CHAPTER ONE
London, Saturday, September 7, 1940, Nine days before the full moon
O'Connell residence, just before high tea at 5 pm on a sunny day
"Honey? Have you seen the Book of The Dead?" Rick called out as Evie lay soaking in the bathtub. Evie sat up, water and bubbles dripping from her shoulders.
"I think it's in Alex's room," she called. Evie lay back and rested her head on a small pillow. "They should have invented bubble baths a long time ago," she muttered to herself. She swirled the water around and watched as the bubbles foam. "And this bubble bath is nothing short of heaven itself," she said, closing her eyes.
"What was that dear? Did you say something?" Rick called as he walked down the hallway to Alex's room.
Evie sat up again. "Nothing, honey! Just talking to myself." She lay back once again and rested her head on the small pillow. Evie looked up, and saw a bullet hole. "Damn! I thought they'd repaired all those. Meela just has to pop up in my lives more than once," she muttered.
She sat up. "Honey! We need to get the contractors here again! They left some bullet holes!" Evie called to Rick.
"What's that? I couldn't hear you!" Rick called back from down the hallway. He was walking out of Alex's room holding the Book of the Dead in his hands. The thick tome was bound in leather and studded with jewels and gold.
--Worth a fortune--Rick thought as he walked down the hallway towards the master bedroom.
"I said Ancksunamun, I mean Meela, has left us another calling card!" Evie shouted as she took up a washcloth and began to scrub her arms. "Honey!" she called loudly.
"Coming!" Rick called. He put the Book of the Dead down on a small mahogany table inlaid with silver and ebony and walked into the bathroom.
"What calling card?" he asked. Evie pointed upwards to the corner of the room. Rick looked. It had been eight years since Meela and her cronies had kidnapped Alex, and in doing so, they'd pumped a lot of bullet holes into the bathroom.
"Damn. Anck always has to mess in our lives. I'll call the contractors on Monday, okay?" he said as he kneeled down next to the bathtub. "Let me do your back," he said as he took the washcloth from Evie. She leaned forward to let Rick rub the washcloth over her back in small circles.
"Reminds me of when my handmaidens used to do this," she murmured.
"Handmaidens?!" Rick said in mock surprise. "I suppose I should have known you'd like your back washed, Princess Nefertiri," he told Evie's bare back as he finished washing her back. Evie lay back again. She smiled up at Rick, who was holding the washcloth in his hand. He swirled the bath water and the bubbles foamed.
"Where's Alex?" Evie asked.
"He's off at the football field with his mates," Rick replied. "He's supposed to be home for high tea."
"Is he going to bring some of his mates home? We'd better tell Tallulah to make extra scones in case he does. Teenage boys can eat a lot," Evie said. "Funny, I don't remember teenage boys eating a lot before. I mean, when I was in my past life."
"That's because you were in the harem," Rick said, smiling.
"Rick! I was the Pharoah's daughter," Evie protested but Rick burst out in laughter. Evie splashed him with her bathwater, soaking his shirt with water and bubbles. "You know I had my own apartments!" she told him, laughing.
"Mummy! Dad! Come quick!" Alex's voice was insistent--and alarmed. Both Rick and Evie were startled and Evie stood up quickly, bubbles sliding down her body. Rick handed her a bathrobe which she put on as they both called to Alex, "What is it, Alex?"
"Dunno! Looks like a thunderstorm coming but I'm not so sure about that!" Alex's voice carried more alarm. Rick ran out of the room while Evie climbed out of the bathtub. Once she was out, she too started running towards the sound of Alex's voice and she tripped.
"Oooomph!" she said.
Hearing the thud, Rick turned around. "You okay, honey?"
"Yes," Evie said as she got up and adjusted the bathrobe. She started to run, then thought better of it and walked quickly to where Alex was standing at the end of the hallway, looking out of the big window towards the east.
Rick, Alex and Evie stood looking at the thick black line steadily moving towards London.
"Uh, that's not a thunderstorm, is it mum?" Alex asked as he turned and looked at his mother. Evie's face was pale, paler than he'd ever seen it before and he was alarmed. Evie shook her head.
"Dad? Do you know what it is?"
Rick shook his head as well. "Can't be Imhotep. He dived into the Underworld."
"Is it Ancksunamun or Meela?" asked Alex.
