Chapter Thirteen
After knocking Jennifer unconscious, Sahure rejoined the side of Anubis. Sending Sahure back into the train to get binds, Anubis rallied the prisoners up. Jennifer wasn't a problem anymore, not now at least; when she woke up she would be too confused and head-sore to really think and before she knew what was happening, Anubis would kill her.
Sahure quickly returned with binds and together they tied the prisoners up. They bound their hands together but not their feet because they would have to walk part way through the desert. Hopefully along the way, they could "relive" some desert travelers of their camels or horses.
Anubis also bound Jennifer's hands and feet together, even though the girl was unconscious.
"Now you will lead to way to Amh-Shre." Anubis said.
Bound and helpless, the O'Connells had no choice but to agree to Anubis's command. However, they only retained a little knowledge of how to get to the cursed place. Without the Bracelet of Anubis, the O'Connells knew as much about going to Amh-Shre as Anubis did. They, however, didn't let on that they didn't know anything; after all, they weren't completely clueless. Evelyn remembered having to go to the Temple Island of Phlie. How they were going to get there, however, was the real question.
The prisoners as well as their captors had been walking for hours. Jennifer was still unconscious and slung over Anubis's shoulder; he hair was draped over her face and the tips of her fingers were red from the blood that had rushed to them. None of the desert travelers were aware that Horus had finally found Ardeth-Bay, who was already gathering the Medji.
Anubis seemed unburdened weight of the unconscious prisoner; he was the most aware of all of them. He was well used to the desert heat and used to traveling through the sands. Anubis kept a vigil watch for other desert travelers with camels. Despite not minding the heat now, Anubis was rather used to being cared around.
Anubis's careful watching finally paid off; a head of the travelers were another group of five explorers (perhaps, Anubis did not know) riding on camels. The camels were one short of the group but Anubis decided to sling the unconscious prisoner that he carried, onto his camel like previsions.
Taking the camels from the explorers wasn't hard. Anubis and Sahure completely took them by surprise; Anubis felt "powerful" noticing the prisoners' horror as he dumped the explorers' bodies into the sand. The scarabs and vultures would pick at the corpses until they were nothing but faceless, sun-bleached bones.
Sahure sorted through the explorers' previsions while Anubis commanded the prisoners onto their camels. Evelyn mounted the camel easily enough but her husband and son had a slight difficulty, though they had both ridden camels before.
After grouping the previsions together, Sahure disturbed them onto the backs of the camels. Except for the camel Anubis was going to ride because Jennifer would be tied on the back. Anubis put the unconscious prisoners over the back of the camel; once again, Jennifer's hair dangled over her face, which rested against the camel's side. Anubis and Sahure also mounted their camels. "Ride." Anubis commanded and the prisoners set off once again.
The first thing Jennifer thought -or felt- was a throbbing pain in her head. She didn't remember anything that had happened over the past few hours but did remember Anubis, her sister and her family in danger and pointing the crossbow at Anubis. Jennifer opened her eyes and closed them back, quickly, because of the blinding desert sun. The sun made her head hurt even more; she opened her eyes very slowly to let herself adjust to the sun. Once the sun wasn't as big a problem, Jennifer's head began working right. She realized that she was bound by her hands and feet and laying on her stomach, over something. Still clearly a prisoner. Jennifer slowly lifted her head -she quickly realized she was on a camel- and looked in front of her. Anubis was seat a few inches away from her; slowly looking around she saw Evelyn, Rick and Alex as well as Sahure also riding camels. Jennifer sighed and rested her throbbing head; the sun was a few hours from setting, but that didn't really help the prisoners.
Jennifer decided not to let the others -even the O'Connells- know that she was awake. She needed to think for a while then, once she had a plan, maybe they could escape.
Darkness soon fell and Jennifer hadn't thought of a plan yet. However, head dangling against a camel's side wasn't the best position to think. Her wrists and ankles were beginning to get raw and red. Her silver bracelet was preventing some of the rubbing but not much. Darkness had fallen almost an hour ago but Anubis didn't give any indication that he wanted to stop, for anything. The prisoners all needed water and food and rest but they dare not say anything.
The night was almost pitch black and the stars could be seen in the sky. Jennifer knew all their patterns and the constellations even without looking into the sky because she had spent many hours back in America looking at them. Jennifer now wished she were in America because if she never came to London or Egypt -for that matter- then her sister, nephew and brother-in-law wouldn't be here right now.
