The Sin of the Gods

by Pumita

Imhotep and Ancksunamun meet again in modern times. Will they be able to be together this time ?

When The Mummy 3 was announced I was thrilled. My favourite characters in the story are Imhotep and Ancksunamun and I really could not wait to see more of them. Unfortunately, they were wiped out from the story and I was so mad that I decided to write my own version of the movie !! So here is what I wrote. I will not say it is a story because I do not even know how to write one and it would be an offence to those wonderful writers here. So, please, take it as an act of letting my anger go and simply as an idea for a movie and not as a story itself ! I did some research on Egypt ans some places I needed. I just copied the information they offered in these websites so I would like to recommend them to you. Thank you !

These are some of the sites I used for information :

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.net/

.com/magic_

.com/Top/Society/History/By_Time_Period/Ancient/Africa/Egypt/Texts/

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Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Mummy 3
The Sin of the Gods

Prologue

The spiritual world that was created by the ancient Egyptians was a richly fascinating one, which remains unique in the history of human religion, but at the same time, somehow familiar in many ways. The character of that spiritual world was both mysterious and manifest, at once accessible and hidden, for although Egyptian religion was often shrouded in layers of myth and ritual, it nevertheless permeated the ancient civilization of the Nile and ultimately shaped, sustained and directed Egyptian culture in almost every way.
One thing that does seem familiar about their ancient religion was that people were very concerned about the afterlife. Furthermore, in order to avoid being counted among the damned of the afterlife, one had to not only venerate the Egyptian gods, but also live by a code of standards that would be judged after death.
Because Egypt had many gods, they also had many myths. Some of them, such as those surrounding Re, the Sun God, particularly during the earlier periods, and later, such as the contention of Horus and Seth, became central to the Egyptian religion, perhaps mainly due to their relevance to Kingship. However, other myths involving, for example, Hathor as a healer, were very important to more common Egyptians, as were myths concerning Bes, a goddess of childbirth and the home. There were certainly other myths, sometimes at odds with others, that explained creation, dealt with the afterlife, and even the end of times.
The ancient Egyptians believed in many different gods and goddesses. Each one with their own role to play in maintaining peace and harmony across the land. Some gods and goddesses took part in creation, some brought the flood every year, some offered protection, and some took care of people after they died. Others were either local gods who represented towns, or minor gods who represented plants or animals.
The ancient Egyptians believed that it was important to recognize and worship these gods and goddesses so that life continued smoothly. (John Watson)
But not all of them were good. Such was the case of Apep, also known as Apepi, Aapep, or Apophis. Apep was a demon of the underworld, in the form of a giant water snake. It was believed that he was created when Nit spat into the primeval waters of Nun. He was the enemy of the sun god, trying to stop him as he traveled on his barque through the underworld each night. He was so powerful that little could defeat him, and even then, he was back again the following evening to threaten Ra. He was a demon outside of Ma'at, the opposite of order, a demon of darkness and chaos.
He was thought by the ancient Egyptians to be over 16m long, with skin as hard as flint. His roar was so loud that it shook the underworld. He was called 'Evil Lizard', 'Opponent of Ra', 'Enemy of Ra', 'World Encircler' and 'Serpent of Rebirth'.
It was believed that Apep waited at Bakhu - the mountain of the horizon - to swallow the barque of Ra, or during in the seventh hour of the night. He also could swallow the waters of the celestial river in the underworld, or use his coils as sandbanks, to strand Ra's barque. Serget used her magic to protect the barque from Apep, as she had power over snakes, reptiles and poisonous animals. She was also thought to be able to hold Apep's tail. Maahes also protected Ra on the barque, as he protected the pharaoh while in battle. Shu was a defender of the barque, who used spells and magic to protect Ra from the water snake-demon and his followers. He was also thought to be caught or cut by other deities, including Isis, Nit, Sekhmet, Geb and the Sons of Horus.
It was the god Atem, a form of the sun god at sunset, who was believed to condemn Apep to destruction. He was shown as standing before the water snake demon, the demon awaiting its destruction. The deceased were also given spells to help them get passed Apep - "Apep has fallen into the flame, a knife is stuck into his head, his name no longer exists anywhere on the earth ... I sever his vertebrae from his neck, cutting into his flesh with a knife and stabbing through his skin." - the magic spells could bring the demon to this place of destruction, where Apep would be chained, cut, burned and crushed. Apep is also shown as being decapitated by Ra in the form of the 'The Great Cat of Iunu (On, Heliopolis)', at the foot of the sacred ished or the sacred sycamore tree of the horizon.
Apep was not so much worshipped, as worshipped against. He was a threat not only against people and the gods, but also against ma'at and creation itself. As a demon of the unknown and related to frightening events such as unexplained darkness (solar eclipses were interpreted as a victory of Apep over Ra as he swallowed the solar barque), rituals were followed to ensure he could do no harm. In this, he was linked to Set, who also had eclipses, thunderstorms and earthquakes attributed to him.
His defeat each night, in favor of Ra, was thought to be ensured by the prayers of the Egyptian priests and worshipers at temples. The Egyptians practiced a number of rituals and superstitions that were thought to ward off Apep, and aid Ra to continue his journey across the sky.
The Egyptian priests even had a detailed guide to fighting Apep, referred to as The Books of Overthrowing Apep or (in Greek) the Book of Apophis. The chapters described a gradual process of dismemberment and disposal, and include:
• Spitting Upon Apep
• Defiling Apep with the Left Foot
• Taking a Lance to Smite Apep
• Fettering Apep
• Taking a Knife to Smite Apep
• Putting Fire Upon Apep
According to these, Apep will first be speared, then sliced with red-hot knives so that every bone of his body has been separated, his head, legs and tail are cut off. His remains are then scorched, singed, and roasted, finally to be consumed by fire. The same fate awaits Apep's confederates and everything which formed parts of him, them, and all their offspring (their shadows, souls, doubles, and spirits).

In addition to stories about Apep's defeats, this guide had instructions for making wax models, or small drawings, of the serpent, which would be spat on, mutilated and burnt, whilst reciting spells that would aid Ra. Fearing that even the image of Apep could give power to the demosn, any rendering would always include another deity to subdue the monster.

In an annual rite, called the Banishing of Apep, priests would build an effigy of Apep that was thought to contain all of the evil and darkness in Egypt, and burn it to protect everyone from Apep's influence for another year, in a similar manner to modern rituals such as Zozobra.
As Apep was thought to live in the underworld, he was sometimes thought of as an Eater-up of Souls. Thus, the dead also needed protection, so they were sometimes buried with spells that could destroy Apep. The Book of the Dead frequently described occasions when Ra defeated Apep.

Tired of being defeated every night by Ra, Apep decided it was already time to try a new approach and use all his wit to bring death and chaos into the world. And what a sweetest way could there be to find his revenge than by using his enemy's own weapons? It was just a matter of waiting for the appropriate time … and people.
The perfect opportunity appeared when Apep noticed a couple who had madly fallen in love. The problem was that she was one of Seti's mistresses, and therefore could only be his. This was throwing the two lovers into an ocean of desperation whose waves could easily get out of control. Needless to say, Apep was delighted. The woman was incredibly beautiful, sweet and tender, but strong willed and courageous as nobody Apep had ever seen before. And him. He was truly a treasure. A wise man with all the necessary qualities to become a hero, a pharaoh in his lifetime and a god in the afterlife. Yes, Imhotep and Ancksunamun were perfect for his simple plan. He was going to play with their minds in such a way that they would condemn themselves,and bring the curse of curses against mankind, creating a creature that would spread death and desperation for years to come. Given the choice between the possibility of life without Ancksunamun and the possibility of the Hom Dai, there was no doubt what path Imhotep was bound to choose. He just had to use his evil power to darken their souls and force them to do things they would otherwise not dare.

And all this, through the force of love … and a little help from him.

Present Day – California

"Don't close it!! Can't you see I am terrified? Have you no mercy? I am suffocating … and it hurts … Where's Ancksunamun? Where have you taken her? Don't you understand you are condemning yourselves? You are turning me into a monster … a creature I don't want to be! Can't you see I promised her? Did you panic in this way, my love? Did you suddenly ache for something you knew you'd miss? No, you have always been stronger, comforting me when my feelings ran out of control. Like now….but it won't take long…I am suffocating … Ancksunamun …"

Another nightmare. Although he could only remember fragments, they were so vivid now it took Arnold several minutes to start breathing normally again. Once more, his body was completely soaked, he stretched his arms and legs, they felt as if they had been trapped in something that would not let him move a muscle. And he was terrified, anguished … shaking. How could this happen to him? He had always been a strong man, determined, ready to do whatever it took to get things his way, never having second thoughts. Yes, you could say he was cold blooded at times. But when these nightmares came, he was shattered. And after he had been able to calm down, he knew the feeling of guilt would haunt him for days. That was puzzling. And once more, that damned need to search…. For what? For whom? He would feel desperate, lost and restless for weeks to come.
Maybe it was time to mention these nightmares to his shrink Maybe this was just another symptom of that stupid illness she said he was suffering from … what was it called? Maybe concentrating on that would help him make the fear fade away. Arnold tried to get up and make his way to the shower. His bedroom was small and he only had to walk a few steps, but right now, he felt he knew exactly what it was like to live in Buckingham Palace. He stepped into the shower and let the last spasms go through his body. He needed to support himself with the palms of his hands against the wall. And once more he knew what was about to come. "Funny, I must be turning into some kind of clairvoyant!" He was becoming used to this ritual by now. It was like an internal uproar of anguish, desperation and horror. And he burst into tears until exhaustion overtook him and forced him to kneel in the bath. "Forgive me" were always his last words, the ones he could never understand. Was it another language he was speaking or maybe this disease was also attacking his brain? He had to find out more about it... what the hell was it called? Alluvia... what?

He had a light breakfast trying to concentrate on the words he would use in his next business meeting. This collector was easy, so just a little acting would be enough, not much of a challenge. Good, the day had already had its share of emotions. He always felt a sense of justice being served when he cheated these people and robbed them of their money. Their only purpose in life was to show off their latest ancient artifact, the more extravagant, the better. Of course, there were certain " jobs" which included real artifacts, the ones that let him enjoy quite a good life. There was one line though; he was not ready to cross: no matter how much money they offered, he would never touch mummies. This, he would never negotiate. He could not help but feel extremely sorry for those poor souls. How could people be so cruel, so morbid? They ripped them from their resting places and exhibited them as if they were one more vase, staring at them, pointing at them … even laughing at them. Well, not him. In his "excursions" through the museums, he always made sure he paid his respects to these people, and from time to time, he would catch himself again saying something he was not sure he could understand. Well, let them be. He had always felt he had been cast from a superior race, a higher rank in life. And they were there only to serve his purposes. Everybody was happy. Except, maybe for some curators. And his face recovered the usual devilish smile. Yes, he could be a headache when he wanted. He could break into any museum he wished and no state-of-the-art security system would ever stop him. These jobs were the ones that pleased him the most. Not only because they brought big money but also because he felt like a child in an adventure story. The only problem was that he was becoming too good at it and he was getting bored. Then his mind had time to wander through regions of his heart and soul he was not sure he was ready to explore. … That's it … ailurophobia !!! He had to remember to check it out when he returned home.

