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"What do you mean I misunderstand," Evy asked, breathlessly, as she caught up to Najat and dropped into a seat next to her. Najat glanced up, again scrutinizing the Englishwoman. Evy huffed, impatiently.
Hidden beneath her burqa, Najat smiled, amused by Evy's impatience, but quickly grew serious again.
"It is true, Dabir Bey abandoned his family and his people," Najat admitted. "However, cruelty was not his intent."
Evy gapped at her. "What possible reason....justification is there for something so horrid?"
Najat softly sighed. "Guilt. Remorse. Grief."
Evy shook her head, not understanding.
"Your parents would not have been brought to the camp without his consent. And so, he blamed himself for all that followed."
"But, still...," Evy muttered, unable to reconcile his abandonment of Ardeth.
"He could not face him," Najat stated, bluntly.
"Ardeth?"
"Yes."
"Why? I don't understand..." Evy prodded, frowning.
"As I said, he blamed himself for all that had occurred - the deaths of his wife and children, and so many others - but more grievous than these losses, Dabir Bey believed his actions had cost the Medjai their future."
Evy's brow wrinkled. "Why would he believe he had cost the Medjai their future? And how does that explain abandoning his son?"
Najat sighed.
"You see, Dabir Bey was not young when he married, and, then, it was many more years before the union produced children. And so, by the time Ardeth reached manhood, age had begun to weigh heavily enough upon Dabir's shoulders that, not unlike his people, he’d already grown to rely on Ardeth's strength. In it, he saw the future of the Medjai - a leader that could guide his people through the trials of a swiftly changing world. A world in which Dabir Bey felt himself ill-equipped to survive. When that strength was stripped away by the fever, he blamed himself. He could not bear to witness his son's misery, believing that he had inflicted it upon him, but more so, Dabir Bey could not face his son believing himself responsible for destroying Ardeth's future."
"And, therefore, his people's future."
"Indeed," Najat confirmed.
"But, Fathi..." Evy began to ask, remembering that Dabir had spent his last weeks with his younger son.
Najat shook her head.
"Dabir Bey loved his younger son dearly, but he did not see in him the same strength that he saw in Ardeth. He hoped for no more than to prepare Fathi to assist what was left of Ardeth, for he clung to the hope his heir would yet recover... sufficiently, at least, to accept the mantle of leadership when the time came."
Evy gaped at the Abadi. Nothing in the journal had indicated that Dabir had continued to believe in Ardeth; in fact, it had seemed to say quite the opposite. She found herself unsure of what to think.
"How could you know all this?" She finally asked, skeptically. Najat peered at her with a resigned look in her eyes, as though she'd known from the start that Evy would doubt her.
"In his self-imposed exile, Dabir Bey had to seek refuge somewhere; he sought it amongst the Abadi," Najat patiently explained.
"Why the Abadi?"
"Why not the Abadi?" Najat asked, chuckling softly, and Evy shrugged. "He had long-trusted friends amongst my people; it was with them, in particular, that he sought refuge and a compassionate ear."
Mulling over all she'd been told, Evy said nothing for several seconds, then, something occurred to her and flew out her mouth of its own volition.
"So you already knew Ardeth...before this, I mean? Old family friends, or something?"
"Indeed, we have been acquainted since childhood," Najat confirmed.
Evy nodded, distractedly, as she silently pondered. Thinking aloud, she unintentionally asked, "what happened to him?"
When Najat cocked her head, as though puzzled, Evy realized she'd spoken aloud and clarified the question. "Dabir. He was mortally injured...the journal didn't say how. Do you know what happened to him?"
Evy was surprised when Najat glanced toward the deck, seemingly reluctant to answer.
"Najat?"
The Abadi sighed, before reluctantly speaking. "You asked, earlier, if the Devourer's weapons had been used often."
"Yes."
"Do you recall my answer?" Najat quizzed, shifting her gaze to the passing scenery.
"Of course I do. You said that, in recent times, they'd been used only once...on a leader of Medjai...oooooh!" Evy's eyes grew wide with dawning realization. "You mean to say that it was Dabir?!"
Najat nodded, mournfully.
"How? Who?" Evy quizzed, but the Abadi didn't seem inclined to reveal any more. "You can't tell me that much and then just leave me hanging!"
After a deep breath, Najat reluctantly spoke. "Many years ago, strangers arrived at our camp. They claimed to be lost and sought shelter through the night, and it was granted to them. Our queen did not trust these strangers, however, and posted guards around the sarcophagus, but to no avail. During the night, the strangers stormed their way to the weapons and stole away with them. Dabir Bey arrived in our camp as we were preparing our dead for burial and resolved to retrieve the weapons. Though it was not his responsibility to do so, he was adamant; I do not know why. It was in his effort to do this that he was mortally wounded."
