"Egyptian"

"English."

Chapter Nine

Back at the fort Rick was looking out at the window at the British Soldiers manning the walls, the sun still black behind them. Evy and Jonathan were pacing the foyer while Grace was sitting on the sofa trying not to panic. "We must stop him from regenerating." Evy said. She turned to Daniels and Henderson, "who opened that chest?" She asked.

"Well, there was me and Daniels here and then poor Burns of course, oh yeah, and that Egyptologist fella." Henderson answered.

Rick turned from the window to face them, "what about my buddy, Beni?" He asked.

"Na, he scrammed outta there before we opened the damn thing." Daniels replied.

"We must find the Egyptologist and bring him back here to the safety of the fort, before the creature can get to him." Evy stated firmly.

Rick looked between them all, a plan forming in his mind. "Okay... Evelyn, you wait here with Grace, you two come with me." He looked at Daniels and Henderson.

At once all three of them pounced on him, only Grace didn't have any arguments. "The hell with that! I'm not goin' nowhere! We're safe here!" Henderson refused.

"Yeah, I'm not leavin, this fort for nothin'." Daniels agreed.

"Who put you in charge? You can't just leave me behind like some old suitcase. I'm the one responsible for this mess and I intend to be the one to clean it up." Evy yelled. Rick shook his head and sighed. He then grabbed Evy over his shoulder. "O'Connell! What are you doing! O'Connell, put me down this instant!" She screamed as he carried her into the bedroom, slamming the door and locking it.

They could hear Evy pounding on the door, yelling at him. Rick threw the key to Daniels. "Keep an eye on her. No one goes in, and no one goes out. Got it?" Daniels nodded. "C'mon Jonathan. You too Grace, you're probably safer with us." He said looking between the Americans.

Grace nodded and got up. "Me?" Jonathan swallowed hard and pointed to himself.


Grace, Rick, and Jonathan got to the Egyptologist's office to find Beni ransacking it, pulling drawers out and throwing files on the floor. He started tipping over bookcases and clearing shelves when they walked in. "Well, well, well." Rick said. Beni spun around to face them. "Lemme guess, spring cleaning?" Rick said sarcastically.

Beni turned and ran for an open window but Rick grabbed a chair and flung it in his path. Beni tripped and crashed into a wall; Rick strode over and lifted him up the wall, Beni's feet dangling off the floor. "Where's your new friend?" Rick asked.

"What friend? You're my only friend." Beni said feebly.

Rick slid a knife under Beni's chin. "Then you got no excuse for living. What the hell you doin, being buddies with this creep, Beni? What's in it for you?" Rick questioned.

"It is better to be the right hand of the Devil than in his path. As long as I serve him, I am immune." Beni said cryptically.

"Immune from what?"

Beni grinned. "You shall see."

"What are you looking for? Lie and I'll slit your throat." Rick warned.

He shoved the knife deeper into Beni's skin and Beni whimpered a little. "The book!" He cried. "The black book they found at Hamunaptra! Imhotep wants it back. Said to me it would be worth it's weight in diamonds."

"What does he want the book for?"

Beni shrugged. "Something about bringing his dead girlfriend back to life..." He said and looked at Jonathan, "and your sisters."

Rick looked at Jonathan and Grace and Beni took the chance to knee Rick in the balls. Rick doubled over and collapsed, allowing Beni to leap out of the window. Jonathan cringed as Rick groaned, climbing to his feet, wincing as he did so. "That looked rather painful." Jonathan said.

"Ya know," Rick winced. "Ever since I met you, my luck has been for crap."

Jonathan chuckled. "Yes, I know. I do that to people." He said. That's when they heard a blood curdling scream coming from down in the bazaar. Rick, Grace, and Jonathan scrambled to the window to look out.

They looked down as the mummy, now regenerated even more, reached down and took the canopic jar out of the now dead Egyptologist's shrivelled hand. He then looked up at the three of them and grinned. The mummy then unhinged his jaw, his mouth stretched to an inhuman size, and then a swarm of flies came out of his mouth and raced straight for the three.

Jonathan and Rick slammed the shutters and the flies crashed into the closed window. The three looked at each other, panic clear on each of their faces. "That's two down, only two to go." Rick cursed.

"And then he'll be coming after Evy." Jonathan added. They shared another look and then raced out of the office.


Rick, Grace, and Jonathan raced into the foyer but skidded to a stop as they saw Henderson's shrivelled body on the floor. Rick ran to Evy's bedroom door and looked through the key hole then he kicked the door down with a bang. "Get your hands off her!" Rick yelled at the mummy who was inside kissing Evy.

Imhotep turned and looked at the three who had entered. Grace looked around wildly and spotted the white cat not far away. She picked it up and Rick caught on to what she was doing, "Look what I've got." He said with a fake gasp and took the cat off Grace.

He threw the cat at Imhotep and instinctively the mummy caught it. He shrieked at it and dropped it before bursting into a whirlwind of sand and vanished out of the now open window. Daniels walked in and took one look at Henderson's body before dropping his martini glass.


It was night and the group had gone back to the museum of antiquities to meet up with Ardeth and the curator. They followed Evy as she strode through the museum with purpose. "Last month I came across an inscription that mentioned the book of the dead."

"That book we found at Hamunaptra?" Daniels asked her.

"Yes." Evy confirmed. "I dismissed it because it talked about bringing people back from the dead. A notion I was unwilling to believe."

"Believe it sister. That's what brought our buddy back to life." Rick said.

"And now he's going to use it to bring his girlfriend back." Jonathan put in.

"And if he succeeds, and earns Akila's forgiveness, the three of them together will bring about the next apocalypse. Even without Akila's help, mankind is doomed." Ardeth said from the other side of them.