Evie shook her head and Rick put a hand out to steady her. "I don't think so, Alex."
The three members of the O'Connell family stood at the large window and watched as the thick black line moved towards London.
As the three watched the thick dark line move ever closer to London, the big window slowly melted away into blackness, and then transformed into a shimmering golden light in the form of a blue skinned golden haired female figure who hovered just outside the O'Connell residence. Behind the woman, a haggard looking Ardeth was seen standing in a wrecked temple, the late summer wind ruffling his hair. A female voice, strong and resonant, told the thunderstruck O'Connells:
"Ardeth Bey has restored the Ma'at of Egypt and returned my earthly incarnation to my Temple by the Ninth Day of the Full Moon. Although the Gods tried to prevent the Dark One from gathering power, our Power is very weak outside Egypt, and the Dark One has gathered the one you refer to as Hitler to his side. The Dark One has placed Hitler far beyond the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire and Hitler is beyond the reach of the Egyptian gods or else we would have dealt with him ourselves. It is under Hitler's command that the destruction of London has begun."
"Daughter of Egypt and friend of the Restorer, you and those you shelter under this roof are now under the protection of the Gods of Egypt. The Restorer of Ma'at to Egypt shall bring you the Bracelet of Lostris to further assist you. Although I am far from Egypt, the Ancient Gods have massed their power and I will be able to protect you so long as you shall remain under this roof. Do not venture past the boundaries of your estate until the Restorer of Ma'at arrives, for I shall not be able to protect you if you leave.
The woman faded out as Evie demanded, "Who are you?" The window now showed a woman being raped, then rapidly changed to show the same woman giving birth. The O'Connell's were able to understand the German being spoken.
"What do you want to name him?" the O'Connells heard the English midwife ask the woman in German as she cut the umbilical cord. "Adolf. I'll name him Adolf," the woman replies. "Aye, he's got a black cloud over his head. He'll naught come to good," the midwife told the woman, who shrugged and held her arms out to receive her child. The midwife made a sign against the evil eye.
The scene faded and the O'Connells then found themselves staring out the window at the thick black line of planes which filled the entire sky. The undersides of the planes opened and bombs began to fall over London.
"We'd better get into the basement," Rick said, but the three were rooted with fear and nobody moved. A thick cloak of blackness floated down over the O'Connell estate and as the three family members watched, several planes veered off and flew directly towards the window the O'Connell's were facing.
The undersides of the three planes opened and Alex counted the bombs as they fell towards the ground.
"One, three, fivesixseven," his voice, tiny and frightened, whispered aloud. "Seven bombs. Mummy? Will the lady do as she said and protect us?" He wanted to run, to flee, but he was rooted to the floor in front of the window, wanting--needing--to protect his life but also needing to know if he would be protected by the Lady in the Window. Alex firmly believed in Egyptian magic for Alex had used Egyptian magic to bring back his mother from the dead.
Evie hugged Alex to her, tightly. "Yes. Yes she will protect us."
"Who was she? Someone you know?" Rick asked Evie as he hugged his family close to him. The bombs fell ever closer to the O'Connell residence.
The three O'Connells watched as the bombs made contact with the thick black cloak--and they watched in awe as each of the bombs was bounced back up into the belly of the plane that had discharged them. The bombs exploded inside the planes and pieces of shrapnel flew in the air, bouncing off the black cloak until the metal pieces of the destroyed planes fell harmlessly into a field of heather near the O'Connell estate.
"I, I don't know which goddess she was but her protection..." Evie said as her face grew concerned. She turned her thoughts inward for a moment. "Nuit! She was Nuit. She was always depicted with blue skin."
"Nuit?" Alex asked, hugging his parents in relief. "She's gonna protect us?"
"The Goddess of the Sky," Evie replied. "And she will protect us because Ardeth restored Ma'at."
"Now my next question: what is the Bracelet of Lostris? And just how will it protect us?" Rick now asked Evie as they watched three more planes veer off towards their estate.
"I've never heard of the Bracelet of Lostris," Evie admitted. "I suppose Ardeth will tell us," Evie finished, watching the black cloak gather into the shape of a woman. "Be gone!" they heard Nuit's voice tell the pilots, who had obviously been scared of the apparition for the planes suddenly veered upwards then crashed into each other, exploding into pieces.
