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Chapter 4.

Cairo, Egypt - 1924

Museum of Antiquities

The statue of the goddess Sekhmet proudly gazed across the open square in front of the Egyptian museum. Positioned behind her was a tall obelisk, about twice the size of the lion deity. Although there was no sign of it at the moment, it was already planned that both statues of the goddess and the obelisk were to be removed to create space for a fountain. A large circular, made out of white marble, fountain with crystal blue water spouting from various smaller sculptures. They claimed that the structure was meant for locals and tourists alike, so there would be a place where one could enjoy the nice cool water in the heat of the sun. For tourists it might sound like something they would appreciate, but the locals were less enthusiastic.

Even now you'd find several stalls and people from the neighbourhood hanging around the square. But whether that was because they wanted to enjoy the current layout of the area before it vanished or to protest, Elisabeth could not tell. No matter how much the locals would object, the government always pulled through with their plans. Especially seeing as the square was already getting flooded more and more with tourists from across the globe.

Elisabeth followed Ardeth as they entered the museum. He walked in a hurried pace, ignoring everything and everyone around him. They went up a flight of stairs, turning a couple of corners until they reached what seemed like an abandoned hallway. The third door on the right was the one Ardeth stopped in front of. He opened it and motioned for Elisabeth to enter.

The room was small, but stacked to the brim with books and a collection of artefacts and statues. Why had he taken her here of all places instead of the curator's office, seeing as he did have an appointment with the man later on. Elisabeth let her eyes roam around the room until Ardeth shut the door behind him. There was but one window inside the room, but it lit the room more than enough for its size.

"Please." Ardeth said as he pointed his hand at one of the chairs near a table.

Elisabeth sat down and folded her hands together. This was it. The moment to ask every possible question she could think off to ask the Medjai. She reached for her bag and pulled out a small notepad and a pencil, ready to jot everything down. However, Ardeth did not sit down in one of the chairs. Instead he headed over to the wall next to her and leaned against it. Arms crossed and the same stern expression he'd had when she met him for the first time yesterday.

He stared at her for a couple of seconds and his gaze made her feel rather uncomfortable. She'd half expected him to initiate the conversation, but it seemed her assumption was wrong. It almost felt as if she was there for a job interview. Elisabeth cleared her throat and leaned forward.

"Thank you for allowing me to ask you a couple of questions." She began by giving him a small smile. "I'll get to the point as quick as possible."

Ardeth gave a brief nod. At least he was responsive. Funny how he 'd seemed more talkative earlier when she spotted him with Samir than he did this very moment. Now he was as silent as a mummy.

Elisabeth straightened herself and started with the most obvious question. "I'd like to know when you saw the American?"

"About a year ago."

"And where was this?"

"In the desert."

"Where exactly?"

"Somewhere far from civilization."

Good grief. His answers were short, to the point and at the same time evasive. If this was the way this entire interrogation was going to go, Elisabeth would surely be home before lunch. She had to stop herself from showing any visual expression of annoyance.

"You saw the American in the desert and immediately knew he was bad news?"

"We had watched him for a while."

The upper right corner of Ardeth's mouth twitched. Clearly he was giving her vague, yet some form of direct answer on purpose. Enough to satisfy, but insufficient to get the information she really needed.

"Chieftain Bay, if you want me to find this man, you must give me a little bit more than what you're currently telling me." She sighed. "Was the man alone?"

"He was alone when I last laid eyes on him." Ardeth answered.

Her patience was being tested still. She clenched her fists around the pencil and notepad she was holding in her lap. "And before that?"

"He was with the French Foreign Legion."

For the first time since their conversation had started, he'd said something that was possibly helpful. Quickly Elisabeth wrote it down. "They did not survive I take it?" She looked up at Ardeth who didn't seemed fazed by her question.

"None."

"Just the American."

Ardeth clenched his jaw. "Yes."

If she didn't know any better, it sounded like that was a sore spot for the man. After all, he was the last person who'd seen the American which was apparently almost a year ago somewhere in the desert. "How come the American made it out alive but none of the others did?"

Suddenly the Medjai's eyes narrowed themselves at her and he pursed his lips. "I fail to see how that is important. He is alive with something that does not belong to him."