Just as he had predicted, the deal had been too easy. Almost an insult to his intelligence. Not even once did the man suspect that the glass furnaces he now so proudly possessed had never been even near Tel El Amarna, where they were supposed to have been discovered in 1400 BC.
"The art of glass making seems to have been of very ancient origins with the Egyptians and glass jars, figures and ornaments have been discovered in the tombs. Also, the painting on the tombs has been interpreted as descriptive of the process of glass blowing. Egyptian glass articles were of colored glass, often beautifully patterned. Analyses of ancient Egyptian glass articles show that generally glass was a soda-lime glass with rather soda content as compared with modern soda lime glass."
As Arnold gave this explanation to his "client", he could actually see the process and the finished pieces as if he himself had been an expert in this art. Funny again, he thought. Lately his mind had been playing all sorts of tricks on him. Like the first time he had seen his psychologist. She was incredibly beautiful, there was no man on earth who could deny that and he was known for his good taste as far as women were concerned. But the first time he had met her, he had only seen the tiny object she was wearing around her neck. He had been so attracted to it that he had almost blushed. Its power was hypnotic, almost dangerous. She had noticed his fascination and began to explain things he knew too well, but he welcomed those precious seconds he had to behave like a normal man again.
"I can see this has called your attention", she said, smiling, and her voice was so soothing it began to trail him out of his trance. "It's an ancient Egyptian symbol of life. You see, these are supposed to be thoracic vertebrae of a bull. It's called …"
"Ankh". The word came to him almost magically. It hadn't originated in his brain or been uttered by his vocal chords. It had surged from his soul and had been spoken with his heart. Almost whispered.
"You must have been a very good student at school" she teased him. "Not many people know this Egyptian symbol and just see it as another cross".
Well, at least that had impressed her! If he hadn't been so shocked, he would have run out of the room. He wasn't used to making himself a fool in front of women. And he was determined that this was not going to be the first time. So he added, matter-of-factly "It was often worn as an amulet to extend life and placed on the mummies to energize the resurrected spirit".
It worked! That had called her attention and he was finally able to stop staring at the symbol and raise his eyes to look directly into hers. Yes, fascination was the perfect word. And once again, the magic word came to him.
"Ankh"
And they both smiled.

Lord, how he hated waiting. If he hadn't become addicted to her presence, he would be sailing on his brand new yacht. Better still, they could be sailing together! He knew she was not dating anyone and her eyes had told him many times she was ready to take a new approach to their relationship. But he did not want to ruin it by making a hasty move, not this time. So, he kept waiting for the moment when the topic would just pop out. And pray for the best!
The waiting room was elegant and cozy. There were several plants with flowers, all in the same shade of violet. There were shelves with books and magazines and a coffee machine. A delicate perfume of lilacs flooded the room and in one of the corners a small fountain brought some peace to the distressed souls who came to Patricia hoping to find some peace of mind. Like him, although he hated to admit it even to himself. In the other corner, there was a TV set with the news channel on. So much for peace and quiet! Either she had placed it there on purpose to test her patients or she had made a terrible mistake. Well, he was not going to mention the point to her. She had always been sweet and understanding, but somehow he could tell he did not want to be near her if she got mad. Good point to reconsider asking her on a date. He deliberately turned his attention to the news. He had only 10 minutes to take her out of his mind before the previous patient left. The reporter was standing outside the library of the University of Leipzig, in Germany.
"Authorities are not revealing much about the mysterious events that took place last night in the library, but apparently the Ebers Papyrus has been destroyed by vandals in what appears to be an act of rage. The Ebers papyrus was written in hieratic script and preserved the most voluminous record of ancient Egyptian medicine known to date. The 110-page scroll contained some 700 magical formulas and remedies. Although it contained many incantations meant to turn away disease-causing demons and other superstition, there was also evidence of a long tradition of empirical practice and observation..."
"Mr. Vosloo … Mr. Vosloo … Arnold!"
"Oh, sorry. I was listening to the news. Hi, Patricia"
"Hi, are you ready? "
"I think so, let's start …"
"Ok, come in, please"

The session had gone quite well, considering that his mind had been somewhere else. He was not sure yet if he was so mad because they were messing with his business or because he hated ancient Egyptian treasures being destroyed. He was inclined to choose the second option. When he took objects from the museums he always made sure he would give them to people who could appreciate what they meant. But this senseless destruction had ruined his day. Besides, the Eber Papyrus was irrepleceable. Yes, he was getting slightly mad.
He parked his Ferrari 500 Barchetta and looked around. Something strange was going on. He could not identify what it was, but he was sure something was coming. And it wasn't good. Somebody was watching him. Or Something. He felt the intense need to call Patricia and check on her, but she was going to think he was crazier than she had imagined.
Entering his house, he noticed there was somehing on the floor near the French windows that led to the garden. Lately Patricia had been giving him the last appointment so their sessions usually lasted longer than they should, and he usually returned home late. Now the moonlight was coming through the window and he used it to search the living room. Apparently no one was there and he walked slowly towards the object. There were several pieces scattered on the floor and he knelt down to see them better. He took a piece and saw it was stone. Feeling the danger was over, he turned on the lights and gathered all the pieces he could find. He noticed some letters carved on the stone, and sat down to try to figure out what they said. He had no problem deciphering the word : "Imhotep"
He dialed Patricia's number.

She was walking home that night. Maybe it was the summer approaching or may be it was the warmth he left in the air mixed with his masculine scent. But she needed the fresh breeze and the flowers she could see on the way home were a welcomed distraction. Waiting at the gate, Alegra meowed the moment she saw her coming. If Arnold knew she kept a cat in the house, their relationship was going to be over seconds before it started …worse, if he found out she had suffered from ailurophobia herself she was going to be in real trouble. She knew by now that Arnold could be merciless when mad, but she also knew he would never hurt her. Ever.
She took Alegra in her arms and they both approached the front door. However, as they were about to enter the house, the cat went wild and almost scratched her face. She tried to calm the little animal but Alegra had already disappeared into the neighbor's garden. Patricia turned to face the door and saw that the small window to the left had been smashed. She froze for a second, not knowing what to do. She took her cell phone to call 911 but decided to check the house first. She opened the door very slowly and peered into the house. Everything seemed to be in order and she went in. Nothing had been stolen; what's more, nothing seemed to have been touched. Her cell phone rang and she jumped! She noticed she was more scared than she thought …
"Arnold …"
"Hi, Patricia, look … I know this is going to sound a little awkward … but I needed to know if you were ok …"
She was melting now. How could he know?
"I am so happy you called. Somebody has been in my house and I …"
"Did you call the police? Where are you?
"I was about to when you called. I am in the living room. I don't think there's anybody home"
"I am on my way. Wait for me outside. Ok? "
"OK, thanks …"

Finally, the price he had paid for the Ferrari had proved worth it. He arrived in less than fifteen minutes, though he was sure there would be some speed fines to be paid. When he parked the car, Patricia was waiting for him outside as he had asked. He sighed. She stood up when she saw him and they both stayed in each other's arms for as long as they could. He held her hand and they both entered the house. After a short inspection, they discovered the window had been broken with a stone that was now in pieces all over the floor. Now, this was weird. While Patricia was preparing some coffee in the kitchen, Arnold gathered all the pieces and read the name: "Ancksunamun" What was going on here?
Well, there was no need to worry her, not until he knew what this was all about. Somebody was having fun playing games with them, that was obvious. He had dated many women and most of them had not been too happy when he left them, and most of them again had been right. ! But although all of them had possessed beauty, intelligence had not been their forte. If there was somebody playing mind games, he could count them out. And what about her? What if he had misjudged Patricia's feelings for him…? Maybe there was a man who was feeling jealous of their relationship. Someone close enough to know where he lived and what he did for a living. Those names were Egyptian so the message was clearly for him. Imhotep was easy. He had been the earliest Physician whose name has been recorded. He was a learned man, astronomer and architect. It was said he had built the first pyramid, the step pyramid of Saqqara. In later times, he was worshipped as a hero, as a physician, and later still, as the god of medicine. Yes, Imhotep was a familiar guy for him. And Ancksunamun…he knew that name … he knew that woman … but he could not remember exactly who she was. Was there any connection between this name and the ankh Patricia was wearing? Too many unanswered questions. Yes, it was better to leave her out of this, for the time being.
He told Patricia he was going to throw the pieces of stone in the garbage, but put them in his car instead. Somehow, he knew they would deserve some more attention later. When he returned, she was in the living room, the coffee on the table. Life looked much brighter now.
Patricia did not seem too concerned about somebody breaking into her house and he could have sworn she was enjoying having him in the house. He congratulated himself for not having told her there was something strange going on. They talked about other things and when they ran out of topics, they simply went to her bedroom hand in hand, as if they had been doing that every night for years.
He marveled at how they new exactly what the next move would be. Just as naturally, they made love that night, knowing precisely how to tease and please each other. And they both fell asleep in each other's arms that night, feeling that part of their search was over and they were finally coming home.
When they woke up the next day, their lives had certainly changed. No matter what the future could bring, they knew they were meant for each other and no words were needed to understand they would stay together from now on. It was as simple as that. He prepared breakfast and tried not to show his concern about the events of the previous night. If he had suspected something was not right, now he was completely sure. Patricia, on the other hand, was radiant. She was like a wild flower that had blossomed overnight. He drove her to the office and she sang to George Strait all the way!

