The sun.
He remembered the sun.
Its rays fighting through the lush pines of his homeland, its rise from the east over the mountains, and it's setting in the west. The sun was a blessing unto Judah's people, and they loved it as a god.
In Egypt, he would find later, they worshiped it as a God.
The sun was worshipped, and the moon was feared. The women of Judah's tribe worshipped the moon, for it filled and emptied as did their wombs. During the phases of the moon, the men would sit inside their tents, while the women clapped and sang, bringing the moon out of the clouds to shine upon them.
But for Judah, son of Zev, and his brother, Menahim, the moon had a different meaning.
For when the moon was at her highest, it was when their curse would come.
The curse that turned them into the creatures of the night.
The curse that made them demons, and gods.
The curse that destroyed and saved them.
But the sun…
Of all things in his lifetime, Judah remembered the sun.
Canaan, 1537 B.C.E.
"Judaaah! Menahiiiim!"
"Do you think she knows where we are?" Menahim whispered to his older brother, who was sitting on a rock in their secret hiding place. Judah giggled, his brownish-blond curls hanging in his tanned face as he and his brother watched their father's second wife look across the pasture for them.
"Lazy boys!" She screamed, her hefty chest heaving with all the jogging she was doing, her cloth headdress dusty, "As soon as you get back, you'll feel my wrath! I hope your buttocks are ready for the thrashing I'll give them!"
"Running won't harm you a bit, you dumb old crow," Menahim snapped as he moved a little bit deeper into the cave. Judah smirked as he threw a pebble onto the pile he and his brother made.
"I wouldn't say that," Judah said somberly, "Tzvit is getting to be quite the distance runner, with all the chasing she does after us."
"Mother never chases after us," Menahim noted as he knocked down the rock pile with a quick slip from a stone, "I wonder why?"
Judah's smirk grew wider, "Because she knows she can't catch us!"
Menahim was silent for a moment, "Elisheva doesn't chase us either."
"You're a dope," Judah snapped, "Elisheva barely talks. No one—not even Father—has seen her outside. She just sits in the women's tent all day weaving. She barely even feeds Jael and Rachel, the poor things."
"That's why they always come over to Mother's tent." Menahim said with a giggle, "She would feed anyone that asked, even a talking goat."
Judah and Menahim's mother, Rebekah, was a gentle and loving as her fellow wife Tzvit was hot-headed and cross. She had been Zev's first wife, whom he met after trading with Syrians. The light haired, dark eyed Rebekah immediately drew the sharp bronze eyes of Zev away from her father's cloths, and they had been married ever since. Tzvit was an addition Zev had made after the death of his brother. Forced to marry the woman because of family tradition, it was no big surprise that Zev—who by far preferred the bed and company of the slender, pretty Rebekah—rarely visited his second wife. Misery stomped upon the family once more when Tzvit's womb refused to bear fruit again and again. There was little chance that Tzvit would bear any children and littler chance of Zev willingly visiting her to make that chance more possible. Elisheva had been with them of only five years, a slave girl that had been given to Zev by a shepard who needed to be freed of debt. Elisheva proved more fertile than Tzvit, and had born two daughters. But neither of the two women could hold to Rebekah, who had borne six living children, two of which were boys—Judah and, two years younger, Menahim.
"Think we should go back?" Menahim asked his older brother. Judah watched Tzvit carefully with his hawk-like hazel eyes, a gift from his father. Both brothers were silent as the heavy woman, cursing to herself, walked up the hill again, her feet dragging behind her. Judah crawled out of the small cave, followed by Menahim.
Judah picked up the doe he had shot with his arrows and stalked up the hill. In terms of hunting, Zev's family had been a legend in northern Palestine for as long as anyone could remember. Even though he was a year shy of complete manhood, Judah showed increasing skills at hunting and tracking, nearly passing everyone in the camp, save for their father. Not far behind him was Menahim, who carried two killed ducks at his belt.
The brothers made their way to the camp, which resembled a village cloaked in tents. They stopped at their mother's tent, recognizable by the blue stripe painted around the lips of the tent. Rebekah, tending her pots, smiled at her two oldest children as they approached her cooking fire.
"Yehudah! Nahal!" Rebekah called to the inside of the tent, while another girl—their sister, Malha, who was a mere year younger than Judah—came from behind the tent, carrying a huge jug of water that was too small for her delicate frame. Judah, dropping his catch, hurried to help her, while Rebekah looked at his catch.