Evy said nothing, finally understanding why Najat had been reluctant. The Abadi had failed in their duty to protect the weapons, and, in the end, it had cost an honored guest his life. She imagined that, collectively, the Abadi honor still stung from the blow.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I should tend to Ardeth Bey," Najat requested, not quite managing to face the Englishwoman.
"Of course," Evy responded, politely, and watched the Abadi walk away, until she turned a corner, vanishing from view. Shifting her gaze to the passing scenery, Evy mulled over all the she'd been told.
~*~*~*~*~
Glancing up as she walked through the door, Najat was startled to find Jonathan, instead of Zaynab, tending a sleeping Ardeth. Hearing soft words spoken, Najat hesitated. She didn't want to invade Jonathan's privacy, but was already close enough to overhear him. It made her even more uncomfortably as she realized he was apologizing for agreeing to go along with Ardeth's plan. Hearing the grief and remorse in his voice, Najat felt for the Englishman, who abruptly fell silent, as he caught her out of the corner of his eye.
"Jonathan," Najat greeted, awkwardly, as he glanced at her. "I was not expecting..."
"I asked Zaynab to give me a moment...wasn't sure if I'd get another opportunity," the Englishman interrupted, shrugging apologetically. Najat nodded.
"I will leave," she offered, compassionately.
"Not necessary," Jonathan replied, with forced nonchalance. Self-consciously dropping the cloth in his hand back into the basin, he shuffled past her and out the door.
Sighing wearily, Najat considered following, but decided against it. Clearly, the Englishman wasn't comfortable admitting to emotion, especially to a woman. Attempting to shrug off his visit, she took his place next to the bed and grabbed the cloth from the basin. As she turned toward Ardeth, Najat glanced at Alex and paused, frowning. It was apparent that, although his eyes were closed, the child was no longer asleep. Praying silently that Jonathan had not revealed too much, Najat opted to play along with the ruse and began to hum softly as she swirled the wetted cloth across Ardeth's feverish flesh.
~*~*~*~*~
Helping support Ardeth, Evy grimaced, as their auto hit yet another bump. She almost felt pain herself as it provoked a weak, breathless moan from the Medjai. Frustrated, she glared at the back of Johari's head, but managed, barely, to stop herself from chastising him. She knew he was driving as carefully as he could, but that didn't make Ardeth's discomfort any easier to bear.
"We are nearly there," Najat whispered, catching the glare out of the corner of her eye. From the other side of Ardeth, she glanced up and offered the Englishwoman a supportive, although shaky, smile.
Evy responded with a clipped nod. Sighing softly, she glanced at Najat and saw her own frustration and concern mirrored in the Abadi's face. Oddly, it brought a small measure of comfort, allowed her by Najat's removal of her burqa. Evy's realized, at the time that, that the simply act had significance - look on Johari's face had made that clear enough for anyone to grasp. However, she hadn't fully appreciated the gesture until that moment and offered Najat an appreciative smile.
"This is the place?" Rick twisted around to ask, diverting Evy's attention just as she was about to shift her glance back to Ardeth.
"It is," Najat answered, simply.
Evy scooted forward to watch the approaching oasis grow larger. Studying the village as it crept into view, the auto's abrupt halt caught her off balance, sending her tumbling into the back of Johari's seat. Chagrined, Evy glanced up to find both Najat and Ardeth staring at her.
"Oops," she muttered, earning a little smile from Najat. Ardeth just closed his eyes.
Beside her, the door opened, and Evy glanced up to find her husband's hand offering assistance. Taking it, she awkwardly, but quickly, climbed from the vehicle, making room for Johari to reach in for Ardeth.
The Abadi warrior moved slowly and carefully, but the unavoidable twisting and bending involved sent waves of pain screaming through Ardeth's body. Determined not to make a sound, the Medjai held his breath. Sapped by the bumpy drive, Ardeth found himself helpless to do more than concentrate on remaining silent and keeping his eyes cracked open enough anticipate the next twist or bend. With each wrenching movement, the black spots dancing in front of him grew larger.
As the Medjai emerged from the vehicle, Rick shuffled around his wife to lend a hand. Pulling Ardeth's free arm over his shoulder in the knick of time, Rick staggered a bit as the Medjai abruptly lost consciousness and crumpled.
