Author's Note: I do not own The Mummy or the character Ardeth Bey. This story is written for entertainment purposes only and I earn no money from it.

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The oasis of Fel-Amat appeared over the dunes like an emerald, palm trees waving in the slight breeze. Rose let out a shout of delight and tut-tutted to her camel, encouraging it out of its sedate ramble. She ignored her brother shouting to her to wait, and plunged forward, her long blonde hair falling out of its practical knot on the back of her neck.

The journey from Cairo had been excruciating. Rose had known it would be hot, but nothing could have prepared her for the strength-sapping oven that was the Sahara. Only her practical side, which reminded her that she would burn terribly if she shed clothing, had kept her long-sleeved, high-necked muslin blouse buttoned to the codes of decorum.

Rose's camel grunted as it approached the oasis, and picked up speed, apparently sensing the nearness of water. Allowing the animal its head, Rose was not surprised when it went straight to the water's edge. There she dropped lightly to the ground. Even through her leather boots, the hot sand heated her feet.

Any qualms she might once have had at drinking the same water as a camel belonged to another life. She knelt and drank deep palmsful, then splashed the water on her face and hair. The strands that had escaped her knot hung wetly in front of her shoulders, leaving dark stains down her blouse. They would evaporate within minutes in the dry heat.

Considerably refreshed, Rose turned to watch the rest of the expedition making its more sedate approach. Her brother, Roy, three other Englishmen and an American rode in the front, followed by seven laborers hired in Cairo. Roy jostled atop his camel, unable to master the rolling spine needed to ride smoothly. Sweat glistened on his ruddy face and ran in rivulets down his neck, disappearing under his collar. His pinched lips reminded Rose of her first teacher, always disapproving of her impulsive actions.

Thinking it best to avoid him until he managed to cool down, Rose led her camel down the shoreline, moving from one patch of shade to the next. She could feel his gaze like an arrow in the center of her back and studiously fought the urge to shrug it away.

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Older than his sister by ten years, Roy was less than pleased to be saddled with a girl barely eighteen. A wasting illness had taken their mother after months of suffering. Rose said the doctors had eased the suffering with morphine, but the Camerons had never been wealthy and the cost of care had left nothing to pass on to the children. Roy had been half-drunk when Rose appeared on the doorstep of his rented room, having spent what little remained to her name to reach him, under the mistaken hope that he could care for her.

Still, she was family, and he couldn't turn her out into the streets. Nearly destitute himself, Roy had planned to join his drinking companions on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure. The American, Jim Gable, claimed to have seen a map with directions to the fabled Hamunaptra, City of the Dead. Unfortunately, with no time to find a chaperone and no money to pay for one, that meant Rose would have to come along.

Roy glared at his sister's retreating back. What was he going to do with her? There was no place for her in his life. He'd cleared his clothes-pile off the sofa in his room and slept there for the three nights before their departure while she used his bed, but such an arrangement couldn't go on forever.

She gathered her hair into her hands and twisted the damp strands. Its golden highlights glinted and her lifted arms highlighted her figure. In the five years since he'd last seen her, she'd blossomed into a beautiful woman. Even as her brother he could recognize that. Surely her pretty face and ready smile could be useful. Once they were back in the city, he'd bring her around to the places where the well-to-do Brits gathered. She couldn't help but catch some lonely officer's eye, and if she managed to snag a wealthy man, it couldn't do Roy any harm either.

He shook his head. She was so small and yet so full of energy. Each little thing that she saw delighted her, be it the sun rising like a gold coin over the sands or a desert fox dashing over the dunes. When he told her about this "archaeological dig," she'd been so excited that Roy couldn't work up the courage to admit it was really more like tomb robbing. What little Roy remembered of his sister was tinged with morality. She'd never understand that he was doing what he was to keep them from rotting in the gutters of Cairo. She'd start lecturing him that there were other kinds of work-respectable work. True enough, but damned if he would work as some kind of clerk or join the ranks of the army. For him, treasure hunting was the perfect answer. A little adventure, a lot of gain.

Still, there were stories about strange occurrences that had taken place some ten years ago-strange phenomenon like locust swarms and water turning to blood-that were rumored to be related to this City of the Dead, and stories of a fierce desert tribe that would kill to protect the city and its inhabitants. Inhabitants, he scoffed, they're all dead, if the place exists at all. And here he was dragging his sister along for the ride. He sighed. What a mess.

"Roy," Jim's voice broke him out of his reverie. "When are you going to tell your sister the truth? We can't keep this act up forever, and it's not like she can do anything about it other than pout. When we get to the City, it's going to become pretty clear what we're up to.

"I know it," Roy said. "It's just, well, what if we get to where we're going and there's no city? I'd rather that she not know what I had in mind in that case. She still seems to see some good in me, and I'd like to keep it that way if I can."

Jim smirked. "Don't you worry about the city. I've got something up my sleeve. They say Hamunaptra sank into the desert some years back. What they don't say is there's a way to make it rise back up. And I've got it."

Roy glanced at him in surprise. "Really? What is it?"

"Like I'm going to tell you? What would be to stop you from stealing it and offing me? Not likely. When we get there, though, then we'll have some fun. And your kid sister had better get a chance to get used to the idea, or she could put a damper on our day. You tell her, understand me?"

"I hear you. Just give me some time. Let me do it my way."

"You've got twenty-four hours. Then things get exciting."