Part Seven
"Well, this is a fine mess, isn't it?" Evy said softly, carefully wiping down Ardeth's face and chest. He remained silent, as he had for the last few days, but Evy expected as much. She continued her work, dunking the washcloth into the basin, wringing it out. It was mindless work that required little thinking, and allowed her to focus on other things. Like Ardeth.
She went on, "None of this is your fault. You didn't ask to be sick, nor did you ask to have your honeymoon interrupted by my curiosity. That doesn't make it easier to watch you laying here, so still and so silent. If anything, it makes it worse. That's not the Ardeth I know and love. No, he's tall and elegant and dangerous and compassionate. You're quite the contradiction, did you know that? No, of course not. You think you're nothing special, just a warrior doing his duty. But you are very special, Ardeth."
Evy paused, feeling Nefertiri move in her womb. She said, "Perhaps I should remind you of what you lose, if you gave up now. Giving up is alien to you, Ardeth, as alien as not seeking is to me. I know you don't want to give up, but I also know how tired you are. Yes, I think you need a reminder." Evy put the washcloth back into the basin and took his hand, placing against her side where Nefertiri was currently cuddling.
Evy told her daughter, "Nefertiri, darling, I want you to meet your uncle Ardeth. He's my other older brother, and when you are born, I know you'll grow to love him as much as we all do. This is very important, my Nefertiri, for your father loves him just as much as I do. It's just very hard for him to acknowledge that Ardeth is part of our family, and he always will be."
Evy smiled as her daughter responded with a healthy kick, a smile tinged with a wince. However, the young Englishwoman told her brother, "There, you see? Your niece has made her feelings known. You simply must come back to us, because Nefertiri wishes to meet you." Ardeth groaned, every so softly, and his dark head moved on the pillow restlessly. It wasn't the reaction which Evy was hoping for, but it was a reaction.
Evy dropped her facade and said quietly, "Listen to me, Ardeth. If it takes the rest of my life to make you understand how important you are to this family, so be it. I love you. And I'll not let you go without a fight. Rick and Jonathan, Alex and Celia, and I. . .we'll all fight for you. It's hard for Rick to admit you mean a great deal to him, but you do. He felt so guilty, Ardeth, for treating you so badly. He still feels guilty."
Evy paused, gently kissing the back of Ardeth's hand, then went on, "And I know she has every right to be angry, but Celia makes it worse. She's. . .do you remember during the time of Rameses, when someone would make Ardath so angry, that she would totally. . .she would become an ice queen? And how even Anck-su-namun could break through that wall of ice, until she was ready to let someone in?"
The reincarnated princess went on, "That's what I see happening with Celia now. I have no right to ask anything of her. After all, she's just trying to protect her husband. And. . .it's just that. . .I love all three of you, and when things like this happen, I feel like I must choose between people I love. That's not something I like. Not in the least."
Again, Evy paused and took a deep breath. She gently caressed the column of Ardeth's throat, as she had in the past two days when trying to get him to drink. It was something which Rick learned in the Legion, when one of his compatriots were unconscious for days, and they were trying to stave off dehydration. It was ironic, then, that it was something they had to fear here in London, so far from the desert.
After a moment, she finally said, "Oh, listen to me! Forgive me, Ardeth, I shouldn't burden you. I do believe it's my pregnancy. . .Celia warned me that my emotions would be all over the place. I love you so much. I know I've already said that, but I think it should be said often, especially when. . .especially when you face losing someone you love. I should say it more often."
She tenderly caressed the tattoo adorning his right cheek, and said, "You know, that's another reason you have to fight. Celia. Rick often says thinking about the children you and Celia would create together frightens him. Not me. I think you should fight for Celia, and the children you'll have one day."
Evy smiled, picturing the children created by her brother and sister- in-law, and murmured, "They will be beautiful children with black hair and dark eyes. Golden skin, and a smile which would make the most sensible of women swoon. And those would just be the boys! They would be fierce children, willing to die or kill for those whom they love. And compassionate children, who do what they can for those who are helpless."
Evy stroked Ardeth's cheek, saying softly, "But none of this can come about without you, Ardeth. You must fight, my sweet brother. You must. You'll not be alone. I promise you, you will never fight alone." Ardeth made no answer, and Evy sighed. She was out of things to say, but there was still much to be done. She soaked the washcloth and bathed his burning skin. All the time, she prayed that something would help him. Her brother couldn't do this for much longer.
. . .
Rick left Ardeth's room to clean up, change clothes, and maybe get some sleep. The cleaning up and changing clothes took very little time, and he did feel better. He should have been exhausted, sitting up all night with Ardeth. He should have been, but as he lay on his bed, Rick couldn't sleep. There were too many things going 'round in his head, not the least of which was his fears that this was one fight Ardeth couldn't win.
On the plus side, his temperature seemed to be leveling off. But it was only a matter of time before they had to worry about brain damage. They continued to bathe him with ice water, cooling him as best they could. Rick remembered a trick he learned in the Legion, and it was in this way that they prevented Ardeth from getting dehydrated. Not 'they,' though. He was the only one in the room the first time he did it.
And it felt strange. Rick learned that massaging a person's throat triggered an involuntary swallowing reflex. But before now, he never tried to do it. It felt strange to do it. It felt even stranger, touching a man whom he barely knew in some ways. He. . . Rick shook his head. The act was a curiously intimate one, though necessary. And he was gratified when it worked, when Ardeth swallowed the water, instead of choking.
But this entire thing scared him. Rick didn't know how to deal with this. He was good with guns and with knives, with weapons of all sorts. He killed the Scorpion King once, killed Imhotep once, and watched him die a second time. But he didn't know how to deal with the possibility of losing his best friend for good. Things were changing so fast, he didn't know how to deal with that, either. He was afraid and in some ways, helpless, even though he was the one taking care of Ardeth most of the time.
That was how he wanted it. A voice which sounded faintly familiar asked, *What you want? What about what Jonathan wants, or Evy, or Celia? Don't you think you've traded in one form of selfishness for another?* Rick's eyes flew open, and the voice continued, *And you're not the only one who's scared. Everyone is scared. The longer you fail to take others into account, the longer Ardeth will suffer.*
Rick started to protest, that he was doing no such thing, when a memory slammed into his consciousness. Holding Evy as she died in the shadow of the Golden Pyramid. Feeling totally helpless. . .and the rage which surged over him, because he was so helpless. The voice continued, *Yes. What makes you think Cecelia Ferguson Bey feels any differently, watching her husband slip away from her than you did that day?*
He never thought of it that way. He took the bulk of caring for Ardeth on his own shoulders, because he had to make things right with his friend. There was also the matter of Rick's own size. He was bigger than Ardeth, better able to subdue him when Ardeth's fever and delirium caused to lash out. Rick knew that his friend would never forgive himself if he hurt Celia or Alex or Evy while he was delirious.
And maybe, he was punishing them. . .especially Celia. . .by trying to be a martyr. He was angry with her, so angry, for not even trying to see things from his point of view. But again, the voice pointed out, *And why should she? She did that once, and got nothing in return. You have been a selfish, ungrateful bastard, just as she said you were. Try to look at it from her point of view. Though I realize that might be difficult.*
Damn. The damn voice had him *again.* This was really getting on his nerves. But even so, Rick did try. He tried to imagine being on his honeymoon and finding out that his best friend dug up something which should have remained hidden. That best friend was now in danger of dying, and he couldn't allow that to happen. Then he imagined Evy falling desperately ill while fending off the attackers.
Okay. Celia had a very good reason for being so furious with him. And he admitted that in her place, he wouldn't even try to put his anger aside. In her place, he probably wouldn't have allowed him any where near Ardeth, but Celia was smarter than that. She knew she couldn't take care of her husband alone, and she took help where she could find it.
Oh yeah. Definitely smarter than Rick. No question there. He closed his eyes. So, he acknowledged that he was still being selfish, and that Celia was not being unreasonable. That left him *where,* exactly? If his mysterious visitor knew, he or she wasn't telling. Rick reached up blindly to massage his temples. One thing was certain. When Ardeth was better, he and the chieftain needed to have a long, long talk.
Rick took a deep breath. . .which left his lungs in a rush as Evy cried out, "RICK! Oh, God!" Rick bounded up and raced from the room, nearly colliding with Celia at the door to Ardeth's room. He grabbed her shoulders, righting her quickly, before dashing into the room. They found Evy back-pedaling toward the window, eyes wide.
Celia's gasp and a moan from the bed redirected the big American's attention away from his wife. Ardeth's fever was rising once more, for he was having convulsions. He was thrashing on the bed, his body twisting about. To Rick's horrified mind, it was like seeing Imhotep regenerating during the first rising, with the way his body contorted after assimiliating the body fluids and organs of those who opened the chest.
Ardeth moaned again, an anguished sound which brought Rick back to the present. He gave Celia a little push toward Evy, saying, "You take care of my wife, and I'll take care of your husband." He didn't wait for Celia to nod, but as Rick moved to the bed, he did see her go to Evy. Then all of his attention was on Ardeth. Earlier, he slipped behind his friend to restrain him. That wouldn't work this time.
Instead, Rick grasped Ardeth's shoulders, sitting down on the bed at the same time. He wrapped both arms around his friend, pulling him against his chest, and tucking Ardeth's head under his chin. Like he held Alex after a nightmare. Ardeth gave a low moan of pain, and Rick tightened his arms around him. . .tightening yet again as his friend whispered something in Arabic. Rick slowed down his hearing, to listen intently.
And then he closed his eyes. Ardeth whispered, "You must go, O'Connell, go save the girl. You must not let her die, you must not allow the Creature to win." A strange sound emerged, and Rick eased his hold, thinking that Ardeth was having a hard time breathing. He was, though not because of anything Rick was doing. His friend gasped, still speaking in Arabic, "I am tired. I am so tired. Forgive me, little brother. . .I did not want the burden to fall on you."
"Evy, what's he saying?" Celia asked, her voice trembling, and Rick looked at the two women. They stood side by side, Celia's arms wrapped around Evy and Rick's wife leaning into her. Or was it the other way around? Rick couldn't tell. Evy whispered something to her friend, and Rick turned his attention back to Ardeth, who was still trapped in Hamunaptra, if only in his mind.
