(Author's note: "The Mummy" sets Imhotep as Highpriest of Osiris in the temple of Karnak in Thebes. Historically exact, he would have been Highpriest of Amun, because the temple of Osiris was in Abydos, and the temple of Amun in Thebes. Moreover, Imhotep would not have known and used the denomination 'Karnak' or 'Thebes', because they are Arab and Greek language. The ancient name for Karnak was 'Ipet Isut' (means the most holy place), and the city was named 'Waset'. Just to say it for the nitpickers ;) However, I follow the settings of the movies here!)

=== Somewhere in South Egypt / some miles before Luxor ===

Imhotep had pondered for hours how to speak to his son. Now, Ani standing in front of him, he lost the carefully assembled words again. How he should put these things into words, after all?!

The boy waited silently and watched his father, sensing that important things were about to follow.

"Ani, you know…" Imhotep started finally, "…that we are not a …uhm…normal family?"

"Of course not!" The boy grinned. "You are MY family and therefore you are special! And Mom is from England and you are from Egypt! More special!"

"Yes. That is right. But there is… more. Your mother has told you about Ancient Egypt and the culture back then? How they made mummies?" This was one thing Imhotep could not bring himself to do so. And now he felt very, very uneasy with it.

"Yep, I know it all, Dad! I know how they prepared the dead with natron and spices and what the canopic jars are for and -"

Imhotep felt even more uneasy. "Good. That's good you know all this, Ani. You are a very intelligent boy… I'm proud of you." Like this, I will get nowhere!

He began anew. "Have you ever wondered why I can read and speak the ancient languages, and why your mother can do it? Why we have this little shrine with the statue of Osiris in our house? Or why the people back in Cairo called me a demon whisperer?"

"Because they are dummies, Dad! I know better!"

"You don't know everything yet, my little boy." He embraced his son and let him sit down. "But I am going to tell you now."

Ani's big grey eyes hung at his lips.

"I love you, Ani, and after your mother, you are the most precious jewel I could ever possess in my life, believe me. But I… I made a mistake before you were born… a bad mistake…"

…

Imhotep had just ended. He could not discern if his son had grasped everything of his story. Ani sat there and his head was bowed down, really uncommon for a child of his age.

He hates me… of course he does… he has to…

He searched for anything to say, but what soothing words he should find after telling his little son he was doomed by the fault of his father?!

Then Ani lifted his head. Tears were in his eyes. "So… I'm immortal? And… you are not? And Mom not and my little brother not? No one else? I'm going to see you all die one day, and my friends too, and I will live forever? I will be all alone one day!"

Imhotep embraced him again very tightly this time. "I try to help you, Ani. Therefore we fled from Cairo and we are here. I will try everything I can, everything possible to free you from this curse! You have to trust me! I won't let you down, never! In the name of all the Gods of Egypt I promise this, my boy!"

For a long time, they sat like this on the ground. Finally, Imhotep stood up and took Ani's hand. "Let us go for a walk in the desert. I will show you a little of the powers you carry. You must learn to control yourself to fight them. They must not overwhelm and intoxicate you."

The sun was setting. Her last golden glows caressed the sandy valley in which Imhotep sat with his son.

"Concentrate, Ani. Stretch your hand and feel the power in you. Try it. Slowly, very, very slowly and careful. You see the sand in front of you. Imagine you could lift it with your thoughts alone, with a little movement of your hand…"

"I can't, Dad." Ani turned around and looked, as if he was worried to disappoint his father.

If it only would have been that simple and he really could not do it! Imhotep knew better!

"You can. Imagine… someone is coming after us, tries to hurt you… you are afraid, you are angry…you have nothing but your powers to protect you. Imagine that, Ani. Lift your hand, feel your emotions, feel your fear… and look…"

Like a little sand devil a handful of grains had assembled and danced upwards in the sky in a graceful manner.

=== Somewhere in the desert in Western Egypt ===

Foreign legionnaire Captain Rick O'Connel rode on slowly through the dawn. He was on the tracks of the assassins who had ambushed and killed his friend Giulio a week ago. First, yet another legionnaire had accompanied him, but he fell ill after eating who-knows-what in some bazaar and Rick had left him in a hospital to recover. Normally, he should have reported to his commanding officer and waited until replacement would be at his side. However, regulations or not - this would have cost him delay and probably the loss of the tracks! He did not want this to happen. His friend was murdered - and he would not let the killers get away with this!

Rick checked his guns for the umpteenth time. He had this feeling, something was going on. Something not quite right. Something behind the scenes, behind the obvious… He had this feeling then, as they rode down to Hamunaptra.

Ah, dammit! He had made a pledge to himself not to think about this anymore!

Nonetheless, the sinister feeling could not be ignored. The circumstances of this ambush which took Giulio's life were abnormal. The Bedouins had only stolen this ancient bracelet.

I told you, you damned fool, throw the thing away, I told you!