A sore spot was touched indeed and Elisabeth was certain now that it was Ardeth's fault the American was still alive when he clearly should have died along with his fellow soldiers of the French Foreign Legion. But Ardeth was right, it honestly didn't matter how it was possible that the man was still alive. She wasn't going to inquire any further. Mostly because she probably wouldn't get more information out of him if she did. Not on the things she really wanted to know.

"Dr. Bey told me that the Medjai are guardians, who protect the world from the rise of evil. And the one you're currently guarding from the world, is a High Priest named Imhotep. Correct?"

Ardeth pushed himself away from the wall, his demeanour changing within an instant. "If Imhotep were to rise from the dead, the world will perish from dangers far beyond your wildest imagination." He said in a deep voice. "You are right. The Medjai are guardians and we are tasked with making sure that never happens."

Elisabeth followed his example and got out of her chair. "And the American was there, at the place where Imhotep lies buried?"

"You're asking me something you already know, miss Borchardt." Ardeth countered and the woman pressed her lips together.

"I know what it is you are after." He then added and Elisabeth cocked her head.

"Please, do tell?"

But instead of answering her question, he looked away. "No one is to know of the location where Imhotep is buried. That burden is only meant for the Medjai."

Burden? Elisabeth closed her notepad and stuck the pencil behind her ear. "And the American also knows. No, I'm sorry, Ardeth, that was not meant as a provocation." She quickly added when she saw a look of anger cross his face.

"What I meant to say is finding this man is clearly important. I promise, to the best of my abilities, to help and find this man and the artefact he took from the site."

Ardeth eyed her quietly and took a deep breath. "Thank you. You will get compensated for your help, as per your request."

That latter part did not sound kind at all. Elisabeth knew Ardeth did not agree with the fact she wanted money for this. He valued honour and respect above anything else. But it was obvious she was not going to discover the location of the dead high priest through Ardeth. Which basically meant the conversation had turned pointless by now. The only hint she had was the French Foreign Legion, which was better than nothing.

"I guess there's nothing more for us to discuss." She said to him.

But Ardeth turned to her. "Actually there is something I would like to ask you, miss Borchardt." Was it her imagination or did his stern face suddenly slightly soften.

"It is about my brother, Samir. The one you were planning to murder? Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought you and him were,- friends?"

Cairo, Egypt - 1921

If there was one thing Elisabeth did not have in Egypt, it was a friend. At least not someone close to her own age. Aside from the fact that she couldn't attend school due to the war breaking out, she also was never around any people her age. Her mother did not really converse with the locals, her Arabic was as rubbish as Menna's English was. Unfortunately, Menna didn't have any children nor a husband, which was probably why she treated Elisabeth as a daughter.

At the age of twenty-one, you'd think one would have some circle of friends. But when it came down to it, Elisabeth wasn't all that great at socializing with others. Sure, she knew how to speak properly and how to behave in the presence of important people. But really all she did was observe and copy behaviour from others.

The only time she had the chance of making a sort of friend, was after the war had ended in 1918, and new neighbours began to move into the neighbourhood. Various people, but still mostly English or French due to the British occupation. Couples or families. Some old, some young. One family in particular, an Egyptologist no less, who had a son and daughter around Elisabeth's age. Unfortunately for her, the girl went off to study in Luxor. Leaving only the brother, who was about nine years older than his sister, behind. But she never saw him, except sometimes late at night stumbling around his house which stood at the far end of the street.

No, Elisabeth did not really have any friends. Acquaintances, sure. But friends was quite an unfamiliar concept. In the end it was only for the better. In her line of work, her real work, having friends was something she could not use.

Currently she was walking around Cairo, this time not looking for anything in particular. Yesterday her mother received a letter from her father, saying he was to come back soon. It had been over six months since she'd said goodbye to him at Giza port. There was no telling how long he planned on staying in Cairo this time. Ever since he'd found that blasted statue and took the fake bust back to Berlin, he kept going back and forth between Egypt and Germany. Somehow it seemed this whole Nefertiti business was more important to him than making any further discoveries.

Elisabeth rounded a corner, ready to enter the market area, when someone bumped into her causing her to fall sideways. It would have been fine if she'd landed on the ground, or against somebody else. But that was not what she fell into to. A loud splash sounded and something wet and cool covered her entire body. As quickly as possible the girl placed her hands on the mosaic flooring and pushed herself up until her head surfaced from the plaza's fountain. She took a deep breath of air and coughed loudly.