Rick didn't know what to do, aside from what he was already doing. So, he just whispered, "It's okay, Ardeth. . .you're gonna get out of this. You're gonna get out of this, who else will save our asses when we do something stupid? We need you, buddy, we need you so much. You just hold on. . .hold on, your little brother is coming. Just close your eyes and rest. Shhh. It's all right, you'll be fine. Just hang on a little longer."
Ardeth was murmuring in another language now, but he was calmer. Rick began rocking back and forth, trying to calm his friend further. For a second, his masculine pride rebelled at what he was doing. But his practical side reasserted itself. . .he would do what had to be done, to save Ardeth. And his masculine pride be damned. Ardeth went limp in Rick's arms.
The American froze, but carefully lay Ardeth on the pillows. He was still breathing, thank God. Rick placed the back of his hand against his friend's forehead. Was it his imagination, or did Ardeth seem a little cooler? He couldn't be sure. And right now, he was too wrung out to really think about testing in a more scientific way. Instead, he rested his forehead against the headboard, squeezing Ardeth's shoulder.
It was the only affectionate gesture which really seemed appropriate with Ardeth. Rick turned his head sideways, to look at the two wives. In some ways, so very different, and in other ways, so much alike. Evy and Celia, another east and west. Rick took a deep breath, then said hoarsely, "He should be okay for a while. These. . .spasms. . .take a lot out of him. He's usually quiet for a few hours. Will you be okay, Evy?"
She nodded and Rick continued, "Check his temperature. He seems to be cooler now." His fever wasn't breaking. It wasn't like that. But. . .he was cooler. There was something important about that, but right now, Rick was too tired to think about it. He patted Ardeth's shoulder one last time, and lurched his feet. He needed to rest. Though desperately ill, Ardeth was still damn strong, and restraining him took a lot out of Rick.
"Go, Celia. . .I'll be fine. You need to rest," Evy said softly, as she released her friend and walked over to Ardeth. She began caressing his hair, murmuring soft Arabic endearments to their brother. Celia stood at the foot of the bed, and Evy repeated, "I promise I'll take care of him for you. You've done a wonderful job of taking care of him, these last four months. Now it's my turn."
"C'mon, kid. . .let the lady do her work," Rick said. Celia nodded, but walked around to the opposite side of the bed and leaned over to kiss Ardeth. Rick looked away, not wanting to intrude on the terribly private moment. Again, he remembered Ahm Shere, and his last kiss before Evy died in his arms. He kept thinking back to Ahm Shere, and putting Celia's reactions in perspective according to that.
After a moment, Celia rose to her feet and walked unsteadily from the room, Rick right behind her. They made it maybe halfway down the hall, then Rick stopped. He slowly slid down the wall, his legs no longer able to hold him. He rested his head on his knees, vaguely aware of Celia sliding to the ground beside him. Down the hall, Evy was singing to Ardeth. Lullabies. She was singing lullabies to a grown man.
But Rick couldn't bring himself to even smile. He didn't have the energy. At last, tired of the silence, Rick finally found the energy to raise his head. He looked at Celia, finding her hazel eyes boring into him. She wanted answers. To what, Rick didn't know. He couldn't even begin to guess. Instead, he decided to give the answers he did have. He starting by telling her, "I do care about him, you know."
Celia nodded. Well, that was something. Considering how often Rick accused Ardeth of bringing trouble to their door, he figured this was going well. She replied, sounding as exhausted as Rick felt, "I know that. I just wish you would remember that, instead of lashing out when you and Evy get into trouble." Rick winced, though it was a fair comment. Not a new observation on her part, but no less valid. After a moment, she added, "And I didn't want to be dragging your ass out of the fire on my honeymoon, any more than I wanted my husband to be fighting for his life."
Something else which was mentioned more than once, but again, it was a valid point. He should have been annoyed with her harping on that point, but what right did he have to be annoyed, considering how many times he almost got her husband killed? He wasn't entirely sure where that thought came from, but it was true. How many times did Ardeth risk his life for Rick's family? Too many times. Way too many times.
With that in mind, Rick was quiet for a long time, then said, "I guess. . .I guess I do lash out at Ardeth. Only because I know I can trust him enough to take it. I just forgot that even he has a breaking point." And there it was. The plain, unvarnished truth. It was ugly, but the truth often was. Ardeth often called him his friend, but he wasn't. Ardeth was his friend, yes, but this particular street was one-way, at least up to this point.
Celia sighed, sounding very old. She was only thirty years old, but right now, she sounded closer to seventy. Rick once more had to consider the effects of the last few days on her. He didn't know who owned the mysterious voice in his head, but they were right. The last few days, he. . .yeah. He was being selfish. Celia finally said, "He's a human being, Mr O'Connell, not a verbal punching bag."
Ouch. Okay, he deserved that. Even if it did hurt like hell. Still, there was a part of him which was angry with Ardeth for accepting it from him. Why the hell did he do that? But Rick didn't ask. There was a good chance she would punch him in the face if he did. Instead, he answered, "I know that. I'm. . .I guess what I'm trying to say is. . .I don't do the softer feelings real well. Hell, until I met Evy, until Alex came into our lives. . .I didn't have any softer feelings."
Celia gave him a Look which said that he was stating the obvious. Rick continued, "You remember what you told me once? About how you fell in love with Ardeth because he was stronger and more mature than anyone you ever knew?" That took place on the way back to Cairo, as Ardeth faced Khaldun the first time. Celia favored him with another look, and Rick said, "What I'm trying to say is. . . aw hell! I don't even know." He shook his head, frustrated.
He must have given Celia what she wanted, for she finally took pity on him. She said in a low voice, "What you're trying to say is, you care a lot more for my husband than you're willing to admit. That scares the hell out of you, so when he shows up to save your ass. . .again. . .you're so damn relieved, and scared by that relief, that you lash out at him and treat him like he's your servant, at your beck and call. Close enough?"
Rick laughed nervously, scratching the side of his face. After a second he felt Celia's eyes still on him and he glanced at her. In some ways, she was just like Ardeth. Quiet. Steady. Forever there. And like Ardeth, she could be damn stubborn. He wondered what their arguments were like, since they were both so stubborn. Rick finally said softly, "Yeah." He quickly looked away once more with a sigh. He could still feel Celia's eyes boring into him, and Rick added, "I guess that's a good way of putting it."
Well, they were making headway. A sigh was released from his companion, and Rick looked back at her. She was no longer glowering at him, but he wasn't off the hook yet. Damn. He thought Imhotep's priests didn't give up, but they didn't have nothing on this small, dark-haired woman. Celia folded her arms over her chest, saying softly, "So the question remains, Mr. O'Connell. What will you do now?"
"Well, I guess I owe him an apology," Rick answered. "Or two. Or ten." He wasn't so sure, though, that even apologizing would help in this situation. How exactly did one apologize to one's best friend for being, in his wife's ever so blunt terms, 'a selfish, ungrateful ass,' especially when that friend was repeatedly injured because of you being that selfish, ungrateful ass? How many apologies did he owe Ardeth? Just ten?
His companion evidently agreed with him. Celia raised her eyebrows and asked almost impishly, "Oh, you'll just stop with ten, huh?" Okay, she didn't have to put it like that! But there was no hint of an apology in the hazel eyes which held his own. Rick remembered briefly locking gazes with her inside Hamunaptra, as the dust rained down around them, bringing back memories of the first time he was inside that damned city.
No apology was forthcoming, and Rick asked with an exasperated sigh, "Well, Queen of the Med-jai, what do you suggest?" One of these days, he would learn not to ask her questions like that. She never hesitated to tell him exactly what he thought, and asking her what she suggested he do was like Evy asking 'what harm ever came from. . .' and fill in the blanks with 'reading a book,' or 'opening the chest,' or anything like that.
Celia answered, no longer joking, "Be honest with him. And don't let his macho posturing, or your own, stop you. Don't let him tell you it's all right. Because it's not all right, and while Ardeth would die before admitting it, you hurt him. You're the cause of most of our arguments. I don't like the way you treat my husband, especially when your wife and children are involved, and it bugs me the way my husband brushes it off."
That didn't surprise him. Rick exhaled slowly, then replied, "I know. I know it bothers you, and I figured you two usually argue about me. I just. . .I don't know how to make things right. An apology. . .it's such a little thing. I don't know how to make this right." Rick paused, then added, "If it was Evy whom I hurt, I could. . .well, you get the idea. But I don't know what to do to make it up to Ardeth."
Celia raised her eyebrows and asked dryly, "Aside from buying him a Thompson? I'm well aware of my husband's affection for those damn things. At least he keeps his weapons away from the children." She sounded so much like Evy right then, though Evy was growing more comfortable with firearms.
Rick laughed and ducked his head, replying, "Yeah, aside from that. Evy told me earlier, while we were talking, that Ardeth found you through us, and that counted for something." That wasn't all she said, of course, but he wasn't about to tell Celia that. She was being reasonable, Rick didn't want to test her patience when he was actually getting along with the little tigress.
The young woman replied, "But it doesn't take the place of an apology, especially not with everything else which has happened. Evy told me about him saving her life after Imhotep's first rising. She told me that he was shot while protecting her. And. . .some of the other Med-jai told me the rest of the story." Ouch. That meant she knew about him lashing out at Ardeth, slamming his already-badly injured friend into the wall.
They were both silent, while the man tried to figure out what to say. At last, Rick answered with a deep sigh, "I'll make things right with him. But. . .I gotta do it my way. I swear to you. Things will be different. But this is something I gotta do in my own way." That was important. He would make things right with Ardeth, but he would do it on his terms, and in a way he understood, in a way Ardeth would understand. He wasn't a sentimental man, and neither was Ardeth.
It seemed that the young woman was fine with that. Celia replied, "That's all I ask. Because. . .this is a promise, not a threat. I will not tolerate you ever hurting my husband again." Rick knew better than to scoff at her. He already found out what she would do to protect Ardeth; he found that out in his Cairo home. Rick just nodded and Celia rested her head once more against the wall. The truce was made. Now all they had to do was get Ardeth back.
. . .
