"Something has preoccupying my son," Zoser said in a low voice, while
scratching his chin thoughtfully. "And I intend to find out exactly what it
is. Jak!" Zoser beckoned to one of his ministers.
"Yes, sir?" Jak stood at direct attention, his dark eyes scanning Zoser's face, as he tried to resist the urge to leap in delight. He was being sent on a mission. Zoser quickly explained his plan, and Jak nodded solemnly.
"If you mess this up, Jak," Zoser warned. He didn't need to say anything else. Jak knew….
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The man crouched, stock-still, shrouded in the balmy Egypt night. Breathing inaudibly, his trained eye caught movement by the edge of the Nile. It was Radames. Why Zoser's son was out so late by himself was a mystery…and it filled the spy with growing excitement. He was young, and newly recruited to Zoser's band. He wanted desperately to please the Prime Minister, who had given his new spy the job to uncover the whereabouts of his son, Captain Radames. He watched as Radames bent by the water, listlessly tracing little circles on the water's surface. Radames yawned, and the spy felt like joining him. This was boring, not like the jobs the other guys got to do. Like putting arsenic in the Pharaoh's drink. Now that was real work. Turning back to his target, the spy nearly burst out laughing, but held himself in check. Radames had his arms around an imaginary person and was singing softly. So this was what the great Captain Radames had been doing. Slipping off to romance himself. The spy bit back a combination of a groan and a laugh. He turned to leave, but decided against it. It couldn't be a total loss to watch the future Pharaoh of Egypt singing and hugging himself. The spy always thought Radames as egotistical, as he sauntered back from explorations, barking out orders, while having Princess Amneris flirt to no end with him. Sinking back on his heels, the spy felt suddenly drowsy. His eyelids were fluttering closed, when the moonlight suddenly shifted, bathing a dark form in Radames' arms in its glow. Intrigued, the spy crept silently closer, giving himself and Radames, along with his "friend", a wide berth. Radames' voice toned to a steady murmur, and the woman, who seemed to have been resisting him, sank into his arms and they kissed softly. Excitement bells rang in the spy's head. Radames…another woman, a Nubian woman, the moon's glow confirmed…kissing…alright, a bit more than kissing. The spy raised his eyebrow amusedly as Radames' shirt was eased off. It didn't seem as though they knew each other long….but their actions did. The spy felt as though he had intruded on something…but then he remembered his task. The two had stopped kissing, and were resting silently. The spy slipped close enough to hear catches of their conversation.
"….could have brought two blankets," the woman said softly, an amused smile in her voice. Radames' response was droned out by a chuckle. Suddenly, footsteps were heard padding softly on the sand. Radames shrugged on his shirt and gestured for the woman to get back. The woman nodded and scrambled into the shadows, a mere yard from where the spy was crouched. Breathing softly, he consumed the data. Clean, so she hadn't been here very long, and her clothes were of good quality. Realization clicked. Amneris' new handmaiden. What was her name again? Ayla, Ida…
"Aida!" Radames' urgent whisper summed it up. Her name was Aida. "I have to go." The spy noticed that Aida had started to tremble slightly when a man had come up to tell Radames that the Nubian king was captured. Interesting. Radames started off into the night, when Aida spoke, saying something that stunned the spy, and seemingly Radames as well.
"I love you." Aida glanced up at Radames, smiling softly. Radames did a double take.
"I heard that! I know I heard that!" Radames spluttered running back to her. They clasped hands, only releasing them when Radames attempted to unclasp something from around his neck. Words that the spy couldn't hear were exchanged, and Radames and Aida shared a brief kiss, before Radames darted off. Aida sat silently, before she slipped off as well. Making sure they were both out of sight, the spy leapt up and tore back toward Zoser's secret headquarters.
~**~*~*~*~*~~**~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*
"Anything to report, Jak?" Zoser said in a tone that implied that he didn't believe Jak had completed his task. Jak smiled.
"Well, sir," Jak began. "All men, as you know, have needs… so by the Nile…" Zoser closed his eyes briefly, and smiled delightedly.
"Radames and Amneris…by the Nile?" Zoser said gleefully. Jak swallowed. He was hoping to bring good news, for bad news left the messenger punished. Jak kept his gaze even, and subtly shook his head. "Not….Amneris and Radames? Well, out with it!" Zoser's eyes were flashing angrily.
"A Nubian woman…"
"Well!" Zoser scoffed. "It's so invigorating to know my son has been spending time with a slave!"
"She said she loved Radames, sir, and I think that's quite lovely…" there was a crash as a table was overturned, and Jak was shoved against the wall.
"Lovely?" Zoser snarled.
"Q-quite lovely to know, sir," Jak recovered. Zoser released him, and nodded.
"So true, Jak. So true. What is the slave's name?"
"Aida, sir," Jak responded promptly.
"I want this Aida woman killed," Zoser snarled. "I won't have anything in my son's way!"