Meanwhile, the serpents that lived in the Brooklyn Zoo had suddenly gone crazy and attacked the zookeepers. Two of them had been killed and the rest were seriously injured in hospital.
Arnold arrived home and turned his computer on. He was determined to find something about Imhotep and Ancksunamun that could help him figure out what was going on. Who was he fooling? He knew the answer was going to be harder to find than simply by typing !
He did find something interesting and alarming at the same time. Reading about ancient Egyptian myths he came across the following information: "Names in Ancient Egypt were very mystic and powerful. It was thought that if you inscribed your enemies' name on something, then broke it, that enemy would either be afflicted, or possibly die. " Well, he might have pissed off some crazy curator who might have discovered him and was now teaching him a lesson. But why Patricia?
He decided to put a few things in a bag and move in with her. He turned the TV on to see if there was something new on the Eber Papyrus, but a more shocking information had now made the headlines : " Scientists are trying to find an explanation to why the animals have changed their behavior without ant apparent reason. It is also surprising that they all belong to different species and geographical areas. The Nile Crocodile, C. niloticus, is found in Africa and Madagascar, the American Crocodile, C. acutus, is found is South Florida to Ecuador and the largest crocodile, Crocodile Porosus, which can grow up to 6 metres or more, is found in E. India, Australia and the W. Pacific. But this morning, they seemed to have been guided by a mysterious force that led them to attack and kill at least 45 people in different countries. Scientists and researchers are also trying to find out if there is a connection between these attacks and the incidents at the Brooklyn zoo."
Arnold did not know why or how, but he was sure it was his duty to discover who or what was doing this and destroy it.
Apep was pleased. The first two times he had attempted to give Ra a lesson, he had failed. The first time the creature had been destroyed, he had been frustrated. It had been too easy for his enemy. The second, Ra had taught him a lesson and played his own game. When Imhotep had begged Ancksunamun to help him, Ra had made her leave, sure that having lost her, all will to fight would abandon Imhotep and he had been right! He had simply closed his eyes and surrendered to his fate. A world without Ancksunamun was not worth conquering. But although Ra had made an intelligent move to end the game and destroy the creature, he had crossed a fine line. He had played against what he was supposed to protect more: love. He had forced Ancksunamun to betray her own heart. Poor souls, they were now victims to both sides of this war.
He called Patricia at work to let her know he would be waiting for her in the house. He wanted to make sure there would be no more unpleasant surprises when she arrived home. Before meeting her, his sole interest in life had been himself, but now there were few moments of the day when he was not loving her, kissing her, missing her, breathing her. When she arrived that night, she was wearing the same radiant smile she had had in the morning and threw herself into his arms as if she had arrived from an exhausting journey and had been longing to be with him for centuries.
They had dinner watching the news and their mood turned rather gloomy. Arnold caught Patricia checking the kitchen window several times and hugged her tightly; telling her there was nothing to worry about. But she knew something he did not. It was getting late and Alegra was still missing. She wanted to go to the garden and try to find her, but did not know how Arnold would react to that. Even though sufferers from ailurophobia know that their fear is irrational, they often find that facing, or even thinking about facing the feared situation brings on a panic attack of severe anxiety. Having suffered from this phobia herself, she knew the symptoms too well : breathlessness, excessive sweating, dry mouth, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to speak or think clearly, a fear of dying, becoming mad or losing control, a sensation of detachment from reality … She certainly did not want him exposed to so much pain. She would die before she saw him hurt; she would even kill herself to protect him …
They made passionate love to the point of complete exhaustion and fell asleep. That night, all barriers collapsed and the hidden truth finally emerged.
Patricia had her first dream. She found herself in a big hall, holding her mouth and eyes in her hand and standing to the left of a big scale. Her heart was being weighed against a tiny figure wearing a single large feather in her headband. . On the right, a Jackal-headed god presided over the scene. Another god adjusted the scales, while a baboon wrote down the result. She was questioned by what seemed to be a jury of gods about her behavior in life. She was found truthful and therefore worthy of entering the afterlife.
At this point, the images faded and Patricia woke up. Her feelings were contradictory, she was at peace because she knew her soul was pure, but she also felt she was not ready to die, too many things had been left unfinished and the love of her life had been left abandoned. All the pain and anguish inside her rose like a tidal wave. She turned to find comfort in the arms of Arnold (or was it that she needed to comfort him?), and her heart despaired when she only found an empty space.
She jumped from bed fearing the worst. Running down the stairs, she relaxed when she saw him sitting on the sofa, but she soon noticed he was looking too worried … changed. She approached the sofa slowly and quietly, not wishing to disturb him. Maybe he had found Alegra and was in some kind of shock. She sat down in front of him and almost whispered her words ….
"I was worried when I did not find you in bed …."
He seemed not to be listening to her words, but his eyes had made contact and his look had become too intense, but she did not lower hers.
"Did you have one of your nightmares?
Silence …
"I could give you something to help you sleep …"
No reaction ….
"You know, I had a dream myself …"
He still looked worlds away, but never stopped looking at her. Yes, somehow he looked … different. She decided that maybe if she continued talking, he would come out of the trance, so she told him about her dream. She was not sure if she was listening, but when she finished he said:
"That was no dream, Ancksunamun. Those were memories of the first time you died."
That sentence sent a chill down her spine. Delusions were not part of the symptoms connected to ailuraphobia. But, what was strange was that he looked so convinced of what he was saying she had lost all notion of what was wrong or right.
"What did you say?"
"That dream you had was just your memory trying to wake you up."
"Wake me up? What do you mean? "
"Being together again has forced us to open up. Last night Ra himself came to me in a dream and confessed we have been used in the war Ra and Apep fight every night. I am Imhotep, High priest of Ancient Egypt, forced by Apep to condemn myself to the Hom Dai to unleash a creature that would bring destruction into this world. You are Ancksunamun, the love of my life. No matter what happens to us, we always find each other again and our love has remained intact through the centuries."
Patricia was shocked. She had no idea how to react. Had he been someone else, she would have already called and ambulance and sent him to an institution. This man was completely insane. But now, as she held the ankh tightly in her hand, she was actually thinking that what he was saying might make sense.
"You have actually been in the Hall of Judgment. Your heart was weighed against the Ma'at, the goddess of justice and truth, that figure wearing the feather. Osiris, God of the underworld and rebirth, and Anubis, overseer of mummification, were there. The last time we died, we had done some awful things but we were forgiven because the gods had manipulated us to take advantage of the extraordinary force of our love."
Well, one thing was true. He knew what he was talking about and his expression told her not to question him. She had never seen him so serious, she was not afraid of him; on the contrary, she felt there was nothing in this world that could hurt her with him by her side. But something had changed. She loved him, adored him, and now, she also worshipped him.

She had fallen asleep on the sofa, but he had been unable to close his eyes. There were too many things to consider and too many decisions to be made. The Med-Jai would be watching his every move to make sure his dark side was under control. Ra had given him the powers he had under the Hom Dai, but now it was his fight not to let the evil in them control him. At least, this time it was his choice. But now that his powers were back, he was also aware of the dangers approaching them. The good point, if there was any, was that if he could win this battle, the gift of a lifetime with his beloved Ancksunamun would be granted and the Hom Dai would not haunt them any more. They just had to be strong …
Soon Apep would send one of his most evil incarnations, Set, to destroy them. They had to be prepared. But first things first. Those serpents and crocodiles had to be stopped!

From across the road, the red- haired man looked impatient. He had no
idea why Apep did not simply vanish Imhotep from the face of the Earth
but preferred playing this silly game. Maybe there was something in
this creature to be feared, but he could not figure out what it could
be. His weak point had been easy to discover: a woman. Not even a
princess, a worthless mistress. How pathetic! There had to be
something he was missing. But what?

CHAPTER II

When she woke up, she understood why he had looked so detached the previous night. She now felt the same. She had studied something about how dreams sometimes are memories of past lives. She also knew it was extremely difficult to distinguish between a dream and a memory, yet, today she was 100 % sure she had always been and still was Ancksunamun. She could try hypnosis to be sure, but she also knew that the state of hypnosis usually resembled that of a person dreaming. She knew too well that evoked previous personalities were most of the times, imaginary. The person was generally able to mention accurate historical details, but these were usually derived from information acquired through reading or other sources. No, this was completely different. She did not have a book on Egyptian history stored in her brain. She had smells, the sound of the Nile, the warmth of the nights, the feeling of completeness when she found herself in Imhotep's arms, her soul mate. It was hard for her now to think of herself as Patricia, she had so naturally adopted Ancksunamun it was almost impossible to think she was somebody else. Almost as impossible as to accept a life without Imhotep. But now, every time she looked into his eyes, she felt guilt and pain. Her mind was surely protecting her from a very unpleasant memory. Nevertheless, she knew she would have to deal with it if she wanted to leave the past in the past and embrace this new chance they had. They were the same people, soul mates who had found each other again, but this was a different life and they had to learn to deal with it.
"Imhotep?"
"In the kitchen"
"Looks like you din not sleep last night …"
"There were lots of things in my mind, but now that we know the truth at least I know where we are going. I suppose nightmares will be over from now on. And just in case you want to know…I fed your cat this morning. She is sleeping on your bed right now"
"Wow, things do change! What happened? "
"Well, you are the therapist here but I guess it was just a loose piece in the puzzle. When I was under the Hom Dai, I was "undead" so I guess that's why I could not be near cats. My memory must have stored that and that's why I suffered from ailurophobia in this life."
"Sounds logical to me. But didn't you mention last night that Ra gave you the powers of the Hom Dai again? You said this time you had to fight against Apep but also against the dark forces inside you."
"That's right, but I am not undead anymore. Just reincarnated"
"There's something I need to talk about"
"Ok, but eat your breakfast. We have a busy day ahead of us"
"We do? You know, I have the feeling most of our days together will be busy!"
"Probably. Well, honey, you can't say your life will me will be boring. Now, what's eating you?"
"This sensation, this feeling of guilt when I look into your eyes. I know I did something really bad, but I can't remember what it was."
"Listen Anck, there are many things we have done that have hurt each other. We can't go back in time and change them and we certainly can't change them now. I hurt you in many ways too, but here we are, still loving each other like the first day, still choosing to be together again. That's what matters now."
"I know, and I agree with you. We can't live in the past or we will go insane missing everything we don't have anymore. But if I am going to heal and go on with my life, I need to take this off my mind. What happened? Tell me … please, I really need to know"
Imhotep came closer and took both her hands in his. He looked so calm, so relaxed, she knew whatever she had done, he had already forgiven. That gave her the courage she needed to listen to his words. He always gave her exactly what she needed ….
"We were fighting the Scorpion King and a mortal who had been trying to destroy us. I have to admit we were not very nice people at the time so I can't really blame him. Anyway, Ra and Apep were watching everything, since I had been created by Apep to bring destruction to the world. Ra decided to kill me in the most cruel of the ways: I was about to fall in the abyss when I called you for help. Ra knew our love was capable of overcoming anything and everything, so while you were with me, I was almost indestructible. He took control of you and made you leave. Thinking you had deserted me, I let myself fall in the abyss."
Ancksunamun was crying like a baby. Imhotep held her tight and tried to soothe her, telling her it had not been her fault, she did not know what she was doing, there was no way she could have been stronger than Ra himself. But nothing could comfort her, so he just let her cry and set all her anguish free. Maybe then, she will be able to heal.

Living in this new era was not something Seti was willing to accept gladly. But he had to admit some tasks had become easier with the aid of technology. Hacking Imhotep's computer, he found the information he needed: two plane tickets to Italy. Now, it was only a question of waking up one of his favorite toys, the pigmy mummies, and putting them on the same plane in a direct flight to whatever final destination Apep had chosen for these two.