*Well, that was interesting!* Anck said after a moment. Her companion glanced at her, noticing Anck's reaction to Ardeth's convulsions. She tried to ignore how badly they frightened her, and instead, tried to focus on the conversation between Celia and Rick. After a moment, however, she gave up even trying. And wisely, Ardath made no attempt to tease her friend, or even remind Anck that less than a year earlier, she was trying to kill the young chieftain. Besides, the younger concubine was too badly shaken.
Instead, she observed, *O'Connell surprised me. I never would have thought he had the courage to simply pull my child into his arms, regardless of his masculine pride.* Anck gave her a grateful smile, and Ardath smiled back, continuing, *and my spirit-twin did a wonderful job of cutting him down to size. Perhaps my daughter had the right of it, when she volunteered to be reborn as the O'Connell daughter.*
Ardath knew this was her daughter's choice. But that didn't stop her from wishing that her daughter chose someone other than Rick O'Connell as her new father. She told Jonathan Carnahan that she believed his brother- in-law *was* a good man. And that was true. But, when all was said and done, she really didn't like him. She tolerated him, and aided where she could, but if she was totally honest. . .she didn't like him.
She said none of this to Anck, in part because she knew how her forever friend felt. And, they had other things to do. In the last few mortal days, Ardath realized that she, Anck, and Rameses were allowed to do what they did, because it fit into the plans of the gods. More specifically, the plans of Horus and Isis, the long-time guardians of the Med-jai. The Guardians. It was their followers who attacked the O'Connell home, and it was their followers who carried the dagger responsible for Ardeth's current condition.
She, Rameses, and Anck were part of a plan hatched by the mother and son deities to teach Rick O'Connell a lesson he would never forget about responsibility and friendship. A lesson which was ongoing, Ardath recently learned, despite the American's recent strides. The pair vowed to see this to the end, and the only thing the concubine could do was hope that it didn't end with the death of her namesake and distant child.
That, and make sure Anck didn't find out. In human terms, she was on probation. If she messed up, she would be right back where she started, and for obvious reasons, Ardath didn't want that. They weren't exactly together, as they were in the old days, but they weren't separated, as they were for the last three thousand years. Ardath didn't want them to be separated, ever again. She wanted them to be reborn as friends once more.
Perhaps because of that knowledge, Ma'at further instructed Ardath to tell Anck nothing of what Ma'at disclosed. Ma'at knew Ardath better than anyone else, save Rameses and Hathor, and she knew how difficult it was for the younger concubine to keep secrets of any kind from her best friend. So. . .she made it a little easier. Ardath knew that, and appreciated the consideration she received from the goddess.
Making it even easier, Ma'at also told her that the current situation would not last much longer. . .a mortal day, if that. They were waiting for O'Connell to open his heart, and for Evelyn O'Connell to open her ears. Ardath wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but she was grateful that she wouldn't keep things from Anck for much longer. Even in situations like this, where a goddess bade her to do something, and Ardath was trying to protect Anck, she still found it difficult to keep things from her sister.
But fortunately, she now had three thousand years of experience in shielding her mind when she desired. Ardath's attention was drawn away from the conspiracy of the gods, when Anck asked, *Do you think O'Connell takes Celia seriously, when she warns him to never hurt Ardeth again, or he will answer to her?* Ardath looked at her friend, then looked at the pair sitting in the hall. They both looked exhausted, and there was no hint of humor in either pair of eyes. The younger concubine smiled in spite of herself.
*Oh yes, my friend,* Ardath answered, *he does indeed take her seriously. O'Connell has many flaws, many times many. But he is no fool. He has seen the wrath of my spirit-twin, and he has seen mine, and he wants not it to touch him a second time. Do you remember, Anck, hearing about Greek fire in your successive lifetimes? I do, my sister, and Terumun reborn is not foolish enough to wish it used upon him.*
There was a long silence, then Anck said plaintively, *I do hate it, my sister, when you talk like that. You do not sound like my forever friend.* Ardath gave her friend a brief, bright smile, and Anck continued sadly, *You have changed so much, over these millenia, my friend. I have only myself to blame. . .my stupidity kept me away from you.* Ardath turned to face her best friend and cupped her face in her hands.
*That will be enough of that, Anck-su-namun. I am still your Ardath, still the little girl whom you protected when we were small. I am still the girl whom you half-carried to the concubine apartments after an attack. Never said that I am not the same, for I am. I have grown, hopefully, in wisdom, but I am still your friend, still your sister,* Ardath answered fiercely. She saw Anck swallow hard, and Ardath added more gently, *Do you not understand yet, Anck? Yes, I have changed. But my heart is still the same.*
*I suppose that is what frightens me, about myself and Meela. Why I keep questioning whether I abandoned Imhotep and stabbed Nefertiri reborn, or if it was Meela,* Anck admitted. Ardath turned to face her friend more fully, now understanding why the other girl needed reassurance. It made sense, and Ardath struggled to find the words she needed, the words which would allow her to explain things.
*Meela was your reincarnation, my dear friend. She was not you, just as Celia is not me, and just as Evy O'Connell is not Nefertiri. Our experiences change us. . .Meela grew up in a different time, in a different world than you, and that makes the difference. You know that while Rameses was reborn in Ardeth, they are not the same person. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that you and Meela are not the same?* Ardath asked.
She paused, then continued, *Do you remember what you said in the temple of Ahm Shere, when Evy O'Connell stopped the fight with her brother Jonathan? You said, 'good.' That was you speaking, my sister, you retook control. That was not Meela. Meela wanted her out of the way, wanted her dead. But you wanted closure. You wanted to face her.* Ardath didn't mention the other possibility. . .that Evy was stabbed to bring Nefertiri back with her. That possibility gave her a headache.
She could tell from Anck's expression that her friend *wanted* to believe her. For now, that was all Ardath could ask. In some ways, her best friend had a terrible self-esteem problem, believing for so long that her beauty was the only thing in her favor. After a moment, her sister replied quietly, *What must we do now? Horus and Isis are still waiting for the O'Connells to do something. What are we to do in the meantime, and please do not tell me nothing. You know I am incapable of doing nothing.*
*Give Celia your strength. She keeps so much hidden, Anck, her fear, her frustration, and her anger. You are not the helpless one, my forever friend. . .there is no more I may do,* Ardath answered. She could tell from Anck's expression that the other girl hadn't considered this. . .first understanding, then guilt. Ardath sighed, preparing herself for yet another go-around with alleviating her sister's guilt at 'failing' her.
However, Anck-su-namun proved that she was still capable of surprising Ardath. The older girl replied determinedly, *Then I shall give her the strength of us both. I will comfort her for both of us.* Ardath gave her a surprised smile, and Anck shrugged, adding with a shy smile, *I gave Celia my word that I would pull no more pranks while we were in England, and I swore to her that I would not leave her.*
Ardath reached over and squeezed her friend's hand, smiling at her. Anck returned the squeeze and the smile, saying bravely, *I swore to myself that I would make you proud of me, my sister. That is one promise I have no intention of breaking.* Ardath said nothing, though she was already proud of her sister. This was something Anck had to work through on her own.
. . .
*Well, we are making very good progress!* the woman said. Ardeth looked from his prone body to his two companions, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Annabelle said complacently, *Well, we are. You see, dear boy, all of this this happening for a reason.* Yes, Ardeth figured that part out, but what he didn't know was, what the standards were for their progress. How did she know they were making progress?
He wasn't the only one who was thinking that, he found. Thomas sighed, *Annabelle, please, be a little more specific. The boy doesn't have access to our information.* Annabelle actually pouted, and Thomas continued, looking back at Ardeth, *You see, son, all of this was set into motion by the gods of your people, Horus and Isis. It was they who engineered the attack in the O'Connell house.*
Ardeth's mind was reeling. He knew all of this was happening for a reason, but this was a little more than he was expecting. Annabelle picked up where her husband left off, *Horus and Isis want to teach O'Connell. . .and the rest of his family. . .a lesson. Since they consider Med-jai blood so cheap. . .their words, not mine. . .Ardath, Rameses, and Anck-su- namun were permitted to show them alternative realities.*
Alternative realities? Those words made Ardeth very, very nervous. Annabelle nodded, continuing, *Yes, my grandson. They were shown several possibilities. What would have happened to the O'Connell family, had your brother Andreas led the raid against Hamunaptra. Another change. . .what would have happened, if Horus was not shot out of the sky by that horrid giant, Lock-nah. And finally. . .the possibility of Imhotep arising twenty years earlier, while you and the others were still children.*
That frightened Ardeth, and Thomas explained, *We know, son, which is why only Jonathan Carnahan saw that reality. The world would have been a far worse place, though Imhotep would have been destroyed in the long-run. It would have taken even more Med-jai blood, though. And each of you. . .you, our granddaughter, O'Connell, Evy, her brother Jonathan. . .would have been much different people.*
Ardeth didn't ask how. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. And it wasn't important, for Annabelle put in, *And the important thing is, you'll soon return to our granddaughter. Rick O'Connell is more prepared to listen to the gods. . .and so is his wife. They ask for nothing more than Evy O'Connell to stop and think about what she does, about the consequences to her family and to the protectors of the desert.*
Thomas muttered, *That may be asking too much.* He looked up at Ardeth, saying, *I know she's your sister, son, and she's Celia's best friend. But even at her age, she still doesn't think things through. I have no reason to trust her, not with the safety of my granddaughter, or the children to come. And there will be children, son, that I promise.* Ardeth felt a little dizzy, thinking about those children.
*Well, if she doesn't learn after this, she never will. I give her credit, Thomas, she tries to put things right. I just wish she would stop and think. She's grown up, but. . . perhaps it's simply the times. People no longer believe in curses. How was it that she put it? Oh, that's right. . .she called them fairy tales and hokum. The People knew the dangers of curses, and I learned to respect words from them,* Annabelle replied.
Before he could stop himself, the words were out, and Ardeth heard himself ask, *Then she learned it from you. . .her respect for the ways of others?* Annabelle smiled brightly, and Ardeth admitted, *That was one reason I fell in love with her. She judged not my ancestors for the way they looked at death and the afterlife. And while I know the stupidity of my ancestors, in the casting of the hom-dai, angered her. . .*
*More than you know. Celia understands, of course, that Imhotep and Anck killed the pharaoh, and they had to be punished. But the hom-dai was too much. She would not say such a thing, of course, even now that it has been acknowledged by the Elders. My granddaughter is still learning where her boundaries are, as the chieftain's wife. But it is something you should know,* Annabelle replied.
