"Where did you get this?" Evelyn asked, staring at Ardeth's artifact in wonder. As an aspiring Egyptologist, Evelyn was entranced by the beautiful relics of the ancient world, and Ardeth's was definitely beautiful.
He had been carrying it around in a box, and when Evelyn had lifted the cover, her breath had almost been taken away…it was a small, golden-carved swan, elegant, majestic, and mysterious at the same time.
"I have always had it. I was wondering if you could date it for me…I have always been curious as to how old it was." Ardeth admitted, for some reason sounding just a little self conscious.
"May I?" Evelyn asked breathlessly, and Ardeth nodded.
Evelyn carefully lifted the beautifully delicate bird out of the box and held it up to the light. Jonathan was almost drooling…the thing looked immensely valuable. But, even he knew better than to bring that up to Ardeth Bay! Even Rick, who was not the type to be spellbound by things, found himself captivated by the lovely gold carving.
"Lovely." Jonathan remarked.
Ardeth smiled softly.
"I can never quite recall how I received it…I do not think it was given to me. But, I have always carried it with me." Ardeth explained a bit more, and Evelyn nodded.
"Well, I'll go date this for you if you like." Evelyn excused herself, and walked off. Rick smiled as she went, then turned to Jonathan, still smiling.
"So, Jon, about that fifty dollars…" Rick initiated.
"Er…yes, of course, that fifty dollars. Eh, I will get it back to you, I swear!" Jonathan stammered, looking around nervously.
"Soon, right." Rick winked.
"Sure! Soon!" Jonathan nodded emphatically, and Rick rolled his eyes. Ardeth simply shook his head, smiling at the American and Briton.
*Crazy Westerners* he thought to himself with a bit of a laugh.
***
The Mikhailov house in Cairo was a large-yet-simple structure, belaying wealth but not overbearing opulence. The house had a Victorian overall style to it, and had belonged to an English army Genera stationed in the Egyptian capital, about fifty years ago. It had not taken long for Vassily to acquire it when they had escaped from Russia, but then it never took Vassily long to do anything like that. It had never taken any Mikhailov long to attain wealth.
After all, the Mikhailov family had always had some help.
"Should we go out tonight?" Lilia asked her brother, bringing him out a drink and sitting next to him.
"If you would like." Vassily shrugged.
"You know…I was thinking, Vassily, maybe we should visit that Museum. We have been in Cairo nine years now, and that is one of the few places we have not gone." Lilia remarked thoughtfully, and Vassily raised an eyebrow at her.
"Still looking for answers, eh Lilia?" Vassily guessed astutely.
"Answers to what?" Lilia returned, trying to sound casual. But, she had always been bad about masking her feelings. Lilia wore her heart on her sleeve, always had, and Vassily was quite good a guessing his sister's true thoughts.
"You know what." Vassily told her softly.
Lilia sighed, and stared hard at her brother. Her green eyes met his brown, and then she flicked her gaze to the box laying on the night table. She always kept it close. She had to.
"We were given everything but an explanation." Lilia whispered slowly.
"Perhaps we were never meant to have one." Vassily countered, perhaps a bit too sharply. Lilia's eyes flashed angrily, and she turned completely from her older brother.
"That's impossible. There has to be an explanation." Lilia frowned, abruptly pushing herself to her feet. Vassily sighed, shaking his head. "And I'm going to that Museum." Lilia announced, walking out of the room.
"Lilia! I never said that there wasn't an explanation!" Vassily called to his sister's fleeting back, but, of course, she didn't hear. Vassily sighed and sat back down slowly. "I only said perhaps we were never meant to find it."
He glanced at the box, wondering, as he had for his entire known life, what the difference between a blessing and a curse actually was.
***
The three men waited outside the Museum of Antiquities, sitting placidly on a public bench. They did not give any impression of impatience…in fact, if not for their strange facial tattoos and aura of danger, they would have appeared as any normal citizen of Cairo, enjoying the pleasant afternoon out of doors.
They could wait. They could wait as long as necessary, really.
The Museum seemed the best place to start. They were not sure where the two lived, but perhaps they would be connected to the Museum in some way. And if they did not show up there, then they would look elsewhere.
