Chapter 3: Stone and Dust
Daniel fished his torch out of a pocket and switched it on. The hallway seemed to run the length of the pyramid. The stone was bare of any decorations or inscriptions, and not even cobwebs broke the monotony of yellow sandstone and dust. After a few yards, he paused to listen, but there was no sound from outside. Jack was still asleep. The colonel would have his guts for garters if he found out that Daniel had walked into the temple alone, but this was too important.
He moved on. The corridor before him lay in darkness, only the square of pale light behind him testified to the day. The torch illuminated more sandstone ahead, graded with the slope of the pyramid. Daniel swept his light to the right and ducked into a low entrance to another room, his heart beating fast.
The walls were framed by a work bench running the length of the room. Tools cluttered the surface of the bench and shelves above. Small dishes held dried twigs and heaps of dust like offerings to the gods of decay. In the centre of the room was another, larger desk, covered in the same disarray of tools and dead plant samples.
Daniel swept his torch across the chamber, disappointment rising in his throat like bile. Karttikeya's botany lab. This wasn't what he was looking for. But he had to be certain. He searched each segment of the bench and shelves, quickly and methodically. There were masses of Petri dishes, containers filled with bone-dry soil and dust, the remnants of the Goa'ould's equipment – all abandoned as if he had expected to return within minutes.
On the desk in the centre he found a store of data crystals. He would have to figure out a way to read them, and that would be tricky without Sam's help. Next to them lay a paper notebook, the page opened and the pen still beside it.
There was the sound of voices from outside, and he froze. He couldn't be in here when Jack woke up. Daniel snapped the booklet shut and stuffed it into a trouser pocket. He darted out of the room and down the hallway. The temple door swung shut silently behind him. Daniel strolled into the sunlight, desperately trying to look casual.
Two Escuvaran girls were coming down the path, giggling and talking amongst each other. They could be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, but the girls were as tall as the other natives of the planet, measuring nearly six feet in height despite their young age. Their straight black hair complimented their pale skin tone and characteristic light blue eyes.
The girls arrived at the temple. Jack awoke with a startled snort and jerked upright. He grappled for his gun, then realised he was in danger only of being charmed to death, and buried his hands in his pockets instead.
One of the girls stepped forward with a small curtsey.
"I am Yeroon, daughter of Airtor. My mother asked me to invite you to stay with our people as long as may be necessary." She pointed at her companion. "This is my friend, Lestarta. We wish you stay may be pleasant."
Lestarta curtseyed and looked up at Jack from underneath her dark eye lashes.
"And long. We wish your stay may be long," she added, and they dissolved into a fit of giggles.
O'Neill watched the display a little helplessly.
"Tell your mother that's real nice of her, but…"
"You may tell Airtor we are honoured to accept her invitation," Daniel cut him off swiftly, ignoring the Colonel's raised eyebrows.
The girls giggled and skipped back up the path to the village, Yeroon barely remembering her office as her mother's messenger long enough to curtsey again before they ran off.
"What was that?" O'Neill asked.
"Yeroon and Lestarta, apparently. If I were you I'd steer clear of Lestarta, by the way."
Daniel picked up his Dictaphone and muttered some notes about the basilisk. Karttikeya's diary was burning a hole into his pocket, but he would have to wait until evening before he could try to decipher the faded writing.
"Yeah, I noticed that. I meant the 'great, let's stay for dinner' speech." Jack said angrily.
Daniel sighed and stopped the recording.
"Just one more day?" he asked.
* * *
O'Neill was beginning to lose the will to live. If Carter thought up just one more question on the Escuvarans' bio-modifications program, he would simply collapse in a heap of sheer insurmountable boredom. He squinted into the late afternoon sun and spent as long as possible digging his sunglasses out of his jacket pocket, putting them on with an exaggerated sigh.
But Carter was too engrossed in the conversation to spot the hint. Medran's face suddenly lit up in a rare smile. Jack followed the man's gaze to see Ellen emerge from a hut across the village square. Medran excused himself to join her.
"Sir, they seem to have found a way to reprogram the internal cell DNA of just about every plant on this planet, and – "
Carter caught his quelling look and finished meekly: "- and they're very advanced."
"Daniel wants to check out this pile of rocks some more, he thinks he can get into the temple if he can get another day or so to figure out the door mechanism," Jack said.
Carter smiled cheerfully at the thought of another day playing with the aliens' bio-toys. Jack doodled with his boot in the muddy path.
"He thinks it's some kind of coded message in the writing, and… I don't know."
"You're not sure we should stay?" Carter asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
"I think we should get the hell out of here while everybody is still in one piece."
He shot another look at Ellen, still deep in conversation with the envoy. Talking to her, Medran seemed almost animated, his usual reserve forgotten. Carter followed his eyes.
"I was within sight of Ellen all morning, she wasn't affected at all. Is Daniel all right?" she asked with a concerned frown.
O'Neill sighed. He would have felt a lot better if he could have just forgotten about the whole affair, but it seemed there was not getting rid off Ellen.
"He's fine. I just don't feel right about this. I can't help thinking we're asking for trouble, hanging around here."
"The Escuvarans think it's safe. And we haven't seen anything to contradict that. Sir, perhaps it's time we simply gave this a go?"
Before Jack could answer, Medran approached them.
"I hear Daniel Jackson will continue his exploration of the ruins in the morning. I trust you will be joining us for dinner?"
"Yeah, about that…"
Carter nudged him with one elbow.
"Alright. I guess so. Thanks." Jack grouched.
Medran gave a small bow, arms folded in his tunic.
"I am pleased to hear it. Perhaps when you have heard a little more about our people, it will diminish your reticence."
Sam thanked him again on behalf of the team, and he retreated to arrange their accommodation.
"Diminish my reticence?" O'Neill asked sourly.
Carter turned away to hide her smile.
"It'll be fine, Sir."
"I'll hold you to that, Carter."
* * *
To be continued…