Disclaimer: Standard. I own nothing but the plot...which I own just barely.

Chapter Two: A Slightly-Principled Thief

The trip took what seemed like forever. I wandered around the boat, looking for Mr. Donovan whenever I could, but our paths never crossed. Finally we arrived. I paced the deck anxiously tugging at my already soaked dress. It was rather hot. "Stand still, Sekhet!" Alex ordered. "You're making me sea-sick."

I grinned, "River-sick." I corrected. "We're no longer, technically on the ocean."

Alex shrugged. "Whatever the case may be, sit down or stand still!"

I opted to stand and stopped pacing. I grabbed the rail and hung halfway over it. The water below was a tan sort of color. Most likely from the mud. There were no crocodiles that I could see. I had rather hoped to see at least one. Although, preferably not up close. "Sekhet! You're worse than a child! You're going to fall over the edge!"

I turned and glared at him, but stopped hanging over. "Honestly Alex, you're very jittery today. Worse than mum!"

Alex frowned and glanced at Giles, who was looking at him with an odd look on his pale face. I frown even deeper. "Just be careful." Alex cautioned gently.

"I'm always careful." I assured him. "I'm going to look over the side of the other deck. I'll be back in a bit."

"Remember, we dock in half an hour."

"Yes, yes. I know!"

I left Alex to glare at the space I'd been standing in and hurried amid the throng of people. I had gotten rather good at the whole "crowd maneuvering" and soon I was standing on the other side of the boat. The view was totally different here. Sand. Sand as far as the eye could see. The sun's glare hit the sand and made it ripple like water. I had never seen anything so beautiful I all my life. I felt a strange peace wash over me. A sense of belonging and I hadn't even stepped foot on solid ground yet. I was home. A home I had barely lived in, but I was home. I felt like singing. Such a strange happiness to be in a land I hadn't seen in nearly sixteen years. "Isn't the it the most beautiful thing ye've ever seen?" asked a voice behind me.

I knew that Irish brogue. I turned around anyway and saw that it was indeed Owen Donovan. "It's wonderful." I breathed. "Have you been here before?" I asked.

"Aye. I lived here for several years. My parents were archeologists."

"Were?"

"They died."

"Oh..." I mentally slapped myself...it had been a rude comment. "I'm sorry."

"No need." he said quickly. "So, do ye know where ye're going now that ye're here?"

"Yes, my brother is going to take me to see the sights. And our old house."

"That's good."

"Sekhet!" called a voice...Alex's voice I realized.

"Oh! There's my brother now!" I told Owen. "Over here!" I called.

Alex's blond head appeared around the corner. I waved him over. "Alex! Meet Mr. Donovan. He was the one who save me at port in England."

Alex looked at the stranger warily. "Hullo, Mr. O'Connell." Owen said genially, sticking out his hand to shake. "The lass here has told me much about ye."

Alex shook Owen's hand firmly. "I'm sure. Well, nice meeting you. Sekhet, we're about to disembark, we'd better hurry."

I frowned at him. He was entirely too nervous for my taste. I wondered what was up. "Fine." I answered. "Well, Mr. Donovan. It's been a pleasure. Thank you for everything and I hope you have a wonderful visit!"

"Aye, Ms. O'Connell. Best of luck to ye."

With that, Alex dragged me away. "Alex!" I protested, shaking free of his arm when we reached Giles. "That was terribly rude."

Alex made no comment. He simply grunted. I hate it when he does that.

My eyes were everywhere, I simply could not walk in a straight line! Everywhere I looked there was something different. Egyptian men and women dressed in flowing robes, English men and women in dresses and suits. So diverse! So, consumed with the culture was I that I barely noticed the dark figure pass by me. His hand was in and out of my pack and he was off in another direction before anyone could say, "Hey!"

Which is just what Alex said. "Hey! That man's a pickpocket!" he exclaimed and took off after him.

It took Giles and I a few moments to gather our wits before we sped off after them both. When I reached Alex, I was gasping for air. I was sweaty and my shoulder length hair--which I had gather up into a tiny bun--was falling out and the pieces were frizzing out in all directions. Alex had the pickpocket by the throat and was yelling in his face. "Don't you dare try to steal from my sister!" he bellowed.

The pickpocket was a tall fellow. It was strange, rarely did I see men taller than myself and now, in the span of day, I'd seen two! Whatever the case, he was tall, with long dark hair, which he wore tied back. He was grinning at my brother. Alex looked ready to deck the young man. Puffing and panting I gathered my skirts, ran up to him, and grabbed his arm. "Alex! No!"

He lowered the arm that he might have use to punch the man and glared at me. "He's a pickpocket! He stole something from you!"

"Well, whatever he did, you don't need to resort to violence." I turned to the man and was looking at me with a look I didn't quite like. "Sir, give me back what is mine. That's all I ask. Keep whatever else you've stolen from anyone else, I only ask for what you stole from me." I didn't know if he even spoke English, but I prayed he did.

Thankfully he did. "But I stole nothing from you." he said in heavily accented English.

He was smiling like that Cheshire cat. "Don't try my patience." I warned.

"But it is the truth!"

"I highly doubt you know what the truth is."

"Let me go and I shall give it back to you." he glanced at Alex with a bit of a sneer. "And you alone."

"How do I know you won't run away."