That didn't surprise Ardeth. . .any of it. He sensed that the hom- dai angered his wife, and he knew that she avoided interfering in Med-jai business. The only times they argued about Imhotep, aside from his request for Celia to teach him, was when it also involved O'Connell.
That actually worried Ardeth a little. Not that he argued with his wife in the privacy of their tent, but that they argued so rarely. It worried him, but Annabelle's words set things into perspective for him. If Celia was worried about overstepping her boundaries as his wife, she might be less likely to tell him when something was bothering her. Ardeth quietly resolved to talk to her about that.
Their arguments were usually about O'Connell. Celia could never understood why he accepted the way O'Connell was, though she came close when he told her of the similarities between the American and his older brother Andreas. Put in those terms, that it was like a family, she understood that. She understood, better than anyone, about putting up with more from one's family than from anyone else.
Seldom. . .very seldom. . .did they argue about Miranda. The only time they argued about their daughter was before they were married, and Ardeth talked Celia out of doing anything hasty to Sanure. He wished now that he kept his mouth shut, and allowed her to do what she thought was right. He was trying to protect her, and his people, but he wasn't so sure that Sanure deserved to be protected from his wife's fury.
*Now that things have been sorted out between O'Connell and Celia,* Thomas observed, *you'll have fewer arguments with her about him. There will be other arguments, of course, as she becomes more comfortable in her new role as your wife and the queen of the twelve tribes. Lord, that sounds like a bad movie.* Ardeth grinned and Thomas continued, *Just keep doing what you're doing, son. You'll be just fine.*
*And that's the only amount of information we can give you about the future, sweet boy, or it's cheating,* Annabelle added. Ardeth just blinked. . .did he ask for more? Annabelle replied apologetically, *No, of course you didn't. It's just. . . well, we would like to give you more information. However, that's been banned, so. . .* Ardeth blinked again. And they were telling him this because. . .? Annabelle actually blushed.
*Don't mind her, son, she's in her protective grandmother mode. You should have seen her when Jason set up the abduction in the bazaar. I think if it were possible for us to inflict physical damage on someone in the world of the living, she would have done it,* Thomas explained. Annabelle glared at him, and Thomas spread his hands, adding, *Well, it's true, honey. You were angry with the boy, not that I blame you.*
Now they were giving him a headache. Ardeth turned his attention back to his prone body, and Evy maintaining her vigil at his side. He knew that she loved him, but this surprised him. She sang lullabies and stroked his hair, sponging him down with cold water even as she talked to him about whatever happened to come to her mind.
Outside his room were O'Connell and Celia. Ardeth wanted to return to his wife. She looked exhausted and scared and frustrated. Her emotions were close to the surface, even as she hid them from O'Connell. She didn't trust him. Even as she told him exactly what she wanted from him, she didn't trust him. Ardeth didn't blame her. The American's words, about endangering Evy and the baby, still rankled.
*He didn't mean it, son,* Thomas said quietly, *I know it doesn't help, because he shouldn't say things he doesn't mean. He knows, better than anyone, that you're willing to die to protect his family. You've proven it a thousand times. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, after being in the right place at the right time. It doesn't excuse what he did, but . .*
*Neither love nor friendship can function without trust,* Ardeth answered, turning his attention back to Thomas, *and I am not inclined to trust O'Connell any longer. He will receive another chance. His actions demand that. But I will not, as my wife says, hold my breath and expect the second chance to make much of a difference.* That was the best he could do, and it seemed, that was all Thomas was asking.
The other man said gently, *And that is all anyone can ask. If you want me to be honest, I expect nothing from him. Rick O'Connell will never change. His family will always be his first priority, and he will always shed the blood of allies to protect his family.* Ardeth nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. Yes, O'Connell would get another chance. But Ardeth would protect his heart much better this time.
. . .
Isis knew that Thomas spoke the truth, but O'Connell was on the verge of accepting that Ardeth was a member of his family. He spoke the words, but he did not yet accept it in his heart. Isis was willing to give him that, though her son was another story. Horus did not believe O'Connell accepted that Ardeth was his brother in all the ways that mattered, nor did he believe O'Connell loved the Med-jai as that brother. Something which Isis knew for a fact, as much as O'Connell denied it.
He was actually doing much better than she anticipated. For one thing, she never expected him to capitulate so quickly when his wife asked him to go after the Med-jai children of Horus and Isis. The goddess expected him to put up much more of a fight. However. . .she would not complain, not when his timely arrival at the train station made things that much easier for Isis. Even so, the goddess was disappointed in O'Connell, far more disappointed than she was in his wife.
Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell, though she ignored Ardeth's warnings, did not blame him for her own misdeeds. Perhaps O'Connell did not, but he behaved as if he did, and it was time that behavior ceased. Evelyn was slowly learning, but Isis planned to give her a little push. She knew that the mortal woman would always be curious. Isis didn't wish to change Evelyn. . .she just wanted her to think first. And, Isis wanted O'Connell to think before he reacted.
Perhaps she was asking too much of the American Med-jai. . .but she and her brothers and sister gods made him a Western Med-jai for a reason. Balance needed to be restored, over and above the balance provided by Ardath reborn, a child of Isis herself. That was why some Med-jai converted to Islam, to maintain the balance within the small nation (it was just too bad, she decided, that not all gods revered balance). Though he helped to defeat Imhotep twice and the Scorpion King once, O'Connell failed in his task.
He could only succeed when he stopped denying that which he was. That was what helped him to defeat both evils. That was why he could not defeat Khaldun. Celia and Ardath did that, together. Ardeth had the right of it. Once O'Connell accepted that he was a Med-jai, once he stopped denying what his heart told him to be true, once he stopped fighting that he and Ardeth were brothers, nothing could stand against the pair. There was one other thing. . .O'Connell was needed to balance Ardeth himself.
Even now, as the memories of Terumun returned, O'Connell still fought against that past life, and everything it entailed. Unlike his wife, and Ardath reborn, O'Connell refused to allow Terumun to guide him when it became necessary. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Ardeth and his previous incarnations related too strongly to Rameses. One swung to one extreme, and the other, of course. . .went to the other extreme.
Isis could only do so much. As human beings, O'Connell and others made choices for themselves. That did not stop her from wanting to break his neck. Perhaps that was why Ma'at feared allowing her plan to go forward. Ma'at knew that Isis had little patience where O'Connell was concerned. And she was concerned. The American was still maturing in many ways, bringing balance to Ardeth. They were of an age, O'Connell was only a year older, but Ardeth grew up entirely too fast.
Isis could hear the thoughts and concerns of Ardeth, while he kept company with the grandparents of his wife. She knew he no longer trusted O'Connell. There was some anger, yes, but the stronger emotion was resignation. He was tired. The poison in his body was taking its toll on his spirit. It hurt her, to see him in such pain. He was Med-jai, one of her children, and like all mothers, she hated to see her children hurting.
She turned her attention back to O'Connell, who still sat outside Ardeth's room with Celia. The Western Med-jai, too, was one of her children, one hidden from her for years. She still knew not why that happened, but Isis was determined to find out. Isis listened intently to the human's thoughts. So. He wanted Ardeth back, did he? He wanted to make things right on his own terms, rather than Celia's?
Understandable, of course, since the little queen, as the priest called her, was quite capable of asking O'Connell to grovel. Isis didn't blame her child for that in the least, but she also knew that forcing O'Connell to grovel would be of no help to the Med-jai chieftain. Well, in that case, perhaps it was time for the final move to be made. Perhaps it was time she and Horus made their appearance.
Ardeth's strength waned by the hour. The only thing staying her hand now was the clear exhaustion of everyone in the house. She wanted them awake and paying attention, not dead on their respective pairs of feet. They could not pay attention, proper attention, if they were exhausted. She sensed her son's presence at her side, and said quietly, *The time draws near, my son, and with it, the end of Ardeth Bey's strength.*
*I know, I have begun the process which will slow the poison, so Ardeth will have no more convulsions. He will be as still as death,* the young god replied. Isis looked at him, and her son added, *He will not disturb their sleep, and they are, I am sure, quite capable of checking his pulse to assure themselves he is still alive. Mother, what about Celia? She is not responsible for this."
"I know, my son, and I have plans to protect her. At least somewhat, for I cannot protect her totally. If you fear that she will be caught in the crossfire, once the final lesson begins, you should fear not. That, I will not allow,* Isis assured her son. She paused, then added, *I am grateful, though, that Celia and Ardeth did not take their daughter on their honeymoon. You know how protective Miranda is of them both.*
Unexpectedly, Horus laughed, *Mother, she would have attacked us both, if she even thought we hurt her mother or Ardeth! That is why I have Chosen her!* Isis looked at her son, startled. She knew that Ardeth was his Chosen, his primary Chosen, and was for many years. It was rare indeed for her son to Chose someone as young as Miranda. She would celebrate her fifth birthday when her parents returned from their honeymoon.
However, she could not argue with her son on at least one point. Little Miranda would have, indeed, attacked them if she thought the mother and son deities harmed her parents. Isis wondered if she should point out to her mortal daughter Celia that a coward could have never raised such a fierce little warrior. After a moment, she decided against it. Celia now knew the truth about herself. Was starting to learn about her own courage.
Isis turned her attention back to the mortals. It was almost time. O'Connell was making a separate, and somewhat strained, peace with her mortal daughter. Celia had not the strength or the energy to lash out at the other American. It was almost time to draw this to a close. Almost time to end this, and start putting the pieces back together again. Mortals were puzzles in more ways than one, she came to realize over the millennia.
*Tomorrow morning then, Mother?* Horus asked. Isis nodded slowly. Yes. Tomorrow morning would see the end of this exercise. She wished to teach Rick O'Connell a lesson he would never forget. . .but they were all growing weary, and it was much harder to learn when one was exhausted. Horus added, almost growling, *And I have a few things I wish to say to Mr. O'Connell myself!*
Isis smiled at her son. Yes, of that, she was sure. In some ways, O'Connell disappointed her son more than he disappointed her. But it was almost over. At least there was that consolation.
