Writer : Mouse
Chapter four of perhaps six... maybe seven full chapters.
Chapter Title : The Book of the Dead
E-mail : Pen2page@bellsouth.net
Genre : Humor mostly, also drama and a little bit of adventure. :)
Disclaimer : The Mummy and the Mummy Returns and it's characters belond to the movie
Corporation it is thereby owned by. Only the three characters I have created
are owned by me and not connected to the smash hit movies. :)
Note to Readers : Hello friends! Here I present the anticipated continuation of the
unfolding adventure... I must say I am so proud of this chapter, it is no
doubt my favorite and things are only getting better! Two oldies but goodies
finally make thier appearance... Ardeth who has been desperatly requested and Jonathan,
one of my absolute favorite characters appear and add quite a lot of fun and
new adventure! Not to mention Izzy.. who was added in by a last minute humorious thought.
I love this chapter and I'm so excited to write the next one... I hope you guys do to.
Review and tell me what you think! I desperatly want to know if you like it as much
as I do!! It's really long but it's great! Besides if you think about it, it is so much
better to get very long installments... then very short ones... Doing that is just plain old annoying.
Enjoy! You're gonna love this.
Evelyn O'Connell sat rigid in her train seat. She finally turned away from them and
stared out at the looming desert before them.
"Blimey.." Alex mumbled quietly, the shock of the story that Nick had just retold
sinking in. "Mum... Aunt Adele wants to kill you."
"Thanks Alex... I think Mommie knows that." Rick said gently and he motioned
with his head for Alex to leave the car. Alex obeyed, he needed to check on Axia anyway.
She hadn't stopped crying since they left Cairo. Evi remained silent for the remainder of
the ride where they then switched to a boat which would deliver them back to London. She
didn't speak until she was alone with her husband in their room.
"Rick..." She said quietly as she had her back to him. He turned from the suitcase
he was rummaging through to look at her. He made his way to her and gently rubbed his
hands down her arms. "I have to go find her..." She said, her voice cracking with the
emotion she was trying to hold back. At that Rick immediately spun her around to stare at
her. He wanted to yell at her. She wanted to go rescue a women who wanted to kill her?
She may be crazy but he certainly wasn't going to risk having his wife die in his arms for
another turn around. He had every intention of leaving her and Alex at home while he went
with Nick to murder the evil that had just been unleashed.
"Evi.." He began but she cut him off, her lips taking over his in a soft and loving
kiss. She pulled away slowly and he felt her salty tears slip down her cheeks as they rubbed
against his own. He pressed his forehead against her's and closed his eyes tightly. His arms
wrapped around her, never wanting to let go. "I can't lose you again..." He said, the
desperate tone in his voice made Evi cling to him and feel guilty. She kissed him again, her
lips lingering longer and taking a deeper taste. It was so useless to argue with her... and she
wanted more then anything not to fight her husband on this.
"I have to do this Rick..." She said quietly into his ear and he tightened his grip on
her. "I'm going to that temple with you to find her Rick... I have so many questions..." She
began and her emotions cut her off. Rick sighed and knew he was trapped. Ever since his
wife had discovered Adele and their past life history she became obsessed. She needed so
desperately to know so many answers... He felt torn. He just squeezed her tighter and
sucked in a deep breath of her. He would never let her out of his sight... not even for a
moment... she and Alex were all that mattered to him. All that he needed and all that he
couldn't live without.
Alex edged closer to Axia slowly. She stood on the railing of the ship and he gently
grabbed her hand.
"Axia." He mumbled and she jumped back from him, snatching her hand from his
grasp.
"Leave me alone!" She cried. "You aren't my family! I don't know you!" She said
and she turned around. Alex gulped and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry about your Mom Axia... I just want to help."
"You can't help!" Axia cried turning to stare at him, her small childlike face filled
with turmoil. "No one can help her... Destiny stole my Mother!" She cried and she fell into
his arms, her face being buried in his neck. Alex gulped and tentivly wrapped his arms
around her.
"I'm with you Axia... I'm not going to leave you now." He whispered quietly and
she wrapped her arms around him and clung.
