The Snake and the Flower
I don't own The Mummy.
A Complete Scoundrel?
As the two women, the little girl, and the dashing American made their way over to where Evy and Jonathan were waiting, they caught a snippet of their conversation.
"Well, personally, I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit."
"Anyone we know?" Rick asked.
Evy turned around and gawked at the clean-shaven Rick O'Connell. Bridget and Megan beamed, knowing that their work was appreciated.
"Oh...uh…hello," Evy said nervously.
"Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O'Connell?" Jonathan asked as he patted Rick on the shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah, smashing." Rick checked his pocket to make sure his wallet was still there.
"Oh no," Jonathan protested, "I'd never steal from a partner, partner."
"He tried that once," Megan said, "did not turn out so well. But he's learned his lesson."
"Mr. O'Connell," Evy addressed Rick, "can you look me in the eye and guarantee me that this isn't some sort of a...a flim-flam. Because, if it is, I am warning you-"
"You're warning me? Lady, let me put it this way. My whole damn garrison believed in this so much that, without orders, they marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. And when we got there, all we found was sand and blood." Evy looked shocked. "Let me get your bags."
Rick took Evie's bags for her, and marched up the gangplank and onto the barge.
"Yes indeed, Evy," Megan said slyly. "Filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. Nothing to like about him at all, I dare say."
Evy gave a little smile and gently nudged her friend on the shoulder.
"Bright, good morning to all," came a voice behind them. They all turned to see the warden.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Megan demanded.
"Megan, language," Bridget said.
"I am here to protect an investment, thank you very much," the warden said, then went up the gangplank himself.
"Evelyn," Bridget turned to her friend, "is there something you forgot to mention?"
Evy smiled sheepishly.
That night, as the barge made its way steadily down the river, two sisters found very different ways to occupy themselves. Megan was staring off at the night sky, fantasizing about things from long ago, a mysterious man who had won her heart though she had no idea who he was. Meanwhile, her older sister had taken note of a card game nearby.
"Hello, boys, mind if I join?"
"Hey there, little lady," one of the men said with a flirtatious grin, "we don't want to be takin' yer money now."
Jonathan looked up, and saw the one person in the world who could save him from losing every cent he had.
"Bridget, please join us we could always use another player."
The other men all looked at him strangely.
"Thank you, Jonathan. Would you be so kind as to get me a sherry?"
Jonathan leapt up; he knew he wouldn't get her help for free. Bridget reached into her pocket and pulled out a glasses case from which she withdrew a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles. Bridget had the great misfortune of needing glasses to read, luckily it was only for reading and everything else was fine. She picked up her cards and the game began.
"So, little lady, what's yer name?" said the same American who had spoken to her before, whose name she learned was Henderson.
"Bridget Grosvenor."
"You don't look much like a 'Bridget'," another American, named Daniels, stated.
"My father was an English journalist, Henry Grosvenor, and my mother was an Egyptian. My sister and I both get our looks from her side." Bridget glanced up to see said sister. "Megan!"
Megan was shaken from her thoughts, and turned to look at her sister.
"Yes, Bridge?"
Bridget gestured with her eyes over to Megan's violin case. Megan smiled, delighted at a chance to perform. Megan pulled out her beloved violin and began to play her favorite tune, "The Dance of the Swans" from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Everyone within earshot stopped to listen to the beautiful, haunting tune, completely enthralled by the skilled musician. When Megan finished, she was greeted by thunderous applause, to which she gave a humble bow.
"Damn," said Henderson, "that girl can play.
"Yes," Bridget agreed, "she certainly can."
As the card game progressed, it soon became apparent that Bridget "Bridge shark" (as she had once, affectionately, been dubbed) was unbeatable. No matter what play they made, Bridget always came out on top.
"So, where are you boys headed?" Megan asked.
"Hamunaptra," the third American, a man named Burns, answered.
"Oh, same as us," said Jonathan, earning him a glare from Bridget, and a kick under the table from Megan.
After Bridget hand won yet another hand, the three Americans were getting really annoyed.
"Damn it, woman, how do you do that?" Henderson asked.
Bridget just gave a sweet little smile. Just then, Rick walked by.
"Oh, O'Connell," Jonathan called to him. "Please sit, the more the merrier."
"Nah, I only gamble with my life, never my money," Rick replied.
Bridget and Megan exchanged looks. Then, out of nowhere, Helen came running over to the table from around a corner.
"Mum, look what I found," Helen said, holding up what looked like a knife. Bridget paled.