"Ardeth must have done something good for the Goddess to protect us like this," Alex exclaimed. "Why won't she protect all of London from the bombs?" Alex asked.
Evie shook her head. "I don't know. She said their power outside Egypt was very weak."
"What did Ardeth do?" asked Alex as they watched the bombs fall thick and fast from the twenty mile long line of planes filling the late afternoon sky. His feet felt rooted to the floor and he was unable to tear himself away.
"Ardeth looked pretty haggard in that vision," Rick commented, putting an arm around Alex.
"Tasks performed for the Gods are never easy," Evie said.
"Does that mean someone was trying to bomb Cairo?" interjected Alex. His immediate safety needs being met, he was thinking ahead, trying to figure out what was happening so he could help his parents best respond--despite the bombs which were beginning to look rain.
Evie considered, then shook her head in confusion. "You can ask him when he gets here," she told her son and hugged him. Outside, the steel rain came tumbling down from the sky and explosions were heard--but dulled by Nuit--from every part of the city.
"Is the Bracelet of Lostris going to get rid of the planes?" Alex now asked, insistent as always.
"The Bracelet of Lostris..." Evie said softly.
"Did you remember what it is?" Rick asked his wife.
Evie shook her head. "No. I'm trying to remember if I ever heard about the Bracelet of Lostris when I was Nefertiri. It must be some relic from a later age."
"Or an earlier age. The Hyksos ruled Egypt for over two hundred years. Maybe it's something of theirs," Alex put in. "I'm just trying to help figure this out. There's nothing we can do about the bombs," he put in quickly.
"I know, darling," Evie said sadly. "We also need Ardeth's help. Lostris is a female Egyptian name, meaning Daughter of the Waters," Evie said. "Why would we need the help of a Daughter of the Waters? We're inland!" she exclaimed, watching the bombs falling over the smoky skyline of London. Birds were frantically trying to escape the smoke and were flying en masse towards the O'Connell estate.
"Uhm, perhaps we need to escape by boat?" Alex asked. "We really should go to the basement." His parents weren't listening.
"Nuit said, 'under this roof'. Does that mean we can't leave?" Rick asked his wife.
Evie was looking confused. "I, uh, I don't know."
"Nuit said 'you and those you shelter under this roof shall be protected from the upcoming destruction of London.' I think that does mean we can't leave the house," Alex said.
"Until Ardeth gets here and tells us more about what he did to earn his new title, I think it would be best if two of us stayed in the house at all times. We can offer shelter to those in need. After tonight, the villagers will need shelter," Evie said as a mallard duck lost its orientation in the smoke and careened towards the big window. Alex hurried to pull the window open and the duck flew in right after Alex had raised the window up.
The duck had flown into the curtains and had managed to pull the curtains down over the frightened O'Connells.
Angry quacks sounded as the duck tried to extricate itself from the curtains.
"Must be named Evie," Alex intoned as he pulled the curtains off himself.
"The bookcases are still standing," observed Rick from behind his billowing white curtain.
"Ha, ha to the two of you. Humor at this time is not called for. Besides, that's a male duck. Look at his coloring," Evie replied in a dry voice as she too extracted herself from the curtains. Rick was doing the same and the O'Connells held the curtains in their hands as the duck, now free, was quacking and walking around in a circle, stamping his feet. The duck started to fly down the hallway, then spied the bathtub full of water. He flew into the bathroom and landed on the tub before jumping in.
"Just what is Ardeth's new title?" demanded Alex.
Alex balled up the curtains and placed them on the bench just underneath the window sash.
"Restorer of Ma'at," his mother replied. She brushed a wisp of her hair out of her face.
"What does that mean?" Alex asked.
"It means that there was something wrong with Egypt and Ardeth corrected the wrongness, or at least he ameliorated it enough for him to earn the title of Restorer of Ma'at to Egypt. The Gods of Egypt do not bestow that title lightly, or to just anyone," Evie said with authority.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what does it mean? Does it mean Imhotep's back with Anubis's army?" Alex asked, pointing to the planes which were filling the London skyline.
"The Dark One is Set, Seth. He is normally depicted with red hair and either red or blue eyes," Evie said. "He is Brother to Osiris. Set killed Osiris and hacked his body into 14 pieces that he scattered around the globe. His sisters, Isis and Nepthys, gathered them up and put them back together again, before..." Evie intoned, desperately trying to take her mind off the bombs.