"I don't want her to die Alex... I want to have her hold me again." Axia cried and a
small tear fell down Alex's face. The horrid memory of watching his own mother die filled
his mind and he held Axia tighter.
"I don't know how Axia... but everything's going to be ok." He said and Axia
looked up at him and then buried her face in his shoulder again. In what he had said she
desperately wanted to believe.
"Nick." Rick said quietly as he knocked on his brother's door. It creaked open into
darkness and Rick switched on a light. He found his brother sitting at a table, an empty
bottle in front of him.
"I never got to say goodbye..." Nick said sadly and Rick slowly entered, closing the
door behind him. "Rick do you think me a fool?"
"Eleven years ago I would have thought you one..." Rick said as he sat across from
him. Nick slowly lifted his head and Rick continued. "But knowing love myself... I don't
think you a fool at all... just unfortunate."
"Interesting way of saying it..." Nick said as he sniffed, a slight smile coming to his
lips.
"Me and Evi are going to come with you." Rick said and Nick looked up sadly.
"You shouldn't... Adele is waiting for her... she will kill her."
"Evi's stronger then she looks... besides she's made up her mind... to move her
now would be like pushing down a solid brick wall..." Rick sighed as he ran a hand
through his hair.
"The British... who knows why they are so stubborn." Nick said sadly and a tear
slipped down his cheek. "My baby's going to grow up without a mother... she's going to
hate me for the rest of her life." Nick said and looked away. Rick looked at him sadly.
"You shouldn't underestimate her... Children have been known to endure
remarkable things..." Rick replied and Nick shook his head.
"I was always second best... she loved her mother with such an undying love... She
will be lost... just like me... but I have the feeling that we will never find each other and we
will just keep wondering further and further away from one another in the dark... lost
forever. Rick.." Nick said and he slammed the empty bottle down, his breath proving that
he had devoured it all. "I have to kill my beloved..." He said tears running down his
unshaven cheeks. "I have to kill my essence... my own life force... my daughter's life
force... I've been condemned to hell and I'm taking Axia along for the ride!" Nick said
sadly and he leaned back in his chair, his hand covering his eyes as more tears fell. Rick
looked down sadly and just stood by his brother's side for a few more hours until Axia
came in and wrapped herself in her father's arms, both falling asleep together.
-=-
His eyes stared at the black cloaked figure that sat across from him at the
O'Connell's breakfast table. Sucking in a deep breath Jonathan Carnarvon opened his mouth
to talk but only closed it. He was still a little jittery from the previous day's events. He
suddenly wished for a bottle of Brandy... or Scotch at best but the man who sat across him
wouldn't let him out of his sight. Thankfully he had received a telegram from his Evi that
she would be arriving home very soon.
"You know ole chap..." Jonathan began as he leaned forward on the table.
"Perhaps we should keep yesterday's events between us." Jonathan said, a smile on his
charming face as he pointed at himself then the cloaked figure. Ardeth Bay, leader of the
Med-jai looked at him then looked towards the living room. Jonathan followed his eyes and
winced, chairs were overturned, books ripped and scattered across the floor, lamps
smashed. "Right then... nevermind." Jonathan mumbled then leaned back in his chair. Ardeth
turned his dark eyes toward the wiry form of Jonathan Carnarvon. Ardeth never had any
qualms with Evelyn's older brother other then at most times finding him cowardly and an
inconvenience... yet the last time they had met Jonathan saved his life, almost more then
once. That was something Ardeth would never forget, and because of it he had a higher
respect for the man, especially now that he knew and could see through Jonathan's
cowardly facade and see the strong, caring Brother that would do anything for his sister
and for his friends.
"Do you have any idea why they took the Book of the Dead?" Ardeth asked again,
the urgency in his voice on the issue making the question sound deathly important and
Jonathan sighed.
"No old chap I told you before... here I was playing an innocent game of cards
when those turban creatures invaded my sister's house and began destroying it. They beat
the tar out of me... took the book and ran..." Jonathan replied and Ardeth looked at him.
