CHAPTER TWO
Djeba, Egypt, Sunday September 8, 1940, Dawn
Ardeth opened his eyes to see the golden figure Nuit hovering over him.
"The Daughter of Egypt, her husband and child are safe, and will remain safe provided they stay within the boundaries of their estate. Our power is very weak outside the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire but the Gods have massed their power and I am able to protect them."
"The Hyksos entered Egypt from beyond the Tigris River at the urging of the disgraced and exiled Lord Intef, who was the father of Lostris. The Daughter of the Waters has offered her power to protect your friends where I can not."
"In her time, she was asked by Pharoah Mamose to protect the double crown of Egypt for their son, Prince Memnon, and she delivered the Prince safely to Lower Egypt. As Pharoah Tamose he begat the progenitor of Ahmose, who, with the help of the Bracelet, finally expelled the Hyksos from Egypt. The Bracelet of Lostris contains the power necessary to expel the followers of the Dark One from London and end the daily bombardment. You must carry the Bracelet to London."
"Daily bombardment?" Ardeth croaked, his throat tightening. He didn't like what the Great Mother was telling him.
"The Dark One has it in his mind to recreate the invasion of Egypt by the Hyksos.The Hyksos ruled Egypt for two hundred fifty years. This time, the Dark One's follower will continue to bombard London daily to try to subjugate the populace, for he wishes to rule a thousand years. Your friends shall be under the protection of the Gods of Egypt until you arrive with the Bracelet. Hurry my son! The Dark One will try to place many obstacles in your way in an attempt to impede you in your journey but I shall help you when I am able."
The golden light of Nuit faded and Ardeth sat up on the hard bed. He rubbed his eyes, then stood up. The last three days had seen Ardeth with no sleep. He'd been shown the bombardment of London and although it had been dawn in Egypt, he'd seen that sun was low on the horizon in London.
Unlike Cairo, Djeba was a rural village, adhering to the way of life lived for thousands of years in Egypt. Here in Djeba, the villagers still used the shadoof--a water lifter--instead of indoor plumbing to get water from the Nile. Ardeth remembered that he'd felt helpless when Nuit had shown him the bombing of London. He knew the bombing would begin late that afternoon yet there was no way to warn his friends, the O'Connells.
He'd spent the rest of yesterday in the Temple of Nuit. As the Egyptian dusk settled over the desert, an intense feeling of wrongness slipped into his soul and Ardeth knew then that the bombing of London had begun. Tears had fallen from his eyes as his soul felt the passing of those who died that day: he counted four hundred eighty eight souls which had passed through the Crossroads of Time.
Ardeth had made his way back to Djeba, where he sat alone in the small mud brick house he'd rented from the headman. He'd sat on bed with his head in his hands, unable to eat, unable to drink. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he'd opened his eyes and seen the Great Mother hovering over him.
Now he took up the pitcher of water and drank directly from the pitcher. The water was cool and delicious going down his parched throat. Finishing the pitcher, he set it down, and went outside into the brightening dawn. He looked up at the retreating belly of Nuit. She sent a cooling breath of wind to him, ruffling his hair and caressing his face before the wind passed by him and went out into the desert. Ardeth watched as the Bringer of the Wind formed a curtain of sand--and showed him the O'Connell's house.
The Medjai's face broke into a smile as he saw his friends, safe in their home. From the looks of it, they'd offered their home as a shelter to the villagers who lived in the small village nearby. A duck was swimming serenely in the O'Connell's bathtub.
Ardeth looked at their faces and saw their faces relaxed but strained and he knew that Nuit was silencing the sounds of the continued bombings that Ardeth saw in the background.
"A duck is swimming in their bathtub?" Ardeth asked the vision in the sand.
The Bringer of the Wind's breath ran out and the sand gently floated down to the ground. Ardeth knew he'd have a long journey back to Cairo, especially since he'd sent Martin back to Cairo with the plane. One of the village's children brought him a basket full of covered plates. The smells coming from the basket whetted Ardeth's appetite despite his not desiring to eat.
"Thank you," Ardeth told the young girl. She bowed, then smiled at him. "Can you tell your father to arrange for a fast felucca to carry me to Abydos?" Abydos was as far as the felucca owners would sail from Djeba.
