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The plane hit a nasty stretch of turbulence, provoking a soft moan from the sleeping Medjai. Watching from her seat, Evy sighed, anxiously.
"He is dear to you?"
Startled by Najat's question, Evy looked up to see the Abadi standing in the aisle, supplies for tending Ardeth carefully balanced in her arms.
"Dear?"
"Yes," Najat replied, studying the Englishwoman. Zaynab and Widad had given her their impressions of the O'Connells, but she sought to form her own opinion of them.
"Well, yes...er...I mean...no...um, well," Evy stammered, unsure how exactly to explain Ardeth's place in their lives. "He's done a lot for us...as a friend, a good friend."
Najat nodded, but said nothing. Kneeling in front of Ardeth, she sat down her supplies and glanced back at Evy.
"He will likely sleep most of the way."
Evy nodded and returned to watching him.
"Your family is playing cards," Najat informed her, and Evy smiled, absently. Noticing the Englishwoman hadn't taken the hint, the Abadi barely refrained from sighing and tried again. "Cards are not seen amongst our people, but I believe many of the games are better played with four, than three."
Evy nodded, again. Not really listening, it took several seconds for it to finally dawn on her that Najat wanted to tend Ardeth without an audience.
"Oh, yes...yes, of course," she stammered. Rising from her seat, she clumsily made her way to the back of the plane.
Relieved, Najat watched her depart, then gingerly reached up and opened Ardeth's robe. As expected, she found the bandage covering his wound sopping with blood. She sighed in exasperation, knowing it should be stitched - but even if Ardeth agreed to it, it would be impossible to do on the bumpy plane. As if on cue, the craft bounced several times, bringing Ardeth's eyes fluttering open. She bowed as they fixed on her.
"Yo...u...ha...ve...not," Ardeth attempted, but his throat was too dry to cooperate. Najat reached for a cup from amongst her supplies and pour a little water into it. Rising up, she held it gently to his lips.
"Thank you," the Medjai successfully managed, but, then, drowsy from fever, blood loss and the effects of the medicine, found it necessarily to pause. Briefly closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, wincing slightly, and tried to gather his strength.
"They have been told nothing of your intentions," Najat informed him, as he opened eyes. It wasn't difficult to guess what he'd been attempting to ask. Ardeth exhaled a relieved sigh and closed his eyes.
Najat watched as he drifted back to sleep, then turned her attention back to his wound. Spreading out her supplies, she thickly smeared more salve onto a bandage, deciding that would be the simplest way of handling it with Ardeth seated.
The Medjai roused as she carefully removed the old bandage. Keeping his eyes shut tightly, he held his breath while she wiped away the excess blood and secured the new bandage. Feeling Najat close his robe, he exhaled slowly and drifted back to sleep.
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Evy glanced up as Najat approached.
"How is he?"
"He sleeps," the Abadi replied. Evy frowned at the vague answer, prompting Najat to continue. "His fever has risen."
Evy nodded, appreciating the Abadi's honesty.
"It will be good when we are on the ground, again, and he can rest more comfortably."
Evy nodded in agreement, but then frowned. "How much farther is your village, once we've reached Cairo."
"It is only a half day's journey."
Evy sighed, glancing down the aisle, toward Ardeth. Her expression made it clear that she'd hoped the village would be closer than it was.
"Do not despair. The journey will not be difficult," Najat comforted. Evy tossed her a dubious glance, prompting Abadi to elaborate. "We will travel by river most of the way, and then by car the remainder of the distance. That portion will be uncomfortable for him, I grant you, but it will be brief."
"By car?" Evy questioned, surprised.
"Yes," the Abadi answered, amused.
"I wouldn't have expected..."
Najat interrupted with a chuckle, before explaining. "No, we do not often use such means of transportation, but it can be arranged when necessary."
Evy nodded, and Najat politely bowed to excuse herself. Watching her stow her supplies, then head back down the aisle toward Ardeth, a sudden thought struck Evy and she abruptly rose to follow. Watching Najat sit in the aisle seat across from Ardeth, she was tempted to sit in the empty aisle seat next to him, but decided she might disturb him and sat next to the Abadi instead. Sensing the Englishwoman sought conversation, Najat turned, slightly, toward her.
"Najat...what exactly is this urgent business of Ardeth's?"
Najat studied her for a moment, before replying, "that is not for me to say."
Evy expelled a low, exasperated breath. "Yes, so all of you keep saying. Why is it 'not for you to say'? Is it that you don't know?"
"I am aware of what he seeks to accomplish, yes, but I am honored bound not to speak of it."
