Notes: the initial concept of the medallions and the Pharaoh's traitorous adviser mentioned in this chapter is the creation of LuckyLadybug, who let me play with her timeline (for which I am grateful); the reference to the New York detectives smashing one of the medallions is a reference to her Carmen Sandiego fic, "Walk Like an Egyptian." The references to the other smashed medallions are to my expansions and explorations—a Hogan's Heroes fic called "A Soldier of Fortune," and a Monkees fic called "Manchester Jones and the Golden Curse," available on this site.
Also, as for the plot point involving an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire being required to open a mystic doorway… that was lovingly borrowed and modified from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which I was most likely playing at the time I was outlining this fic.
The four soon were in the TARDIS library, pouring over volumes of books on ancient Egypt.
"I don't know what's more impressive…" Tony mused. "That you've got so many books, or that they're actually all in order." He had been expecting a disorganized mess, and had been relieved to find out that there was order to the arrangement.
"Thank you; I do my best to look after my collection," the Doctor said, with a grin. He was not at all surprised by Tony's change of heart in regards to helping out; in fact, he had almost been expecting it.
"Hey, and I think I just hit the jackpot!" Carl exclaimed, pulling a book off of one of the shelves.
"Oh yes?" the Doctor asked.
"Yeah—Egyptian Gods, Aliens, and Medallions: the Legends of a Turncoat Courtier, by Bernice Summerfield and River Song."
The Doctor frowned.
"Odd. I don't remember that book ever being in the library…"
"Well, there's a note on it—but it's in a language I don't understand," Carl said, handing him the note.
"Oh, my word! It's from my brother! He must have slipped this book in the TARDIS that time Jamie and I went to visit his collection!"
"Oh, aye, the chappie with the mustache that could rival the Brigadier's?" Jamie asked. "He was a bit… Erm…"
"Yes, he is," the Doctor said with a smile, as Jamie continued to search for the right word. "But he's helped us out immensely, at any rate. Right; gather 'round, then—we've got some reading to do."
"Och, it says that there was a Pharaoh named Sethos who had an advisor who was plotting against him," Jamie said, scowling. He had a very low opinion of traitors, as loyalty was something he valued highly.
"Oh dear," the Doctor murmured. "I've met Sethos multiple times; I never did like the looks of that advisor, and it seems my instincts were not off at all!"
"It says this advisor guy made seven medallions that served to contact Osirians and other creatures from Egyptian lore and allow them to use their powers in the living world?" Tony said, in disbelief. "Really?"
"Tony, now is not the time for you to revert to your skeptic ways!" Carl chided him. "You saw Sutekh talk to us, and you took a ride in a time machine, so don't go telling me you can't believe this!"
"I don't know what to believe anymore," Tony confessed, with a sigh.
"One of the medallions was for the advisor's own spirit; he suspected that he would have been found out and executed," the Doctor said, reading from the book. "So he used the first one—a medallion with the image of a scorpion, symbolizing the Osirian Serket, whom he worshipped. She, however, wanted nothing to do with him, so he was on his own in regards to that medallion. So, for the other medallions, he called upon three beasts—Ammit, Apophis, and the Forbidden One—and three Osirians who were willing to help him—Sutekh, Anubis, and Anput."
"So why is Sutekh only worried about Anubis and Anput?" Carl asked. "He didn't mention any of the other guys."
"Aye, so much the better," Jamie said.
"Well, here's the answer," the Doctor said. "When a medallion is shattered, it breaks the creature's connection from Duat to the world of the living."
"So… All we have to do is smash that medallion Sutekh is using?" Tony asked. "Sounds simple enough."
"I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that," the Doctor sighed. "The creatures bound to the medallions do their best to stop them. The first medallion to shatter was the Ammit Medallion; it was shattered in 1895 after two Americans successfully eluded the beast's relentless pursuit of them and two others they were traveling with. Next was the Apophis Medallion; that was shattered by an English corporal during the Second World War who had been forced to survive a realistic illusion of Duat—and face the beast himself. Next was the advisor's own Scorpion Medallion; that was shattered a few years ago by some detectives from New York after the advisor's spirit attempted to possess one of them, and they had to help their comrade fight his influence off."
"I'm sensing a pattern here," said Carl. "The creature bound to the medallion seems to give some sort of mental test to the ones who shatter the medallion."
"It certainly seems so," the Doctor sighed. "At the very least, the ones who shatter the medallion have to prove that they have a strong enough will. The Medallion of the Forbidden one was shattered by a young musician from Malibu a couple years ago—again, after a test of mental strength. And those are the only ones that have been shattered."
