CHAPTER SIX

Later that day Tilly made her way back to the lake again, having finally managed to get some time on her own without Ardeth, Rick and Jonathan hanging around like some sort of constant hulking watchdogs. She was appreciative of the care they were taking of her but, if what they had told her was true, it would make no difference in the long run.

Her eyes flitted across the surface of the water, almost calm again now, and looked through the rapidly clearing depths. For just a second she thought she could see a straight line standing out from the sands that had accumulated at the base but, before she could focus on it again, it was gone. With all the turmoil her emotions were in she nearly dismissed what she had seen, but it kept nibbling away at her conscience, making her eyes constantly scan the waters. She knelt down at the edge in much the way she had early on that day, but this time she was in control of her faculties, and she waited for the waters to clear some more - however long that might take.

Rick and Ardeth sat selecting weapons for the coming trouble, making sure they were all in good working order. Rick had a vast array of guns and chose only what he could comfortably carry on his person, which turned out to be quite a lot considering the amount of different holsters he was wearing. Ardeth, though, chose only the Thompson Machine Gun, his favourite weapon of choice. Apart from that he had his swords, blades that he was incredibly adept at using, which had come in very handy when fighting the Army of Anubis as the only way to kill them had been to take off their heads. Jonathan had been assigned 'Tilly watch' some time ago and had been given two hand guns, the only things Rick trusted him with but, as usual, he couldn't even manage the simplest task. He came running along the back of the vast temple ruins to where Rick and Ardeth were sitting, his face turning red as the other men looked at him with irritation.

"Where is she?" Rick asked, his face a picture of forced patience.

"She...er...well she gave me the slip. She was right next to me and then she just...wasn't," Jonathan stammered. "Sorry, but she has a knack of disappearing. She obviously didn't want to be watched anymore!"

"Whether she wanted it or not is immaterial don't you think?" Rick pointed out, giving his brother in law a hard look. "If we don't watch her we won't know what she does next. Here," he thrust a couple of guns at the thinner man. "Clean these and I'll go and watch her. Maybe you can manage to do that properly at least!" He marched off and left Jonathan sitting with Ardeth, the Arab chuckling at the despondency with which Jonathan set about his new task.

"Do not take his words to heart, Jonathan," he said, trying to wipe the smile off his face and failing. "He has a measure of respect for you which he does not always show."

"You could have fooled me," Jonathan muttered.

"Why else would he have relied on your shooting ability to help rescue his son at Ahm Shere?"

"Because he had no other choice?" the thinner man grumbled.

"Not so. He could have asked many people, including other Med-jai, to help him. You are part of his family and you have helped him in the past, a fact of which he is not ignorant. He is perhaps more grateful to you than you realise, as am I."

"You are?"

"You did, after all, kill a man who intended to kill me, did you not? One of Lock-nah's men at Ahm Shere? You were too far away for me to thank at the time and then you left for London so I had no chance to say the words. But I am grateful for your skill with the rifle and thank you for my life," Ardeth said, not in the least reticent about voicing his feelings.

Jonathan smiled and shrugged, slightly embarrassed by the Arab's candour. "Well, it was nothing really. I would have done it for anyone, even Rick I suppose," he said, turning his attention back to the gun he was cleaning, clearing his throat roughly.

"So, who are we going to have to fight this time then?" he said, changing the subject.

"The Ka-akhet number some two thousand warriors and the twelve tribes are preparing for the coming battle. But this number is not definite, there may be many more than we are expecting."

"That won't be a problem will it? I mean, your men will be able to stop them?"

"I have great faith that they will. But in Egypt, it seems, nothing is certain. Our own past history has taught us this, I think."

"You're right there!" Jonathan agreed fervently, nodding his head as he thought of the strange things that had happened to them in this particular country.

"Yet this history has not stopped you from returning here again?" Ardeth enquired, puzzled as to why these people who were now his friends had never been scared off.