"Would Imhotep have this kind of power?" Rick interrupted, ignoring Evie's impromptu dissertation on Egyptian mythology.
"Imhotep wanted to rule Egypt, not London," Evie replied.
"If he couldn't rule Egypt would he try to conquer London?" Alex asked, but his mother cut him off.
"Nuit said the Dark One called Hitler. This destruction was wrought by human minds, not the minds of Imhotep and Anubis," Evie said. "Nuit is the mother of Set, Osiris, Isis and Nepthys."
"Nuit is Set's mother?" Rick asked incredulously. "No wonder she's willing to protect us," he finished.
"Talk about a wayward son!" Alex said. "And you two get on my case a lot," he complained.
"You don't set out to destroy London, dear. We'll wait until Ardeth arrives and figure it out then," Evie told him as she hugged him to her, tightly.
The three O'Connells fell silent trying to figure out what was happening and they watched with tears running down their faces as they looked out over London as the bombs fell. The skyline was black with smoke, and they could see Nuit protecting their estate each time a plane veered off towards their house. "Be Gone!" Nuit's powerful voice resonated.
But the sounds of the bombs were muffled by Nuit, and the three O'Connells were grateful.
"So many dead..." Evie said. "I almost wish it was Anubis's army here...at least we would know what to do..." her voice trailed off as they watched the twenty mile long line of planes drop the bombs over London.
Soon, the invading planes started to avoid their area of London. The smoke around the O'Connell estate cleared and people were running for the undamaged O'Connell estate.
"Let's go let them in," Alex suggested. "I'll get the extra blankets," he said as he pulled back from his parents and went off to the storeroom.
Rick and Evie went downstairs to let the frightened people inside.
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A sense of dread premonition filled Evie and she moaned in her sleep. Outside the O'Connell home, the muffled sounds of the bombs continued to be heard throughout the death filled night.
In the wee hours of the morning, after tending to the surviving villagers and ensuring the duck had fresh water in the bathtub--the duck had refused to leave and had angrily quacked every time someone tried to shoo him out a window--Evie had lain down for a while. But the night was not a night destined for sound sleep.
Time and space seemed to telescope and Evie found herself standing in a desert vista.
Heartbeats filled the air: da-dump da-dump da-dump.
Evie watched, terrified, as Ardeth was tossed and turned in turbulent water. She saw an angry Set reaching down and holding a struggling Ardeth under the water until Ardeth, using even the tidal breath the lungs held, lay limp in the roiling water--his long dark hair floating around his scratched face, his dark eyes open forever and his soul lost under the waters. A last bubble of air hovered between his slighltly open lips, then slipped out and upwards.
The heartbeats slowed, da-dumped one last time and stilled. Set turned his red-haired head and his astonishingly blue eyes seemed to bore into Evie. Set threw his head back and laughed.
"Daughter of Egypt!" Set's gravelly voice boomed in Evie's ears. She put her hands up to cover her ears but Set's laughter boomed again and he spoke louder.
"Soon your friend shall be dead in the manner that I have shown you. My powers are growing stronger every day. You know the death rituals from the Book of the Dead, Daughter of Egypt. Ardeth's attainment of Ma'at means nothing to me, and if his body is not prepared properly, Ardeth shall be doomed to roam the underworld with the one who planned the destruction of the Pyramids."
"And this time, my follower shall rule for a thousand years!"
A guttural sound rose up from Set's throat as he thew his head back and laughed. And laughed. Set chose that moment to disappear.
Shortly after Ardeth's death, the waters cleared and Evie could see Ardeth floating to the surface. His body bobbed clear of the surface and floated there, face down, his eyes open, his dark hair floating around his head. Another body, a male's, had already bobbed to the surface of the water and Ardeth's body brushed up against the dead man.
Ardeth's strong hands were floating just under the surface of the water and Evie could see an electrum bracelet studded with emeralds on Ardeth's wrist.
"The Bracelet of Lostris," Evie whispered in a panicky voice. "How come it didn't help Ardeth?" Deep fear gripped her and she felt faint.
A juvenile fish came to investigate the new offerings. The young fish looked into Ardeth's open eyes, then started nibbling at Ardeth's lips. Shortly, other fish, both juvenile and adult, joined in the feast.
Evie screamed. But the dream just repeated itself. And repeated.
