Chapter 3

They were led up a flight of stairs, heading to an area that had to be Anu's personal quarters. If Sam had considered the hallways and rooms SG-1 had seen before to be lavish, they were nothing compared to the corridors they were walking through now.

Gold inlays held together walls of gems of various colors, sizes, and shapes. Sam was left wondering just how the Sinnu could afford such extravagance, or if they had slave labor that worked in local mines. Maybe they traded with other rich villages or neighboring worlds.

The ziggurat seemed as lush as a Goa'uld vessel.

Sam stiffened, quickly turning to Colonel O'Neill. Based on the grimace he wore on his face, she realized he was thinking the same thing.

"Teal'c?" she asked.

"I believe this building to be Goa'uld in nature," he said, confirming her fears. "However, there appear to have been several modifications made to the walls."

"The Goa'uld haven't been home for a while?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

"That may be the case, O'Neill."

"Okay, well, keep your eyes peeled." When Teal'c frowned, O'Neill shook his head. "Let's just be careful. That means you too, Daniel."

Daniel turned away from the art he had been studying once he heard his name. "What?"

He patted Daniel on the back before as they started around the next corner. Sam and Teal'c moved on ahead of them, keeping close watch on their hosts. Anu had been extremely quiet during this whole time, as well as her daughter, Aya. There was a definite feeling of gravity in the air, one that bothered Sam in ways she couldn't quite categorize yet.

"Right through here," Anu said, guiding them through a set of doors. "I ask you to keep your voices low."

Sam nodded, but kept her hand on her weapon. She and Teal'c entered first, then Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. She stopped, surprised what she saw.

Inside the ornate bedchamber, there was a lone man sitting in a chair. He was seated by a small balcony, yet far enough where he would have to walk to step out into the sunlight. He didn't make a sound as they approached.

"This is Urshanabi of the South," Anu said. "He is my husband."

Sam wasn't sure what to say. The man looked as if he were in his forties, but his face was worn and withered, his eyes sad and turned inward. Sam instantly thought the man might be undernourished based on his thinness and lack of body mass, but she knew that couldn't be right. Serving girls slipped in and out of the chambers, bringing with them food, water, and other supplies, leaving Urshanabi fully stocked. Sam noticed a tall, sturdy woman and another smaller, but sculpted woman, who stood in the back of the room, overseeing the entire operation. They noticeably cared for the man.

"He lost the ability to speak not long ago," Anu said sadly.

"What happened?" Daniel asked.

Anu forced a smile as she came to stand beside her husband and pressed her hand to his shoulder. "Urshanabi was always stronger than most. I taught him to read and to manage some of the finances. But over the past few years, he has become weaker." She looked away, her fingers sinking deeper into her husband's shoulder. "I should not have pushed him so hard."

"Anu," Sam said, keeping her voice gentle. "I don't think you can blame yourself for this."

"Men are not made for this kind of stress no matter how strong they are." She glanced at the three male members of SG-1 before returned her attention to Sam. "I urge you to reconsider placing such pressures on your men."

"I think we can handle it," O'Neill said. His tone was anything but light. Sam could see the concern in his face as he studied the withering man who should be in the prime of his political life. "Are all your men like him?"

"No," Anu said. "But some of them succumb to the Blight more so than others."

"Blight?" Daniel asked.

Teal'c frowned. "What is this Blight of which you speak?"

"There will be no answers to your questions," Aya snapped. "You do not follow our rules. I will not have you speak outwardly to my mother any longer."

"Aya, child, hush," Anu said, raising her hand to quiet her daughter. "If they are able to speak, let them speak. I will deem when they will be silent."

"I am afraid I must agree with Aya, Beleti," the tall woman said. "Continuous defiance of the rules shall make the goddess angry."

Goddess. The uneasy feeling tripled. She caught the heightened sense of caution in both O'Neill's and Teal'c's postures and noticed Daniel was already searching the room with his eyes for any hint of the identity of this goddess.

Sam just hoped she wouldn't be coming home anytime soon.

"Ningal, I am Anu of the South," she said again, this time more harshly. "I say who shall speak."

"Thank you, ma'am," O'Neill said, taking a step toward the couple, but not before making a point to show his self-satisfaction to Aya and Ningal with a smug, victorious grin. He moved to stand beside Sam and eyed Urshanabi. "So, he's suffering from this Blight?"

Anu nodded. "Our men are weak from the Blight. Only those that are taxed beyond their abilities become Damu."

"Damu?" Sam asked.

Daniel blinked. "Like a child."

Sam glanced over to her commanding officer. He was not pleased. Sam could imagine the questions that were running through his mind and couldn't help but feel nervous herself. They had no idea if they'd walked onto a planet with an unknown contagion. They didn't know anything at all.

She would have thought they would have learned by now.

"When does the Blight happen?" Daniel asked.

"Our men are a fragile people," Anu said sadly. "Man is born as such."

"Your males are born with this Blight," Teal'c stated.

"Yes," Anu said. "It worsens as time goes by."