"Not really. For myself I would be quite content to stay in London my entire life, but Evy and Rick do enjoy these little adventures and I invariably get dragged along with them," he said, his voice taking on a tone that warned Ardeth of imminent boasting.

"Perhaps these 'little adventures' become less tedious when gold is found?" he asked, raising his eyebrows mockingly.

"Yes perhaps they do," Jonathan replied, the mockery going right over his head as his mind thought of all the treasure they might yet find. Ardeth shook his head and stood up, swinging the gun strap over his shoulder.

"I will go to see if O'Connell has found his cousin," he stated, nodding at the other man as he walked calmly out of sight. Jonathan had yet to realise that material wealth was not everything, something Rick had learnt some time ago and Ardeth had known for many years.

It took some time to walk from one side of the temple to the other and he eventually found Rick sitting next to his cousin at the lake, both of them staring into the water as if searching for something.

Rick raised his head as Ardeth approached, beckoning him closer and answering the question in his eyes. "Tilly said she saw something at the bottom of the water, something solid, possibly, with a straight edge? We're trying to see if it becomes visible again," he explained. "Care to join us?"

"Yes, I believe I shall. Do you think it could be the entrance?"

"That's exactly what I think," Rick replied as Ardeth knelt next to them, his black eyes narrowing as he, too, looked into the water. They sat like statues for over half an hour under the hot sun, Rick occasionally handing out a water flask for them to share which Tilly took the lions share of, still not used to the drying effects of the heat as Rick and Ardeth were.

"There!" Tilly suddenly burst out, pointing excitedly at the middle of the lake. "Can you see it? It's definitely a straight edge! It looks like...a stone slab or something," she continued, her eyes narrowing in concentration, trying to get a better focus on the unknown object that was so far from the edge.

"I see it," Rick nodded at last, wondering how the cloudy water had cleared so quickly. The green glow that it had taken on had all but disappeared now and the surface was as calm as a mill pond. He looked at Ardeth and saw the same expression on his face.

"It is strange," Ardeth said, as if Rick had asked him a question. "But it is no more strange than the way the lake became agitated in the first place, so we should perhaps not dwell on this too much."

"You're right. Why bother wasting time thinking about something we'll never figure out? What we should spend time on is examining whatever that is," he nodded toward the lake. "Shall we take a dip?" He stood up and took off his shoes, shirt and gun belt, amused to see Ardeth only remove his swords and gun, not his shoes or robes. "What about the headdress?" he said, smirking.

Ardeth removed it and placed it next to the lake, his black hair falling onto his forehead as he did so, giving Rick an almost embarrassed glance before heading toward the steps. He led the way down into the water, his black robes floating on the surface as he descended to the bottom, the water nearly coming up to his chest. Rick joined him and together they waded through the water to the place, roughly in the centre of the lake, where they had seen the straight edge of something emerging from the layer of sand at the bottom.

"Wouldn't this be easier for you if you removed your robes?" Rick asked curiously.

"I cannot remove them at this time," he replied. Rick waited but it was obvious he was going to get no further explanation unless he asked.

"Okay, why not?"

"Because there is a female present," Ardeth replied, obviously thinking that his words said enough. Rick pursed his lips and wondered if it was some archaic custom of his tribe and decided not to pursue the subject.

He looked into the water and wasted no time finding out what it was that they had seen, submerging himself and brushing the sand away from the stone base, revealing a corner and another edge to the ever increasing size of something made out of stone. He came up for a breath and stared at Ardeth, who hadn't joined him and was merely watching his pursuits.

"Are you going to help or are you waiting to see how long it takes for your legs to get wrinkly?" he asked sarcastically.

"I am not...fond of the water," the other man said with obvious reluctance.

"Are you telling me you can't swim?"

"I can swim, but I do not like being underneath the surface of the water."

