Welp. Here's my attempt at a second chapter.

Slight Difference

Chapter 2

Jonathan had not found his puzzle box on a dig in Thebes.

This had become glaringly apparent as we had made our way closer to the Cairo Prison gates. "Come, come! Step over the threshold. Welcome to Cairo Prison, my humble home." The warden said enthusiastically as we made our way past the gates. I crinkled my nose slightly as my eyes started to water a bit, "When do you suppose was the last time he took a bath?" I whispered to Jonathan as I slipped my arm through his.

"Well dear sister, If I had to guess," He said with a contemplative look on his face, "I'm sure the answer would be at no point in these last two months." He said with a determined nod, "Yes that sounds about right."

I giggled into his shoulder as Evie looked over disapprovingly, "Honestly you two." She said lowly, she looked up at Jonathan, "You told me that you got it on a dig down in Thebes."

"Well I was mistaken." He avoided her gaze pointedly.

Evie hissed at him, "You lied to me."

"I lie to everybody. What makes you so special?" He was still avoiding looking directly at her.

"I am your sister." She said to him aghast.

I peered around Jonathan to get a better look at my little sister, "Are you really all that surprised that he stole it from a drunk at the local casbah instead of down in Thebes?"

"Well no, not real-"

"Picked his pocket actually." He said looking around nervously, "So I don't think it's a very good-"

"Stop being so ridiculous," Evie scolded him before she called out to the warden who had finally stopped before one of the cells, "Now what exactly is this man in prison for?" We came to a stop in front of him.

"This I do not know. But when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself." He said knowingly before calling out to the guard.

"And what did he say?" I asked him curiously.

"He said, he was just looking for a good time." I looked away from him as the guards finally started to drag out a tall, rough looking man. He had long, unkempt hair that fell to his shoulders, and scruff about his neck and face looking as if he had not shaved in days. The guards brought him to his knees in front of us, and he grabbed the bars to keep his face from hitting them.

I could hear Evie and Jonathan whispering furiously behind me, "This- this is the man that you stole it from?"

"Yes exactly. So why don't we just go sniff out a spot of tiffin-"

"Who are you?" The stranger asked loudly as he looked us all over, "And who're the broads?" I snorted, this man was clearly American. If his accent hadn't tipped me off, his lack of manners would have.

My snort apparently had been rather loud, because suddenly I was looking straight into the Americans slightly bloodshot, but still quite pretty, blue eyes.

"Ah yes. Well I-I'm just a sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that," I rolled my eyes, breaking eye contact with the ragged stranger, "But these are my sisters Evie and Rose." Jonathan said pointing to us in turn.

"How do you do." Evie and I said at the same time, our manners had been all but beaten into us at a young age so it was hard to resist if I wasn't doing so consciously.

"Oh, well." He looked us both up and down before looking up at me again, "Guess they're not total losses." I resisted the urge to snort again and I knew my eyes told just how funny I thought this situation was as Evie exclaimed, quite offended at this point, "I beg your pardon!"

It looked like the chap was going to say something else as he looked at me but he was cut off by the warden shouting across the yard, before he looked back at us saying he would right back, leaving us alone with the prisoner, or as alone as one could be with two guards standing at his back.

"Ask him about the box." I heard Jonathan whisper behind me.

I turned to watch as Evie visibly tried to collect herself, "Um, we have found... Uh, hello. Excuse me." Evie struggled to get the man's attention.

I reached down and touched the mans hand, "Excuse me," I had his attention now, "We found your puzzle box, and we've come to ask about it." I said as I withdrew my hand.

He looked at my withdrawn hand for a moment before he he said quite distinctly, "No."

"No?" I asked confused.

"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra." He said calmly without a hint of doubt.

"H-How did you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" Evie asked uncertainly.

"Because that's where I was when I found it. I was there." Evie looked over at me in disbelief as I raised my eyebrows impressed despite myself. The stranger looked up at me as well seeing Evie do so. I narrowed my eyes at him a bit, I couldn't help but believe this man was telling us the truth.

Jonathan stepped right up the bars in front of me interrupting our impromptu stare down, "But how do we know that's not a load of pig's wallow?" I closed my eyes and shook my head, honestly Jonathan.

I opened my eyes to the man looking at Jonathan quite closely, "Do I know you?" He asked suddenly.