Sam exhaled and released some of the tension in her shoulders. If the men were born with the problem, then the chances of this being a contagion SG-1 would bring back were slim. She could see the relief in her teammates and couldn't agree more.

"I'd really like to read your books," Daniel said. He was nearly bouncing again, this time not from excitement but just the need to know. "Book, tablets, anything. Maybe we can help figure out why your men are born with the Blight."

"We have doctors," O'Neill added. "Female ones at that. We can send some people over here, have them take a look, and see if there's something we can do."

"All of this in exchange for our books and some of our technology?" Anu asked, squeezing her husband's hand.

"Heck, we'll send the docs over free of charge," O'Neill with a small smile. "But we'd appreciate a look at your shields and any other gizmos you might have. Oh," he said, bending the rim of his cap. "And we'd love to have some of that." He pointed to the archway.

"You have interest in our sacred metals," Anu said.

"Sacred," O'Neill repeated. He turned to Carter and rolled his eyes. She was sure she heard a nearly inaudible oy escape his lips.

"Yes," Sam said. "But we would only ask for the metal in ways that would not harm you."

Anu bit her lip as she considered their offer. But even now, Sam could see that she seemed happier. It was if a heaviness had been lifted from Anu's shoulders. The woman looked freer, livelier. With a broad grin that lit up her face, Anu moved away from her husband and beckoned to the small silent woman that had been left in the corner.

"This is Siduri, our city's best healer." She clapped Siduri on the shoulder. "She will work with you and your healers." Anu released her hold on the doctor and stood in front of Sam. "Any books that you need are yours. Tablets. Scrolls. I shall have all of them delivered to your suite, including information on our shields."

The men – even Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill – looked pleased.

"Mother!" Aya shouted.

Anu ignored her. "I have set you up in my best suite. Ningal and Aya will show you the way." When Aya sighed and turned away, Anu narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice. "You will show them the way."

Aya didn't respond to her mother, but led Ningal to the door. "This way," she said over her shoulder.

Sam thanked Anu for her help and exited the chambers. As she followed Ningal and Aya down the corridor, she just hoped the fiery tempered girl could hold it together long enough for them to finish negotiations, maybe help these people, and go home.

-----------------------------------------

Sam nearly fell over when she saw the size of the suite. The Goa'uld loved to live large, that was for sure. The suite was huge.

Instantly, Sam could sense the trace amounts of naquadah in some of the doorways inside the suite. But for the most part, it seemed to be constructed of stone, gold, and silver, along with some other metals that Sam couldn't identify at the moment. It was extravagance at its best.

The main room was the largest, filled with plush couches and chairs, tables with bowls filled with fruit and nuts, and a beautiful rug that accentuated the middle of the room. The main room was obviously created with some kind of hierarchical system in place; a common room for lounging and reading also served as a bedroom. The large bed was situated to her left, full with a drawback curtain for privacy. There was no doubt in Sam's mind this bed was meant for her. In fact, it was obvious this entire room was created with a woman in mind.

The design impressed Sam. No mud hut or shanty little shack for her on this mission. Sam wasn't sure she'd actually go with this kind of décor in her own home, but it sure made her tempted to go archaeological in her house.

She wouldn't tell that to Daniel, though.

Teal'c had already begun to investigate the other two rooms to her suite. She assumed one would be her washroom and the other would be for whoever was staying with her. In this case, the rest of her team.

Colonel O'Neill poked his head into one of the rooms. "I think I found the ladies' room. Whoa. Talk about fancy."

"And I believe I have found the spare," Teal'c said, dipping his head inside the room as he stood in the doorway. He straightened his back. "And the books for Daniel Jackson."

"Oh?" Daniel squeezed between Sam and Aya to make his way to the spare room. He stepped inside. "Oh," he said, his voice flattening.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"That's…a lot of books." He came back into the main room. "How did you get those in there so fast?"

Neither Aya nor Ningal answered.

Sam sighed. From the corner of her eye, she caught Colonel O'Neill leaning on the bathroom doorway, now looking thoroughly amused. Sam just ignored him.

"It might be better to answer him," Sam whispered to Aya. "He's just going to keep asking."

Aya shot her a disgusted look, but complied anyway. "We have a rings system in the hallway. It makes transportation of large goods easier."

Daniel nodded. "Though, that would make sense with the Goa'uld," he said through a half closed mouth. Then, he was back to the spare room.

"You have everything that you requested," Aya said. "You should not be in need throughout the night. But if you require assistance, there is a communicator on the wall."

"Yes," said Ningal. "And the books are from my personal collections. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me."

Though the sentiment was nice, Sam didn't feel any warmth in Ningal's voice. She started to think this stay was going to be a long and grueling one.

"I have a question," Daniel said, poking his head out of the spare.

"Daniel…" O'Neill warned.

"No, no. Just a quick question." Daniel turned to Ningal. "So, what do you do?"

Ningal did not answer.

"Are you a historian?

Ningal rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze above Daniel's head. "No, I am not."

