Disclaimer: Dic© owns everything, with the exception of Baset who is my own creation. This is a work of fanfic, no copyright infringement intended. The Character of Ardeth and the tattoo on Baset's arm will be familiar to fan's of The Mummy. They are copyright of Universal. The idea for this story and the character of Urbena came from the Point Horror Book, The Mummy by Barbara Steiner.
Chapter 7
Amerok paced the room. Ja-kal stood in the doorway, his face a mask of contrition.
"She must have miss understood your letter." He repeated for the Hundredth time. Amerok restrained himself from asking then why had the messengers dispatched to the Hall of Two Truths found nothing.
Instead he concentrated his mind on Shufoy revelations.
The idea that Baset was Med-jai was bother believable and worrying. Amerok would admit that he knew very little on the subject, but what he did know was not comforting.
According to the ancient ones the order had come to Egypt, having been driven out of their own lands. They had at one point been loyal servants of Pharaoh, but during the reign of Pharaoh's grandfather, the order had been outlawed. It was still death to shelter a Med-Jai, though none had been tried for it within living memory.
Shufoy however was certain of his facts.
"I used to see them often. She, her father and another Med-Jai who I think was her brother used to come to the village. They would ride in from the desert, and you could tell from the way the leaders of the gangs behaved that they were important. The father would go into speak with the leaders and the girl and the boy would wait him. They'd sit on their horses in the hot sun, sometimes for hours. The only time I saw them move was to guide their beasts to water. They
themselves never took anything from us."
He smiled slightly. "The girl was beautiful, in an exotic way, but as distant as the moon." His face creased as he remembered. "Once or twice another girl came with them, a few years younger than them. She looked more Egyptian, but I wouldn't swear to that. I offered her a drink of water once, and she was about to drink, when the other girl noticed and screamed something in their own tongue. The lad yanked his horse between us and nearly sent me flying." He shook his head. "I never saw a man look more enraged than his father. That was the last time I saw the Egyptian girl, though the others were still coming when I left."
"And you are sure the other girl was Baset?" he asked.
Shufoy nodded. "I spoke with those who trade with the village. The father and the son still come, but no one has seen the girl for a while. The Crocodile man said she was serving the order elsewhere"
despite the warmth of the room, Amerok shivered, wondering exactly how she was serving the order.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Baset heard the steady thump, thump and the jingle of armor which marked the approach of the temple guards. Covering her head with her cloak, she ducked into the court.
The case in question appeared to be a case of a row between two neighbors. One claimed how while she had been swimming in the river, her opponent had pushed a wax crocodile in among her clothing, in an attempt to summon the deadly beast of the river to attack her neighbor. Her opponent, a furious, huge, fat-belied fish wife, was declaring loudly that she didn't know how to fashion such an image, may the goddess of truth be her witness! And that it would take a legion of crocodiles to vanquish a woman as evil as her neighbor!
Baset fought the desire to laugh as the patrol passed. Instead, she settled down among the crowd and waited for the evening.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
"The lord Amerok was looking for you!" Ja-Kal said, standing in the doorway.
"And I was looking for him!" Baset snapped. "I searched the whole complex and found nothing."
Ja-kal opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it. She had spent a long, hot, fruitless day.
"I will speak to him tomorrow." Baset promised. She gazed out of the window, where the full moon could be seen, rising.