Author's note:
You know, I started out this story meaning to explore Ardeth and someone else, but got distracted with the fun of writing about Nefertiri and Djosyn. I hope things don't get so complicated to follow.

So it is time to get back on track, don't you think? ;) Ardeth is always worth the wait!

Chapter 14

O'Connell Residence, Cairo, 1931

The Egyptian thunderstorm that was brewing outside seemed to mirror the look on Rick's face as he lumbered down the stairs for breakfast. Ardeth, Alex and Evy already sat at the table, dutifully waiting for the O'Connell head of the house to appear.

"A cheery morning to all." Evy smiled widely in greeting.

She received a glare from Rick, who looked, for all things, miserable.

"Now, darling. The sickness afflicts one at most unpredictable times. Thank the heavens, Rick, that your fever was a result of your lack of water and not because of some unnamed curse."

"And I am out of my mind to be staying in Egypt any longer after what"

"Fortunately, you have earned your right to be out of your mind today, if not for"

Alex's mind was only half-focused on the O'Connell banter; the dialogue with Ardeth a few hours ago in the wee hours of the morning was still playing through her head.

He was not a man to trifle with, yet she found the ease by which he held and maintained a conversation admirable; she had never really been able to accomplish that; it was only a matter of time before she opted for time alone to gather her thoughts. They seemed alright sharing the same air for breathing, she concluded, as long as they did not touch. There was no hateful degeneration of sorts, no repulsiveness, for the moment.

"Coffee, anyone?" Alex motioned to a warm pot.

Three mugs were raised at her question and thrust in front of her.

"Please." Ardeth automatically said. He saw her startled look and easily offered, "The Medjai have heard of the luxury item of coffee; but we do not drink it often."

The pile of food that had appeared on the table after she had sat down was worrying; Alex knew that two men and two women could not possibly finish it all.

"Right," Evy took a sip of the hot brew, closing her eyes in great satisfaction, before stretching out her hand towards the food.

"Please, help yourselves with the food. Eggs, bacon, bread and coffee for three of us. Wheat bread, a bit of oil, cold cuts of meat, beans and maize for Ardeth and his other commanders."

Alex turned around, astounded to find that two other Medjai warriors had materialised behind them, standing silently behind their chief. They were similarly dressed in black, turbans over their heads and scarves covered most of their faces save their eyes.

The warrior that stood to the right of his chief pulled down his scarf, revealing himself as Khaliq, the man whom she thought nearly drove her to her grave the night before.

They whispered in low tones; the O'Connells gave no heed to Ardeth and his commanders, seemingly unperturbed that the warriors' had stepped into their home with no difficulty, much less with no sound behind them.

Alex found herself grappling with the speed by which they spoke, as her ears caught individual words like 'burial' and 'the others', realising that there was something that ran much deeper between the Medjai and the O'Connells which they had not told her. What were those secrets that they kept so close to their chests?

Ardeth motioned his second warrior forward.

"You already know Khaliq. This is my other commander, from the 5th tribe of the Medjai, Hussein."

Hussein inclined his head the same way Ardeth inclined his in greeting, greeting them formally in Arabic and then in English.

"Why, Ardeth, I believe you are only starting to show us the extent to which the Medjai are educated in the manners of diplomacy or shall I say, formal court greetings?" Evy quipped, grinning at Hussein.

"Evy, you underestimate us," Ardeth replied, "All of my commanders are sound in English, and fight as well as, if not better, than I do. They are experienced and seasoned in matters that pertain to the Pharaohs and it is from them that I have learnt all that I have."

"Truly, Ardeth? Rick and I always learn something new about you."

"It is no secret -I consider them my equals as well as leaders and I value their advice and judgement seriously," he continued, "I am only chief because my older brother and father were killed in a raid nearly fifteen years ago. What we are about to say will not be kept a secret from them too."

The sombre mood was dispelled quickly as Khaliq and Hussein sat down next to Ardeth, patting his shoulder in a show of moral support.

"Dr. Khalan," Khaliq broke his bread, "I trust you rested well with the O'Connells?"

"Erof course, very well, Khaliq." She refrained from referring to his driving that had nearly driven her out of her skin with worry.

Next to her, Ardeth and Hussein continued in low tones, Hussein pausing only to scoop himself maize and beans onto his bread.

Alex exhaled heavily, moaning silently. What would Bembridge say should they discover their scholar, whom they sent on a relatively simple expedition to recover scrolls, was now involved with a secret society of menacing looking men who dressed totally in black, who wielded weapons and spoke of equally menacing subjects such as death and burial? On the positive note, she thought, breakfast with the O'Connells was a titillating affair, she speculated, if this happened every day.

"We have accounted for the remaining Medjai," Ardeth announced to all, "the warriors who are left make up only two tribes." There was sadness in his eyes and Alex wondered what had happened in the course of the days that had happened to the O'Connells and the Medjai. His words merely confirmed her suspicion that there was a lot more than what met the eye, or to what she knew of course -their sudden switch of emotions at her mention of Hamunaptra, Ardeth's tribe that had seen a dramatic reduction

"So much for small breakfast talk." Alex began cautiously, thinking that the direct approach would be best. "Let us not skirt the issue of what will happen later."

"What will happen later? Nothing will possibly happen later." Rick echoed grimly.

"Of course, darling," Evy interjected. "Nothing obvious will happen for you. You are ill and you are staying bed today and you are eating all that I cook. That is possibly quite the end of story for you, darling, until you recover."

