THE JOURNEY TO DISCOVERY
1931
Ardeth came to Hazz Haka as
he was instructed. He expected to see
the other six elders, but Hazz had sent them away. He only needed his apprentice to summon Osiris and Isis. The fewer people around, the better it would
be. Besides, Hazz didn't feel
comfortable performing any ritual in front of the elders who did not understand
the mystic. When Ardeth came into
Hazz's quarters, he led the warrior into a special room he had set up for this
purpose. He saw a statue of Isis on one
side of the room and that of Osiris on the other. Between the two statues laid a flat stone platform. Ardeth was familiar with the platform. He had seen Sharîk laid out on one four
years ago. He didn't know how
comfortable he was with laying upon it. However, it was necessary for him to comply to end the curse. He lay back on the hard surface and fixed
his eyes unfeelingly onto the ceiling. As if from another planet, Hazz stood near giving him commands every few
moments. He was so very tired that
Hazz's monotone voice lulled him to sleep as if he were an infant. Close your eyes and clear your mind,
Hazz commanded. Do not think of
anything but your journey. Ardeth
listened and cleared his mind. For the
first time in his life, there was absolutely nothing there. You must hold onto the amulet,
Ardeth. Place your left hand over it
and in your mind, chant Isis and Osiris. Nothing else. I shall take care
of the rest. He brought his left
hand up and placed it flat on the amulet. To himself, he chanted the names as was directed. The figurine of Isis began to warm beneath
his hand and the tiger's eye felt hot to the touch, but he kept his hand still,
refusing to break the spell. Although
Hazz hadn't said, Ardeth felt the presence of Set, and Set was desperately
trying to work in his mind to break the trance. The great powers of Isis and Osiris will flow into the
room. Your body will warm and become
quite hot. The portal door will open
and a great brightness will enter. Despite the temptation, do not open your eyes. You cannot look into the portal. He listened carefully, still silently chanting the names. When you awaken, you will be lying at the
base of a great pyramid. This is the
pyramid that will bear the portal door for which you will enter and exit back
in our time. He felt a trickle of
sweat rolling down his chest. Suddenly,
the room temperature had gone up twenty degrees or more. The amulet continued to grow warmer against
his hand. Introduce the tiger's eye
to the portal. Once the door is closed,
you will be sent back as you left. With
you, you only carry what you need to survive. You will have your scimitar and the scroll. Nothing else. You will
not linger in time. You will lock the
portal forever and return. If you
should lose direction, turn to the amulet for answers. Hazz gazed down at Ardeth. There was nothing there. He was a blank slate with tightly closed
eyes. Although the amulet was glowing,
he had not removed his hand. His body
gleamed with the sweat pouring off it. Behind Hazz, he heard his apprentice gasp. The portal was open and it was time to lead Ardeth onward. The power of Osiris and Isis flow through
you. You will walk to the portal now
without being aware that you are moving at all. Do not open your eyes. Once you awaken, you are to close the portal and return. Do nothing else. If you become separated from the amulet, you will not return to
your time. Guard the amulet. Guard it with your life as you have guarded
the Pharaohs for centuries. If you lose
the amulet, you will have no more than eight weeks to retrieve it. After that, the world as we know it will
cease to exist. Ardeth said
nothing, saw nothing, thought nothing. He kept his eyes closed tightly and his hand pressed against the
amulet. He took in the instructions
without being aware of it. He felt
little movement but never doubted Hazz's words. Suddenly, he felt hands on him, touching him, wiping away his
sweat. It took extreme control to
remain prone. The hands were those of a
woman. You may now stop chanting as
the great God and Goddess is among us. Let the hands guide you. Do not
fight. The hands guided him, but he
couldn't feel his body moving anywhere. It felt as if it were still in its horizontal position. Hazz stood back, deep in a trance, and
didn't see the Medjai warrior being led by the hand of Isis toward the
portal. There was light, a great light,
and the heat emanating from it was tremendous. The sweat began to pour again, but he never removed his hand, never
allowed a stray thought to enter. Râh
ma'a Allâh, a woman's voice whispered. [Go with God] The light died as
abruptly as it began and Ardeth felt nothing.
* * *
Present Day
Tap, tap, tap. Nothing.