"Well, this is a fine mess, isn't it?" Evy said softly, carefully wiping down Ardeth's face and chest. He remained silent, as he had for the last few days, but Evy expected as much. She continued her work, dunking the washcloth into the basin, wringing it out. It was mindless work that required little thinking, and allowed her to focus on other things. Like Ardeth.
She went on, "None of this is your fault. You didn't ask to be sick, nor did you ask to have your honeymoon interrupted by my curiosity. That doesn't make it easier to watch you laying here, so still and so silent. If anything, it makes it worse. That's not the Ardeth I know and love. No, he's tall and elegant and dangerous and compassionate. You're quite the contradiction, did you know that? No, of course not. You think you're nothing special, just a warrior doing his duty. But you are very special, Ardeth."
Evy paused, feeling Nefertiri move in her womb. She said, "Perhaps I should remind you of what you lose, if you gave up now. Giving up is alien to you, Ardeth, as alien as not seeking is to me. I know you don't want to give up, but I also know how tired you are. Yes, I think you need a reminder." Evy put the washcloth back into the basin and took his hand, placing against her side where Nefertiri was currently cuddling.
Evy told her daughter, "Nefertiri, darling, I want you to meet your uncle Ardeth. He's my other older brother, and when you are born, I know you'll grow to love him as much as we all do. This is very important, my Nefertiri, for your father loves him just as much as I do. It's just very hard for him to acknowledge that Ardeth is part of our family, and he always will be."
Evy smiled as her daughter responded with a healthy kick, a smile tinged with a wince. However, the young Englishwoman told her brother, "There, you see? Your niece has made her feelings known. You simply must come back to us, because Nefertiri wishes to meet you." Ardeth groaned, every so softly, and his dark head moved on the pillow restlessly. It wasn't the reaction which Evy was hoping for, but it was a reaction.
Evy dropped her facade and said quietly, "Listen to me, Ardeth. If it takes the rest of my life to make you understand how important you are to this family, so be it. I love you. And I'll not let you go without a fight. Rick and Jonathan, Alex and Celia, and I. . .we'll all fight for you. It's hard for Rick to admit you mean a great deal to him, but you do. He felt so guilty, Ardeth, for treating you so badly. He still feels guilty."
Evy paused, gently kissing the back of Ardeth's hand, then went on, "And I know she has every right to be angry, but Celia makes it worse. She's. . .do you remember during the time of Rameses, when someone would make Ardath so angry, that she would totally. . .she would become an ice queen? And how even Anck-su-namun could break through that wall of ice, until she was ready to let someone in?"
The reincarnated princess went on, "That's what I see happening with Celia now. I have no right to ask anything of her. After all, she's just trying to protect her husband. And. . .it's just that. . .I love all three of you, and when things like this happen, I feel like I must choose between people I love. That's not something I like. Not in the least."
Again, Evy paused and took a deep breath. She gently caressed the column of Ardeth's throat, as she had in the past two days when trying to get him to drink. It was something which Rick learned in the Legion, when one of his compatriots were unconscious for days, and they were trying to stave off dehydration. It was ironic, then, that it was something they had to fear here in London, so far from the desert.
After a moment, she finally said, "Oh, listen to me! Forgive me, Ardeth, I shouldn't burden you. I do believe it's my pregnancy. . .Celia warned me that my emotions would be all over the place. I love you so much. I know I've already said that, but I think it should be said often, especially when. . .especially when you face losing someone you love. I should say it more often."
She tenderly caressed the tattoo adorning his right cheek, and said, "You know, that's another reason you have to fight. Celia. Rick often says thinking about the children you and Celia would create together frightens him. Not me. I think you should fight for Celia, and the children you'll have one day."
Evy smiled, picturing the children created by her brother and sister- in-law, and murmured, "They will be beautiful children with black hair and dark eyes. Golden skin, and a smile which would make the most sensible of women swoon. And those would just be the boys! They would be fierce children, willing to die or kill for those whom they love. And compassionate children, who do what they can for those who are helpless."
Evy stroked Ardeth's cheek, saying softly, "But none of this can come about without you, Ardeth. You must fight, my sweet brother. You must. You'll not be alone. I promise you, you will never fight alone." Ardeth made no answer, and Evy sighed. She was out of things to say, but there was still much to be done. She soaked the washcloth and bathed his burning skin. All the time, she prayed that something would help him. Her brother couldn't do this for much longer.
. . .
Rick left Ardeth's room to clean up, change clothes, and maybe get some sleep. The cleaning up and changing clothes took very little time, and he did feel better. He should have been exhausted, sitting up all night with Ardeth. He should have been, but as he lay on his bed, Rick couldn't sleep. There were too many things going 'round in his head, not the least of which was his fears that this was one fight Ardeth couldn't win.
On the plus side, his temperature seemed to be leveling off. But it was only a matter of time before they had to worry about brain damage. They continued to bathe him with ice water, cooling him as best they could. Rick remembered a trick he learned in the Legion, and it was in this way that they prevented Ardeth from getting dehydrated. Not 'they,' though. He was the only one in the room the first time he did it.
And it felt strange. Rick learned that massaging a person's throat triggered an involuntary swallowing reflex. But before now, he never tried to do it. It felt strange to do it. It felt even stranger, touching a man whom he barely knew in some ways. He. . . Rick shook his head. The act was a curiously intimate one, though necessary. And he was gratified when it worked, when Ardeth swallowed the water, instead of choking.
But this entire thing scared him. Rick didn't know how to deal with this. He was good with guns and with knives, with weapons of all sorts. He killed the Scorpion King once, killed Imhotep once, and watched him die a second time. But he didn't know how to deal with the possibility of losing his best friend for good. Things were changing so fast, he didn't know how to deal with that, either. He was afraid and in some ways, helpless, even though he was the one taking care of Ardeth most of the time.
That was how he wanted it. A voice which sounded faintly familiar asked, *What you want? What about what Jonathan wants, or Evy, or Celia? Don't you think you've traded in one form of selfishness for another?* Rick's eyes flew open, and the voice continued, *And you're not the only one who's scared. Everyone is scared. The longer you fail to take others into account, the longer Ardeth will suffer.*
Rick started to protest, that he was doing no such thing, when a memory slammed into his consciousness. Holding Evy as she died in the shadow of the Golden Pyramid. Feeling totally helpless. . .and the rage which surged over him, because he was so helpless. The voice continued, *Yes. What makes you think Cecelia Ferguson Bey feels any differently, watching her husband slip away from her than you did that day?*
He never thought of it that way. He took the bulk of caring for Ardeth on his own shoulders, because he had to make things right with his friend. There was also the matter of Rick's own size. He was bigger than Ardeth, better able to subdue him when Ardeth's fever and delirium caused to lash out. Rick knew that his friend would never forgive himself if he hurt Celia or Alex or Evy while he was delirious.
And maybe, he was punishing them. . .especially Celia. . .by trying to be a martyr. He was angry with her, so angry, for not even trying to see things from his point of view. But again, the voice pointed out, *And why should she? She did that once, and got nothing in return. You have been a selfish, ungrateful bastard, just as she said you were. Try to look at it from her point of view. Though I realize that might be difficult.*
Damn. The damn voice had him *again.* This was really getting on his nerves. But even so, Rick did try. He tried to imagine being on his honeymoon and finding out that his best friend dug up something which should have remained hidden. That best friend was now in danger of dying, and he couldn't allow that to happen. Then he imagined Evy falling desperately ill while fending off the attackers.
Okay. Celia had a very good reason for being so furious with him. And he admitted that in her place, he wouldn't even try to put his anger aside. In her place, he probably wouldn't have allowed him any where near Ardeth, but Celia was smarter than that. She knew she couldn't take care of her husband alone, and she took help where she could find it.
Oh yeah. Definitely smarter than Rick. No question there. He closed his eyes. So, he acknowledged that he was still being selfish, and that Celia was not being unreasonable. That left him *where,* exactly? If his mysterious visitor knew, he or she wasn't telling. Rick reached up blindly to massage his temples. One thing was certain. When Ardeth was better, he and the chieftain needed to have a long, long talk.
Rick took a deep breath. . .which left his lungs in a rush as Evy cried out, "RICK! Oh, God!" Rick bounded up and raced from the room, nearly colliding with Celia at the door to Ardeth's room. He grabbed her shoulders, righting her quickly, before dashing into the room. They found Evy back-pedaling toward the window, eyes wide.
Celia's gasp and a moan from the bed redirected the big American's attention away from his wife. Ardeth's fever was rising once more, for he was having convulsions. He was thrashing on the bed, his body twisting about. To Rick's horrified mind, it was like seeing Imhotep regenerating during the first rising, with the way his body contorted after assimiliating the body fluids and organs of those who opened the chest.
Ardeth moaned again, an anguished sound which brought Rick back to the present. He gave Celia a little push toward Evy, saying, "You take care of my wife, and I'll take care of your husband." He didn't wait for Celia to nod, but as Rick moved to the bed, he did see her go to Evy. Then all of his attention was on Ardeth. Earlier, he slipped behind his friend to restrain him. That wouldn't work this time.
Instead, Rick grasped Ardeth's shoulders, sitting down on the bed at the same time. He wrapped both arms around his friend, pulling him against his chest, and tucking Ardeth's head under his chin. Like he held Alex after a nightmare. Ardeth gave a low moan of pain, and Rick tightened his arms around him. . .tightening yet again as his friend whispered something in Arabic. Rick slowed down his hearing, to listen intently.
And then he closed his eyes. Ardeth whispered, "You must go, O'Connell, go save the girl. You must not let her die, you must not allow the Creature to win." A strange sound emerged, and Rick eased his hold, thinking that Ardeth was having a hard time breathing. He was, though not because of anything Rick was doing. His friend gasped, still speaking in Arabic, "I am tired. I am so tired. Forgive me, little brother. . .I did not want the burden to fall on you."
"Evy, what's he saying?" Celia asked, her voice trembling, and Rick looked at the two women. They stood side by side, Celia's arms wrapped around Evy and Rick's wife leaning into her. Or was it the other way around? Rick couldn't tell. Evy whispered something to her friend, and Rick turned his attention back to Ardeth, who was still trapped in Hamunaptra, if only in his mind.
