THE PROPHECY OF ANU-RA
Part six
With Alex back with his sister Evelyn, Jonathan thought he would take a stroll along the deck and see if there were any patsies-- gentleman willing to join him a hand of cards. After all, if this trip was not going to garner him anything of monetary value, then a man had to make some extra money any way he could.
Jonathan had to admit his wealth, or more to the point, his lack of it was still a sore spot for the archeologist-come adventurer. Having risked his life to secure the massive gold and diamond encrusted jewel off the top of the quickly imploding pyramid of Amn Shere; he was more than irritated on their return to London, to be ordered to hand the jewel over to the authorities.
It hadn't mattered to British government that it was 'he' that had risked life and limb as he hung upside down from that flying death trap that Rick's friend Izzy, laughingly called a dirigible as the world of Amn Shere was sucked back from whence it came. Nor did it matter to them that ownership was nine tenths of the law, or as he liked to think of it, finders keepers. No, all that had seemed to matter was that they were seen to be instrumental in the near destruction of the British Museum, bullet hole damage in countless street building and the sabotage of one double-decker bus.
The fact that the missing curator had a hand in the devastation was neither here nor there to the Museums administrators, and Jonathan and the O'Connells were quickly found accountable for the cost. The going rate of accountability was the donation of one priceless artifact: the priceless Jewel of Amn Shere. Now he was down to prowling ship decks for a card game to add to his rapidly depleting coffers.
After completing a near full turn of the deck, Jonathan had just about given up finding anyone still awake, let alone up for a game of chance and was heading back to his room.
"Excuse me sir, are you Jonathan Carnahan?"
Jonathan turned to see a man with salt and pepper hair, puffing away on pipe as he sat casually at a deck table.
"Yes, I am, sir, have we met?" * Or do I owe you money? * Jonathan added in thought as he tried to place the face.
The stranger placed his pipe on an ashtray as he rose to his feet, offering an outstretched hand to the puzzled man. "No, we haven't had the pleasure, but I know you by reputation. Please let me offer you a drink."
Jonathan was never one to refuse a drink and especially a drink offered from an opened bottle of the finest malt whiskey that he had seen in a long time. "Thank you, Mr...?"
"Oh, sorry. Marsden, Professor Percival Marsden, Mr. Carnahan, please," the professor present himself as he gestured to an empty chair.
Nodding acceptance, Jonathan sat down, licking his lips as he eyed the whisky.
"I must say that it is an honor to met you at last, Mr. Carnahan. After everything I have read about you, I feel like I am in auspicious company." Marsden smiled as he reached into the bag on the deck beside him and pull out another glass. "Oh," he smiled indicating the glass. "I always come prepared for company. I see it as a sign of good breeding."
"Indeed," Jonathan agreed as lifted the now filled glass and proposed a toast. "To the voyage."
"To the voyage," Marsden return the toast before taking a sip from the glass.
"So, you've heard of me?" Jonathan had to admit to himself that he found it somewhat of an ego boost that someone knew who he was. Ever since they had returned from Hamunaptra over ten years ago, it was Evelyn that had been lauded as the serious archeologists, while he was seen as a playboy who only job was to entertain at parties with wild stories of walking mummies. Not that he was adverse to the many women who held on to his every word, but it was somewhat refreshing to be taken seriously for once.
"Heard of you?" Marsden repeated as he learned forward in his chair, fixing Jonathan with a penetrating glare. "Maybe I should explain in more detail who I am Mr. Carnahan. I am not only a professor in Egyptology, but I am also archeologist with over thirty-five years in the field and. I have had more than one or two major discoveries myself in that time. Oh, though nothing compared to the magnitude of your finds of course. I sir, am in awe of your talent to find the undetectable. The jewel from the formally thought mythical pyramid of Ahm-Shere alone is 'the' greatest find of this century."
Jonathan's chest expanded a little as the professor's praise hit their mark.
"Well, I wasn't alone, my sister and her husband had something...."
"Your sister, Evelyn O'Connell isn't it? Yes, I'm sure she had something to do with it, but she is just a woman after all and for all their 'education', they can only do so much. And as for her husband, from what I've heard about him, he's simply nothing more than adventurer," Seeing Jonathan starting to get uncomfortable with his generalization of the O'Connell family, Marsden quickly added, "Though I am sure they all had their small part to play in your success of course. So what takes you back to Egypt this time?" He asked as he topped up Jonathan's drink, "Something you might like to share with a fellow archeologist?"
"No digs I'm afraid, not this time," Jonathan replied wistfully.
"Must be something very important to bring the whole O'Connell family back to Egypt so soon? Oh, I'm sorry," the Professor apologized. "That was ill-mannered of me."
"No, no, quite all right old man," Jonathan waving off, the Professor's apology as he leaned in closer. "It's personal business that brings us back this time, but just between one archeologist and another, with the Med-jai on my side, I haven't lost hope of finding something to...."
"Jonathan!"
On hearing the commanding tone of the voice, Jonathan excused himself, and made his way over to Rick, who stood waiting at the ship's railing.
"Who's your friend?" Rick nodded toward the stranger.
"Just a fellow archeologist."
"Fellow archeologist, huh?" The faint trace sarcasm in Rick's voice, though not meant with any malice, was not lost on Jonathan.
"Yes, Rick, I am an archeologist and I was a damn good one, thank you very much!"
Realizing he had actually hurt his brother in law's feeling, Rick smiled hoping to ease the tension that had suddenly appeared. "Whoa, Jonathan, I didn't mean anything by it. It's not like you've gone out of your way to be taken seriously here."
"Well, maybe it's about time I did," Jonathan responded.
