Written for my friend, Pat's, birthday. In case you aren't familiar with her work, she makes dolls and also draws the wonderful DD & Dak cartoons that can be found here: archive
The Dollmaker's Legacy
By Denny J
Grinding and creaking, the ancient wooden doors gave way, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Daniel pulled his t-shirt up over his nose until the dust settled, giving him a view of a large, high-ceilinged room lined with shelves. In the center were two long tables piled with pieces of wood, leather, and other indeterminate materials.
"Looks like some kind of factory or workshop," Daniel said scanning the room.
"Weapons?" Jack asked hopefully.
"More like… toys," Sam said, picking up a carving.
"Toys?"
"Actually," Daniel said moving next to her, "these look like wooden figurines."
"What would they use them for?" Sam asked.
"In some cultures people used them to represent their gods. They were given a prominent place in their home and offerings were made to them."
"The Goa'uld use them as a reminder that their god is always watchful," Teal'c explained. "In this way they hope to prevent their followers from straying."
Daniel walked around the table, picking up and examining long-discarded tools, scraps of cloth, and small pots of dried paint.
"So it's just a big, Goa'uld doll factory?" Jack asked, standing with arms crossed over his P-90.
"Not exactly, although they did exist. There was a British archaeologist named Sir Flinders Petrie who discovered an Egyptian doll factory dating back to 1800 BC. It's really quite interesting; the dolls—"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure a lecture on an ancient Barbie factory is quite fascinating, but that's not what we're here for. Unless you see something we can use, we're outta here." Jack walked to the doorway and looked back at Sam and Daniel who were still perusing the workshop tables. "Comin'?"
"I'm just going to look a bit more," Daniel replied, turning his attention to the shelves.
"Fifteen minutes, Daniel. That's a one and a five, not a five and a one."
"Twenty-five, got it."
With a dramatic sigh, Jack left the room with Teal'c on his heels.
"Something you're looking for?" Sam asked.
"I was just thinking about what this place must have looked like in its heyday. These tables would have been lined with people sawing, carving, and painting these figurines. They would have taken great care to craft these images so they would be acceptable to their god. Now it's all gone."
"Nothing lasts forever."
"I know." Daniel stopped, reaching up to lift an ornately carved box down from a shelf. Dusting it off, he turned the clasp and opened the box. Sam moved next to him, curiosity piqued. Inside, lying on a pillow of soft, purple fabric, was a stuffed animal that looked uncannily like a camel.
"Wow, that's different."
"It's well-preserved, too," Daniel commented as he removed the toy from its velvety resting place.
"Looks like a camel," Sam said.
"Yeah. Makes sense they would bring some of their animals with them when the Goa'uld transplanted them."
"Must have been a special gift for someone."
Daniel didn't reply as he turned it over and over, brushing its fuzzy coat with his fingers.
"Daniel?"
Misty eyes turned towards her.
"What's wrong?"
"I had a stuffed camel when I was little. My aunt Patricia made it when I was a baby and sent it to me in Egypt. I was never without it. I carried that thing around until…"
"Until what?"
"Until… the accident."
"What acci— oh." She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "What happened to it?"
"I lost it that day. In all of the confusion, it got left at the museum. Never saw it again."
"Daniel, I'm so sorry."
Silence fell between them, Daniel holding the camel and Sam with her hand on his arm, offering comfort.
"You should have this one," she said.
"What? No, I shouldn't take—"
"Daniel, look at this place. It's falling apart and probably won't last much longer."
Daniel looked up and around the room as she continued. "Don't you think the artist who made it would be happy to know that hundreds, maybe even thousands of years later, someone was still enjoying their work?"
He returned his gaze to the camel, remaining quiet.
Sam pressed on. "Think of it this way; you'd be keeping the memory of this culture alive."
A small smile spread across Daniel's face and he looked up at her again. "Have I mentioned that I think you're brilliant?"
"You're welcome," she said with a laugh. "And back atcha."
Leaning over, he kissed her on the cheek, placed the camel back in its box, and made his way to the door.
As they exited the room, Jack and Teal'c met them.
"Find something after all?" Jack asked with a nod toward the box.
"Just an interesting… cultural artifact."
"Yeah, like we don't have any of those at the SGC," Jack replied, turning on his heel and heading for the 'gate.
"Not like this one," Daniel whispered, with a knowing smile at Sam.
~oOo~
Late evening, and the SGC was quiet. Most people had gone home hours earlier, but there was light shining from under the door of the office of the Head of Archaeology.
Daniel set the ornately carved box on his workbench and opened the latch. Gently, he pulled out the sand-colored stuffed animal, and ran his fingers over the fur, ruffling it.
"Hey there, Koo-Foo. Welcome home."
Fin