"You mean to say, you've faced Imhotep and several of his mummified priests, numerous bugs and other ghastly things and even the army of Anubis, and you're scared of the water?" Rick's tone was incredulous and Ardeth felt a faint flush of embarrassment stain his high cheekbones. Rick relented when he saw the other man's discomfort.

"No wonder you weren't happy when Tilly pulled you into the lake the other day. Well, I'll do all the underwater stuff, you just use your feet to move some of the sand, okay?"

Ardeth nodded and hesitated before starting his assigned task. "You will keep this to yourself?"

Rick tried hard not to smirk again. "Of course I will, you can trust me. Just don't let Jonathan hear you, because he'll tell anything with ears!"

The dark eyed man nodded gratefully at his friend and immediately started his task, secretly pleased that he had this brief reprieve, because he knew that at some time he would have to get his head underwater, whether he wanted to or not.

Before too much time had passed they had uncovered an area 4 ft by 4 ft square, obviously inlaid into the base of the lake and covered in symbols. Tilly had joined them by now along with Evy who she had informed of the find. The water came up to their necks and they had to duck underneath the water to look at what Rick was doing. The professor and Jonathan declined their invitation to enter the lake, preferring to sit at the edge and watch rather than get wet. Tilly stared through the water at the square of stone in front of her, barely able to make it out through the clouds of sand that had been kicked up. Evy had no such problem, swiftly diving down deeper to join her husband. She examined what she could of it and suddenly let out a whoosh of air bubbles before rapidly surfacing. "Did you see it?" she asked her husband as he stood up next to her.

"I uncovered it, of course I saw it!"

"No, no! The mechanism on the side of it? It's a door!"

"A door? The door?"

"It must be! It has the same mechanism as the door where the bracelet of Anubis was, remember? We must try and turn it!" she said excitedly, turning to get back down in the water before Rick stopped her, his hand holding her arm gently.

"Don't you think we should be a little more cautious this time?" he asked, looking across at Ardeth and the others for support. He didn't get any, they were as eager to open the door as Evy was. "Oh for God's sake!" he muttered. "Okay, but we do it together, we have no idea what's in there remember?"

Evy nodded her agreement, smiling widely because she knew she had won again, before disappearing beneath the surface and grabbing the mechanism in her hands. She pulled it out and turned it twice one way, and then once back again, not without some difficulty. As soon as she pushed the huge golden dial back in the door began to give way, slowly lowering downwards, its slow momentum defying the laws of gravity. Evy surfaced for air and she and Rick stood looking down as the door continued opening until a gaping black hole had appeared in the bottom of the lake.

"Well, it must be full of water already, because it didn't seem that any water rushed into it," Rick said, looking at Evy as she chewed her lip in concentration.

"What do you think it is? A room?" she asked.

"I guess someone would have to go down there to find that out," Rick said, knowing full well he would be the only one who would dare to go. Evy's persuasive glance convinced him that he would definitely be going soon. Straight away if those eyes were anything to go by. Ardeth moved closer to Rick. "You must not go without making sure you are anchored here. If you have some rope we can tie it around your waist and we can hold it whilst you are underwater. We do not know where this leads or how far you will have to go, so the rope will ensure you can get back safely, do you not agree?"

Rick appreciated his friend's concern. "You're right, as always. I've got some rope at the tent that I hadn't moved, Jonathan can go get it. Jonathan!" he yelled to the slim man sitting idly on the edge of the lake. After telling him what he needed he shrugged off the irritation he felt at Jonathan's reluctance to do anything that involved moving. He moved to the side of the lake as Jonathan returned, moving up the steps and grabbing the rope. Evy helped him tie the thick rope securely around his waist, resting her hands lightly on his chest when she had finished.

"Don't take any unnecessary risks," she whispered, unconsciously echoing the words he had said to her before they had left London. "I don't want to lose you."