"Ardeth!" Alex cried in alarm, emerging from the second car just in time to see the Medjai collapse. He ran over, but Evy caught him. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him out of the way while Rick and Johari followed Najat, carrying Ardeth between them.
"Shhh. It's all right," Evy soothed, managing to conceal her own panic. "He's worn out. We just need to get him settled so he can get some proper rest."
Alex squirmed from his mother's grasp and retreated back to Jonathan, still hovering next to the second car. He found himself too angry and confused to deal with his mum. Evy's tearful admission to Ardeth remained too fresh in his memory, continually repeating that she was responsible for everything....and she'd MEANT to do it!
Evy fought back frustrated tears as Alex fled from her. Uncertain whether she should try to make him to talk to her, she stood frozen in place.
"Come. The hour is late. You should eat and, then, rest," Zaynab instructed, her voice yanking Evy from her quandary.
"I should check on Ardeth...." Evy distractedly muttered.
"Tsk," the Abadi responded, maternally. "He is well tended. Now come. Jonathan, Alex, you must eat, also."
The tone of Zaynab's voice left no room for argument, and the trio reluctantly followed.
~*~*~*~*~
Alex finished eating first, practically inhaling his food in his desire to escape back to Ardeth's side. Zaynab didn't argue, knowing Najat would make certain the child rested. Jonathan finished next, eager to escape Rick and Evy before they could remember to yell at him. By the time Zaynab returned from finding him a bed, Rick had finished. Actually there was still quite a lot of food left on his plate, but Zaynab saw him nodding off between bites. Deciding it was time for him to go to bed, she'd excused herself to escort him there.
The last to finish eating, Evy lingered over her food while she waited for Zaynab to return. Growing impatient, she glanced around, desperately wanting to check on Ardeth. She saw no sign of anyone. It almost seemed as though the rest of the Abadi were hiding from her and her family. Frustrated, Evy sighed and briefly considering wandering off on her own, but quickly nipped the idea in the bud. Not only would it have been rude to disappear on Zaynab, Evy had no clue where Ardeth was...and no idea how the Abadi would react to her wandering aimlessly through their village. Based on their current vanishing act, she suspected they would be less than delighted. Resigned, Evy sighed, again, and glanced back down at the remnants of food on her plate.
"You are finished?"
Evy nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Forgive me, I did not intent to startle you," Zaynab graciously apologized.
"Ma'alish," Evy responded, glancing up at the Abadi. Smiling distractedly, she puzzled over how Zaynab had managed to materialize out of thin air. Sheepishly shaking her head, Evy decided she was more tired that she thought. ("Don't worry about it.")
Zaynab nodded, politely. "You will want to see Ardeth Bey, now?"
"Yes, if it wouldn't be a bother," Evy answered, relieved that the Abadi hadn't insisted she go straight to bed. Zaynab gestured in the appropriate direction, then waited for Evy to rise.
~*~*~*~*~
Evy paused a few feet inside the entrance. An anxious tickle forming in her stomach, she studied Ardeth's sleeping form. He lay so still that, even only a few feet away, she couldn't tell if he were breathing.'Of course he is,' Evy whispered to herself, fighting the temptation to check. 'Don't pester him; he just needs rest.' Seeking a distraction, Evy's gaze wandered toward Najat, tenderly ministering to the injured Medjai. Studying the Abadi, she sensed something she'd apparently been too occupied to notice earlier.
"You're close...?" She blurted, without thinking.
"Myself and Ardeth Bey?" Najat quizzed. Evy nodded, her curiosity intensifying as the Abadi hesitated. Seeing it in the Englishwoman's eyes, Najat sighed and responded. "As I already stated, we have been acquainted since we were very young."
"You're...," she started, then paused, searching for the appropriate way to ask if the two were 'involved'. It had become abundantly clear that Najat's status among her people was high, and Evy didn't want to offend her hosts by inferring anything improper.
"We are old friends, nothing more," Najat stated, guessing what the Englishwoman was fishing for. Evy nodded, seeming to accept the answer. But when she continued to study the Abadi, Najat decided to change the subject.
"He is resting much more comfortably," she announced. "I would not expect him to awake before morning."
Evy nodded. Returning her attention to Ardeth, she was again struck by need to touch him and feel that he really was alive. Evy's internal struggle emanated from her eyes. Seeing it, the Abadi decided to give her an excuse to tend Ardeth.
"I must speak with Zaynab before she retires for the evening," Najat informed her. Offering the cloth in her hand, she asked, "if I may inconvenience you...?"
