At the precise moment of Imhotep's resurrection, miles across the desert at Karnak, Tilly stood up suddenly and swayed. She put a hand to her head as if to ward off the overwhelming dizziness.
"Tilly? What's wrong?" Evy asked, also standing up from where she was studying the stone tablets and rushing over to the younger woman.
"I'm so dizzy," she gasped, trying desperately not to fall down. Evy quickly grabbed her arm and called to Jonathan, who joined them hurriedly and helped to support her.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked, not bothering to ask the sick girl who was getting paler by the second. To his shock she suddenly slumped in a dead faint and he found himself holding her entire weight.
"Uh-oh," he muttered, trying to stop her from falling to the ground. The professor came over and swung her up in his arms fairly easily, her hat falling from her head to the sand below.
Evy put a hand to Tilly's forehead, but it was relatively cool to the touch. "Let's get her back to the tent," she said, leading Jackson and Jonathan up the slope towards the camp. "Maybe she's had too much sun?"
"With the size of that hat? I shouldn't think so! What if it's some illness? We can't stay out here, she may need a doctor!" Jonathan said from behind them.
"Don't let's panic just yet, brother dear. It could still be the heat. She isn't used to it yet."
Rick looked up from cleaning his Thompson Machine gun and threw it to the ground when he saw them approaching, getting swiftly to his feet.
"What happened?"
"Tilly fainted. She said she felt dizzy and then she just fell down," Evy explained quickly. "I have no idea what's wrong with her other than maybe the heat."
"Professor, put her inside on her bed. Evy," Rick said, issuing orders as was his custom. "Loosen her clothing? That's what you have to do isn't it? I'll get some water from the lake."
They all went about doing their tasks, Evy ordering the hovering Jonathan away whilst she stripped Tilly down and put her thin night-gown on her. At least it was perfectly respectable to be seen in, she thought, because there was no way Rick and Jonathan were going to keep away.
Tilly suddenly started moaning, almost as if in pain, her voice getting louder and louder. Evy thought she was coming round and she was shocked when she suddenly started speaking in ancient Egyptian, a language Evy knew Tilly had no knowledge of.
"Rick?" she called, the sloshing of water in a bucket alerting her to his nearing presence. He pulled back the white dividing curtain to Tilly's corner and frowned when he heard her speaking although still unconscious. The professor joined them, his eyes taking in Tilly's semi-clothed appearance.
"What the hell is she saying?" Rick asked.
"It's a bit mixed up...she's saying that he is near...that he will begin the life..." she shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense. But I guess this means it wasn't the heat that got to her."
"Why's that?"
"She doesn't know any Egyptian, Rick, not a word."
"Oh God, then this is...what? The start of that damn prophecy? Ardeth didn't say anything about her getting ill!"
"I don't think she's really ill, you know. I think something somewhere has happened and her unconscious mind has started taking over. I know it sounds ridiculous," she said, catching his cynical look. "But Ardeth said she has no knowledge of who she is...yet. Perhaps this is a precursor to whatever ceremony has to take place?"
"Well, it sounds convincing anyway. The question is, what do we do now?"
"She may come round soon. I'll stay with her and make sure she's okay. You and Jonathan get the professor somewhere safe with those tablets and keep guard!"
Rick ran out of the tent with the professor, hollering at Jonathan as he went and they all made their way down to the dig site.
"Is there anything wrong? Miss Wilson is doing fine isn't she?" The professor asked suddenly as if he hadn't been in the tent with them. Rick stopped dead and stared at him in astonishment. "You were just in the tent with us...you carried her back...don't you remember?"
The professor frowned. "I'm not sure. Yes, vaguely, I think...is she alright?"
"No, not really," Rick replied, grimacing. "We don't think it's just a faint. She's started speaking some sort of ancient Egyptian, but she's still unconscious."
"Then I may be able to help Evy with the translation?"
