(sits up and dusts off hands after feeding flames to the Balrog) This is turning out quite nicely. Maybe I'll have this story finished by the time I leave for Atlanta in September, if this rate continues!

Reviews:

Belphegor: First, my thanks for correcting me on the matter of 'Helm's Deep.' I could not find my soundtrack for the life of me while I was writing that chapter, and couldn't check it. (I still can't find the soundtrack. . .so I bought another copy). I'm glad you like my characterization of Gimli and Legolas. . .Gimli is a favorite of mine. I'm a sucker for big softies who cover their soft hearts with bluster. Gimli falls into that category very nicely. Arwen and Seti. . .nice catch! That comment of Seti's was, indeed, inspired by Eldarion and Aragorn from 'Return of the King.' One of my favorites, by the way. And I had to write that scene from Arwen's viewpoint. She was plainly frustrated in 'The Two Towers' with both Aragorn and Elrond, and I've never seen anyone cover that. This chapter is a little different, since it deals almost exclusively with those left behind. As for Anatol. . .I haven't figured out his email addy, but give me time. I know it'll be something funny, irreverent, and totally unexpected.

Selene: Hi and welcome! Glad you enjoyed Ardeth riding after Aragorn. The consequences of his decision will come in the next chapter, though some of them are seen in this one. And I figured that Ardeth would be more surprised by Legolas than Gimli. I think I did tell you about the POTC story. . .if I didn't, I do apologize. You know what things have been like for me at work. It gets up to 100 degrees in the factory during the day. Unpleasant, to say the least.

Terreis: Yup, the trouble is just starting, as you'll see in this chapter. Celia faces danger from a variety of sources. Short reviews are welcome, unsigned reviews are welcome. Anonymous ones are not.

Mommints: Yeah, I know exactly where you would be spending all your time! Gotta be careful, you wouldn't want your Med-jai to feel left out, now would you? I saw a photo of Orlando Bloom today, and thought, 'hmmm. Maybe I can add him to my own stable of Med-jai.' Scary biscuits. And you have my permission to use the prophecy mentioned by Seti. I loved writing that part between Seti and Suleiman. Suleiman has always been a fun character for me to write. . .the dichotomy between loving father and Med- jai leader. Seti is fun, because I like reinterpreting him. I like doing different things with characters. And of course it's possible to be 'Ardeth-esque.' Our beautiful, stubborn, stoic Med-jai. . .(sigh)

Sailor Elf: Yep, Ardeth found Aragorn. And boy are they gonna make Saruman sorry! Of course. . .I'm already working on making him sorry, but still. . .

OH! One last thing before I get to the story itself. I have a job interview on Friday! It's with the Department of Transportation (State). Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Part Eleven

It shouldn't have been such a shock, creeping into Celia and Ardeth's bedroom to find her (or rather, Nefertiri's) long-dead father in a conversation with his mistress and intended queen. Not after everything else Evy Carnahan O'Connell saw since the first raising of Imhotep. However. . .it was still jarring. To say the least. She blinked, staring at the sight in front of her, pinched herself, then looked again.

No, it was still the same. Anck-su-namun sat at the computer that Ardeth and Celia shared (sometimes literally. And in such cases, often prompting Rick to groan, 'oh get a room!' Ardeth's answer could not be repeated in polite company). Evy almost wanted to laugh, seeing Anck seated in the same way Celia sat in the chair. All twisted up like a pretzel when she wasn't typing or looking up something on the Internet. Her right leg folded under her body, and her left leg folded over her right, half turned in the chair, with one arm flung across the back.

On the other hand, Anck could sit in that position without fear of crippling herself. Too many times, she saw Celia in that position. . .and nearly break her neck when she tried to get up. As Evy entered the room, Anck effortlessly rearranged herself in the chair, and Evy asked softly, "Is everything okay? I just came in to check on Celia." She glanced over at her sleeping friend, frowning when she noticed that Celia looked tense even asleep. A second look at Anck told her that the ghost noticed the exact same thing.

"All is well, daughter. I have others I must see, before I return to Ardeth. Take care of them, Nefertiri, Anck-su-namun," Nefertiri's father answered before vanishing. Evy looked away from the spot where Seti stood, to find Anck looking just as chagrined as she felt. . . especially when the late pharaoh added in a chiding, paternal voice, "And play nicely while I'm gone, children, or I will hear about it."

Anck rolled her eyes, and Evy just giggled softly, saying, "He drove Nefertiri absolutely mad when he did that. One moment, he was Pharaoh, head of state, and just as soon as the court sycophants were gone, he would be Seti, father to Rameses and Nefertiri, as well as our various brothers and sisters. Just like that, no warning." Evy paused, then added, "It always amused Rameses, though. Nefertiri never knew why."

"I never saw that side of him. I wish I had. It might have made it easier for me to love him, the way he wanted me to. Or maybe not. All I ever wanted was my freedom. Free to simply be Anck-su-namun, free to love Imhotep, free to take care of my best friend. I could never understand why that was so wrong. I suppose in some ways, I resented Ardath just as much as I resented you. . .I mean, Nefertiri," Anck corrected herself.

"Why is that? Because she found what you wanted, without even really looking for it?" Evy questioned. Anck nodded with a vaguely puzzled look. Since Celia was asleep (though not relaxed), and Rick was looking after Darius and Alex outside, Evy felt safe in broaching a topic she wondered about many times during the last two years. She asked softly, "Anck? I know why Nefertiri wanted to face you. . .but why did you want to face her?"

Anck looked at Evy, and for a moment, the Englishwoman wasn't sure if she saw Evy Carnahan O'Connell. . .or her long-ago rival Nefertiri. However, that moment passed and Anck asked, "You mean when we faced each other in Ahm Shere?" Evy nodded. When Anck realized that she faced Nefertiri, rather than Evelyn O'Connell, she said, 'Good.'