I feel nothing. Tap, tap, tap. Nothing. I see
nothing. TAP, TAP, TAP. You will not rouse me, Set. I am immune to your evil. The security guard on duty at the
Pyramid Arena stood gazing curiously at the fellow who had obviously tied on
one too many. The fellow was wearing
the weirdest shit he had ever seen. He
was in some strange robe looking getup with a cape. Hell. One minute under
the scorching sun and he'd come out of those clothes. There were some funky looking tats on his face and hands. Beeeezare. He wondered how the fellow got down here all the way from Beale
Street. This character had to
have come from Beale. There was no
other explanation. He took his
nightstick and tapped at the man's feet again. Jesus. Was he dead? Oh please don't let there be a murder on my
watch. Goddamn. Gotta get the hell out of Memphis. "Come on, buddy, get yer ass up. You cain't be loiterin' around here." He kneeled down ready to feel for a
pulse. The moment his fingers drew near
the man's neck, a hand shot out, hot as fire, and grabbed hold of his
wrist. The guard jumped back, tripped
over his feet, and fell square on his ass. The drunkard came to his feet suddenly and whipped out a wicked looking
sword. The guard held up his hands
defensively as he watched the snarling man. "Hey now, hold it, buddy, you don't have to do that!"
"Where am I," he
demanded.
The guard gulped and stared
at the sword wielding man. "Buddy, yer
in Memphis."
Confused, Ardeth looked
around him. "Memphis," he spat. "Memphis in Egypt?"
"Naw, man. Memphis in Tennessee."
Thoroughly out of touch, he
turned in a wide arc. At the same time,
he kept watch on the man. Was this the
great pyramid? There was nothing around
him but asphalt and tall structures. This
wasn't Egypt. He turned back toward the
man, recalling that he had spoken English, not Arabic. In the distance, he heard a great rumbling
noise. There were automobiles of all
shapes and sizes whipping rapidly about. He had never seen so many machines in his life. Overhead, he heard the faraway whoosh of
a plane over head. He looked up into
the blue, blue sky and saw a very large plane slowly making its
dissension. His heart rate and
breathing slowed significantly. He was
in the future. What year? It surely wasn't 1931. He turned his attention fully on the
man. He wore the symbol of a badge on
his chest. Was he an authority? Realizing that the man meant him no harm,
Ardeth sheathed his scimitar and focused his eyes on the guard.
"This is America," he
asked. The man said nothing. He nodded a little and gulped again [He ain't a drunkard. He's a fuckin' nut job, the guard
thought]. He had been sent to the
future in America. This large hideous
structure before him was the great pyramid? It seemed more like an abomination than anything else. What purpose did this pyramid serve? Ardeth's head began to thump sickly. The heat was unbearable and he needed
water. However, there was little time
for that. As if suddenly remembering
why he'd been sent to this place, he reached up to remove the amulet. His hand touched nothing more than his
chest. His heart rate went up an octave
and he reached for his scimitar again. The guard watched with large, horrified eyes and the nut job came at him
with the sword. "Where is the amulet,"
he demanded. When the guard didn't
immediately speak, Ardeth rested the tip of his scimitar just barely under the
man's chin. "What have you done with
the amulet," he spat.
"Look, Jack, I don't know
what the hell yer talkin' 'bout. I
ain't seen no amalet. Hell, man, I
don't even know what a amalet is."
Ardeth withdrew again, but
kept his scimitar at the ready. He went
back to the area where he had lain. The
amulet wasn't there. Frustrated at his
failure and the fact that he was stuck in this Godforsaken heat pit, he growled
deeply within his throat. How could he
close the portal and get back to his own time without the amulet? He focused his attention on the guard
again. He could easily see that he was
terrified. As an act of good faith, he
sheathed his scimitar once again. He
wanted to show the man he wouldn't hurt him, unless he had stolen the amulet,
but that would come later if necessary. "Did you see the amulet around my neck when you approached me?" Before the man could sputter that he didn't
know what it was, Ardeth held up a dismissive hand. "It is a large pendant, silver, with a tiger's eye quartz. Did you see anything like this around my
neck?"
He shook his head
violently. "Uh uh, good buddy. I didn't see nothin' on yer neck. Maybe somebody stolt it? Jack, you were passed out hard and heavy. I hit yer foot about a thousand times trying
to wake you up. You didn't move. Didn't do nothin.' Look, you can go to the police station and tell the cops. They might be able to help you find it."