((The End (….Now that I think of it, this would be a good time to read my Untitled story….))
"Yes, sir?" Jak stood at direct attention, his dark eyes scanning Zoser's face, as he tried to resist the urge to leap in delight. He was being sent on a mission. Zoser quickly explained his plan, and Jak nodded solemnly.
"If you mess this up, Jak," Zoser warned. He didn't need to say anything else. Jak knew….
----------------------------------------------------------------------- $$$$$$----------------------------------------------
The man crouched, stock-still, shrouded in the balmy Egypt night. Breathing inaudibly, his trained eye caught movement by the edge of the Nile. It was Radames. Why Zoser's son was out so late by himself was a mystery…and it filled the spy with growing excitement. He was young, and newly recruited to Zoser's band. He wanted desperately to please the Prime Minister, who had given his new spy the job to uncover the whereabouts of his son, Captain Radames. He watched as Radames bent by the water, listlessly tracing little circles on the water's surface. Radames yawned, and the spy felt like joining him. This was boring, not like the jobs the other guys got to do. Like putting arsenic in the Pharaoh's drink. Now that was real work. Turning back to his target, the spy nearly burst out laughing, but held himself in check. Radames had his arms around an imaginary person and was singing softly. So this was what the great Captain Radames had been doing. Slipping off to romance himself. The spy bit back a combination of a groan and a laugh. He turned to leave, but decided against it. It couldn't be a total loss to watch the future Pharaoh of Egypt singing and hugging himself. The spy always thought Radames as egotistical, as he sauntered back from explorations, barking out orders, while having Princess Amneris flirt to no end with him. Sinking back on his heels, the spy felt suddenly drowsy. His eyelids were fluttering closed, when the moonlight suddenly shifted, bathing a dark form in Radames' arms in its glow. Intrigued, the spy crept silently closer, giving himself and Radames, along with his "friend", a wide berth. Radames' voice toned to a steady murmur, and the woman, who seemed to have been resisting him, sank into his arms and they kissed softly. Excitement bells rang in the spy's head. Radames…another woman, a Nubian woman, the moon's glow confirmed…kissing…alright, a bit more than kissing. The spy raised his eyebrow amusedly as Radames' shirt was eased off. It didn't seem as though they knew each other long….but their actions did. The spy felt as though he had intruded on something…but then he remembered his task. The two had stopped kissing, and were resting silently. The spy slipped close enough to hear catches of their conversation.
"….could have brought two blankets," the woman said softly, an amused smile in her voice. Radames' response was droned out by a chuckle. Suddenly, footsteps were heard padding softly on the sand. Radames shrugged on his shirt and gestured for the woman to get back. The woman nodded and scrambled into the shadows, a mere yard from where the spy was crouched. Breathing softly, he consumed the data. Clean, so she hadn't been here very long, and her clothes were of good quality. Realization clicked. Amneris' new handmaiden. What was her name again? Ayla, Ida…
"Aida!" Radames' urgent whisper summed it up. Her name was Aida. "I have to go." The spy noticed that Aida had started to tremble slightly when a man had come up to tell Radames that the Nubian king was captured. Interesting. Radames started off into the night, when Aida spoke, saying something that stunned the spy, and seemingly Radames as well.
"I love you." Aida glanced up at Radames, smiling softly. Radames did a double take.
"I heard that! I know I heard that!" Radames spluttered running back to her. They clasped hands, only releasing them when Radames attempted to unclasp something from around his neck. Words that the spy couldn't hear were exchanged, and Radames and Aida shared a brief kiss, before Radames darted off. Aida sat silently, before she slipped off as well. Making sure they were both out of sight, the spy leapt up and tore back toward Zoser's secret headquarters.
~**~*~*~*~*~~**~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*
"Anything to report, Jak?" Zoser said in a tone that implied that he didn't believe Jak had completed his task. Jak smiled.
"Well, sir," Jak began. "All men, as you know, have needs… so by the Nile…" Zoser closed his eyes briefly, and smiled delightedly.
"Radames and Amneris…by the Nile?" Zoser said gleefully. Jak swallowed. He was hoping to bring good news, for bad news left the messenger punished. Jak kept his gaze even, and subtly shook his head. "Not….Amneris and Radames? Well, out with it!" Zoser's eyes were flashing angrily.
"A Nubian woman…"
"Well!" Zoser scoffed. "It's so invigorating to know my son has been spending time with a slave!"
"She said she loved Radames, sir, and I think that's quite lovely…" there was a crash as a table was overturned, and Jak was shoved against the wall.
"Lovely?" Zoser snarled.
"Q-quite lovely to know, sir," Jak recovered. Zoser released him, and nodded.
"So true, Jak. So true. What is the slave's name?"
"Aida, sir," Jak responded promptly.
"I want this Aida woman killed," Zoser snarled. "I won't have anything in my son's way!"
((The End (….Now that I think of it, this would be a good time to read my Untitled story….))