Taurik spoke to his advisor at Starfleet Academy immediately after he received John's message. He was able to obtain permission that evening to be beamed to Luxor. Before he left, he called Sam and informed him of the situation. His friend insisted on joining him, and would accept no refusals. He likewise arranged to beam over and meet Taurik at the Palm Hotel.
"I'm so glad you're here!" Johnny said to Taurik as he entered the hotel lobby. Rahat was at the bar, with a drink in his hand. He acknowledged Taurik with a nod, and then came over.
"What did you mean when you said that Marianne was acting strangely?" the Vulcan asked, almost too eagerly.
Rahat took a sip of his drink. "There has been another murder," he said.
Just then, Sam walked in the door. Taurik made the introductions. "Guess I get to meet you fellas a lot sooner than we all thought," Sam joked apprehensively.
"Yeah," Johnny replied in the same tone.
"Please continue," said Taurik.
Johnny began. "Marianne was not herself before she disappeared. It's like she'd go in and out of some kind of trance—that's the only way I know how to describe it."
"How long did this go on?" asked Taurik.
"These last two weeks," Rahat answered.
"I've known her for over thee years," John continued, "and I've never seen her like that. It was just plain scary, like she was another person."
"She kept speaking about someone named Kharis," Rahat muttered.
"And we don't know any Kharis!" John practically yelled as he threw his hands up in the air. His actions caused a stir among the hotel staff and guests. The desk clerk shot a warning look at the group of young men.
"Um," suggested Sam, "let's go outside." They followed him to the patio, where there were some tables. In the light of the rising moon, they sat down.
Rahat threw his empty glass onto the pavement in frustration. "This is all my fault," he said angrily. "She was afraid and wanted to leave, but I convinced her to stay."
Taurik completely understood Rahat's chagrin, as he felt exactly the same way. He kept his tone moderated, however. "We should not come to hasty conclusions, Rahat. The search has only just begun."
"Perhaps it is just my Romulan half," Rahat said, clenching his teeth, "but I have no confidence in the so-called authorities!" He began to pace. "I propose that we try to find her ourselves."
"Sounds good to me," Johnny agreed. "They haven't been able to come up with any answers so far."
Taurik thought for a minute. "I am not opposed to it," he decided.
Seeing that the other three had made up their minds, Sam realized that they would rapidly close ranks on any objections. "Ok," he sighed, "count me in." He held his hand up before Taurik could say anything. "Hey, this is what friends are for. You're not getting rid of me."
"So what's the plan?" Johnny asked the committee.
"Qismah is the only suspect we know of at this time," Taurik deduced. "We should seek her out first."
"Yes," agreed Rahat. "I will go to my mother tonight. She will know where the Medjai make camp." He started off in the direction of his camel. "I will return before morning."
"Wait just a minute," insisted John, "None of us should go alone. I'll go with you." Rahat assented with a nod, and the two rode off into the desert.
Sam shook his head and laughed. "Wow, you must really have a thing for this girl, Taurik."
The Vulcan said nothing, but instead responded by lifting a brow. To deny Sam's statement would be lying, but that did not mean he had to answer it.
"You can't fool me, and you know it," the human averred. "So Rahat likes her, too, eh? Are you going to let some Romulan just steal your girl like that?"
At this point, Taurik surrendered to the inevitability that he could not hide the truth from his best friend. "She has clearly chosen him, Sam," he confided at last. "It is not logical for me to attempt to pursue her romantically."
Sam shrugged. "Since when is love logical? Even for Vulcans?" He looked at Taurik right in the eye, with a "man to man" attitude. "I saw the way she looked at you-she's crazy about you! But you haven't even told her how you feel, have you? So she's taking the consolation prize because you haven't given her a reason to choose you!"
"Perhaps you are right…" Taurik considered. Now that Marianne's life was in danger, his earlier excuses for not telling her seemed trivial.
"I am right," said Sam. "Rescue her, and then tell her you care about her. What's the worst that could happen?" He leaned back in his chair. "This will be the second time you help her out of a serious jam, she's not going to refuse to at least be friends. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Sam's logic was sound. Taurik only hoped that it was not too late to follow it.
Rahat and John returned just after midnight. "We found out where the Medjai camp," said John. "We can get there in about an hour."
"Let us make haste, then," said Taurik. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sam pull something out of his bag. As they made their way over to the camels, his roommate appeared to be blowing into something. And then Taurik guessed it. He sighed as he watched Sam discreetly place the object underneath Johnny's saddle.
Air vulgarly ripped loudly out of the tiny sack as Johnny mounted.
"What was that?" Rahat looked at his comrade in disgust.