"Why not? We need to get these tablets somewhere safe and you along with them. It may as well be at the camp, at least I'll be able to watch everyone at the same time!" He motioned to Jonathan and Jack to collect the stones and they took them quickly back to the tent with them. Rick took a moment to tell his wife of Jack's sudden strange amnesia before the man himself walked in and was drawn to where Tilly lay speaking the strange language. He smiled at Evy and cocked his head to one side, listening for a moment.
"That doesn't seem to make much sense."
"I know. I have no idea what it is she's trying to say. She doesn't speak this language you know."
"Not even a word? But she sounds fluent..." he began.
"She does now. I think this is that prophecy I told you about. Otherwise, how do I explain this sudden knowledge of ancient Egyptian?"
"I see what you mean. Why does she keep mentioning the lake?"
"I'm not sure. She keeps saying 'the lake is deep' and then at other times 'the central door' but...well, I'm stumped, to tell the truth. The only thing I can even begin to think of is what Ardeth told us. He said that she may lead us to the secret temple, even though consciously she knows nothing about its location. What do you think?"
"Well, if your friend is right, then it must have something to do with the lake?"
"That's what I thought, so I went and had a good look at it. There's nothing unusual there."
"Has she said anything else? Any other locations mentioned?"
"She said something about the river, something about the hypostyle hall, she's been muttering obscenities about Seti...I don't know what to think about any of it. Until she starts making a tiny bit of sense there's not really anything we can do! It's so frustrating!"
"Did your friend say who she was again?" the professor asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Who she was? Oh! In her past life, you mean. Meketaten. She was a..."
"A princess, daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Yes, I've heard of her. She died young apparently. I would suggest travelling to Amarna to see what's written there, but..."
"Most of the city was pulled down by Seti." Evy finished for him. "Even if it hadn't been, he made sure that nearly all references to the Aten were destroyed, so we probably wouldn't find much anyway."
"Yes. However, when they excavated the site..."
"Before the war?" Evy asked.
"No, no, later...the British team, not the German one," he watched her nod and continued. "The professor in charge was a friend of mine. He told me there was a mural, a scene of great mourning featuring Akhenaten and his Queen. Apparently this was for Meketaten..."
"Yes, but Ardeth said she worshipped Seth. Her entire family worshipped the Aten, so I doubt they would have mourned her passing to such a great degree! They would have thought of her as a heretic!"
"Exactly. So what really happened to Princess Meketaten? Did she just die of some mysterious illness that was never written about or..."
"Was she killed?"
Jack nodded, his straight hair falling over his forehead with the movement. "Of course, the only problem with that theory is what's happening now and who it was exactly who killed her!"
"Well, it could have been her own family."
"Which is what I thought at first, but the few things we have found out about the Pharaoh suggest that he treasured his family and showed a public devotion to them that was unprecedented. It seems unlikely that they would have killed her themselves."
"She may have been sacrificed then." Evy stated, frowning thoughtfully. "That would explain why she's about to make a comeback, I suppose."
"Yes, it would indeed. It would also explain why the family mourned her so much, because she was murdered. That would be something they would have been quick to cover up, hence the lack of details on her death." He smiled warmly at Evy and his eyes sparkled down at her. "It's an awful shame you're married Evy, because we think so much alike sometimes it's uncanny!"
"I don't think it's a shame she's married," Rick said, coming up behind them and draping a possessive arm around Evy's waist. He was taller and broader than Jackson Millbrook and he made sure the professor was aware of that fact at any given opportunity. He nodded his head towards the still figure of Tilly. "How's she doing?"
"Exactly the same. She's still been speaking that gobbledegook, although she seems to be a little quieter now. I'm worried she hasn't come out of it yet."
"There's nothing we can do except wait, honey. Why don't we take a look at those tablets you found? It'll at least be a way to pass the time."
"I'd almost forgotten about them. You're right, let's go and examine them, maybe they'll offer us some insight into all of this. Come on Jack." She grabbed Jack's arm, much to Rick's annoyance, and she smiled to herself as she thought of how jealous he would be when they were on their own...and of how ardent he could be when he was trying to win her round. She cleared her throat and felt her cheeks redden when Rick gave her a knowing look, receiving a narrow eyed glare from her.
