Previously:

Jorge of Nine stands before them as still as statue. A glass statue. He can only just be made out encased within the swirled cocoon that stands high as a twisted stalagmite monument to the rage of Taylor.

--

Neah walks forward to stand by Taylor. "You killed him," She says in shock. "What did you do that for? We could have sent him to Hosha."

Taylor doesn't even look at her. "He hurt my friends."

--

"I will see you on the Other Side," Thoth whispers and closes his eyes. The Silence is Unnerving.

Episode Eighty-Six

"Curry with Saffron"

The Great One stops on the terrace of the Temple and turns towards the west. "What is the matter?" The Representative of the South asks.

"I see in my mind an icicle rising from the desert," The Great One says with his eyes closed. "How very incongruous." He opens his glowing red eyes. "Something has befallen one of my minions."

"It seems that it may be prudent to go to this desert," The Representative of the East states.

"All in good time," The Great One waves him off, then takes a moment to admire his hand. "First we must go to India."

The East looks to the South. "Why India?"

"Why not?" The Great One replies. "I long for curry." The he frowns. "Or is it this body." He looks down at the body of the teenage boy he possessed. "Dorje." He searched the mind of the boy as the East and South waited. "No, probably not. He's never had curry, so I want it. With saffron."

"What about Nine of Nine?" The South asks, referring to the one they sent to Japan.

"She knows what she must do," the Great One replies, admiring Dorje's left foot. "And as for Two and Seven, send them the same but different."

The South sighs but turns to Sengemo of Nine and Yeshe of Nine. The Same but Different? That didn't narrow down the world as much as she'd like.

Meanwhile, in the Sahara

Pizoku looks down at Ma'at in confusion. Thoth had just been in the ship with him, but then there was a light and now... "Did he die?"

Ma'at looks to where her husband once lay. "Thoth has left this existence."

"He's gone to another," Pizoku says, seeking clarification. "So you'll see him again."

"Yes," Ma'at replies. She gets to her feet with Naoki's help. "Eventually I will."

Pizoku turns when he hears the footsteps approaching. "We can't stay here," Neah says as the others join the three. "They'll know something happened to the Nine and they'll investigate. I can't believe you killed him!" She rounds on Taylor.

"I didn't," Taylor sighs. "He's just a little bit entombed."

"A little bit entombed?" Ashlee repeats. She fixes Taylor with a stare.

Jilan looks back over her shoulder at the glass stalagmite. "He's still alive in there?"

"Yeah. Just stuck," Taylor confirms. "And shinier."

Reese looks around Jilan at the pointiness. "He's gonna get sunburned."

Taylor glares back at Jorge of Nine. "He's a Niner. He'll live, unfortunately."

Ashlee looks up at the torn alien vessel. "Can the ship be repaired?"

"Probably," Neah replies. She places her hands on her hips as she inspects the damage. "But would we want to risk using it again?"

"We must bury it," Ma'at decrees. "Seal it up until it is safe to return to it."

"I can do that," Taylor offers. No one argues.

"But how do we get to Heliopolis?" Jilan asks as they begin to walk back out of the fallen ship.

"A city that old is bound to have a portal," Reese points out from behind her.

Neah nods in agreement. "We need to find the nearest ruins."

"Ahramat Abu Sir." It is Mr. Takenouchi who speaks. They turn to look at him. "Those should be the closest."

Ma'at walks over to the center stand of the holomatrix. She removes a component from it. "They shall never have the archive." She hides it on her person. "We must go now."

Ashlee sighs as she steps out of the ship and looks at the dark, endless desert sands. She turns to Pizoku. "Now you see why I hate the desert."

To Be Continued.