"I have thought about that day many times, Evelyn. Tried to examine it in every way I could. I wanted to face Nefertiri because. . . there was a great deal that remained between us. I suppose I was angry with her for calling out to the Med-jai. And. . .there was some pride involved as well. I was Nefertiri's teacher. . .and I wanted to see how much she remembered," Anck finally answered. Pride? Well, that is one way of looking at it.

The ghost continued, "There was another reason. I was angry with Meela for killing an innocent woman. I killed Seti, because I felt trapped. Meela. . .she enjoyed inflicting pain. You remember in the Ahm Shere that might have been. How she smiled when she stabbed Ardeth. Then, too, I screamed in fury. I do not know why. In my life, I hated the Med- jai as jailers, and because they failed to protect my forever friend. But Meela's deed angered me, Evelyn."

Evelyn listened in silence. In truth, she didn't think Nefertiri ever listened to her father's mistress. . .not the way she should have. Seti, Nefertiri, Imhotep, Anck. . .they all were people who were at heart decent, products of their time. Seti only wanted love, like all people did. He simply went about it the wrong way. Like so many other people, past, present, and future.

Anck added after a moment, blissfully unaware of what Evelyn was thinking, "And you know, Evelyn. . .it. . .I told Imhotep that he was the only one who could resurrect me. The truth was, I cared naught for being resurrected. It was the only way I could get him to leave." She sighed, looking at Evy, and added, "When he brought me back the second time, it was not very pleasant, awakening in the husk of the shell I once wore."

Evy couldn't help herself. She giggled, saying softly, "You know what frightens me? I could easily see myself doing the exact same thing to protect Rick!" Anck looked put-out for all of two seconds, then grinned ruefully. Evy muffled her giggles, then said, "Anck, we may never be friends." The other woman nodded at once, hearing what Evy wasn't saying.

"But we will always share a brother and a sister, and we will always move heaven, hell, and earth to protect them," Anck observed quietly. Evy nodded. That was a peace in and of itself. Anck continued, glancing at Celia once more, "When I awoke two years ago, to find myself In-Between with Mathayus, he showed me another what might have been. The what might have been that would have happened if Imhotep won at Ahm Shere."

Now that was scary. Even more so when Anck continued, "It. . . it showed me something I never wanted. I watched Celia die in that possible future, Evelyn. . .she died protecting Miranda. At the time, of course, I could not admit just how twisted I became. But now I can. I do not want such power. I wish only to protect those whom I love. That is all."

"It's all most of us want, Anck," Evy answered. She thought, but didn't add, that there were times when you were focusing on keeping yourself alive, on making it from one day to the next, it didn't leave much time to consider much else. Anck merely nodded, her eyes distant, and Evy said, "Anything new or interesting to report? I'm guessing you hacked into the computer to find something."

Anck sighed, answering, "You should find some place to sit, Evelyn. What I am about to tell you. . .is something you should know." Evy ignored the dread conjured up by those words, and instead, sat down on the windowsill, ready to listen.

. . .

Rick O'Connell was in danger of losing his mind. His hostess and sister-in-law after a fashion probably would have said that was his natural state, and right now, he would have agreed. He was the father of two young children. . .sometimes three, since Nefertiri was right smack dab in the middle of her terrible twos. Alex was ten, even more curious now than he was two years earlier. . .and back then, he scared the crap out of Rick on a regular basis.

So, he was no green rookie when it came to children. However, this was different. Alex alone could literally raise the dead. Include Dari, the mind boggled at what the two could dream up. Especially now, when Dari was so afraid for his uncle. There was no attempt by Acacia to keep the truth from her son or her daughter about Ardeth. That wasn't the Med-jai way.

As Acacia explained once, children had active imaginations. . .if one tried to withhold the truth, children would simply make up a far more terrifying reality, if only to provide themselves with any explanation. Rick could see that, but in the mind-bending world of the Med-jai, it was hard to believe any kid could dream up the actual explanations.

It was Rick's job to keep the pair out of trouble. Keeping Alex and Evy out of trouble was hard enough. . .hell, compared with that set of evil twins, Nefertiri was a perfect angel. He could put up with squalling toddlers whose favorite word was 'no.' That, at least, was normal. On the other hand, she was half-Carnahan, so the odds were good that Nefertiri would follow in her mother's footsteps. Eventually. As if Rick didn't have enough problems?

Even so, he knew he wasn't the only one who had problems. During the last few days, as they tried to learn what was going on, the four Bey women held the Med-jai together. Not everyone knew exactly what happened to Ardeth. Even to the Med-jai, who spent the last three thousand years guarding a pile of sand and rubble and Imhotep, what happened to Ardeth sounded on the fantastical side.

Altair, as a member of the Council, spent her time dealing with the Elders. According to Aric, who was once more courting the fiery widow, she actually boxed the ears of one Elder who blamed Celia for Ardeth's disappearance. Rick wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry when he heard that. She wasn't even there. . .and as much as he hated to admit the jackass might be right about something, Rick thought Imhotep had a point about keeping Celia away from that place.

Aleta wasn't immune to further problems because of her brother's vanishing act, either. As a Healer, she reported that more people sought her out. Aleta Bey Carnahan was a woman who learned both the old and new ways of treating injuries and illness. And she was no stranger to the part played by the mind in both injuries and in healing. Aleta theorized that the rise in illnesses and injuries were due to their fear for their chieftain.

It was different in battle, Aleta explained, because in battle, one tended to know what to expect. But in this situation. . .there were too many unknowns. Who was this being who took Ardeth? What did he want? What would he do with Ardeth? Could their chieftain find his way back? For some, faith was a solace. Not all felt that way, and it was they who sought out Aleta. General translation. . .stress was doing a number on people's health. Surprise, surprise.