They sat outside under the rapidly darkening sky and placed the stones in front of them. Jonathan built the fire up so they could see better and Rick prepared them all some coffee, using the small stash of tea he had brought with him for Evy. He placed it in her hands and sat next to her, giving her a lingering kiss that made Jonathan and Jackson look away with slight embarrassment. So, thought Evy, he's already marking his territory. She smiled and snuggled against him, sipping her tea whilst Jackson picked up one of the tablets.
"What's that stuff written all over it? Doesn't look anything like hieroglyphs," Rick remarked.
"It's cuneiform writing..." Evy began.
"This is the cuneiform script of Mesopotamia, and it's in Akkadian," the professor cut in, glancing up briefly at Rick and seeing the blankness that filled the other man's eyes. "Akkadian was a Semitic dialect of Babylonia and Assyria. It was much used in Akhenaten's time."
"Akhenaten?"
"Oh, we didn't tell you. Ardeth said that Tilly was to become Meketaten, who was a princess in the Eighteenth Dynasty, which was about 3000 or so years ago. Anyway, her father was Akhenaten, a great Pharaoh of the time, who turned against all the known religions and worshipped a single god instead, the Aten."
"Yes, I remember Ardeth talking about this Akhenaten and his wife, Nefertiti."
"We were thinking that Meketaten may have been sacrificed by this cult Ardeth was talking about and now it's her time to rise again."
"In Tilly." he stated.
"Unfortunately yes. Now all we have to do is find a way to stop it all." Evy sighed.
"Oh nothing difficult then?" he said wryly.
"Well, nothing any more difficult than usual!"
She leaned forward and started examining one of the other tablets, going over the words in her head this time instead of saying them aloud. Rick fidgeted and sighed loudly when neither she nor the professor enlightened him of what they were reading after over an hour of silence. "Oh all right!" she grumbled when Rick had jogged her more than once. "Patience, darling. I can't say these words aloud..."
"About time you learnt that lesson," Rick muttered, getting a slap on the thigh for his troubles.
"These are spells, quite powerful spells by the look of them. They're mainly for resurrection, but this one and this one..." she handed him two of the tablets which, he thought, looked exactly the same as all the rest. "These are spells of transference."
"Transference?"
"Yes it means..."
"I know what it means. But it's to transfer what to what?"
"At a guess, and it is only a guess mind you, I'd say it was to transfer the spirit of Meketaten into Tilly..."
"But she's already becoming her isn't she?"
"Maybe, maybe not. The other one might be to transfer the essence of Seth into another living person."
"Another living person? Who? Not one of us surely?" Jonathan joined in.
"I really don't know. But so far Tilly is the only one who's showing any signs of anything unusual, so we shouldn't start panicking. Jack? What do you think?"
Jackson was silent for such a long time that Evy thought he hadn't heard her. "Sorry?" he said, his head whipping around as if she had only just spoken.
"Where were you?" she asked, smiling at the disorientated man.
"I have no idea! I must have drifted off for a second there. Now, what was it you were saying?" He shook his head as if to clear it and Rick's eyes narrowed as he studied the older man.
"I was just asking what you think about these tablets?" she prompted him.
"Well, they're the Akhet priest spells."
"The what?" she asked him, stunned that he had information that he hadn't told her.
"The...Akhet priest spells..." he frowned. "How did I know that?"
"Oh no," Rick said under his breath. "What was that about nobody else acting unusual? Famous last words sound about right to you?"
"I was thinking exactly the same thing," she replied, her brow furrowing in a troubled frown. "Jack, is there anything else you know?"
He shook his head in bewilderment. "Nothing that I haven't already told you. I don't understand how that just popped into my head. It was as if I had known about it forever but wasn't able to voice it. Very strange. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen again!"
"Well I sincerely hope it does!" Evy replied. "The more we can find out about this the better for all of us! Now who on Earth are, or were, the Akhet priests?"
"They were the Ka-akhet leaders, the ones who made the prophecy." He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced. "There it goes again. I have no idea how I know that! It's not a pleasant feeling at all, rather like a headache!"