The young girl nodded and smiled before turning and walking away.
Ardeth started to carry his breakfast into the small mud brick house, then thought better of it and sat down outside the small home. Taking out one of the covered plates, he lifted the lid and was greeted with the sight and smell of roasted potatoes, vegetables and stewed meat. He took up the spoon and began to eat.
After breakfast, Ardeth, bathed and dressed in fresh clothes, went to find the felucca he'd rented. Ra was beginning to ride high in the sky and the day would be hot and dry.
"My daughter prepared your breakfast, Commander. Did you find it to your satisfaction?" the felucca's owner asked, as he helped to load the supplies they'd need onto the reed boat.
"She is an excellent cook for one her age, and she is commended on her skill," Ardeth noted. "Is she not able to talk?"
Ankhef nodded. "The Dark One must have been hovering near when she was born, for she is mute--her hyoid bone is missing," he said sadly, "though she knows how to write."
Ardeth grimaced at the mention of the Dark One. "He has been hovering near many people as of late," he said.
Ankhef made a sign to ward off the Dark One. "Nuit must be ashamed to have the Dark One as her son. You, earthly Son of Nuit, are much better for her."
Ardeth started. "Why do you think I am a Son of Nuit?"
"You possess the countenance of an earthly Son of Nuit. The soul of a warrior beats within your heart," Ankhef said. "To be an earthly Son of Nuit is a blessing. Your fight against the Dark One has a better chance of succeeding in your favor," he finished.
"Fight?" Ardeth asked, trying to feign ignorance but the dark brown eyes of Ankhef bored into him.
"Nuit has called you to help her in her fight against her son, the Dark One. This much I was shown in a dream during the last full moon."
Ardeth thought for a moment. He was encountering too many coincidences in the past month and many of these people appeared just when they had been needed to help him in his journey to Djeba.
Now here was another man who was telling him about a dream concerning Ardeth. Was this the work of the Gods? Were they amassing earth-bound help because they were trying to expel the follower of the Dark One from the earthly realm?
"Is this the work of the Gods?" Ardeth asked, then realized he'd given himself away.
Ankhef replied, "I believe it is," he said slowly. "All that I was shown in my vision was that the Dark One is amassing his forces beyond Egypt, and there will be many people who will be needed in the coming years to fight him. It could be that the Gods are calling those who have assisted them in ages past, and have been reincarnated at this time."
Ardeth nodded. Ankhef's explanation was as good as Ardeth's own explanation. From his nightmares, Ardeth knew that millions of people would be killed in the coming years. The Gods would need earth-bound help to prevent millions--billions--more from meeting an early death.
The felucca was now loaded with supplies for their trip. Ardeth had hired the felucca to take him to Abydos. He would catch a train in Abydos to Cairo--there were no private planes available in Abydos. The two men stepped on the deck of the felucca and Ankhef undid the ropes which tied the felucca to the small dock.
As the felucca sailed towards Abydos, Ardeth sat on the deck and thought about Ankhef's words. Nuit had known about Hitler. Were the Gods trying to help him by showing visions to those who assisted the Egyptian Gods in a past life?
The Egyptian day wore on, hot and dry, as Ardeth had suspected. He had tried to help with the poling, but Ankhef and his sons pushed him away, telling him the Commander of the Medjai, and Nuit's Chosen One, must save his strength to fight the Dark One.
Ardeth had felt a bit uneasy at their words, but he was exhausted and didn't put up much of a fight. He sat back under the canopy and thought about the task which had been set before him. He'd been sure that Nuit had told him she wouldn't be needing his help for many floodings of the Nile. Why did she now task him with bringing the Bracelet of Lostris to London?
Unless...unless Nuit had meant that his task was to prevent the forces of the Dark One from destroying Egypt, and his restoring Ma'at to Egypt was only the first part of the task.
If that was true, then Ardeth would have an arduous task ahead of him--one that could take years.
Despite his night's sleep, Ardeth soon found himself dozing in the afternoon sunshine. The past month had worn him out. A wealth of thick black hair spread out on the silk cushion he leaned against. In his sleep, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he dreamed.
