Amumu woke to his sister shaking him. Today was the day. Today the oil in the torches would be changed after the sun was highest. It wasn't even near time to be awake for morning meal.

Masika was smiling. She had been reminding him about this every morning after first meal.

Amumu rolled over in his bed. "You know they're not going to be filled until later. Why did you wake me?" he complained. He never did like to be woken up. He would sometimes miss his first meal because he wanted more sleep. The sun, however, usually shined brilliantly through his window. Most of the time he thought of this as a gift, so that he could always be near the light, but, in the morning, he hated it. If he fell asleep facing the window, he would always be awoken to the bright glare pouring in through the window.

Masika kept smiling. "I know. But it's still so exciting!"

Amumu rolled back over to where his back was to the window and his little sister. "Are you sure you still want to go, sister? We could do something else for fun."

"Brother! You promised!" She whined. Amumu turned his head toward her.

"It was just a thought." He said with a wink. She smiled and left. He turned back over and fell back asleep.

A little later, Amumu woke up again and dressed himself. He headed out of his room toward the dining hall, still half asleep. As he approached, he could hear his mother and sister talking.

"Now, now, child. You have made quite a mess of yourself." Safiya laughed as she wiped Masika's face. "What will we ever do with you?"

Masika used her arms to clear away the food around her mouth. Her mother frowned.

"You know that you should use a cloth, daughter. That's why we have them."

"Yes," she replied, "but now I can use it another time!" She turned away from her mother's fussing hands and saw Amumu.

"Big brother!" she called. He looked up. His bright green eyes flashed in the natural light streaming through the window.

"Come, son," his mother called from her chair, "join us."

Amumu wandered over to the table and looked at the food.

Set up on the table was an array of choices. Fruits, fish, and bread were laid out on gold and ivory platters. There were jars of honey beside pitchers of milk. It smelled divine.

The little price helped himself to a piece of bread, a plate of fruit, and a cold goblet of sweet milk. While he ate, his mother continued to talk.

"The pharaoh will not be joining us today. He is very busy with his work today." Amumu nodded, unable to answer with his mouth full of food. He began to spread a generous helping of honey onto his bread.

"Busy with what, mommy?" Masika asked. She took another cup of milk.

The queen smiled. "Don't worry about it. You shall see him before you sleep tonight."

She tilted her head in wonder. Amumu silently continued to eat.

"When?" The queen turned away from her breakfast again.

"Masika," she said, "I promise. Pharaoh will be back before you sleep. Alright?"

She sighed. "Okay."

"And stop sighing like that." She frowned. "You're getting to be just like your brother."

"But I want to be like my brother!" she insisted, "I want to be just like him."

"Well, stop sighing anyway. You can be like him, but not the sad and sighing him."

"Amumu is the best brother ever. I want to be justlike him."

Amumu, ignoring all this, washed his bread and honey down with a large gulp of milk. He dabbed the crumbs from his mouth and reached for the grapes. He used his thumb to feel his ring. The small bumps of the design gave him a sense of comfort.

While his mother and sister argued about him, his mind drifted away, as it often did, to places unknown. Fields of sand, ponds of water, he could almost feel it. He also thought of great buildings and places where he could run. He wondered what it would smell like. What it would be like.

Once he was full, he turned to the queen. "May I go now?"

She turned to him and smiled. "Of course." Masika made a movement as if intending to follow him, but one look at her brother and she knew that he wanted to be left alone.

He jumped from his seat and began to walk toward his favorite spot. He wanted to think.

Why did he agree to go into the darkness? He hated the dark. It was probably dusty through the wall. He had never seen it before Masika found it, so it probably was never cleaned.

He nodded a passing hello to a guard, who stopped to bow his head before going on his way.

And if the room was never cleaned, did anyone know about it? If something happened to them, would they ever be found? What if they weren't? No. He shouldn't think like that. But it was still a possibility, wasn't it?

Another guard.

But what if they were fine? What would happen? Would they tell their parents that there was a hidden room in the water room? Would they keep it to themselves? They couldn't. If they were found out, there would be consequences. If everything went alright, they could ask their parents about the hole that they found in the wall. Well if-

Another guard.