Jonathan looked nervous, "No, no. I've just got one of those faces." A flash of recognition went through the strangers eyes before his hand went straight between the bars and hit Jonathan right in the nose. I couldn't help but giggle as Jonathan fell back on the ground holding his face. Evie rushed over and tried to pull his hands from his face, "No! Don't look at me," Jonathan yelped as he tried to get away, "I'm not pretty any more." He wailed some more as Evie tried to calm him down.

I was trying not to laugh as I looked back up at the stranger in front of me, He was looking directly at me but his hands were clenched around the bars in front of him as if he were in pain. I looked over at the guards suspiciously and sure enough one of the guards was walking away, more than likely having just hit the man in front of me after he had hit Jonathan.

I glanced back at the stranger in front of me as I struggled not to glare at the guards behind him. He looked quite amused as he took in my struggle. I stepped over Jonathan's prone figure, as he continued to moan dramatically on the floor, and got up quite close to the bars.

"You were actually at Hamunaptra?" I asked him, still in a bit of disbelief over the fact that this man in front of me had been to a place from which no one had ever returned.

"Yeah, I was there." He said carelessly.

"You swear?"

"Every damn day."

I grinned at him, and he looked a bit taken aback by that before he visibly collected himself to say, "I was there. Seti's place," He said this part quite dramatically, "City of the Dead."

"Could you tell me how to get there?" I asked him curiously, "I mean the exact location." I spoke softly not wanting to be overheard by the guards that stood behind him or by the warden who was slowly making his way back to us.

"You want to know?" He asked leaning closer to the bars separating us.

"Well, yes." I whispered leaning in closer to hear him better as we were both whispering.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked again leaning in even closer.

I gave him a pointed look, "Yes." I said impatiently.

He wiggled his fingers at me, beckoning me closer. I was a bit confused, we were already quite close at this rate, so I wasn't sure why he wanted me even closer, unless he really felt the need for secrecy.

I leaned forward as he had asked, ready for him to enlighten me, when suddenly he reached through the bars separating us and grabbed my chin. He pulled my face even closer, and then he kissed me right on the lips. I froze for a second before responding slightly.

He pulled away roughly after a few seconds, "Then get me the hell out of here," He whispered harshly.

The guards began to drag him away, beating at his arms when he refused to let me go. He got a slightly crazed look on his face as he hit one of the guards trying to pull him through the door, "Do it lady!" He yelled as the door slammed behind him.

I looked up at the warden who had finally come back over, "Where are they taking him?" I asked him slightly panicked by what I had seen in the strangers eyes.

"To be hanged. Apparently he had a very good time." He said laughing nastily.

I looked on nervously as the noose was slipped around the strangers neck. "I will give you one hundred pounds to save this mans life." I heard Evie say behind me.

"Madame, I would pay one hundred pounds just to see him hang." I shot him a dirty look, before going back to watching helplessly.

They tightened the noose, "T-Two hundred pounds!" Evie exclaimed nervously.

"Proceed."

"Three hundred pounds!"

The guard that had been tightening the noose around the strangers neck stopped suddenly as he yelled something up to warden. The warden looked offended, "Of course we do not let him go!" I tightened my grip on the railing as the guard whacked the stranger on the back of the head.

"Five hundred pounds!" The warden finally called for a pause, "And what else?" he asked greedily, "I am a very lonely man." He placed his hand on my sisters knee rubbing slightly. She whacked his hand away with her book, setting off laughter throughout the stadium that was set up around us.

The warden looked around angrily before he yelled out, "Yalla tlak!"

"NO!" I screamed as the guard pulled the lever, my eyes never leaving the strangers face, his eyes on mine as the platform dropped.

The warden laughed obnoxiously, "His neck did not break!" He looked over at Evie, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Now we must watch him strangle death." The people in the stadium began to chant and scream as the stranger struggled to breathe past the rope on his neck.

"He knows the location to Hamunaptra!" I yelled at the warden as I broke my gaze from the stranger.

"You lie." The wardens eye took on an even greedier glint.

"She would never!" Evie said coming to my defense.

"Are you telling me this filthy, godless son of a pig knows where to find the City of the Dead?" The warden asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" I said impatiently.

"Truly?"

"Yes," Evie broke in, "And if you cut him down we will give you..." she glanced at the stranger, "Ten percent!"

"Fifty percent!"

"Twenty!"

"Forty!"

"Thirty!"

"Twenty-five!"

"Deal!" I broke in desperately.

The warden groaned, "Cut him down." He yelled.

I smiled in relief as the guards cut the stranger down.

Hopefully this would be worth it.

Welp. There goes Chapter two.