Acacia had her own burdens to carry. The day after Ardeth's disappearance, Beni went out to Hamunaptra with a patrol of young warriors. It was a training exercise. Beni went along with them as a former thief and plunderer of Hamunaptra. And as training exercises did from time to time, things went haywire. There was a raid at Hamunaptra, and Beni Gabor, the little weasel who once left Rick to die, threw himself in front of one of the teenaged warriors.

They carried him back to Tiri as a hero, and during the last few days, Acacia was distracted from the worry over her two brothers by worry for her husband. To say nothing of giving a serious tongue-lashing to anyone who annoyed her. In a peculiar sort of way, this was a relief to the Med-jai at Tiri. They were accustomed to Acacia's temper, and for her to behave in this way was a weird return to normal.

Then there was Celia. She was constantly busy during the last few days. . .keeping Alex and Dari out of trouble; being a source of strength for her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law; among other things. She was wilting under the constant action, which was why Anck and Evy finally sent her to her room for a nap. Immediately, Miranda crawled into bed with her mother, seeking comfort from the most constant person in her life. Andreas and Nefertiri joined them very shortly. Nefertiri seemed to sense that her aunt/mother was distressed.

And Rick? Hell, he spent the last few days thinking about what he would do when they brought Ardeth back to them. How he would make it up to his friend for letting down his guard and letting that pissant use him. When he thought about it, it still infuriated Rick. He was furious with himself, for allowing himself to be used, and he was angry with that freak of nature, for using him to hurt his best friend.

He. . .was interrupted as Alex called, trotting up to him with Dari at his side, "Dads! Dari and I were talking! We think we have an idea about getting Ardeth back!" Uh-oh. Here they went again. Rick found though, that he couldn't blame them. He wanted to be doing something, anything, that would bring their friend back to them. And looking at Dari was a constant reminder of how he failed his friend.

He never noticed until now, just how much Dari resembled Ardeth. He didn't know why that was. It was stupid. They were family, after all, of the same blood. Ardeth was only ten months older than his sister Acacia, Dari's mother. . .the pair were Irish twins, so to speak. In another ten years or so, the resemblance between uncle and nephew would become even more pronounced. But in Dari, Rick saw a glimpse of what Ardeth looked like as a child. Oh sure, he saw that when he looked at Andreas, but most babies weren't that interesting. Except his own.

He didn't realize he was still staring at Dari until Alex asked impatiently, "Well? What do you think, Dads, will it help us get Ardeth back?" Rick blinked and Alex gave a great sigh of exasperation, saying, "He wasn't even paying attention, Dari!" The young Med-jai boy didn't look particularly surprised, and Rick cast an apologetic look at both children. He appreciated that they were trying to help. Really, he did. . .

"Sorry, kids. . .I guess I'm a little distracted myself. I'm worried about Ardeth, too. It's partly my fault that he was taken, and that's not something I'll forgive myself for any time soon," Rick told the boys. He was gonna lie. He was gonna say he heard every word, and was thinking it over. But looking into Darius Bey's dark eyes, eyes that reminded Rick of his uncle every time he looked at him. . .he couldn't lie. Dammit, this family was really starting to get on his nerves. And it was definitely the entire family, not just Ardeth. It was his entire damn family. Rick couldn't pretend with any of them!

This was borne out a moment later when Dari said, his hand touching Rick's wrist. . .the same wrist carrying Rick's Med-jai tattoo, "It is not your fault. You are not to blame. And when Uncle Ardeth needed you most, you were there. When that bad man who hurt my mother came back." Strange, how the young saw things. Rick could barely remember being the same age as these two. What he did remember, he would rather not.

"And 'sides," Alex put in, "if it isn't my fault that the Scorpion King came back, then it's not your fault that this evil wizard took Ardeth. Remember what Ardeth said when he and Anatol came to our house after we got back from Ahm Shere, and right before he met Celia? He said that the Scorpion King would have been awakened one way or another. He was just tired and upset when he came to our house in England."

Rick remembered. It was the first night Ardeth was at their house, and the first time they ever met Anatol. Alex shyly apologized to Anatol, after hearing that he fought the Anubis Soldiers in the desert. Ardeth quietly told him that it wasn't really his fault (no, it was the fault of his parents), and Ardeth was very tired, very frustrated, and very angry with himself for allowing the kidnapping of Alex's mother.

The American smiled, remembering his wife smacking the back of Ardeth's head, and blurting out, "Ardeth Bey, you take that back immediately! You are not at fault, do you understand me?" He also remembered Ardeth's somewhat stunned expression. Though Rick wasn't sure if he was stunned that Evy struck him, or that she was so vehement in her defense of him. Rick wasn't. He was smarting for a few hours after she reamed him for his less than stellar reception of Ardeth at the O'Connell manor in England.

Now, he told the pair, "I know. And Ardeth is right. But. . .it's not so easy, believing that. Believing. . .accepting. . .that I couldn't have done anything to keep that creep out of my head. That's not so easy." He looked at the two boys, saying, "You know what we need? We need to go kick some butt. C'mon. I challenge both of you!" Two sets of eyes lit up, and they raced inside to the computer. Rick followed, smiling faintly. It wasn't much. . .but it would do. For now. It would do.

. . .

Right now, in her dreams was the only place where she saw him. It was like watching a movie in her mind. Seeing how they met. . . remembering how his initial wariness slowly give way to friendship. . .then love. She remembered the day they were married, and the day they learned that Andreas would make his appearance eight months later. She saw their kidnapping at the hands of Lock-nah and Nizam Toth, and the three days of hell that followed.