If there was something hidden away, something they were not supposed to find? Maybe it was a secret. What then?

He reached his seat and settled in. The sun was just coming up over the far dunes. Its shine almost blinded Amumu as he stare at the glistening desert. People were walking across the sand in shabby robes and wooden shoes.

He turned his ring. What was he going to do?

Maybe he was thinking too much. He tried to stop thinking, but this only made him think more. He thought of possibilities, problems, and the future. Why did it feel as though this room was so-

"Brother!" A voice from behind him called. He didn't turn around.

She came right up beside his chair. Her teeth shone like pearls in her mouth as she grinned. "Today's they day, isn't it? You promised. Right? We get to see it today."

He took a deep breath and tried to look happy. He nodded. She hugged him.

"When?"

Amumu thought for a moment. "Wait until the guards change. We'll go then."

She hurried off toward her room. He rested his chin on his hand. He turned his ring with his thumb.

Intermission!

Whew! I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I can't believe how well it's turning out (well, in my head anyway. That might change though). I'm trying really hard to be as close to historically accurate about the Egyptians as I can, but I can only do so much. And with that, I leave you to the story.

We now return to the story…

"Why do you always carry your shoes? Don't you're feet hurt?"

Amumu stared straight ahead. "No, sister. I like it better this way."

They walked up and down the halls like this, looking for a torch that wouldn't be missed until they brought it back. Masika was so excited that she couldn't stop talking, and that was alright with Amumu. He liked to listen to her chatter.

She went on. "But I love my shoes. Mommy even put a picture of a little bird where my big toe goes. She said it meant something, but I can't remember what. I just think it's pretty! I wish it were blue though. It's brown and yellow. Do you want to see?"

"No, thank you."

She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "So what do you think is back there? I'll bet it's a treasure. Or some scrolls. Maybe they'll have pictures. Do you think the walls will have pictures? What would we do with a treasure? What…"

Amumu's mind began to wonder. They turned a corner and started down the next hall. As his sister went on, Amumu suddenly felt a split second of calm. But, sadly, that moment was there and gone before he could grab it.

He caught sight of a few torches lining the wall. This hall ended up ahead. They walked to the end where two torches lit a blank wall.

No tapestry was hung. No paintings. Nothing. Just a dead end.

"There." Amumu pointed up at the left one.

Masika stopped talking.

Amumu made a grab for it. He could almost reach it. He jumped up a little and brushed the bottom of the holder. He tried again with the same result.

"I'm going to need help" he said turning to his sister.

The two scrambled to find a way to be taller. After several failed ideas, Amumu thought of a better one.

"Alright," he said, eyeing their target, "here."

He bent down to his knee and locked his fingers. He felt his ring rub against his knuckle. He stopped. He remembered his mother's words: "Keep it safe, my son"

He carefully took it off and put it on his sandal. There was a line, pale as crystal clear water, laced around his finger. He looked down at it. No. He stared at it. It was as if he had never seen it before. His finger looked so odd.

Again, he locked his fingers. The pale ring line felt soft and vulnerable.

"Climb up."

Masika faced the wall, put her hands against it, and placed her right foot back into her brother's waiting hands. As he lifted her, she walked her hands up the wall to keep her balance. Her left leg was stiffly dangling beside his hands.

Amumu heard some struggling noises. "I can't reach." She said down to him.

"Hang on." He slowly and carefully began to shift his weight. He straightened his knee that wasn't on the floor and tried to stand. He grunted as he moved, being careful not to drop Masika. As he pushed down with his free leg, he dragged his bent one up until he could get his foot on the ground.

Finally, he was standing straight up. She could almost reach.

"Al…most… got it." she struggled.

With a final bump up from below, she grabbed the torch and pulled it up and out of the holder.

"Got it!"

Amumu almost fell over putting her down. His arms hurt and his legs were weak from the unusual work. The two stumbled and sat down on the floor, each trying to catch their breath.

Masika held the torch out in front of her, allowing the fire's light to dance across their sweaty faces as they stared at the flame.

It was time to go in.

Author's note

Alright! I was planning on keeping this whole part in this chapter but it ran too long (again). I need a break. Chapter three will be up ASAP. This is getting good, huh? I hope so anyway. Please review!

Kanagawa