Rick didn't know what to do, aside from what he was already doing. So, he just whispered, "It's okay, Ardeth. . .you're gonna get out of this. You're gonna get out of this, who else will save our asses when we do something stupid? We need you, buddy, we need you so much. You just hold on. . .hold on, your little brother is coming. Just close your eyes and rest. Shhh. It's all right, you'll be fine. Just hang on a little longer."
Ardeth was murmuring in another language now, but he was calmer. Rick began rocking back and forth, trying to calm his friend further. For a second, his masculine pride rebelled at what he was doing. But his practical side reasserted itself. . .he would do what had to be done, to save Ardeth. And his masculine pride be damned. Ardeth went limp in Rick's arms.
The American froze, but carefully lay Ardeth on the pillows. He was still breathing, thank God. Rick placed the back of his hand against his friend's forehead. Was it his imagination, or did Ardeth seem a little cooler? He couldn't be sure. And right now, he was too wrung out to really think about testing in a more scientific way. Instead, he rested his forehead against the headboard, squeezing Ardeth's shoulder.
It was the only affectionate gesture which really seemed appropriate with Ardeth. Rick turned his head sideways, to look at the two wives. In some ways, so very different, and in other ways, so much alike. Evy and Celia, another east and west. Rick took a deep breath, then said hoarsely, "He should be okay for a while. These. . .spasms. . .take a lot out of him. He's usually quiet for a few hours. Will you be okay, Evy?"
She nodded and Rick continued, "Check his temperature. He seems to be cooler now." His fever wasn't breaking. It wasn't like that. But. . .he was cooler. There was something important about that, but right now, Rick was too tired to think about it. He patted Ardeth's shoulder one last time, and lurched his feet. He needed to rest. Though desperately ill, Ardeth was still damn strong, and restraining him took a lot out of Rick.
"Go, Celia. . .I'll be fine. You need to rest," Evy said softly, as she released her friend and walked over to Ardeth. She began caressing his hair, murmuring soft Arabic endearments to their brother. Celia stood at the foot of the bed, and Evy repeated, "I promise I'll take care of him for you. You've done a wonderful job of taking care of him, these last four months. Now it's my turn."
"C'mon, kid. . .let the lady do her work," Rick said. Celia nodded, but walked around to the opposite side of the bed and leaned over to kiss Ardeth. Rick looked away, not wanting to intrude on the terribly private moment. Again, he remembered Ahm Shere, and his last kiss before Evy died in his arms. He kept thinking back to Ahm Shere, and putting Celia's reactions in perspective according to that.
After a moment, Celia rose to her feet and walked unsteadily from the room, Rick right behind her. They made it maybe halfway down the hall, then Rick stopped. He slowly slid down the wall, his legs no longer able to hold him. He rested his head on his knees, vaguely aware of Celia sliding to the ground beside him. Down the hall, Evy was singing to Ardeth. Lullabies. She was singing lullabies to a grown man.
But Rick couldn't bring himself to even smile. He didn't have the energy. At last, tired of the silence, Rick finally found the energy to raise his head. He looked at Celia, finding her hazel eyes boring into him. She wanted answers. To what, Rick didn't know. He couldn't even begin to guess. Instead, he decided to give the answers he did have. He starting by telling her, "I do care about him, you know."
Celia nodded. Well, that was something. Considering how often Rick accused Ardeth of bringing trouble to their door, he figured this was going well. She replied, sounding as exhausted as Rick felt, "I know that. I just wish you would remember that, instead of lashing out when you and Evy get into trouble." Rick winced, though it was a fair comment. Not a new observation on her part, but no less valid. After a moment, she added, "And I didn't want to be dragging your ass out of the fire on my honeymoon, any more than I wanted my husband to be fighting for his life."
Something else which was mentioned more than once, but again, it was a valid point. He should have been annoyed with her harping on that point, but what right did he have to be annoyed, considering how many times he almost got her husband killed? He wasn't entirely sure where that thought came from, but it was true. How many times did Ardeth risk his life for Rick's family? Too many times. Way too many times.
With that in mind, Rick was quiet for a long time, then said, "I guess. . .I guess I do lash out at Ardeth. Only because I know I can trust him enough to take it. I just forgot that even he has a breaking point." And there it was. The plain, unvarnished truth. It was ugly, but the truth often was. Ardeth often called him his friend, but he wasn't. Ardeth was his friend, yes, but this particular street was one-way, at least up to this point.
Celia sighed, sounding very old. She was only thirty years old, but right now, she sounded closer to seventy. Rick once more had to consider the effects of the last few days on her. He didn't know who owned the mysterious voice in his head, but they were right. The last few days, he. . .yeah. He was being selfish. Celia finally said, "He's a human being, Mr O'Connell, not a verbal punching bag."
Ouch. Okay, he deserved that. Even if it did hurt like hell. Still, there was a part of him which was angry with Ardeth for accepting it from him. Why the hell did he do that? But Rick didn't ask. There was a good chance she would punch him in the face if he did. Instead, he answered, "I know that. I'm. . .I guess what I'm trying to say is. . .I don't do the softer feelings real well. Hell, until I met Evy, until Alex came into our lives. . .I didn't have any softer feelings."
Celia gave him a Look which said that he was stating the obvious. Rick continued, "You remember what you told me once? About how you fell in love with Ardeth because he was stronger and more mature than anyone you ever knew?" That took place on the way back to Cairo, as Ardeth faced Khaldun the first time. Celia favored him with another look, and Rick said, "What I'm trying to say is. . . aw hell! I don't even know." He shook his head, frustrated.
He must have given Celia what she wanted, for she finally took pity on him. She said in a low voice, "What you're trying to say is, you care a lot more for my husband than you're willing to admit. That scares the hell out of you, so when he shows up to save your ass. . .again. . .you're so damn relieved, and scared by that relief, that you lash out at him and treat him like he's your servant, at your beck and call. Close enough?"
Rick laughed nervously, scratching the side of his face. After a second he felt Celia's eyes still on him and he glanced at her. In some ways, she was just like Ardeth. Quiet. Steady. Forever there. And like Ardeth, she could be damn stubborn. He wondered what their arguments were like, since they were both so stubborn. Rick finally said softly, "Yeah." He quickly looked away once more with a sigh. He could still feel Celia's eyes boring into him, and Rick added, "I guess that's a good way of putting it."
Well, they were making headway. A sigh was released from his companion, and Rick looked back at her. She was no longer glowering at him, but he wasn't off the hook yet. Damn. He thought Imhotep's priests didn't give up, but they didn't have nothing on this small, dark-haired woman. Celia folded her arms over her chest, saying softly, "So the question remains, Mr. O'Connell. What will you do now?"
"Well, I guess I owe him an apology," Rick answered. "Or two. Or ten." He wasn't so sure, though, that even apologizing would help in this situation. How exactly did one apologize to one's best friend for being, in his wife's ever so blunt terms, 'a selfish, ungrateful ass,' especially when that friend was repeatedly injured because of you being that selfish, ungrateful ass? How many apologies did he owe Ardeth? Just ten?
His companion evidently agreed with him. Celia raised her eyebrows and asked almost impishly, "Oh, you'll just stop with ten, huh?" Okay, she didn't have to put it like that! But there was no hint of an apology in the hazel eyes which held his own. Rick remembered briefly locking gazes with her inside Hamunaptra, as the dust rained down around them, bringing back memories of the first time he was inside that damned city.
No apology was forthcoming, and Rick asked with an exasperated sigh, "Well, Queen of the Med-jai, what do you suggest?" One of these days, he would learn not to ask her questions like that. She never hesitated to tell him exactly what he thought, and asking her what she suggested he do was like Evy asking 'what harm ever came from. . .' and fill in the blanks with 'reading a book,' or 'opening the chest,' or anything like that.
Celia answered, no longer joking, "Be honest with him. And don't let his macho posturing, or your own, stop you. Don't let him tell you it's all right. Because it's not all right, and while Ardeth would die before admitting it, you hurt him. You're the cause of most of our arguments. I don't like the way you treat my husband, especially when your wife and children are involved, and it bugs me the way my husband brushes it off."
That didn't surprise him. Rick exhaled slowly, then replied, "I know. I know it bothers you, and I figured you two usually argue about me. I just. . .I don't know how to make things right. An apology. . .it's such a little thing. I don't know how to make this right." Rick paused, then added, "If it was Evy whom I hurt, I could. . .well, you get the idea. But I don't know what to do to make it up to Ardeth."
Celia raised her eyebrows and asked dryly, "Aside from buying him a Thompson? I'm well aware of my husband's affection for those damn things. At least he keeps his weapons away from the children." She sounded so much like Evy right then, though Evy was growing more comfortable with firearms.
Rick laughed and ducked his head, replying, "Yeah, aside from that. Evy told me earlier, while we were talking, that Ardeth found you through us, and that counted for something." That wasn't all she said, of course, but he wasn't about to tell Celia that. She was being reasonable, Rick didn't want to test her patience when he was actually getting along with the little tigress.
The young woman replied, "But it doesn't take the place of an apology, especially not with everything else which has happened. Evy told me about him saving her life after Imhotep's first rising. She told me that he was shot while protecting her. And. . .some of the other Med-jai told me the rest of the story." Ouch. That meant she knew about him lashing out at Ardeth, slamming his already-badly injured friend into the wall.
They were both silent, while the man tried to figure out what to say. At last, Rick answered with a deep sigh, "I'll make things right with him. But. . .I gotta do it my way. I swear to you. Things will be different. But this is something I gotta do in my own way." That was important. He would make things right with Ardeth, but he would do it on his terms, and in a way he understood, in a way Ardeth would understand. He wasn't a sentimental man, and neither was Ardeth.
It seemed that the young woman was fine with that. Celia replied, "That's all I ask. Because. . .this is a promise, not a threat. I will not tolerate you ever hurting my husband again." Rick knew better than to scoff at her. He already found out what she would do to protect Ardeth; he found that out in his Cairo home. Rick just nodded and Celia rested her head once more against the wall. The truce was made. Now all they had to do was get Ardeth back.
. . .