Suddenly, Anubis pulled his camel to a halt; Jennifer brushed against the God's skin. It felt unreal. Dead. Jennifer shuddered. Anubis dismounted his camel was unnatural grace. "We rest now." He said.
He turned around and grabbed Jennifer by the back of the shirt and pulled her off. It was only at that moment that Jennifer realized she was horribly sunburned. Jennifer winced in pain and was sure Anubis knew she was awake. Anubis drew Jennifer close to him. "So, how long have you been awake? That's very deceitful." Anubis said and made little "tsking" sounds like a person would.
Jennifer didn't answer his question; she met his stare and held it. Anubis threw Jennifer to the ground; Jennifer realized that every part of her body must be sunburned. Her arms and legs stung when they hit the sand.
Evelyn quickly dismounted her camel and knelt by her sister, hugging her and asking over and over again if she was "okay". Rick and Alex dismounted their camels as well and joined Evelyn and Jennifer. Anubis and Sahure paid the prisoners no mind and began to make "arrangements" for the night. Sahure would watch the prisoners and the camels; tonight and maybe Anubis would do it tomorrow, if they weren't in Amh-Shre. Anubis disappeared, probably joining the sand (Jennifer thought) for the night. Sahure left the prisoners to herself; she armed herself with the long-necked gun that she had hit Jennifer with.
The prisoners were already beginning to feel the desert cold and the sun had just over an hour ago. Jennifer occasionally glanced back at Sahure, who was watching them like a hawk, but most of the time paid careful attention to the "discussion" the prisoners were having. How to escape.
"Even if Sahure falls asleep so we can get away, we can't walk back to London or even Cairo. And taking the camels would cause too much noise." Evelyn was saying.
Alex was leaned against his mother's shoulder, his eyes half-closed. Every once and a while, Alex would moan about being hungry or thirsty but no one blamed the little boy.
After Evelyn's last "remark", the prisoners were dashed for ideas. The only thing that seemed left to do was weight until the morning and continue on with Anubis to Amh-Shre.
After knocking Jennifer unconscious, Sahure rejoined the side of Anubis. Sending Sahure back into the train to get binds, Anubis rallied the prisoners up. Jennifer wasn't a problem anymore, not now at least; when she woke up she would be too confused and head-sore to really think and before she knew what was happening, Anubis would kill her.
Sahure quickly returned with binds and together they tied the prisoners up. They bound their hands together but not their feet because they would have to walk part way through the desert. Hopefully along the way, they could "relive" some desert travelers of their camels or horses.
Anubis also bound Jennifer's hands and feet together, even though the girl was unconscious.
"Now you will lead to way to Amh-Shre." Anubis said.
Bound and helpless, the O'Connells had no choice but to agree to Anubis's command. However, they only retained a little knowledge of how to get to the cursed place. Without the Bracelet of Anubis, the O'Connells knew as much about going to Amh-Shre as Anubis did. They, however, didn't let on that they didn't know anything; after all, they weren't completely clueless. Evelyn remembered having to go to the Temple Island of Phlie. How they were going to get there, however, was the real question.
The prisoners as well as their captors had been walking for hours. Jennifer was still unconscious and slung over Anubis's shoulder; he hair was draped over her face and the tips of her fingers were red from the blood that had rushed to them. None of the desert travelers were aware that Horus had finally found Ardeth-Bay, who was already gathering the Medji.
Anubis seemed unburdened weight of the unconscious prisoner; he was the most aware of all of them. He was well used to the desert heat and used to traveling through the sands. Anubis kept a vigil watch for other desert travelers with camels. Despite not minding the heat now, Anubis was rather used to being cared around.
Anubis's careful watching finally paid off; a head of the travelers were another group of five explorers (perhaps, Anubis did not know) riding on camels. The camels were one short of the group but Anubis decided to sling the unconscious prisoner that he carried, onto his camel like previsions.
Taking the camels from the explorers wasn't hard. Anubis and Sahure completely took them by surprise; Anubis felt "powerful" noticing the prisoners' horror as he dumped the explorers' bodies into the sand. The scarabs and vultures would pick at the corpses until they were nothing but faceless, sun-bleached bones.
