Chapter 9, Modern Day, Karnak
The Next Morning
(Summary: Anck-su-Namun's memories have been restored by Imhotep during the night. Inadvertently Imhotep simultaneously restores Evie's past memories as she races to Karnak with Rick, Jonathon, Izzie and Ardeth to save their son and his nanny. Kat remains unaffected by Imhotep's black magic.)
Kat rose early beside a sleeping Alex and quietly faced off to the east, the sun just peeking in through the enormous columns, lighting half the sky. She kneeled on the worn stone floor, swept clean of sand at the moment by the ever-constant breeze snaking through Karnak. A breeze that would be pleasant in the heat of noon, but an annoyance if one tried to sleep in the temple at night.
Like last night.
Kat sleepily untied her hair and let it hang down at her sides, bowing as she began to pray her morning Tefillah-Shacharit, or morning prayers. Typically it would only take twenty minutes for her, but with so many distractions on her mind she only finished just as the rest of the camp was getting up.
According to what Alex told the guards, and the secret sand castle he had made to tell his parents, they would be traveling to Philae today.
The guards came and thrust some bread and water at Alex and Kat, about fifteen minutes later Lock-nah rounded them up toward the outside of the temple building where an entire herd of camels grunted in the already-heating air.
Kat looked around, squinting in the light. Red guards scrambled across the sand, forcing the more stubborn camels forward by rope off the train-where apparently the animals had been kept up to this point.
Lock-nah nudged Kat and Alex forward, up towards one of the tan camels. It was standing unconcernedly, chewing on something. Alex's little nose wrinkled as he approached the camel, the smell hitting him, "Are we expected to ride these, then?"
"Get up there!" Lock-nah replied with a gravely voice, hands already lifting Alex up onto the saddle. "Whoa!" Alex exclaimed, scrambling to get himself balanced on the saddle.
The camel's legs wobbled slightly, still weak from the train ride apparently. Lock-nah noticed and paused, "…Well I guess you two won't be riding together then, it looks like this beast won't be ready for that kind of weight yet."
Kat quickly glanced up at Alex, "I'll walk."
Lock-nah smirked, "I don't think so, we've got a long ways to go." He stepped over a few yards, grabbed a camel by the reins and led it over. The breeze stirred his red cape, fluttering around his arms. The orange light reflecting off his large, dark muscles as he walked back. Kat considered him quietly…he would make a good, strong ally in a new world order. Probably he would be put in charge of Imhotep's soldiers or something like that.
"Here." He handed her the reins before he walked off into the crowd of guards and camels that surrounded them, buzzing energy of movement making the desert seem awake.
Kat grimaced up at her camel.
Of course. Of course it would be a camel. The one animal she made pains to avoid on every expedition to Egypt the O'Connells took her on.
She looked around, men were tutting their camels down and swinging their legs over the camels easily before getting up and trotting around. Kat stared at her camel who eyed her back with large, dark eyes rimmed by thick, crusty lashes. Kat made a face, looking down at the wide feet of the animal, "…Don't you step on me."
…
Imhotep walked out past the columns and gazed across the morning desert. Watching the red clothed men among the camels, he breathed in the morning air deeply. The air was sweet at Karnak in the mornings, it was something he had forgotten.
…
(Ancient Flashback: Imhotep's Childhood)
A young tan boy sat on the stone ledge of the pool, crouching over a bundle of green reeds he wove quietly, head bent with his single dark side braid dangling just over his shoulder. A few priests walked around the columns carrying various items to and from the inner rooms as the temple began to wake up. Imhotep looked up at the slowly lighting sky as it cast orange shafts of light on the brightly colored pictures on the columns overhead. A warm breeze rippled softly over the water behind him, waving the fronds of the green plants that crowded along the outer edges of the pool. He drank in the smell of the breeze, in the early mornings it smelled almost as sweet as a rainfall. Imhotep looked back down at the woven green strands. His project was nearly complete. His fingers deftly tied the ends up. He picked his handmade sail from off of the stone ledge beside him, made from leftover papyrus paper and tied to a twig. Carefully he attached the sail to the woven reeds and set it ever so gently down onto the surface of the water. A very simple boat.
