Temperance was jolted out of her light doze as their ageing bus pulled up in front of the museum.

Another day, another stupid tourist attraction. She thought back to the competition won by the orphanage It's not that I'm ungrateful, she tried to explain to herself no; far from it. I just hate sand.

With a sigh she picked up her bag and started shoving her way off the bus with the rest of her classmates. Anyway, she thought angrily, What kind of idiot makes an anonymous donation so twenty unwanted orphans can go see Egypt for some culture? And they were unwanted, for whatever reason, too old, too stupid, too bad. They were the damaged ones, the not so pretty, the ones with the records and the scars, both inside and out. The forgotten…

As Temperance got off the bus her morose thoughts were interrupted by a face full of wind blown sand. Silently she began to fume.

I. Hate. Sand.

………

"Hey Temper, come take a look at this."

Temperance turned away from the tour guide with a wince. She and Judy had been at the home since they were babies, stuck it out through the endless round of placements and rejections, and no matter how many times she asked him not to call her that detestable name, he persisted. "Temper!" Judy's whisper echoed around the vault-like entranceway, drawing a glare from Sister Sophia. With a smile she slipped off her earphones and nonchalantly wandered over to see what held Judy's attention this time, an urn, a bucket… a mummy?

"Ewww." She said, "Grow up Judy. Mummy's are for kids. And what have I told you about calling me be that stupid nickname?"

"That you find it adorable and would like me to continue always?" Judy grinned.

"Not quite beast." Temperance gave a sigh "I can't wait to get out of this place."

"Now Temper, there are plenty of kids back home who'd give their eye-teeth to be in Egypt sight seeing." He admonished in a So So voice.

"I know Judy, there are also starving kids in Africa who would kill for the mushrooms I didn't eat last night, and freezing kids in Russia who would love to wear all the shit hand-me down clothes donated to us by rich people with nothing else to do with their time. We both just need to face facts. I am an ungrateful bitch who needs to be punished. I'm going to Hell." She finished with a dramatic sigh.

"Ah ha." Judy answered, well used to Temper's theatrics. His best friend's sense of humour was kind of… dark. Judy's attention was once more caught by the mummy, or rather the case beside it. "Hey Temper, check out the flash."

Temperance looked down into the small, dusty display case near the mummy and contemplated explaining once again her inherent hatred of the nickname that Judas persisted in calling her. She came to the conclusion that it would do no good. Bringing her attention back to the display case Temperance looked down on what could only be jewellery, albeit very odd jewellery.

"What the hell are they?" She asked, pointing them out to Judy.

"Well, lets take a-" Judy had flicked out his pocket knife, ready to break the lock, when the glass top of the cabinet slid open under his hand. He threw a look at Temperance.

"It wasn't locked. You saw it, right? No lock. Right?"

"It's thinking like that that got you put in Juvenal Hall." Temperance said, staring pointedly at the flick knife Judy carried everywhere "Eight times."

Judy locked up and gave her one of his wicked smiles. "It's like that famous guy once said 'what's not nailed down is mine, and anything I can pull up ain't nailed down."

Temperance raised an eyebrow. "Says the Master Thief who always gets caught"

"I'll take that as a compliment Ms. Slice an' Dice, and if you remember correctly, you got caught too." He said with a smirk

"Yes, but I meant too, you didn't. That makes all the difference." Temperance smirked back.

Judy laughed. "Fine, fine, I can take a hint." His eyes strayed back to the half opened case. Fingers itched. "Come on Temper… try 'em on."

"What?!" Temperance cried in a furious whisper. "Are you crazy? They're probably alarmed or something. I can't believe you even got away with opening the case." She could actually, they'd made a detour to get to this hole, and she could see why they were the only visitors today, the place was ancient and not a Millions-Of-People-Flock-To-Me-Every-Year ancient, more like a I'm-So-Unimportant-No-One-Ever-Comes-Here ancient.

"Come on… I bet they'd look great on you…?" Judy wheedled.

"I am not putting on some dead chick's jewellery. And that's that. Who is she anyway?" Pushing Judy aside Temperance tried to read the tiny letters on the tarnished plaque.

"OK… um… found near… yada, yada, yada… yada, yada, yada… OK Princess yada, yada, yada … found with said pieces of priceless jewellery…huh, what a surprise… not of Egyptian origin… carbon dating inconclusive…legends say the Princess was a great and powerful sorceress… rumoured to see the future… yada, yada, yada…known as the Eye of Horus… that's it."

