Chapter 10

Logansport Museum of Cultural Activities

Quentin pushed Vicki around the room, noting that Hiram had left them alone. David strolled about looking at what he called the "cool" pots that was suppose to hold the internal organs of the deceased and his running comments that he wondered if they were still in there and would it be the heart, the lungs, or something cool like the stomach. The more he saw how much his comments were causing the adults to look sick, the excited he became over each new discovery. With his endless questions and he need to get Quentin's attention; he was taking more of Quentin's attention away from pushing Vicki.

Finally, Vicki commented with a hint of a smile, "Quentin go on and stay with David and hope he does not knock anything over, I can push myself. Besides I can take time to look and see whom these belong to and what this exhibit truly represents." Quentin had left her at an exhibit of a replica of a sarcophagus and the intricate painting on the exterior had captured Vicki's attention. Admiring the intricate detail on the ancient coffin she was curious and wheeled closer to the exhibit.

Peering through the glass, Vicki viewed her reflection in the glass case. Her reaction was quick and instinctual. She blinked and jerked her head back looking in astonishment. The face that peered back was hers but the clothing she wore was not hers. Vicki looked again and she saw her face but it was encased in a golden headdress that had a small replica of a feline on top of the head with the long golden beads that covered and flowed over her hair. Her eyes had been heavy encased in black kohled and the gown she wore was of the same shear gold material that was typical of what nobles wore during ancient Egyptian times.

Vicki closed her eyes and laid her head on the glass case and for a moment she was transported to a time and a place that was in the very distant past. She was standing before a male figure encased in black armor and wearing a drape that hung over the lower part of his body, he stood in his Jackal head dress and his strong upper arms were encircled with golden bracelets He smiled and looked down at Vicki, "Nefretery, come join with me be my head priestess, it is time to judge and see if you have a pure heart and a pure soul to be my head priestess, come join with me." He reached for her hands and pulled her close to his body. His breath was warm against her bare skin and she could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She could not turn or look away from him. She held a great expectation and a hint of fear edged her eyes. She relaxed when she saw him smile. Tucking her chin she looked down shyly and this showed her true innocence for what was about to happen. :"Fear not my little one, trust me." He whispered against her ear.

Vicki lifted her head from the glass case and shook it. Still deeply troubled she was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder, "Ma'am are you all right?" The voice was that of the security guard that had been hired by the museum to watch the exhibit. The internal sensitivity alarm had gone off indicating that pressure had been applied to one of the exhibits and he rushed to the room to see a woman in a wheel chair laying her head on the case. Walking quickly to her side he noted how pale she appeared and wondered if she were in pain?

"I am sorry. Did you say something?" Gareth Morrison looked with concern at the very pretty woman. Asking him if he had said something, which confirmed to him she was having a health issue. She was definitely not a thief. When Hiram looked at the security cameras and had contacted Gareth over a Walkie Talkie.

"Gar it is okay she is with the Collins party, you might want to just check on her and make sure she is not ill We have reset the alarms."

"Copy that Hiram, checking on her now, she looks pretty pale, not sure what is going on. Will advise." The click and tinny sound of the voices drifted into his ear piece from his Walkie Talkie Stooping down to be eye level with her Gareth studied her intently, "You look very pale and I was wondering if your foot was hurting and maybe you needed help?" He glanced at her and then to the exhibit that had held her attention and he stood up and stepped back "Whoa! No wonder you got so pale." He looked as shocked as Vicki felt.

Vicki was confused, "What do you mean?" She looked at the exhibit and then saw what he meant; the beautifully painted face on the sarcophaguses was a replica of her.

"You look just like her, except for the color of your eyes, you could be twins." If Vicki needed any help in determining a part of her past it had just presented itself to her right at this time in this room.

Laughing uneasily she looked at the handsome young guard and shook her head. "I think it's a conception and not the actual face of the person that Occupies the sarcophagus." She had hoped that had sounded reasonable. It did to her and it made it easier for her to accept this coincidence. Until Gareth spoke causing Vicki to feel less self assured.

"I don't think that is true, my understanding was that they had them painted from the death mask before they were mummified. If that is the case this is your great times ten grandmother." Gareth teased and then turned to watch another pretty brunette with doe soulful eyes approach them.

"Vicki, you seem pretty pale." Daphne took Vicki's wrist and began to take her pulse. "And your heart is beating really fast are you in pain?"