"What a fat doe!" she exclaimed happily, taking the doe from off the ground, "Won't your father be pleased at what a fine hunter his son has become!"
Judah beamed as he helped Malha with the pot. Quietly, Menahim put the ducks next to his mother's fire, and started to walk away.
"Oh, no you don't, my little warrior! Come, sit with us and tell us of your great hunting skills!" Rebekah cried gaily as Menahim turned around, beaming at his mother's praise. Even though he was the younger son and not as skilled as Judah, his mother always showered praise upon him.
Malha, her fair brow sweating, helped Judah set the heavy pot of water next to the fire as Nahal, covering her dark hair and Yehudah, her arms filled with fresh bread, came out of the tent.
Many suitors had already asked for Yehudah's hand in marriage, even though she had only been a woman for a scant month. She was beautiful, with honey colored hair and bright eyes like Judah's. Even more so, she was skilled with cooking and spinning, and was never sitting still. Even when she handed her mother the finished loaves, she sat down and took out a spindle from her apron. She gave a small smile to her brothers as she sat next to her mother, spinning the wool with her long fingers.
Malha, with the help of Judah, filled the next two pots with water. Malha was twelve, a year younger than Judah and two years younger than her lovely sister. Though as pretty, Malha was more stubborn and reckless than her calm sister, but just as good at preparing a savory meal. Which explained her predominant chubbiness. Though Rebekah often told them that her pudginess now would equal a good figure later, sometimes Nahal and the other sisters would tease Malha about her weight, saying that she would someday be as fat and cranky as Tzvit, a taunt that often reduced Malha to tears, which was why Judah often found himself protecting his younger sister more and more, jug-carrying not withstanding.
"Rebekaaaaah!" Tzvit's shriek filled the camp. Rebekah rolled her dark eyes as her youngest child, four year old Aziza, climbed into her lap from the tent.
"What does she want now?" Rebekah wondered aloud as her children giggled. Even though they were taught to obey and respect their elders, the children of Rebekah often laughed whenever Tzvit came by to pester their mother. Everyone knew that, though she was her superior in size and age, Tzvit was no match for Rebekah, in rank, beauty, and wit.
Soon, the noise of too much flesh on too little bone came by. Rebekah's crowd of children gazed up at the giantess Tzvit, who seemed to block out the sun with her height and immense girth.
"Your boys," she boomed, as Rebekah gazed meekly up at her, Judah and Menahim standing behind their mother like guards, "Disobeyed me this morning."
"How so?" Rebekah asked kindly, stirring her pot. Yehudah looked up from her spinning at the angry second wife. Malha's sculpted eyebrows were raised in dismay. Nahal ran inside of the tent. Aziza, carefree, sucked her thumb in her mother's lap.
"I…told them," said Tzvit, taking a deep breath. Judah remembered his father telling him how some animals, especially pigs, puffed themselves up to look bigger and fiercer. He decided, if she were an animal, Tzvit would be a wild boar.
"I, told them," she repeated, while Rebekah placidly stirred her stew, "To go find me some wild honey. There's a hive out beyond the olive grove."
"Really," said Rebekah.
"But they refused, and ran away!"
"I asked my boys to go hunting, I believe, before you asked them to do you that favor." Rebekah said, looking Tzvit right in the eye, "And they did." She said, motioning with a slender hand to the hunted animals the boys had brought in.
Tzvit mashed her thin lips together, and stomped away. Rebekah gave a hearty wink to her sons, who both grinned in return.
"The moon is full tonight," Rebekah said as she looked at the horizon. Even though the sun was still hours away from setting, she felt a deep resound within her belly. She turned to her sons.
"Your father has greeted me today, and demands your presence with the rest of the men of our tribe." She said, suddenly stern; Judah and Menahim were taken aback.
"Why does father wish both of us to be present?" Menahim asked, his dark eyebrows raised over his green eyes, "Only Judah is of age"-
"Your Father believes it to be a serious content, one with which will affect you for the rest of your lives." Rebekah said, her shadowy eyes cautiously shifted away from the faces of her children. It seemed as if she was possessed by another spirit, an evil one, who did not wish to see the faces for fear of recognition.
Then she looked up, and smiled, banishing all thoughts of evil.
"Do not worry; besides, you two are the finest hunters in all of Canaan! What need you fear, my sons?"
"Nothing, mother," Judah said, with an easy smile. Menahim looked from his mother to his older brother. Deep within his heart, the boy knew that the coming night would change all nights that laid before him in his life.