"Helen, go put that back where you found it."
"Why can't I just tell you where I found it?"
"Helen."
The little girl pouted, then ran off to return the dagger to its original location.
"Walk, don't run!" Bridget called after her.
"Cute kid," Burns said.
"Yes, she is."
"Anyway, O'Connell," Daniels spoke up. "You say you never gamble for money? What would you say if we bet you 500 dollars that we get to Hamunaptra before you?"
"You're looking for Hamunaptra?" Rick inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Damn straight we are," Henderson confirmed.
"And who says we are?"
"He does," everyone said while pointing at Jonathan, who laughed nervously.
"Well, how 'bout it?" Daniels continued. "Is it a bet?"
"Alright, you're on," Rick replied with a grin.
"What makes you so confident?" asked a man who was sitting in one corner. Neither Bridget nor Megan had noticed him up until that point.
"What makes you?" Rick retorted, causing Megan to snigger.
"Well, we got us a man who's actually been there," Henderson answered.
"Oh, what a coincidence because O'Connell-" Jonathan started, only to be silenced when Rick 'accidentally' bumped him with his duffel bag and Megan 'accidentally' kicked him under the table again. "Whose play is it? Is it my play? I'll just…"
"Gentlemen, we got us a wager." Rick placed a hand on Jonathan's shoulder and squeezed it. Hard. "Jonathan."
"Yeah, 'night," the unfortunate Englishman replied.
"Well, gents, I think I'm done for the evening," Bridget said. She collected her winnings and departed. As she left, Megan took another look at the man whom they hadn't noticed until he asked Rick why he was so confident he would win the bet.
"Hey, I know you," Megan stated. "You're Dr. Allen Chamberlain, aren't you?"
"Indeed, I am, young lady," he replied, Megan could just hear the proud sneer in his voice.
"My sister and I have read some of your books. We found them to be quite fascinating."
"How nice."
"However, we noticed several errors in your observations."
"I beg your pardon?"
The Americans started to snicker at the sight of the haughty Egyptologist being spoken to like that, and by a girl. Megan then began to list off the inaccuracies in several of the man's works, giving evidence to support her statements, and leaving the poor man completely slack-jawed.
Meanwhile, on a different part of the barge, Bridget walked in on the tail-end of a conversation between Evy and Rick.
"By the way, why did you kiss me?" Evie asked.
"I was about to be hanged, it seemed like a good idea at the time."
Evy gave a huff and stormed out offended. 'Typical men,' thought Bridget.
"What? What'd I say?"
"Yet another brilliant comment from the great Richard O'Connell," Bridget said mockingly.
"How long were you standing there?"
"Long enough. Honestly, Richard, that is one of the worst things you could say to a girl."
"How so?"
"Telling a girl that the only reason you kissed her was because of a life-or-death situation is the same as saying 'Yeah, I was gonna die, and you were there. And I needed some form of action before I went.' Of course, this wouldn't be the first time you've mortally offended a woman, and I doubt it will be the last."
Just then, they heard a quiet chuckle and both saw a shadow behind some crates. Stealthily, Rick snuck over to the crates and grabbed the person behind them, pinning him to the wall.
"What a surprise, my good friend, you're alive. I was so very, very worried." Beni then looked over and saw yet another familiar face. "And Mrs. Hakim, you look lovely as ever."
Bridget narrowed her eyes in anger.
"It's Ms. Grosvenor again, thanks to you."
"So, our little buddy Beni, huh?" Rick questioned.
"Kill him, please."
"I thought you were against violence?"
"For him, I'll make an exception."
Rick raised his gun to Beni's head.
"Think of my children!" Beni protested.
"You don't have any children, you weasel," Bridget stated.
"Someday I might," he replied.
"Shut up!" Rick shouted. "So you're the one who's leading the Americans. I might've known. So what's the scam, Beni, you take 'em out into the middle of the desert, and then ya leave 'em to rot?"
"Unfortunately no. These Americans are smart. They pay me only half now and half when I get them back to Cairo, so this time I must go all the way." Rick lowered his gun, and loosened his grip on Beni. "You never believed in Hamunaptra, O'Connell. Why are you going back?"
Rick gestured over to a certain person who was standing by the camels.
"You see that girl? She saved my neck."
When Evy saw that Rick was looking at her she walked off.
"You always did have more balls than brains," Beni stated, then started to chuckle. Rick and Bridget joined in too, slowly walking Beni over to the side of the ship, where Rick proceeded to toss the annoying worm overboard with a "Goodbye Beni."