"So, tell me again honey, why is it that we are getting on that 747 when I can take us there myself?"
"No way! Airline companies are not offering the service they used to, but it's certainly more comfortable than traveling wrapped up in a robe full of sand! And a lot cleaner too!"
"I can't recall Evelyn O'Connell complaining about my services!"
"Another drawback of the Hom Dai, darling."
They enjoyed teasing each other and although they were in the middle of a terrible fight in which Egyptian treasures were being destroyed and creatures were killing people, this time they were determined to enjoy every second they had together. So many lives lived had taught them that. They plainly deserved it.
Most of the time they were immersed in their own world. Imhotep could take them to Egypt with his powers, but although they had done that a few times, mainly when making love, they had decided not to go there too often. It was too painful to come back and realize that that world, THEIR world, had been lost forever. It was like a never-ending saying good bye. The powers of the Hom Dai would soon be gone, they hoped, and with them their curse and what little was left of their lives in Ancient Egypt. So, they were creating a new world, where the old Imhotep and Ancksunamun could be happy. A group of people gathered in front of a TV set brought them back to reality ….
"The whole world is now on red alert. All kinds of serpents, crocodiles and insects are attacking people by the hundreds. Animal experts have unsuccessfully tried to find a way to control them. The few ones that could be caught have been taken to labs, but all tests carried out so far have shown no signs of any illness or change in their genetic maps. Unbelievable as it seems, the disorder seems to be "psychological". Biologists are studying their habitats but so far with negative results.
What seems to be clear is the connection between these events and the systematic destruction of Egyptian treasures. Religious authorities and historians are trying to bring some light into this unprecedented tragedy. We have here with us Professor Haustling, an expert in the Egyptian world.
"Good evening Professor Haustling and welcome to our show"
"Thank you. It's a pleasure in spite of the circumstances."
"Can you tell us what treasures have been destroyed so far?"
"Well, unfortunately it's a long list, but I will try to summarize it. The first one was the Eber Papyrus, the most lengthy of the medical papyri, followed by the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the second in length, comprising 17 pages , 377 lines, on the recto and 5 pages, 92 lines, on the verso. Both, the recto and the verso were written with the same hand in a style that could be dated in Middle Egypt but it seemed to be a copy of a much older text, dating back to the Pyramid Age, perhaps even earlier."
"Was it an exact copy?"
"No, not really. Towards the end of the Old kingdom, say in the 26th C, a learned physician had the idea of rejuvenating it by the addition of glosses, 69 in all, explaining obsolete terms and discussing dubious matters."
At this point, Imhotep held Ancksunamun's hand tightly. She understood. He had been that learned physician the expert was talking about. Although they had agreed to let the dead bury the dead, Anck wondered how many other lives she had had apart from Meela. At least she hoped to have lived one that was worth remembering…
"What else has been lost?"
" The oldest dated glass object, a large ball bead bearing the cartouche of Amen-Hotep I, which was at the Ashmolean Museum at , the Leydon Papyrus, which comprised about 75 recipes pertaining to the making of alloys, for soldering materials, for coloring the surfaces of metals, for testing the purity of metals, or for imitating precious metals. And finally, the earliest complete version of the Amduat, or book of the Secret Chamber, the oldest of the royal funerary books, reserved only for pharaohs or very favored nobility. It was located in KV34, the tomb of Thutmose III… "
Tears filled Ancksunamun's eyes. She felt like a burglar had broken into her home and destroyed her family treasures. But when she looked into Imhotep's eyes, her sadness turned into fear. He was furious, so furious she was sure if she touched him, he was going to feel dead cold. Anck understood this fight against the Hom Dai was going to be harder than she had ever imagined. Could two people in love be strong enough to face it? Unfortunately, it was their destiny to find it out.

CHAPTER III

Ancksunamun was deeply apprehensive about their future. He seemed to be completely lost in his thoughts. They hadn't spoken much after the news, just the necessary phrases to get organized and board the plane. The tension in his body was evident, and she wanted to reach out and massage his muscles, but did not dare to. Another sign that things were not going too well. They had been flying for some hours now and he had not taken his eyes off the window.
"Chicken or turkey?"
Ancksunamun jumped. She had been so concentrated in her problems that she never saw the flight attendant approaching. She asked Imhotep and he made an almost imperceptible movement with his hand that plainly meant, "I couldn't care less ". She accepted the food with the hope that he would eventually come out of his trance to eat. She decided to try to start out a conversation
"So, darling, tell me about this book we are looking for…"
Definitely, he wasn't in the mood for social conversation but he could sense her concern and decided to answer …

Apep was surprised at how easily humans could be deceived. Apparently, they had not learnt much in thousands of years. In fact, it seemed in many aspects that Ancient Egyptians had been much smarter. He had heard that security measures at airports were strict, but he had had no problem in boarding three boxes of pygmy mummies on the 747! Could it be that he had noticed a sense of fear in the customs officials when he mentioned the content? Maybe they were still superstitious. Well, they had no idea what these creatures could do …

"… Unas reigned between 2375BC and 2345 BC. The main innovation of his pyramid was the first appearance of the Pyramid Texts, what people call books today though they are not books as such, but inscriptions on the walls of the tombs …"
The plane jolted a little and some coffee was spilled on the seat …
"Honey, can't you remember all these things?"
"Well, when you mention them, it's like I recognize them, but I am not sure I could remember them by myself"
Another little jolt. Imhotep looked worried and weary. He knew there was something going on and unfortunately he was sure they were about to find out what it was.
He resumed his explanation." These texts were inscribed in Sixth Dynasty Royal Versions"
"Then why do we need specifically to go to the Pyramid of Unas?"
"Because it contains spells which were not included in the later Sixth Dynasty copies. They are spells against serpents, scorpions and reptiles of all kinds"
"Why would a …." Another jolt and this time the plane shook a little more… Ancksunamun held Imhotep's hand tightly.
"Why would a dead pharaoh need spells against these creatures?"
"Well, honey, the gods were just as open to attacks of venomous reptiles as man. Ra himself nearly died from the poison of a snake bite."
Another jolt. This time, the lights went on and off and the passengers started to panic. Some were screaming, others crying, other praying … The flight attendants were doing their best to keep them in their seats, but they also looked frightened. The captain hastened to assure them that the plane was not experiencing mechanical problems and that this was merely an electrical failure affecting only the lights, but fear had already spread through the cabin.
Imhotep knew better. Whatever was going on, it had to do with them. He kissed Ancksunamun and asked her to stay in her seat. They were on the second passenger floor and when he climbed down the stairs, he could understand why people were so hysterical….
He couldn't believe his eyes ! There were about a dozen pygmy mummies turning the plane into hell. The overhead bins were open and they were throwing objects everywhere. People were running trying to escape, but there was nowhere to go. They were grabbing the passengers from the hair, hurting them, stepping on their heads, hurting them … killing them ! Imhotep stood frozen for a few seconds and then it hit him ! Although they could not hurt him, they could kill Ancksunamun, and they were here surely to send the plane to the bottom of the sea. Now he panicked. He was not going to lose Ancksunamun again ! He ran upstairs to her but he only found an empty seat.
"Ancksunamun ! Ancksunamun ! " He was getting desperate. This could not be happening again …

CHAPTER IV

"Imhotep ! "
He turned and for a few seconds remained completely stunned! There she was, looking as fragile as a rose facing a hurricane, yet fighting like a fearless warrior. Two of these mummies were attacking a pregnant woman and Ancksunamun was fighting the hell out of them. She didn't even seem to realize what she was doing, her instincts had reacted and she was merely following them. He ran to her and the mummies were terrified, they vowed to him and disappeared.
Imhotep knew that had to do something…and quick!
"We need to follow them, I am sure they will try to destroy the plane. I can stop them, but you need to stay close to me"
"Don't worry, I'll be careful"
They ran to check on the pilots. The ****pit was predictably locked and apparently, the mummies had not been able to enter, since there was no direct connection with the cargo doors. But it was already evident that they had taken control of avionics and the aircraft was doomed.
They were climbing down the stairs to the main floor deck when they ran into an old familiar face.
"You" Imhotep grunted, his face turning into an expression of hate.
"Isn't it time you found a life of your own and stopped bothering us?" Ancksunamun forgot for a few seconds how fragile their situation was and fought hard to suppress her feelings of anger. "Why don't you get a wife and half a dozen kids to keep you occupied?"
Ardeth instinctively held his sword tightly but he knew fighting Imhotep was simple suicide. Besides, his instructions were different this time, not to mention the fact that he was feeling rather guilty for the mistakes of the past.
"In fact, I have three, my lady"
"Oh, that's very interesting information. Maybe we can all meet one day for a cup of tea. Now, if you moved aside please, I am rather busy today" Imhotep was doing his best not to make the MedJai fly to the other end of the plane with only one tiny punch.
"Listen, there's nothing I can do to change the past, but I'm here to help you now. Strange as it seems, we are on the same side."
"Ok, since there seems to be no alternative, we better combine forces. You try to kill those mummies and we will see can we can do to save the plane."
"There's a cargo door over here, the door controls are under those seats. Hurry, I don't think there's too much time left."
"Really? Finally looks like the gods are talking to you! His sarcasm disappeared to look into her eyes. "Ancksunamun, stay close to me and I promise they won't hurt you. Don't be afraid"
She was well aware that the more he used his powers, the stronger they would become, trapping him forever. Grabbing the arm of a seat and holding it as if it were a weapon she replied:
"I am not afraid"
Imhotep smiled. She was incredibly brave even after all she had been through. Maybe because of all she had been through. Egypt had missed a great Queen. He was sure she could survive the mummies but if the plane crashed into the sea …No more opened the cargo door and they both jumped in. It was completely dark, except for some sparks that could be seen in one corner. The plane was shaking violently now and the containers were coming loose and moving all over the place. Boxes of all sizes and weights were falling from everywhere. Five or six mummies were having fun playing with switches, screws and wires. One of them even got electrocuted in front of them! As soon as they saw their master, they vowed and disappeared but it seemed too late to save the plane.

At the bottom of the sea, Yamm, the Sea God, was pleased. Imhotep himself was coming to him. He hadn't had an opportunity like this in centuries and was trying to think as fast as he could what tribute he would demand from him. He knew that if Imhotep used his powers to save the plane and then to fight him, he would be as close to eternal damnation as when he had stabbed Seti. So many years of waiting for the place he deserved among the higher gods seemed to have ended.