Not a nightmare this time. The Gods took pity on his dreams, and instead of having a terrifying dream, Ardeth was riding a strong black stallion through a land full of green plants. Soft rain was coming down and drenching Ardeth as he rode his horse.
He was soaking wet in this pleasant dream, but his dream self didn't seem to mind. A steady rain was calming to him--he was a desert man--and being drenched with water was far better than being drenched in sand from a khamsin wind.
In his dream, the dream Ardeth shivered, for he remembered the horrifying dream with the devil khamsin wind bearing down upon him. He remembered dreaming that the Pyramids were exploding...and both Ardeth and his dream self cringed as he recalled the memory of the millions of souls who suddenly found themselves in the Crossroads of Time. Those souls were crying.
But the rhythmic motions of the black stallion riding through green countryside soon calmed Ardeth's nerves, and both his dream self and his physical self relaxed.
From her own sleeping place, Nuit sleepily opened her silver irised eyes. She smiled down on her earthly son as he lay dreaming, and she sent soft winds to ruffle his hair.
"I kiss the sweat from your brow...I will stay near you, my Son..." she whispered before closing her eyes. She would need to be awake soon, for the afternoon was waning and Ra would arrive home to awaken her.
Ardeth awoke with a start. Beside him was a pitcher of water, which he picked up and took a long sip. Wiping his hand across his mouth, he set the pitcher down and looked around. The sun was going low on the horizon.
He stood up and walked to the small room set aside for use as a bathroom. After finishing his hygiene, Ardeth stepped out and walked down the length of the felucca to an area where a table had been laid out and set with steaming plates full of couscous, vegetables, dipping sauces for the pita bread. Beer was in a pitcher.
"Greetings, Commander of the Medjai," Nakhtmin said. "My sister has prepared this food for you."
"Is she here? Your sister?" asked Ardeth as he sat down at the table. "The breakfast she prepared for me was quite acceptable," he finished as he picked up a piece of warm bread and dipped it in the sauce.
"She is below deck, sleeping away the hot part of the afternoon," Nakhtmin told him as Ardeth took a bite of the bread.
Nakhtmin bowed and left Ardeth alone to eat. He was needed poling, Ardeth thought to himself as he enjoyed the food Ankhef's daughter had prepared. I don't know her name, Ardeth thought and made a note to himself to correct that deficiency as soon as he saw Ankhef.
As he ate, he thought about Ankhef's words. Ardeth was pitted against Nuit and Geb's son, Set. Osiris was murdered by Set and hacked into pieces. Their sisters, Nepthys and Isis, had found the remains of Osiris--sans the phallus--and reassembled him and Osiris became God of the Dead. Set was exiled by Osiris's son Horus. The Book of the Dead depicted Set in an alternate guise as the God of Wind and Storms.
The more he thought about the situation, the more he realized that Nuit was needing an earthly son to counteract Set's deeds. Hitler was native to Germany, far outside the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire. Ardeth knew that wherever the Egyptian Gods had been worshipped, wispy remnants of their power existed and that power would be used were Egypt to be threatened.
But the Egyptian trading empire was never as far north as Germany and Set had placed his follower there. The Gods needed a mortal to counteract the deeds of the Dark One's chosen mortal.
Fitting, Ardeth thought. Set is also the God of Foreign Lands and it would be just like him to place his followers beyond the boundaries of the Egyptian trading empire. He knows that the Gods would ensure the destruction of those who followed him were Set's followers located within the far boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire.
The pilot who planned the destruction of the Pyramids is now in the Underworld, Ardeth thought. He is in the underworld because he travelled into the borders of the ancient Egyptian trading boundaries, and the Gods showed their anger at his potential actions against Egypt.
Ardeth turned the events of the past month over in his mind. Just as he needed help, help appeared. First in the form of Martin Wilkes, the former Keeper of the Bracelet. Martin had called upon Lostris's help and she had first cleared the murky waters under the Mediterraean and then had called a dolphin to help him get back to the surface.
Now Ankhef had been placed in his path. Yes, Ardeth now thought. The Gods are trying to help place Hitler in the Underworld. They are calling all those people who are capable of helping me in my quest. The Gods of Egypt are angry at Set.
Despite the help he had been given, the Commander hoped he would be able to get to London in time...and in one piece.