They had not taken the weapons, the ammunition, the watches, the horses or the money of the patrolling legionnaires. Only this jewelry! Rick O'Connel knew that there was a huge market in Europe and the States for antiquities. Ancient Egypt was particularly en vogue, after Carter's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Treasure hunters ploughed the Egyptian desert up and down and items from grave robberies showed up everywhere from Cairo to San Francisco. In fact, this hunger of the well-to-do for old thingies made of shiny gold had been the reason why he had been on the route for Hamunaptra then…

He cursed. Again these memories!

However, was this bracelet that special that it would justify murder, he wondered while guiding his horse carefully through a rocky rift. He tried to remember the item. Hieroglyphic carvings, representations of the gods Anubis and Osiris decorated with blue stone… and yes, there was a cartouche… the name sign of a Pharao - they were the only ones who had the right to use cartouches, Rick knew that. Evie had told him once that this rope like enclosure of the name's hieroglyphs meant 'eternal life'.

He still saw the symbol of the bracelet's cartouche in his mind, but was not schooled enough to decipher it. If only Evie could be here…

If only things --

Rick's thoughts came to a sudden end, as his horse stumbled across something and arched upwards. He tried to hold on, but failed. A loud "shit" on his lips he hit the sandy ground, rolled over to avoid the hooves … and felt grabbed by strong hands belonging to a black robed man. While he struggled to get free and to reach one of his guns, another black figure peeled from the dark surroundings and bowed his head over him. To his surprise, Rick heard the stranger with the veiled face whisper: "O'Connel, YOU?"

The two Bedouins changed a look, and then the grip loosened and Rick sat up, rubbing his shoulder. "What the hell -- " Now, one of the attackers had taken the veil from his face and Rick discovered familiar features. "Ardeth! What are you doing here? Opening new hunting grounds for your men? Legionnaires are not a good prey; you should know that by now."

"We are on a hunt, but did not expect to find you here", Ardeth Bay said serene as ever and helped his friend to his feet again. His comrade went looking for Rick's horse.

"So, tell me, you and your folks just can't sit peaceful in your oasis?"

"The first sign appeared again." Ardeth was clearly in no mood for the smallest exchange of humor.

"What sign?"

"The sign of the creature! Some days ago one of the Medjai sat on his camp fire at night and suddenly a gigantic swarm of locusts arose, nearly covered him and then vanished into a cave."

"Hm…perhaps these little beasties were simply disturbed by someone and in search for a new home" Rick mused. "Our 'creature' lives a Joe-Sixpack-life in Cairo, remember?" …and is married to my girl and probably already has a bunch of kids with her! I go mad if I think about it!

"I know", Ardeth answered calmly. "Something is going on, though. The elders of my tribe are men full of experience and wisdom. They cannot fail in the interpretation of the signs. Therefore my brother and I are here to explore what did happen, before it is too late. And you, why are you out here in the desert again, alone?"

"Well, I'm on a hunt myself." Rick grabbed the reins of the horse, which was led to him by the other Bedouin. "Some bastards have killed a friend of mine and robbed an ancient bracelet he had found."

"A bracelet?" repeated Ardeth, and his face while saying this left no doubts that a dark hunch formed behind his front. Could it be?

=== A hotel in the village of Luxor ===

Imhotep, Evelyn and Ani had arrived yesterday in the little village, the miserable remains of the ancient glorious capital of Egypt with the famous temple of Karnak. For the people living here, even for the tourists, it was nothing special to see the ruins of the ancient world surrounded by poor dwellings and hills of debris and sand. It was the way the world and the time went on.

But for Imhotep it was like a home coming and the home was destroyed, burned down and pillaged. Not by a war, but by the millennia and by people who had forgotten everything that once was… Of course he had read about the changes, he had even seen photographies of modern day Karnak. These black and white pictures alone were heart wrenching enough. He had closed the book, then, and marched in the direction of other studies, cautiously avoiding too painful memories. This had not been a difficult task, as he had to learn so much, he had in fact no time to ponder over the ancient world.

Now the destiny had forced him and his family to exactly the last place he wanted to visit. But perhaps … somewhere in these pitiful ruins of the mighty temple, of HIS temple, could be a clue to Ani's salvation. Perhaps in the inscriptions… O Gods of Egypt, he had thought, catching a first glimpse of these inscriptions yesterday, what have these people done? Nearly all the colors were gone, many carvings were destroyed by force, and others covered with plaster in which the symbols of the new faith had been painted: crosses and later Arab inscriptions with the praise of Allah. He knew about it - but to see it with own eyes was a different thing.

If not in the inscriptions - Imhotep counted it as a miracle if he could find anything there by now - then perhaps in the old archives below the temple. If… they were still intact, if they were not already pillaged long ago and burned…

He would take a look around the temple tomorrow, in order to estimate the situation. Now it was night and he lay on the bed with Evie in his arms. They had made love, soft and gently, to comfort each other beyond the force of words. Evie was sleeping now, reassured, it seemed, that their love alone would overcome all obstacles and traps the demons had set in their jealousy. Even the baby in her, who had surely been sensing the agitation of his mother and had been kicking for hours yesterday, seemed calm and cozy now. Only Imhotep was still awake.

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tbc as soon as possible - please review, thx