It was the next day when Evie woke again and she immediately noticed it was darker in the room then it had been the first time she had woken. This was due she discovered to most of the torches being unlit. Just the ones on either side of the entrance of the room were burning while the rest had apparently been put out so she could sleep.

"How are you feeling?" asked the familiar voice of her husband.

Evie tried to talk and found that now she could but only in a whisper. "I'm fine Rick," she assured him in a whisper.

"This was a close call, Evie. Too close, perhaps, from now on we should stay in England."

"No, Rick that is not us," said Evie. "None of us would be happy if we were never again to come to this land that has come to mean so much to all three of us. This is where we met Ardeth and where we found out legends are sometimes real and where we have made friends. If we were never to come back then we would lose all those things." This little speech had dried out Evie's throat and she began to cough.

"Here," said Rick, putting a cup of water to her lips for her to sip from. When Evie's throat was filling better she pushed the cup of water away from her lips. Rick got the message and set the cup down on the stand beside the bed.

"But Evie is coming here worth almost dying for? Look at how many times we've nearly died in Egypt. Twice by an undead mummy, once by a giant half Scorpion half man and now we almost die by poison. And let's not forget that you actually did die at Ahm Shere and if Alex had not read the Book of the Dead then you would no longer be with us and I would be losing half my soul."

"That's very sweet, Rick but—" Evie argued. "We could die in England just as easily as we can here. Every land has dangers, no matter where you live. If we were home I could be run over by a car or killed by a thief or raped or die in a hundred ways."

Rick only looked half convinced but then he sighed. "Alright, you're right. It just seems every time we come here we are always facing some kind of danger that nearly cost us our lives and even though I know that's not true that what it feels like."

Evie looked at her husband and then played her trump card. "And besides Alex would never forgive you if we never came back. He loves this land and everything it contains. Besides. Egypt runs in his blood and you know very well that if we never returned he would never speak to you again."

"That was low Evie even for you," Rick told her half furious and half proud of her. "Using our son to convince get me to change my mind."

Evie grinned tiredly and knew she had won.

"You get some sleep I'll come see you when you wake," Rick told her giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Once Rick was sure Evie was truly sleeping he got up and left the room passing the two Medjai guards who were standing on either side of the door.

~~~Rick and Evie~~~

"How is she?" asked Ardeth who was standing on one side of the room and Rick knew he was preventing himself from pacing though sheer willpower. Ardeth knew he had already asked the healer these questions just yesterday but he wanted to make doubly sure Evie was okay for Rick's wife was his friend and a sister and if anything happened to her—to any of them, he would never forgive himself.

Ardeth was glad to see his brother up and around and although Rick was moving rather slow—probably due to him still being a little weak from the poison—at least he was alive.

"She's fine, Ardeth," Rick assured his brother. "She was hoarse and could hardly talk, but she was calm and coherent. Besides, the healers said that she was going to be just fine and I know you know this."

Ardeth relaxed a little at this information. But he was still extremely tense. Finally, Ardeth broached the subject that he dreaded and had avoided bringing up yesterday while Rick had still been bedridden. "I would understand if you never wanted to come back to Egypt after what happened. I would miss your visits, but you must do what you think best for your family."

Rick sighed and ran a hand through his already extremely disheveled brown hair. "No, that's not going to happen. I won't lie and tell you that I didn't think about it, but as Evie just reminded me we could die anywhere. We can die just as easily in England as we can here. Besides, as hard as this is for me to admit Egypt is in my blood, Evie's and Alex's too and if we were never to return that part of me that is more at peace in this land would miss it if we never again set foot upon this shore. Besides," Rick added with a crooked weary grin. "I would miss you and the other Medjai we have made friends with here. And also, if we were never to come back Alex would never speak to me again."

Ardeth stared at Rick for a moment wondering if he was joking then decided that no he probably wasn't and decided that it didn't matter anyway. Finally, Ardeth threw back his head and laughed and the tension seemed to drain right out of him, leaving him weak kneed with relief. He had been afraid that Rick would decide that Egypt was just too dangerous for him and his family and never again set foot on Egyptian shores.

"I wasn't joking about Alex never speaking to me again you know," Rick said. "As Evie reminded me our son loves this land and not only is their Egyptian blood running in his veins from Evie's side of the family he also has the blood of this land from my side, something I admit we didn't know of until recently, but I'll tell you now that if we forced him to remain in England to never again set foot upon Egypt's shores—well at least not until he was grown—that would cause a rift in this family that might never be healed."

Ardeth relaxed almost completely at Rick's words and said, "I am glad to hear that, my brother. I would have missed you if you had never set foot in Egypt again."

"And I would have missed you to, Ardeth. You are part of my family and someone I've come to depend on to talk some sense into me when I need it. You know how I go charging into danger if my family's in trouble."

"I do," Ardeth answered. "I still remember how you reacted when Evie was kidnapped by that cult that wanted to raise Imhotep. Anyway we are getting off the subject."

"Yeah, I suppose we are," Rick agreed. "Have you made any headway on finding the poisoner yet?"

"Yes," Ardeth admitted. "We believe it was Tarique's mother. The fact is that according to the healers the poison was very specialized. It was made up of a few plants that grow in certain areas close to here and are known to be poisonous, however that alone wouldn't have caused the effects that you felt so it was also mixed with diluted scorpion's poison. The Medjai know of quite a few poisons and their antidotes. Not so we can use them—for Medjai do not use poison on their enemies for it is considered a cowardly act—but so we can protect ourselves in case we get poisoned by our enemies."

"I see," said Rick. "Well, if you are right we need to go question her."

"I need to question her," Ardeth corrected. "She might respond to me where she wouldn't to you."

"I'm still coming with you," said Rick his tone brooking no argument. "You can do the talking if you want, but I'm not leaving your back unguarded."

"Alright," Ardeth agreed knowing that arguing would be useless as would mentioning the fact that Rick was still not up to full strength and probably wouldn't be for at least a week. "I'll make sure to leave a couple of guards outside Evie's door at all times just to be on the safe side. And to be even safer no one who is not me, you, Alex or one of the healers is to go anywhere near her at least not without you or me present."

Rick nodded and decided that it was a good precaution and that his wife was as safe as they could make her for the moment.

"Let's go," said Rick. "The sooner we catch whoever did this the sooner we can relax and put this incident behind us."

Ardeth nodded in agreement and the two men headed out of the infirmary's door together.