Djeba, Egypt, Sunday September 8, 1940, Dawn
Ardeth opened his eyes to see the golden figure Nuit hovering over him.
"The Daughter of Egypt, her husband and child are safe, and will remain safe provided they stay within the boundaries of their estate. Our power is very weak outside the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire but the Gods have massed their power and I am able to protect them."
"The Hyksos entered Egypt from beyond the Tigris River at the urging of the disgraced and exiled Lord Intef, who was the father of Lostris. The Daughter of the Waters has offered her power to protect your friends where I can not."
"In her time, she was asked by Pharoah Mamose to protect the double crown of Egypt for their son, Prince Memnon, and she delivered the Prince safely to Lower Egypt. As Pharoah Tamose he begat the progenitor of Ahmose, who, with the help of the Bracelet, finally expelled the Hyksos from Egypt. The Bracelet of Lostris contains the power necessary to expel the followers of the Dark One from London and end the daily bombardment. You must carry the Bracelet to London."
"Daily bombardment?" Ardeth croaked, his throat tightening. He didn't like what the Great Mother was telling him.
"The Dark One has it in his mind to recreate the invasion of Egypt by the Hyksos.The Hyksos ruled Egypt for two hundred fifty years. This time, the Dark One's follower will continue to bombard London daily to try to subjugate the populace, for he wishes to rule a thousand years. Your friends shall be under the protection of the Gods of Egypt until you arrive with the Bracelet. Hurry my son! The Dark One will try to place many obstacles in your way in an attempt to impede you in your journey but I shall help you when I am able."
The golden light of Nuit faded and Ardeth sat up on the hard bed. He rubbed his eyes, then stood up. The last three days had seen Ardeth with no sleep. He'd been shown the bombardment of London and although it had been dawn in Egypt, he'd seen that sun was low on the horizon in London.
Unlike Cairo, Djeba was a rural village, adhering to the way of life lived for thousands of years in Egypt. Here in Djeba, the villagers still used the shadoof--a water lifter--instead of indoor plumbing to get water from the Nile. Ardeth remembered that he'd felt helpless when Nuit had shown him the bombing of London. He knew the bombing would begin late that afternoon yet there was no way to warn his friends, the O'Connells.
He'd spent the rest of yesterday in the Temple of Nuit. As the Egyptian dusk settled over the desert, an intense feeling of wrongness slipped into his soul and Ardeth knew then that the bombing of London had begun. Tears had fallen from his eyes as his soul felt the passing of those who died that day: he counted four hundred eighty eight souls which had passed through the Crossroads of Time.
Ardeth had made his way back to Djeba, where he sat alone in the small mud brick house he'd rented from the headman. He'd sat on bed with his head in his hands, unable to eat, unable to drink. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he'd opened his eyes and seen the Great Mother hovering over him.
Now he took up the pitcher of water and drank directly from the pitcher. The water was cool and delicious going down his parched throat. Finishing the pitcher, he set it down, and went outside into the brightening dawn. He looked up at the retreating belly of Nuit. She sent a cooling breath of wind to him, ruffling his hair and caressing his face before the wind passed by him and went out into the desert. Ardeth watched as the Bringer of the Wind formed a curtain of sand--and showed him the O'Connell's house.
The Medjai's face broke into a smile as he saw his friends, safe in their home. From the looks of it, they'd offered their home as a shelter to the villagers who lived in the small village nearby. A duck was swimming serenely in the O'Connell's bathtub.
Ardeth looked at their faces and saw their faces relaxed but strained and he knew that Nuit was silencing the sounds of the continued bombings that Ardeth saw in the background.
"A duck is swimming in their bathtub?" Ardeth asked the vision in the sand.
The Bringer of the Wind's breath ran out and the sand gently floated down to the ground. Ardeth knew he'd have a long journey back to Cairo, especially since he'd sent Martin back to Cairo with the plane. One of the village's children brought him a basket full of covered plates. The smells coming from the basket whetted Ardeth's appetite despite his not desiring to eat.
"Thank you," Ardeth told the young girl. She bowed, then smiled at him. "Can you tell your father to arrange for a fast felucca to carry me to Abydos?" Abydos was as far as the felucca owners would sail from Djeba.