Rick smiled softly and bent down to claim the lips of his wife, one hand coming up to caress her face. "Don't worry, I'm a good swimmer. Anyway, it might only be a tiny space beyond that door and I might not even fit in it. Besides, I have no intention of getting lost before you tell me to! Come on, you can help me by feeding the rope to me if I need it," he said, taking her hand and walking down into the water again and joining Ardeth in the centre. Evy obediently held the rope for her husband while Ardeth took the very end of it, coiling it several times around his hand to get a strong grip. Tilly stood to one side, feeling fairly useless at that moment, watching the movements of the others.

Rick took a few deep breaths, not saying a word before he dived neatly under the water and swam through the doorway. The first thing that hit him was the oppressive darkness, no light at all filtering down into whatever this place was. He reached his arms out and felt the walls either side if him and then felt one below him as well. The only place to go was straight in front of him and the walls didn't vary in width more than an inch, feeling to him very much like a corridor. He felt around a bit more to make sure of his bearings before rising up through the door again and surfacing for another deep breath.

"What is it? Is it a room?" Evy asked the moment his head popped through the water.

"I think it's some sort of tunnel or corridor, because when you get down there you hit the floor again, but there seems to be a passage in front of me. It's so dark I can barely tell though. Well, here goes again!" he said before diving back down again, swimming more confidently now along the underwater passage. Every few feet he stopped and explored the walls to his sides and above him, not finding anything unusual or irregular in them. All of a sudden he hit a wall in front of him and realised the corridor had ended and looking around noticed a faint glow coming from somewhere directly over his head. He propelled himself upwards with a strong thrust from his legs, getting closer to the glow and closer still, until finally he surfaced in what looked to him like a chamber of some sort, lit very dully with a single torch on one of the walls. He took a breath, wrinkling his nose at the musty, unused smell the place had. Pushing aside the temptation to explore the place thoroughly, he pulled himself out of the water and untied the rope from around his waist, tying it around the metal torch holder that was firmly attached to one rocky wall. As he looked closer, he realised that the walls were actually those of a cave and not man made at all, although there were a few flat surfaces carved from the rock with inscriptions on them. Several dark patches signified doorways to other places dotted around the cave, which he reckoned to be about 14 ft across.

He lowered himself back into the water and used the rope to guide him back, taking no time at all to get back to Evy and easily holding his breath for the short distance.

"Well?" Evy asked eagerly when he was standing next to her. He wiped the water from his face before replying. "It's a cave, it's got a lit torch in it, so someone has been there recently. It looks like it's got doorways leading off from it but I didn't bother looking in them yet because I knew you'd probably beat me to death for not including you!" Evy shot a punch at him and he grinned at her.

"Well, it's not far to swim and I tied the rope inside the cave so we can just pull ourselves along it. Are you game?"

Evy nodded rapidly and Rick looked at Ardeth Bay. "You?"

"I...do not..." he hesitated.

"We will need you in there if anything...you know...comes to life." Rick said and looked at the indecision on the other mans face. He turned to Evy. "Honey, why don't you go first? Just follow the rope, it isn't far, okay?"

Evy nodded, needing no further urging and quickly dived under the water. Tilly moved up next to Rick and Ardeth, glancing from one of them to the other, not understanding the odd tension she could feel from the Arab. "Is everything okay?" she asked him.

"Everything's fine. You want to go too?" Rick answered for Ardeth, diverting Tilly with his own question.

"Oh Yes! Is it safe? It looks a bit...dark," she said.

"It seemed fairly safe, but who knows? Keep hold of the rope and pull yourself along. Go ahead, we'll join you in a second," he said, watching as Tilly disappeared under the surface to follow Evy. He turned to Ardeth when the women had gone, knowing Jonathan and the professor were too far away to hear what he was saying.

"Ardeth, we need you," he said simply.

"I will go with you, but I do not know if I can face...going under the water," he said, swallowing his pride briefly.

"What is it that bothers you about it? You're not actually scared of the water because you can swim, so what is it?"