Gareth blinked again noting the other woman, taking off his cap he scratched his head. "Well I will be damn I have worked here a short time but even this has to be more than a casual coincidence."

Vicki and Daphne looked at the young man. "What are you talking about?" Daphne asked while reaching into her large bag and puling out the the carefully prepared syringe she had been given by Julia prior to leaving Collinsport.

"This is incase Vicki starts complaining or looks like she is having any pain. It is a saline injection but I have her conditioned to think it's a powerful pain medication." Daphne and taken it with a smile, put it in her bag and nodded.

"Come here." Gareth said and took her arm and led her to the next exhibit that was a series of hieroglyphs depicting a story of a great queen greeting the god of death. "Look at the Queen they called Hetepheres, she looks like you. Just like that one over there looks just like Nefretery."

Daphne felt her throat grow dry, "From which temple were their hieroglyphs taken?"

Gareth laughed and then spoke seriously, "These paintings were duplicated from Cynopolis, I was told it was also known as the City of Dogs or we know them as Jackals."

Daphne felt the syringe drop from her numb fingers, looking at her own reflection in the form of a lovely young Queen Hetepheres. The eyes were identical to hers and the eyebrows, the nose and the lips. She felt her body growing numb looking at the elegant depicted image of a queen sitting next to her husband with the figure of Anubis behind them both. Daphne did not know why she had not remembered this part of the history she had studied and she like Vicki was transported to a day in the very distant past sitting next to her husband and listening to the petitions before the king. Her heart was beating fast because she could feel 'his' eyes on her and she could recall their last night together writhing together on the alter of his temple. He had taken her as his lover and was testing her to be pure of heart and soul.

Gareth became alarmed watching Daphne begin to buckle and collapse to the floor in a faint. Gareth barely caught her head before she hit the floor. Vicki saw her faint and she called out. "QUENTIN!"

Quentin and David had walked to the room that showed the process of doing the mummification when he heard Vicki call and he turned and rushed towards her call. He arrived to see Gareth picking Daphne's head off the floor and resting it on his thighs. Rushing quickly towards Daphne he glanced over to see that Vicki was as pale as death and she too appeared to about to faint. He was torn between which of the two he should give aid. Watching Gareth pat Daphne's face he turned his attention to Vicki and rushed to her side and pushed her towards Daphne and Gareth.

"Look in her bag, I am sure she has some of those ammonia tablets she has used on me when I was light headed or in a faint." Quentin locked her chair in place, bent to Daphne's bag and searched and found the small zipper bag with white ampules. Looking at them he glanced questioningly to Vicki. "You break them and wave them under the nose." Vicki instructed cradling her head in her hands. Breaking the ampule broke he began waving it under Daphne's nose. Daphne's response was immediate she bean coughing with her eyes closed she tried to push his hand away.

"I hate the smell of ammonia." She mumbled disgustingly. "I am ok, please just help me up.." She looked at the two gentlemen. "Thank you. I don't know what happened." She looked embarrassed as she was helped up and then looked at the silver cased syringe on the floor. Quentin retrieved it for her. "Thank you and excuse me."

Daphne walked to Vicki, "Lets get you a shot dear and help you with that pain." Vicki did not protest not after what she had seen or thought she had seen or her imagination vividly filled in blanks in her mind. She felt her arm tremble when Daphne took it and held it to give her the shot.

David came running back in and stopped seeing Vicki pale and getting a shot he turned away. Quentin turned to the boy to distract him. "What is going on David?"

David looked briefly from Vicki and Daphne back to Quentin. "I am out of film. So when ever you are ready we can go back home if you want."

Collinsport Inn

Gerard found the listings and headed back to his room. Approaching the front of the Inn he saw his brother's car and he smiled. Gabe surely would be impressed with what he knew and might not think him a total scatterbrain. Entering the café part of the Inn he opened the door and noted his brother was sitting at the counter and flirting with the pretty blond waitress. "Gabe, glad you made it, want to come up to my room?" He smiled for the waitress flashing that ever so charming embarrassed look. "He is my brother Peggy and now I have to explain why I was naked in the middle of the road leading to this charming little town." He had winked playfully and clapped his brother on the back.

Gabriele turned on his stool and pushed off and followed his brother across the room and to the stairs. Following his brother up the stairs he continued down the long hallway. Gerard paused outside the door and sighed turning to his brother he quipped. "Not the Carlton Ritz but its clean and comfortable, come on in." Pushing the door open he allowed his brother access to the room.