The young girl nodded and smiled before turning and walking away.
Ardeth started to carry his breakfast into the small mud brick house, then thought better of it and sat down outside the small home. Taking out one of the covered plates, he lifted the lid and was greeted with the sight and smell of roasted potatoes, vegetables and stewed meat. He took up the spoon and began to eat.
After breakfast, Ardeth, bathed and dressed in fresh clothes, went to find the felucca he'd rented. Ra was beginning to ride high in the sky and the day would be hot and dry.
"My daughter prepared your breakfast, Commander. Did you find it to your satisfaction?" the felucca's owner asked, as he helped to load the supplies they'd need onto the reed boat.
"She is an excellent cook for one her age, and she is commended on her skill," Ardeth noted. "Is she not able to talk?"
Ankhef nodded. "The Dark One must have been hovering near when she was born, for she is mute--her hyoid bone is missing," he said sadly, "though she knows how to write."
Ardeth grimaced at the mention of the Dark One. "He has been hovering near many people as of late," he said.
Ankhef made a sign to ward off the Dark One. "Nuit must be ashamed to have the Dark One as her son. You, earthly Son of Nuit, are much better for her."
Ardeth started. "Why do you think I am a Son of Nuit?"
"You possess the countenance of an earthly Son of Nuit. The soul of a warrior beats within your heart," Ankhef said. "To be an earthly Son of Nuit is a blessing. Your fight against the Dark One has a better chance of succeeding in your favor," he finished.
"Fight?" Ardeth asked, trying to feign ignorance but the dark brown eyes of Ankhef bored into him.
"Nuit has called you to help her in her fight against her son, the Dark One. This much I was shown in a dream during the last full moon."
Ardeth thought for a moment. He was encountering too many coincidences in the past month and many of these people appeared just when they had been needed to help him in his journey to Djeba.
Now here was another man who was telling him about a dream concerning Ardeth. Was this the work of the Gods? Were they amassing earth-bound help because they were trying to expel the follower of the Dark One from the earthly realm?
"Is this the work of the Gods?" Ardeth asked, then realized he'd given himself away.
Ankhef replied, "I believe it is," he said slowly. "All that I was shown in my vision was that the Dark One is amassing his forces beyond Egypt, and there will be many people who will be needed in the coming years to fight him. It could be that the Gods are calling those who have assisted them in ages past, and have been reincarnated at this time."
Ardeth nodded. Ankhef's explanation was as good as Ardeth's own explanation. From his nightmares, Ardeth knew that millions of people would be killed in the coming years. The Gods would need earth-bound help to prevent millions--billions--more from meeting an early death.
The felucca was now loaded with supplies for their trip. Ardeth had hired the felucca to take him to Abydos. He would catch a train in Abydos to Cairo--there were no private planes available in Abydos. The two men stepped on the deck of the felucca and Ankhef undid the ropes which tied the felucca to the small dock.
As the felucca sailed towards Abydos, Ardeth sat on the deck and thought about Ankhef's words. Nuit had known about Hitler. Were the Gods trying to help him by showing visions to those who assisted the Egyptian Gods in a past life?
The Egyptian day wore on, hot and dry, as Ardeth had suspected. He had tried to help with the poling, but Ankhef and his sons pushed him away, telling him the Commander of the Medjai, and Nuit's Chosen One, must save his strength to fight the Dark One.
Ardeth had felt a bit uneasy at their words, but he was exhausted and didn't put up much of a fight. He sat back under the canopy and thought about the task which had been set before him. He'd been sure that Nuit had told him she wouldn't be needing his help for many floodings of the Nile. Why did she now task him with bringing the Bracelet of Lostris to London?
Unless...unless Nuit had meant that his task was to prevent the forces of the Dark One from destroying Egypt, and his restoring Ma'at to Egypt was only the first part of the task.
If that was true, then Ardeth would have an arduous task ahead of him--one that could take years.
Despite his night's sleep, Ardeth soon found himself dozing in the afternoon sunshine. The past month had worn him out. A wealth of thick black hair spread out on the silk cushion he leaned against. In his sleep, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he dreamed.
Not a nightmare this time. The Gods took pity on his dreams, and instead of having a terrifying dream, Ardeth was riding a strong black stallion through a land full of green plants. Soft rain was coming down and drenching Ardeth as he rode his horse.