"Och, the medallions with the Osirians havenae been shattered," Jamie realized.
"Yes, and their great mental strength must be why no one has succeeded in proving themselves to have a stronger will," the Doctor sighed. "It also means that I shall have to engage in a mental duel with Sutekh—and prove myself to be the strong one—so that his medallion can be smashed."
"But you said that Sutekh is stronger than you," Tony pointed out.
"He is, but he isn't at his full strength," the Doctor said. "He took me by surprise in the TARDIS, but if I know what I'm up against, then I should be able to gain the upper hand long enough in a mental duel for one of you to smash the medallion."
"So… you do need our help?" Carl said, looking to Tony.
Tony rolled his eyes, but Jamie practically snapped to attention.
"Whate'er ye need me t' do, Doctor, I'll do it," he vowed. "I'll do whate'er I have t' in order t' smash the medallion."
"Nothing that will lead to your getting hurt," the Doctor insisted. "Or Mr. Kolchak or Mr. Vincenzo. I will not have the three of you taking any more risks than what is absolutely necessary."
"I'm at your disposal," Carl promised, choosing to ignore Tony as he began to protest Carl's statement. "Well, we know what to do with that medallion. But what I want to know is what does the Hall of Gems have to do with it? They already had the medallion before they broke into the museum."
"I'm still looking for the answer to that," the Doctor said, paging through the book. "There's rather quite a lot on the struggles between the Pharaoh Sethos and the advisor, once his treachery was exposed."
"Who won?" Jamie asked.
"No one, really; it was a constant stalemate that ended in a draw," the Doctor sighed. "It went on for years and years—and when it came to a head, the Pharaoh drove himself to fatal exhaustion to seal the traitor in Duat—until only his scorpion medallion remained. The Pharaoh's son then ascended the throne and ordered the medallion destroyed, but no one was able to do so. After those who attempted to destroy it ended up under the influence of the advisor's spirit, the new Pharaoh ordered the medallions sealed away instead. Obviously, they were eventually uncovered by treasure-seekers." He sighed. "You know, it's quite ironic—Sethos's name is a reference to Sutekh's alternate name of Set; somehow, the very Osirian for which he was named ended up siding with his foe. Or, perhaps, Sethos turned away from Sutekh."
"Och, ye can always go back and ask him yerself; we need t' find oot about those gems that were stolen!" Jamie reminded him.
"Oh, yes; quite right…" The Doctor began to page through the book some more.
"Hey, I think I saw something," Tony said. "Go back a page…"
The Doctor obliged, revealing a page with a picture of an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire arranged in a triangular formation.
"According to the book, what we have here are the Emerald of Ra, the Ruby of Osiris, and the Sapphire of Thoth," the Doctor said. "And… Oh dear…"
"I don't like the sound of that 'Oh dear,'" Carl commented. "What's the bad news?"
"The three medallions that house the spirits of the three renegade Osirians can also be used along with these three gems to unlock a doorway between the world of the living and the world of the dead," the Doctor said.
"So that's what he meant by the 'keys,'" Carl said, snapping his fingers. "He wanted those gems to unlock the doorway and allow him to escape the afterlife. And that will allow him to regain his full mental power, won't it?"
"I'm afraid so," the Doctor said. "The door can be opened once a month, at the height of the full moon, in the greatest concentration of the dead that can be located within the vicinity of five miles."
"The full moon is tonight!" Carl exclaimed, checking the phases on his smartphone. "No wonder Sutekh was in a hurry; he doesn't want to wait another month!"
"Och, then they're probably opening the gate right now!" Jamie exclaimed. "Sutekh might already be free!"
"No; no, I don't think so," the Doctor said. "They have to wait for it to reach its highest point—that's always midnight for the full moon. We've got two hours left! But where would they go!?"
"Largest concentration of the dead within five miles?" Tony asked. "That's gotta be Rosehill Cemetery."
Carl looked to Tony in surprise.
"How did you know?"
"After that fiasco with that killer zombie you kept talking about, I've made it a point to know the local cemeteries in case you went on one of your little quests again," the editor replied. "Rosehill is the largest cemetery in Chicago; that's got to be where they went."
"Then we must go at once!" the Doctor said. "We can't take the TARDIS; if Sutekh got his hands on her, it would be disastrous!"
"My Mustang is parked outside," Carl offered.
"We need a car, nae a horse!" Jamie exclaimed.
"…It is a car," Carl informed him.
"I'll explain it to him on the way," the Doctor said. "There's no time to lose!"
The Doctor, Jamie, and Carl headed out of Tony's office and out of the main one. Tony hesitated for just a moment before following them, with a resigned sigh.