A sudden decompression damaged hydraulic systems and the vertical fin. The main deck cargo area caught fire and the forward cargo door blew out. Part of the fuselage and interior also blew out of the aircraft, which broke up still in flight and crashed into the sea …

CHAPTER V

The impact was more violent than they had imagined. Although the plane broke into pieces, a big part of the fuselage remained intact and many passengers had survived the crash. Unfortunately, the plane was steadily sinking to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The cargo deck was seriously damaged and Imhotep and Ancksunamun had been torn apart. She was unconscious when a very peculiar wave swept her away. She wasn't drowning; it seemed as if the same wave that was taking her away was also protecting her.
Imhotep was desperately looking for her everywhere. It took him some minutes to see the trail of the wave but as soon as he discovered it, he followed its path, fearing the worst. He arrived at a cave at the very bottom of the sea, and there he saw Ancksunamun, trapped in what seemed to be a "water-cage" that surrounded her. She was alive and, apparently, unharmed. A few steps to her right, Yamm, God of the Sea, waited with the contented smile of someone who knows is holding the cards.
"Imhotep! Finally, we meet."
"My fight is not against you. Why have you brought us here?" he defied.
"Because I am fighting my own personal battle. I deserve a higher place among the gods, but they refuse to listen to me."
"I am not a god, I can't help you."
"Your powers are stronger than you imagine."
"They are only temporal. I don't want them and I certainly don't want to become the creature again. Let us go", he demanded.
"It's not so simple. You know I demand tributes and you are no exception."
"Then, tell me what you want to let her go."
"Your powers."
"You know I can't do that. I would gladly get rid of them, but I have a mission to complete and then the Hom Dai will be gone for ever."
Ancksunamun was awake now and she was following this conversation, trying to understand what was going on.
"You know that if you use your powers, they will grow stronger and nobody, not even the gods, will be able to stop you. Stay by my side, fight for me, and Ancksunamun will be free. Otherwise, she stays here. It is your choice."
"You can't do that to us!" Imhotep's face showed frustration, resentment and naked hate.
"I can and I will. If we combine our forces, we will become invincible."
Ancksunamun's heart sank to the depths of despair. Was it that they really were not meant to be together? How could all the misfortunes and tragedies of the world conspire against them? What could they be so afraid of? They couldn't let them win.
"Imhotep" Her voice was soothing but urgent at the same time.
"Imhotep, my love, look at me and listen to what I have to say"
He knew what was coming. He knew it too well to let it happen.
"I won't," he categorically stated, almost emotionless.
"Imhotep, we cannot waste this opportunity. How many more lives do we have to live until we can be happy together? I am tired and although my love for you is as strong as in that summer afternoon when my eyes rejoiced meeting yours for the first time and our hearts melted into one, I am weak and aching for some rest."
"I am not leaving you here."
"You won't be leaving me here. You will be taking me with you forever. If you fight for Yamm, we will both be condemned. I can't go through that again. I am not asking you to leave me here; I am begging you to save me, to free my soul."
Imhotep was shaking now. He had seen her commit suicide before. How could she ask him to see her die again? How could the gods ask him to keep his emotions under control when they kept mercilessly provoking him? This time he would make sure that if they were doomed again, the whole world would follow.
"Imhotep, please. Go back, help the passengers. Fight Apep. You can save us from the Hom Dai. I trust you, just as I trusted you when I killed myself. We deserve the chance to enjoy our love some day; don't let your dark feelings destroy that possibility. Imhotep … I am begging you … Go!"
Imhotep knew she was right. If he succumbed to the Hom Dai, there would be no hope for them. But this sacrifice was too painful. One more time, they had to part. One more time, he had to see her die. How many more lives would it take to be in each other's arms again?
They said their good bye in their usual way, their hands caressing each other's faces, not touching, yet sending oceans of love, their eyes closed, tears rolling down their cheeks, bodies trembling, hearts crying …
Imhotep turned around and left. Yamm went mad with anger and with one movement of his hand, the "water-cage" vanished and Ancksunamun began to drown

CHAPTER VI

With his body still shaking violently and his emotions running wild, Imhotep swam to the surface feeling desolate. Several times he started to go back, but he knew he could not be weak now. How could he let her down when she had proved so courageous? She had faith in him, she believed in him, she trusted him… he could not fail her. Not her. With her words playing in his heart, "Go Imhotep, I beg you …Save my soul " he recovered his strength and finally saw the surface. What was left of the fuselage was quickly going down. Half of the passengers had either been killed by the mummies or died in the impact, and now about 150 of them were desperately trying to find a way out. He analyzed the situation for a few moments, Apep was getting nervous. There was an enormous storm approaching and it surely had been created by him. He was not called The Destroyer for nothing! And playing with the weather was one of his favorite hobbies.
"Imhotep!"
Unbelievable. The MedJai had once again managed to survive. Maybe the gods were on his side after all. Well, he certainly did not care anymore. He just wanted to send Apep directly to Hell. In fact, he discovered he was not interested in the Hom Dai disappearing from his life. He would have to renegotiate terms with the gods and make sure Ancksunamun was given a place among them. She surely deserved it. Yes, Love, all this will be for you and only for you.
Looking ahead, he noticed what seemed to be an island not far away. If they waited for the rescue teams, it would be too late. He decided he had to use his powers and created one of his famous water walls. The passengers screamed out of panic, they couldn't believe their eyes. The giant water wall created a wave that became like a cradle for the plane and took it ashore. If the passengers had been surprised, people on the island of Sardinia were shocked. Fortunately, they immediately turned their attention to rescuing the people and Imhotep could go unnoticed.
Ardeth saw him walk towards a more solitary place and the aura of sadness that surrounded him told him he had lost Ancksunamun. Strange, he was crying. After all, they only longed to be together and once more, they had been forced to part. He could not even imagine how desolate Imhotep had to feel. There was not much time to waste but Ardeth decided to give him some privacy.
Imhotep looked into the sea, trying to find the place where his beloved Ancksunamun had been. It looked too immense for a man alone. He fell down to his knees, crying desperately, letting all his anguish come out with one word:
"Ancksunamun", he shouted, and the world trembled.
He was sobbing uncontrollably when an odd movement of the water called his attention. Ardeth had been looking from behind some bushes and he came closer, fearing that their troubles for the day were not over.
From the depths of the water, a figure emerged, slowly taking shape. It was a female human body with leonine head. Imhotep's heart was racing fast.
"Sister" his voiced weighed by emotion and sadness.
"Imhotep. Listen. We have not abandoned you. We have seen how bravely you are fighting and we have witnessed Ancksunamun's sacrifice. I am here to help"
Astarte was the Goddess of Love and War. She often tempered the arrogance of Yamm and it seemed she had decided to do it one more time. Like Imhotep, she was the daughter of Ptah, the first of all the gods, creator of the world and all that is in it. He is not created, but simply is.
"Sister, you are the goddess of Love, you know my heart cannot go on without hers. Many times you have faced Yamm. Guide me, help me fight him. I know I cannot let my heart be darkened, but he has to pay for what he has done"
"There's no need for that. As I said, we have not abandoned you, brother. This is my gift for you"
Once more, from the depth of the sea, a figure emerged, this time, the woman was asleep. Slowly and gently, the water cradle left the figure on the sand, and Imhotep ran like a madman. He fell on his knees once more, this time to take Ancksunamun in his arms. He caressed her hair, her cheeks, her lips, and kissed her gently. She slowly woke up and looked into his eyes with tears in hers. She smiled, raised a hand and caressed his face. He smiled back and hugged her tightly but gently. Ardeth smiled too and left. Imhotep and Ancksunamun were back where they belonged. The world might have a chance now.

CHAPTER VII

They could have stayed on the beach just looking into each other's souls for all eternity. Where else could they go? What more interesting pleasure could there be in this life? But the darkness of the sky, the power of the lightning bolts that fell on the sea and the rumbling noise of thunder brought them back to reality and they decided it was better to find a place to stay and rest. They found a cozy inn a few blocks from there and they arrived just before hail started to fall. They had to hurry but they also knew they needed to recover their strength if they wanted to win this battle, so they had something to eat and went straight to bed.
When they woke up, a few hours later, the storm was almost out of control. Although bad weather was affecting the whole world, it seemed to be worse wherever Imhotep was. Floods, hurricanes, sandstorms, the planet was under attack. Reptiles and insects were still killing people and almost all spells and incantations from Ancient Egypt had been destroyed. By now, there was no record of The Book of Overthrowing Apep, which contained the spells to be recited by the priest in order to destroy the god. It would be a short relief anyway, since Apep could always find a way to come back.
They met Ardeth at the diner and once more, they reluctantly agreed to fight together. Ardeth's hope was almost gone since he now knew the instructions to destroy the god had been lost.
"You still don't trust me, MedJai, that's your problem"
"What do you mean?"
"Have you ever heard about the Egyptian Labyrinth?"
"Of course, there are some records of it, Herodotus himself described the labyrinth in the Fifth Century B.C. but it has never been found"
"I know its exact location. In fact, I was one of its designers"
Ardeth was getting tired of this "I know it all" thing, but he had to admit the man was great.
"What does the labyrinth have to do with all this?"
"I guess the gods knew something like this might happen and they wanted to protect all our knowledge. That's why they built this labyrinth. It's a hiding place for all our spells, incantations and wisdom. Something like a library, if you want."
"That's why nobody knows where it was or why they built it", Anck said.
"That's right. Some said it was the mortuary temple of Amenemhet III, some said it was a monumental administrative centre, a complex of offices built by Ammenemes III. It was a little bit of everything since its true purpose had to remain secret. That's why we built a double set of chambers, 1,500 above the ground and 1,500 underground. Those chambers were never shown to anyone and all the people who participated in designing them or building them are buried there. I am buried there."
"Then we need to go right now and destroy Apep!"
"We must go to the Pyramid of Unas first and destroy the beasts. At least, that would give the world a little more time before we are ready to face Apep".
"How are we going to get to Egypt? There are no flights with this storm" Anck looked worried.
"We'll have to take a boat; we will need all the men you still have with us. I'll make sure we get there safely."

Saying it had been easier than doing it. The distance between Sardinia and Egypt was considerable and the storm made it extremely difficult. Giant waves were constantly trying to overturn the boat and Imhotep had to fight every mile every mile until they could finally arrive in Egypt. Things didn't get better there. Sandstorms were turning the desert into a hell on earth. It took them ages to get to the pyramid, situated at the necropolis of Saqqara. When they finally arrived, Anck felt a little disappointed; since it was much smaller than the pyramids she remembered admiring on the Giza plateau. The walls were eroded and were unimpressive although the mortuary complex of Unas had survived in a much more complete state than any of the others close by. It had a causeway of about 750 yards long, which did not follow a straight line and changed direction twice to use natural features to the best advantage.
They were about to start their search for the spells when a poisonous snake bit Ardeth in one leg. He immediately felt the cold force of death entering his body and fell on the floor.
"Imhotep!" Anck shouted. The sand made it very difficult to see or hear anything. "Ardeth has been bitten by a snake!"
She tenderly placed Ardeth's head on her legs and tried to make him comfortable. Imhotep raised his arms to the sky, closed his eyes and prayed. The grains of sand slowly started to assume the shape of a woman with the head of a cheetah, her hair braided and ending in scorpion tails.
"Mafdet", Anck whispered. She couldn't believe her eyes. The gods she had worshipped or even feared all her life were now a reality. Mafdet was prayed to for protection against scorpion stings and snakebites, and invoked in healing rituals for those who had been afflicted by such.
Mafdet opened her eyes and Imhotep bowed his head. The grains of sand that gave shape to the goddess moved towards Ardeth and Anck quickly stood up, bowed and moved aside. Mafdet looked into Ardeth's eyes and passed her hand over his face. He fainted and the grains simply fell to the ground. Ardeth woke up, a little confused, but otherwise unharmed. He slowly stood up and as Imhotep was passing by he made a gesture that obviously meant "thank you", but Imhotep did not even stop to acknowledge. He had lost precious minutes saving Ardeth's life and now, there was not even one second to spare