* * *
Leven stretched and yawned
as her alarm clock screamed and screamed. She smacked the snooze button and snuggled back under the covers. After two minutes, she groaned aloud. It was no use. She had to get up, why put off the inevitable? She slid out of bed, cranky and out of
sorts. At least she had slept better
last night than she had ever slept. As
far as she knew, she hadn't had any dreams. Goody for me. She moved
around her room and reached over and turned on her small portable
television. Suddenly, she heard a
reporter say: Early this morning,
Memphis police took a man into custody for attacking a Pyramid Arena security
guard with a sword. Leven shook her
head. Where were all these weirdoes
coming from? Memphis was swarming with
them now. "Jesus," she sighed as she
put toothpaste on her toothbrush. She
shivered as she thought of a man wielding a sword. God. Psychos abound! She hoped the creep would stay out of her
way. A slight tingling sensation began
to prickle down her spine, touching every nerve ending down to her toes. A man with a sword? Why did that tweak her? There were dozens of homeless people, some
of them with mental illnesses who wandered the streets of Memphis at all
hours. He was probably nothing more
than a confused patient not taking his medication. Yet, the image bothered her. Why did she suddenly feel as if she should help this man? She shook her head and spat out a mouthful
of toothpaste. She had no time to
lament over yet another wild man nabbed by the cops. She had a job to go to, a store to open, and if she were late,
the boss would have her ass in a sling.
* * *
After an hour or two in a
smelly barred room the authorities called a 'drunk tank,' Ardeth was
released. The guard had tricked him by
bringing him to the police department only to say that he had been
attacked. Before Ardeth could explain,
there were two or three men coming at him at once. Still shocked from the journey, he was ill prepared for an
attack. His hand fell on the scimitar
about three seconds too late. The men
were on him, seizing the scimitar and the scroll. They threw him into a…what did they call it…drunk tank? His anger burned deeply within him. He had no time for delays. When they released him, they returned the
scroll, but held onto his scimitar. How
could he defend himself properly without it? He was led from the building by an authority who told him something very
confusing: "Take your meds!" Meds? Medication? What did he mean by
that? Ardeth made his way down the
flight of stairs to the hot concrete. The city was crowded and the sidewalks filled with people. Most of them didn't glance at him
twice. However, there were quite a few
who stared at his strange style of dress and the sacred marks he bore on his
face and hands. He didn't give one
thought as to where he would go. He
knew he needed to make his way back toward the great pyramid. One of the authorities told him to 'start
hitting pawnshops' to find his amulet. He wasn't sure what a pawnshop was, but he thought pawning was some type
of bartering. Perhaps these shops were
like some type of market or street bazaar. He gazed down at a handwritten list given to him at the police
department. Someone, he wasn't sure
whom, had made an extensive list of pawnshops. He didn't know where to begin, but he had an amazing sense of direction
and didn't doubt he would find what he was looking for.
As he progressed down the
sidewalk, glancing at street signs every now and then, the heat began to beat
down on him once again. Accustomed to
dry, arid heat, he didn't know what to make of the humidity hanging heavily in
the air. It was nearly impossible to
breathe. Very soon, he would have to
find more water and food. He hadn't
eaten in almost two days. Before he was
released from the holding cell, he had drunk their water greedily, splashing
his face, washing away the exhaustion and confusion. He was dehydrated and starving, but he put his physical needs
aside to focus on finding the amulet. As soon as he retrieved it, he could leave this place. He was never more ready to leave than he was
now. Some nudge, some mental pull
forced him to stop and turn in the opposite direction. Where was his intuition leading him? He saw no pawnshops on either side of the
street, yet something was telling him to go this way. Not one to ignore his instincts, he followed the commands his
intuition gave.
* * *
Leven was just a bit on the
irritated side. The shop had been jumping
busily today. The boss had come by at
noon, noticed all the activity and decided to hang around to help. More than one customer mentioned the sword
wielding mental case. She blocked out
the voices. She couldn't stand to hear
them speak so ugly about this man none of them knew. She felt an unexplainable surge of protectiveness toward
him. If she had a choice, she would
leave. She glanced over at the creep
who signed her paychecks, and she couldn't help but wonder why he had stopped
by so early in the day. Normally, he
never stepped into the joint before two in the afternoon. Oddly, there was a black cord sticking out
of his back pocket. She was tempted to
tug at it, but the prick would likely think she was hitting on him. She had no idea why her eyes were drawn to
that cord, but she couldn't stop staring at it for several minutes. It took the petulant shout of a customer to
pull her out of it. When she had a moment
to breathe again, her eyes settled on the boss' back pocket again. This time, there was no cord hanging
out. He had either tucked it in deeper
into his pocket or she had hallucinated the whole thing.