"I do not like being underneath the surface, I feel...trapped. It brings me memories I do not want."

"Memories? Of what?"

Ardeth stared at Rick for a space of seconds before replying, almost reluctantly. "Many years ago, before you and I first met, I lost my family to the Nile. My mother and father and my..." he hesitated, as if needing a deep breath to gird himself to continue. "My young sister. We were all in a boat making our way toward Cairo in the time of the floods."

"The floods?"

"The Nile floods every year, but this year was particularly bad and it had nearly destroyed my parents home. They were moving all their remaining belongings to a new location. But on the way there was an attack from a man called Ankhef-Sem, an enemy of mine, he who was once a Med-jai. He had others with him and they attacked the boat, injuring me and causing the boat to capsize." His voice, like his eyes, became distant with the memory.

"He obviously believed me to be dead because he left us. The waters were dangerous, flowing faster than I had seen them, and my parents were swept away. My sister went beneath the surface and I went after her...but I could not save her, no matter how I tried. I nearly drowned myself in my attempts, but I was saved by some of my men who had followed Ankhef-Sem. Since this time I have had a hatred for the water which I cannot lose."

"I'm sorry," Rick said simply.

"You did not know," Ardeth shrugged.

"It explains why you won't go under water." Rick ran a hand through his hair, wondering whether they would be all right without this man. "You better stay here then, if you really think you can't do this then I understand."

"I do not wish to let you down O'Connell. I have been placed here to protect you all and this I cannot do if I am not by your side. I shall go with you." He frowned down at the hole in the lake, obviously already disturbed at the thought of going in there.

"I appreciate it. This might actually help you get over it all. Have you been in the water since this happened? Under the water I mean?" He watched as the other man shook his head. "Maybe it's past time that you did. If you avoid it forever it'll never get any easier. Just follow me and don't panic okay? You can hold on to my belt if you want," he offered.

"No, I do not believe that will be necessary, but I thank you. I shall take a moment to tie this rope," he said, indicating the end of the rope he was holding, the heavy coils draped over his arms.

"Pass it to Jonathan and he can tie it at the side," Rick told him, watching as Ardeth walked toward the edge and handed the rope to Jonathan. When he walked back they looked at each other and Ardeth nodded to indicate he was ready.

"Do you want to go first?" Rick asked.

"I believe it is best," he replied, taking a deep breath and plunging himself under the surface. Rick admired him for the way he was facing this fear, not doing things bit by bit but going for it full force. It reminded him of himself. No wonder they had become friends, he thought. He dived in after him and followed him through the doorway. He could barely make him out at first and then not at all as the darkness closed in around them and he hoped Ardeth wouldn't panic. He needn't have worried. As they reached the chamber he surfaced next to the other man, whose only sign of fear was the slightly heavier breathing than usual.

"Okay?" Rick asked.

"I believe so. It was...not the ordeal I had expected."

"I'm glad. Come on, let's have a look around!"

They climbed out of the water and Ardeth got his first look at the cave, walking towards the flat engraved surfaces on the walls and examining them. He could barely see them in the dull light from the single torch and moved closer to it whilst Rick talked to Evy. He only noticed Tilly sitting underneath the torch when he almost tripped over her.

"Matilda? Are you alright?"

"I'm...fine. Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, not sounding like her normal self.

"Why do you sit here? Why do you not join Evy in exploring the walls. I am sure she would have things of great interest to tell you," he enquired.

"It's a bit...er...dark over there. I prefer it near the torch."

"You do not like the darkness?"

She reluctantly shook her head and he found himself smiling. Here he was, worrying about his own fear and this woman was afraid of the dark. A fine bunch of warriors they would make, he thought, shaking his head.

"What's so funny?" Tilly asked, her voice irritated now.

"Nothing. Perhaps you would feel safer if I accompanied you?" he offered, reaching down a hand to her.

