. "I love you so much at times it seems my heart must surely burst."
"I love you, Ardeth. More than I ever dreamed I could love a man." One last formality remained to be settled. "Will the Council expect me to convert to Islam?"
"No. As long as my sons are raised as Med-Jai, no one can ask anything more of you."
"Can I raise our daughters to be anthropologists?"
"Absolutely not." Ardeth scowled with mock ferocity. "I'd never sleep for fear of what mad adventure they'd gotten themselves into from one season to the next."
Julia laughed. "Like mother, like daughter, hm?"
"Speaking of children...." Ardeth ran his hands down over her hips. "The sooner they arrive, the happier everyone will be."
"Ardeth, you know there's nothing I'd love more. But you're still recovering! Three days rest can't possibly be enough to--"
He silenced her with a kiss that threatened to melt her very bones. "Julia, beloved, there will never be a day when I cannot find the strength to make love to you."
END