London, Saturday, September 7, 1940, Nine days before the full moon
O'Connell residence, just before high tea at 5 pm on a sunny day
"Honey? Have you seen the Book of The Dead?" Rick called out as Evie lay soaking in the bathtub. Evie sat up, water and bubbles dripping from her shoulders.
"I think it's in Alex's room," she called. Evie lay back and rested her head on a small pillow. "They should have invented bubble baths a long time ago," she muttered to herself. She swirled the water around and watched as the bubbles foam. "And this bubble bath is nothing short of heaven itself," she said, closing her eyes.
"What was that dear? Did you say something?" Rick called as he walked down the hallway to Alex's room.
Evie sat up again. "Nothing, honey! Just talking to myself." She lay back once again and rested her head on the small pillow. Evie looked up, and saw a bullet hole. "Damn! I thought they'd repaired all those. Meela just has to pop up in my lives more than once," she muttered.
She sat up. "Honey! We need to get the contractors here again! They left some bullet holes!" Evie called to Rick.
"What's that? I couldn't hear you!" Rick called back from down the hallway. He was walking out of Alex's room holding the Book of the Dead in his hands. The thick tome was bound in leather and studded with jewels and gold.
--Worth a fortune--Rick thought as he walked down the hallway towards the master bedroom.
"I said Ancksunamun, I mean Meela, has left us another calling card!" Evie shouted as she took up a washcloth and began to scrub her arms. "Honey!" she called loudly.
"Coming!" Rick called. He put the Book of the Dead down on a small mahogany table inlaid with silver and ebony and walked into the bathroom.
"What calling card?" he asked. Evie pointed upwards to the corner of the room. Rick looked. It had been eight years since Meela and her cronies had kidnapped Alex, and in doing so, they'd pumped a lot of bullet holes into the bathroom.
"Damn. Anck always has to mess in our lives. I'll call the contractors on Monday, okay?" he said as he kneeled down next to the bathtub. "Let me do your back," he said as he took the washcloth from Evie. She leaned forward to let Rick rub the washcloth over her back in small circles.
"Reminds me of when my handmaidens used to do this," she murmured.
"Handmaidens?!" Rick said in mock surprise. "I suppose I should have known you'd like your back washed, Princess Nefertiri," he told Evie's bare back as he finished washing her back. Evie lay back again. She smiled up at Rick, who was holding the washcloth in his hand. He swirled the bath water and the bubbles foamed.
"Where's Alex?" Evie asked.
"He's off at the football field with his mates," Rick replied. "He's supposed to be home for high tea."
"Is he going to bring some of his mates home? We'd better tell Tallulah to make extra scones in case he does. Teenage boys can eat a lot," Evie said. "Funny, I don't remember teenage boys eating a lot before. I mean, when I was in my past life."
"That's because you were in the harem," Rick said, smiling.
"Rick! I was the Pharoah's daughter," Evie protested but Rick burst out in laughter. Evie splashed him with her bathwater, soaking his shirt with water and bubbles. "You know I had my own apartments!" she told him, laughing.
"Mummy! Dad! Come quick!" Alex's voice was insistent--and alarmed. Both Rick and Evie were startled and Evie stood up quickly, bubbles sliding down her body. Rick handed her a bathrobe which she put on as they both called to Alex, "What is it, Alex?"
"Dunno! Looks like a thunderstorm coming but I'm not so sure about that!" Alex's voice carried more alarm. Rick ran out of the room while Evie climbed out of the bathtub. Once she was out, she too started running towards the sound of Alex's voice and she tripped.
"Oooomph!" she said.
Hearing the thud, Rick turned around. "You okay, honey?"
"Yes," Evie said as she got up and adjusted the bathrobe. She started to run, then thought better of it and walked quickly to where Alex was standing at the end of the hallway, looking out of the big window towards the east.
Rick, Alex and Evie stood looking at the thick black line steadily moving towards London.
"Uh, that's not a thunderstorm, is it mum?" Alex asked as he turned and looked at his mother. Evie's face was pale, paler than he'd ever seen it before and he was alarmed. Evie shook her head.
"Dad? Do you know what it is?"
Rick shook his head as well. "Can't be Imhotep. He dived into the Underworld."
"Is it Ancksunamun or Meela?" asked Alex.