Jonathan had been doing more then just playing an innocent game of cards... he was drunk
for one thing and was losing. Because of this he was about to start betting some of the
O'Connell's possessions... like the Manor. It was by the grace of the gods that Ardeth had
been here at that moment. Jonathan would no doubt be dead, mostly because he was too
drunk to defend himself.
"But you have the key..." Ardeth said raising an eyebrow and Jonathan smiled
triumphantly. A pick-pockets glory. He pulled the octangular box from his pocket and
smiled at it. He had pinched it from one of the robbers last night before he was knocked
into unconsciousness, a large bump on his head reminding him of what they had hit him
with. He would later ask Evi to destroy that rotten cheap five inch remake of the statue of
Anubus.
Suddenly they heard a slam of the front door. Jonathan jumped to his feet.
"Evi!" He yelled as he ran toward the foyer. Ardeth rose and slowly followed after
him.
"Jonathan..." Evi said a little surprised as he ran up to her and grasped her gently
by the shoulders.
"If I'm not glad to see you.." He breathed out and Evelyn looked at him curiously.
"Holy cow!" Alex exclaimed from the other room. "Mom... Dad... Look at this!"
Alex said a little shocked as he surveyed the extreme damage to the living room.
"Uh... wait a second..." Jonathan began but Rick and Evi walked past him.
Jonathan walked toward O'Connell and Evi and Rick stared at the living room. For the
mess the two were taking it rather calmly. Rick looked at Jonathan and pointed a finger at
him.
"All right... give me your key... You're moving into an apartment." Rick said and
Jonathan laughed nervously.
"Oh.. O'Connell... old chap, no need to get upset... I'm actually not to blame for
this." Jonathan said with a smile as he pushed Rick's finger away slowly.
"He is telling the truth." A deep accented voice said and Evi looked up to see the
tall imposing figure of Ardeth bay, drenched in his usual black robes. Rick looked at him
and nodded slightly.
"Well... at least you're already here... now we don't have to look for you." Rick
commented dryly and Ardeth raised an eyebrow. He would have imagined that his good
friend would have reacted much like he had last time they had encountered...
"What did happen?" Evi asked as she stepped over a fallen bookshelf.
"Evi... it was terrible!" Jonathan exclaimed before Ardeth could answer. Evi turned
to look at him and he began to continue on. "I was here... home alone mind you, catching
up on my readings when all of the sudden these nasty men in red showed up and began
tearing the place apart! I gave one a left... then a right..." Evi looked at him annoyed a
little, her lips pursed together, her face reading, 'Liar'.
"Hey Uncle John..." Alex said and Jonathan's head snapped toward his young
nephew. "If you were reading why are their cards all over the floor?" Alex asked confused
and Evi turned to stare at her brother, her expression much more annoyed. Jonathan pulled
at his collar and laughed.
"Jonathan." She growled, her arms crossing across her chest.
"That's a very interesting question Alex..."
"Nothing we can do about that now.." Rick suddenly said. "What were they looking
for?" He asked calmly and Ardeth eyed him. By this time Jonathan was becoming rather
suspicious as well. Gently Ardeth placed a hand on Rick's shoulder.
"My friend... are you all right?" He asked and Jonathan began to examine his sister
as well. Both looked tired and worn.
"Long week and it's being extended..." Rick said and suddenly another figure
entered into the room, a worn expression on his features as well. Ardeth turned to look and
his hand reached for his sword. Rick grabbed his hand and Ardeth turned to stare at him.
"Kill my brother... I'll hurt you." Rick said with his normal spark in his eye and
Ardeth looked at him slightly confused.
"So he has finally told you then?" Ardeth asked and Nick rolled his eyes, his form
carrying his sleeping daughter over toward Alex.
"Woah there..." Jonathan exclaimed as Nick walked past him. "Blimie I'm seeing
double!" He said shocked, a hand rushing to scratch his head as he tried to fit pieces
together. Alex laughed and pointed at Nick.
"That's dad's brother Uncle John..." He said and Evi put a hand on her brother's
shoulder and squeezed.
"Right of course... I knew that." Jonathan replied and Alex grinned at him.