He was soaking wet in this pleasant dream, but his dream self didn't seem to mind. A steady rain was calming to him--he was a desert man--and being drenched with water was far better than being drenched in sand from a khamsin wind.
In his dream, the dream Ardeth shivered, for he remembered the horrifying dream with the devil khamsin wind bearing down upon him. He remembered dreaming that the Pyramids were exploding...and both Ardeth and his dream self cringed as he recalled the memory of the millions of souls who suddenly found themselves in the Crossroads of Time. Those souls were crying.
But the rhythmic motions of the black stallion riding through green countryside soon calmed Ardeth's nerves, and both his dream self and his physical self relaxed.
From her own sleeping place, Nuit sleepily opened her silver irised eyes. She smiled down on her earthly son as he lay dreaming, and she sent soft winds to ruffle his hair.
"I kiss the sweat from your brow...I will stay near you, my Son..." she whispered before closing her eyes. She would need to be awake soon, for the afternoon was waning and Ra would arrive home to awaken her.
Ardeth awoke with a start. Beside him was a pitcher of water, which he picked up and took a long sip. Wiping his hand across his mouth, he set the pitcher down and looked around. The sun was going low on the horizon.
He stood up and walked to the small room set aside for use as a bathroom. After finishing his hygiene, Ardeth stepped out and walked down the length of the felucca to an area where a table had been laid out and set with steaming plates full of couscous, vegetables, dipping sauces for the pita bread. Beer was in a pitcher.
"Greetings, Commander of the Medjai," Nakhtmin said. "My sister has prepared this food for you."
"Is she here? Your sister?" asked Ardeth as he sat down at the table. "The breakfast she prepared for me was quite acceptable," he finished as he picked up a piece of warm bread and dipped it in the sauce.
"She is below deck, sleeping away the hot part of the afternoon," Nakhtmin told him as Ardeth took a bite of the bread.
Nakhtmin bowed and left Ardeth alone to eat. He was needed poling, Ardeth thought to himself as he enjoyed the food Ankhef's daughter had prepared. I don't know her name, Ardeth thought and made a note to himself to correct that deficiency as soon as he saw Ankhef.
As he ate, he thought about Ankhef's words. Ardeth was pitted against Nuit and Geb's son, Set. Osiris was murdered by Set and hacked into pieces. Their sisters, Nepthys and Isis, had found the remains of Osiris--sans the phallus--and reassembled him and Osiris became God of the Dead. Set was exiled by Osiris's son Horus. The Book of the Dead depicted Set in an alternate guise as the God of Wind and Storms.
The more he thought about the situation, the more he realized that Nuit was needing an earthly son to counteract Set's deeds. Hitler was native to Germany, far outside the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire. Ardeth knew that wherever the Egyptian Gods had been worshipped, wispy remnants of their power existed and that power would be used were Egypt to be threatened.
But the Egyptian trading empire was never as far north as Germany and Set had placed his follower there. The Gods needed a mortal to counteract the deeds of the Dark One's chosen mortal.
Fitting, Ardeth thought. Set is also the God of Foreign Lands and it would be just like him to place his followers beyond the boundaries of the Egyptian trading empire. He knows that the Gods would ensure the destruction of those who followed him were Set's followers located within the far boundaries of the ancient Egyptian trading empire.
The pilot who planned the destruction of the Pyramids is now in the Underworld, Ardeth thought. He is in the underworld because he travelled into the borders of the ancient Egyptian trading boundaries, and the Gods showed their anger at his potential actions against Egypt.
Ardeth turned the events of the past month over in his mind. Just as he needed help, help appeared. First in the form of Martin Wilkes, the former Keeper of the Bracelet. Martin had called upon Lostris's help and she had first cleared the murky waters under the Mediterraean and then had called a dolphin to help him get back to the surface.
Now Ankhef had been placed in his path. Yes, Ardeth now thought. The Gods are trying to help place Hitler in the Underworld. They are calling all those people who are capable of helping me in my quest. The Gods of Egypt are angry at Set.
Despite the help he had been given, the Commander hoped he would be able to get to London in time...and in one piece.