"It seems to me that it's a small price to pay to get more information," Rick said, his jaw hardening.
"Jack, it appears that if we ask the right questions then the answers just pop into your head. I know it's not pleasant, but would you mind if we continued? You know how important it is," Evy pleaded.
"Go ahead, if it gets more than merely unpleasant I'll tell you. Maybe we can help Tilly, that will be more than worth this dull pain!"
"Thank you. Well then, the priests. When they made the prophecy did they actually see Imhotep as the 'powerful one' or someone else entirely?"
"Imhotep is the 'powerful one', no doubt about it. They saw his death in a vision, the first one, the Hom-dai, but more than that they also saw his fall into the underworld at Ahm Shere. They knew he was the only one with the power to breathe life into Seth." Jackson was trying not to look confused and failing miserably.
"We thought that a ceremony might have to take place, is that right?"
"Yes, the Ka ceremony must take place before the transference spells can be invoked. This will begin the right of passage for the key. Once it is complete and the spells have been read, then twenty four hours must pass for the transference to become embedded for all eternity."
"You mean Tilly will become this Queen or key or whatever and never be able to change back? Ever?" Rick burst out, horrified.
"Not after the twenty four hours. Even before that her consciousness will be buried so deep that you won't be able to reach her without great difficulty."
"What if we took her away from here? Took her back to London?" Evy asked.
"No, that won't work. If she's removed from this place, and I mean right here at Karnak, she'll die. Not straight away but she won't ever wake up again." He shook his head. "I'm sorry Evy. I feel like this is all my fault even though that's totally illogical."
"Just because you're telling us all this doesn't mean that you're making it happen. It just means...well, to tell the truth, I don't know what it means. What about you? Why do you know all this?"
Jackson waited a while and then shrugged. "Now that, apparently, they don't want me to know!"
"Okay, how about the secret temple?" she asked, narrowing one eye and smiling.
"Again, absolutely nothing!" he said after a minute.
"Great! has it gone?" Rick asked finally.
"I don't know. Ask me something else."
"Why don't you know where the temple is?" Rick muttered, fed up.
"Because only the Queen knows the path," Jackson answered swiftly.
Evy, who had been staring at her husband, swung her head back round to Jack. "Tilly knows where it is?"
"She will," he corrected.
"Here's something we haven't bothered asking yet," Jonathan said suddenly, making them jump as he had been so silent. "How long have we got until Imhotep is resurrected?"
"For once Jonathan actually has a good point!" Rick exclaimed.
"Imhotep is already arisen," Jack answered slowly, his eyes widening as he realised what he was saying.
"What!?" they all said in unison.
"He is already arisen and is on his way here. In a few days it will all begin...in a week it will all be over!"
"We only have a week? Until he gets here?"
"No, he'll be here in three days. The ceremony will then take place and then twenty four hours later the transference will be complete. In less than a week it will all be too late!"
"Oh my God, Rick, what are we going to do? We can't take Tilly away because she'll die and we can't just stay here and wait for Imhotep!" Evy asked, her voice almost a whisper.
"We don't appear to have any choice about that, honey. Like you said, we can't leave. We'll just have to get ready for whatever's coming."
"Jack, who will be coming with Imhotep?"
"The high priest and the cult members will accompany him from Amarna," he replied, shaking his head. "That's all, it seems."
"We have to get somewhere a little safer," Rick said, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "What about that side chamber you were in? It actually had a roof, so it would provide a little more safety?" Jonathan suggested.
"Good idea!" Evy said, patting Jonathan proudly on the arm. "I'll start getting things together. Come on Jonathan, you can give me a hand. Jack and Rick can get all the guns and things we need."
They busied themselves carrying all the essentials into the side chamber, Rick noisily dropping what seemed to be half a ton of weapons in the corner while Jackson placed torches around the small room, bringing a small measure of light to the pitch blackness. After everything had been placed to Evy's satisfaction Rick made his way back to the tent and carefully picked Tilly up, waiting until Evy had picked up the bedding before he started back to the small chamber that would hopefully be their haven for a short while. He looked at the unconscious girl as he carried her into the dark room, glad that at least now she had stopped all that strange talking. Now all she had to do was wake up and everything would be fine, at least for a few days.
