Rick, Evie, Alex and Johnathan whispered amongst themselves over the still unconscious Ardeth.
'Now what?' asked Johnathan.
'I don't know, Johnathan. I really don't know.' Evie sounded defeated.
'Hey, that's not the attitude,' admonished Rick. 'We've got through worse than this.'
'No, you have not.' Ardeth was finally awake. 'The Mummy was god-like. This is a goddess. Her powers are unlimited and ten times as strong as were the Mummy's. Now that she has awakened, there is no way she can be stopped.'
'Unless we call Ra,' mumbled Alex.
'Yes, Alex, let's do that,' said Johnathan sarcastically, and pretended to be on the phone. 'Yes? Hello? Ra? Yes, we have your daughter here. Yes, we fear she's about to kill a lot of people. You'll come pick her up? Great, thanks old chap.' He mimed hanging up and pulled a face at Alex. Rick looked more interested. So did Ardeth. They looked at each other, then at Johnathan. He realised that look. 'Oh no. We're not going to call Ra.'
'What choice do we have?' said Rick.
'If Sekhmet exists, then so should her father,' added Ardeth.
'So how do we do it?' asked Alex.
As they continued softly discussing what to do with their current problem, Merisa turned to address her goddess.
'Sekhmet, your high priestess welcomes you back to this world.' She bowed.
Sekhmet acknowledged her with a curt nod. 'Sekhmet, goddess of retribution, thanks her high priestess for fulfilling her duty. However, I sense have been looked away for too long and this world has forgotten its duty to my father.' Her eyes narrowed. 'But I will make them remember,' she hissed.
'When does my goddess wish to resume her judgement,' asked Merisa.
'When her priestesses return to her the implements of retribution. Until then, I will remain here. To help my high priestess to return my implements, I shall share with you the power of the sun.'
'Did you hear that?' whispered Evie.
'Yes.'
'Yes.'
'Yes.'
'Yeah, but I didn't need to.' That was Rick. 'That's just one more creature we have to fight.'
Sekhmet leapt off her altar and landed in front of Merisa. She placed both hands on her high priestess' shoulders and clenched her hands until her claws drew blood. Merisa whimpered but did not cry out. Sekhmet opened her mouth and the desert itself roared. A sandstorm erupted and encircled the two. When it subsided, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Merisa now had her hood up. She turned to her priestesses and beckoned for them to rise.
'We will go now, to seek the arrows of fire.' Her voice was different now. It had a decided rasp to it. 'Come, my sisters.' And with that, the cult of Sekhmet headed to Cairo, leaving the O'Connells, Johnathan and Ardeth to the desert.
'So, what do we do now?' said Alex after a lengthy silence.
'What did she mean 'arrows of fire'?' asked Evie.
'They are the means by which I will bring retribution,' answered Sekhmet. The goddess stood before them. With a flick of her hand, the rope tying them up undid itself and fell to the ground.
'Um, thanks,' said a confused Rick.
Sekhmet nodded and return to her altar. She sat cross-legged and began to wait.
Johnathan carefully sidled up to her. 'Um, sorry, hi, do you mind if I ask you something?'
'Sekhmet hears you.'
'Yes, well, why aren't you trying to kill us?'
Sekhmet looked at him. 'There is no need to kill you. The goddess can see that your hearts are pure and loyal to Ra.' She turned to Ardeth and acknowledged him. 'Medjai.'
Ardeth bowed.
'You know her?' asked Evie, bewildered.
'All Medjai know the gods and goddesses of Egypt. We protected the Pharaoh and the Pharaoh was a child of the gods.'
'The Medjai is correct, Princess.'
Now Evie was completely confused. 'How do you know my past?'
'I am a goddess. I have seen Egypt rise, I have seen Egypt fall. I saw the betrayal of Anuck-su-namun and Imhotep. I watched you grow up, Princess. Your pasts excuse your presents. I bring no judgement for you four.'
'Four? What do you mean 'four'?'
Sekhmet raised her hand and pointed…to Johnathan. 'This man is a plunderer of Egypt's treasures. Even now, he has in his pack one of my statues.' Johnathan gulped and stepped back. Alex was now worried, because he was the one who had given his uncle that statue. 'He will pay for such sacrilege.'
'Why 'will'?' asked Rick.
'Ah, Rick, I'd prefer if you didn't make her dwell on the fact that she is going to KILL ME!' shouted Johnathan
Sekhmet glared at them. 'You mortals are full of questions. I am not yet complete. I cannot begin my retribution with my arrows of fire. Once my priestesses return to me my golden bow, I will begin the next noon of its return.'
Rick turned to the others and said softly, 'I say we get my guns out and blast her before that happens.'
'Dad, she's a goddess.' Alex rolled his eyes. 'It makes her immortal.'
Ardeth made a bold move. He tried reasoning. He turned to Sekhmet and asked'Are you sure you want to do this, goddess? Last time Ra sent you, it is said that you went on a rampage and made no distinction between destruction and retribution.'
'This I know. But I had never been called on before. I had no idea how it would feel.' She clenched her fists. 'But now I do and I have had thousands of years to think it over. I will make no mistakes this time.' Suddenly, she smiled, revealing a row of sharp, animal teeth. 'You all wish to stop Sekhmet's judgment, is this correct?'
'Well, if you put it that way…' shrugged Rick.
'Then you may have your chance, though I doubt you will succeed. Once summoned, I will remain in this world for seven days. At noon on the seventh day, if I have not been given my golden bow, I will return to my world, and the judgment shall never be completed.'
'For a goddess, she's alright, huh, Uncle John?' Alex nudged his uncle.
Johnathan humphed. 'Yes, well, you're not the one who's going to die later, are you?'
'Don't worry, Uncle John. We'll find the golden bow, won't we Mum?'
Evie was staring towards Cairo. 'I think I already know where it is.' She sounded worried.
'What? Where?' demanded Rick.
'It's in the British Museum. It's in Laura's Egyptian section.'