Even those memories now were cherished, though she was sure it would kill her to remember in the immediate aftermath. Her grandmother always used to tell her that things happened for a reason. She couldn't understand how there was a particular reason why her husband of less than a year was being beaten and tortured right in front of her eyes, and there was nothing she could do about it.

It sounded odd, to know she cherished even those memories. But while watching the torture tore out her heart, at least she could touch him eventually. At the end of those three days of hell, she broke free and cradled him in her arms, allowing him to touch her and the baby, and know they were both all right. It didn't occur to her, until it was much too late, that in her dreams, she was far more vulnerable.

Here, there were no defenses, and all of her secrets were laid bare. Ardeth vanished from her view, and she looked around wildly. The dream just took a terrifying turn, and she had no idea how to retake control. A voice echoed around her, bouncing off the walls. And the words were always the same. . .the same words, over and over again. Come to me, little queen. Yes. . .come to me. You know you wish to come to me. Come to me and find your husband. I can show you where he is. I can show you what his fate is. All you have to do is come to me.

The words were familiar, but the voice was not, and it sent chills down her spine. Imhotep called her little queen, a term of affection, pride, and exasperation. There was only malevolence in this voice. Malevolence, hatred, and contempt. She experienced that odd wind sensation that always swept over her when she remembered more of her past lives, but instead of finding herself in ancient Egypt, as Ardath or Thalia, among others, she faced a man who was strangely familiar to her. She looked at him warily, asking, "Who are you?"

It wasn't especially original or imaginative, but it was necessary. There was no panic in her voice, only suspicion. She asked as a member of the Legacy, as the Med-jai queen, as the wife of Ardeth Bey and the mother of his children. The man just smiled at her. He was an old man. . .the way Imhotep would look, if he looked every year of his thirty centuries. But she never sensed evil emanating from Imhotep, not like the evil she felt from this man.

Evil. She stopped, thought that through. Oh yes. Of course. How could she have been so foolish? He already told her whom he was. He told her that, when he promised to return her husband to her. By promising to give her what she wanted most right now. She remembered a conversation she had once with a priest, while she was an active member of the Legacy. Evil lied. Oh, it told the truth, but it also lied. That was why she couldn't trust this being. No matter how much she wanted her husband home.

Celia Bey nodded, staring at her 'companion,' and said, "You're Saruman. You're the one who kidnapped my husband." The man's smile faded. She wasn't supposed to realize that, obviously. Well. She would just have to disappoint him once more. Again. As many times as it took. Celia continued, nodding her head with a faint smile, "Of course. When I arrived here, you told me that you could take me to my husband. All I had to do was go to you. Well, I'm here. . .now where's Ardeth?"

"It is not quite so simple, little queen," Saruman answered, his disdain toward her obvious in every word he spoke, "surely, if you know whom I am, you should also know that. Then again, your kind is notoriously foolish." Celia controlled her desire to punch him. . . hard. Instead, she focused on learning as much as she could. She didn't believe she could trick him into returning Ardeth, but the more they knew...

His face changed then, taking on the appearance of a kindly old uncle or a grandfather. He circled around her, saying softly, "Think on it, child. Your heart betrays you. I know how much you wish to be reunited with your Ardeth. Tis why you sent those scouts to the caverns from whence he disappeared. I can arrange for that, you know. I have that power. I can arrange for him to hold you once more, for you to feel his hair in your fingers."

Almost against her will, Celia closed her eyes. He was right, of course. Her heart, her longing, betrayed her. Here, in the dream plane, there was no hiding from your truest desires. No hiding from yourself. She wanted her husband home. She wanted her brother-in-law safely back on Med-jai lands, she wanted her people safe. All of her people. Saruman was offering to give her husband back to her. What he asked was so simple.

For the rest of her life, Celia wondered if she would have found the strength to say 'no' to him, if he had not made a serious tactical blunder at that moment in time. Saruman drew closer. . .Celia could feel his breath on her neck. . .and whispered, "You are a bright young woman. I can see this, in Ardeth's mind and in yours. Too bright to stand against me. You know when you are beaten, when you can no longer resist."

Celia's eyes flew open and she stared at him. He smiled at her, seeming to think that he had her, and said, "To turn away from the friendship of Saruman is a very foolish thing. Your kind is, as I said, notoriously foolish. But you can be sensible, child. The war in Middle Earth is not your fight. It has nothing to do with you. Come to me, and I will take you to your husband. He will leave with you. Think on it, girl. . .be sensible."

Celia ignored the implied promise, that he would allow her and Ardeth to leave this place called "Middle Earth" without attempting to destroy them. The trouble was, the implied promise was canceled out by the implied threat. Be sensible, he told her. In other words, give into the dark side, because it was sheer foolishness to stand against him. Something she heard often while she was in the Legacy. Always by someone who overestimated themselves.

He's seen Star Wars a few too many times, she thought, knowing fully well that wasn't the case at all. She knew it was just a coincidence that he sounded just like Emperor Palpatine, particularly during his final confrontation with Luke. Celia stared at Saruman steadily, calling upon her years in the Legacy and her time in dealing with the Legacy. And slowly, she had the pleasure of seeing his smile fade.

The clouds in her mind were not gone. The compulsion to say 'yes,' and throw away everything she believed in, was still there. The desire to say 'yes,' and betray her husband to save him. But Celia fought it now, for she did see Saruman's true face, and that made it easier.

"Notoriously foolish? So it would seem to one such as yourself, but then, you aren't exactly known for your intelligence, either. You've underestimated my husband once. Now it's my turn. It seems simple enough to me. You wanted me to come to you. I want my husband back. Well, here I am, and here you are, now take me to Ardeth!" Celia fired back. The wizard glowered at her, but she met his gaze head-on. He was no longer dealing with the shy, somewhat awkward young girl who first arrived in Cairo, the girl she sometimes still was in her dreams.