~~~Rick and Evie~~~

A few days later, Ardeth and Rick had determined that Ardeth suspicions were right on. Tarique's only remaining family was his mother for he had been an only child and so had no siblings and as far as they had been able to determine absolutely no friends. The friends he'd had either died or eventually been unable to put up with Tarique's attitude anymore. A few of the men admitted that at one time they had been friends with him but they also admitted that Tarique's whole personality had changed to such an extent and that when he had begun encouraging whoever tried to be his friend to leave him be that the other men had decided it just wasn't worth the trouble and had just given up.

"Well this guy certainly doesn't seem to have had any friends," Rick commented wryly. "He seems to be Mr. Antisocial."

"I had not realized it was this bad," said Ardeth his feeling of guilt beginning to get bad again.

"Don't you start that again," Rick told him able to feel Ardeth's emotions which were in turmoil. "And don't you dare ask me start what. You know perfectly well what I am talking about. You have no right to blame yourself, you have a lot of responsibilities and you don't have time to spend on making sure everyone is getting along. I mean you're not even here most of the time for Christ's sake. Call me callous, but you have more responsibilities then for one man, even a man who used to be your friend. You can't do everything and you shouldn't try or you will kill yourself with the stress. Besides the Medjai are a community just like anywhere else and when you have a few thousand people together like this there is bound to be a few bad apples and some people that have personalities that go together like...well like oil and water. In other words they don't mix."

"You're right," said Ardeth. "I know you are. But that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty."

"There's nothing wrong with feeling a little guilty you just shouldn't let that guilt eat you alive."

"You see this is one of the reasons I need you around," Ardeth joked weakly. "To help me see where my responsibilities really are."

Rick smiled glad to see his friend in better spirits. "So are we going to go question this woman?"

"Yes or I am anyway. You on the other hand are going to stand behind me and look threatening."

"I can manage that," said Rick with a certain gleam in his eyes. "Oh by the way, what about the father? Is he still alive?"

"Tarique's father Aleser was killed when Tarique and I were just boys of twelve and Maryam Tarique's mother never remarried."