When she looked up she was met by a pair of dark eyes. Eyes which she knew, but hadn't seen for a long time. Eyes belonging to someone she'd honestly hoped never to see again. Samir the thief.

"You!" She hissed through her teeth.

"Zahrah!" The young man exclaimed with a broad smile. "It has been a while. Here, let me help you." He extended his hand towards her, but with one swift motion she slapped it away.

"I cannot believe you pushed me into a fountain!" Elisabeth said as she tried to get up. Unfortunately the tiles beneath her was slippery and soon she fell backwards once again.

A loud splash came from her left as Samir jumped into the water. "Hold on, miss, I'll save you."

She felt his hands underneath her arms as he pulled her up. "Let go off me!" She yelled, but Samir turned out to be stronger than she initially thought he would be, as he managed to lift her without any effort on her part. She held on to him for support as he steadied her on her feet. Her vision obscured by her wet hair covering the front of her face.

"Don't worry, I got her!" Samir shouted as the sound of clapping filled the area. Elisabeth swooped her golden brown tresses out of her eyes to glare at the man with absolute fury. But it was then that she noticed the amount of people standing next to the fountain. Mainly street vendors and older women with bags filled with vegetables and fruit. All she could do was stare at everyone in confusion.

A couple of the women began to cheer and a few of the men patted Samir on his back as he guided Elisabeth out of the water and onto the pavement. The entire situation was turning in some sort of display. A heroic rescue mission, with Samir being the hero and Elisabeth the damsel.

"Please, please,-" He said with modesty as he tightly kept a hold on her arms. As soon as the drama had begun it also ended and Samir pulled Elisabeth with him into a nearby narrow street.

"Phew." He exclaimed the moment they were out of sight from the plaza. Samir turned his head to the woman and at the sight of her angry expression released her from his grasp. "Sorry, about that."

"Sorry?!" Elisabeth bared her teeth like a wild cat, ready to kill its prey. "Look at me, I'm soaked."

Samir pressed his lips in a tight line to stifle a laugh. The girl was indeed completely soaked. Her hair stuck to her face and shoulders, her white blouse clung to her body like a second skin, showing the dark shape of an undergarment. She reminded him of the sand cats which roamed around their village in the desert from time to time. Light of skin, big green blue eyes, and rather boisterous when approached.

"You'll dry up in soon, this is Egypt after all. But now that I have found you, I could use your help with something,-"

Elisabeth's jaw practically dropped to the floor. "Excuse me? Help you? You just pushed me into the plaza's fountain!"

Samir raised his hands in defence. "I believe the term is bumped, but I do apologize, I didn't mean for you to fall into the water. That was not my intention."

This boy was unbelievable. He'd delibertly bumped into her for whatever reason, caused her to fall and get completely soaked in front of several locals and then made it seem as if he was saving her from immediate death. She should have pushed him into the Nile six months ago when she had the chance.

"Well, good to know you bumping into me had some form of purpose. Just, remind me, why should I help you in the first place?" She replied sarcastically, wondering if her annoyance even came across in Arabic.

"Think of it as a thank you for saving you from drowning in that fountain."

Cairo, Egypt - 1924

If Ardeth didn't know any better he'd assumed to have made some sort of joke, judging by the look Elisabeth Borchardt was currently giving him. He had to admit to be quite surprised when she referred to Samir as his brother. He wondered how she knew about that. After all, his younger brother was forbidden to reveal the names of his family members or the tribe he was born into. Despite his brother's antics and free spirit, he doubted Samir would break those rules. That hadn't stopped him from telling Ardeth about her. Although to be honest, he never referred to her as Elisabeth when mentioning her. He always called her Zahrah.

"Friends? Samir and I?" Elisabeth furrowed her brow.

"You have helped him out at times, or so I have been told." Ardeth continued.

The woman shrugged. "That means he thinks I am his friend, not the other way around. He's given me more trouble than a friendship should bring." An honest answer, but Ardeth speculated there must be some part of Elisabeth that liked Samir more than she was willing to admit.

There was the slight matter of discovering how much his younger brother had told her about his family. The fact that she knew they were brothers wasn't really a problem, but Ardeth had to make sure not too much had been told about their tribe. Though Elisabeth had agreed on helping the Medjai, there were some things Ardeth knew about the woman and that resulted in not trusting her enough with certain bits of information.