John froze. "Uh…dunno. Don't look at me!" It was then that Sam burst into hysterical laughter.
"I believe Sam has made use of an object referred to as a 'whoopee cushion,'" Taurik supplied.
"Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood," said Sam.
Rahat and John at first did not look at all amused. Then John cracked. And Rahat found that he could no longer resist in joining the laughter. For his own part, Taurik thought it was a superfluous waste of time. Marianne could be dead for all they knew, and here they were partaking in juvenile pranks!
"Shall we depart, then?" Taurik deliberately kept the displeasure out of his voice.
They rode out of town, and after forty-eight minutes, the Medjai tents appeared in the distance. It took them another twenty-nine minutes to reach the camp. The guards yelled at them in Arabic, but it was obviously, "Who are you?"
Rahat answered them, and soon Qismah came out of one of the tents. "So now you come to me for help, after you refused to listen to me before!"
"You deny that your people kidnapped her?" Rahat accused.
"She was taken by the Creature!" she claimed. "But you probably don't want to hear what I have to say, so why don't you just leave!"
"Qismah," Taurik addressed her diplomatically, "We do wish to hear what you have to say. If you know anything about Marianne, please tell us."
The woman pouted, considering whether or not she should help them. Insane or not, Taurik did not blame her
"Come inside," she ordered them. They followed her into the tent, and she motioned for one of the others to prepare coffee for their guests.
"So," John began, too anxious to stand on ceremony, "What makes you think 'Imhotep' took her?"
Qismah glared at him for his impertinence. "I never said he was Imhotep!" she snapped.
"You referred to him as "the Creature," said Rahat, "I presume you mean the same one who suffered the Hom-Dai?"
She smiled condescendingly. "Imhotep is not the only person to have been cursed in that manner. He was defeated at Ahm Shere and his body and soul sent forever to the underworld. No, I was speaking of Kharis."
"Who the hell is Kharis?" Johnny and Rahat exclaimed together.
Taurik, as was becoming the custom, played the mediator. "Please enlighten us," he requested.
The Medjai woman began the tale. "Kharis was the high priest of Ra before Imhotep. Like his successor, he forsook the cult in favor of serving the god Anubis. Soon after, rumors began to circulate throughout the land that Kharis had discovered the secret spell that would bring the dead back to life. He wrote the incantation onto a papyrus scroll, which he kept with him at all times. It is said that he was given extraordinary powers. He could change his body in order to assume other forms whenever he wished.
"But his blasphemous delving was eventually found out by Imhotep, who took the scroll and claimed he would destroy it. Unbeknownst to all, however, Imhotep had it copied into a silver book, the Book of the Dead. He then sentenced Kharis to the Hom-Dai."
"Ironic that Imhotep himself is said to have suffered the same fate," Taurik commented. "Curious," Taurik thought aloud, "Can you explain why Kharis murdered those other people?"
"They were the victims that he needed in order to regenerate and gain back his powers," she explained. A feeling of alarm came over the men as she spoke.
"Was Marianne one of those victims?" Taurik was the only one of them brave enough to ask.
"Not likely," she said, "or he would have consumed her life force already. No, he has something far worse for her in mind. He intends to make her his undead bride for all eternity!" This caused Rahat to groan and turn his head away in disgust.
"Gimmie a break!" said Johnny.
"You know," Sam said for the first time since they arrived, "if this wasn't so serious, I'd actually laugh at that…"
Taurik was the only one of the party who was willing to humor her, as a theory was beginning to form in his mind. "I am assuming Kharis will need to perform a ritual of some sort in order to accomplish this. Where does he intend to take her?"
"Taurik?" Sam gawked in astonishment, "You're not telling me you actually believe that crap?"
"There is a possible logical explanation for all of this, Sam."
"Alright," said Rahat, "Let's hear it."
"I am no xenobiologist, but it has occurred to me that this 'Kharis' may be a member of an unknown species of shape-shifters," Taurik said. "This would explain the need to feed off of others in order to regenerate. It would also account for the ability to change his form and the other 'supernatural powers' he was said to have had."
"Taurik," said Sam, "You may be right. If it's been sealed inside a coffin for a few thousand years, it would be pretty hungry when it got out."
"Precisely," agreed Taurik.
"But that doesn't explain the need for a spell in order to wake up," Johnny pointed out.
"It may have merely taken time for the being to regain consciousness after being exposed to the air," the Vulcan offered. "I doubt the spell had anything to do with it."
"This is all very fascinating," Rahat interrupted, "but I'd be more interested if Marianne was here contributing to this discussion. Do you know where to find her?" he asked Qismah, this time with considerably more politeness in his tone.
"It is not far," she said. "I will take you there," she continued, after a long consideration.