Evie shook her head and Rick put a hand out to steady her. "I don't think so, Alex."
The three members of the O'Connell family stood at the large window and watched as the thick black line moved towards London.
As the three watched the thick dark line move ever closer to London, the big window slowly melted away into blackness, and then transformed into a shimmering golden light in the form of a blue skinned golden haired female figure who hovered just outside the O'Connell residence. Behind the woman, a haggard looking Ardeth was seen standing in a wrecked temple, the late summer wind ruffling his hair. A female voice, strong and resonant, told the thunderstruck O'Connells:
"Ardeth Bey has restored the Ma'at of Egypt and returned my earthly incarnation to my Temple by the Ninth Day of the Full Moon. Although the Gods tried to prevent the Dark One from gathering power, our Power is very weak outside Egypt, and the Dark One has gathered the one you refer to as Hitler to his side. The Dark One has placed Hitler far beyond the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire and Hitler is beyond the reach of the Egyptian gods or else we would have dealt with him ourselves. It is under Hitler's command that the destruction of London has begun."
"Daughter of Egypt and friend of the Restorer, you and those you shelter under this roof are now under the protection of the Gods of Egypt. The Restorer of Ma'at to Egypt shall bring you the Bracelet of Lostris to further assist you. Although I am far from Egypt, the Ancient Gods have massed their power and I will be able to protect you so long as you shall remain under this roof. Do not venture past the boundaries of your estate until the Restorer of Ma'at arrives, for I shall not be able to protect you if you leave.
The woman faded out as Evie demanded, "Who are you?" The window now showed a woman being raped, then rapidly changed to show the same woman giving birth. The O'Connell's were able to understand the German being spoken.
"What do you want to name him?" the O'Connells heard the English midwife ask the woman in German as she cut the umbilical cord. "Adolf. I'll name him Adolf," the woman replies. "Aye, he's got a black cloud over his head. He'll naught come to good," the midwife told the woman, who shrugged and held her arms out to receive her child. The midwife made a sign against the evil eye.
The scene faded and the O'Connells then found themselves staring out the window at the thick black line of planes which filled the entire sky. The undersides of the planes opened and bombs began to fall over London.
"We'd better get into the basement," Rick said, but the three were rooted with fear and nobody moved. A thick cloak of blackness floated down over the O'Connell estate and as the three family members watched, several planes veered off and flew directly towards the window the O'Connell's were facing.
The undersides of the three planes opened and Alex counted the bombs as they fell towards the ground.
"One, three, fivesixseven," his voice, tiny and frightened, whispered aloud. "Seven bombs. Mummy? Will the lady do as she said and protect us?" He wanted to run, to flee, but he was rooted to the floor in front of the window, wanting--needing--to protect his life but also needing to know if he would be protected by the Lady in the Window. Alex firmly believed in Egyptian magic for Alex had used Egyptian magic to bring back his mother from the dead.
Evie hugged Alex to her, tightly. "Yes. Yes she will protect us."
"Who was she? Someone you know?" Rick asked Evie as he hugged his family close to him. The bombs fell ever closer to the O'Connell residence.
The three O'Connells watched as the bombs made contact with the thick black cloak--and they watched in awe as each of the bombs was bounced back up into the belly of the plane that had discharged them. The bombs exploded inside the planes and pieces of shrapnel flew in the air, bouncing off the black cloak until the metal pieces of the destroyed planes fell harmlessly into a field of heather near the O'Connell estate.
"I, I don't know which goddess she was but her protection..." Evie said as her face grew concerned. She turned her thoughts inward for a moment. "Nuit! She was Nuit. She was always depicted with blue skin."
"Nuit?" Alex asked, hugging his parents in relief. "She's gonna protect us?"
"The Goddess of the Sky," Evie replied. "And she will protect us because Ardeth restored Ma'at."
"Now my next question: what is the Bracelet of Lostris? And just how will it protect us?" Rick now asked Evie as they watched three more planes veer off towards their estate.
"I've never heard of the Bracelet of Lostris," Evie admitted. "I suppose Ardeth will tell us," Evie finished, watching the black cloak gather into the shape of a woman. "Be gone!" they heard Nuit's voice tell the pilots, who had obviously been scared of the apparition for the planes suddenly veered upwards then crashed into each other, exploding into pieces.
