Hi, Gang! OK, this is kinda a long chapter, but it gets really good from here on out, I swear. More action with Ardeth and Imhotep and all for sure, so don't kill me just yet. ;). Don't worry, the story's not even close to being done....not quite yet anyway. Now...I don't think I'm forgetting anything so onward! *suddenly, Mary's friend Alicia comes through the door looking angry. With a terrified squeak, Mary ducks under her chair and backs away. Alicia knocks the chair over and drags Mary out, pointing at the screen, and then the keyboard. Puzzled Mary shrugs. Alicia sighs, throws Mary to the ground, and begins to type: 'Oh yes, and the expression 'fiddle' in this story was used by my dear friend and queen of the world Alicia. I must give her credit, for she is so much better than I am at everything and anything. Now you all must bow to her.' Mary sits up, looks at the screen, and sighs. After Alicia turns around, Mary erases all of it and puts: 'I heard the expression fiddle from some girl I know.' Alicia turns around, glares at Mary, and then grabs her and drags her out of her room muttering something about 'a word'. LOL. OK, so d'ya get it? I heard the expression fiddle from my best friend, and she told me that if I were to ever use it, I need to make sure to give her credit. OK? Are we ready now? Good. Moving on...

Chapter 13

"Keep moving!"

"I am!"

"Not fast enough for me!"

"That's it!" Evelyn sat down in a huff, her arms crossed, "I'm not going any farther!"

Alex giggled, "Go Mum!" Then he plopped down at her feet and stared up at Lock-Nah and Abitula daringly.

"Get up now," Abitula ordered, reaching for Evelyn's arm. Evy jerked away from him and shook her head, "No. I'm not going any further I told you!"

"Get up!"

"No."

"Now!"

"Are you dysfunctional? We said no!" Alex yelled.

Lock-Nah and Abitula exchanged glances, and then they nodded. Before Evy or Alex could do anything, they were hoisted up and swung over broad shoulders.

"Hey! Lemme go!" Alex shouted, banging his fists on Lock-Na's back.

"What is the point of this anyway?" Evelyn demanded, "We've already made it to the bloody temple!"

"Lord Imhotep specifically ordered that we go around the temple to the other side!"

"Wha-? Oh, fiddle," Evelyn sighed, and then she elbowed Abitula in the back of the head.

"Watch it!" he hollered.

"So sorry."

Alex looked over at his mother and she winked at him, making him grin.

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The oasis was bigger than anything Rick had ever seen before. They had been walking for what seemed like forever, listening to Shanala talk and tripping over exposed roots and trunks. Izzy and Jonathan were still arguing, and Rick swore that if they didn't shut up in five seconds, he would turn around and shoot their mouths off. Shanala didn't seem to notice them, though. She simply walked beside Ardeth and chatted calmly, occasionally stepping aside form a poisonous snake or sudden pitfall.

"You see, my grandfather's servants weren't willing to serve anyone. However, they had been forced to by the authorities."

"Authorities? Had they done something wrong?" Ardeth questioned.

Shanala nodded, "Yes. They did something like Anck-su-namun's father, only less-intense."

"Less intense? So...what.... they tried to murder a chipmunk?" Rick asked, and Jonathan yowled with laughter.

Shanala giggled, "No. Most of them were convicted burglars or kidnappers...that sort of thing."

"Great," Rick muttered.

"Yes, well, they hated my grandfather terribly, but the only choice they had besides serving him was to die. Of course, they chose to be his slaves....although they weren't happy about it."

Rick shrugged, "As Evy says, nasty little people always get their comeuppance."

Shanala nodded "She said that a lot when I was little."

"She did?"

"Uh huh. Lots of times I'd get picked on by soldiers or servants, and whenever I ran to her crying, she'd say that."

"What a nice sister," Jonathan said, smiling, "Too bad she wasn't that nice to me..." Rick swiped at Jonathan, and Jonathan ducked, laughing, "Joking, Old chap!"

Shanala shook her head, smiling, "She was a very good sister, usually. Sometimes, though, I got under skin and she'd pop me upside the head." Shanala rubbed the back of her skull at the memory, "She packed a strong wallop."

Rick laughed, "Tell em about it..." Then, his face fell; just the thought of Evy made him ache to see her. He swallowed hard, "Right. Let's keep going. Are we almost there?"

":Umm...yea. Just through those trees way up there." Shanala pointed upwards a ways, at the top of a large hill. Rick stared at her, "You're joking."

Ardeth chuckled, "My friend, it isn't as hard as it appears."

"Right." Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't felt this anxious since he had been searching for Alex five years ago. What if Evy is dead? What if Alex is dead? What if they need me now...and I'm sitting here chatting?

Ardeth sensed Rick's worry and put a hand on his shoulder, "They are fine, My Friend."

Rick nodded and cleared his throat, "Go on, Shanala."

"Right...well, my grandfather let his servants raise Anck-su-namun, and they found that to be a perfect time to get revenge. They taught her to hate anything and everything having to do with my grandfather and his family. Anck-su-namun obeyed them and despised everyone who were even remotely related to my grandfather."