Evy nearly lunged at the cloth, thankful to have an excuse to touch the Medjai. Focused on Ardeth, she didn't hear the soft "alfi shukr" Najat spoke before departing. Her hand gently pressed the cloth to Ardeth's chest. Feeling it rise and fall, Evy's knees nearly buckled with relief. Ardeth's deep sleep made the relaxed movement slight, but it was enough to confirm that he was, indeed, alive, and Evy grinned. It quickly dropped into a frown as she noted the increased heat radiating from the injured warrior. Realizing that his fever had risen dramatically since she'd last tended him, Evy's knees nearly buckled again, but this time with fear, as thoughts of the journal Ardeth flashed through her mind.
'He barely survived that fever,' she thought. 'What if he can't do it again?'
Evy forced the thought away. This was her Ardeth, not the journal Ardeth. He'd survived Imhotep - twice, mummy guards, Lock-nah, nasty little pigmies, and the Army of Anubis; he wasn't going to die from a silly little infection.
~*~*~*~*~
"Yaaaaawnmmmflm," Rick responded, as Evy wearily climbed into the small bed. Wrapping his arms around her, he sleepily buried his face into hair. It muffled his voice as he groggily asked, "how is he?"
Snuggling deeper into her husband, Evy quickly closed her tearing eyes and just sighed. Understanding what that meant, Rick tried to think of something comforting to say, but, only half awake, the words eluded him. He settled, instead, for tightening his arms around her. Holding her till she drifted off, Rick sighed, mournfully, and allowed himself to fall the remainder of the way back to sleep, as well.
~*~*~*~*~
"Mawwmmph."
Najat glanced past Ardeth to where Alex lay, as the child stirred slightly.
"Mum?! No! Don't!" He called out, but his eyes remained closed.
Hearing alarm in his small voice, Najat realized he was dreaming and frowned. Considering the emotional intensity of the past few days, it didn't surprise her, but she would have preferred he postpone his nightmares until he not lay curled up very near Ardeth's injured side. Alex wouldn't have to shift much to cause the Medjai great pain.
Hoping to settle the child before his stirring increased, Najat reached toward him, but even as she moved, he rolled onto his back, freeing the arm that had acted as a pillow. Shifting to catch it as he aimlessly flung it, Najat cursed, knowing she would not be in time. Her fingers were within a hairs-breath of it when it slammed into Ardeth's broken ribs almost at the exact instant the child's knee rammed into the Medjai's tender side.
Ardeth reacted instantaneously. His eyes flew open, but only briefly, before scrunching tightly closed in a vain attempt block out the agony flaring through his body. The large gulp of air he sucked in seemed to catch in his throat, as his back arched against the pain and his hand desperately twisted the bed sheets in a death grip.
Whispering calm words to Ardeth, Najat quickly, but gently, rolled the still sleeping Alex away from him, before wrapping a hand around Ardeth's forearm. It wasn't much, but there was little else she could do for him beyond offer support.
Ardeth barely felt her touch through waves of pain engulfing him, but, instinctively, he twisted his hand around to grab hers, clutching it as though it could somehow pull him free was the agony. After what seemed like hours - although only a few minutes - the pain ebbed. Slowly releasing his long-held breath, Ardeth crumpled weakly onto the mattress.
Another minute or two passed before he managed to force his eyes to open a crack and focus on Najat's worried smile. Returning a weak, lopsided smile, Ardeth let his eyes close and searched his fuzzy memory for what had brought him to the Abadi village. He didn't remember traveling there, but obviously must have. Najat wasn't covered - were they anywhere but in her village, she would have been. Then again, he felt a strange sense of urgency, which didn't fit at all. The Abadi village was a sanctuary - a place of peace, not of urgency. Growing increasingly confused, Ardeth's brow furrowed.
"I cannot think...," he croaked, without opening his eyes.
"You do not need to think," Najat replied, striving for calm. "You need to rest."
Ignoring her, Ardeth struggled to force his eyes to open again, but they would not, and he growled, frustrated with both his uncooperative brain and body.
"Shhh. Do not struggle so; your body has not the energy to spare," she soothed, caressing his skin with the damp cloth. "You must relax and let it do what you will as it may."
Ardeth didn't want to relax. The sense of urgency he felt intensified with each passing second, telling him he MUST remember what had brought him there. Time was running out - he was certain of it! However, the harder he struggled to grasp the memory, the fuzzier his weary brain grew, and Ardeth realized she was right. Shifting his focus, he concentrated on breathing slowly...and deeply. The jolt of pain that flared from his broken ribs carried with it the elusive memory, and Ardeth's eyes flew open.