Bridget then looked down on the deck, and noticed a series of wet footprints.
"Hey, Richard, that little toad is still in the water, right?"
When they looked up, their eyes met in a look of pure panic.
Bridget ran as fast as she could to her room, praying to anyone who would listen that her daughter was safe. Helen meant the world to her mother. So, when Bridget got to the room and saw her daughter safe and sound, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mum, what's going on?"
"Helen, get my bag, and stay close."
The little girl grabbed the brown duffel and handed it to her mother. Bridget then pulled out a revolver and Helen gaped.
"Mum, I thought you hated weapons."
"I do. But now is not a time for questions."
Bridget threw the duffel over her left shoulder, and held the gun in her right hand. Helen stayed right beside her mother as they made their way onto the deck where the fighting was going on. Helen was terrified at the sight of the men in the black outfits who were attacking the barge; but her mother, though scared, refused to show it, firing off shots at any of the men who got too close to her and Helen or any of the boat passengers. Bridget was not at all surprised to see the Americans were having the time of their lives shooting at the masked men in black; but what did surprise her was the fact that Megan was fighting hand-to-hand with at least three of the men, occasionally hitting them in the head with her violin case. After Megan had beaten the three men who had attacked her to bloody pulps, she rushed over to her sister and niece.
"Having fun?" Bridget shouted with the faintest hint of humor.
"It's good to be back! Where the hell are the others?" Megan shouted in response.
As though she had said the magic words, Evy and Rick appeared. When they had all gotten to the edge of the boat, Rick turned to Evy.
"Can you swim?" he shouted.
"Of course I can swim if the occasion calls for it!" she shouted back.
Rick then nodded to the two other women, who lifted Evy up by either arm.
"Trust us, Evy!" Megan said. "It calls for it!"
As they hurled their friend overboard, they couldn't help but have a strange sense of Déjà vu. Like they had done such a thing to Evy before, but neither could remember when.
"Megan!" Bridget shouted to her sister. "Take Helen and get to shore!"
She handed Helen to Megan, who lifted the child up in her arms, slid over the railing, and leapt into the water. Bridget and Rick were reloading their guns when the warden came running over.
"O'Connell! Grosvenor! What are we going to do? What are we going to do?"
"Wait here," Rick replied. "We'll go get help."
"Right!"
As Rick and Bridget left, the warden realized what just happened, then yelled as he jumped overboard.
Rick and Bridget were shooting at anything in black clothes and masks. Just then they saw Jonathan emerge. He looked at the Americans and shook his head and said "Americans" in a disgusted tone. Suddenly, a man who was on fire came at him, only to be shot by Henderson.
"I say," Jonathan addressed the Americans and the Egyptologist who was hiding behind them, "bloody good show, chaps. And did I panic?" He tossed the trinket he had stolen from Rick up in the air only to catch it once again. "I think not."
A wall of fire suddenly toppled near him and Bridget grabbed him by the back of his coat, pulled him out of harm's way, and proceeded to hurl him overboard, ordering him to swim for it. Rick then helped her up onto the railing.
"Just like old times, huh?" he said with a smile.
Bridget gave him a glare and jumped into the water. Rick following right behind her.
They all managed to stumble onto the shore, soaking wet and very shaken up. Megan helped her sister who was struggling to walk due to her heavy clothes. Bridget hugged her daughter, letting out a relieved breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.
"We've lost everything!" Evy complained. "All the tools! All the equipment! All my clothes!"
They were interrupted by a shout across the river.
"O'Connell! Hey, O'Connell!" Everyone looked up to see that wretched little stinker Beni. "It looks to me like I've got all the horses!"
"Hey, Beni!" Rick shouted back. "It looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!"
Beni gave a short laugh before Rick's words sunk in, and he looked around and raged.
"We should get moving." Bridget stated.
"Bridget," Evy said, "what got into you on that barge? You hate violence and disorder, and yet you were shooting everything that moved."
Bridget rubbed the back of her neck nervously.
"There are things about my life I would rather not discuss, Evelyn."
Megan rubbed her sister's arm. The two of them had this thing where they would trade off on who would be the one to comfort the other, it wasn't a flawless system but it functioned.
So the group of six headed off into the night.
Yes, yet another chapter finished. Just so you know, I'm repeating most of this from memory. Also, Bridget's married name 'Hakim' is Arabic for 'learned, or wise'. Sorry if I made it seem like Bridget had a personality shift, but that will be explained later. Goodnight.