"Sure you did Uncle John."
"You're cleaning up this mess..." She whispered to him and he groaned.
"But Evi..." He whined and she walked away from him to stand by Ardeth and
Rick.
"They have stolen the Book of the Dead." Ardeth finally answered and Evi's eyes
suddenly came alive from her lifeless appearance before.
"What for?" She asked shakily and Rick let out a breath.
"I told you we should have destroyed that blasted thing after Am Shere..." He
grumbled and Evi looked at him.
"Darling you can't throw away a centuries old book that contains the secrets of
Ancient Egypt... Not to mention the incantations of resurrection." She replied, the last few
words coming out softer, knowing how deeply it had effected him to see her dead. Rick
stared at her.
"Yes.. something we won't need again because you aren't going to be put in a
position to get killed again..." He spat and she sighed.
"Well... what about you?" She asked and he blinked.
"What about me?" He asked shocked and Ardeth sighed.
"Someone is wanting to bring someone back from the dead... We must stop them
before their goal is achieved."
"Oh no... don't think it's that disturbing fellow Imotep again do ya old chap? That
would really put a damper on my day." Jonathan said a frown lining his lips as a shiver
running down his spine at the thought of the ghastly mummy.
"The Book of the Dead brings people back from the dead Jonathan.. not from
hell." Evi whispered quietly then she looked back at Ardeth and Rick.
"Perfect... another problem to deal with... What do we do now?" Rick asked and
Jonathan suddenly appeared before them.
"Have no fear O'Connell... Whoever stole that accursed thing certainly won't be
able to get into it." Jonathan said with a small amount of pride as he produced the metal
box. Rick stared at it, the octangular box, was disturbingly too familiar. Nick slowly made
his way toward his brother, having been listing to the conversation faithfully as he attended
to his daughter. Axia was lying on the couch, Alex watching over her as she slept. He
leaned forward straining his ear to hear what was being said by the five across the room.
"I think I know who has it..." He said quietly and the four adults turned to stare at
him.
"But what would she want it for?" Evelyn asked then her face went deathly pale.
"Could she.... would she?" Evelyn began to mumble out and Ardeth looked at her then at
Nick. Nick glared at Ardeth and flicked his wrist, pulling out a metal piece that opened into
a long sharp blade.
"Shh... don't talk." He commanded and Ardeth looked annoyed and angered.
"Neferkare could use the book for two reasons..." Nick said, a sudden attentiveness and
duty washing over him that swept away his melancholy as he let his attention fall to his
brother's and Evelyn's face. Whatever they were about to face was not his sweet Adele
who gave him love and bore him his beautiful daughter... This was Neferkare who was
selfish and bent on only serving herself. "She could resurrect her father... Seti I... her
emotional ties might be stronger then her thirst for revenge... but she could also resurrect
Nefertiti... and take out her revenge on the Princess once more." Nick said and Rick looked
at Evi then back at his brother. "Yet, since that fellow there seemingly held onto it, it's
good to say that neither of those will happen."
"Jonathan..." Evi said suddenly and Nick looked at her. "Jonathan.. he's my older
brother... Jonathan meet Nick... Rick's twin." Evelyn said and Jonathan shook his hand,
"Pleasure to meet ya chap." Jonathan said with a smile and Nick nodded, mutely replying
with just a nod the same thing.
"You hope she won't be able too... There is more then one way to open a book."
Ardeth spat and Nick ignored him.
"She would have to go to Hamumaptra... That's the only place that she could
perform the incantation." Evi replied and she seemed a little comforted to know that the
City of the Dead was all but buried and would take weeks to dig out.
"My Friends... that is why I am here." Ardeth said drawing everyone's attention.
Alex slowly walked around the couch to hear a little bit clearer. "Hamunaptra has
re-appeared... I received word that a group of people had arrived there.. my men are
currently staking it out, uncertain as to what they were watching for... yet now that I see
him here... I know." Ardeth spat and Nick pursed his lips together.
"Seems like you weren't doing your job very well if you let them in..." Nick spat.