"Al 'Asima!"
Najat bit back a sigh. A part of her had hoped he would fall back to sleep without remembering, but the rest of her had known it would not be. Redeeming his perceived failure and saving Evelyn were too important to the Medjai. No matter how weak and disoriented he was, his soul not let him miss his opportunity.
"She has not yet awoken," the Abadi informed him, mournfully. Knowing what would come next, she dropped her cloth back into the basin and prepared to help the Medjai rise.
"I must stand before her," Ardeth insisted in a weak whisper, as his eyes drifted closed. Najat remained silent and still, hoping they would not open again until morning. She couldn't contain a dejected sigh when they flickered open again after only a minute.
"You have not the strength for this, now," she argued, as his groggy gaze settled upon her. "Sleep tonight, stand before her tomorrow."
Ardeth weakly shook his head, provoking a wave a nausea that forced his eyes closed yet again. Sighing softly, he kept them closed and waited for it to pass.
"Neither of us can know that I will be stronger tomorrow. I may well be weaker," he whispered. "Then what would you have me do?"
"What I would have you do, Ardeth Bey, is survive, which you will not if you do not rest," Najat insisted, reaching out to caress his cheek. Ardeth's hand stopped hers a hairs-breath from his flesh.
"You are not certain that I will survive Al 'Asima's judgment whether weak or strong."
Najat sighed, despairingly, unable to deny the accusation.
"Nor are you certain that I will survive this fever even if I rest, as you say I must," Ardeth continued, in a sleepy mumble.
Again, Najat found herself without words. Although she had stronger medicines available to her now that they had returned to her village, medicines could only do so much. It was still Ardeth's battle to win or lose, and her eyes had not missed that the Medjai grew weary of the fight.
"Two days have already passed, there is but one left. I can wait no longer," he stated, as firmly as he could muster, but desperation tinged his tone.
"Najat, my old friend, this is what I must do," Ardeth whispered, when she failed to respond. Opening his eyes, he slid the hand still clamped around her wrist down to her fingers. Folding them within his, he whispered, almost too softly to hear. "Please."
Najat studied him, tearfully. She knew he would try to finish his task whether she aided him or not, but he would fail if she did not, and would carry the burden of that failure with him on his journey into the afterlife. She could not allow that, and so had no choice but to do as he asked of her, despite the difficulty of it.
Watching her silently rise to her feet, relief washed through Ardeth, and he let his eyes close. Regardless of his determination, he doubted he could finish his task without help, but could ask no one else had she refused. He'd demanded far too much of Jonathan already. The O'Connells could not know of what was to transpire. And none of the Abadi, not even Zaynab, would defy Najat.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Najat remained silent, so silent that he wondered for a moment if he'd been wrong - if she'd risen to leave instead of to help him. Then, he heard a sad sigh and felt her hands gently slide beneath his shoulders. Opening his eyes, Ardeth briefly met her gaze. His mind mired in the fog of illness, it took him a moment to realize she waited for permission. He closed his eyes and weakly nodded. Holding his breath, Ardeth managed not to groan as she help him sit up, but the effort left him breathless and lightheaded. Focused on pushing back the encroaching blackness, Ardeth didn't notice as Najat's hands slid away.
"I should call for Johari."
Ardeth forced his eyes open as Najat speculated - the words seemingly directed more at herself than he. Clenching the bed sheet, he forced enough air into his lungs to comment.
"No, do not," he whispered. Ardeth knew it was selfish to ask his friend to carry the burden alone, but his pride couldn't bear the idea of any more witnesses than necessary should Al 'Asima find him lacking.
Najat simply nodded. She'd known the Medjai long enough to understand that it was with great reluctance that he forbore her assistance, to ask for anymore would be unthinkable for the normally strong and fiercely independent warrior.
"We should not dawdle," Ardeth added after a moment, when she'd made no move towards him.
Najat didn't bother to reply. Instead, she sat beside him and gingerly pulled his injured arm over her shoulders. She winced as Ardeth gasped lightly at the pull on the stitches, but it was the lesser of two evils. Had she chosen the other arm, the inflamed abdominal wound and broken ribs would have rested heavily against her, causing him significantly more pain.
"You are ready?" She asked, softly.
Ardeth nodded, weakly. Holding his meager breath, he forced himself not to groan as she shakily pushed him onto his feet. Feeling her quiver beneath his weight, Ardeth wondered, with delirious amusement, which of them would collapse first. The feeling abruptly shifted to concern, as it occurred to him that he might have asked more of his friend than she was physically capable of providing.