No, now he was dealing with the Med-jai queen. She was an entirely different person. Her mind worked at a feverish rate, the queen brutally suppressing the wife who missed her husband so terribly much, who would have agreed. She had to think clearly. People were counting on her. Her children, her husband. . .too many others. Focus, Celia, focus! Entities such as the one before her never offered something without wanting something in exchange.

And the price asked was often entirely too high. Strangely enough, it became easier for her to remember that as the moments ticked by. More and more, she sensed, rather than saw, her grandparents nearby. They weren't alone. There were others. Many others. Many times many, and they shielded her. She wasn't the only one who sensed them. Saruman felt it, too. His dark eyes flashed and he reached out his hand, as if to seize her.

Celia backpedaled, and found another protector in front of her. Mathayus, the Scorpion King, growled, "Touch her, Saruman the Deceiver, and I will remove your head from your body." Gentle hands were pulling Celia back, back, back, and more bodies took their place between her and the wizard responsible for her husband's disappearance. She shook herself, and with it, the last bit of the spell he was casting upon her.

The intervention also gave her time to think. It is not that simple, he told her. No. No, he didn't want her essence. . .what was here in the spiritual plane. He wanted her to go to the caverns where Ardeth was taken. A half second later, Celia figured out why. Her blood ran cold as the pieces fell into place. She should have seen it before. Celia said softly, staring at Saruman around the considerable bulk of Mathayus, "You want me to go to the caverns where you kidnapped my husband. . .to use me, where you tried to use my husband. I'll not go!"

Mathayus looked back at her when she spoke, and the young queen saw an answering fury in the eyes of the Akkadian assassin when he saw the truth in her words. His head whipped back around to Saruman, asking, "Is that right, little man? Would you use this girl to destroy her husband? Are you such a little man that you can only use helpless women and children to achieve your goals?" Once more, hands pulled Celia back, and this time, someone new joined them. Celia looked to her right and saw an unfamiliar young woman at her side.

"I am Saruman. You cannot hurt me, petty king!" Saruman snarled at Mathayus. Celia just raised her eyebrows. Well now. This was interesting. It seemed Saruman was in the habit of underestimating his enemies. Ardeth, her, and now Mathayus. That was fine with her. The wizard proclaimed, "I am Saruman, the White Wizard! I am Istari, and long after you are no more than dust, I will remain!" Celia rolled her eyes. He really was becoming tiresome. She wasn't the only one who thought so.

"You forgot to mention that you were also a fool, a braggart, and a coward," the unfamiliar young woman answered almost pertly. Saruman growled and reached toward her. The young woman's face didn't change at all. . .but she raised her hand, and Saruman was thrown back several feet, landing in a heap on his ass. The young woman added, "I am Cassandra. . .sorceress and queen. And I have faced far worse than you, Saruman the Deceiver."

"And as for remaining long after I am dust. . .you have no idea where you are, do you? The only people here who walk in the world of the living are you and the Med-jai queen. We are all the dead here, Saruman the Deceiver. You cannot hurt us. And you cannot hurt the queen, for we will not let you," Mathayus added. Celia reflected a bit ruefully that she was starting to feel like Haley Joel Osment in 'The Sixth Sense.' She, too, saw dead people on a regular basis. Every day. And twice on Sundays, as her grandmother liked to say.

Saruman struggled to his feet. He extended his staff, but a second wave of Cassandra's hand wrenched it from his clenched fist. Not only wrenched it from his hand, but it flew halfway across the room to shatter. The wizard actually cried out in shock, and the young sorceress added, "Do not make us warn you again. This girl is under our protection. You called to her in her dreams, without once considering the consequences of doing so. Just as you took her husband from this world into your own. . .without considering the consequences."

"And now that he's there, he has made your enemies twice as powerful. Look, Saruman. Look at my son!" Seti boomed out. Celia relaxed a little more, knowing her past father-in-law was at her side. She knew how much Seti loved Ardeth, and knew he would be in Middle Earth with him. The dead pharaoh waved his hand, and Celia gasped out loud, seeing her husband. He was alive. He looked exhausted, and in terrible pain, but he was alive.

Cassandra, the sorceress, put her hand on Celia's shoulder comfortingly. Ardeth was riding a horse, his face twisted with pain. There was a second man on the horse with him, though Celia could not see his face. He was slumped against the neck of the horse. Every few minutes, Ardeth would tremble, ever so slightly. Someone who didn't know him very well would have missed it. But she knew it. She saw it, and she whispered, "He's hurting."

Seti answered gently, "Yes, child. He was stabbed when he arrived in their world. But he is strong, and he is fighting the injury as he fights all his battles. Just as he will fight in the battle for Helm's Deep. The fortress of those who stand against Saruman and Sauron. Against the might of the two towers." There was a mocking tone in his voice, as if he was repeating something Saruman once said.

Celia didn't answer. She was too busy looking at her husband, drinking in every last detail. His cloak was draped around him, the cloak she gave him on their wedding day. There were circles under his eyes, and Celia had no doubt that if he could see, Galen would be teasing Ardeth about his new luggage. His black hair was a matted mess. . .it wasn't as if he carried a brush with him. But he was still breathtakingly beautiful to her. He was alive. Every few minutes, he would glance at the man in front of him, then turn his attention to the countryside, as if looking for a threat. Still her Ardeth. . .still on his guard. It kept him alive.

His face contorted and he groaned a little, slumping forward as he pressed his arm to his stomach. He was hurt. Stab wound. . . perhaps lingering pain from Rick's Saruman-induced attack in the cave. She didn't blame Rick for that. She blamed the monster appearing to her now as a person. If there was any anger lingering toward Rick, for not fighting harder, it was gone now. Now that she knew just how powerful this wizard was.

