sorry about the updates, i've been distracted by Riddick... which is fun but i'm going to wrap it up soon. Thought i'd start on this again. enjoy this short update, look forward to more!

"Imotep was a priest of Seti the third. He had an affair with his wife and then she killed the king. The kings guards killed Anaksunamun, and then Imotep tried to resurrect her. He failed because he was interrupted then mummified alive."

"That had to hurt." Clarke sat on the couch, her hands folded on her knees, and tilted her head. "Wasn't that supposed to be the ultimate curse?"

"Yes. And if he was brought back to life he'd bring with him all the plagues of Egypt."

"Brought back to life, like your little friends at the museum… you know, I have to ask, how'd you get the costumes set up so that arms and heads would fly off? When is Mali going to come back?"

"Mali is dead Clarke. Whether you want to believe this or not, this is real."

"And what does Imotep have to do with it again?"

"My mother brought him back to life."

"Real smart."

"Apparently, from my fathers descriptions of her, you're a lot like her. She used to think that if you could see it and touch it then it was real."

"I take back my other comment, she sounds perfectly reasonable." She sneered.

"Then she read from the book of the dead, brought back a mummy, and almost became the vessel for the soul of Anaksunamun." Alex grinned as her smug smile disappeared.

"You will say anything!"

"I'm telling you the truth. Then, after a lot of running around and trying to believe the whole incident wasn't real; that this mummy wasn't really there, she and my father found a way to bury him again. And that's the truth Clarke."

"Sounds romantic."

"Well, my mom did save my dad from hanging in an Arab prison." Alex shrugged, "I guess she saw something in him that needed her." He looked back at the phone and shrugged.

"Sounds lovely. Hanging you say? Wonder if they'd still go for that around here." She trailed off as he glared at her.

"Imotep was uncovered again. And my mother started to have visions of a past life."

"A past life? Alex, just stop-"

"I spent a week with a soul sucking bracelet on my wrist, on this stupid quest so Imotep could kill the Scorpion King…"

"Pure myth!"

"And I'm not getting through to you at all!" Alex threw up his hands and stalked into the kitchen. "You don't have any brandy!" he growled.

"Just GET OUT!" Clarke screamed at the top her lungs. She'd had enough. Her father had just died and he thought it was funny to play games with her! She'd show him! She marched into the kitchen, grabbed his sleeve and started dragging him to the door.

He let her, he was pissed himself. She didn't believe a single word he'd said, even after that battle in her office, and Mali being broken against the stone wall… hadn't she heard the crackling of his bones? People don't sound like that when they just joke around!

Clarke grabbed the handle, flung the door open and shoved Alex into the hall… right into the arms of Inspector O'Malley.

Meanwhile…

The light was red, and pulsing. Mali could only watch as the jeweled pendant, one that both Alex and Clarke hadn't noticed in their fight for the book, was lifted and hung over the neck of the decayed and frail-looking corpse. He smiled as the mummy looked over at him and started walking forward. It kneeled next to Mali and asked in the ancient tongue.

"What has happened? Who brought me back?"

"It was I master. You are once more amongst the living." Mali tried to laugh, but a few of his ribs had penetrated his lungs, he only spewed up red bubbles.

"Then I thank you. Now where are my jars?"