Rick nodded, "OK, that's good and all....but...why did she marry your father if she hated him?"

"It wasn't her choice. She had to obey the pharaoh."

"I see."

"Good."

"I don't mean to interrupt, Shanala, but...when do you come into all of this?" Jonathan asked. Izzy nodded; in the last minute or so, they had been consumed with interest of the story.

"Oh...well, soon after my father married my mother, it was found out that my mother couldn't have children."

Izzy gasped, "No babies! But....then...how...?"

"Izzy, shut up and listen," Rick grumbled.

Izzy glared at him, "You know, O'Connell, I don't have to-"

"Yea, yea. Go on, Shanala."

"Ok...well, my mother wax heartbroken to hear that, so she prayed to Isis that she would be blessed with a child."

"Ah! I see! It all makes sense now!" Jonathan stated, grinning.

Shanala smiled, "Yes. Almost immediately after, my mother gave birth to me..." Shanala bit her lip and cast her eyes down, "...then died."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Finally, Rick draped an arm awkwardly over Shanala's shoulders, "You ok?"

Shanala nodded, wiping her eyes, "It's just...well...I wish...I mean...It's...I..." Shanala breathed in sharply, "Rick? Did I...kill my mother?"

Rick jumped at the question, "Wha-? Oh, no! No way, Kid! You didn't kill her!"

"But she died...right after...after I was born..."

Rick sighed, "Listen, Shanala. I have a story to tell too."

Shanala looked up at him, blinking rapidly.

Rick took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "When I was young, maybe five or six, my dad told me that my mother had died in childbirth with me. I'll never forget how that made me feel. It was like...like I was a murder. Some terrible, awful creature that needed to die immediately. To make things worse, my dad died later on, when he was trying to get me out of a burning house."

Shanala but her lip, "I'm so sorry."

Rick shrugged, "It's ok. After that, I was sent to an orphanage...and no one came to get me. No one. I had to stay there until I was eighteen, and then I got in huge trouble and had to join the foreign legion as my punishment."

"Trouble? What kind?" Jonathan asked.

Rick turned around, fists clenched, "Sure you wanna know?"

Jonathan swallowed and took a step back, "No."

Rick smiled slightly "Good."

Jonathan laughed, "Yea....good..."

"Anyway, Kid, the point is...no one killed my mom or yours. It just...happened. Maybe it was luck...or chance or...something more. All I can tell is that we both must be stronger than most other people, and probably a lot braver too." Rick kneeled down and placed both hands on Shanala's shoulders, "Y'know why that is?"

Shanala shook her head, "Why?"

"Because, since the beginning of our lives, we've had to go through Hell. Our mom's died right after we were born. Our father's died soon after. The way I see it, the worst is over. What else is there to be scared of?"

Shanala smiled, "Yea....I understand."

Ardeth chuckled slightly, "Point well-made, Rick."

Rick shrugged, "I suck at explaining stuff."

"I don't think so," Shanala replied simply, smiling up at Rick.

Rick grinned, "Thanks Kid."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow and looked at Izzy, "Do you see what I see?"

"Yes. Rick...he's...O'Connell....is..."

Then both of them gasped, "Being sentimental!"

Rick rolled his eyes, "Yea, and it's all over now. Mean, ugly, shoot-anyone- who's-in-the-way Rick is back. And guess what?"

"What?"

"You're in the way."

**********************************

"Hello, Nefertiri."

Evelyn sighed and closed her eyes, "Evelyn. My name is Evelyn. Not Nefertiri. Evelyn."

Anck-su-namun gave a small smile, "Ah, do you not accept your past self any longer?"

"Accept? I accept it. But this is the present, and there's no point being stuck there."

Anck-su-namun snickered and glanced out at the horizon. The sun was setting; it had been five days since Evy had last seen Rick. Evelyn sighed slightly, her heart beating fast with worry and uncertainty. What if he's hurt? What if he never makes it? Maybe he was wounded and he's lying somewhere....crawling around...looking for me... Evelyn bit her lip and looked down at her son. He had pretty much passed out as soon as the soldier's dropped him, and now he was lying at Evelyn's feet. Evy smiled and touched his hair, and she felt infinite times calmer. Anck-su-namun came over then and watched Alex for a second, "You love him alot, don't you?"

Evelyn nodded, not quite certain why she was even holding a conversation with this woman, "Yes. I do. More than anything and anyone....except maybe Rick."

Anck-su-namun tilted her head, "More than your brother?"

Evy nodded, "I love Jonathan, but....It's just maternal instincts I suppose..." Evy lowered her head down and kissed Alex on the forehead; Alex stirred slightly and moaned sleepily, and then was still again. Anck-su-namun looked up at Evelyn then, and a terrible glint came into her eyes. Evelyn looked at her and her eyes narrowed, "What?"

Anck-su-namun smiled innocently, "I didn't sya anything."

"Don't give me that! I can see....something's going on...in your head..."

Anck-su-namun shrugged, "It is nothing at all."

"Mmmm..." Evelyn stared at Anck-su-namun, "You shouldn't lie to me. I'm a mother. I can tell when someone's stretching the truth."