"I swear on Ra and all the other gods. I won't run."

I nodded to Alex. "Let him go."

Alex glared at me, but he released the man. "Head on to the inn." I told him.

"I'll follow in a moment."

"But--"

"Alex, honestly! I can take care of myself. Pickpocket or no pickpocket."

Alex left, shooting a glare at the both of us before he left.

"Alright now." I said, turning back to the thief, who was now leaning against the wall. "Give me back what you stole from me."

The thief grinned. "It is indeed a shame. It's such a pretty thing. I'm sure you have many more."

"Hand it here." I warned, holding out my hand.

To my great and utter surprise, he grasped my hand gently and laid something in my palm. What surprised me more was when he didn't let go of my hand. I finally glanced up at him and he freed my hand. In my palm was my locket. Actually it was my mum's locket. The one with the pictures of grandma and grandpa. I didn't know when she'd given it to me. It must have been before she left. I stared in awe at the precious locket and was broken from its spell only when the thief said softly, "It is precious, is it not?"

"Yes." I breathed. "I had no idea mum had given it to me."

"I am sorry for taking it."

I glanced up at him and saw that he looked genuinely sorry. "Why is the name Sekhet on it?" he asked.

I glanced down at the locket and looked at the cover. "There's no name--"

"The back." he clarified.

I turned it over and lo and behold, my name was engraved on the back. I wondered when that had been done. "It's my name." I said slowly.

"Why does an foreigner share the name of an Egyptian goddess?"

I glanced back up at him. "I was born here. My mother was half Egyptian herself."

The thief looked at me incredulously. "And why the name Sekhet?"

"Honestly, that I don't know."

The thief was about to say something, but he was interrupted. "Good work, Talib. I must thank you for stalling the fair lady." said a deep, gruff, and surprisingly British voice.

I glanced up at the man and saw that he was indeed British and very heavy set. Two men stood behind him. They carried wicked looking scimitars. My eyes snapped on the thief, in horrid disbelief. "What in the world?"

"My dear lady, will you please come with us?" asked the heavy-set man.

The thief, Talib as they called him, was looking at the ground. I couldn't read his face. "Are you kidnapping me?" I asked the British man, still not quite grasping the situation.

"I suppose you could call it that. Now come with me or my men might have to use force. And I certainly don't want them to hurt a pretty lady like yourself."

"You can't do this!" I protested, it was of course, futile.

And considering the situation, I was acting rather stupid. It took me a moment to realize the severity of the situation. "Touch me and I'll scream! Someone's bound to hear."

The man snapped and immediately, the thief's arms wound around me and his hand blocked my mouth. I struggled a bit, but he was too strong. I wished I had paid more attention when dad tried to teach me self-defense. The thief's hardened muscles locked me to his chest. Scared out of my wits with my mouth covered, I start to struggle for air. I could breathe! My eyes rolled back behind my head. I heard a voice in my ear. "Breathe through your nose. Calm down."

I tried to obey. Tears sprang to my eyes. I cursed myself for being such a baby. Please! I willed. Please let me go! If there be an decency...any morals...let me go! I didn't say it out loud, I couldn't. The man swept past us and started up the alley. Silently I wondered where Alex was. I wished I hadn't been so foolish to send him ahead. The thief half-carried me, half-dragged me along. He was walking slowly. We passed a side alley and he pulled me into it and began running, my mouth was still covered and he was carrying me now. He entered a door and ran into a darkened room. Up some stairs, into another room, through a door and onto a catwalk sort of thing. Across the catwalk, into another house. Down some stairs, out a door, down another alley, a turn down a third (or was it the second?) alley, into another door, up some stairs and into a small room that contained one tiny window and a beaten up cot. He finally took his hand away from my mouth and set me down on my feet. I was dumbfounded. "I don't approve of kidnapping."

I glanced back at him and words finally came to me. "But you approve of stealing?"

"I can't have too many principles." he said with a grin.

"Where were they going? Why kidnap me?"

"I don't not know the answer to either of those questions." he promised with a half-smile.

"You're lying again."

He nodded. "Of course."

"Insufferable!" I cried angrily. "Tell me the truth, if there be any truth in you."

"I can't say exactly." he said thoughtfully. "But it was no where good. That I can tell you."

"Why me?"

"That I do not know. They showed me your picture and had me study it. They said they'd pay me well it I could get you away from your escorts."

"Why'd you accept if you don't believe in kidnapping?"

He frowned. "I need the money."

"I'm sorry." I said softly. "I'm being terrible and you just saved me. I'm an ungrateful git. Is there any way I can thank you?"

He paused a moment. "Do you need a guide, by any chance?"

I smiled. "I suppose we could. Alex will hate the idea. But it has been ages since he's been here. He probably doesn't remember as much as he claims to know. And we'll pay you." I said firmly.

"Talib at your service, Ms...?"

"O'Connell. Sekhet O'Connell."

Talib led me back to the inn where we found a furious Alex waiting. He was about to kill Talib, but Talib explained everything. Grudgingly, Alex admitted it was a fair idea. Only because Talib had saved my life. Alex was, however, very concerned about the abduction. He wanted to cut the trip short, but I threatened to run away if he did. He called me a child and rightfully so. I was being extremely childish, but I didn't care anymore. Somehow, some reason, I had to stay in Egypt. The pull was strong.