A.N: Wow… reviews got back pretty fast… THANK YOU! Honest to God, I can't think of anything better than waking up and finding a bunch of happy reviews in my inbox!
Shoutouts:
Samyo: Aww… really? I was the first fanfic you ever read? I hope I haven't traumatized you or anything! And I'm updating! Yay! Thanks for the review!
Faust: Hmmmm… I take it you want me to update then? Lol. Here ya go sweetie! Hope you enjoy it!
Silent Bob 546: Yes! I am alive! I just got caught up with loads of school work… it being my last year before uni/college they're really starting to pile it on… evil teachers. But I have at least two weeks holiday now so you can expect more updates:D
And now…drumroll…
Chapter Twelve: Khenematisis
Having concluded their meeting, the League filed out of the museum and blinked as they entered the bright light and searing heat of Cairo once again. All of them were silent for a moment before Tom spoke.
"Well… what now?"
His question was answered as Burrows followed them out of the grand doors and walked down the steps. "I have arranged carriages for us, they should be arriving short-"
He stopped mid-sentence as he first laid eyes on the Nemomobile. At his questioning look its creator spoke up.
"Mr. Burrows, this is my automobile – a method of transportation that I myself have devised. Under normal circumstances, it would transport myself and the League to our required destination, but as it has insufficient space for the present company, I believe it would be wise to travel in your carriages."
"Yes… I... see." Burrows seemed edgy, but was soon distracted as two carriages, similar to those that had met the League at the docks, were driven up the short driveway in front of the museum.
The small party filed into them, and set off to meet their new charge.
It wasn't long before they arrived and gratefully stepped out of the stuffy enclosures of the carriages. The neighborhood in which they now found themselves was nothing like that which they had left.
The busy, bustling and often filthy streets were now replaced with quiet dirt roads, surrounded on each side by white-washed houses, with the occasional flower pot spilling over its pink and red flowers like a silent waterfall onto the streets below.
Burrows looked around as if to make sure that they were in the right location before he walked purposefully over to a wooden door not five feet from them. He pulled on a short metal chain, and they were greeted with the light sound of a tinkling bell from somewhere behind the tall walls.
"I neglected to mention earlier that Miss. Williams and Mr. Hart also run a small orphanage here. They look after young street urchins and the like until they are sixteen years of age or can find sustainable work – whichever comes first."
"Now hang on." Skinner walked up to Burrows and turned him so that they were looking each other in the eye. "You never mentioned anything about having to consider any children in all this mess!"
Not an hour into the business and already he's "neglecting to mention" things! Skinner scowled.
"I assure you that there will be no problems… I don't intend for her to stay here while she is under your protection. The entire point of this operation is that she not be found; and no doubt, the arrival of five strangers to her residence would be enough to attract any amount of suspicion… from neighbors and enemies. Either way it would be too dangerous."
He stopped as the door before them was opened by a young girl of about seventeen years of age. Recognizing Burrows she stood back as the League filed through after him and into a small square courtyard.
The floor on which they now stood was paved in terracotta bricks that had been arranged in an attractive pattern all about the open space, and a fountain tinkled merrily in the centre, its little cascade catching the light sparkling. Burrows spoke a few words to the girl that had admitted them, whom the League could only assume to be a maid, and she scampered off up a flight of stairs and disappeared.
Burrows turned to face the League and spoke.
"You should aslo know that Khenematisis is very attached to the children at the orphanage. I spoken to her on several occasions on the matter, as has her guardian Jonathan Hart, and each time she has proven to be troublesome. In short, she has flat-out refused to leave her home, even if it means that own life may be threatened. Don't expect anything to be easy with her." He gave them all an ironic smile.
"She understands what danger she may be in?" Nemo's steady voice interjected briefly.
"Yes and no. Given the confidential nature of the matter, I thought it best to only tell her so much: she presently believes that only she is in danger – I did not disclose any details about O'Connor and his quest – so I believe it would be best not to mention any of that for a time yet."
"Ah! Amos!" Everyone turned their heads upwards at the voice. "I've been expecting you." A man began to walk quickly down the stairs towards them. His eyes shifted nervously about the group – obviously he had been informed of their peculiar differences – but smiled as he reached Burrows and took his hand. He was only of average height, and his white hair was beginning to thin. A short white mustache covered his upper lip, and twitched every time he smiled a toothy white smile at anyone. His skin was coloured a dark honey brown by the intense African sun, and a light sprinkling of freckles adorned his hands and neck.
He now turned to the rest of the League.
"I understand that you are the ones that have been placed in charge of Khene's welfare?" He smiled, albeit slightly nervously, and continued. "I have tea prepared, please follow me." With that he set off through an arch in the side of the courtyard which led into an open room, in which a low table was placed, surrounded by brightly coloured cushions. The English bone-china tea service which lay in the centre of the table on a silver platter seemed out of place in the room with all of its obviously Egyptian furnishings. The young girl that had admitted them into the house was still busily laying out cups when they entered, but finished quickly and left them to their devices.
Hart made a spreading motion with his hand, which they all took as an invitation to sit. It was a new experience for most of the League: only Nemo seemed comfortable seating himself so low to the floor, while the English members of the company were a little less used to it – not even the Nautilus with all its Hindustani touches had had seating arrangements such as these. Mina had the most difficulty what with wearing a corset, and gratefully accepted Jeckyll's hand as a support as she lowered herself to the ground and curled her legs beneath her and to the side. She steadily avoided Tom's gaze the whole time, and immediately busied herself with arranging her skirts about her.
"I hope you all enjoy mint tea?" Hart looked up hopefully. "I find it most refreshing in the heat." He poured out cups for everyone, before settling back with his own.