San Francisco, Present Day
Presley was not in a very good mood. Walter (accompanied by his lovely sister) was going to the mall tonight, and Presley was excited about the chance that he might interact (if not simply gaze upon) with Cynthia. But no, his mother insisted that he attend the lecture on the newest Museum exhibit, and meet the intern who would be living with the Carnavons for the summer.
It wasn't so bad; really. He got to hang out with the Mummies at least.
"'Artifacts of Judea', hmph!" Rath snorted as the rest of the mummies took their seats next to Presley, "What did that stupid little country have that Egypt doesn't?"
"Oh yeah," Presley said, his voice a bored drawl, "I forgot that country was around you guys."
"Indeed," Ja-Kal said as he sat down next to Rath, "Judea was the country of the Israelites. They weren't as fine as Egypt. But they were powerful and good trading too. Fine silver, and a number of "-
Suddenly, Ja-Kal broke off in mid-thought. Presley leaned in.
"Yeah? A number of what?"
"Judea never impressed me," Nefer-Tina whispered as the lights turned off, "Their horses were not nearly as fine as Sumur's."
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Amanda Carnavon spoke as three more people walked onto the stage. Mr. Stone, the museum's benefactor, Mr. Hepplewhite, and a young man with brown hair and sideburns, teased and waxed into spiky chunks, "We are very pleased to announce the newest member of the museum crew. Here for the summer, is Zachary Haasburg. Mr. Haasburg comes to us from Chicago, and has extensive background in history and ancient worlds. But I think he can tell us about himself better than I can."
The young man stood up, and walked over to the podium. Presley recognized the young man who had dropped off a couple of suitcases at his house earlier that day. He remembered his mother talking extensively to him, and found out that he would be staying with the Carnavons until August. As of right now, he wore a button down maroon shirt and black slacks, and a couple of silver hoop earrings in his right ear. His bright brown eyes were hidden behind oval glasses, which slide down his nose.
"Uh, hi, everybody," He gave a short wave, and a small, terrified smile, which Presley immediately read as I don't want to be up here. Please let me sit down. "Uh…my name is Zachary Haasburg—oh, wait, Amanda already said that—uh, you all can call me Zach. Nobody calls me Zachary, except for my mom, and she's not here."
He gave a short little laugh. Everyone else in the lecture hall stared at him, silent. He gulped, the only other sound being a man coughing in the back.
"That poor boy!" Nefer-Tina exclaimed. Rath rolled his eyes.
"If I were up there, you can bet I wouldn't be cracking lame jokes and repeating the already said!" He snapped. Ja-Kal elbowed him as the nervous young man continued.
"Um, yeah. I'm going to be a junior at University of Chicago. That's uh, in Chicago."
"Oh, what a bright one we have here." Rath drawled. This time, Nefer-Tina kicked him.
"Yeah…," Zach continued, his hands shaking as he clutched the sides of the podium, "I'm a double major in Archeology and World History, with a minor in Literature. Uh, last summer, I went to Israel and volunteered at the museum in Tel Aviv…I also have worked at The Field Museum in Chicago and The Oriental Institute, which is part of the University…uh, I really like studying ancient civilizations, especially Egypt, Judea, and Sumur."
"Yay, Sumur!" Nefer-Tina exclaimed.
The young man then quickly sat down. Undeterred, Amanda walked up to the podium, and gave a brilliant smile to the audience.
"Thank you, Zach. Don't let his introduction fool you, folks. Mr. Haasburg actually loves to speak in front of audiences—large and small."
Everyone laughed. Zach's cheeks turned a deep pink.
"Now, let's address the opening of our newest exhibit, 'Shadows of Judea'. This exhibit will be open from June Fifteenth to"-
"What does you think of the new guy?" Armon whispered to the group. Nefer-Tina pursed her lips.
"He's pretty cute…in a rather, different, way."
"He's OK," Presley sighed, "But his hair reminds me of a mix between a hedgehog and a brunette Wolverine."
"But wolverines don't have hair like that," objected Ja-Kal. Presley groaned.
"No…no…Wolverine's a character from…never mind."
"Do you think he might find where we live?" Ja-Kal then asked. The mummies exchanged frightened looks. Presley shook his head.
"Zach's going to live with me and my mom. I'll tell him"-
"No, my prince!" All four of the mummies shouted. Everyone in the hall turned and faced them, including Amanda. Presley bit his lip.
"Ah, yes," she continued, "That concludes my portion. Now, Mr. Stone, explain to us the significance of the new exhibit."