Gerard's room Collinsport Inn

"So I hit a no hitter on who the chicks were or where they were from." Gabe said dropping to the sofa leaning back to look the suite over. The suite of rooms were an open living room area with a sofa a couple of chairs, a desk against the wall that held the door, then behind the sofa was a table with a lamp he noted two doors, one he assume went to a small kitchenette and the other must be the bedroom and bathroom. He noted a small table in the corner that must be a dinette table and used by his brother for breakfast. He notice the breakfast dishes were still sitting on the table and the cart had been pushed next to the door. "Do they clean these rooms?" Gabe wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, I just told her I did not want to be disturbed, that is why the cart is here, but the reason I was not up here to put my dirty dishes on the cart and put it in the hallway was because I found out what our master is needing and wanted to know."

Gabe set forward his attention fixed to his brother. "Do tell, you met the two women I met last night?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact they both live here in this town. Their names are Victoria Winters who looks like Nefretery and Daphne Harridge who looks like Hetepheres. They live in the big house you saw on top of that bluff when you drove into town, its called of all things Collinwood and it belongs to the Collins Family who established this town. Now they both live in that house on the hill."

Gerard feeling very superior sat at the dinette table and crossed his legs and then flipped the booklets he had retrieved from the Realtor's Office to his brother. "So, I went to the Realtor and found those listings and I thought we could look them over and see which would suit our needs."

Gabe looked down at the booklet and the pictures of the houses being offered for rental or sale and noted two on the front page that were large and perfect and as it would happen they belonged to the Collins family but was listed under the realtor for the lease. Thumbing through the booklet he felt the medallion begin to warm against his skin and he looked up and noticed his brother who was watching him. "I guess we are being summoned." Gerard said standing he walked to one of the closed doors and opened it, which much as Gabe had thought lead to a bedroom. Together he and Gabe entered the room, "I need to double lock the door, and we don't need the maid walking in on us." Gabe stepped further into the room and began to set it up for their commune with their god.

Gabe arranged the candles in the center of the glyph that Gerard had drawn in chalk. It was the eye of Anubis. Carefully he set the candles directly in the center of the eye. Once he had the candles set Gabe began to undress and folded his legs and sat naked Indian fashion in the circle and waited for Gerard to join him.

Temple of Anubis

Gerard walked into the bedroom, closed the curtains, removed his clothing and then sat naked in the circle Indian fashion. For both men the only item they wore were the medallions around their necks. Raising their hands, they placed them palms flat against each other. Chanting softly they began to slip into their trance like state and soon they were exiting their shells that tied them to this earth and ethereal form stepped out of their bodies and in a soft flash of yellow light appeared in the center of the temple of Anubis. With each step they took walking to their master their forms slowly beginning to change to that of two Jackals. Both were wearing the traditional garb of Anubis' guards. In tandem they approached the figure that sat bigger than on his throne. Anubis looked every bit the God he claimed to be and was in the eyes of those that worshiped him.

"I have seen them both, they were at the Exhibit in a place called Logansport."

Gerard lifted his head and spoke, "May I speak my lord?"

"Speak Gerard, speak and let it be the truth and from the heart." Anubis' voice was deep and spectral sounding.

"I have discovered who they are and where they live and it is here in Collinsport. We have already begun looking for houses to set up a temple and a way to open a gate to your temple. It is as you wished."

He looked at Gabe, "And you? You saw them both last night?"

"Yes master, I was preparing to hire detectives if needed. I had questioned some of the staff and all they could tell me was that the two were friends of the owner of the place where I had stayed. His name was Quentin Collins."

Anubis stood quickly, "Did you say Quentin Collins?" Anubis walked quickly down the steps to stand in front of both of his men. "Stand both of you and follow me." The two brothers now in full Jackal form stood and followed their master. With each step they took the sound of on their pawed toenails could be heard clicking along the tile flooring. Anubis had kept his human form although he had reverted Gabriele and Gerard to full Jackal shape, both men stood erect balancing on their hindquarters. They followed Anubis to the end of the temple's alter room. Without comment they continued to follow him out of the temple and took both men to another pyramid and another temple, the smells caused both men's snouts to twitch, they could tell this was the temple used to prepare the dead by the pungent odors that met them upon entering the room their master had taken them

Anubis stood before a large sculpture of another male depicted as a large flaming bird raising up over those he held dominion. "Look upon one that is considered evil and our enemy, look upon the rise of the Sun God Ra, the one that allows others to rise like the great phoenix and to live again. That is whom Quentin Collins had hoped to follow and bargain with and then left Ra after Quentin deserted his lover to Ra's fires. I want Quentin Collins, you will win the affection, confidence and trust of both women and use them to bring me Quentin Collins."

