Chapter Nine

Several days later, Jed and Octavius listened in awe as Jesse, Larry, Ahkmenrah, and Tally related the details of their recent adventure. When they finished and Tally went to have her fit of two-o-clock morning sickness, Jed whispered, "Think we'd ever do that?"

"Do what?"

"Y'know, fight off dark gods and shit like that?"

"We could if we were life-size. Of this I'm sure."

Jed pulled Octavius closer and whispered in his ear, "I'd do it for you."

"And I for you," Octavius whispered in reply, kissing Jed.

Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah sat on the bench just outside the Egyptian wing, in something of an awkward silence, which Ahkmenrah broke in his mother tongue. "Is it over, do you think?"

"Personally," Kahmunrah replied, "I feel it's never over."

"Will we always be the ones fighting?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not, but if we do anything good in the upper world, let this be it."

"I don't understand it. Three years ago and prior, you wanted to kill me. Now you're all about doing good. What's changed?"

Kahmunrah rested his arm around his brother's shoulders. "I've almost lost everything. Not this time."

"Have I changed something?"

"I can't be sure. I'm assuming a lot of things."

Ahkmenrah found himself leaning into his brother, his eyes closed. "I'm glad they did," he whispered.

Tally sighed and slumped against the apartment door at dawn, rubbing her eyes. The apartment at dawn was exactly as she had expected to find it, and she walked into the bathroom, almost certain she was about to be sick again. After an hour, when the nausea passed, she walked into her bedroom and passed out on bed.

The next day, Tally and Larry found themselves walking into the museum and clocking in and around the same time. They split the rounds, and, afterward, she walked into the Egyptian Wing, opening the sarcophagus.

Ahkmenrah pulled her into him and nuzzled her nose. "How are you feeling?"

"Just about as okay as I can be for being pregnant."

He climbed out of his sarcophagus and held her close for a while. "Is it a challenge for you?"

"Not at this point, but I guess it gets worse about seven or eight months from now."

"I'm glad. I don't want this to be too hard on you."

"How the hell should I know? I haven't been pregnant before."

"Oh, well, that changes things entirely."

"Maybe for you, with your ancient sensibilities."

"Ancient?"

"You're the only guy I know that actually actively cares about having a first born son."

"Am I? I thought there were others, like my brother."

"Well, yes, but people today, they're different. They aren't after sons as avidly as they were."

"Ah, I see. Now it makes sense."

"It's kind of a complicated thing."

"Yes, it is."

Tally closed her eyes and leaned into Ahkmenrah a little more.