"When's Ardeth coming back?" Jonathan asked, his voice low.
"Two days, he said," Rick replied, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm kind of hoping it'll be sooner. God knows we're going to need him and probably all his friends too!"
"Don't you think we'll be able to handle this ourselves?"
"Come on, Jonathan, get real. Could we have handled Ahm Shere by ourselves? For all we know this could be worse."
Jonathan shuddered. "I hope not!"
"Let's not dwell on it right now. We've got three days and in that time we have to try and find this secret temple," Evy said, seating herself in between the two men. "Tilly's been talking about the Hypostyle hall and the lake mostly, so this is where we should start."
"Well, it's too dark to do anything until morning, so we may as well try and get some rest." Rick said, getting slowly to his feet. "Jonathan, you can sleep for now and I'll take the first watch."
"The first watch?" Jonathan groaned. "Does this mean I have to be woken up just when I'm having a wonderful dream?"
"That's exactly what it means!" Rick said, patting him none too gently on the shoulder as he went past him to the entrance. Evy watched as he checked his shotgun was loaded and leaned against one of the ornate pillars, his eyes beginning what she knew would be a constant surveillance of the ruins and the desert beyond.
Several miles away across the desert, Ardeth Bay sat with the leaders of the twelve tribes around a small fire, his face solemn as he took in the news they had been desperate to relay to him. They spoke in Arabic, at times all speaking at once until he held up his hand.
"So the creature is alive?"
"Yes, as we have said. Even now, he moves toward Karnak!" one of the elders said.
"How did this happen. Ahm Shere was watched closely!" he said.
"We do not understand this ourselves, but there is no doubt that it was the creature we saw emerging from the sands at Amarna. He was in the company of Ankhef-Sem."
"That traitor still lives?" Ardeth spat, his face twisting with rage.
"Unfortunately, yes. He had several dozen men with him, all Ka-akhet."
"We must prepare, Ardeth. The ceremony cannot be allowed to take place," the elder spoke again.
Ardeth nodded. "Gather the tribes and ready them to fight. Do we know how many this cult numbers?"
"We do not know an exact number, but our information so far suggests over two thousand warriors. They are highly trained and skilful fighters who may not be easily beaten."
"The Med-jai, too, are highly trained, and our numbers are many."
"This is true Ardeth, but we have been depleted over the last few years, especially after Ahm Shere. The less...loyal ones left us after that horror and most of them joined with Ankhef-Sem."
"We still outnumber him. You must rally your men and make them realise the consequences of defection at this point. I do not expect to leave even one of his men alive, no matter how long that may take." Ardeth's dark eyes flashed his anger at the other men and they nodded in agreement with his sentiments.
"We will prepare. You must go to Karnak, where your destiny awaits you. Destroy the stones and the Queen so that we may be free. God go with you," the elder said, touching his chest and head, the others following suit. Ardeth returned the blessing and climbed back on the horse he had only dismounted from mere hours before, turning it skilfully and riding off into the night. He had managed to meet with the leaders only a few hours from Karnak, so he would be able to return there before the sun rose once more.
Some hours later Jonathan sat with his back against a pillar holding another of Rick's shotguns in his arms. He was glad that he could see a faint glimmer of light on the horizon now as the sun started to rise, because it had been faintly creepy sitting here in the dark whilst everyone else slept. His eyes tried to close again and he rubbed at them impatiently, so tired he almost missed them and hit his cheeks. He turned his bleary gaze back to the room and listened to the soft snores and breathing that filled the dark space. One minute won't hurt, he thought, and who would know? He allowed his heavy lids to fall and rested his head back on the stone, almost instantly falling asleep.
At the other side of the chamber Tilly's eyes suddenly snapped open, slowly focusing on the dark stone surrounding her. She sat up unsteadily, her eyes fixed on a spot just above Jonathan's head, and after a few minutes she stood up, walking toward the entrance. Jonathan didn't stir as she swept past him, his mouth open and contented snores issuing from it.