TBC
Part six
With Alex back with his sister Evelyn, Jonathan thought he would take a stroll along the deck and see if there were any patsies-- gentleman willing to join him a hand of cards. After all, if this trip was not going to garner him anything of monetary value, then a man had to make some extra money any way he could.
Jonathan had to admit his wealth, or more to the point, his lack of it was still a sore spot for the archeologist-come adventurer. Having risked his life to secure the massive gold and diamond encrusted jewel off the top of the quickly imploding pyramid of Amn Shere; he was more than irritated on their return to London, to be ordered to hand the jewel over to the authorities.
It hadn't mattered to British government that it was 'he' that had risked life and limb as he hung upside down from that flying death trap that Rick's friend Izzy, laughingly called a dirigible as the world of Amn Shere was sucked back from whence it came. Nor did it matter to them that ownership was nine tenths of the law, or as he liked to think of it, finders keepers. No, all that had seemed to matter was that they were seen to be instrumental in the near destruction of the British Museum, bullet hole damage in countless street building and the sabotage of one double-decker bus.
The fact that the missing curator had a hand in the devastation was neither here nor there to the Museums administrators, and Jonathan and the O'Connells were quickly found accountable for the cost. The going rate of accountability was the donation of one priceless artifact: the priceless Jewel of Amn Shere. Now he was down to prowling ship decks for a card game to add to his rapidly depleting coffers.
After completing a near full turn of the deck, Jonathan had just about given up finding anyone still awake, let alone up for a game of chance and was heading back to his room.
"Excuse me sir, are you Jonathan Carnahan?"
Jonathan turned to see a man with salt and pepper hair, puffing away on pipe as he sat casually at a deck table.
"Yes, I am, sir, have we met?" * Or do I owe you money? * Jonathan added in thought as he tried to place the face.
The stranger placed his pipe on an ashtray as he rose to his feet, offering an outstretched hand to the puzzled man. "No, we haven't had the pleasure, but I know you by reputation. Please let me offer you a drink."
Jonathan was never one to refuse a drink and especially a drink offered from an opened bottle of the finest malt whiskey that he had seen in a long time. "Thank you, Mr...?"
"Oh, sorry. Marsden, Professor Percival Marsden, Mr. Carnahan, please," the professor present himself as he gestured to an empty chair.
Nodding acceptance, Jonathan sat down, licking his lips as he eyed the whisky.
"I must say that it is an honor to met you at last, Mr. Carnahan. After everything I have read about you, I feel like I am in auspicious company." Marsden smiled as he reached into the bag on the deck beside him and pull out another glass. "Oh," he smiled indicating the glass. "I always come prepared for company. I see it as a sign of good breeding."
"Indeed," Jonathan agreed as lifted the now filled glass and proposed a toast. "To the voyage."
"To the voyage," Marsden return the toast before taking a sip from the glass.
"So, you've heard of me?" Jonathan had to admit to himself that he found it somewhat of an ego boost that someone knew who he was. Ever since they had returned from Hamunaptra over ten years ago, it was Evelyn that had been lauded as the serious archeologists, while he was seen as a playboy who only job was to entertain at parties with wild stories of walking mummies. Not that he was adverse to the many women who held on to his every word, but it was somewhat refreshing to be taken seriously for once.
"Heard of you?" Marsden repeated as he learned forward in his chair, fixing Jonathan with a penetrating glare. "Maybe I should explain in more detail who I am Mr. Carnahan. I am not only a professor in Egyptology, but I am also archeologist with over thirty-five years in the field and. I have had more than one or two major discoveries myself in that time. Oh, though nothing compared to the magnitude of your finds of course. I sir, am in awe of your talent to find the undetectable. The jewel from the formally thought mythical pyramid of Ahm-Shere alone is 'the' greatest find of this century."
Jonathan's chest expanded a little as the professor's praise hit their mark.
"Well, I wasn't alone, my sister and her husband had something...."
"Your sister, Evelyn O'Connell isn't it? Yes, I'm sure she had something to do with it, but she is just a woman after all and for all their 'education', they can only do so much. And as for her husband, from what I've heard about him, he's simply nothing more than adventurer," Seeing Jonathan starting to get uncomfortable with his generalization of the O'Connell family, Marsden quickly added, "Though I am sure they all had their small part to play in your success of course. So what takes you back to Egypt this time?" He asked as he topped up Jonathan's drink, "Something you might like to share with a fellow archeologist?"
"No digs I'm afraid, not this time," Jonathan replied wistfully.
"Must be something very important to bring the whole O'Connell family back to Egypt so soon? Oh, I'm sorry," the Professor apologized. "That was ill-mannered of me."
"No, no, quite all right old man," Jonathan waving off, the Professor's apology as he leaned in closer. "It's personal business that brings us back this time, but just between one archeologist and another, with the Med-jai on my side, I haven't lost hope of finding something to...."
"Jonathan!"
On hearing the commanding tone of the voice, Jonathan excused himself, and made his way over to Rick, who stood waiting at the ship's railing.
"Who's your friend?" Rick nodded toward the stranger.
"Just a fellow archeologist."
"Fellow archeologist, huh?" The faint trace sarcasm in Rick's voice, though not meant with any malice, was not lost on Jonathan.
"Yes, Rick, I am an archeologist and I was a damn good one, thank you very much!"
Realizing he had actually hurt his brother in law's feeling, Rick smiled hoping to ease the tension that had suddenly appeared. "Whoa, Jonathan, I didn't mean anything by it. It's not like you've gone out of your way to be taken seriously here."
"Well, maybe it's about time I did," Jonathan responded.
TBC