It took Methos a while to track down this mysterious stranger. But only a fool discounted the determination of an Immortal on the hunt.
It seemed that every encampment he visited had heard stories of him, tales they shared with him only hesitantly; he was a stranger, after all, and could have been a servant of Ra or one of the other gods.
His true secret would have terrified them all the more if only they knew. Of course, if they had known, his beheading would probably follow soon after. Some secrets were best when kept.
Almost by chance, Methos stumbled onto the camp where the mysterious Dan-yer was hiding. Methos feigned humility and servility very well, and while they didn't welcome him with open arms, they didn't cast him to the tender mercies of the desert, either.
Once he found Dan-yer, he spoke to him for several minutes, only to be left even more confused and frustrated than before. He had almost expected to find another Immortal like himself, but the man he met - despite his prophecies and behavior - didn't even have the feel of a man who would one day become an Immortal.
It seemed the Blue-Eyed Man was just that: a man. And a mad one, at that.
"If I told you I was born in the future, what would you say?" was the absurd question Dan-yer put to him.
After that encounter, there was no doubt in Methos's mind that Dan-yer was a charismatic leader. A complete and utter lunatic, of course, but he could see why people would follow him. Give a parched man a little water, and he'd do anything for a tiny drop more.
He left the camp later that day, altogether disappointed with the outcome of his venture. Maybe there was something interesting to the east...
~o0o~
Daniel and the general stared at the doctor in confusion. "How does any of this explain Pierson recognizing me?" the archaeologist questioned.
"Well..." Carolyn suggested somewhat hesitantly, "we know that there was an alternate SG-1 that went back in time to Ancient Egypt."
Daniel's eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline. "They giftwrapped a ZPM for us after they stole it from Ra." And left a video recording of their presence in Ancient Egypt, much to the understandable shock of the archaeologists who found it.
"What if Pierson knew that Daniel?"
Abruptly, the phone rang. General Landry picked it up. "Yeah, this is General Landry. Yes. Okay, put him through." He listened for several long moments. "Okay, good work. Bring everything back to the SGC," he ordered before putting the receiver down. "They finished their search of Mr. Pierson's room and car. They found some stuff up your alley, Dr. Jackson, ancient documents and such."
"Ancient as in 'old' or Ancient...?" Daniel queried curiously.
"Not Alteran, so far as we can tell, but they wanted you to look at them anyway. They also found something else you'll probably find interesting." Clearly, Landry was drawing this out for dramatic effect, probably as a little petty payback against Daniel for the whole situation.
"...what?"
"A sword. They said it looks real, not like, and I quote, 'one of those cheap replicas you hang on your wall,'" the general remarked dryly.
"Huh." That wasn't exactly anything Daniel was expecting; then again, he wasn't sure what he was expecting, in the first place. A sword? He glanced at Dr. Lam, who threw up her hands helplessly.
"Hey, don't look at me. My specialty is in fixing wounds caused by weapons, not the weapons themselves," she protested.
The archaeologist tiredly rubbed at his face. "Of course, this kinda begs the question as to why Pierson is carrying around a sword..."