The curator joined Evy at her side as they headed up the stairs. "The plagues we have seen so far are merely Imhotep flexing his muscles. Only at the moment of Anck-su-namun's resurrection will he be truly invincible." He explained.

They finally stopped in front of some display cases which Evy quickly opened. "I'm thinking that if the black Book of the Dead can bring people back to life-"

"-Then maybe the golden Book of the Living can return them back to the underworld." Grace finished with wide eyes.

"Exactly." Evy agreed.

"So your sayin', if we find the book made outta gold, and read the incantations inside, it'll send this guy back to hell?" Rick asked making sure he understood right.

"This would be a floorless plan except only a High Priest or those born with powers can get the sacred incantations to work." Ardeth pointed out.

"But Evy read from the black book and brought the mummy back to life." Jonathan commented in confusion.

Ardeth shook his head. "There are very few incantations in both books that work for ordinary people. It is likely you simply read one that worked but there is no telling which ones work for ordinary people and which ones do not." He explained.

"Well it's the only plan we've got. So we've got to try." Evy said with determination.

A loud chanting could be heard coming from outside. They rushed to the upper windows and looked down. A large mob covered in hideous boils and sores were outside, chanting, and coming up to the museum. "It has begun. The beginning of the end." Ardeth said dramatically.

"Not quite yet it hasn't. Grace, give me a hand." Evy said dashing back to the display cases.

Grace followed after her quickly. Helping her go through the pieces of stone tablets, translating it. A banging on the door could be heard as they sorted through the broken pieces of tablet. "Got it!" Evy said. Grace looked at the piece of tablet her sister was holding. "Since the black Book of the Dead was found inside the statue of Anubis, then according to this, the golden Book of the Living should be inside..." Evy trailed off struggling to translate the last bit.

"Come on!" Rick cried impatiently as the banging got louder.

"Patience is a virtue!" Evy chided.

"Not right now it isn't!" Rick yelled as the doors broke and charging footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

Jonathan ran off, muttering something about getting the car started. "The golden Book of the Living should be inside the statue of Horus!" Grace deciphered.

"That is located not far to the east of the Anubis statue." The curator said. The mob appeared at the end of the corridor so the group shared a look and then ran across the balcony and down the other staircase.

They ran out of the door just as Jonathan pulled up with the car. They all clambered in just as they heard Beni shout, "Imhotep! Imhotep!"

He was standing on the steps. Imhotep looked out of the museum from the upper windows and Jonathan started to drive off, "You're gonna get yours, Beni!" Rick shouted pointing a finger at him.

Imhotep's disease ridden followers began chasing after the car. The mob were getting closer and closer to them, some jumped onto the car making everyone fight them off. Jonathan swerved the car and crashed into some stalls, knocking some of the mob off. But a few managed to yank Daniels out of the car and he tumbled to the pavement, getting up quickly and shooting at the mob.

Daniels got backed into a corner and eventually his gun went empty. The mob stayed back, surrounding him like vultures. Daniels eyed them, filled with fear. The mob began to part, allowing Imhotep to walk through and up to Daniels who whimpered in fear.

Back in the car the others heard Daniels blood curdling scream as he was killed. One of the hideous slaves crashed through the windshield of the car, making them scream and Jonathan lose control. Jonathan slammed the car into a wall. "C'mon, let's go!" Rick ordered, jumping out of the car.

They all followed him but they didn't get very far because the festering mob quickly surrounded them. Like they did before, the mob parted for Imhotep before closing the gap. He stepped through, now fully regenerated. He now looked as young, handsome, and muscular as he did the day he was buried alive. "He has consummated the curse." The curator said.

Imhotep stopped in front of them and stared at Grace who, now seeing him whole for the first time, was getting a strange vision. She was younger, around five years old, and she was running up to Imhotep who was standing with open arms and a smile on his face. He lifted her up as she reached him and spoke to her softly, in a loving tone. As quickly as it came the vision left her mind and Grace had to blink a few times to remind herself where she was, it had felt so real. Beni emerged from the crowd and stood next to Imhotep. Imhotep looked away from her and at Evy before extending his hand. "Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, for all eternity." Imhotep said.

"Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, forever." Beni mistranslated.

"For all eternity idiot." Evy corrected.

"Take my hand and I will spare the others." Imhotep continued and Beni translated it right this time.

Evy hesitated looking around for a way out. "Any bright ideas?" She asked Rick.

Rick gritted his teeth. "Sorry, fresh out." He muttered angrily.

Evy looked back at Imhotep and then slowly started to reach out to take his hand. "No, Evelyn!" Rick said and tried to get to her but Ardeth held him tight.

Imhotep's hand closed around Evy's and he smiled. "You better think of something," Evy said to Rick. "Because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after."

Imhotep turned to Grace and held out his other hand. "Akila, my child. Come with me and together we will resurrect your mother." He said.

Beni translated again and that caused Rick and Jonathan to get angry. "You don't need both of them! She's just a child!" Rick spat.

Imhotep glared at him. "Come, daughter. Or I will kill your friends." He said again, extending his hand further.

Grace looked between him, Evy, and Jonathan before finally placing her hand in his. "No!" Evy and Jonathan cried.

"It's okay." She said softly to Jonathan.

"Remember what we told you, Grace. Don't forgive him! No matter what he tells you!" Ardeth shouted as Imhotep led them away.

Evy looked back at Rick as they were taken. "Kill them." Imhotep ordered.

"No!" Grace and Evy screamed, trying to get back to them.

Imhotep pulled them forward with ease. Beni caught up with them with the key in his hand, he handed it to Imhotep who took it silently and placed it in his robes.