Gerard spoke again, "Sire, may I speak again?"

"Speak." Anubis turned and looked at his loyal subject.

"The night I was robbed of my medallion," he fingered the holy symbol with affection and spoke softly, "I, as you are aware, lost my control and changed, it was during this rampage I found myself involved in a confrontation with another that lives in this area. That individual appeared to be aware of our one weakness. He used silver against me to keep me from taking his life and soul that night."

Anubis frowned, "Find out his name and bring it to me." Anubis had turned and appeared to have grown bored. His look had grown as distant as his manner. Finally, he turned to the them both, "Go and do as I say, raise up followers and build me a house, when you select the priestesses that will serve as my handmaids, you will see to their initiation as for Nefretery and Hetepheres, no one else is to touch either woman is that clear? They are to be initiated by me and me alone." His words had taken on an altogether personal and tender sound when he spoke of both women.

His eyes held both men who in turn bowed to their master, "As you wish my lord." They spoke together and then he waved them away. Anubis faded from their view, both men slowly opened their eyes. "Well we have our orders, you see if you can get an invitation to Collinwood and I shall see to a house by the sea." Gabe as the oldest delegated the responsibilities to his brother.

Highway between Bangor and Collinsport

Willie sang along with the radio driving back from Bangor, he was feeling pretty chipper. In his estimation he had accomplished everything that Barnabas expected from him, he looked at the incredible pile of books that laid on the bench seat of his truck and sighed thinking about all that knowledge and for what. Then he heard Barnabas' voice in his head.

"For the truth and the knowledge of how to defeat an enemy Willie, instead of the incessant yowling you call signing you should try to read something sometime. You might find that with a little knowledge you would not feel so belittled by others around you. Now would you kindly stop that caterwauling it is disturbing my sleep."

Well so much for his carefree attitude he was feeling chastised and now was falling into a slight disappointment along with a depressing feeling as he navigated the roads back from Bangor. "Did you get the right paint this time?"

"Yes, I got the dusky rose paint for little Sarah's room. I had the paint man match the chip I took and he got it really close. It might be a little lighter but I think she would like it Barnabas."

He heard the sigh and frowned, "I see I suppose to expect anyone in this age to try and reproduce an authentic paint they would not know how to mix it properly. I will look at it before you put it on her walls. I am hoping that is she likes how her room looks she may wish to visit us more often, you will need to bring down her clothing from the attic"

"Already done Barnabas and I hung them in her closet for her." There was a long pause and then he sounded happier but tired.

"Very good Willie, do take the books to my library so I may look at them before I go to visit Miss Winters tonight."

"Barnabas?" Willie did not think as he spoke, he just let it out.

"Yes, Willie?" Again that tired sound.

"You ain't gonna to hurt her are you? I mean she has been through so much and well it just not seem right that you would want to make her into Josette."

"Willie do be quiet the sound of your thoughts are wearing on my last nerve. Especially this resistance you have about Miss Winters, she is not your concern. You worry about what I give you to finish and allow me to attend to Miss Winters and I will not answer this question again after today but no I will not hurt her, I want her to come to me of her own free will. Now do not bring up Miss Winters again, understood Willie?"

"Yeah sure." He sounded sullen, he did not really answer him how he wanted but he had to accept it as he drove down the road and shut the radio off. He started to grow tired and switched the radio back on, listening to the radio he began to go through the channels until he found some of that high brow stuff he thought Barnabas might like and listened to it hoping it did not put him in a coma.

Eric Lang's lab

Julia and Eric looked at their latest test results from the blood they had taken from Barnabas. Julia turned with a test tube and looked at her partner. "Shall we?" She smiled holding the tube in the carrier.

"Might as well see if this newest batch is showing resistance to the strain." They both carried the tube of blood to the window, and set it in front of the sunlight. They watched anxiously as the blood sat without any reaction after a half hour. "So far so good." They started to turn away when they heard the tube of blood began to boil and a hissing sound emitted then the tube exploded.