Evy sighed. She was familiar enough with Egyptian honor to know Najat would not easily give her the information she wanted. Resigned, Evy turned toward the window and watch the clouds float past. Only a few had passed before new questions tickled her curiosity, and she glanced, again, at the Abadi.
"Najat...Zaynab was kind enough to tell me the legend of the Devourer," Evy commented, nonchalantly. The Abadi simply cocked her head. Having already been informed of the conversation, she'd been waiting for the Englishwoman's questions.
"And...um...she mentioned the fellow possessed two cursed weapons: a dagger and a sword."
"Yes, that is correct," Najat confirmed.
"Yes, well...um...let's see, how to put this." Evy smiled, self-consciously, as the Abadi waited, patiently. "I'll just get straight to it...the dagger I...I mean...well..."
Mercifully, Najat cut her off. "You mean to say that Ardeth Bey's injuries were inflicted with a dagger, and you are concerned that, perhaps, it is the Devourer's dagger?"
Evy nodded.
"It is," the Abadi stated, matter-of-factly. Stunned, Evy just stared at her for a few seconds, then swallowed hard as it all suddenly fell into place.
"That's why he was in England, wasn't it? To claim the weapons, before they could be used?"
"That was his purpose, yes."
"But why Ardeth? What do the Medjai have to do with all this? Shouldn't that have been the Abadi's responsibility?" Evy questioned, frowning.
"Indeed, the weapons are the responsibility of the Abadi. However, for tens of centuries, the Medjai and the Abadi have been...I believe you would say 'allied'," Najat explained.
"Allied? I don't understand."
"The territory the Medjai guard is vast - too vast for one tribe, even one as large as the Medjai, to guard alone. Over the centuries they have allied with other tribes, such as the Abadi, for assistance in fulfilling their duties. Of course, the alliances do not serve only the interest of the Medjai; they are mutual beneficial," the Abadi elaborated.
"All right, but that still doesn't explain why Ardeth came for the weapons," Evy pointed out.
"When the location of the weapons was discovered, it seemed prudent to send Ardeth, as he is more familiar with your ways than are the Abadi. We made the request; he consented."
"All right, I suppose that it explains why he was the one...but, once the weapons were used, why wasn't..."
"His soul devoured?" Najat finished for her, glancing briefly at Ardeth.
Evy nodded, feeling slightly nauseous as the image of her friend's soul being eaten by her own flashed through her mind.
"Because he still lives," the Abadi explained, patiently.
Evy swallowed hard. "So if he dies from his injuries, his soul will be sucked into the person that stabbed him."
"Correct."
"But if he doesn't die, everything will be all right?" Evy questioned, nervously. Again, Najat cocked her head.
"I do not understand what you ask," she stated, innocently.
"Well...um...Zaynab mentioned something about a guardian...and, well, um..."
"You wonder if she will rise to destroy the soul of the offender?"
Evy nodded, nervously.
"That is being tended to; you need not concern yourself," Najat answered, evasively.
"But...?!" Evy began to argue, her brow furrowing with concern.
"I assure you, you need not fear for your soul," Najat stated, emphatically. Whatever the final outcome, the Abadi felt reasonably certain Ardeth's will was strong enough to cling to his soul until he'd faced Al 'Asima. Evy's eyes welled with guilty tears as she realized the Abadi knew full well who bore the responsiblilty for Ardeth's injuries.
"Yes, it is true Ardeth Bey revealed that his wounds were inflicted by your hand," Najat added, noticing Evy's surging emotion.
"It was...I mean, I never intended...I mean, Ardeth's our friend...I would never..."
Najat held up a hand to still the overwrought Englishwoman. "He has explained that it was not intended."
Evy nodded. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took several deeps breaths to regain her composure and focused again on the Najat. There was little else to do on the plane but sit and think, which Evy's had grown weary of doing. She'd rather see how much more information she could pry out of the Abadi.
"Have they been used often?"
"The weapons?" Najat clarified, and Evy nodded. "Since the time of the Devourer... no. They have not."
"Have they been used at all?"
Najat nodded. "Only once within the memory of those who now live."
"And what happened? Was a soul devoured? Did the guardian rise?"
"No. Al 'Asima did not rise," Najat answered, shaking her head. Evy opened her mouth to quiz the Abadi, but Najat held up a hand to stop her. "The circumstances were...unusual."
"Unusual? Like now?" Evy asked, curiously. Najat glanced down, pondering for a moment, then peered at the Englishwoman.
"It was similar...the injured, then as now, was a leader of the Medjai, and his death was not intended by she who wounded him."
"His death!? So he died...and his soul was devoured?" Evy asked.
"It was not." Najat answered, earning a puzzled frown from the Englishwoman.
"Why...?"