"Will you be....?" He started to ask, trying, unsuccessfully, to bear more of his own weight.
"Do not worry, we will reach our destination," she assured the warrior, her tone certain, but strained and lacking in enthusiasm. Letting his head fall weakly and rest against hers, Ardeth nodded very slightly. Najat didn't bother to say more; focusing on her feet, she concentrated on maintaining their balance as they lumbered toward the exit.
Ardeth's eyes slipped closed after a few steps. He didn't have strength left to force them open again, with what little he did have focused on keeping his feet under him.
~*~*~*~*~
Aimlessly drifting between consciousness and sleep, Alex gradually grew aware of the absolute stillness surrounding him. His subconscious found it incongruous and drew him near enough to wakefulness to consciously register that he no longer lay curled up next to Ardeth. Dreamily rolling over, Alex stretched out a searching hand. When he found nothing but emptiness next to him, an anxious surge of adrenaline pumped into his system, and Alex sprang up from the bed. His eyes darted around, disoriented and near panic, searching of Ardeth and Najat. He found neither and his pulse quickened as he bolted out into the dark night.
He'd only traveled a few yards when a distant lumbering form brought him skidding to a halt. It was moving away from him and seemed oblivious to his presence, so Alex silently crept closer. He'd gotten to within a dozen feet of it when it abruptly struck him that he was looking at Ardeth and Najat. Alex almost cried out to get their attention, but then it occurred to him that he'd been purposely left behind. Wondering what they were up, he stealthily continued to follow.
~*~*~*~*~
A slight whisper of sound froze Jonathan mid-step, and his ears strained to determine its origin. Identifying it as shuffled footsteps, he glanced around for somewhere to hide. He didn't know how the Abadi would react to finding him wandering unescorted. Nor did he particularly want to find out, since he suspected they would be less than pleased.
On the verge of dashing behind one of the dwellings, Jonathan's curiosity got the better of him. The footsteps sounded as though they were approaching, but not headed directly toward him. He figured the odds were reasonable that, if he kept very still, he wouldn't draw particular attention.
Jonathan unconsciously held his breath as an enormous, lumbering blob loomed from the shadows. Too his relief, the oddly shaped creature appeared too preoccupied with the ground to aware of anything else. Jonathan took advantage of its seeming oblivion to study it and abruptly realized it wasn't a creature at all, but two people - one supporting the other.
"Ardeth?! Najat?!" He blurted, in a loud whisper. Startled, Najat glanced up and nearly stumbled. Lunging forward to steady the pair, Jonathan cringed as the awkward movement caused Ardeth to softly hiss.
"Sorry about that, old boy," Jonathan offered, frowning sheepishly. Ardeth didn't bother with a reply.
"I don't suppose you'd care to explain what you're up to?"
"It is...time to...finish...it," Ardeth informed the Englishman, in a labored whisper.
Jonathan sighed. He could see Ardeth trembling from the strain of moving, and Najat struggling beneath the Medjai's weight.
"Surely it can wait unti...,"
"No!" Ardeth hissed and abruptly leaned his weight forward in an attempt to prod Najat back into motion, before Jonathan could delay them further. He could feel her muscles quivering and knew they could not afford to linger there. Unprepared for the sudden movement, Najat tripped over her feet.
"Whoa there, hold up a sec!" Jonathan exclaimed, catching the Abadi before she fell. "Here, now, you'd better let me..."
Gently shoving Najat out of the way, Jonathan quickly took her place beneath Ardeth. He suspected he wasn't going to much care for the process of 'finishing it", but he'd agreed to help do whatever was necessary to save Evy. And Jonathan had no intention of letting her down.
Ardeth briefly considered sending Jonathan away; the Englishman was in enough trouble with his family already. But knowing he lacked sufficient strength to argue, the Medjai resigned himself to Jonathan's aide and leaned heavily against him.
"So...where're we going?"
Still catching her breath, Najat simply gestured for Jonathan to follow and forced her wearing muscles to move in the direction of the Al 'Asima's sarcophagus.
~*~*~*~*~
"Evelyyyyyn."
Her sound of her name whispered softly on the breeze tugged at Evy's consciousness. She stirred, restlessly, but worn from travel and worry, she didn't wake.
"Yisahhee, bintee..." ("Wake up, my daughter...")
"Ummee...?" Evy moaned, in response, and tossed onto her back. ("Mummy?")