"He was stabbed, my daughter, while defending a helpless one. You know how he is," Seti told her, and Celia nodded, smiling in spite of herself. Yes, she knew how her husband was. He could not. . . would not. . .simply stand by if someone needed aid. That wasn't Ardeth Bey. That wasn't the man she loved. . .that wasn't the man she married. . .that wasn't the father of her children. Again, Cassandra squeezed her shoulder, and the two women watched as the long-dead pharaoh turned his attention to the wizard.

"You see, Saruman. . .you made a terrible mistake, when you kidnapped the Med-jai chieftain from his world, from his time, from his people, from his family. You failed to recognize that Ardeth Bey and his wife have been in this situation before. Lock-nah and Nizam Toth could not use Celia Bey as a weapon against her husband. . .what makes you think you could succeed where they failed?" Seti taunted.

Now, they formed a protective semi-circle around Celia. There was no one in front of her. Here, in the dream plane, that was possible. For someone to disappear from one place and reappear a short distance away. Everyone was behind her, still protecting her. It was just her and Saruman. But she was not afraid. Even as the wizard glared at her, she was not afraid. Here, he was nothing more than a paper tiger.

Something he still didn't seem to understand. But it was she who misread things this time. Saruman was also somewhere else. . .and where he was, he still had power. The wizard spat, "So. . .be. . .it! But understand me, and understand me well, little queen! Helm's Deep will fall! Look well upon your husband, Cecelia Bey of the Med-jai, for it will be the last time you ever see him. When Helm's Deep falls. . .and fall it will. . .your husband will die!"

This time, he waved his hand and the picture showed Ardeth once more. He was doubled over in pain, supported on either side by. . . Celia did a double take. Was that. . .an elf? She blinked, trying to clear her vision, but the pointed ears were still there. What manner of place was this Middle Earth? Then again, her father-in-law. . .the one from thirty centuries previous. . .did say that Ardeth was trapped more than thirty thousand years in the past. Ardeth cried out, and fell to his knees.

Saruman grinned viciously, saying, "You see? Helm's Deep will fall, Med-jai queen. Helm's Deep will fall, and her defenders will die. Your husband will be mine, one way or another." Ardeth slumped sideways as his two companions tried to pull him to his feet, alarm showing on both faces, and Celia now saw that her husband was unconscious. There was a part of her which was relieved. . .it would give him some relief from the pain. Though not enough. Not nearly enough. She almost forgot that, as Saruman began to laugh softly. . . knowingly. Celia clenched her fists at her sides, as Mathayus, Cassandra, and Seti held her back.

It was necessary. Because if they didn't hold her back, she knew. . .she knew with absolute certainty. . .that she would lunge at him. And that was what he wanted. If she lunged at him, he would have her, and she could not allow that. If she lunged at him, then everything Ardeth went through to this point would be for nothing, because Saruman would have a weapon against him. Instead, frustrated and exhausted, Celia screamed at the top of her lungs. . .

. . .

"ARDETH!"

The cry shocked both Anck and Evelyn, who were quietly discussing the latest news from Anatol, news that was not news at all. It also woke up the three children, and only Evy's reflexes kept her frightened daughter from rolling off the bed. She caught Andreas with her other arm, and the little boy woke up, screaming. Miranda scooted off the bed, small hands pressed to her ears as she stared in horror at her mother.

Rick O'Connell bolted into the room, Dari Bey and young Alex at his heels. Anck could not call upon the energy she needed to make herself whole, and had to rely upon O'Connell. He sat down on the bed, grasping Celia's shoulders. She was upright in bed, her eyes staring at nothing in particular. O'Connell drew her into his arms, whispering, "It's okay, Celia. . .come on back. It's okay."

"Night terrors," Evelyn whispered, easing Nefertiri to the ground. Alex immediately picked up his sister, and Nef clung to him. Dari took his cousin and Anck stood beside Miranda, hoping to comfort the child with her presence. Anck didn't point out to the other woman that it was the middle of the day, because that wasn't the point. Nightmares happened while you were asleep, and so did night terrors.

Celia choked out, "Rick?" Then she slumped against him, her body shaking with quiet sobs. O'Connell, much to Anck's surprise, said nothing. Perhaps he learned a few things during the last few years, for he simply held her and gently stroked her hair. At last, the sobs eased and O'Connell pulled back. Celia took a deep, though ragged, breath, and forced out, "It was Saruman. He. . .I don't know how, but he called to me in my dreams."

O'Connell froze in place, his blue eyes turning dark with fury. But still, he said nothing. Instead, Evelyn asked softly, "What do you mean, Celia, he called to you in your dreams? You mean. . .a visit?" Celia nodded, the barest hint of a smile touching her mouth as O'Connell removed his handkerchief and began drying her tears as if she was Nef's age. She took another deep breath, a little less ragged this time.

"The dream plane. Yes. He. . .reached forward in time. Maybe he can exist outside time, I don't know. He wanted me to go to him. If I went to him, he would take me to Ardeth. But he meant. . .he meant go to the cavern. He wanted to take me into his time, so he could use me against Ardeth," Celia answered. She was still trembling, but the queen was asserting herself now. Anck went cold, as she realized what her friend was saying.

Celia was protected on the dream plane, but she was also vulnerable there. It went back to the old tale about if you died in your dreams, you died in reality. The same idea held true. If Saruman was able to touch Celia, he could have harmed her. And harmed her badly. Celia continued hoarsely, "Saruman didn't count on me being protected by the dead. The Scorpion King. His queen." She paused, looked at Evelyn and Anck and added, "And Seti."