The three could be quite patient when they wanted to.
The largest of the three, whose given name was Melik (the surnames of the three were unknown…they probably did not even have any), stood and stared hard at the carved sculptures outside of the building, a pleasant mix of Victorian and Egyptian architecture.
"If they do come…we cannot be sure that they will bring it." Melik realized softly.
"If we find them…" one of the others, called Sadi, started, his voice low and thick as a fog-bank over London "We will find it."
"We shall wait." The third of the three, Nedim, who was the oldest, and who, perhaps appeared the most threatening of the trio, surmised, motioning for Melik to sit back down.
Melik did.
The three continued to watch.
***
Evelyn returned to the library with Ardeth's box and swan figurine, a look of wonder and excitement still alighting her features. Ardeth stood as she entered, and gently grasped his box as she handed it back to him.
"How old is it?" Rick queried, smiling at his girl's intrigued expression. Rick loved the way Evelyn got so excited about things. Even if they were only ancient artifacts, it was still endearing.
"Over three thousand and fifty years, as best as I can tell. Older than the map we found." Evelyn replied, referring to a secret document showing the way to the Egyptian City of the Dead Jonathan had come across over a year ago.
Jonathan shuddered.
"Don't bring that map up, Evy…please, I'm trying to forget that whole…situation." Jonathan pleaded.
Ardeth, who had replaced the box within his black desert robes, turned to the Britisher, arching a dark eyebrow.
"It would not be wise to forget, my friend. You never know when you may have to draw on the experiences you have gained." Ardeth told Jonathan, his voice taking on a mystic, significant tone.
Rick felt a sudden shudder go through him, and he blinked quickly. Something…something had just gone through him. Almost…a foreboding sense.
"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked, noticing Rick's slightly perturbed expression.
"Nothing…nothing, I think." Rick muttered, meeting Ardeth's eyes. The Med-Jai frowned slightly, and Jonathan shivered. The room had suddenly grown cold.
"I hope it's nothing." Jonathan whispered.
***
And not far off, a young Russian woman approached the Museum of Antiquities, where the Three waited…patiently.
He had been carrying it around in a box, and when Evelyn had lifted the cover, her breath had almost been taken away…it was a small, golden-carved swan, elegant, majestic, and mysterious at the same time.
"I have always had it. I was wondering if you could date it for me…I have always been curious as to how old it was." Ardeth admitted, for some reason sounding just a little self conscious.
"May I?" Evelyn asked breathlessly, and Ardeth nodded.
Evelyn carefully lifted the beautifully delicate bird out of the box and held it up to the light. Jonathan was almost drooling…the thing looked immensely valuable. But, even he knew better than to bring that up to Ardeth Bay! Even Rick, who was not the type to be spellbound by things, found himself captivated by the lovely gold carving.
"Lovely." Jonathan remarked.
Ardeth smiled softly.
"I can never quite recall how I received it…I do not think it was given to me. But, I have always carried it with me." Ardeth explained a bit more, and Evelyn nodded.
"Well, I'll go date this for you if you like." Evelyn excused herself, and walked off. Rick smiled as she went, then turned to Jonathan, still smiling.
"So, Jon, about that fifty dollars…" Rick initiated.
"Er…yes, of course, that fifty dollars. Eh, I will get it back to you, I swear!" Jonathan stammered, looking around nervously.
"Soon, right." Rick winked.
"Sure! Soon!" Jonathan nodded emphatically, and Rick rolled his eyes. Ardeth simply shook his head, smiling at the American and Briton.
*Crazy Westerners* he thought to himself with a bit of a laugh.
***
The Mikhailov house in Cairo was a large-yet-simple structure, belaying wealth but not overbearing opulence. The house had a Victorian overall style to it, and had belonged to an English army Genera stationed in the Egyptian capital, about fifty years ago. It had not taken long for Vassily to acquire it when they had escaped from Russia, but then it never took Vassily long to do anything like that. It had never taken any Mikhailov long to attain wealth.
After all, the Mikhailov family had always had some help.