"The circumstances were such that had never occurred during the time the Abadi have guarded the weapons." Evy's eyes grew wide with curiosity as she waited for Najat to explain the statement. "You see his soul could not be devoured by his attacker, for her soul had already departed her body before his death."
"What happened!? How'd she die!?"
"She was killed traveling toward our village, perhaps intending to return the weapons and stand before Al 'Asima. It is not known for certain," Najat answered, noncommittally. Evy shook her head, mesmerized by the tale. She was about to ask more questions when the plane bounced violently, nearly tossing her out of her seat. Across the aisle, Ardeth gasped. Najat rushed over and knelt in front of him, taking his hand.
"What can I do?" Evy asked, anxiously, crawling into the seat next to the Medjai. Najat glanced up and studied the Englishwoman.
"You may take his hand, if you would like," she finally replied, after several seconds. "It is unlikely he will awaken for long, if at all; the medicine he was given is strong. Still, even in his sleep, I believe it provides comfort."
Evy nodded and took Ardeth's free hand. Feeling him squeeze it as the plane hit another bounce, she closed her eyes against the tears threatening to well up. It was her fault he was suffering.
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Evy nearly bolted from her seat as a gentle hand lightly brushed her cheek. Catching her breath, she peered up into her husband's bright green eyes.
"We'll be landing in a few minutes," he informed her, smiling affectionately. Evy nodded and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Rick sat down across the aisle, and Alex took his place in front of her.
"You'll need to hold his hand, mum," he stated, matter-of-factly, nodding his head toward Ardeth. Evy glanced at him, puzzled.
"The landings are really hard on him," the child elaborated, knowingly. "I can do it, if you'd rather sit with dad. I did it last time, so..."
Evy smiled sweetly at her son. She felt reluctant to leave Ardeth, but it was obviously important to Alex that he be the one to hold the Medjai's hand.
"Perhaps I will sit with your dad," she replied, after a few seconds of hesitation. "If you're certain you'll be all right..."
"Thanks, mum." Alex responded, grinning broadly, pleased she'd taken the hint.
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Impatiently waiting as the plane lurched to halt and, finally, stood still, Evy jumped to her feet to check on Ardeth.
"Pardon."
The soft whisper stopped her mid-step. Looking up, Evy saw one of the Abadi - she assumed Widad, since she didn't recognize the voice - carrying a large bundle and politely shuffled back out of the aisle to let her pass. Distracted, it didn't occur to Evy to wonder what was in the bundle. She fidgeted as she waited for Samih to follow his charge toward the door, then, rushed across the aisle. Kneeling in front of him, Ardeth startled her by opening his eyes a crack and focusing on her. Evy smiled, anxiously.
"How are you doing?"
Ardeth closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath, but winced as it pushed against his aching ribs and tugged on the wound. Exhaling slowly, he cracked his eyes open again.
"I am fine," he croaked, in a soft whisper barely loud enough to hear, and let his eyes close again.
Evy smiled, as did Alex. The absurdity of the answer was so obvious that it would have been laughable had they not been so worried. Ardeth's skin nearly glowed with renewed fever, yet still managed to seem deathly pale, sending a chill down Evy's spine as she studied him. Clearly, despite sleeping nearly the entire distance, the bumpy plane ride had taken its toll on him.
"The river will be less taxing," Najat soothed, seeing the Englishwoman's anxious expression as she approached. "It will also be possible to better tend to his needs."
Evy nodded, hopefully, and moved out of the way as Muhannad and Rick moved in to help the Medjai from his seat.
"Ardeth...," Rick warned, before reaching for the warrior. Ardeth cracked his eyes, again, and studied his friend, before nodding consent.
Biting his lip against the pain, the Medjai almost managed to stifle his pained gasps as he was gently pulled to his feet. The fuzziness in his brain had increased again, but he could still think clearly enough to be astonished by how much weaker he'd grown during the relatively short flight. Unable to really sustain any of his own weight, he hung limply between Rick and Muhannad, helpless to do much beyond keeping his feet beneath him as the trio awkwardly maneuvered out of the plane.
To weak to help, getting into the car became more of an ordeal than Ardeth would have thought possible. Finally situated, the Medjai panted, exhaustedly, as he leaned heavily against the metal frame. Waiting for the vehicle to lurch into motion, Ardeth wearily closed his eyes. It seemed like they hardly been closed a second when a lurching stop brought him awake with a hiss.
"Sorry, buddy," Rick offered, sympathetically, glancing over his shoulder at the Medjai.
Ardeth didn't bother to respond, preoccupied with a slight tickle of dread dancing across his stomach as he waited for hands to pull him painfully from the vehicle. He didn't have to wait long.
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