"As for us, it will be a completely different matter," Alex muttered under her breath.

The Medjai and the O'Connells looked askance at her.

"The work of an Egyptologist is not confined to the library or the museum." Alex stated baldly, issuing a challenge to Evy.

"You are very right, Alex. I have to say, that, well, first-hand experience is always eye-opening." She was skirting the issue again, Alex thought in frustration.

No one seemed willing to resume the talk of last night; Rick's mood was never more sour and Ardeth simply sat back, waiting. No one really wanted to talk about Hamunaptra, yet no one could deny that Hamunaptra still played a dastardly central role in their lives, ever since it infringed itself some ten years ago.

"Dr. O'Connell," Alex began formally, seeing Evy start at the use of her salutation, changing the dynamics of the conversation, "I have to request that this expedition carries on, no matter what you or the Medjai are talking about at present in your code language. And I can understand - after all I am a stranger who only arrived yesterday and still recognise that we are at the preliminary stages of our acquaintance."

"Alex," Evy began, "We -"

"Dr. Khalan," Ardeth started out at the same time.

"...but I do have an obligation to Bembridge, even if you all do not think this is something fit for undertaking"

"Alex, I think you are onto something here." Evy smiled mysteriously. "You are after all attached to the Cairo Museum under the umbrella that screams 'Bembridge' in our faces, the society that Cairo Museum so aims to please. Did you think that we were going to refuse and risk a pay-cut?"

"I thought..." Alex sputtered.

"Egypt is in my blood. Hamunaptra or no." She clarified. Rick was looking glum, she thought. Her husband was in need of a placating session later.

"The Medjai are the ones who know the routes by heart."

Ardeth nodded. "My commanders Khaliq and Hussein are here simply to tell me that there is stilla lot of work to be done in back in the tribe. They will be in charge of them. We, however, will set out tomorrow. It is about two days' ride to Hamunaptra."

"We?" Alex repeated.

"If anyone is an authority on the topography of Egypt, you're looking at him now, babe, our tall, dark and handsome warrior in black." Rick threw in easily, thumb pointed towards Ardeth.

Ardeth frowned; Alex bristled.

"And yes, we. Despite everything, we are unwilling to let you go by yourself. Just imagine, by the end of the trip you might even be grateful that our presence might have managed to save your life in one way or another." He grinned. "Remind me to lend you one of my handguns."

Alex was speechless.

A knock on the front door halted their plans.

Evy got up in a second, and returned with a telegram in her hands, frowning.

"From Dr. Whitsun." She said curtly.

"Ah, improper admissions aside - that oily creep who still hopes for polygamy. I have no intention of sharing my wife with him." Rick's reply was immediate.

"No one said you had to, darling." She was still preoccupied, perusing the telegram with the eyes of a falcon.

"There has been a sudden change in plans. He says I've been assigned to catalogue the latest collection on the Ptolemaic dynasty. It's a shipment that has just come in."

Evy frowned, hopes of travelling to Hamunaptra dashed.

Rick turned to Ardeth and Alex, already anticipating what his wife had to do.

"Ardeth will bring you there. Without us."

"I do not like the sound of this. It seems as if they are riding off into trouble without us around." Rick lay down on the bed tiredly.

Khaliq and Hussein had readied horses for Ardeth and Alex, and left immediately thereafter, not before

"Admit it, Rick," Evy touched his cheek. "You just want to be part of the adventure."

He grumbled slightly, holding her tight against him.

"Just as well that I'm too ill to sit atop a horse.

"You'll recover," she said succinctly.

"Curse that cable from Dr. Whitsun. Doesn't he know that you are 'fully committed' - as stated in the Bembridge contract - to this expedition? Imagine him calling you away for something as petty as cataloguing."

"Why, Rick O' Connell, you had been so adamant about everything to do with Hamunaptra and now -if I'm not hearing wrongly from you - you're actually suggesting that I should go?"

Rick shrugged suggestively and left his smart-mouthed wife to fill in the blanks.

Evy sighed.

"Cataloguing is part of my work, darling. It's not as if I am cataloguing useless events; it's the artefacts found a decade ago in Tutankhamun's tomb! And I'll admit that it is also difficult not to be excited over the latest tomb find! It's just that," she frowned, "I'm just not sure if I trust Ardeth with Alexandra."

"Aha!" Her husband raised a wagging finger in front of her nose. "You fear that Ardeth will kill her in cold-blood as well don't you, wrap her parts that he will conveniently cut up and throw everything into the Nile so as to protect the secrets of Hamunaptra?" Rick offered blatantly.

She smacked him arm, producing a yelp from him.

"There is something about them, Rick. I don't quite know what, but it is very much none of my business. Alex Khalan is," she struggled for words, "is somewhat quite different from what I expected. She is not the old Bembridge woman on a cane, neither is she aged, nor exceedingly ugly. Dare I say Ardeth seems quite taken with her?" Evy raised a brow.

Rick shook his head. "Maybe you're reading way too much into it honey."

"I don't quite know what though. And this will either drive a wedge or build a bridge." Evy said.

He held her tightly, grateful that she was still alive in his arms, the agony of watching her die before his eyes to difficult to replay.

"So for the sake of preventing the next Apocalypse, let us hope then that Dr. Alexandra Khalan has no itchy fingers on her."