"Ardeth must have done something good for the Goddess to protect us like this," Alex exclaimed. "Why won't she protect all of London from the bombs?" Alex asked.
Evie shook her head. "I don't know. She said their power outside Egypt was very weak."
"What did Ardeth do?" asked Alex as they watched the bombs fall thick and fast from the twenty mile long line of planes filling the late afternoon sky. His feet felt rooted to the floor and he was unable to tear himself away.
"Ardeth looked pretty haggard in that vision," Rick commented, putting an arm around Alex.
"Tasks performed for the Gods are never easy," Evie said.
"Does that mean someone was trying to bomb Cairo?" interjected Alex. His immediate safety needs being met, he was thinking ahead, trying to figure out what was happening so he could help his parents best respond--despite the bombs which were beginning to look rain.
Evie considered, then shook her head in confusion. "You can ask him when he gets here," she told her son and hugged him. Outside, the steel rain came tumbling down from the sky and explosions were heard--but dulled by Nuit--from every part of the city.
"Is the Bracelet of Lostris going to get rid of the planes?" Alex now asked, insistent as always.
"The Bracelet of Lostris..." Evie said softly.
"Did you remember what it is?" Rick asked his wife.
Evie shook her head. "No. I'm trying to remember if I ever heard about the Bracelet of Lostris when I was Nefertiri. It must be some relic from a later age."
"Or an earlier age. The Hyksos ruled Egypt for over two hundred years. Maybe it's something of theirs," Alex put in. "I'm just trying to help figure this out. There's nothing we can do about the bombs," he put in quickly.
"I know, darling," Evie said sadly. "We also need Ardeth's help. Lostris is a female Egyptian name, meaning Daughter of the Waters," Evie said. "Why would we need the help of a Daughter of the Waters? We're inland!" she exclaimed, watching the bombs falling over the smoky skyline of London. Birds were frantically trying to escape the smoke and were flying en masse towards the O'Connell estate.
"Uhm, perhaps we need to escape by boat?" Alex asked. "We really should go to the basement." His parents weren't listening.
"Nuit said, 'under this roof'. Does that mean we can't leave?" Rick asked his wife.
Evie was looking confused. "I, uh, I don't know."
"Nuit said 'you and those you shelter under this roof shall be protected from the upcoming destruction of London.' I think that does mean we can't leave the house," Alex said.
"Until Ardeth gets here and tells us more about what he did to earn his new title, I think it would be best if two of us stayed in the house at all times. We can offer shelter to those in need. After tonight, the villagers will need shelter," Evie said as a mallard duck lost its orientation in the smoke and careened towards the big window. Alex hurried to pull the window open and the duck flew in right after Alex had raised the window up.
The duck had flown into the curtains and had managed to pull the curtains down over the frightened O'Connells.
Angry quacks sounded as the duck tried to extricate itself from the curtains.
"Must be named Evie," Alex intoned as he pulled the curtains off himself.
"The bookcases are still standing," observed Rick from behind his billowing white curtain.
"Ha, ha to the two of you. Humor at this time is not called for. Besides, that's a male duck. Look at his coloring," Evie replied in a dry voice as she too extracted herself from the curtains. Rick was doing the same and the O'Connells held the curtains in their hands as the duck, now free, was quacking and walking around in a circle, stamping his feet. The duck started to fly down the hallway, then spied the bathtub full of water. He flew into the bathroom and landed on the tub before jumping in.
"Just what is Ardeth's new title?" demanded Alex.
Alex balled up the curtains and placed them on the bench just underneath the window sash.
"Restorer of Ma'at," his mother replied. She brushed a wisp of her hair out of her face.
"What does that mean?" Alex asked.
"It means that there was something wrong with Egypt and Ardeth corrected the wrongness, or at least he ameliorated it enough for him to earn the title of Restorer of Ma'at to Egypt. The Gods of Egypt do not bestow that title lightly, or to just anyone," Evie said with authority.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what does it mean? Does it mean Imhotep's back with Anubis's army?" Alex asked, pointing to the planes which were filling the London skyline.
"The Dark One is Set, Seth. He is normally depicted with red hair and either red or blue eyes," Evie said. "He is Brother to Osiris. Set killed Osiris and hacked his body into 14 pieces that he scattered around the globe. His sisters, Isis and Nepthys, gathered them up and put them back together again, before..." Evie intoned, desperately trying to take her mind off the bombs.