"Should we go out tonight?" Lilia asked her brother, bringing him out a drink and sitting next to him.
"If you would like." Vassily shrugged.
"You know…I was thinking, Vassily, maybe we should visit that Museum. We have been in Cairo nine years now, and that is one of the few places we have not gone." Lilia remarked thoughtfully, and Vassily raised an eyebrow at her.
"Still looking for answers, eh Lilia?" Vassily guessed astutely.
"Answers to what?" Lilia returned, trying to sound casual. But, she had always been bad about masking her feelings. Lilia wore her heart on her sleeve, always had, and Vassily was quite good a guessing his sister's true thoughts.
"You know what." Vassily told her softly.
Lilia sighed, and stared hard at her brother. Her green eyes met his brown, and then she flicked her gaze to the box laying on the night table. She always kept it close. She had to.
"We were given everything but an explanation." Lilia whispered slowly.
"Perhaps we were never meant to have one." Vassily countered, perhaps a bit too sharply. Lilia's eyes flashed angrily, and she turned completely from her older brother.
"That's impossible. There has to be an explanation." Lilia frowned, abruptly pushing herself to her feet. Vassily sighed, shaking his head. "And I'm going to that Museum." Lilia announced, walking out of the room.
"Lilia! I never said that there wasn't an explanation!" Vassily called to his sister's fleeting back, but, of course, she didn't hear. Vassily sighed and sat back down slowly. "I only said perhaps we were never meant to find it."
He glanced at the box, wondering, as he had for his entire known life, what the difference between a blessing and a curse actually was.
***
The three men waited outside the Museum of Antiquities, sitting placidly on a public bench. They did not give any impression of impatience…in fact, if not for their strange facial tattoos and aura of danger, they would have appeared as any normal citizen of Cairo, enjoying the pleasant afternoon out of doors.
They could wait. They could wait as long as necessary, really.
The Museum seemed the best place to start. They were not sure where the two lived, but perhaps they would be connected to the Museum in some way. And if they did not show up there, then they would look elsewhere.
The three could be quite patient when they wanted to.
The largest of the three, whose given name was Melik (the surnames of the three were unknown…they probably did not even have any), stood and stared hard at the carved sculptures outside of the building, a pleasant mix of Victorian and Egyptian architecture.
"If they do come…we cannot be sure that they will bring it." Melik realized softly.
"If we find them…" one of the others, called Sadi, started, his voice low and thick as a fog-bank over London "We will find it."
"We shall wait." The third of the three, Nedim, who was the oldest, and who, perhaps appeared the most threatening of the trio, surmised, motioning for Melik to sit back down.
Melik did.
The three continued to watch.
***
Evelyn returned to the library with Ardeth's box and swan figurine, a look of wonder and excitement still alighting her features. Ardeth stood as she entered, and gently grasped his box as she handed it back to him.
"How old is it?" Rick queried, smiling at his girl's intrigued expression. Rick loved the way Evelyn got so excited about things. Even if they were only ancient artifacts, it was still endearing.
"Over three thousand and fifty years, as best as I can tell. Older than the map we found." Evelyn replied, referring to a secret document showing the way to the Egyptian City of the Dead Jonathan had come across over a year ago.
Jonathan shuddered.
"Don't bring that map up, Evy…please, I'm trying to forget that whole…situation." Jonathan pleaded.
Ardeth, who had replaced the box within his black desert robes, turned to the Britisher, arching a dark eyebrow.
"It would not be wise to forget, my friend. You never know when you may have to draw on the experiences you have gained." Ardeth told Jonathan, his voice taking on a mystic, significant tone.
Rick felt a sudden shudder go through him, and he blinked quickly. Something…something had just gone through him. Almost…a foreboding sense.
"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked, noticing Rick's slightly perturbed expression.
"Nothing…nothing, I think." Rick muttered, meeting Ardeth's eyes. The Med-Jai frowned slightly, and Jonathan shivered. The room had suddenly grown cold.
"I hope it's nothing." Jonathan whispered.
***
And not far off, a young Russian woman approached the Museum of Antiquities, where the Three waited…patiently.