The pair looked at each other, and Evelyn murmured, "Well. Now we know what he meant about knowing if we didn't play nicely." Anck nodded, allowing herself a faint smile. Evelyn became all business as Miranda crept back to her mother's side. She crawled up onto the bed, and Celia drew her against her body. Andreas made his wishes known. . .he wanted to be with his mother as well.

O'Connell maintained his position, but adjusted himself on the bed so the two Bey children could be comforted by their mother, and comfort her in turn. Evelyn continued once the little ones were secure in their mother's arms, "What else happened, Celia? Mathayus and his queen protected you, as did Seti. . .but when you woke up, you screamed Ardeth's name. What happened?" Celia blanched, and Anck controlled her desire to backhand Evy. The Englishwoman didn't cause this. This was Saruman's doing. She had to remember that. She had to remember that he was the only one responsible for this travesty.

"Mathayus was there. . .his queen, Cassandra. Thalia. Ardath. Seti. My grandparents. Others. Cassandra stopped Saruman twice. She humiliated him. Seti reminded him that he made one mistake already in bringing Ardeth to his time, and showed him to us all. He's hurt. Hurt bad. But for now, he's all right. I saw him, riding double with another man. I couldn't see the other man's face very well, because he was lying against the horse's neck. But he was there. Saruman became angry. Told me to. . .told me to look at Ardeth while I could, because when Helm's Deep fell. . .and it would. . .that Ardeth would die," Celia replied hoarsely.

There was a long silence, then O'Connell said, "Okay. Time out. What the hell is Helm's Deep, and why does he think it will fall?" Both excellent questions. Anck thought back to what Seti told her, glowering at Evelyn as she started to chastise her husband for his language. This was not the time! Then she thought about the context of the sentence. Helm's Deep. Will fall. That was what he told Celia.

"It is a fortress or a garrison, something of that sort. Perhaps where the enemies are Saruman and the allies of Ardeth are located," Anck observed quietly. Celia bobbed her head, acknowledging this particular truth. Anck continued, looking at Celia, "And what makes him so certain that Helm's Deep will fall? He sounds like a great many other men I have noticed. . .he has made many mistakes up to this point."

"It's a fortress, yes. And there was something else I saw. I think I must have seen through Ardeth's eyes, because. . .because I saw these. . .monsters. I don't know how else to put it. They looked at first like men. . .horribly twisted men. And there were. . .so many. They were marching toward this Helm's Deep. I don't know how I knew that, maybe it was because Ardeth knew it. But he was afraid," Celia replied. The tremors were fewer now, but she still looked shaken.

She wasn't the only one. They were all shaken. In the silence that fell, everyone looked at each other uncomfortably. Miranda said at last, "But Papa won't let the bad man win, will he, Mama?" Her small voice shook a little. Celia looked down at her daughter, and Anck saw the shift in her focus. The frightened girl was giving way to the mother. She smiled, gently stroking her daughter's dark hair.

"Of course not, love. Your papa has never given up in his life. He will most certainly not let that evil man win. And your grandfather Seti will not allow anything to happen to your papa," Celia replied. Anck nodded, though she had to smile inwardly at this reference to Seti. After his original return, to save Ardeth, Seti gradually spent more and more time with the reincarnations of his son and daughter, and daughter-in-law.

No longer Pharaoh, but simply one of the dead at his own choice, Seti was learning the simple joys of being a father and grandfather. He adored all of his grandchildren, the granddaughters no less than the grandsons. Then again, he loved Nefertiri just as much as he loved Rameses. Something she never truly considered before, but she should have. He treasured Nefertiri because she was his daughter, though not a son, always the preferred offspring.

"And Grandpa Seti wouldn't let anything happen to Papa, just like Uncle Imhotep or Auntie Anck won't let anything happen to us," Miranda completed. Celia smiled. Miranda went on, sighing, "I just wish Uncle Rick could go after Papa, like he did when those bad men took you and Papa. Uncle Rick and Uncle Imhotep." Anck couldn't help herself. She looked at O'Connell, who was staring at the little girl.

He didn't say anything, not right away at least. He was too busy staring at the child in absolute shock. Anck had no illusions about O'Connell and his willingness to work with Imhotep again. But she also knew that if it came to that, and joining forces with Imhotep would save Ardeth. . .O'Connell would do just that. In spite of herself, she had to acknowledge that perhaps she was wrong about O'Connell after all. He willingly gave of his own strength to those whom Anck loved during these last few days.

The silence was becoming uncomfortable now, as people looked at each other, unable to properly respond to Miranda's wish. O'Connell finally said, when no one else spoke, "Well, honey. . .I wish I could do that, too. I wish I could bring your papa home. But since I can't, I'll do the next best thing." Miranda looked at him with her large dark eyes, and O'Connell added, "I'm gonna take care of you, and your little brother, and your mama. And when your papa gets home, I'll help take care of him, too. I promise." Curiously, Anck believed him. Or maybe not quite so curiously. He wasn't the same O'Connell he was two years earlier.

"And Uncle Rick always keeps his promises," Evelyn said, smiling at her husband, "always." Anck rolled her eyes, but smiled anyhow. Miranda just burrowed her head against her mother's shoulder, and Evelyn continued, "Anck. . .perhaps you should remain closer to Celia when she goes back to sleep." Celia opened her mouth to protest, but Evelyn glared at her, saying, "You are exhausted, Celia! If you don't rest, you'll collapse, and then when Ardeth gets back, we'll have to take care of you both!"