The gently blowing breeze rippled the water and caught the tiny sail, slowly churning the boy's boat out into the center of the pool. Imhotep watched it drift away from him, listening to the patter of the priest's sandals gently slapping against the stone temple floors around him.
The boy smiled. He liked mornings because it meant he could be alone and didn't have to avoid anyone or start on his studies, as most everyone was still asleep.
(End Flashback)
…
Imhotep looked up suddenly, breaking himself out of his memory. He raised a dark eyebrow. Amongst the camels and red men, there was a bit of scene happening.
The girl, Kat, was dangling off an irately groaning camel's neck as it trotted around in circles, kicking up sand. She was shouting something, tangled hair flying everywhere.
Two red men ran up to try to stop the camel, one managing to grab the camel's tail as the other dived for a leg, but missed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Snnrk.
A strange sound, almost a choking noise came from the back of Imhotep's throat. He grinned, flashing white teeth as the choking noise transformed into a short laugh.
Imhotep crossed his arms and leaned against a statue, watching merrily as the red man holding the tail was dragged over the sand, Kat still holding on to the camel and trying very unsuccessfully to lift a foot up onto it. The dragged red man finally let go in another cloud of dust as Kat kept shouting at the animal.
Imhotep laughed again, the wrinkles by his eyes deepening.
"Ah!" Shouting with alarm Kat's voice changed as one of her hands slipped off and she dangled by one arm as the camel picked up the pace. Imhotep's teeth disappeared but still smiling he lifted an open palm up. In just a couple seconds Kat was lifted up onto the saddle, like she had been given a large, invisible boost.
Imhotep shook his head, walking back into the temple as the red men continued to scramble about.
Within ten more minutes they were leaving Karnak.
…
Scene Change: Traveling
Kat was fairly certain she could no longer feel her butt. The desert sun beat down on the group as their camels swayed, carrying them further out into the sand.
Beside her Alex contented himself with a book, swaying easily with his camel. Kat wiped strands of sticking hair off her sweaty forehead, feeling the burning sun piercing down onto the top of her head and face. She could feel the burn so intensely in some places she now avoided touching them altogether. Lock-nah rode beside her and Alex, with Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun in front.
That had been something that had happened at the start of their journey with the camels, Meela informed everyone that they should now call her Anck-su-Namun.
Imhotep wore his black scarf around his head, protecting his shaved scalp from the desert sun. Anck-su-Namun, already very tan, didn't appear to want or need anything.
All this riding had certainly given Kat plenty of time to think. One such thought that kept reoccurring was the mystery of the invisible push she had been given on her camel. One minute she was dangling for her life by one arm and the next, she felt herself being physically pushed up onto the saddle, though no one had touched her. It was the strangest and most unsettling feeling she had ever experienced. And she was almost positive, as she kept glancing at the swaying black form in front of her riding on his camel, that she could guess how it happened.
The sun was now directly overhead and Kat was beginning to wonder if they would ever stop for a rest when Imhotep slowed his camel and raised his hand, looking up at the sky.
Lock-nah shouted something in a different language and the camels were all made to stop. Various 'tutting' erupted and the camels began to drop down into the sand, their riders getting off. Lock-nah was already pulling Alex off, saying something roughly to the boy.
Kat pulled on her camel's reins and 'tut tut tutted' until it dropped to the ground like the others. Legs stiff and wobbly Kat stumbled off, arms waving. The soft ground didn't help with her balance and titling dangerously Kat promptly landed on her numb butt, "Umph!"
She sighed, squinting in the light bouncing up from off the sand. Lovely. If she never saw a camel or sand again after all this, it would be too soon.
A shadow passed over her and her head snapped up to see Imhotep standing above her, her eyes opened wider. He looked down at her with a bland, apathetic gaze, blocking out the sun with his head. Then his eyebrow twitched as the corners of his mouth turned downward.
He reached with a hand and swept back his robe before he crouched next to Kat, black eyes watching her, "…The sun does not agree with you."
Kat stared back, feeling confused and very embarrassed under his close gaze. Abruptly he lifted a hand holding a small container, he dipped a finger in it and brought it up between them both. His finger was coated in a clear jelly. Then without so much of a blink he flicked his finger out and dabbed the tip of her nose.