"Aiwa, bintee," the breeze replied, "Yisahhee. Intee mihtegh. Yalla!!" ("Yes, my daughter. Wake up. He needs you. Hurry!!")
Evy jolted awake. Disoriented, she glanced around, searching for her mother. Beside her, her husband stirred awake and looked up with bleary eyes.
"Evy, som't'in' wrong?" he mumbled, not quite awake.
"'M fine. Go back to sleep," she answered, lingering confusing edging her tone. Closing his eyes, Rick mumbled an incoherent response and promptly returned to his disrupted dream. Evy considered following his example, but just as the thought entered her mind, a soft breeze brushed past her.
"Yalla!" it seemed to whisper. Evy knew it wasn't possible, but, all the same, she'd swear that it did. A chill running down her spine, she crawled out of bed.
"I'll just take a quick peek at Ardeth and then come right back to bed," she softly whispered to herself.
~*~*~*~*~
Alex hung back a few extra feet as the trio of adults stopped at the guarded entrance of a cave. From behind, he couldn't see what transpired, but after a moment, the four formidable-looking warriors moved aside, allowing the trio to pass. Alex watched them go inside and immediately realized he had a problem - getting past the guards in order to follow.
'Maybe they'll ignore me 'cause I'm just a kid,' Alex silently considered, seeing no way around the guards. Taking a deep breath, he mustered a façade of nonchalance, strolled to the entrance, and attempted to simply walk past them. It didn't work.
"Ya"if!" ("Stop!")
Alex had little choice but to obey the command, as two of the guards sidestepped to block his path.
"'Âyiz ê?" One of them questioned, harshly. ("What do you want?)
"Um," Alex stalled, uncertain whether responding in Arabic would hinder or help him. Deciding to improvise, he pointed in the direction the others had gone and answered, "Najat?"
"Imshee, walad! Mâlak shurl hene!" ("Go away, child! You have no business here!)
"Najat!" Alex insisted, pointing again in the direction she'd gone. He hoped they would decide he didn't understand and give up trying to order him away.
"Imshee! Imshee!" The guard responded, aggressively shooing him away with his hands.
Realizing his ploy wasn't going to work, Alex huffed and dejectedly turned around. He took a couple reluctant steps away from the guards, before deciding on plan and racing away in the direction he'd come.
~*~*~*~*~
Tossing restlessly, Rick rolled into his side and reached out for his wife, intending to snuggle with her. He abruptly jolted awake when his hand found nothing but empty bed.
"Evyyyy!" He whined, sleepily. "What are you up to now?!"
Upon their arrival, Rick had noted that the general Abadi populace shied away from them. It told him that they didn't particular care for outsiders, making it probable that they would not take lightly one of them sneaking around their village in the middle of the night. Hoping Evy'd simply gone to check on Ardeth, Rick climbed from the bed, threw on his pants and hustled out of the dwelling in search of her.
~*~*~*~*~
Nearly half-way to where she'd left Najat tending Ardeth, Evy heard the patter of swiftly moving little feet. Recognizing the sound of a running child, she paused, her maternal instincts screaming that it was much too late for a child to be out and about.
"Alex?!" She shouted, louder than intended, as her son burst into view.
"Mum! You have to come!" Alex declared. Reaching Evy, he snagged her hand and insistently tugged at it. "They've taken Ardeth and I don't know why and they won't let me in!"
"Taken him?! What do you mean 'taken him'?" Evy quizzed, steadfastly refusing to be budged until he explained.
"Najat and Uncle John. They took him into a cave, but there are guards and they won't let me in! Come on!"
Evy realized Alex could have misinterpreted the situation, making it possible that nothing was amiss, but the foreboding tickle running down her spine prompted her to follow him. She knew Ardeth was in no condition to be up and around. If he were being moved, she wanted to know the reason for it.
~*~*~*~*~
Rick's pulse quickened as the sound of Evy's agitated voice wafted through the night air. Picking up his pace, he raced toward it.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ORDERING ME AWAY!" Evy shouted at the guard obstinately refusing to let her pass. "You can a least tell me if Ardeth's in there and why. I really don't think that's too unreasonable a demand!"
"IMSHEE!" was all the response she received from the increasingly aggravated guard.
"Evy! What's going on?!" Rick breathlessly demanded, abruptly arriving on the scene.
"They've taken Ardeth in there," Evy huffed, pointing toward the cave, her frustration obvious. "They won't tell us why, nor will they let us in to see for ourselves. Rick! We have to do something!"