"I see," said Rick. "So are you sure Tarique's mother—I think you said her name was Maryam—did it?"

Ardeth shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but considering the lack of any other suspects, probably. Tarique was not exactly a popular fellow at least not since what happened at Hamunaptra anyway and also as far as I can determine he had absolutely no friends. Also, Tarique's mother is of German descent."

"German descent? I thought you told Evie and me that no outsiders have been to Hidden City in 300 years."

"And what I said was true. It has been more than 400 years since Maryam's ancestor met this German woman and they fell in love. Well, you know how such stories go. Anyway, Maryam is a descendant of this German woman and a Medjai man and until now most people had forgotten that the family was not pure Medjai. Besides, every once in a while you need new blood or you start to have babies with defects because of intermarriages."

"I see," said Rick thoughtfully. "And what exactly was this German woman's profession? The one that originally married Tarique's so many times great-grandfather?

"From what I know she was poisoner. She poisoned her enemies but according to our history she gave it up when she married a Medjai since our people hold that poisoning anyone, even an enemy is cowardly and as you know all true Medjai hold honor above all else."

"So you think this woman 400 years ago taught her children her skills?"

"Yes," said Ardeth. "And those children probably taught their children and so on."

"What a mess," said Rick.

"You know I'm wondering what set her off?" Ardeth said thoughtfully. "I mean if my suspicions are right."

"Could it be the fact that you had her only son executed?"

"That might be a symptom, but I don't believe it is the overall cause."

"Well, the only way you're going to know is if you ask her," Rick suggested.

"But Rick, you don't realize I have a major decision on my hands. It's true that if Maryam's guilty she is not the first woman to commit a crime, but she is the first one to commit what is considered treason or at least the first one in over a thousand years."

"So what's the trouble?"

"Well, to tell you the truth I have no taste for beheading woman, so what the hell am I supposed to do with her if she is guilty?"

"Good question," said Rick looking thoughtful. "Banishment?"

"I hate to do that, just look at what happened when I banished Lock-nah. He came back and caused all sorts of problems."

"I don't suppose you have a prison?"

Ardeth shook his head. "We've never had that many criminals and to tell you the truth my people have always believed in the more expedient solutions. Putting someone in prison just gives that person time to grow resentful and hateful."

"And banishment doesn't?" asked Rick.

"Rick, you have to understand that banishment is a death sentence. You are let out into the desert without food or water, on foot and with only the clothes on your back. Very few people survive more than a couple of days between the hot sun in the daytime and the freezing cold at night. Of course Lock-nah was one of the very few exceptions, but then he knew how to survive in the desert Maryam doesn't."

"So it would be a slow death, from dehydration."

"There are other ways to die in the desert. Scorpions, snakes, quicksand, thirst, a hundred others, but if she doesn't run into any of those then yes, it is a slow death for we are a week from civilization by horse and on foot at least two if not three weeks."

Rick winced almost in sympathy until he remembered that this woman had supposedly tried to kill not only him but his family. With that thought whatever sympathy he had just had for her vanished.

"Are there any other options?" asked Rick.

"Not really," said Ardeth. "For as serious a crime as this those are about it. The Medjai are an ancient people and our laws haven't changed much in 5000 years."

"Well while your thinking about it buddy why don't we go talk to her?"

Ardeth nodded and started heading in that direction without a word.

As they walked Rick said after a few minutes, "If I might make a suggestion before we get there?"

"Of course," said Ardeth.

"Don't eat or drink anything and try to avoid touching her bare skin."

"I understand about not eating or drinking but why avoid touching her?"

"Because some poisons are absorbed through the skin or at least that's what I've heard."

"I see," said Ardeth not having a chance to reply further for they had arrived at their destination. "Let me do the talking."

Rick nodded and tensed when Ardeth knocked on the door and it almost immediately opened. "My king, what can I do for you?" asked and older lady with hair of pure silver and hazel eyes.

"Maryam can we come in for a minute? We'd like to talk to you about something."

Maryam seemed to hesitate for a moment then opened the door wider. "Of course come in. Could I get either of you something to eat or drink? I'm sorry I don't know your friend's name."

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't introduce you to my brother. This is Rick O'Connell. Him and his family are visiting me from England."