*Well, that was interesting!* Anck said after a moment. Her companion glanced at her, noticing Anck's reaction to Ardeth's convulsions. She tried to ignore how badly they frightened her, and instead, tried to focus on the conversation between Celia and Rick. After a moment, however, she gave up even trying. And wisely, Ardath made no attempt to tease her friend, or even remind Anck that less than a year earlier, she was trying to kill the young chieftain. Besides, the younger concubine was too badly shaken.
Instead, she observed, *O'Connell surprised me. I never would have thought he had the courage to simply pull my child into his arms, regardless of his masculine pride.* Anck gave her a grateful smile, and Ardath smiled back, continuing, *and my spirit-twin did a wonderful job of cutting him down to size. Perhaps my daughter had the right of it, when she volunteered to be reborn as the O'Connell daughter.*
Ardath knew this was her daughter's choice. But that didn't stop her from wishing that her daughter chose someone other than Rick O'Connell as her new father. She told Jonathan Carnahan that she believed his brother- in-law *was* a good man. And that was true. But, when all was said and done, she really didn't like him. She tolerated him, and aided where she could, but if she was totally honest. . .she didn't like him.
She said none of this to Anck, in part because she knew how her forever friend felt. And, they had other things to do. In the last few mortal days, Ardath realized that she, Anck, and Rameses were allowed to do what they did, because it fit into the plans of the gods. More specifically, the plans of Horus and Isis, the long-time guardians of the Med-jai. The Guardians. It was their followers who attacked the O'Connell home, and it was their followers who carried the dagger responsible for Ardeth's current condition.
She, Rameses, and Anck were part of a plan hatched by the mother and son deities to teach Rick O'Connell a lesson he would never forget about responsibility and friendship. A lesson which was ongoing, Ardath recently learned, despite the American's recent strides. The pair vowed to see this to the end, and the only thing the concubine could do was hope that it didn't end with the death of her namesake and distant child.
That, and make sure Anck didn't find out. In human terms, she was on probation. If she messed up, she would be right back where she started, and for obvious reasons, Ardath didn't want that. They weren't exactly together, as they were in the old days, but they weren't separated, as they were for the last three thousand years. Ardath didn't want them to be separated, ever again. She wanted them to be reborn as friends once more.
Perhaps because of that knowledge, Ma'at further instructed Ardath to tell Anck nothing of what Ma'at disclosed. Ma'at knew Ardath better than anyone else, save Rameses and Hathor, and she knew how difficult it was for the younger concubine to keep secrets of any kind from her best friend. So. . .she made it a little easier. Ardath knew that, and appreciated the consideration she received from the goddess.
Making it even easier, Ma'at also told her that the current situation would not last much longer. . .a mortal day, if that. They were waiting for O'Connell to open his heart, and for Evelyn O'Connell to open her ears. Ardath wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but she was grateful that she wouldn't keep things from Anck for much longer. Even in situations like this, where a goddess bade her to do something, and Ardath was trying to protect Anck, she still found it difficult to keep things from her sister.
But fortunately, she now had three thousand years of experience in shielding her mind when she desired. Ardath's attention was drawn away from the conspiracy of the gods, when Anck asked, *Do you think O'Connell takes Celia seriously, when she warns him to never hurt Ardeth again, or he will answer to her?* Ardath looked at her friend, then looked at the pair sitting in the hall. They both looked exhausted, and there was no hint of humor in either pair of eyes. The younger concubine smiled in spite of herself.
*Oh yes, my friend,* Ardath answered, *he does indeed take her seriously. O'Connell has many flaws, many times many. But he is no fool. He has seen the wrath of my spirit-twin, and he has seen mine, and he wants not it to touch him a second time. Do you remember, Anck, hearing about Greek fire in your successive lifetimes? I do, my sister, and Terumun reborn is not foolish enough to wish it used upon him.*
There was a long silence, then Anck said plaintively, *I do hate it, my sister, when you talk like that. You do not sound like my forever friend.* Ardath gave her friend a brief, bright smile, and Anck continued sadly, *You have changed so much, over these millenia, my friend. I have only myself to blame. . .my stupidity kept me away from you.* Ardath turned to face her best friend and cupped her face in her hands.
*That will be enough of that, Anck-su-namun. I am still your Ardath, still the little girl whom you protected when we were small. I am still the girl whom you half-carried to the concubine apartments after an attack. Never said that I am not the same, for I am. I have grown, hopefully, in wisdom, but I am still your friend, still your sister,* Ardath answered fiercely. She saw Anck swallow hard, and Ardath added more gently, *Do you not understand yet, Anck? Yes, I have changed. But my heart is still the same.*
*I suppose that is what frightens me, about myself and Meela. Why I keep questioning whether I abandoned Imhotep and stabbed Nefertiri reborn, or if it was Meela,* Anck admitted. Ardath turned to face her friend more fully, now understanding why the other girl needed reassurance. It made sense, and Ardath struggled to find the words she needed, the words which would allow her to explain things.
*Meela was your reincarnation, my dear friend. She was not you, just as Celia is not me, and just as Evy O'Connell is not Nefertiri. Our experiences change us. . .Meela grew up in a different time, in a different world than you, and that makes the difference. You know that while Rameses was reborn in Ardeth, they are not the same person. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that you and Meela are not the same?* Ardath asked.
She paused, then continued, *Do you remember what you said in the temple of Ahm Shere, when Evy O'Connell stopped the fight with her brother Jonathan? You said, 'good.' That was you speaking, my sister, you retook control. That was not Meela. Meela wanted her out of the way, wanted her dead. But you wanted closure. You wanted to face her.* Ardath didn't mention the other possibility. . .that Evy was stabbed to bring Nefertiri back with her. That possibility gave her a headache.
She could tell from Anck's expression that her friend *wanted* to believe her. For now, that was all Ardath could ask. In some ways, her best friend had a terrible self-esteem problem, believing for so long that her beauty was the only thing in her favor. After a moment, her sister replied quietly, *What must we do now? Horus and Isis are still waiting for the O'Connells to do something. What are we to do in the meantime, and please do not tell me nothing. You know I am incapable of doing nothing.*
*Give Celia your strength. She keeps so much hidden, Anck, her fear, her frustration, and her anger. You are not the helpless one, my forever friend. . .there is no more I may do,* Ardath answered. She could tell from Anck's expression that the other girl hadn't considered this. . .first understanding, then guilt. Ardath sighed, preparing herself for yet another go-around with alleviating her sister's guilt at 'failing' her.
However, Anck-su-namun proved that she was still capable of surprising Ardath. The older girl replied determinedly, *Then I shall give her the strength of us both. I will comfort her for both of us.* Ardath gave her a surprised smile, and Anck shrugged, adding with a shy smile, *I gave Celia my word that I would pull no more pranks while we were in England, and I swore to her that I would not leave her.*
Ardath reached over and squeezed her friend's hand, smiling at her. Anck returned the squeeze and the smile, saying bravely, *I swore to myself that I would make you proud of me, my sister. That is one promise I have no intention of breaking.* Ardath said nothing, though she was already proud of her sister. This was something Anck had to work through on her own.
. . .
*Well, we are making very good progress!* the woman said. Ardeth looked from his prone body to his two companions, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Annabelle said complacently, *Well, we are. You see, dear boy, all of this this happening for a reason.* Yes, Ardeth figured that part out, but what he didn't know was, what the standards were for their progress. How did she know they were making progress?
He wasn't the only one who was thinking that, he found. Thomas sighed, *Annabelle, please, be a little more specific. The boy doesn't have access to our information.* Annabelle actually pouted, and Thomas continued, looking back at Ardeth, *You see, son, all of this was set into motion by the gods of your people, Horus and Isis. It was they who engineered the attack in the O'Connell house.*
Ardeth's mind was reeling. He knew all of this was happening for a reason, but this was a little more than he was expecting. Annabelle picked up where her husband left off, *Horus and Isis want to teach O'Connell. . .and the rest of his family. . .a lesson. Since they consider Med-jai blood so cheap. . .their words, not mine. . .Ardath, Rameses, and Anck-su- namun were permitted to show them alternative realities.*
Alternative realities? Those words made Ardeth very, very nervous. Annabelle nodded, continuing, *Yes, my grandson. They were shown several possibilities. What would have happened to the O'Connell family, had your brother Andreas led the raid against Hamunaptra. Another change. . .what would have happened, if Horus was not shot out of the sky by that horrid giant, Lock-nah. And finally. . .the possibility of Imhotep arising twenty years earlier, while you and the others were still children.*
That frightened Ardeth, and Thomas explained, *We know, son, which is why only Jonathan Carnahan saw that reality. The world would have been a far worse place, though Imhotep would have been destroyed in the long-run. It would have taken even more Med-jai blood, though. And each of you. . .you, our granddaughter, O'Connell, Evy, her brother Jonathan. . .would have been much different people.*
Ardeth didn't ask how. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. And it wasn't important, for Annabelle put in, *And the important thing is, you'll soon return to our granddaughter. Rick O'Connell is more prepared to listen to the gods. . .and so is his wife. They ask for nothing more than Evy O'Connell to stop and think about what she does, about the consequences to her family and to the protectors of the desert.*
Thomas muttered, *That may be asking too much.* He looked up at Ardeth, saying, *I know she's your sister, son, and she's Celia's best friend. But even at her age, she still doesn't think things through. I have no reason to trust her, not with the safety of my granddaughter, or the children to come. And there will be children, son, that I promise.* Ardeth felt a little dizzy, thinking about those children.
*Well, if she doesn't learn after this, she never will. I give her credit, Thomas, she tries to put things right. I just wish she would stop and think. She's grown up, but. . . perhaps it's simply the times. People no longer believe in curses. How was it that she put it? Oh, that's right. . .she called them fairy tales and hokum. The People knew the dangers of curses, and I learned to respect words from them,* Annabelle replied.
Before he could stop himself, the words were out, and Ardeth heard himself ask, *Then she learned it from you. . .her respect for the ways of others?* Annabelle smiled brightly, and Ardeth admitted, *That was one reason I fell in love with her. She judged not my ancestors for the way they looked at death and the afterlife. And while I know the stupidity of my ancestors, in the casting of the hom-dai, angered her. . .*
*More than you know. Celia understands, of course, that Imhotep and Anck killed the pharaoh, and they had to be punished. But the hom-dai was too much. She would not say such a thing, of course, even now that it has been acknowledged by the Elders. My granddaughter is still learning where her boundaries are, as the chieftain's wife. But it is something you should know,* Annabelle replied.