Sneaky. But then, Evelyn had many years to perfect that. Celia closed her mouth with a snap, and Evelyn looked at Anck. The ghost nodded her agreement, and Evelyn continued, "Now. We have that settled. Rick, you and I should take the children outside and play for a while. No, Nef, Andreas and Miranda have to remain here. Nefertiri. . .no pouting. Much better. Anck. . .take care of them." The ghost nodded, and the O'Connell family filed from the room. Celia sighed and lay back, her two children huddling closer. Well. At least she wasn't making this difficult for Anck!

. . .

Saruman the White pushed himself to his feet, glowering at nothing in particular. That girl was just as bad as her husband. . .she just had to be difficult. It ever so conveniently slipped his mind that he was trying to trick her into doing something that would destroy her family and her husband. That was hardly the point. HE was Saruman the White, she was not supposed to stand against him. Why did she have to be so foolish?

And those others! A sorceress, a king, a pharaoh. . .the father of the mad pharaoh whom Ardeth Bey was, once upon a time. Begrudgingly, Saruman had to admit that perhaps he should have anticipated that. From what he learned during the last few days, it seemed likely that Seti existed outside of time, as Saruman himself did, because he was a child of the gods. On the other hand, they all existed outside time.

Assuming, of course, that the girl didn't summon them to her defense. Yes. Saruman liked that possibility much better. She wasn't strong enough to stand against him, and so she called upon the dead to defend her. Lucky for him that Aragorn wasn't wise enough to do something similar. One could not harm the dead. . .they were beyond pain, beyond death, beyond anything that the living could use against them.

He knew a little of the Scorpion King. He knew what Mathayus became toward the end of his life. Perhaps he made a mistake, and overshot his mark. Perhaps he should have brought Mathayus back in time, just after he lost his sorceress-queen, Cassandra. No doubt Mathayus would have been far more malleable than Ardeth was. Even so, it would lost its appeal.

Part of the appeal of taking Ardeth from his home and family was that he was still a man of honor. Where was the challenge in taking, and breaking, someone who threw away their honor? There was none. There was no challenge, no joy. And it certainly took all the pleasure out of torture for the orcs. Besides, there was also the concern that someone like the Scorpion King would oust Saruman, and take command of the army himself.

Not, of course, that Saruman was concerned about such a thing. Lord Sauron would never allow such a thing. He brutally suppressed the voice in the back of his mind that warned him Lord Sauron allowed Ardeth Bey to be taken from their grasp. That was the fault of those two meddlesome little Hobbits. He should have killed all four of them, and Gandalf, when he had the chance. But no, he had to spare Gandalf out of respect for an outdated friendship!

Truly, Saruman wasn't entirely sure why he attempted to lure the girl back to the caverns. Ardeth was stolen away from him. . .what was to say that the same thing wouldn't happen a second time? And that was even taking into consideration that the girl was even allowed to leave her city. She was well-protected, both in the dream-plane and in the physical world. Her magician, the one called 'Imhotep,' was determined to keep her from the caves.

Still, he had to at least try. He could have used the girl as a bargaining tool, if nothing else. Use her to force the defenders for Helm's Deep into laying down their weapons. . .and then slaughtering them. Saruman almost had her. . .he was sure of that, but what was uncertain was where he lost her. He saw the struggle behind her eyes, between queen and wife, between love and duty. He almost had her.

Where did he go wrong? Perhaps it was of little importance, since she was no longer within his reach. Those on the dream-plane knew about him now, and there was no way they would allow him near her. He sensed her on the dream-plane once more, surprising him. Just for the sake of experimentation, Saruman once more reached out, reached for her mind and her essence, to see if he could.

This time, he found his way blocked by a slender, scowling young woman with long black hair. Her body was covered with a gold paint, and her hand raised from her side. The force knocked him on his posterior for a third time today, and she snarled in a language unfamiliar to him, but he understood nonetheless, "Attempt to reach her again, Saruman, and I will melt your brain in its case!"

Ah. This, then, was the infamous Anck-su-namun. The ghost who was once the best friend of Lady Ardath, the mad pharaoh's concubine. And she herself was mad. As if hearing his thoughts, the concubine added, "Mad, am I? Perhaps. And perhaps you should know better than to try something so foolish a second time. Do not underestimate me, Saruman the White, or I will make you regret it!"

He was wary of this one. She killed Seti, when he discovered her with her lover Imhotep. The magician. He could do nothing to Ardeth now, but perhaps he could lure the magician back to the caves, and take him instead. Perhaps. . .

Perhaps he should guard his thoughts more carefully. Anck-su-namun narrowed her eyes, saying, "You would be far better served, Saruman the White, to watch your own backyard. Even now, the young halflings are seeking to turn the Ents against you." Saruman looked at the woman sharply. He wasn't concerned about the Ents, but he did want to know how she could know such a thing.

The woman just smiled lazily, replying, "As I said. You should tend to your own backyard, instead of worrying on someone else. Danger is much closer than you may think." Saruman deliberately turned his back on her. He did not listen to ghosts, much less dead concubines who were hardly more than gutter rats. Though he turned his back on the woman, he could not ignore her ringing laughter as she said, "A gutter rat I may be. . .but at least I am honest about what I am. Which is more than I can say for you!"

Saruman turned back to glower at her and dismiss her to her Underworld, but Anck-su-namun was quietly disappearing. She smiled at him as she did, saying, "Just remember. You have been warned. Underestimate my family at your own risk. And do not try to lure Celia to your side again. For the next time you do, you will learn that I am a woman of my word!" And with that, she was gone, leaving Saruman to stare at the empty space.

She was only a woman, only a concubine, only a Human. Why should he listen to a word she said? No reason in the world. None. With a grim smile, Saruman turned his attention back to the progress of his Uruk-hai. By nightfall, they would reach Helm's Deep. By the following morning, Rohan would be his. . .and the rest of free Middle Earth would fall. Once Rohan was his, he would take Gondor. And no one could stop him.