CHAPTER VIII

The mortuary complex of Unas has survived in a much more complete state than any of the others, including a causeway about 750 yards long. It doesn't follow a straight line and changes direction twice to use natural features to the best advantage.
The entrance is on the pavement, at the foot of the Northern façade of the pyramid. A narrow passage descends down to a horizontal corridor that leads into the Antechamber. This is a small rectangular room which is flanked by two further chambers, the burial chamber to the west and another chamber to the east, containing three small niches, perhaps intended for offerings. The burial goods were pillaged from the pyramid and all that remains is the architectural shell – the walls and the ceiling of these chambers. The enormous basalt sarcophagus, now empty and partially damaged, still remains in its original position at the Western end of the burial chamber. Nearby, there is a square impression in the floor where the canopic chest would have been placed, containing the internal organs of the deceased king.
The sarcophagus in the Burial chamber is inscribed with several lines of Pyramid Texts. These texts show that the sarcophagus was personified as Nut, who was the Sky Goddess and the mother of the deceased king. So, to achieve eternal life in the Afterworld, the king had to be reborn through Nut.
The gable above the sarcophagus, on the Western wall of the burial chamber is inscribed with protection spells to guarantee the safety of the deceased king, both physically, within the pyramid, and spiritually in the Afterlife.
Many of the Pyramid Texts consist of food and drink offerings. Different types of bread and beer, grain, barley and wine, carob beans, figs, different cuts of meat, milk and onions.
They are inscribed onto the limestone walls in vertical columns in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script. These sacred texts cover the walls of the Burial Chamber, Antechamber, the short passage in between them, and parts of the walls of the passage leading into the Antechamber from the Entrance. The vaulted ceiling of these chambers is decorated with the stars representing the night sky, the heavens.
The Pyramid Texts are made up of approximately 759 utterances. The term utterance is used to describe the spells which make up these texts because it is likely that they were uttered, that is, spoken, by priests in the course of the royal mortuary rituals. No pyramid contains every single one of the utterances; rather, each pyramid contains a unique selection of them.
Entering the pyramid had been a relief, since the sandstorm was almost impossible to bear, but it had also brought an overwhelming sensation of sadness mixed with claustrophobia. Even Imhotep seemed touched and could not help hesitating for a few seconds before walking further, his eyes showing evident signs of fear and apprehension.
They split up, not wanting to waste more time, and explored the walls of the tomb, reading the instructions with ease. Finally, Ancksunamun called out:
"They're here!"
Imhotep and Ardeth ran to the Burial Chamber, The wind was already taking its toll on the pyramid and the sand was threatening with burying them alive. Again.
Imhotep inspected the inscriptions and smiled. Good thing Ancksunamun remembered how to read hieroglyphic script!
He stripped off his modern clothes and put on a loincloth, some jewels and a robe he found in the tomb. He now looked majestic, in spite of the circumstances. He started praying and Ancksunamun and Ardeth remained in respectful silence.

"O You Evil-doer,Evil-doer!
O You of the wall, You of the wall!
Set your face behind You!
Beware of the great mouth!

Caught one of the courtyard,You
Earthen one of the courtyard,
Long one,You of the foot,lion of Pehty, lion of Petjety!
Pehty and Petjety,give me now your long one!
Stack up the flesh
Woe,now:the pot!
The plaited serpent,the plaited serpent,will be conveyed away,
Will be conveyed away.
Mafdet will leap on the neck of the snake who brings his gift, and again on the neck of the serpent with sweeping head. Which is the one who will remain? It is I, King Unas, who will remain!
My hand has come upon You accursed snake. The one that comes on You is that of Mafdet, at the fore of the Mansion of Life, striking You on your face, and scratching You on your eyes, so that You fall into your dung and crawl into your urine.
Fall down! Lie down! Crawl away, that your mother Nut may see You!

The Earth trembled with what seemed to be an angry roar. It had worked. The serpents, crocodiles and other reptiles were free and Apep was showing his fury. He was not going to be defeated again ! At least, he had destroyed all the Books that could send him to the Underworld again. Or so he thought…

CHAPTER IX

According to the 5th century B.C. Greek historian Horodotus, who stated that he himself had seen the building, the Egyptian Labyrinth was a vast structure on the shores of a large lake located seven days' journey up the nile from the Pyramids of Giza. The temple was divided into twelve greatcourts and its walss were covered up with sculpture, and a large pyramid decorated with colossal figures was connected to it by a subterranean passage. Herodotus emphatically presents the building as a marvel or wonder that eclipsed the pyramids at Giza.
The Egyptian Labyrinth was more than 1,3000 years old at the time of Herodotus's vidit and was likely in a state of partial desrepair. It was probably a vast, sprawling collection of interconnected buildings, shrines, passageways, and courtyards, some decaying, some still maintained. Here is the historian's own description of the impression of the interior :
" The upper chambers I saw with my own eyes, and found them to excel all other human productions; for the passages through the houses, and the varied windings of the paths across the courts excited in me infinite admiration as I passed from the courts into chambers, and from the chambers into colonnades, and from the colonnades into fresh houses, and again from these into courts unseen before …the underground chambers we can speak of only from hearsay. For the officials of the Egyptians entirely refused to show us these, saying that there were in them the coffins of the kings who had built the labyrinth at the beginning and also those of the holy crocodiles. So, we speak from hearsay of these underground places, but what we saw aboveground was certainly greater than all human works. The passages through the rooms and the winding goings in and out through the courts, in their extreme complication, caused us countless marvellings as we went through, from the court into the rooms, and from the rooms into the pillared corridors,and there from these corridors into other rooms again, and from the rooms into other courts afterwards. The roof of the whole is stone, as the walls are, and the walls are full of engraved figures, and each court is set round with pillars of white stone, very exactly fitted. At the corner where the labyrinth ends there is, nearby, a pyramid 240 feet high and engraved with great animals. The road to this is made underground.
Such was the labyrinth; but an even greater marvel is what is called Lake Moeris, beside which the labyrinth was built. The circuit of this lake is a distance of about 420 miles, which is equal to the whole seabord of Egypt. The water in the lake is not fed with natural springs, for the country here is terribly waterless,but it enters the lake fron the nile by a channel;and for six months it flows into the lake, and then, another six, it flows again into the nile. During the six months that it flows out, it brings into the royal treasury each day a silver talent for the fish from it; and when the water flows in, it brings twenty minas a day." (History,2.148-49)
Strabo, the first century B.C. greek geographer, is the only other eyewitness to the Egyptian Labyrinth whose account has survived:
"In front of the entrances are crypts,as it were, which are long and numerous and have winding passages communicating with one another,so that no stranger can find his way either into any court or out of it without a guide. But the marvelous thing is that the roof of each of the chambers consists of a single stone, and that the breadths of the crypts are likewise roofed with single slabs or surpassing size, with no intremixture anywhere of timber or any other material."
There are few other ancient accounts of the labyrinth,but of the several authors,only Herodotus and Strabo personally visited the site. Plinly described it in the first century A.D.:
"We must mention also the labyrinths,quite the most abnormal achievemnt on which man has spent his resources,but by no means a fictitious one,as might well be supposed. One still exist in Egypt, in the nome of Heracleopolis. This, the first ever to be constructed, was built,according to tradition,3,600 years ago by the king petesuchis or King Tithoes,although Herodotus attributes the whole work to the " twelve kings", the last of whom was Psammetichus. Various reasons are suggestedfor its construction. Demoteles supposes it to have been the palace of Moteris, and Lyceas the tomb of Moeris,while many writers state that it was erected as a temple to the Sun-god,and this is the general belief. Whatever the truth may be, there is no doubt that Daedalus adopted it as the first model for the labyrinth built by him in Crete.
The ground plan and the individual parts of this building cannot be fully described because it is divided among the regions of administrative districts known as nomes,of which are 21,each having a vast hall alloted to it by name. Besides these halls,it contains temples of all the Egyptian gods;and, furthermore,nemesis placed within the 40 shrines several pyramids,each with a height of 40 cubits and an area at the base of 4 acres. It is when he is already exhausted with walking that the visitor reaches the bewildering maze of passages. Morover,there are rooms in lofty upper storeys reached bu inclines,and porches from which flights of 90 stairs lead down to the ground. Inside are columns of imperial porphyry,omages of gods,statues of kings and figures of monsters. Some of the halls are laid out in such a way that when the doors open there is a terrifying rumble of thunder within:incidentally,most of the building has to be yraversed in darkness.
There are halls that have been made by digging galleries underground. The few repairs that have been made there were carried out by one man alone, Charemon,the eunuch of King Necthebis,500 years before the time of Alexander the Great."
There were some kilometers to cover before they could reach the site were the labyrinth was. Imhotep tried to avoid using his powers as much as he could,saving them for the final battle. Apep had created an eclipse now,and the desert was in darkness. The sandstorm never ceased and they were near exhaustion. Luckily,they found a small group of houses whose owners had probably got lost or killed by the storm.
Ardeth and Imhotep covered all the windows and the door and they were finally able to relax a little. They found some water and food and thath elped them regain their strength. It was useless to wait for the day,weather conditions were so severe there would be no difference, but at least if they could get some sleep, they would be stronger.
Ardeth found a comfortable corner and fell asleep in seconds. Imhotep engaged in his rituals as a priest. Never before had he needed so much to pray and feel the gods near him.
Ancksunamun was tired,but she was more anxious than anything else. She found a lamp and some olive oil and she anointed her temples with it. On a narrow strip of white linen she wrote the name Astarte and a question. She then carefully twisted the linen strip into a wick and inserted it into the oil of the lamp. She placed the lamp on the table beside the bed. She drew the image of Astarte on her left hand,lit the lamp and knelt before it. From where he was,Imhotep watched her in silence and smiled. His beloved Ancksunamun was really back. He resumed his prayers and she started hers:
"Thoth, Astarte I invoke, blessed powers of dreams divine,
Angel of future fates,swift wings are thine,
Great source of oracles to human kind,
Where stealing soft,and whispering to the mind,
Through sleep's sweet silence and the gloom of night,
Thy power awake the sight,
To silent souls the will of heaven relates,
And silently reveals their future fates."