"Would Imhotep have this kind of power?" Rick interrupted, ignoring Evie's impromptu dissertation on Egyptian mythology.
"Imhotep wanted to rule Egypt, not London," Evie replied.
"If he couldn't rule Egypt would he try to conquer London?" Alex asked, but his mother cut him off.
"Nuit said the Dark One called Hitler. This destruction was wrought by human minds, not the minds of Imhotep and Anubis," Evie said. "Nuit is the mother of Set, Osiris, Isis and Nepthys."
"Nuit is Set's mother?" Rick asked incredulously. "No wonder she's willing to protect us," he finished.
"Talk about a wayward son!" Alex said. "And you two get on my case a lot," he complained.
"You don't set out to destroy London, dear. We'll wait until Ardeth arrives and figure it out then," Evie told him as she hugged him to her, tightly.
The three O'Connells fell silent trying to figure out what was happening and they watched with tears running down their faces as they looked out over London as the bombs fell. The skyline was black with smoke, and they could see Nuit protecting their estate each time a plane veered off towards their house. "Be Gone!" Nuit's powerful voice resonated.
But the sounds of the bombs were muffled by Nuit, and the three O'Connells were grateful.
"So many dead..." Evie said. "I almost wish it was Anubis's army here...at least we would know what to do..." her voice trailed off as they watched the twenty mile long line of planes drop the bombs over London.
Soon, the invading planes started to avoid their area of London. The smoke around the O'Connell estate cleared and people were running for the undamaged O'Connell estate.
"Let's go let them in," Alex suggested. "I'll get the extra blankets," he said as he pulled back from his parents and went off to the storeroom.
Rick and Evie went downstairs to let the frightened people inside.
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A sense of dread premonition filled Evie and she moaned in her sleep. Outside the O'Connell home, the muffled sounds of the bombs continued to be heard throughout the death filled night.
In the wee hours of the morning, after tending to the surviving villagers and ensuring the duck had fresh water in the bathtub--the duck had refused to leave and had angrily quacked every time someone tried to shoo him out a window--Evie had lain down for a while. But the night was not a night destined for sound sleep.
Time and space seemed to telescope and Evie found herself standing in a desert vista.
Heartbeats filled the air: da-dump da-dump da-dump.
Evie watched, terrified, as Ardeth was tossed and turned in turbulent water. She saw an angry Set reaching down and holding a struggling Ardeth under the water until Ardeth, using even the tidal breath the lungs held, lay limp in the roiling water--his long dark hair floating around his scratched face, his dark eyes open forever and his soul lost under the waters. A last bubble of air hovered between his slighltly open lips, then slipped out and upwards.
The heartbeats slowed, da-dumped one last time and stilled. Set turned his red-haired head and his astonishingly blue eyes seemed to bore into Evie. Set threw his head back and laughed.
"Daughter of Egypt!" Set's gravelly voice boomed in Evie's ears. She put her hands up to cover her ears but Set's laughter boomed again and he spoke louder.
"Soon your friend shall be dead in the manner that I have shown you. My powers are growing stronger every day. You know the death rituals from the Book of the Dead, Daughter of Egypt. Ardeth's attainment of Ma'at means nothing to me, and if his body is not prepared properly, Ardeth shall be doomed to roam the underworld with the one who planned the destruction of the Pyramids."
"And this time, my follower shall rule for a thousand years!"
A guttural sound rose up from Set's throat as he thew his head back and laughed. And laughed. Set chose that moment to disappear.
Shortly after Ardeth's death, the waters cleared and Evie could see Ardeth floating to the surface. His body bobbed clear of the surface and floated there, face down, his eyes open, his dark hair floating around his head. Another body, a male's, had already bobbed to the surface of the water and Ardeth's body brushed up against the dead man.
Ardeth's strong hands were floating just under the surface of the water and Evie could see an electrum bracelet studded with emeralds on Ardeth's wrist.
"The Bracelet of Lostris," Evie whispered in a panicky voice. "How come it didn't help Ardeth?" Deep fear gripped her and she felt faint.
A juvenile fish came to investigate the new offerings. The young fish looked into Ardeth's open eyes, then started nibbling at Ardeth's lips. Shortly, other fish, both juvenile and adult, joined in the feast.
Evie screamed. But the dream just repeated itself. And repeated.
