Alex ran home once school was let out for the day. He ran in through the door to see the seven sitting in the living room. He ran up to Catlanda and Marok.

"You guys, my class wants you two to come back and talk to us about Egypt in a couple of days! Can you come? Can you come? Can you come?" he excitedly asked them.

"Whoa, hold it sport. Your class wants us to give them a visit? What exactly does your teacher say about this? She didn't really approve of us the last time we gave her class a visit," asked Marok, sounding a bit concerned.

"She's the one who suggested it once she heard us talking about you two. What do you say? Will you come?" he replied, almost pleading.

The two looked at each other with some worry in their eyes. They spoke quietly in Arabic before turning towards Alex.

"Of course we will Alex. Can't disappoint the kids," Marok said with a small smile.

"Whoa. Not only are they cool, and their animals, so is their language," Erin gasped in awe.

"I totally agree," said Kari.

"I say we go and see what they have to say about their home. They are so interesting," Erin suggested.

Kari vigorously nodded in agreement.

00000

Rick walked into the house later in the day only to find an exuberant Alex.

"What's the occasion Alex? What happened that was so magnificent?" he asked as the boy jumped into his arms.

"Catlanda and Marok agreed to go to my school in a few days to talk to my classmates and me," replied Alex.

Rick's expression of happiness immediately went to an expression of disbelief.

"Really? This isn't some joke? They really want to listen to some desert girl and boy?" he asked, the anger tinting his voice.

"No joke. They can't wait and neither can I," Alex told him happily.

Rick put the boy down and Alex watched as his father hurried into Ardeth's room. He grabbed Catlanda by the robes and stared at her.

"Listen. Tell that boy down there that you won't go to his school. I don't want him in danger from all the nasty folk that you seem to attract with that thing," Rick told her angrily.

Marok put a hand on Rick's and moved them away with an angry look on his face.

"No, you listen. We want to go as much as you want us to. The only reason we're doing this is because of the man we saw at the school the other day. If we don't do something now, he'll come back and it could be much worse than the last time," Marok explained to him.

"You mean it could be worse than one of my friends nearly losing his life?" Rick replied, staring at the two.

"Also consider this O'Connell. Those men are the only people who were after the Spire," Catlanda told him.

Rick glared at them before walking out of the room.

"I don't want you to go," came a soft voice from the bed.

The duo twirled around to see that Ardeth was awake.

00000

Pyram was reading the newspaper as Ms. Langrid walked in the front door.

"So how did it go with getting the girl?" he asked, looking up from the picture of the Medjai and horses on the front page.

"Easier than I thought it would be. The students were wanting to see her again," she replied. "I'll let you know for sure tomorrow. The boy's going to make sure with her tonight but I suspect she will say yes," she explained with a smile and laugh.

"Perfect! If those two accept, everything will be falling right into place and our people will finally have the Spire of Isis. Unlike the last attempt with Laron, we will succeed where he failed," Pyram said, staring to laugh.

Ms. Langrid joined in further as he crumpled the paper up and threw it into the wastebasket.

"This will work. I know it will Caroline," he quietly said.

"I don't doubt it. Too bad those men you sent after them didn't get it," she commented.

"Those men were incompetants. I only sent them to see if they could get it without allowing the attack to be connected to us," Pyram explained.

He pouring some wine into the glasses on the table. They lifted them and took a sip.

00000

"What do you mean you don't want us to go? We have to go in order to stop this man before he attacks us again," Marok demanded, Catlanda sitting down beside him.

"It's too dangerous. You'll get hurt," he quietly replied, lifting his hand.

"You should talk. You nearly died trying to save my life. We're going and if you think you're going with us, you're more crazy than I ever took you for," she replied, taking his hand.

"I'm going, no matter how I feel. The only way I'm not going is if I'm not awake," Ardeth told her.

"Man, you are stubborn and I thought she was the worst I met," Marok quietly said to himself.

Ardeth closed his eyes but he still held onto her hands.

"I'm going, whether you like it or not," he replied.

"Alright but Isis' coming as well in case you need help," she sighed.

They could not help but watch as he winced from the immense pain in his shoulder. His hand found its way to the covered wound on his leg. His eyes opened and stared at his daughter.

"It looks like I taught you well though I never thought you'd be doing it on me," he told her.

"I learned from the best you know and the best knew I had to know when I was all alone in the middle of the desert," she replied with a small smile.

Marok turned and faced the door as he heard their conversation. He closed his eyes.

'What if she's right? They are father and daughter. Have I been blind to that all this time? The title of leader might be passed onto her someday. I've never listened before, but why is she changing all that is about me?' he thought to himself. 'It's all so confusing.'

00000

Later in the evening, Evie walked into the room only to see Ardeth awake. Catlanda was asleep in the bed beside him and he was stroking her hair. The Spire was on the floor.

"What...?" she quietly started.

"She was here since I awoke this afternoon. She was so tired that she didn't want to go anywhere. All that she does in the desert requires her to be always on the go and little sleep. It's very tiring," he replied.

He shifted his weight to the edge of the bed and stood up. He limped over to Evie, who kept her eye on him in case he needed help.

"Evelyn, whatever happens, the Spire must be protected from the men who desire it. I hope you understand that's why I'm going with them," he told her.

He tryied to hold the mild pain from showing on his face. She nodded.

"I understand. Just please be careful. She's worried about you enough already by what I've heard. I hate to see her lose the one man that means the most to her," she reassured him.

"I know. She'd rather give up the Spire than see me die," he sighed.

00000

The next day, Alex ran to school. He ran into the classroom to see his teacher at her desk. He walked up to her.

"Ms. Langrid, they said they's come tomorrow for sure," he told her.

"Alright Alex, I'll announce it today that they'll be coming tomorrow," she replied with a smile.

As he started off for his desk, she evilly smiled to herself.

'Pyram, you will be pleased. They've fallen into right into your trap. You're such a genius,' she thought to herself.

TBC...