That didn't surprise Ardeth. . .any of it. He sensed that the hom- dai angered his wife, and he knew that she avoided interfering in Med-jai business. The only times they argued about Imhotep, aside from his request for Celia to teach him, was when it also involved O'Connell.
That actually worried Ardeth a little. Not that he argued with his wife in the privacy of their tent, but that they argued so rarely. It worried him, but Annabelle's words set things into perspective for him. If Celia was worried about overstepping her boundaries as his wife, she might be less likely to tell him when something was bothering her. Ardeth quietly resolved to talk to her about that.
Their arguments were usually about O'Connell. Celia could never understood why he accepted the way O'Connell was, though she came close when he told her of the similarities between the American and his older brother Andreas. Put in those terms, that it was like a family, she understood that. She understood, better than anyone, about putting up with more from one's family than from anyone else.
Seldom. . .very seldom. . .did they argue about Miranda. The only time they argued about their daughter was before they were married, and Ardeth talked Celia out of doing anything hasty to Sanure. He wished now that he kept his mouth shut, and allowed her to do what she thought was right. He was trying to protect her, and his people, but he wasn't so sure that Sanure deserved to be protected from his wife's fury.
*Now that things have been sorted out between O'Connell and Celia,* Thomas observed, *you'll have fewer arguments with her about him. There will be other arguments, of course, as she becomes more comfortable in her new role as your wife and the queen of the twelve tribes. Lord, that sounds like a bad movie.* Ardeth grinned and Thomas continued, *Just keep doing what you're doing, son. You'll be just fine.*
*And that's the only amount of information we can give you about the future, sweet boy, or it's cheating,* Annabelle added. Ardeth just blinked. . .did he ask for more? Annabelle replied apologetically, *No, of course you didn't. It's just. . . well, we would like to give you more information. However, that's been banned, so. . .* Ardeth blinked again. And they were telling him this because. . .? Annabelle actually blushed.
*Don't mind her, son, she's in her protective grandmother mode. You should have seen her when Jason set up the abduction in the bazaar. I think if it were possible for us to inflict physical damage on someone in the world of the living, she would have done it,* Thomas explained. Annabelle glared at him, and Thomas spread his hands, adding, *Well, it's true, honey. You were angry with the boy, not that I blame you.*
Now they were giving him a headache. Ardeth turned his attention back to his prone body, and Evy maintaining her vigil at his side. He knew that she loved him, but this surprised him. She sang lullabies and stroked his hair, sponging him down with cold water even as she talked to him about whatever happened to come to her mind.
Outside his room were O'Connell and Celia. Ardeth wanted to return to his wife. She looked exhausted and scared and frustrated. Her emotions were close to the surface, even as she hid them from O'Connell. She didn't trust him. Even as she told him exactly what she wanted from him, she didn't trust him. Ardeth didn't blame her. The American's words, about endangering Evy and the baby, still rankled.
*He didn't mean it, son,* Thomas said quietly, *I know it doesn't help, because he shouldn't say things he doesn't mean. He knows, better than anyone, that you're willing to die to protect his family. You've proven it a thousand times. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, after being in the right place at the right time. It doesn't excuse what he did, but . .*
*Neither love nor friendship can function without trust,* Ardeth answered, turning his attention back to Thomas, *and I am not inclined to trust O'Connell any longer. He will receive another chance. His actions demand that. But I will not, as my wife says, hold my breath and expect the second chance to make much of a difference.* That was the best he could do, and it seemed, that was all Thomas was asking.
The other man said gently, *And that is all anyone can ask. If you want me to be honest, I expect nothing from him. Rick O'Connell will never change. His family will always be his first priority, and he will always shed the blood of allies to protect his family.* Ardeth nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. Yes, O'Connell would get another chance. But Ardeth would protect his heart much better this time.
. . .
Isis knew that Thomas spoke the truth, but O'Connell was on the verge of accepting that Ardeth was a member of his family. He spoke the words, but he did not yet accept it in his heart. Isis was willing to give him that, though her son was another story. Horus did not believe O'Connell accepted that Ardeth was his brother in all the ways that mattered, nor did he believe O'Connell loved the Med-jai as that brother. Something which Isis knew for a fact, as much as O'Connell denied it.
He was actually doing much better than she anticipated. For one thing, she never expected him to capitulate so quickly when his wife asked him to go after the Med-jai children of Horus and Isis. The goddess expected him to put up much more of a fight. However. . .she would not complain, not when his timely arrival at the train station made things that much easier for Isis. Even so, the goddess was disappointed in O'Connell, far more disappointed than she was in his wife.
Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell, though she ignored Ardeth's warnings, did not blame him for her own misdeeds. Perhaps O'Connell did not, but he behaved as if he did, and it was time that behavior ceased. Evelyn was slowly learning, but Isis planned to give her a little push. She knew that the mortal woman would always be curious. Isis didn't wish to change Evelyn. . .she just wanted her to think first. And, Isis wanted O'Connell to think before he reacted.
Perhaps she was asking too much of the American Med-jai. . .but she and her brothers and sister gods made him a Western Med-jai for a reason. Balance needed to be restored, over and above the balance provided by Ardath reborn, a child of Isis herself. That was why some Med-jai converted to Islam, to maintain the balance within the small nation (it was just too bad, she decided, that not all gods revered balance). Though he helped to defeat Imhotep twice and the Scorpion King once, O'Connell failed in his task.
He could only succeed when he stopped denying that which he was. That was what helped him to defeat both evils. That was why he could not defeat Khaldun. Celia and Ardath did that, together. Ardeth had the right of it. Once O'Connell accepted that he was a Med-jai, once he stopped denying what his heart told him to be true, once he stopped fighting that he and Ardeth were brothers, nothing could stand against the pair. There was one other thing. . .O'Connell was needed to balance Ardeth himself.
Even now, as the memories of Terumun returned, O'Connell still fought against that past life, and everything it entailed. Unlike his wife, and Ardath reborn, O'Connell refused to allow Terumun to guide him when it became necessary. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Ardeth and his previous incarnations related too strongly to Rameses. One swung to one extreme, and the other, of course. . .went to the other extreme.
Isis could only do so much. As human beings, O'Connell and others made choices for themselves. That did not stop her from wanting to break his neck. Perhaps that was why Ma'at feared allowing her plan to go forward. Ma'at knew that Isis had little patience where O'Connell was concerned. And she was concerned. The American was still maturing in many ways, bringing balance to Ardeth. They were of an age, O'Connell was only a year older, but Ardeth grew up entirely too fast.
Isis could hear the thoughts and concerns of Ardeth, while he kept company with the grandparents of his wife. She knew he no longer trusted O'Connell. There was some anger, yes, but the stronger emotion was resignation. He was tired. The poison in his body was taking its toll on his spirit. It hurt her, to see him in such pain. He was Med-jai, one of her children, and like all mothers, she hated to see her children hurting.
She turned her attention back to O'Connell, who still sat outside Ardeth's room with Celia. The Western Med-jai, too, was one of her children, one hidden from her for years. She still knew not why that happened, but Isis was determined to find out. Isis listened intently to the human's thoughts. So. He wanted Ardeth back, did he? He wanted to make things right on his own terms, rather than Celia's?
Understandable, of course, since the little queen, as the priest called her, was quite capable of asking O'Connell to grovel. Isis didn't blame her child for that in the least, but she also knew that forcing O'Connell to grovel would be of no help to the Med-jai chieftain. Well, in that case, perhaps it was time for the final move to be made. Perhaps it was time she and Horus made their appearance.
Ardeth's strength waned by the hour. The only thing staying her hand now was the clear exhaustion of everyone in the house. She wanted them awake and paying attention, not dead on their respective pairs of feet. They could not pay attention, proper attention, if they were exhausted. She sensed her son's presence at her side, and said quietly, *The time draws near, my son, and with it, the end of Ardeth Bey's strength.*
*I know, I have begun the process which will slow the poison, so Ardeth will have no more convulsions. He will be as still as death,* the young god replied. Isis looked at him, and her son added, *He will not disturb their sleep, and they are, I am sure, quite capable of checking his pulse to assure themselves he is still alive. Mother, what about Celia? She is not responsible for this."
"I know, my son, and I have plans to protect her. At least somewhat, for I cannot protect her totally. If you fear that she will be caught in the crossfire, once the final lesson begins, you should fear not. That, I will not allow,* Isis assured her son. She paused, then added, *I am grateful, though, that Celia and Ardeth did not take their daughter on their honeymoon. You know how protective Miranda is of them both.*
Unexpectedly, Horus laughed, *Mother, she would have attacked us both, if she even thought we hurt her mother or Ardeth! That is why I have Chosen her!* Isis looked at her son, startled. She knew that Ardeth was his Chosen, his primary Chosen, and was for many years. It was rare indeed for her son to Chose someone as young as Miranda. She would celebrate her fifth birthday when her parents returned from their honeymoon.
However, she could not argue with her son on at least one point. Little Miranda would have, indeed, attacked them if she thought the mother and son deities harmed her parents. Isis wondered if she should point out to her mortal daughter Celia that a coward could have never raised such a fierce little warrior. After a moment, she decided against it. Celia now knew the truth about herself. Was starting to learn about her own courage.
Isis turned her attention back to the mortals. It was almost time. O'Connell was making a separate, and somewhat strained, peace with her mortal daughter. Celia had not the strength or the energy to lash out at the other American. It was almost time to draw this to a close. Almost time to end this, and start putting the pieces back together again. Mortals were puzzles in more ways than one, she came to realize over the millennia.
*Tomorrow morning then, Mother?* Horus asked. Isis nodded slowly. Yes. Tomorrow morning would see the end of this exercise. She wished to teach Rick O'Connell a lesson he would never forget. . .but they were all growing weary, and it was much harder to learn when one was exhausted. Horus added, almost growling, *And I have a few things I wish to say to Mr. O'Connell myself!*
Isis smiled at her son. Yes, of that, she was sure. In some ways, O'Connell disappointed her son more than he disappointed her. But it was almost over. At least there was that consolation.