"I have to be at the lake," Tilly whispered, as if speaking to someone or answering an unasked question. She made her way to the edge of the lake and knelt down on the sand covered stone, her hair blowing around her in the soft breeze, it's brightness standing out starkly against her pale skin and black gown.
Her eyes narrowed as she stared down into the water, extending a hand as if to help someone out of the murky depths. She strained every muscle as she leaned forward, balancing precariously on the edge, her fingers stretching toward the centre of the water where small bubbles began to surface. Small gasps came from her throat and sweat started forming on her forehead as if she were under some great strain. The bubbles started getting larger, rushing to the surface as if called by her, until the lake took on the appearance of a bubbling cauldron, air flowing upwards at an almost immeasurable rate and a green glow emanating from beneath the surface. She was so engrossed that she didn't hear a horse stopping nearby or its rider shout her name. The first she knew of anything was when two arms encircled her waist and pulled her from the threat of the violently shifting waters, mere seconds before she would have fallen in.
Ardeth Bay had seen the waters of the lake glowing and moving from quite a distance and had spurred his horse on as fast as it would go. Only then had he seen the figure of Tilly kneeling beside it, her arms outstretched and about to topple over into it. He had moved by pure instinct and grabbed her, throwing them both backwards away from the treacherous waters. He lay winded for a second, Tilly laying half on top of him, her back across his chest and her hair covering his face. When he got his breath back he lifted her from him and turned her around, her stillness worrying him. Her eyes were blank when he looked into them, her face streaked with sweat and her breathing laboured.
"Matilda?" he said, frowning, his hands going to her shoulders and giving her a shake. She remained absolutely statue-still. "Matilda?" he raised his voice and shook her harder, the sharp movement making her head snap back and forth. Still no response. He grimaced and slapped her, not comfortable with the well needed action, but pleased with the results. She groaned and her hands raised up, trying to move his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again, staring in bewilderment into Ardeth's face.
"What...what am I doing here?" she looked around and then down at her attire. "Why am I wearing this? I don't understand. I was at the dig site...I feel so odd," she said, putting a hand to her forehead, tears misting her eyes with confusion and fear.
"You have no idea of how you came to be out here, of what happened to the lake?" he asked her softly, indicating the lake that was still bubbling violently.
She shook her head. "I don't think so, I can't seem to...grasp...the memory. I was trying to help..." she stopped, lost in thought, her hand involuntarily reaching out as she had at the lake.
"You remember doing this?"
"I do, but I don't know what I was trying to do..."
"You said you were trying to help. Help who?"
"The man..." she shook her head again and frowned. "I don't know. What's happening to me?"
He squeezed her arms comfortingly. "I believe you have shown us the secret temple, as we thought that you might. This is the beginning, Matilda, you understand?"
"I don't want this to happen," she said miserably.
"Nor I, but our destiny is not always in our own hands. We will do what we can to stop this, but..."
"But you may not be able to." She finished for him, the dread of the prophecy getting to her for the first time. It was as if, she thought, subconsciously she hadn't believed any of it up until now. She shuddered to think of what was going to happen to her if Rick and Ardeth couldn't help. She became aware suddenly of Ardeth's hands moving from her upper arms down to her hands, grasping her cold fingers in his.
"You have shown me your courage briefly when you confronted me with the dagger, and I admired you for it. Do not lose it now when you need it more than ever."
"Easy for you to say, you're not going to die!"
"We do not know this. If I cannot find a way to destroy the Queen within you then you will destroy me. This is as it was written."
"So one of us will die then? It's just a question of who?"
"I am hoping that this will not be the case." He looked almost fierce, but she could see the indecision and sadness in the eyes that were fixed on the hands he was holding.
She withdrew one hand from his and tentatively touched his face, feeling a sudden, inexplicable urge to comfort the man who had already tried to kill her once. "I wouldn't...I wouldn't deliberately hurt you, you know?"
He covered her hand with his own. "I know this. Whatever happens you shall bear no blame and must carry no guilt."