Julia frowned, "That was your formula, what do you suggest? We know mine caused advanced aging." Julia slid on rubber gloves and stepped to the broken tube and residue and began to clean up the mess. That is when she noticed the blood had turned to a fine red powdery substance. "Eric did you see this?"

Eric had turned to to his book of formulas; a deep frown seeming to permanently etch itself between his brow. He had started making adjustments when he looked up and saw the powder. "Now that is different." He shifted to scrape the substance onto a plate and slid it under the microscope glass. Adjusting his sight he stood back and nodded. "Take a look, there is obviously no active cells there but here is a thought, what if we need to adjust the properties to counter act this going to powder and allowing the live cells to thrive."

"Are you talking about letting the destructive cell live?" He smiled watching her reaction when she caught onto his train of thought.

"Yes, what if we decided to inhibit the destructive cell and make it solar proof?" He took his glasses off and as he oft times did and she loved this about him, he would tap the glasses against his lips while he paced about and thought about a problem."

"We could synthesize a similar cell and try experimenting with it and continue with this part of the treatment but do it at a slower rate, he won't be sun proof but could tolerate small walks in the sun if he wore a thick enough sunscreen."

Eric stopped pacing and turned to Julia smiling he pulled her into his arms. "I think either that or we try my last ditch effort and see about transferring the cursed life force to animate my creation." He had pulled Julia into his arms and he was getting excited having her body next to his.

"I think we need to wait before we use your 'Adam' experiment Eric, lets see if we can isolate that destructive cell and . . . " he was beginning to distract her by nibbling on her earlobe and then traced hot kisses down her neck. He was making her aware of why she loved being a woman and had the feelings she had.

"I bow. . to .. your. . . experience. . my dearest Julia." He looked around and then smiled, "You want to be completely decadent and relive our college days?" He smiled and winked.

Julie turned a bright shade of red, in their college days they had sex in the lab and it had been some of the most passionate and heated sex she had ever had. She looked around and grinned, it had been exciting for them and she knew even at their more mature age, maybe this is what they needed, to distract from the problem and maybe the right series of the formula would come to them. She felt his fingers edging her skirt up backing her up to the lab table and lifted her to sit her on its edge. "Well?"

She laid a deep passionate kiss on his lips and spoke against them. "I would love to be decadent with you and have sex right here," she began to undo his belt. "Right now." She smiled and he did not hesitate to divest her of her panties.

A half hour later

She suppose it was in the middle of finding she could still scream his name in ecstasy that she figured out how to isolate the destructive cell and photosynthesis it so it could tolerate the sun for longer periods of time. As they both lay on the table and noticed the test tubes had been knocked over and the Bunsen burners had been extinguished they had panted, gasped, grappled and finally kissed each other for another round of creative sexual activity and thinking of how to work out their current problem.

Eric reached his next climax he looked deeply in Julia's eyes and spoke softly, "My dearest Julia will you do me the honor of marrying me?" This was a total surprise to her, Julia would have never thought Eric would be serious about any one woman he had always appeared to be the type of man that wanted friends with benefits relationship. He kissed her again and looked at the confusion play out in her wide eyes. "Well, you going to keep me suspended with my legs going to sleep dangling off this table or what?" He rolled off of her and handed her panties and bra back to her.

"Eric I don't know what to say. I have never been asked to marry anyone before. This is very unexpected." Eric pulled his pants up, zipping them buttoning them and fastening his belt in place while she finished dressing. He was ambivalent about her response

"Well think about it and when you decide let me know. I know one thing Julia Hoffman, I cannot think of another woman in my life that I would like to spend my life with or another woman that makes me feel this good or another woman that drives me wild when she says all those medical terms and all I can think of is making love to her instead of working. I know that has to be love Julia I can't think of another word that expresses what I feel when I am around you and how I feel when you are away from me."

He leaned over she buttoned up her blouse and looked at him with those big wide eyes. He could not help but note her manner was one of confusion; pleased confusion and then she surprised him when she simply said, "Yes Eric."

"Yes Eric what? Yes Eric I agree, yes Eric I think we need to try this formula with this change or Yes Eric, I love you and I want to be with you as much as you want to be with me Eric?"

"Yes Eric I will marry you!" She laughed when he lifted her up and spun her around and then bent her over the table with another deep passionate kiss.

"Come on let us go pick out a ring! I am not going to give you a chance to back out."