Mr. Stone got up, and proceeded to bore the audience to tears with his talking. Presley fought off the urge to sleep by watching Zach. The young man was looking at his hands, which where tapping feverishly on his knees. From his introduction, Zach probably wouldn't interfere much with Presley's life over the summer. Especially if he was kept busy.
"Amanda, I am so sorry about my introduction!"
"Zach, please! You were nervous!"
Presley, Amanda, and Zach were driving home in the Caravons' minivan. When Presley formally met Zach after the lecture, the Mummies had watched—from a distance. Zach was waiting out front for Amanda's car, and waved at Presley. The boy ignored the mummies as he shook the young man's hand.
"So, you are Amanda's son? Presley, was it?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "My name's Presley. And you are Zachary."
"Please, call me Zach."
Up close, Zach was much taller—about as tall as Rath, and much more muscular than he looked on stage. His long tanned arms were knotted with muscle, and he nearly broke Presley's hand when he shook it.
"Yowch!" The boy exclaimed as Zach grabbed his hand, "Where'd you learn to grip like that?"
"Well," Zach said, giving him a casual smile, stuffing his other hand in his pocket, "I was on Varsity Wrestling in high school, not to mention, I have a red belt in karate."
"Wow," Presley said, his eyes widening, "Remind me not to mess with you in a dark alley!"
"Yeah," Zach said with a roll of his eyes, "I'm a nerd with superpowers. The only thing I'm missing is laser beams coming out of my eyes."
"Hey, that's cool," Presley said, letting go of Zach's hand. He winced, and held it gently. Hopefully it wouldn't be swollen in the morning, "I'm learning self-defense too."
"Really?" Zach asked, his eyes going wide, "What kind? Ju-jitsu? Tae Kwan Do? Judo?"
"Uh…no. Egypt-su?"
Zach raised an eyebrow, "Never heard of it. Must be a San Francisco thing. Was it started in Stanford? Or maybe Berkeley?"
"No…Uh I mean," Presley looked behind him. The mummies were gone. "I mean, yeah. Stanford."
"I have an ex-girlfriend who goes there," Zach said as Amanda drove up, "She's into stage combat and Dungeons & Dragons. I'll ask her about it."
Presley nodded as they got into the car. Even though the college student had appeared confident before him, he fell apart in front of Amanda. Which is where they were now.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Presley said from the back seat, "I always get nervous when I speak in front of other people too."
"Thanks," Zach said as he touched his hair. Presley noticed a thick silver ring with an engraving on it that vaguely resembled a chopped up 'I'.
"At least I wasn't giving a speech in Hebrew," Zach was speaking to Amanda now, "Then I would have REALLY made a dope of myself."
"Are you Jewish?" Presley asked. Zach turned around and nodded at him.
"Uh-huh. Yarmulkes, bar mitzvahs, and all that jazz." He said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice, "My roommate used to call me Jewpac Shalom."
"What's on your ring?"
Zach stuck out his hand, and Presley looked at the ring closer.
"It's 'chai'," said Zach as Presley peered at it, "It's the number eighteen, and the symbol of life. My girlfriend Holly gave it to me. She's Jewish too."
"Cool," said Presley as Zach took his hand back. Amanda turned on the street, and pulled up to their house.
"You know, the Ancient Egyptians have their own symbol of life," Presley commented, unbuckling his seatbelt, "The ankh."
"Yeah," Zach nodded as he got out of the car, "I gave Holly a ring of that too."
"You and your girlfriend are uh, pretty close, then," Presley said as they walked up the door. Zach shrugged as Amanda opened the door.
"We're taking breaks from each other. She's in Europe now."
"Ah yes," Amanda said as they walked in, "Working on a dig in Lithuania, right?"
"Ukraine, actually," Zach corrected her, "Something about ancient Slavs. Holly's into ancient Europe more than I am. But boy, she was not happy last year when I got to go to Israel with the University." Presley yawned and started up to his room.
"where do you think you're going, young man?" Amanda snapped. Presley gave his mother a withered look.
"What mom?"
"Help our guest unload his things! He'll be with us for a few months!"
"Amanda," Zach objected, giving a fleeting look at Presley, "I can do this myself. Presley needs to get some sleep."
"I think Presley needs to help you. And you do have a lot of things."
Zach bit his lip, then sighed, "Very well. Come on Presley, I can show you some of my archeology stuff."
Presley yawned, and walked down the stairs, a little bit more excited than he showed.