"Khene is busy with the children… they are quite a bunch at lunchtime." His eyes glittered merrily above his tea cup. "She should be down shortly." He was silent for a minute as he sipped. "No doubt Amos here has told you of her opposition to the matter at hand?"
"Yeah. Apparently she isn't too keen on the idea." Tom chuckled while he fingered his tea cup. He'd never really liked the stuff… even his aunt had tried to make him drink it, but to no avail. For the sake of good manners, he sipped at it every now and then.
"Most definitely not. She refuses to leave the children," at this Hart's eyes took on an almost sad glimmer. "They are most dear to her. Having grown up as an orphan herself she feels strongly for them… Where is that girl?"
"Right here!" The table turned as one to look towards the door from which they had previously entered at their new charge. "I'm sorry I'm late… little Anippe was being a handful again." She smiled apologetically before seating herself down next to Hart and reaching for a cup and the tea pot.
The League couldn't help but show an interest in the strange girl before them. She was obviously English, but not as well-kept as one would have expected an Englishwoman to be. Her hair was brown and fell in loose waves about her back – it had been tied up with a leather thong, but had since come loose, and now she removed it and shook loose the tendrils that had gathered about her face and eyes. Now that they were unobscured by her hair, the League could see that they which were a deep green colour, like that of the leaves of an olive branch, and were framed by long, thick lashes. Like Hart, her skin had taken on a deep brown hue, so that at a quick glance one would immediately believe her to be a native of the country.
She wore a long white linen skirt, into which was loosely tucked a cream-coloured blouse, the top few buttons of which she had left undone in the heat of the day, and the sleeves of which were rolled up to her elbows, exposing her lower arms and small delicate wrists. For shoes she wore leather thong sandals that peeked out from under her skirt whenever she walked, and now could be plainly seen under her crossed legs. She looked to be quite young… perhaps twenty, or slightly older.
As Burrows introduced each member of the League she leant across the table and took their hand in hers, met their eyes and smiled.
"Now, Miss. Williams," Burrows brushed off his hands and set them on his knees. "This is the League that will be protecting you. Whether you like it or not. You know what special talents you have, and that they are not only a boon to you but, more importantly, a danger, so I mu-"
Khenematsis held up her hand. "It isn't the protection I object to Sir Burrows. It's my leaving. I won't leave here… it has been my home for almost seventeen years now, and I don't intend to abandon the children. Besides… how would Uncle Hart manage without me?" She threw him a cheeky smile, which he returned with a warm one.
Skinner noticed it and smiled… she certainly seemed more fun than Mina could ever be.
"My dear, we've been over this time and time again… it is the only way in which we can fully guarantee your safety." Burrows looked, and sounded, exasperated. He punctuated every other word with a tap on the table, as if he were trying to drive the words into her.
"My safety is of no consequence to me." Her eyes shimmered momentarily, and seemed to glow with an eerie green light. Burrows immediately backed down. Seeing him do such made her blush slightly and avert her eyes. When she looked back, they were again their deep green hue. "You must understand that the children and I are so close. We have known each other most of our lives… they are like family to me."
Mina could understand her reasoning. When she had been fighting Dracula with Van Helsing, she had been placed in a separate room from her husband, while he went off and fought the Vampire lord. She, at first, had also been against the idea of letting him go off and face the danger without her by his side, but had eventually seen the reasoning behind it and acquiesced.
She didn't speak however. Never would she reveal anything of such a personal nature before a table of men and a woman that was yet a stranger to her… it simply wasn't the proper thing for an Englishwoman to do.
Burrows sighed heavily and stood. "Either way, the safe house is not yet ready for you. And now I'm afraid I must be off." He briefly consulted his pocket watch before walking over to Hart, who also stood, and made his good byes to his host and fellow guests. "I have arranged that you should all sleep here with Jonathan and Miss. Williams tonight. Captain Nemo, if you wish I can have a message sent for your… your…" he struggled to find the right words. "…Nemomobile to be sent here." Nemo agreed and thanked him.
Just as he was leaving, he turned and said with a twinkle in his eye, "Ah yes… I almost forgot. There is one more person coming to join the League. They should arrive by train early tomorrow morning. I'll come around tomorrow and introduce you all."
And with that he left them.
By now it was beginning to grow dark, and a chill was settling about the air. Khenematisis had rolled her sleeves down, and was now leaning against a wall in the courtyard absorbing the heat that was radiating from it.
"Khene, would you please show our guests to their rooms?" He turned to the League. "Burrows had some of your things sent over from the hotel. You should be able to go and collect the rest tomorrow morning. Your cases are at the top of the stairs."
The small party silently followed the girl upstairs and made their good-nights as she showed them where they would each sleep. Again, the men would have to share: the house was large, but not large enough for them all each to have a separate room. Jekyll helped Mina to carry her case into her quarters. She looked about her, normally Tom would have done such a thing, but now he was nowhere to be seen. She thanked Henry and closed the door. Almost immediately, she changed and lay down on the bed that she had been lent for the night. It was soft, and their travels the past weak had made her weary, but she simply couldn't settle down. Thoughts and memories of her former husband Jonathan plagued her, and she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty about her growing relationship with the good Doctor. When she did manage to sleep, it only for short periods before she woke up again and tossed and turned to make herself comfy so that she could further doze.
Something told her that tomorrow would be another long day.
A.N: There you have it! An update! Sorry there isn't much action at the moment… but there will be in the next chapter! Who could the new arriving League member be?
Also, I'm planning on starting an OC relationship with Khenematisis and someone else… but I'm not sure who yet… it would have to be Skinner or Tom really. Who would you all like to see? Leave your answers and suggestions in reviews!