THE PROPHECY OF ANU-RA
Part two
Professor Percival Marsden burrowed through the pile of newspapers that cluttered his already overly burdened desk. He chose one of the papers, only to narrow his eyes with contempt and toss the periodical aside. One by one the publications were picked up and dismissed with critical regard.
"Disreputable rags!" He exclaimed as he tossed another newspaper into the wicker wastepaper basket that was now filled to overflowing. "Live Mummies running amok in London. I've never read anything so ridiculous in my life."
"Yet, they're all reporting the same occurrences, Professor," Chander Sahir, Marsden's Indian manservant pointed out as he agitated the dwindling fire with an iron poker. "Can they all be so wrong?"
"Don't tell me you still believe in this sort of cheap deceit, Sahir? I thought I educated out that 'feeble minded Indian' part of you," The Professor said, dismissing his manservant's opinions. "This was all designed to sell newspapers, and garner some undeserved attention to adventurers that profess to be archeologists. If it weren't for that insipid woman and her colonial husband, archeology now wouldn't be suffering under tainted the brush of this mad 'histrionics'. The O'Connells are at the center of this charade, I'll bet my thirty-five-year old archeological reputation on it," he blustered, swiping the clutter from his desktop with one wide swoop of his arm.
Accustomed to his master's brusque manner, Sahir nodded his agreement and continued to refuel the fire by adding another log.
"Pack our bags, Sahir," Marsden ordered.
"And our destination, sir, if I may ask?" Sahir turned and bowed submissively.
"No matter what I think of the O'Connells and their part in this bizarre hysteria, they have come back from Egypt with some magnificent finds. Artifacts way out of the reach of some damn American and his bookish wife. No, there is more to this couple than meets the eye and I plan to find out exactly what that is." Marsden promised as he made his way over to lounge chair, "oh, and Sahir."
"Yes, sir."
"Clean that mess up will you," Marsden gestured off-handily to the mess on the floor.
MRMRMRMRMRMR
"Mum! Mum!" Alex excitedly called.
Enjoying the afternoon sun, Evelyn slipped the glasses off her face, and looked up from the book that she had been reading, to see her son pulling excitedly on Ardeth Bay's hand. The Medjai Chieftain was just as she last saw him, though he was now minus the wounds incurred in battling Imhotep and his minions. Draped in his usual black and adorned silver robes, he was a striking looking man. His shoulder length black hair framing the tattooed features that cast him without doubt as Med-jai.
"Ardeth, what a surprise, what are you doing here?" Smiling, but silently curious, Evelyn rose to her feet and went to greet her now, old friend. "Alex, let Ardeth's hand go before you pull his arm out of his socket," she gently chided her son.
"Evelyn, how are you?" Ardeth bowed respectfully as Alex reluctantly released his hand.
"Fine, fine and you?" Evelyn excused herself and turned her attention to her son for a moment, "Alex, go and find your father for me. Don't tell him why I want him. We'll surprise him." She winked, before turning back to Ardeth. "You seemed recovered from our last adventure," she said as she gestured for Ardeth to take a seat.
"Well, not that I will be in a hurry to take another bus ride. I think once is enough for any Med-jai warrior," Ardeth lightly bantered as he accepted the seat, while keeping his eyes on the surrounding gardens.
Evelyn followed Ardeth's line and sight and began to worry that the Chieftain was expecting unwelcome visitors, "Um, Ardeth, you aren't expecting anyone 'else' are you?" She frowned slightly. "Not to be rude, but just why are you here?"
Ardeth's answer was cut short as a concerned voice interrupted.
"What's on fire?" Rick called out as he followed his son's frantic, but garbled message.
"Alex!" Evelyn admonished her son as jumped up from her chair, "What on earth did you tell your father?"
Alex stopped in his tracks, looking puzzled at his mother's reaction, "Well you wanted him to be a surprise," the youngster defended as he pointed to visitor sitting with his back to them.
Even from behind, Rick recognized the features of the Med-jai warrior and his hand subconsciously began rubbing the leather bracelet on his right wrist. "What are you doing here?" He managed to voice as he watched Ardeth stand and turn to face him.
"We must talk," Ardeth simply said.