Tilly stared at his hand for a second before taking it and allowing him to help her to her feet. "Thank you, but you really don't have to. I'm not really scared, it's just..."

"I know what it is to fear something, Matilda, and there is no shame in it. Allow me to walk with you if it makes you feel better," he said, his voice low enough so only she could hear him.

"Okay, if you don't mind? If you have something you and Rick have to do then don't let me get in your way, okay?"

"I have nothing more important to do than to help you and protect you in any way I can. This is my calling, you understand? It is the reason I am here."

"Oh? I thought the reason you were here was to kill me?" she said, gaining a little more spirit and trying to lighten her own mood.

He could see the sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "Do not worry. I am sure I will find the time to do this also!" he whispered, showing a playful side that she hadn't previously seen. "Come, let us explore one of these doorways," he said, taking the torch from the wall to carry with them, much to Tilly's relief.

Evy and Rick followed where the light went and they walked through the largest doorway that lay directly in front of the water they had emerged from, Rick and Ardeth ducking slightly under the low lintel. Evy was surprised to see how close Tilly was sticking to Ardeth, considering how scared she had been of him and how much she had been prepared to stab him, and she mentioned it to Rick. "I know," he said, chuckling. "You didn't see them at the lake before, either. Ardeth looked very guilty!" He grinned at her, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't be so silly! Ardeth is much too honourable to do anything immoral and anyway, he's probably got a wife tucked away somewhere!"

"Not that he's ever told me about. Mmm, this could get very interesting!"

"You old romantic, you!" Evy said, hugging him around the waist.

"You know it," he whispered, hugging her back and wondering how he had ever got this lucky. Ardeth looked back as he caught his name faintly, watching the two people who at that moment saw only each other, and found himself smiling. He vividly remembered a time when the same two people were not exactly on the best of terms, the first time they had found Imhotep. But they had overcome their differences in no time at all and soon became the happy people he counted among his best friends. He glanced down at Tilly and found her watching him, quickly looking away with embarrassment, much to his amusement.

"O'Connell tells me that your mother was Egyptian?"

"Yes, so I was told. I was adopted so I never knew my real mother, but it seems she came from this country."

"That would explain your connection to this place. You do not look like one of my countrymen though," he mused, looking at her pale skin and unusual colouring.

"Well, I'm not a man, so I sincerely hope not!" she said mock seriously.

"Ah, more western humour! I believe I shall understand this one day soon, perhaps before I die," he smiled.

"I think you understand it perfectly well already, despite your fake sheikh impression!"

"Fake sheikh?" he looked genuinely puzzled at this.

"It was a movie...a moving picture? A few years back..." she tailed off as he continued looking puzzled. "Well, maybe Rick can tell you about it," she mumbled, looking around for something to change the subject. "Shall we take a look around then?"

"Yes," Ardeth said, holding the torch out, lighting up one of the walls. These walls were smooth and obviously man-made, covered in inscriptions, some in hieroglyphs and others in cuneiform. He moved along the wall until he found what he was looking for, another torch, unlit, resting in a metal holder.

"Good. Perhaps there are more of these on the walls," he said, using the torch he was holding to light the other one. The moment the flame leapt from one torch to another, the chamber they were in suddenly exploded into light, every torch lining the walls spontaneously combusting at the same time. All of them seemed to gasp in unison, Evy and Rick jumping back from the wall where they stood as a torch ignited next to them. For a second it was so bright that they had to close their eyes, but it soon calmed down so that they could see again, and they all looked at one another, somewhat shell shocked.

"Well, that's never happened before," Rick said, staring around at the now revealed room, the symbol covered walls and the statues standing looking down upon them.

"This certainly looks like a temple," Evy said, moving to examine a large statue recessed in one wall, its head looking down at a stone slab set in the ground at its feet, the top of it reaching the ceiling 10 ft above them.