"If you would have killed her like you were suppose to years ago... we wouldn't
even be here." Ardeth replied, his eyes narrowed, the intricate tattoos on his cheeks and
forehead marking his superiority along with his frame and stance. Nick's eyes narrowed
and he reached for his gun. Evi blinked and Rick suddenly spread his hands out between
the two feuding foes.
"Hey." He said, their eyes looking at him. Rick pointed a finger at Ardeth and
poked him. "You... tender subject.. be nice." He turned his head back to his brother and
did the same thing. "You... leave him alone... he's more helpful then he looks." Evi looked
at her husband sadly. He held her gaze then thought for a moment, his brain forming a
plan.
"All right... here's what we are going to do..." He began and Alex rushed forward.
"Let me come Dad..." Alex said and Rick's face softened. He bent down and put
his hands on his son's shoulders.
"Alex... I need you to stay here and watch over Axia and the manor... she's very
important..." Rick began and Alex let out an annoyed sigh.
"But Dad..." he began and Rick shook his head.
"No But's... this is very important." Rick said gently and Jonathan nodded
vigorously.
"I agree... I'll stay here with you chap... we can protect that little girl and this manor with all that we have." Jonathan said with a slight smile and Evi glanced at her husband
who was at the moment lost for words.
"Once Neferkare realizes that her men had forgotten the key... she might send them
back to retrieve it..." Ardeth said suddenly and Rick looked at Jonathan then back to his
son.
"Rick..." Evi said, her face flashing a sudden panic, her fingers reaching out to
grasp her son's shoulder.
"Right... You and Axia are coming with us..." Rick said as he stood.
"All Right!" Alex said with a jubilant smile as he rushed over to Axia's side to tell
her the good news.
"Good Idea... I do better when I work alone anyway..." Jonathan commented and
Rick looked at him amused.
"You're coming with us too Jonathan..." He said and Jonathan gasped.
"Why? What did I do?" He asked and Rick ignored him.
"We need to get to Hamunaptra... and I know just how to get there..." Rick said
and Evi looked skeptical, knowing exactly to whom he was referring too.
-=-
Ardeth stared disbelieving at the floating dirigible that loomed before them. He had
hoped he would never set eyes upon the floating contraption again...
"I still will never understand why you people can't stay on the ground." He
mumbled and Rick clasped his shoulder.
"Balloons don't tire as horses do Ardeth... Look on the bright side." Rick replied as
he walked toward the man servicing the contraption.
"No.. they pop." Ardeth replied stiffly and Rick glanced back at him.
"I said bright side!" He yelled then he stopped a few feet away from the scrawny
man.
"Hey Izzy... guess what..." Rick smirked and the small black man's head snapped
up, smashing into the wooden bottom of the piece of the boat he was working on. He
stared at the wood, not wanting to look up from it.
"Oh Please God... let my ears be ringing again... I know I just didn't hear the words
of..." He didn't get to finish as he was pulled out from under the boat to face his worst
assumption. O'Connell stared at him with a smile and Izzy let out a yell.
"How did I know it was going to be you?" He asked a little terrified.
"I need your help Izzy..." Rick said and Izzy's face hardened. He pushed Rick out
of the way and pulled his coat down, trying to look more like the forceful Business man he
was... or tried to be.
"Look O'Connell.. if you can't keep tabs on your family.." He began but was
stopped when he saw Alex. "Ah... well at least you held onto him longer this time."
"Hiya." Alex grinned as he waved.
"Come on Izzy.. you know you want to help." Rick said again.
"If I knew I wanted to help you... I would have helped you already... It's that I
know I don't want to help you which is why I'm not." Izzy clarified, his accent rolling off
his tongue, his gold tooth shining.
"All right... fine Izzy... I hoped it wouldn't come to this..." Rick said with a sigh as
he pulled out a gun that was holstered by his side. He pointed it at Izzy and Izzy jumped.
"No! Not my ass! It's still recovering!" Izzy said as he jumped away, his form
heading to hide behind Rick's wife.
"It's been more then seventeen years Izzy..." Rick said with a roll of his eyes.