Anck-su-namun chuckled slightly, "Of course you do. Don't forget, Nefertiri, I too am a mother. I know exactly what it is like."

Evelyn thought about snickering at that, but decided against it; she supposed that stepmother and mother were basically the same thing. She shook her head and asked, "What were you thinking of?"

Anck-su-namun sat down in front of Evelyn, on Alex's other side. She gazed at the boy for a while, and then murmured, "I have a proposition for you...Evelyn." She said the last word with strain, like it was difficult to pronounce. Evy raised her eyebrows, "Not interested. I know you'll cheat me in some way or another."

"I would do no such thing," Anck-su-namun replied calmly, "But if you do not wish fo0r your son to live..."

Red-hot anger seethed through Evy's veins then, and she clenched her teeth, "Was that a threat?"

Anck-su-namun smiled, "Take it as you will."

Evelyn swallowed hard, hoping to cool her quick-temper and refuse Anck-su- namun's obvious bait. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Well...I take it as a threat. And anyone who dares to threaten my son of all people should consider themselves dead as a doornail."

Anck-su-namun laughed harshly, and Alex stirred again, mumbling something about biscuit rats. Evelyn placed her hand on his head, trying to keep him from waking up and panicking; he always did that when he awoke in an unfamiliar place. Evelyn glared up at Anck-su-namun, "You're a horrid woman."

Anck-su-namun smirked, "Why, thank you."

Just then, Lock-Na and Abitula entered the tent, their hands by their swords.

"Ah, Gentlemen. Just on time."

"What are they doing here?" Evelyn demanded, keeping her eyes glued to the weapons by the soldiers' fingers.

Anck-su-namun shrugged slightly, "They are only here to take care of...unfinished business."

Before Evy could do anything, she was grabbed from behind and jerked up, away from her son, who had woken up with a start. His eyes were red with sleep and his hair was tousled as he watched his mother be dragged away. He blinked several times and sheer terror replaced the redness, "Mum! Mum come back!"

Lock-Na and Abitula yanked Alex up by the back of his shirt, twisting his arms painfully behind his back. Alex winced and clenched his teeth in agony, but he didn't; cry out. Evelyn fought with all her might against the men holding her away form her son, but it was no use.

"Now, Nefertiri," Anck-su-namun said, getting to her feet and walking fluidly over to Alex, "I would most seriously suggest that you listen to my proposition. Otherwise..." She nodded towards Alex, and Lock-Na drew his sword. Evelyn got the point immediately.

Glaring, hatred bubbling inside of her, Evy snapped, "Yes, yes, get on with it."

Anck-su-namun smiled, "I was hoping you'd say that. I would have hated to have your son killed without his father here to see."

******************************

Jonathan was in sheer shock. He couldn't believe it. They had finally made it to the top of the hill, and they were now looking straight down to a swampy, haunted looking area. "You really expect me to go through here?" Jonathan demanded, watching Rick slide slowly down the face of the cliff they stood on.

Rick looked up at him and shrugged, "You don't have to."

"I don't?"

"Nope." Rick cleared his throat and held his arms out to help Shanal down. After he caught her and was cetrina she was ok, he looked back uo at Jonathan, "But we could really use your help."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow, "You do? Oh. Right. I get it. Let's all tease the brother-in-law. Thanks, Rick."

Rick shrugged, "I was serious."

Jonathan stared at him, "Really?"

"Yea. We need all the help we can get. Your sister and nephew are out there waiting for us, Pal. Are you gonna let fear win?"

Jonathan opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. Rick was watching him; so was everyone else. Finally, swallowing, Jonathan croaked "I...I'll...I'll die for them if I must, Rick." Then, Jonathan took a step down...and just missed getting jabbed in the head with a dart. Everyone cried out in shock as more darts flew through the air.

"Not pygmies!" Rick groaned.

"Devil children! DEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIL CHILDREEEEEEEEEEEEEN!" Izzy shouted, and he immediately jumped off of the cliff.

He landed on top of Jonathan, who promptly lost his balance and tumbled from the ledge, sailing towards the swamp below. Jonathan, panicking, flailed his arms out until his hand caught on something solid. Still screaming for life, he clutched the thing and instantly stopped falling. With a sickening crash, he smashed into the wall of the cliff and clung there, dazed.

"Jonathan! You ok?" Rick yelled.

"Ggg....ugghhh....gr...o..."

"Good." Rick held Shanala back with one hand and grabbed his gun with the other, "Ardeth? What is it?"

He was greeted by a loud shout and the sounds of whistling darts above him. Finally, he caught sight of Ardeth wielding a sword and grunting, "Monsters, Rick! They are Set's warriors!"

"Just what we need," Rick grumbled, and he clutched onto the edge of the cliff and swung up.

He stopped only once to look down at Shanala and tell her to stay put, and then he joined Ardeth in fighting a dozen horribly, decaying creatures. They were skeletons, dyed black and raw, their pit-like mouths wide-open and spurting what looked like poison. Satirical teeth jutted from their mouths and dripped blood on the ground. Rick went numb with a mixture of annoyance and excitement.

"Let's kick some mummy hind end," he said, and Ardeth nodded.

*************************************