Kat's eyes popped open wide, looking cross-eyed at the cool splotch of jelly on her nose.
Snnrk.
Imhotep snorted through his nose, smile growing on his lips. He held the container out with a few fingers, "For the burns."
Eyes flickering between his smiling eyes and the container Kat slowly reached out and took it from him, too astonished for words. He rose up and walked off to the far side of the dune, surveying the land, as if nothing significant had happened.
Anck-su-Namun strode across the sand, kicking it up as she passed Kat, who quickly had to look away as the fine grains sprayed out towards her face. Kat waved her hand, clearing the air. Looking up she could see Anck-su-Namun standing beside Imhotep, both holding each other's waists. Imhotep continued to look out across the desert as Anck-su-Namun rested her head on his shoulder, looking back. Almond eyes flashed as Kat caught her gaze.
Looking away Kat examined the jar she had just been given. It was small and made of colored glass. She lifted it to her nose, it smelled like… clean plant. Her nose tip had already stopped throbbing from the pain of the burn. Maybe aloe? She began to dab her finger into the container and carefully smeared the areas of her face and back of her hands where she could feel the burns the worst. Alex, fair child though he was, didn't need the aloe as he had no burns. Probably in part due to his genetics, Evie did have Egyptian in her. Kat quietly slipped the container into her pocket for future use.
Soon they were ready to go again and Kat was prepared for her camel now, leaning back as it tipped forward to get up with her on it. She was glad not to feel that strange sensation this time, the invisible force that had helped her the last time.
Discreetly she peeked up at Imhotep as he passed near her to get to his own camel, Anck-su-Namun still around his arm. The almond eyes were immediately there staring back, colder than anything should be in a desert. Kat's teeth clenched as a flicker of reality seemed to break again, Anck-su-Namun's form changing again to a strange one. One where her makeup transformed, her clothing altered and it was like she was a completely different person.
Kat watched them pass, Imhotep smirked as he walked by her camel, something Anck-su-Namun didn't see as she kept a steady, steely gaze on Kat. The hallucinating flicker passed and so did the couple, climbing back onto their camels as the group restarted their trek across the dunes.
…
Scene Change: Sandstorm
After a couple days of travelling from Egyptian monument to monument the scenery and weather had been much the same but now the wind had picked up. Sand whipped roughly against the group, darkening the sky. Alex wrapped a handkerchief around his mouth.
Kat lifted her shirt and tried to breathe through her sweaty collar. Suddenly Lock-nah was beside her, shouting over the wind, "Take this!" His face was covered mostly by the red turban.
Kat squinted over, feeling every pelting grain of sand against her raw skin. Lock-nah held out a square of cloth that suspiciously matched the design of his cloak. Kat quickly reached out and took it, wrapping it around her lower face. Ahead of her, she could barely make out the figures of Anck-su-Namun and Imhotep. Anck-su-Namun's black hair whipped about, matching Imhotep's scarf edges in the driving wind. The dark whipping fabric and hair suddenly triggered something in Kat's mind.
…
(Ancient Flashback: Imhotep's Chambers)
Black curtains whipped violently in the slowly darkening room, though it was still day outside. A dark cloud of sand had blown over the city below and was now charging up towards them. The sandstorm was just starting to lick at the outer walls of the palace as Katriel hurried into lord Imhotep's chambers, carrying a bowl of fastening pins. Her feet padded quickly against the smooth floors, hurrying her towards the open balcony where the curtains flashed and flared in the wind as the first particles of sand started to whip into the room.
Squinting in the gritty breeze Katriel quickly clutched a handful of pins from the bowl and reached up for the whipping curtains that twisted and writhed from her grip in the growing wind. Catching a corner of fabric she drew the curtain across the balcony, quickly snatching the other curtain from the far side and forcing the two whipping ends together. Fingers fumbling over the many pins she finally grabbed one and stabbed it into the fabric as far up as she could reach on her toes. Hurriedly she worked down, fastening the black curtains together across the balcony threshold, blocking the sand as the enormous curtains billowed like sails several feet into the room.
The storm was truly hitting the palace now as a gust of dust smashed against the curtains and yanked the top pin out. The curtains started to split apart, dust blowing into the room, scattering the bowl of pins across the floor.