"So then this is the temple?" Rick asked, walking across the floor to another statue. The space was huge, easily 100 ft square, lined with statues over 6 ft tall, all pointing towards the one Evy was looking at. A large stone table was placed in the centre of the room, taking pride of place. But the thing that made them all stop and stare was the amount of gold lining the walls and statuary, even the floor and stone table covered in ornate decoration. Small recesses around the entire chamber, in between the statues and above the heads, held solid gold urns and vases, odd shaped dishes and scarabs, some of them with the addition of jewels.

Evy reached out and rubbed at the main statue, looking amazed when it glinted back at her, this too made of gold. The eyes of the statue were emeralds, the surfaces sparkling in the light from the torches, set in a face and body that she recognised only too well.

"This is Seth," she said quietly, knowing that her voice would be heard in the repercussive space. Ardeth and Tilly joined her immediately, Rick not far behind.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked, staring up at the ugly face of the statue.

"Very sure. See the head? It has a tapering snout, tall straight-topped ears."

"It's not very pretty, " he said.

"It represents chaos and it's face signifies this with it's unusual appearance. It's quite oppressive," she continued, shuddering as she looked up at the face.

"There's no doubt now, then. This is definitely the place we've been looking for. Now all we have to do is wait for you-know-who and see what happens," Rick said, smiling grimly.

Evy looked over at Tilly and frowned when she saw the other girl's expression. She moved next to her. "Are you okay?"

Tilly stood transfixed, staring up at the statue, shivering. She shook her head. "I want to go back out, I don't...I don't feel well, I don't like it in here."

Ardeth Bay stepped up when he heard what she was saying. "I will escort her back out," he offered, immediately taking her arm.

"Is that okay?" Evy asked her. She nodded, still darting glances at the statue. "We'll stay here for a while longer, but we'll join you soon," Evy continued.

Tilly nodded again and let Ardeth lead her into the other chamber and, after placing the torch back in it's holder, into the water. "May I ask you a question?" he asked, jerking her back from her deep thoughts briefly. She nodded. "How did you manage to get through the underwater passage on your own? It is very dark in there."

"I pulled myself along the rope and just...closed my eyes," she shrugged.

"And is that how you are going to do it this time?"

"I guess so. I hadn't thought about it."

"You can hold on to me if you wish," he offered.

"I should be okay, I think." She shivered again, a combination of cold from her wet clothing and an all consuming dread that she couldn't explain. "Can we go?"

"Of course, come," he said and helped her around in front of him, submerging himself at the same time she did so he could guide her back. He didn't even notice that his own fear was pushed deep inside his subconscious, fading whilst he did what he felt to be his duty. She slowed down half way along the tunnel and he wondered if her fear of the dark was getting to her. He pulled himself along faster and swam around next to her, feeling for her arm and helping her swim the remainder of the tunnel, until they surfaced in the pool.

Tilly quickly made her way to the steps and clambered out of the water, her hair plastered to her head and her clothes dripping all over the place.

"You are feeling alright?" Ardeth asked as he got out next to her.

"I feel a little sick, but I'm just glad to be out of that place. I'm not going back in there again if I can help it." She shivered at the thought. "It's strange, but I think I know this place, the temple and that statue. How can that be?"

Ardeth shook his head. "It is probably a buried memory, one that belonged to Meketaten, but it is surfacing in you. It is the same as the time you were unconscious and spoke things that you have no knowledge of. I believe that many things of this sort may happen in the coming days, so you should prepare yourself."

"I guess so." She looked down at herself. "I think I'll go and get changed." Her eyes lifted and looked at his sopping wet clothing. "Do you have any extra...er...robes with you?"

"No, I have just what I am wearing," he said, not seeming in the least bothered to be soaking wet.

"Well, would you like to borrow some of Rick's clothes? You're about the same size," she offered.

"No, it is not necessary. The sun will soon have me dry again, do not worry." He smiled and nodded, watching her as she went toward the temples to get her clean clothes.