"I'm pleased to meet you," said Maryam, trying hard to conceal not only her hatred but her surprise that this foreigner was not only still alive but looked as healthy as a horse as if he had never been poisoned at all.

"And as to the offer of food and drink we thank you but we have just eaten and are not hungry."

Rats! Maryam thought extremely displeased. Not only does this Rick O'Connell still look healthy but the king's refusal of food tells me that he is more than likely suspicious of me and is afraid I'll poison him.

"So what can I do for you my king?" asked Maryam after everyone had taken a seat.

"First, let me give you my condolences on the death of Tarique. I wish it had not proven necessary to execute him."

"Then why did you?" Maryam hissed practically grinding her teeth at the mention of her only child's death.

"You know the answer to that as well as I do, Maryam. Nobody is above the law and your son tried to kill me. Who knows if he would have succeeded if Rick had been there to catch the knife he threw at my heart? But in any case, as much as it upset me to have to execute my friend we all know that there was no other way."

"It wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't brought those foreigners here."

While this conversation was going on Rick who had taken his place behind Ardeth's chair was trying to look as menacing as possible. His hand kept straying to his gun, his expression grim, his every movement practically exuding menace. This act on Rick's part was beginning to have an effect on Maryam for she kept looking at Rick out of the corner of her eye

"Maryam, the O'Connells are not as much foreigners as your many times great-grandfather was when he first joined the Medjai over 400 years ago. Rick has Medjai blood running in his veins and even if he didn't he is my brother by blood since we did a blood brother ceremony not too long ago in front of the entire Medjai village." Ardeth stated all this quite calmly, although Rick could feel that he was boiling with rage on the inside.

Maryam digested this piece of information and then silently cursed herself for a fool. The blood brother ceremony was a very ancient ceremony that was said to go back more than 5000 years. It was by custom and law a binding ceremony among the Medjai. Once done the ceremony could not be undone and according to the ancient laws everything that the Medjai in question owned would belong to the other upon his death, especially if he died without heirs or any other close family. Also according to the law if the one who had undergone the ceremony was to be hurt or killed by treachery then the other brother had the right to ask for the life of the one who responsible in exchange for whatever injury had been done. Of course this law only applied if the person who had done it was a Medjai or part of the tribe and it was possible that the uninjured party would be lenient but not very likely for Medjai could be a vengeful lot and considered their families to be sacred, even if part of that family was foreign. What a fool she had been for not thinking of this before now she would be extremely lucky to be alive a week from now. Even if she was just banished there was no way she could get to civilization without food or water for the desert would suck her dry in two days or possibly three if she was lucky.

"Now are you going to admit to trying to kill my brother, his wife and son?" asked Ardeth. "You might as well for I have checked into this very carefully and you are the only one with the knowledge of the poison that was used. You made one very grave error when you tried to poison Rick and his family. You used a very specialized poison, one that is not known to any of the other Medjai, but was known to your ancestors. You are the only one that could have created this poison and that is where you tripped yourself up. We keep a list of all known poisons and antidotes just in case somebody is poisoned and your ancestor gave us a list of all the poisons she knew about, their effects, how to prepare them, and the ingredients they contained. It is a very complete list and guess what the healer discovered when she checked that list?" When Maryam didn't respond Ardeth continued, "Well, I'll tell you whether you wish to hear it or not. On that list are the symptoms for each poison and some of the symptoms match that which my brother and his family experienced. Luckily, for you there was an antidote for if there hadn't been and they had died I would have been even more furious then I am now."

Maryam took a step back at Ardeth's tone unable to help herself for his tone was so full of the fury that he had been controlling up until now. It was at that moment that Maryam knew she had made a grave error in judgment when she had made the decision to kill the three outsiders. She admitted if only to herself that she hadn't exactly been thinking straight at the time.

"So what if it was me?" Maryam finally spewed forth with such venom that both men looked slightly taken aback. "You bring those…those outsiders here and just expect everybody to accept it. But my son didn't accept it and for that he died."

"Maryam that's not true and you must realize that. You know very well that occasionally outsiders are taken into the Medjai, just like your ancestor was 400 years ago. And Tarique died, because instead of telling somebody about his feelings towards outsiders, so people could help him, he took action into his own hands. He knew before he threw that knife that such an act would be considered treason and yet he went ahead and did it. It was his own actions that caused his death not something I did or that Rick did or that anybody else did—it was his actions no one else's."