She concentrated on her question,wrapped a piece of black linen around her left hand,blew out the lamp's flame,cleared her mind and went to bed. Shortly afterwards,Imhotep wrapped his arms around her waist and also fell asleep.
When Ihotep woke her up a few hours later,something inside her had changed. The voice of Asterte still echoed clearly in her mind: "Trust your have been chosen for a reason. It will soon be over. Be Strong,sister."
"Of course I will!"
"You will what, honey?"
"Love you for all eternity, my sweet lord" And they were once again lost in a passionate kiss…
They reluctantly left their shelter and headed for their final destination. Ardeth and Ancksunamun were completely lost and would have sworn they were walking in circles, but imhotep showed no sign of confusion or hesitation so they followed him without questions. Finally,he stopped.
"It's here."
Ardeth looked around. Not much could be seen in the sandstorm, but he couldn't see ANYTHING at all.
"Are you sure? There's nothing here."
"As I said, MedJa, you don't trust me."
He walked a few steps ahead, closed his eyes,waved his hands in front of his face and there was an almost deafening roll of thunder. In front of him, a door on the sand opened up and showed stone stairs that seemed to go on until the very center of the earth. Imhotep looked at Ardeth and gave him one of his smiles. This time, Ardeth smiled back and made a gesture that meant "You're impossible!"
Ancksunamun was also smiling but her face showed plain admiration for her man. Imhotep held out his hand to her and they started climbing down the stairs. But this time, they were four …
They found some torches to light their way. When a flight of stairs finished,another one started,and then another,and another,and another. The stone walls showed the signs of having lost the battle against time and they looked like any other ordinary eroded wall. If the treasures of Egyptian knowledge were here, there was no way they could have survived either. Suddenly, imhotep stopped walking,looked around with the help of the torch and retraced a few steps. He spent a few seconds contemplating the wall and smiled. He placed the palm of his hand in a particular spot and the door opened. They entered a hall and were overcome with emotion. The splendour of egypt with all its colors and majestic art had remained intact in this sacred place. Could it be true? Had they found their private paradise? Were they finally going home? Ancksunamun's eyesfilled with tears and Ardeth helped her not to lose her balance. Imhotep's steps became more urgent and they had to hurry if they didn't want to get lost in the maze. Their new companion had also felt a very powerful but different emotion: he had been overcome with greed. If the story of the treasures was true, they they would be his.

CHAPTER XI

Imhotep walked with the confidence of someone who has lived in the same house all his life. And it was true. He was back home. He remembered every door, every passage, statue, coffin and hiding place. Now that he had seen that the secret chambers had remained intact, he was sure the Book they needed was exactly where they had left it, thousands of years ago. Yet, he could remember every detail of that day. The construction of the labyrinth had been completed a few weeks before, and one by one, each treasure had been brought in and a special ceremony had been held. But as far as he could remember, a guardian had been appointed, a very carefully selected person who had access to this gigantic library and knowledge to consult the books in case they were needed. Why wasn't there a guardian now? What had happened to them?
Their silent companion was asking himself the same questions. He had also been there when the labyrinth was being built. But of course, he had always been where Imhotep was…Yet, never before had he desired so much to get rid of him!
Ardeth and Ancksunamun were like children in Disneyworld! Every corner was a new fascinating discovery and Imhotep had to be constantly urging them to move. The labyrinth was deserted, but there was already a crowd of gods watching, debating and even arguing about the series of events that were taking place and that would completely change the world.
Apep was the first one to make his move. First, there was a soft breeze, not strong enough to extinguish the fire of the torch. The group stopped. They looked at each other and around them. Nothing was moving. They listened intently …but there was nothing but dead silence. Until they heard an almost imperceptible buzzing sound, that grew stronger every second! Suddenly they saw them ...hundreds … thousands of wild bees and locusts coming! They started biting Ardeth and Ancksunamun.
"On the floor!"
Imhotep covered them with his robe and opening up his mouth wider than any mortal could, he blew them back and smashed them on the walls of the hall! Ardeth and Anck got up and started running.
"Ancksunamun! Nooo! It's too dang …."
Too late. Imhotep wanted to tell them it was too dangerous to walk without knowing where you could be stepping on, but they were too scared to listen. The floor opened up and they fell on a chamber full of centipedes! Imhotep jumped into the chamber, put an arm around Ancksunamun's waist and walked (or was it that he swam?) towards one of the walls. Ardeth followed him as quickly as he could. Once again, he put his palm against the wall and a door opened! They were safe! Wait a minute … Wrong door!! There were figures of scorpions covering the walls from the floor to the ceiling. One by one, they started dropping to the floor and coming back to life! They took more torches from the walls and tried to make them go away with the fire but they were too many. Ardeth then used one of his favorite tricks: when the corridor forked, he took a grenade and made them blow away!

This new corridor showed figures of soldiers, and Imhotep decided they could use some extra help. He took a handful of sand , invoked his gods, blew it and his soldiers obeyed! One by one, they started leaving their cold resting places to enter this world. They bowed their heads to Imhotep who answered the gesture and ordered them to protect them. The fourth member of this bold group was now having second thoughts. Was it wise to fight Imhotep ? He was not sure he could handle the situations as he did. Maybe it was better to remain in the dark until the right moment came …
They crossed a chamber full of statues of gods that looked majestic. Their colors were almost as bright as on the day they had been painted and they looked absolutely stunning. After this chamber, a new corridor opened up and they entered it. Slowly, they heard something that sounded like a train approaching, they could feel its force under their feet, coming closer and closer, knowing there was no way to escape in those narrow halls. What could it be now ? Instinctively, they started running. The walls started trembling and dust, sand and rubble fell all over around them. The floor opened up and they fell into a huge chamber with walls covered with figures of animals. That was it! The animals were coming to life! But of course, they were not real live animals but mummified ones! Some of them were small and easy to fight, like pigeons, herons, goats, pigs and dogs. But some others were fiercer, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, wolves and monkeys. The battle started. They fought with all their strength using every weapon they had and everything they could find that looked like a weapon. Thankfully, they had the soldiers fighting on their side, but they were far outnumbered! The gods watching the battle decided some help was needed and they called the animals that were the protectors of the pharaohs to help. Vultures, falcons, bulls, lions and cobras came to the rescue! An epic battle between mummified animals was taking place! In the confusion, Imhotep, Ardeth and Ancksunamun, managed to escape while the fighting continued in this chamber! What dangers awaited them behind this new secret door ?

CHAPTER XII

This new corridor was more majestic than any others they had seen before. Imhotep smiled.
"We're close" He once again inspected the walls and opened yet another secret door. They walked in and what they saw really amazed them. A huge library, bigger than any the imagination could create, luxurious as nothing they had ever seen. These were the true treasures of Egypt, centuries of knowledge, thousands of magic spells, an open door to communicate with the gods…
They walked in respectful silence, or maybe it was that they were just too marveled to utter a word. Their steps were slow and quiet, so as not to disturb the peace that reigned in this secret chamber, so as not to cause one single tiny object move from its sacred place.
Imhotep walked exactly to the stairs that led him to the shelf where The Book of Overthrowing Apep was. It was a long papyrus that looked like any other, yet today it had the strength needed to save the world. He took it in his hands and checked it. It was complete! He turned to show it to the rest when they heard a voice …
"Thank you , Imhotep, but I believe that's mine"
They looked around, but they didn't see anybody there.
"Who are you?" Imhotep shouted
"Can't you recognize me ? Have you lost your abilities, High Priest?"
That voice … he knew that voice. Ardeth and Ancksunamun could also recognize it, but they were really confused.
"Show yourself! Whoever you are I am not afraid of you!"
"Do you think you are strong enough to destroy me, High Priest?"
"Of course I am!"
"Then you are in real trouble, because I am equally strong to destroy you !"
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"I have always been with you, High Priest, but you were always the one to get the credit ! Not anymore, this time it is my time to be in the light!"
"Imhotep!" Ancksunamun was confused, but suddenly she discovered something "It's your voice!"
Imhotep's face showed a trace of fear. If what he was thinking was true, then he will have to face a rival exactly as strong as he was !
He turned around and his fear came true. There he was, his own shadow, who had separated from his body and become a free entity. And one that hated him.

"Do you really think you can destroy Apep? You are a fool!"
"You are the fool! Can't you see we can't live without the other? A body cannot live without his shadow, but the shadow cannot live without the body! You destroy me, you will be destroying yourself!"
"So be it!"
And the fight started. The most skillful soldier of his time was facing his exact match, his own shadow, himself. They used every weapon available in the sacred chamber, spears were the first. Both fought bravely, but none could defeat the other. When both spears were broken, they used battle axes, and then scimitars. But when the shadow was touched by these weapons, nothing happened whereas Imhotep's body was bleeding. Ardeth's sword could do nothing to help and their only hope was that Imhotep was able to disarm his shadow and keep fighting.
Suddenly Ancksunamun reacted and started searching the shelves. There had to be something to help Imhotep and she was determined to find it ! The combat was so intense that Imhotep was about to give up. Then, she found it ! She unrolled the papyrus and read as loud as she could :

"O keep not captive my soul. Okkp not ward over my shadow, but let a way be opened for my soul and my shadow, and let them see the Great God in the shrine on the day of the counting of souls, and let them hold converse with Osiris, whose habitations are hidden, and those who guard the members of Osiris, and who keep ward over the ba, and who hold captive the shadows of the dead, and who would work evil against me, so that they shall [not] work evil against me."

The shadow twisted and screamed ! Then, like black sands of grain, it formed something like a small tornado and fell on the ground again, this time forming Imhotep's normal shadow . Imhotep fell exhausted on the floor and Ancksunamun ran to his side and comforted him.

CHAPTER XIII

The labyrinth had remained intact over centuries, but the fury of the storm Apep was creating was threatening it for the first time. Even now in the underground chambers, they could hear the wind and thunder.
Imhotep prepared for the final ceremony. He started reading from the Book of Overthrowing Apep:

"If thou wouldst destroy Apep, thou shalt say this chapter over a figure of Apep which hath been drawn in green color upon a sheet of new papyrus, and over a wax figure of Apep upon which his name hath been cut and inlaid with green color; and thou shalt lay them upon the fire so that it may consume the enemy of Ra…"

"I will try to find the way out again and I will make a fire for the beast," Ardeth said

"Make it big enough. Remember we will not be burning only the figure, but the real thing"

"What can I do to help?" Ancksunamun really wanted to be useful but more than anything she needed to be busy or she would go mad!
Imhotep doubted for a few seconds. He really wanted her out of that place, but he knew she would not want to leave. Besides, she was his strength. If she was by his side, he could destroy the beast.