"Did Samir tell you we are brothers?" He asked her.

"No. I mean, I knew he had an older brother, he mentioned you a lot. But he never gave me a name or a description." Elisabeth answered.

Her words pleased him as they appeared to be sincere. His brother had apparently honoured the code regarding the Medjai rules for all the years that he'd known the girl. Though Ardeth had to admit that he was curious how Elisabeth had deduced the fact that they were brothers. He also wondered what other kind of things Samir had told her about him.

"Then who told you about it?"

Elisabeth's cheeks reddened ever so slightly, almost as if she was embarrassed by it. "It was a hunch, really. You mentioned Samir yesterday in the curator's office and then when I got a good look at your features, I immediately noticed the family resemblance. But seeing the two of you together this morning, and you not denying the fact you are brothers, gave all the confirmation I needed."

An discreet way to figure something out without directly asking others for confirmation. Clever. "I suppose Samir and I do have a lot of physical similarities between us. You also said that he mentioned having a brother a lot of the time. Was there anything specific?"

The woman averted her gaze, her face still flushed. She couldn't very well tell him all the things Samir had told her about Ardeth. Mainly because they weren't exactly kind words, almost ninety percent of the time they were just complaints about the man. Elisabeth placed her hands behind her back, she had to be tactful.

"Nothing in particular. You know how siblings can be when talking about an older brother or sister,-"

Ardeth frowned at the strange answer she'd given him. "I don't think I understand."

But the Medjai didn't get a chance to ask her anything else, as a knock sounded from the door.

Without waiting for a reply, the door flung open revealing Dr. Terence Bay. He frowned at the two people standing in front of each other inside the small room filled with books and various artefacts. Although he didn't seem too surprised to find them there, he still coughed in an apologetic manner.

"I thought I'd find you here, Ardeth. Though I must admit to be a bit surprised to see Miss Borchardt here with you. I thought you'd already spoken with her last night?" The bald headed man asked with an arched eyebrow.

Elisabeth frowned at him. "Last night?"

Ardeth quickly cleared his throat. "Considering the time, I thought it best to postpone it to today." The Medjai explained, his words directed at Dr. Bey.

The curator nodded. "Understandable."

His eyes landed on the red shawl draped around Elisabeth's arms. "I see you did manage to return her accessories. You left them in my office yesterday." Dr. Bey added as he looked back up.

It took a second for Elisabeth to register what the man had just said to her. She glanced down at her arms before staring in Ardeth's direction. It was true she had left the shawls in Dr. Bey's office yesterday. She'd been so angry after discovering Samir's treachery, that she left the garments behind on purpose. He was the one who had picked them out after all.

"So I did." Elisabeth replied as she narrowed her eyes at the tall tattooed man next to her, who seemed to be ignoring her on purpose.

"Glad that it's settled. Now, I'm sure you've got things to do, Miss Borchardt. But please, do not hesitate to come by the moment you find any information on the American. No matter how small the detail." Dr. Bey gave her a short smile before turning his attention back to Ardeth. The Medjai nodded at the older man and bade farewell to Elisabeth.

The woman watched quietly as the two men walked out of the chamber. Oh, she had things to do alright. But right now she was feeling rather confused regarding Dr. Bey's comment about her shawl. Did he say that Ardeth had taken them with him to give back to her? And that the moment for when that happened was somewhere last night?

Considering the fact Elisabeth had found both the purple and red garments behind her on her father's chair this morning was proof enough that the Medjai Chief had done so.

That meant that Ardeth had been at her house yesterday evening. But she'd never seen him and she'd been in her father's study the entire night. Perhaps it was Menna who took the shawls from him? But the former nanny hadn't even known about Elisabeth sleeping there until today, which automatically dismissed that option. The other alternative was one she did not want to think of.

Elisabeth quickly made her way out of the museum. The red shawl pulled closely around her body as if to hide her shame for what might have happened last night. The young woman honestly hoped it was not true. To think that Samir's older brother might have found her sleeping in a window sill and with her chest exposed. She had not felt this embarrassed in a long time.

Hope you all enjoyed that, let me know what you think!

Up next the quest for finding the American begins!

Have a great weekend :)