"Ah!" Katriel grasped the curtains and tried to force them together, wind hitting the curtains in gusts that almost knocked her backwards as the giant curtains pummeled against her. Curtain against her face she tried to turn backwards to see a pin, but they had all blown out of sight. She clutched the fabric tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as the fabric smacked against her face. The gusts were so intense now that if she let go to find a pin to close the hole, the rest of the pins would be pulled free and then she'd never be able to close off the balcony. She couldn't move...and these kind of storms could last for hours.
Without warning Katriel felt a body next to hers. The curtain was being tugged together from higher up.
Katriel squinted against the thrashing curtains to see the muscled, bare arms quickly closing the curtain from even farther up than she had been able to reach. He was helping her fix the hole. The curtain billowed back in-between a gust and Katriel could suddenly see her rescuer.
Imhotep's shining eyes were dark with concentration as he secured the pins above, closing off the balcony. Katriel watched him frozen, clutching the black fabric with white knuckles. His shoulder brushed hers as he reached up.
He then looked down, dark curtain hanging around them his expression could only just be seen. His concentrated gaze disappeared, eyes meeting Katriel's. He raised an eyebrow, before backing away. Having successfully joined the curtains and blocked off the balcony in a black sail of fabric he walked back to his desk where he sat down and bent his head over a scroll, the torches in the room glowing now in the darkness that enveloped them. As if the encounter had been nothing.
Katriel blinked then quickly backed off from the pulsing curtains. She bent down and began collecting the pins from the spilled bowl as a faint shade of pink stayed on her cheeks.
(End Flashback)
…
More travelling and they arrived at a small sandy bank of a river as the sun started to go down. The oasis was enclosed by high cliffs that blocked the wind. The guards began to set up the tents as Kat got down off her camel and stood beside Alex, who had just finished having another vision. Lock-nah was there as well, "Where to next, boy?"
Kat's eyes trailed over Lock-nah's attire, his cloak indeed did have fabric cut out of it. He had ripped his clothes to make a handkerchief for her during the sandstorm. Kat reached up and fingered the make-shift handkerchief still around her neck.
That had been...nice of him.
"Just that way." Alex pointed off in the distance where the river turned, trailing along the canyon walls.
The guards were beginning to pitch up the black tent that housed Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun when Imhotep looked back over his shoulder, arm wrapped around Anck-su-Namun's shoulder, and addressed Lock-nah, "I require no tent tonight, we shall lay under the stars."
Night fell quickly and the high cliffs surrounding them kept the area from being chilled by the wind or disturbed by flying sand. It was an ideal place to lay under the desert stars, and soon there were many stars.
Twinkling high above the canyon cliffs thousands of stars lit up the night sky. Kat lay beside Alex on a blanket as she gazed up at the sparkling dots, one hand behind her head. With little difficulty she found several constellations and promptly pointed them out to Alex in whispers.
"…and there's Orion." She concluded, pointing up at the characteristic three stars that made up the constellation's belt.
"Did you know that the pyramids of Giza were built to match up to Orion's belt?" Alex whispered back.
"No I didn't."
"And they believed that it symbolized their god, Osiris-he was the dead guy in charge of resurrection, his brother killed him. His wife brought him back, they had a baby and then he died again and got all cut up by his angry brother. He's in charge of all the underworld people now. They don't actually believe people die though, just go to other places with their spirits." Alex explained.
Kat frowned, "How can you manage to remember that but not even five of the ten commandments?"
"I don't know, mom talks about this more." Alex shrugged.
Kat looked back up at the stars, she'd have to be more instrumental in Alex's spiritual development when they got back home. He seemed to enjoy stories about religions. She should probably talk with him about Moses then, there was hardly a more interesting story than him in Jewish history.
Kat glanced over to where Imhotep lay, farther out from the group.
He lay on a spread out blanket, one arm under his head easily as the other lay out, Anck-su-Namun resting her head on it like a pillow. Imhotep gazed up at the stars, a contented smile lighting his face. Though Kat couldn't see the face of Anck-su-Namun, she guessed if the woman wasn't staring daggers it was probably because she was sleeping.
Earlier she overheard some guards speaking as they traveled during one of the nights, apparently Imhotep didn't sleep. Ever.