"What the hell is going on out here?" Rick yelled as he came storming out of the temple, his eyes taking in the lake and the two people nearby in one quick sweep. He had given Jonathan a sharp kick when he had found Tilly gone, leaving the other man nursing a sore leg. Now he found his cousin and his friend in a very unusual situation, she touching his face and he letting her. He rushed over to them, watching with faint amusement as Ardeth shot away from Tilly as though he had been scalded, his face a picture of guilt.
"Tilly! Are you okay?" He pulled her against him and hugged her warmly, almost overwhelmed with relief that she had finally woken up.
"I think so. I don't know what's going on though. Why am I out here?"
"Who knows. Tilly, you fainted yesterday at the dig site, do you remember that?"
"I remember being at the dig site, and I do remember feeling a bit dizzy...but no, the next thing I know Ardeth's shaking me and..." her eyes shot to the dark man and narrowed. "You hit me!"
"You shook her? You hit her?" Rick said, staring in amazement at the taciturn man next to him.
"She was unaware of her surroundings. I only did what I thought best. I did not hit her, merely a light slap. I found her at the lake, reaching toward the middle and, as you can see, the water has gone wild and it has a strange glow. I believe this may be where the temple is located."
"You may be right," Rick replied, staring at the churning waters and wondering if he would ever find anything surprising in his life again. He went on to tell the other man of everything that had happened since he had left the day before. Ardeth listened silently, his eyes sliding sideways to Tilly as she wandered over to the lake again, staring into the luminescent water but being careful to keep back from the edge. He, in turn, related all he knew. Rick sighed tiredly. "I'm glad you got back so soon. We thought we might have to do this alone," he finished.
"I would not have abandoned you, my friend." He took a few steps toward the lake. "The waters are calming."
"How did she do that?"
"I do not imagine she has any idea of how it happened. But something within her was destined to know the path to the temple, as the professor said. We must look in the waters ourselves."
"I'm not getting in that!" Rick said, pulling a face at the thought of standing in the glowing, moving lake. It was less agitated than it had been, but it still looked dangerous to him.
"We shall wait and see if it calms entirely. Only then shall we begin our search. We must hope it is before Imhotep arrives."
"Your people will be watching won't they?"
"Yes, the tribes are preparing as we speak, do not fear. They will stop the Ka-akhet from nearing here, but we must deal with the few who do get through them."
"I hope it isn't many. Imhotep is enough to cope with on his own, as we all know." He smiled and shot a sideways look at the dark man. "So Ardeth, what exactly were you doing when I came out here? You and Tilly seemed very...close."
"Your cousin was upset. I can assure you there was nothing untoward happening..." he began urgently, his composure briefly forgotten.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask your intentions or anything!" Rick laughed.
"My intentions?"
"Toward Tilly. It's okay, I trust you," he baited the other man, holding up his hands and apologising at the outraged expression on the Arab's face. "Only joking!"
"You have a strange sense of humour, O'Connell, and a strange sense of timing. I do not believe I will ever understand you," Ardeth remarked, reverting back to his normal self, confused at the way this westerner acted at times. "Besides this, I would never have considered Matilda as a..." he hesitated. "A potential choice."
"Really? Why's that? Isn't she pretty enough for you?"
"She is most attractive. However, she is not of my people."
"I see," Rick said, starting to move slowly toward the temple. "Actually, her mother and mine were Egyptian, apparently. So she really is of your people, sort of," he said and grinned at the other man.
"This is no joking matter, my friend!"
"I'm not joking this time. Anyway, sometimes the situation needs lightening up, don't you think?" Rick asked him.
"Sometimes the situation must be taken seriously, though."
"Yes it must. But I find it easier not to upset the people around me with my true feelings. Especially not Tilly at the moment, she's having a hard enough time as it is. Come on, let's go and wake up the professor and Evy and see if I managed to break Jonathan's leg with that kick!"
"What kick?" Ardeth asked as they moved off toward the temple, Tilly joining them while Rick enlightened them of the way his brother-in-law had been caught napping and the subsequent hard kick he had been the recipient of.
