L'arbre silencieux
By: SilentTrainConductor
Dedicated to: Lucky Fannah
Chapter 4
Jonathan sat in his automobile, as he liked to call it, and drank from his flask he held which contained his favorite kind of drink. Might as well take advantage of the fact that Evy wasn't around, she hated it when he drank. As he was sipping he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his first little treasure he received when he was...how old? 15? 16? No matter, important thing was that Evy of all people had let him keep it. He guessed he was just a bit insensitive towards Evy's feelings towards their dead parents, after all he felt the pain too.
This site had once been a regular visit for the Carnahan family, always looking for something that could help locate the lost city of Hamunaptra. Jonathan sighed as he could make out the outline of Thebes, and he remembered how this was his mother's favorite site, on account on it was Nefretiti's secret chamber room. It was pretty far off from other sites, Jonathan mused. He wondered what she had to hide...perhaps this little object...? Jonathan continued to turn the object in his hands, not really looking at it, it was more of a...how you say...reflex. And after 15 years of turning, looking for the objects secret, his mind's wanderings finally allowed him access to the secrets within his treasure. As he turned it with in his hand he heard a click and out came eight pointed edges from the object, revealing inside a folded sheet of paper.
Jonathan looked around him, half expecting some sort of disaster to strike, but none came and so he looked back to the folded sheet of paper. He unfolded the paper and his breath caught as he noticed the lines and scribbles and small drawings all over the page. A map. He continued to look at it, and he figured, as much as he hated to admit it, he needed Evy's help to decipher it. Wait...he remembered this symbol...he would never have forgotten it. Hamunaptra. His eyes widened and he looked at it again, yes he was sure of it! His father had shown him the symbol enough times...He quickly looked around and noticed Evy's approaching figure, just in time! He jumped out of his automobile and quickly ran towards Evy waving his arms about with the map in on hand.
"EVY!"
ooo
Evy raised her eyebrow at Jonathan's enthusiasm. What in the world...? She turned to look at her new companions; each with a puzzled look on their face, except Mr. O'Connell's was more, what? Disappointed? Wonder why?
"Evy!!" Jonathan cried again and he roped Evy into his grasp and began pelting her with kisses on her forehead. O'Connell turned his gaze away, obviously uncomfortable with the scene. Evy scrunched up her nose.
"Jonathan, have you been drinking?" Jonathan shook his head, another one of his reflexes. And he began pointing to one of the objects in his hand, an old parchment it looked like, and that's when Jonathan caught sight of Evy's two companions and he quickly tried to hide the paper away from their peering eyes.
"Oh, hello, who are these good chaps?" Jonathan questioned, rocking on his heels the best he could in sand. Evy kept her eyebrow raised and motioned with her hand.
"This here is Beni---"She left it hanging so Beni could perhaps reveal his last name, but no response came. Beni reached out his hand hesitantly and Jonathan shook it vigorously and then turned his sight onto O'Connell who was giving him a death glare. Jonathan shrank back a bit at the stare but managed to shake his hand as Evy introduced him as well.
"Right. Well, nice to meet you all." Jonathan commented as he let go of Rick's hand and then turned to Evy. "A word Evy?" Evy nodded curious to see what got her brother all riled up...although she was still mad at him, her curiosity overcame her anger.
"Excuse us gentlemen." Rick's eyebrow rose at the 'gentlemen' part but kept quite and merely nodded. So Evy turned and walked towards her brother.
"What is it?" she hissed with more venom than she wanted to show. Jonathan ignored the tone and shoved the paper into her sister's hands and Jonathan then turned to the two l legionnaires and waved to them while Evy read the parchment.
"Jonathan...this...this...is...is..."
"I know." He whispered with a smile.
"Oh Jonathan!!" Evy laughed lightly and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek. "We finally found it!!"
ooo
Rick glanced at the pair and wondered why life always gave him the dead ends. They certainly seemed to be happy; he should've known she would've been with someone already. But still what did she see in that guy? Beni was shuffling in the sand and was muttering to Rick, but as usual Rick wasn't listening. He watched as Evy smiled and gave, Jonathan was it? A peck on the cheek, if only he could hear what they were saying...
ooo
"Where did you find this?" Evy questioned still in awe, after so many years, they had finally found it! Jonathan smiled at his sister's rise in spirits and showed her the treasure she let him keep all those years ago.
"Your...Your puzzle box?" She asked with a smile. "I didn't even know you still had this Jonathan." Her smile turned into a frown, as she turned the box over in her hand. "We should have given this to our parents, it would not haven taken them 15 years to open the box." Jonathan gaped at her.
"Evy..." He started with a disbelieving chuckle, "I do think you can lecture some other time." Evy raised her eyebrow at him and smirked. Jonathan then looked up nervously and whispered in Evy's ear. "Are those two to be trusted?" Evy followed Jonathan's gaze, her brow furrowed in confusion, and her hand flew to her mouth as she realized she forgot about the two French legionnaires.
"Oh dear! I am dreadfully sorry! I was distracted and..." Rick broke her off with a raise of a hand and a smile.
"It's all right," he nodded towards Jonathan, "I understand." Jonathan blinked and allowed a few seconds to register what Rick meant by that. He then began laughing at the tone in which the legionnaire said it, dejected and rejected.
"No wonder you are so sour towards me." Jonathan chuckled, his eyes glistening in amusement.
"What?" Evy asked. "What do you mean?" Not at all catching what Jonathan managed to. Jonathan was still beside himself in laughter and wrapped his arm about his sister neck, and noticed Rick's face flush with anger.
"He thinks, old mum, that you and I are together." Jonathan snickered. Evy was about to say something in response, but thought better of it, and looked towards Rick.
"You thought my brother and I...?" Rick cleared his throat and pointed to the map Evy so casually held in her hands.
"So, what's that?"
ooo
A/N: Long time no see, eh? Some of you may be thinking of the puzzle box, wasn't that found in Hamunaptra in the movie? Well yes it was. This is AU, and plus I always found it odd why a map led you to a place you were already at. scratches head In any case here are thanks to those who reviewed. I am sorry for my absence from this fic, and if this chapter didn't live up to the others.
Toni Isis: :chuckles: Well I guess this isn't really soon, but at least I updated d As I hope you will with your stories -
Snowfire the Kistune: Thank you, Thank you for your confidence, and I am sorry I took so long in getting this chapter up, but I have. I am glad to see you have a Mummy fic of your own up. Thank you!
One obsessed about Egypt: I am truly glad you liked! I only hope this chapter didn't come too late. And I hope it is still an ok story. Thank you muchly :D!
Lucky Fannah: I have you to thank for this chapter. And I thank you very much for your review. It let me know that some one was still interested in it. I was going to let it die and wither in peace, but thanks to you I have brought it back. I only hope the story is still ok as well as the characters. Thank you muchly hug