She turned to Judy. "So not only do you want me to stick on a dead chick's flash, but she's a princess, albeit dead, and an evil eyed witch to boot. Gee this changes everything… Not!"

"Oh come on Temper, just one photo… please?" Judy held up his camera imploringly.

"Um… No." Temperance answered. Judy slid the case open further.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this," He said theatrically, "But you have forced my hand… if I don't get a picture I shall be forced to 'let slip' to The Hag Bag the name of the person who misplaced Mary-Anne's things." He grinned evilly at her.

"You wouldn't dare." Temperance said threateningly as her stomach clenched painfully.

"Wouldn't I?" Judy replied.

Temperance thought briefly of the consequences of being found to be the person who placed that insufferable Know-It-All Mary-Ann's luggage on an International Pan-Pacific flight that was, funnily enough going in the opposite direction. The result weren't pretty

"Fine." Temperance looked over her shoulder as their tour group moved further into the museum. "Help me get 'em on."

………

"Here?" Temperance asked wearily. The tour group had disappeared and she was getting bored, not to mention cranky.

"No, a little to the left." Judy directed.

Temperance jerked her head up angrily "If I go anymore to the left I'll be in a plant!"

Judy sighed exasperatedly. "Come on Temper. This is art." He noticed the necklace. "Hey, that's supposed to be on your head."

With a sigh Temperance yanked the priceless relic off her neck causing Judy to wince. "If you don't hurry up with your 'Art' I'll do something painful to your head." She said, placing the headpiece over her hair.

"Ah, promises, promises."

Temperance threw him a glare. "I look like an idiot. These things," She said, shaking her hands "Make me look like some kind of fucking cat." Temperance looked angrily down at the ill-fitting jewellery residing on her wrists and hands. Bands, made of what looked like beaten gold, encircled her wrists ending in points on the back of her hands. From them ran thin gold chains. Chains that were vastly different from the original pieces, Temperance had to wonder if their purpose was more so that the museum could display the jewellery properly than and actual historical value. Regardless, each chain ran down to two rings, the first set at the base of the fingers, the second, attached by yet more chain, was before the second finger joint, the purpose of the third ring seemed only to hold the delicate golden nails, currently sitting atop her own, in place. She supposed it was a rather ingenious design in all, and it seemed to have been well thought out, especially the wrist cuffs. With the cuffs open, each side resembled nothing more than a mess of gold wires, but closed around the wrist the mess of wire suddenly formed a complete picture on the palm of the hand. It was a picture Temperance recognized well as it was advertised all over Egypt. The Eye of Horus. Really, if it wasn't so uncomfortable Temperance supposed the jewellery might have even been slightly attractive.

She heard Judy sigh again.

"Temper take the bloody headpiece off, you've got it on backwards."

With an angry yank Temperance pulled off the necklace and a good amount of hair while she was at it.

"Owww…" She growled

Turning the necklace over she couldn't help but admire its beauty. While the bracelets had jewels inlaid in them, they had been nothing in comparison to the headpiece. The headpiece was V shaped, gold, and was studded with gems. Lapis edging framed a diamond of perfect clarity. It was the centrepiece, positioned at the point of the V. Next up from the diamond was a dark stone, dull it almost seemed to absorb light, it was twined, with a matching stone placed in the other arm of the V. The dark stone was followed by a stone that resembled the sky at midnight. A deep blue stone that was probably a sapphire. And then garnet, red as blood, emerald, and then a stone Temperance couldn't identify but was the most beautiful of all within the setting.

With a sigh to match Judy's, Temperance placed the necklace back on her head and folded her arms.

"Okay, um, I want you in front of the sarcophagus and I want you to hold up your hands, no, not like that! Yes, like that. Like you're casting a spell. All right, when I give the signal smile."

"Judy, Have you taken a good look at this jewellery? It's nice, really nice, like a million bucks nice. I really don't think this is a good idea…"

"Ah, come on Temper, just one picture, then we'll put it back, I promise. Come on, just smile for me, it's not gunna kill ya. OK?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever, lets get this over with? And if that mummy reaches out and touches me 'cause you stole her flash or I suddenly get hauled to jail 'cause you stole this flash… well, let's just say it won't be pretty."

Judy continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"On three. One. Two." Judy made the signal and pressed the flash.

"Three."

……….

When the spots had cleared from his eyes Judas looked around for his friend, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Temper?"

"Temper?!"

"TEMPER!"

"Oh-oh."

………..

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mummy, or The Mummy-verse; I simply use their ideas unashamedly. My characters, however, are my own.