Kat watched him now that he wasn't covered in the usual tent. He appeared at ease as he gazed up at the stars. Something about it was…familiar again.
"Kat?"
"Yes, Alex?"
"After tomorrow morning, it will have been the seventh morning of putting the bracelet on." Alex said. Though he didn't say anything, they both knew what he meant.
He had only a short amount of time to get to the pyramid of Ahm Shere before the bracelet sucked his life out.
"I know. We're close now though, aren't we? Well probably get there tomorrow night, otherwise we wouldn't have stopped." Kat replied, trying to keep her voice calm and reassuring.
"Yeah."
"Get some sleep, Alex. We'll be there tomorrow and once the bracelet is off we'll escape and find your parents. I'm sure they're not far behind." Kat said.
"Right." Alex turned over, closing his eyes.
Out of the corner of her eye Kat kept watch on Imhotep as he stroked at the black head resting on his arm and slowly her eyes closed.
…
(Dream)
Kat looked down at herself, she was wearing a rough dress and no shoes. Her hair tied back in a low ponytail. Around the room was a mixture of golden and black decorations and furniture all lit by torches along the hieroglyphed walls. A large balcony lay off to the side of the room and through the gently rippling black curtains she could see the sun just coming up. Suddenly the door opened to the room.
Imhotep strode in, black robe billowing behind him.
Kat froze, not because Imhotep was in her dream, but because she had been expecting him. She bowed her head, her long curly pony tail fell forward.
She heard a soft thump and looked up to see Imhotep fall face-down onto a great, gilded bed framed by more rippling curtains.
She tentatively approached, watching him. There had been a festival last night, she hadn't gone but Imhotep had been busy with it all night. As he was a high priest he was expected to keep himself clean by several washings a day, but his sweaty smudged face pressed into the blanket, uncaring.
Kat walked back and grabbed a pitcher, dumping water out into a bowl on the stand. She took a cloth and the bowl and walked back over to the bed. Her dream self was concerned about Imhotep.
She reached out carefully and touched his arm, barely brushing it with her fingertips. Imhotep's eyes opened, his dark eyes framed by thick lashes. He stared at her.
"Grant me your leave." Kat said softly, eyes shifting to look at his black robe.
Imhotep sat up with a sigh, holding his arms out. Kat carefully slipped his arms out of the robe and folded it around one arm. She wrung the cloth in the bowl of water on the floor and handed the damp cloth up to him as she expertly crossed the room to hang the robe up on a stand. Knowing exactly where everything was in the dream world.
Imhotep wiped his face with the cloth and handed it back the moment Kat returned. He lifted his feet and Kat immediately knelt down and washed them in the bowl, carefully scrubbing around the soles of his feet. Trying with a growing flush on her face to not touch his skin with hers. It was a thought that seemed to greatly disturb dream-Kat.
Done with his feet she took away the bowl and he lay back down in his bed. His face relaxed and uncaring. Kat walked back across the room and drew the large dark curtains over the bright balcony before disappearing out the door.
For a moment a brightly lit, colorful hall filled her line of sight.
The hieroglyphs coloring the walls shimmered and suddenly she was looking down at a scroll full of hieroglyphs. She was young now, just a little girl. The glyphs didn't make any sense to her but a finger was pointing to them, "Scribe…official…Oldman…praises…pharaoh…at dawn."
Kat looked up and watched Imhotep, his face younger and less defined. He was explaining to her, teaching her. He turned his head to look at her, eyes bright, "The highly-esteemed scribe is giving pharaoh honor early in the morning. See? Simple."
Kat smiled but then the dream faded and she was rushing back through the hall, hair flying. With a sinking feeling she ran, she had slept in and was terribly late. She burst through the double doors, flying back into the room with the balcony. She skidded to a stop.
Imhotep was at his washing bowl, his arms still glistening from the water. He was getting himself ready.
He looked up at her, taking in her haggard and frantic form. His eyes lingering on the mess of hair she knew had seen better days. She had not had time to get ready after waking, having been so late.
Would he be angry?
Snrk.
His head ducked down, he chortled as he continued to rub his arms with water from the bowl.
(End Dream)
…
Kat's eyes flew open as she heard shouting.
"Leaving breadcrumbs, eh?!"