"It still has psychological damage!" Izzy yelled and Rick sighed. Izzy turned and
then let out another yell as he stared at the dark form of Rick O'Connell. Or was it? He
turned to stare at his old friend Rick then back to the black haired man that stood before
him.
"Damn...there's two of them... I'm going to get shot twice..." Izzy whined and Rick
finally had enough and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the balloon.
"Come on Izzy... wastin time..." Rick growled as he pushed him toward the
dirigible.
"Excuse me... but since I am going to do you this extreme favor... even though I
am unaware of where I am heading... I would certainly like to know how you are going to
pay for this." Izzy challenged, his hat flapping slightly in the slight desert breeze.
"We wish you to take us to Hamunaptra." Evi said gently and Izzy stared at her
then back at O'Connell.
"Is she serious?" Izzy asked and Rick nodded.
"For the most part.. but about this... very." Rick said and Izzy contemplated this
new information for a moment. Whoever didn't know about Hamunaptra was a fool. He
also thought about what good fortune he had obtained from his last encounter with the
O'Connell's. His eyes glanced around his now spiffy establishment... his portion of the
large diamond from the Oasis of Am Shere made him quite rich, giving him chance to
upgrade all of his planes and his dirigible.. not to mention get another gold tooth.
"Give me thirty minutes." Izzy said and he hopped into the boat to begin to rev
things up. Rick turned and walked back toward the group.
"You trust this man?" Nick asked skeptically and Rick nodded slightly.
"He's just one of our very helpful friends..." Evi responded and Rick looked at her
and gave a faint smile. Evi smiled back softly, her features softening a little from the
extreme tension that had been plaguing them. Rick would have more then anything leaned
in at that moment to kiss her delicious lips when suddenly Izzy's voice brought him back to
life.
"Come! Hamunaptra awaits!" Izzy yelled and they all stared as the dirigible floated
a bit, it tied to the cliff, waiting to be boarded.
"Let's go... the fate of the world depends on us." Nick said casually as he scooped
Axia up in his arms and boarded the contraption, his form cautiously followed by Ardeth
Bay and Alex O'Connell who were carrying supplies.
"Seems to me the world owes us a great deal as it is..." Evi replied and Rick
grinned slightly.
"Darling... I think I'm rubbing off on you..." He whispered softly into her ear and
she smiled then he placed her in the dirigible.
"Amazing thing truly." Jonathan said from behind him.
"Come on Jonathan... time to save the world." He said as he grabbed the back of
Jonathan's shirt and tossed him inside. Jonathan rolled and grumbled landing at Ardeth's
feet.
"If you ask me the same script is getting rather boring... Fight the bad guy... Save
the world..." Jonathan growled.
"Seal some treasure..." Izzy said joyfully and Jonathan's eyes suddenly came to
life.
"Ah... the bright side... our hard work is always rewarded." He grinned and Evi
looked at her brother. She could almost see him drooling. She sighed deeply, the dirigible
lifting off. She watched as her husband, her new brother-in-law and Ardeth began to take
stock of their inventory of many weapons... She sighed walking past the children to the
other side of the flying contraption. Night neared as they began their long journey. She
couldn't shake the uneasy feeling of incompleteness as she stood on this ship... the last time
she had stood here she had lost her most precious possession.. her son... Now she was
flying across the desert to hopefully save... for that is what she intended to do... a sister
from her previous life... a sister whom she had ruined. Evi almost felt disgusted with
herself... she couldn't comprehend why in her past life she had tormented Neferkare so
that would drive her to this destiny... As the cold air engulfed her she sucked in a deep
breath. Her fingers suddenly gripped the side of the ship. Her eyes seemingly stared out
into the void as images and faces flashed through her mind.... She was remembering
something else.... but what?
-------
I noticed that I didn't do much with Axia.. but she plays a really big part
in the ending and I'm still trying to sort her out and her emotions... I mean
heck this has got to be tragic... So I'm just letting her float around very silently.
I hope you liked this chapter! I certainly did and even I'm excited to see what
will happen next! (how strange is that?) Review please.. A true writer always wants
to know when they suck...
Mouse.