Sahure sorted through the explorers' previsions while Anubis commanded the prisoners onto their camels. Evelyn mounted the camel easily enough but her husband and son had a slight difficulty, though they had both ridden camels before.
After grouping the previsions together, Sahure disturbed them onto the backs of the camels. Except for the camel Anubis was going to ride because Jennifer would be tied on the back. Anubis put the unconscious prisoners over the back of the camel; once again, Jennifer's hair dangled over her face, which rested against the camel's side. Anubis and Sahure also mounted their camels. "Ride." Anubis commanded and the prisoners set off once again.
The first thing Jennifer thought -or felt- was a throbbing pain in her head. She didn't remember anything that had happened over the past few hours but did remember Anubis, her sister and her family in danger and pointing the crossbow at Anubis. Jennifer opened her eyes and closed them back, quickly, because of the blinding desert sun. The sun made her head hurt even more; she opened her eyes very slowly to let herself adjust to the sun. Once the sun wasn't as big a problem, Jennifer's head began working right. She realized that she was bound by her hands and feet and laying on her stomach, over something. Still clearly a prisoner. Jennifer slowly lifted her head -she quickly realized she was on a camel- and looked in front of her. Anubis was seat a few inches away from her; slowly looking around she saw Evelyn, Rick and Alex as well as Sahure also riding camels. Jennifer sighed and rested her throbbing head; the sun was a few hours from setting, but that didn't really help the prisoners.
Jennifer decided not to let the others -even the O'Connells- know that she was awake. She needed to think for a while then, once she had a plan, maybe they could escape.
Darkness soon fell and Jennifer hadn't thought of a plan yet. However, head dangling against a camel's side wasn't the best position to think. Her wrists and ankles were beginning to get raw and red. Her silver bracelet was preventing some of the rubbing but not much. Darkness had fallen almost an hour ago but Anubis didn't give any indication that he wanted to stop, for anything. The prisoners all needed water and food and rest but they dare not say anything.
The night was almost pitch black and the stars could be seen in the sky. Jennifer knew all their patterns and the constellations even without looking into the sky because she had spent many hours back in America looking at them. Jennifer now wished she were in America because if she never came to London or Egypt -for that matter- then her sister, nephew and brother-in-law wouldn't be here right now.
Suddenly, Anubis pulled his camel to a halt; Jennifer brushed against the God's skin. It felt unreal. Dead. Jennifer shuddered. Anubis dismounted his camel was unnatural grace. "We rest now." He said.
He turned around and grabbed Jennifer by the back of the shirt and pulled her off. It was only at that moment that Jennifer realized she was horribly sunburned. Jennifer winced in pain and was sure Anubis knew she was awake. Anubis drew Jennifer close to him. "So, how long have you been awake? That's very deceitful." Anubis said and made little "tsking" sounds like a person would.
Jennifer didn't answer his question; she met his stare and held it. Anubis threw Jennifer to the ground; Jennifer realized that every part of her body must be sunburned. Her arms and legs stung when they hit the sand.
Evelyn quickly dismounted her camel and knelt by her sister, hugging her and asking over and over again if she was "okay". Rick and Alex dismounted their camels as well and joined Evelyn and Jennifer. Anubis and Sahure paid the prisoners no mind and began to make "arrangements" for the night. Sahure would watch the prisoners and the camels; tonight and maybe Anubis would do it tomorrow, if they weren't in Amh-Shre. Anubis disappeared, probably joining the sand (Jennifer thought) for the night. Sahure left the prisoners to herself; she armed herself with the long-necked gun that she had hit Jennifer with.
The prisoners were already beginning to feel the desert cold and the sun had just over an hour ago. Jennifer occasionally glanced back at Sahure, who was watching them like a hawk, but most of the time paid careful attention to the "discussion" the prisoners were having. How to escape.
"Even if Sahure falls asleep so we can get away, we can't walk back to London or even Cairo. And taking the camels would cause too much noise." Evelyn was saying.
Alex was leaned against his mother's shoulder, his eyes half-closed. Every once and a while, Alex would moan about being hungry or thirsty but no one blamed the little boy.
After Evelyn's last "remark", the prisoners were dashed for ideas. The only thing that seemed left to do was weight until the morning and continue on with Anubis to Amh-Shre.