TBC
Part two
Professor Percival Marsden burrowed through the pile of newspapers that cluttered his already overly burdened desk. He chose one of the papers, only to narrow his eyes with contempt and toss the periodical aside. One by one the publications were picked up and dismissed with critical regard.
"Disreputable rags!" He exclaimed as he tossed another newspaper into the wicker wastepaper basket that was now filled to overflowing. "Live Mummies running amok in London. I've never read anything so ridiculous in my life."
"Yet, they're all reporting the same occurrences, Professor," Chander Sahir, Marsden's Indian manservant pointed out as he agitated the dwindling fire with an iron poker. "Can they all be so wrong?"
"Don't tell me you still believe in this sort of cheap deceit, Sahir? I thought I educated out that 'feeble minded Indian' part of you," The Professor said, dismissing his manservant's opinions. "This was all designed to sell newspapers, and garner some undeserved attention to adventurers that profess to be archeologists. If it weren't for that insipid woman and her colonial husband, archeology now wouldn't be suffering under tainted the brush of this mad 'histrionics'. The O'Connells are at the center of this charade, I'll bet my thirty-five-year old archeological reputation on it," he blustered, swiping the clutter from his desktop with one wide swoop of his arm.
Accustomed to his master's brusque manner, Sahir nodded his agreement and continued to refuel the fire by adding another log.
"Pack our bags, Sahir," Marsden ordered.
"And our destination, sir, if I may ask?" Sahir turned and bowed submissively.
"No matter what I think of the O'Connells and their part in this bizarre hysteria, they have come back from Egypt with some magnificent finds. Artifacts way out of the reach of some damn American and his bookish wife. No, there is more to this couple than meets the eye and I plan to find out exactly what that is." Marsden promised as he made his way over to lounge chair, "oh, and Sahir."
"Yes, sir."
"Clean that mess up will you," Marsden gestured off-handily to the mess on the floor.
MRMRMRMRMRMR
"Mum! Mum!" Alex excitedly called.
Enjoying the afternoon sun, Evelyn slipped the glasses off her face, and looked up from the book that she had been reading, to see her son pulling excitedly on Ardeth Bay's hand. The Medjai Chieftain was just as she last saw him, though he was now minus the wounds incurred in battling Imhotep and his minions. Draped in his usual black and adorned silver robes, he was a striking looking man. His shoulder length black hair framing the tattooed features that cast him without doubt as Med-jai.
"Ardeth, what a surprise, what are you doing here?" Smiling, but silently curious, Evelyn rose to her feet and went to greet her now, old friend. "Alex, let Ardeth's hand go before you pull his arm out of his socket," she gently chided her son.
"Evelyn, how are you?" Ardeth bowed respectfully as Alex reluctantly released his hand.
"Fine, fine and you?" Evelyn excused herself and turned her attention to her son for a moment, "Alex, go and find your father for me. Don't tell him why I want him. We'll surprise him." She winked, before turning back to Ardeth. "You seemed recovered from our last adventure," she said as she gestured for Ardeth to take a seat.
"Well, not that I will be in a hurry to take another bus ride. I think once is enough for any Med-jai warrior," Ardeth lightly bantered as he accepted the seat, while keeping his eyes on the surrounding gardens.
Evelyn followed Ardeth's line and sight and began to worry that the Chieftain was expecting unwelcome visitors, "Um, Ardeth, you aren't expecting anyone 'else' are you?" She frowned slightly. "Not to be rude, but just why are you here?"
Ardeth's answer was cut short as a concerned voice interrupted.
"What's on fire?" Rick called out as he followed his son's frantic, but garbled message.
"Alex!" Evelyn admonished her son as jumped up from her chair, "What on earth did you tell your father?"
Alex stopped in his tracks, looking puzzled at his mother's reaction, "Well you wanted him to be a surprise," the youngster defended as he pointed to visitor sitting with his back to them.
Even from behind, Rick recognized the features of the Med-jai warrior and his hand subconsciously began rubbing the leather bracelet on his right wrist. "What are you doing here?" He managed to voice as he watched Ardeth stand and turn to face him.
"We must talk," Ardeth simply said.
TBC