"You prepare the figure and the papyrus. I am sure you will find all that you need in the library, including pictures of the demon"

Ardeth and Ancksunamun started their tasks and Imhotep his. He washed, changed into formal priest's clothes and wore some jewels. This ritual always reminded him of who he had been and who he was. It was time to call the beast. He gave one look at Ancksunamun who was also looking at him, they both smiled, trying to give courage to the other, and made their usual love gesture. He took the Book again and the ceremony started. Imhotep's voice was strong and clear:

"The Lord of All, after having come into being, says: I am he who came into being as Khepri (i.e., the Becoming One). When I came into being, the beings came into being, all the beings came into being after I became. Numerous are those who became, who came out of my mouth, before heaven ever existed, nor earth came into being, nor the worms, nor snakes were created in this place. 1, being in weariness, was bound to them in the Watery Abyss. I found no place to stand. I thought in my heart, I planned in myself, I made all forms being alone, before I ejected Shu, before I spat out Tefnut before any other who was in me had become. Then I planned in my own heart, and many forms of beings came into being as forms of children, as forms of their children. I conceived by my hand, I united myself with my hand, I poured out of my own mouth. I ejected Shu, I spat out Tefnut. It was my father the Watery Abyss who brought them up, and my eye followed them while they became far from me. After having become one god, there were (now) three gods in me. When I came into being in this land, Shu and Tefnut jubilated in the Watery Abyss in which they were. Then they brought with them my eye. After I had joined my members, I wept over them, and men came into being out of the tears which came out of my eyes. Then she (the eye) became enraged after she came back and had found that I had placed another in her place, that she had been replaced by the Brilliant One. Then I found a higher place for her on my brow and when she began to rule over the whole land, her fury fell down on the flowering (and I replaced what she had ravished. I came out of the flowering, I created all snakes, and all that came into being with them. Shu and Tefnut produced Geb and Nut; Geb and Nut produced out of a single body Osiris, Horus the Eyeless one Seth, Isis, and Nephthys, one after the other among them. Their children are numerous in this land…"

It worked! Apep appeared in front of them, furious, ready to destroy them and everything that belonged to Egypt! Apep was a giant water snake; he was over 16 meters long, with skin as hard as flint. Once, he had limbs, but Ra seemed to have cut them off. He really looked intimidating and his roar made the earth tremble.
But Imhotep was not in the mood for being intimidated and he continued with the ceremony:
"Back, Fiend, from the onslaught of his light! If you speak, your face will be overturned by the gods. Your heart will be seized by the lynx Mafdet, your reins will be bound by the scorpion Hededet, you will be punished by Ma'at, she will bring you to grief."
Apep cries out that he will conform to the divine will:
"I will perform your will, O Ra, I will act properly, I will act peacefully, O Ra!"
Imhotep speaks again:
"Bring your ropes, O Ra, that Apep may fall to your snaring or be trapped by the gods of north, south, east and west in their traps ... All is now well, O Ra! Proceed in peace! And you, Apep, Down! Away, Apep, O Enemy of Ra!"
"Apep, O Enemy of Ra! Turn your face away! Ra hates the very sight of you." The head is then cut off, hacked in pieces and thrown away on either side of the roads ... "Your head is crushed, O Groundling! Your bones are broken up and your flesh cut in pieces. Ra has consigned you to the earth, O Apep! Enemy of Ra!"
(Taken from Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt, R. T. Rundle Clark)
Imhotep took the knife from inside his robes and stuck it into Apep's head.
"Ancksunamun! Take the papyrus and read!"
As she read, he performed every action exactly as she described it:
"Ra, maketh thee to turn back, O thou that art hateful to him; he looketh upon thee, get thee back. He pierceth thy head, he cutteth through thy face, he divideth thy head at the two sides of the ways, and it is crushed in his land; thy bones are smashed in pieces, thy members are hacked from off thee, and the god Aker hath condemned thee,O Apep, thou enemy of Ra. Get thee back, Fiend, before the darts of his beams! Ra hath overthrown thy words, the gods have turned thy face backwards, the Lynx hath torn open thy breast, the Scorpion hath cast fetters upon thee, and Ma'at hath sent forth thy destruction. The gods of the south, and the north, and the west, and of the east, have fastened chains upon him, and they have fettered him with fetters; the god Rekes hath overthrown him, and the god Hertit hath put him in chains."
Now, pieces of Apep were all over the place. It was disgusting and Ancksunamun felt rather sick, but she had to be strong for Imhotep. They started putting the pieces on big pieces of cloth and taking them outside, to the fire. Ardeth had made a great job, and he helped to take the monster to its final destination. It took them several trips to finally have all the pieces in front of the fire. The storm had calmed down and the sun was beginning to shine.
They started throwing the pieces into the fire as Imhotep recited the last verses of the spell:
"Fire be upon thee, Apep, thou enemy of Ra! The Eye of Horus prevails over the accursed soul and shade of Apep, and the flame of the Eye of Horus shall gnaw into that enemy of Ra; and the flame of the eye of Horus shall consume all the enemies of the Mighty God, life! Strength! Health! Both in death and in life. When Apep is given to the flame, thou shalt gay these words of power: Taste thou death,O Apep, get thee back, retreat, o enemy of Ra, fall down, be repulsed, get back and retreat! I have driven thee back, and I have cut thee in pieces."
Imhotep looked to the east and said:
"Ra triumphs over Apep. Taste thou death Apep"
And to the west:
"Ra triumphs over Apep. Taste thou death Apep"
And to the north:
"Ra triumphs over Apep. Taste thou death Apep"
And to the south:
"Ra triumphs over Apep. Taste thou death Apep"
And it was all over …

CHAPTER XIV

Ancksunamun ran to Imhotep's arms and they kissed as if it was their first time. Finally, they were free, free to love each other and enjoy each other. Free to build their home, have dinner together, contemplate the skies, make love night after night and have children. Just like any another ordinary couple. Only that their love had nothing to do with what other couples called love. Their love was one of a kind. Unique.
One by one, the Gods started taking shape in front of them. But it was Ptah, Imhotep's father, the one who spoke:
"Son, you have made me as proud as no father has ever been of a son. You fought bravely and your soul has remained pure. You have won this batle and now you will be rewarded"
"I only want a mortal's lifetime to share with Ancksunamun. That is what you promised and that is what we want to obtain."
"We will keep our word."
Imhotep fell to his knees and felt his chest about to burst. He screamed in pain for a few seconds that seemed an eternity for Ancksunamun. When it was over, he knew he was just another mortal, without powers and without a curse on him.
Ancksunamun hugged him tightly as Ptah spoke again :
"Listen. There is something you both need to know. When this labyrinth was built, it was not supposed to be hidden from the world. On the contrary, it was a place to be consulted when it was needed. We appointed a Guardian , someone who would be a God himself and who would take care of this sacred place. Someone with the knowledge needed to understand every spell, every magic word. Someone wise enough to know when to give this knowledge to those who asked for it and when to refuse it. Someone with a noble heart and a pure soul who would not be corrupted by the power given by knowing each spell of our Ancient civilization. Such was the case of your father, Ancksunamun, many lives ago, when your name was Banafrit (Beautiful Soul). Your father, Hêtshepsu (First among noble men), had to fight his own son, your younger brother, Kamenwati( Dark Rebel) who wanted to become the next Guardian. But that was a privilege reserved onle for the First Born, in this case, you. There started a terrible fight between those who supported your father and those who followed Kamenwati, and things soon got out of control, many innocent people were killed and much destruction was brought to Egypt. We could not let this happen. We understood these treasures had to remain hidden until their true meaning could be understood. We have decided to give Mankind a new opportunity to enjoy them. And there is nobody better than you, Hêtshepsu's daughter and heiress, to become the Guardian together with Imhotep. So, this is our decision, after this lifetime, Imhotep and Ancksunamun will become Gods, and the Guardians of the Labyrinth and all the Treasures in it. We trust you."
And with these words, they vanished into the Egyptian sky …

CHAPTER XV

Eight years later ….

The night was warm and clear. Their home was incredibly cozy and had the most stunning sight of the Nile. It followed the Ancient Egypt style but had all the gadgets of the 21st century.
Imhotep had of course given up his previous "profession" and was a highly respected university professor. He was now in the balcony, with five-year-old Suten Anu (Royal scribe) in his arms. He was teaching him some of the constellations, telling him that would be useful to impress some young lady one day. Ancksunamun smiled. It had worked with her, but then, everything Imhotep did worked with her. She was breastfeeding Amisi (Flower) and both of them enjoyed the immense peace of their lives. Allegra was peacefully sleeping on a cushion.
Imhotep and Ancksunamun almost never talked about their future. The fact that they knew they would soon be gods did not seem to matter to them, they only wanted to enjoy this life, the one they had longed for centuries, the one they had died and come back from the dead to have. But, they knew that now, more than ever before, they could be sure they would be together for all eternity. That, made them the happiest mortals on Earth. And that would make them the happiest gods all Egypt had ever heard about or will hear about in the future.
Their seven-year-old son, Kahotep (Peaceful Essence) was, like any other boy his age, hooked to the computer screen in his bedroom. He was fascinated with outer space and wished to become an astronaut one day. His favorite website was, of course, the one of the NASA, but anything that was related to space attracted his attention, and today he was reading the most exciting news (at least, for a seven year old !!) :

It's called Apophis. It's 390m wide. And it could hit Earth in 31 years time

Scientists call for plans to change asteroid's path Developing technology could take decades

Alok Jha
Wednesday December 7, 2005
The Guardian
In Egyptian myth, Apophis (also known as Apep) was the ancient spirit of evil and destruction, a demon that was determined to plunge the world into eternal darkness.
A fitting name, astronomers reasoned, for a menace now hurtling towards Earth from outer space. Scientists are monitoring the progress of a 390-metre wide asteroid discovered last year that is potentially on a collision course with the planet, and are imploring governments to decide on a strategy for dealing with it.
NASA has estimated that an impact from Apophis, which has an outside chance of hitting the Earth in 2036, would release more than 100,000 times the energy released in the nuclear blast over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometres would be directly affected by the blast but the whole of the Earth would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.
And, scientists insist, there is actually very little time left to decide. At a recent meeting of experts in near-Earth objects (NEOs) in London, scientists said it could take decades to design, test and build the required technology to deflect the asteroid. Monica Grady, an expert in meteorites at the Open University, said: "It's a question of when, not if, a near Earth object collides with Earth. Many of the smaller objects break up when they reach the Earth's atmosphere and have no impact. However, a NEO larger than 1km [wide] will collide with Earth every few hundred thousand years and a NEO larger than 6km, which could cause mass extinction, will collide with Earth every hundred million years. We are overdue for a big one."
Apophis had been intermittently tracked since its discovery in June last year but, in December, it started causing serious concern. Projecting the orbit of the asteroid into the future, astronomers had calculated that the odds of it hitting the Earth in 2029 were alarming. As more observations came in, the odds got higher.
In September, scientists at Strathclyde and Glasgow universities began computer simulations to work out the feasibility of changing the directions of asteroids on a collision course for Earth. In spring next year, there will be another opportunity for radar observations of Apophis that will help astronomers work out possible future orbits of the asteroid more accurately.
If, at that stage, they cannot rule out an impact with Earth in 2036, the next chance to make better observations will not be until 2013. Nasa has argued that a final decision on what to do about Apophis will have to be made at that stage.
"It may be a decision in 2013 whether or not to go ahead with a full-blown mitigation mission, but we need to start planning it before 2013," said Prof Fitzsimmons. In 2029, astronomers will know for sure if Apophis will pose a threat in 2036. If the worst-case scenarios turn out to be true and the Earth is not prepared, it will be too late. "If we wait until 2029, it would seem unlikely that you'd be able to do anything about 2036," said Mr Yates.

The End