Maryam stared at Ardeth for a moment and looked at him as if he had gone insane then without warning she screamed grabbed the knife from the sheath on her waist and lunged towards Ardeth at lightning speed but Rick who had been watching Maryam intently during the whole conversation and who was half expecting such an action drew a knife from his boot so fast that his hand was practically nothing but a blur. The knife left Rick's hand and flew through the air straight as an arrow to bury itself in Maryam's heart.

Maryam seemed to stand there for a moment as if not quite realizing she was dead, then the body slumped forward to land on the floor with Rick's knife sticking out of her chest

Both men stared at the knife for a moment then turned away. After a few minutes Rick was the first to speak. "I'm really sorry Ardeth, but I couldn't allow her to hurt you. Don't get me wrong, I know you're well able to protect yourself, but you weren't expecting such an action from her but I was."

"Don't apologize, Rick. That's what you came along for after all and besides you saved my life—again—something that is getting to be a habit lately." This last was said jokingly although both men were aware that it was also very close to the truth.

"Perhaps it was not a good idea for you to bring us here if it is going to cause so much trouble among your people." Rick suggested.

"They are your people to Rick and just because a few people cause trouble is no reason to not consider this your home. Wasn't it you that said when you get this many people together that personalities are bound to clash?"

"This is more than personalities clashing. Personalities clashing might cause a few arguments or fist fights but not this kind of thing."

"It can if it has had years in which to build. Personalities can clash, differences of opinion can cause deaths and wars and a bitter man can try to kill someone that was once his friend all because of a series of events that led him to be bitter in the first place."

Rick nodded. "With all those elements added in then yes, it can happen. Will there be any consequences to her death? If there is I need to know."

Ardeth shook his head and replied, "if you mean legal consequences, no. The Medjai do not view death in quite the same way those do in the outside world, especially if that death was to save the life of someone else."

"Okay," said Rick trying not to sound relieved.

"You'll soon find out that the same rules or laws do not necessarily apply here. What the outside world would likely call murder we call survival."

"Well, at least this solves your problem of what you were going to do with her," said Rick practically. "I mean you said that your laws were pretty strict for such a crime."

"And they are, but this also denies me vengeance for what happened not that it wasn't necessary," explained Ardeth.

"What do you mean vengeance for what happened?" asked Rick

"It is a very ancient Medjai custom. When a Medjai attacks another of their people whether to hurt or kill it matters not, but in any case the closest relative in this case me can declare blood vengeance on the Medjai in question and ask for the death penalty if he so wishes."

"So that means I could have declared vengeance on Tarique for trying to kill you?"

"Yes," Ardeth answered.

"It's nice you tell me these things after it's already too late for me to do anything about it. Why did you stop me from killing him back at the gate if it was within the law?" asked Rick

"Because at that time you might have gotten in trouble for it because the council of elders had not met you and neither had most of the other people. It was before most of the people accepted you as one of us."

"And they have now?" asked Rick trying to prevent the skepticism from entering his voice.

"Yes," said Ardeth. "When we found out all three of you had been poisoned you should have seen the reaction of most of the others especially those who have come to know you. It was practically a—" Ardeth searched for words for a moment then said "—madhouse for a while. You and your family have left quite an impression on a great many people in your time here. Those same people were calling for the blood of the person or persons responsible for poisoning you."

Rick raised an eyebrow at that for he had not been aware of leaving that kind of an impression. Sure, they had made some good friends in the time they had been here, but he hadn't been aware that that kind of connection had been forged at least not until Ardeth had told him.

"I wasn't aware that we had made that kind of impression. I know we've made a few friends—" Rick began.

Ardeth started to laugh at Rick's surprised tone, "My friend, you have made more than a few for at last half the population would miss you and your family and would mourn your loss in their lives if you were never to return."

Rick studied Ardeth for a moment wondering if he was joking, but his brother's expression was serious.

"Shouldn't we do something about the body?" asked Rick suddenly.

"I'll inform the proper people and they'll see to the body's disposal," said Ardeth off-handedly as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Rick nodded and the two men headed out the door to inform the correct people so that the body could be dealt with before it could start to rot and smell.

~~~Rick and Evie~~~