"Daniel," O'Neill said, plopping himself down on Sam's large bed. "Stop nagging the woman."

"Sir?" Sam asked.

"All right. All right," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "It's your mission." He leaned back, his smile widening.

Sam clenched her teeth, doing everything in her power to keep her frustration at bay. Both Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were not making her job any easier. At least she could count on Teal'c.

When she went to ask for his assistance in keeping O'Neill and Daniel in line, she found that Teal'c was already busy. Busy eyeing the young Aya from head to toe.

Sam's scowl deepened.

"No, I'm just curious," Daniel said, speaking to Ningal again. "These are your books, though, right?"

"Yes," Ningal said with irritation. "I am spiritual advisor to the Beleti Anu."

"Oh, like a vizier. You would be the best one to know about customs and rituals associated with the goddess."

For the first time since they had met her, Ningal appeared interested in SG-1. "You seek knowledge of the ways of our goddess?"

"Indeed," Teal'c said, joining Daniel.

Ningal smiled, arching her eyebrows. "Nammu is our supreme goddess. When she returns, you may ask her." With that, Ningal turned her back on them and exited the room.

Aya grimaced, caught between an unspoken apology over Ningal's behavior, and her own annoyance with Sam's team. "You have what you need," she said quickly. "Goodnight."

Sam watched her go. As soon as the doors shut behind Aya, she turned to the three men that were starting to make her life a living hell. "Can you make it any more difficult for me?"

"Relax, Carter," O'Neill said. He was still on her bed. "Everything's under control."

Sam was starting to think it wasn't. With a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair, taking another look around the room. She figured that she and Daniel were going to be up all night pouring over the information that Anu had provided for them. At the same time, she also thought this suite might be too comfy for her own good.

"Teal'c, do you think Ningal was telling the truth?" Sam asked. "Do you think this Nammu goddess is on her way back?"

"It is highly unlikely," he said.

"Why's that?" O'Neill asked, raising his head to catch a glimpse at Teal'c.

The corner of Teal'c's mouth twisted into a knowing smile. "Nammu was killed in battle by Ra's forces many years ago." The smile remained as he moved to allow Daniel access to the spare room.

"Nice," Colonel O'Neill said. After Daniel reemerged carrying an armful of literature, he sunk back onto the bed. "That solves that problem."

Sam glared at her commanding officer. O'Neill grinned, stretching his sweaty body all over her freshly laid sheets. While she was glad that she didn't have to worry about the possibility of a contagion, a Goa'uld returning, or some slave trader coming to snatch the rest of her team, Sam was getting annoyed that Colonel O'Neill seemed to be making a concentrated effort to dirty her sheets. And while Sam was used to sleeping in tents, dirt, mud, and God knows what else, there was a perfectly good bed waiting for her right there.

He turned his head and raised his eyebrows. "Problem, Carter?"

Dammit, he knew it. "You find this amusing, sir?"

"Yup. Now you know how it feels when I'm in charge." He moved back to face the ceiling, before he laced his fingers behind the back of his head and closed his eyes. "This time, I have the easier job."

That was it. Sam narrowed her eyes. Teal'c and Daniel took a step back.

"You think my job is easy?" She grabbed one of the scrolls from Daniel's hands and tossed it at O'Neill. "You read those schematics and tell me."

Colonel O'Neill winced and rubbed his arm, despite the fact the scroll was made out of a light, durable paper. Slowly, he unraveled it and shook his head, tossing it aside. "Lighten up, Carter. Everything's turned out fine."

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing you are?" Sam finally said, again addressing all three of them. "That banquet could have been a disaster." She stopped, finally realizing what this was about and crossed her arms. "You're getting even with me."

"We were hungry, Carter. Hungry." Colonel O'Neill stretched his arms over his head, his keen sense of detail coming to the fore as he studied the room. "If you hadn't taken four hours to eat one damn plate, maybe we would have shown some better manners."

Sam snorted. "We're trying to impress these people. Our aerial surveys show high concentrations of naquadah in their soil."

"Right now, I'm thinking that's the least of our worries," he muttered.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think Jack's right," Daniel said, causing O'Neill to sit with a start. "If we're going to go by what Anu has told us, that men on this planet are born with this disease, one that gets worse over time, and there used to be a Goa'uld on this planet…"

"You're thinking genetic manipulation," Sam said.

O'Neill groaned. "Please tell me Shamu isn't Nirrti."

"Nammu," Daniel corrected. "And no. I mean, I don't think so…"

"As I have said, Nammu is dead," Teal'c said. "Nirrti and Nammu are not one and the same."

"And you're sure she – it – is dead?" O'Neill asked.

"Indeed."

Sam still was bothered by this scenario, as she knew they all were. Her gaze fell back to the stack that Daniel was balancing in his arms. It was possible that the answers they were looking for could be buried in the vast amount of books and tablets that had been sent to them. Sam knew one thing for sure; standing around arguing all night wasn't going to find them the answer.

She sighed, giving one last longing look to her bed before she reached over and grabbed some of the documents from Daniel. "I guess we should start," she said.