* * *
Ardeth walked for miles that
day and finally stopped as the sun began to set. He hadn't found the amulet and his spirits began to wane. He immediately began searching for some type
of shelter, but had doubts that he would find anything. As the light grew dimmer and dimmer still,
the heat began to settle down just a bit, and for that, he was thankful. His stomach growled pitifully and the inside
of his mouth was drier than any desert. He had not come prepared for this. However, none of them planned the robbery of his amulet, did they? He stood in front of a fairly modest looking
brick building. He had no idea why he
had come here. It mattered very
little. He leaned against a dark corner
wall and slid down. He was so very
tired; he had never been so exhausted. He fell into a fitful, restless doze, too tired to notice the mosquitoes
nibbling at his exposed flesh.
* * *
Leven came around the rear
of her building to let herself inside her apartment. A low moan caught her attention. She immediately tensed up. Her
neighborhood was relatively safe, but anything could happen. She placed a key strategically between each finger
and waited. One moment passed, then
two, then three, then a dozen. She had
yet to feel the hands wrapping around her throat. Her instincts were telling her to move her ass, to get inside,
but she hesitated. Another low moan
issued directly behind her. It was the
voice of a man. Keeping her keys in
hand like crazy spikes, she moved toward the moaning man. The darkness had cloaked him well, but she
could see the silhouette of his body slumped against the wall. Don't go over there. Ignore it. Move on. Go inside. She couldn't listen to her conscience, not
this time. Some unknown force was
drawing her toward this man. As she
drew nearer, she saw a large hand with long fingers dangling listlessly over a
hidden knee. There were tattoos on the hand
that were triangular in shape. She
moved even closer and another moan issued forth. He was speaking, but she couldn't make out his words. Dâyi' [lost]. Mayy [water]. Hirz [amulet]. His words were thick and foreign to her
ears. Was he delirious? Another thought entered her mind. Was this man the sword wielder? She moved around and drew even closer than
before. She had a small flashlight in
her purse, and she began to dig for it, hoping that the batteries weren't
dead. She clicked the button and the
light came to life. She shined it into
his face. There were tattoos on his
cheeks and forehead and a matching tattoo on the hand she had not seen. His hair was soaked from the water loss
through his sweat, but she could easily make out its long length and black
color. He was dressed in what appeared
to be heavy robes of some sort. In
this heat? He continued to moan
deliriously, saying the same words over and over. Completely oblivious to the identity of this man slunk before
her, she kneeled beside him and smacked his cheek.
"Hey, fella, wake up. Are you okay?"
He heard the soft voice of a
woman. Thinking he was dreaming, he
didn't immediately open his eyes. When
he felt the light slap of her hand, he barely noticed. She smacked his cheek again, this time a bit
harder. His eyes came open and he
focused them on her face. Completely
oblivious to the identity of this woman kneeled before him; he gazed up at her
in confusion. Who was she? Another authority? "No. No bars. I do not wish to go back."
She smiled a little. He thought she was a cop. Yes. This was the sword wielder. She
had no doubt. However, it didn't seem
as if he were unstable at all. He was
out of place, but completely lucid. His
skin was clammy to the touch and he needed water. "Can you walk? I can help
you if you can walk."
He didn't speak. Instead, he nodded. He could walk. He needed water, needed to get away from the humidity. He needed a bed, sleep, and food. If she could help with that, he could
walk. He would run if he were
pressed. She stood back to give him
room to move. He brought himself up to his
feet and shook off the fog. He vaguely
wondered why she wasn't afraid when the others had been. Would she think him insane? He had trusted the guard and he had taken
him to be locked away. He was reluctant
only for a brief moment. There was
something about her that he trusted. He
wasn't sure what, but he didn't care. Her voice, demeanor, and touch were kind. For the time, kindness was all he needed.
Leven stood back as he moved
cautiously away from the wall. She
thought he felt better than he looked, but if he didn't get some water into
him, he might have a heat stroke. He
had begun to move forward, seemingly knowing where she was leading him. "Hey," she called out, "Wait. You don't know where you're going."
He stopped and turned toward
her. A brief glimmer of recognition
flashed in his eyes, but it was lost as soon as it came. "No, I do not." He gazed at the sweet malak [angel] behind him and hoped
he wasn't having another unreachable dream. Vaguely, he wondered if he had succumbed to thirst and she was sent to
lead him into the afterlife.
Leven approached him and
took his arm as if he were escorting her to a fancy party. She grabbed onto him because he was very
shaky on his feet, and if she didn't support him a little, he would fall face
first onto the pavement. "Come on. You're dazed," she said. "We need to get some water into you."
Water. Yes. Water and sleep. After he had
equal amounts of both, he could continue his exhaustive search. He had little time to waste. He walked with the woman toward her building
and felt a sense of déjà vu. He shook
it off. He had never been here before. The thought was crazy and misguided. He was hallucinating, lost, but driven.