"All right, all right. Let me try," Rick grumbled. Stepping in front of Evy, he immediately grasped that his effort would be futile. The increasingly defensive stance of the three guards made it obvious that his arrival had only increased the tension.
"Khabar ê?" He heard from behind him, as he was about to speak. Turning quickly, he watched a covered Abadi woman approach, followed closely by a fourth Abadi warrior. Her attention seemed fixed upon the guards. ("What's going on?")
"Zaynab! Thank goodness you're here," Evy blurted, before any of the guards could respond. "Najat's taken Ardeth in there and we just want to know that he's all right, but they won't let us pass!"
"That is all? You are fortunate," the Abadi replied, with an amused chuckle.
"What do you mean?" Rick asked, suspiciously.
"This is the entrance to the tomb of Al 'Asima, to which we have sworn our lives to protect," Zaynab explained. "As you are outsiders, our laws would have permitted them to kill you simply for approaching."
"Terrific!" Rick exasperatedly muttered under his breath and tossed Evy a 'what have you gotten us in to now' look.
"Al 'Asima?!" Evy questioned, nervously, ignoring her husband. "Why would Najat take Ardeth into Al 'Asima's tomb?!"
Zaynab sighed, reluctant to answer.
"It's the curse, isn't it?!" Evy wailed.
"Curse?! What curse?! Somebody want to fill me in here?!" Rick demanded, glaring at his wife.
"It's the weapons," Evy anxiously informed him.
"The weapons? What weapons?" Frustrated, Rick shifted his glare to Zaynab.
"The weapons of the Devourer," the Abadi informed him, with irritating calmness. "Their use is forbidden, but it was with these weapons that Ardeth Bey sustained his injuries."
"Okay," Rick responded. An anxious knot tying in his stomach, he unconsciously glanced at Evy. "So what happens when they're used?"
"The soul of the one that wielded them is destroyed." Zaynab answered softly, reflexively stepping nearer to the guards in anticipation of Rick's response.
"DESTROYED! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN DESTROYED!"
Zaynab flinched, but didn't have a chance to respond.
"But Najat said it had been tended to, that I had nothing to worry about!" Evy insisted, nearing panic.
"And it is so," Zaynab reluctantly responded. "You need not fear, Evelyn O'Connell. Your soul is no longer in danger.
"And why is that?" Rick asked, his decreased volume masking the intensity of his agitation.
"Because Ardeth Bey has chosen to stand in her place," the Abadi answered, again ducking nearer her warriors.
"HE WHAT?!" all three O'Connells shouted simultaneously.
"Damn! I knew he was up to something sneaky!" Rick added, in an angry mutter.
"But he didn't wield the weapons!" Evy insisted, pleadingly.
"He may, as your victim, choose to stand in your place and receive the judgment of Al 'Asima," Zaynab explained, glancing toward Evy.
"Oh..." Feeling a wave of nausea rise up her throat, Evy threw a hand over her mouth, muffling the curse that followed. Her eyes growing wide, she leaned against Rick as her knees threatened to buckle. He wrapped a steadying arm around her waist.
"You mean he's going to allow his soul to be destroyed in place of mine?" Evy clarified, after taking enough deep breaths to push the nausea back down into her stomach.
Zaynab hesitated with an answer.
"He is, isn't he? That damn son-of-a..." Rick cursed, furious with the Medjai for leaving them in dark.
"I cannot say," Zaynab finally answered.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked, his eyes wide as he absorbed everything he'd heard.
"I mean as I have said," she insisted. "It has not happened before that a victim stood in place of their attacker. It is not known, by any amongst us, what the outcome will be."
"What exactly does the Al 'Asima person do?" Alex warily continued to question the Abadi. He sounded calmer than his parents, although he didn't feel it.
"She judges the attacker's soul. If its intentions were pure, it is held until the soul of its victim is no longer in danger, and then it is released. If the intention were not pure, the soul is destroyed."
"What do you mean 'no longer in danger'?" Evy asked, shakily.
"It is held until it is certain the victim will recover or until the victim's soul has completed its journey into the afterlife."
"But mum didn't mean to do what she did, so why would Ardeth need to take her place?" Alex asked the Abadi, before abruptly turning to face his mum. "You didn't mean to, right? You said you didn't mean to do it."
Unsure of what to say, Evy squirmed beneath her son's stare.
"Why would Ardeth do this? Why not just tell us what's going on? Evy's a good person. This Al 'Asima would know that, right? Surely, she'd let Evy go," Rick insisted.
"I do not know the mind of Ardeth Bey," Zaynab responded, softly.
"You have to let us in there! We have to stop him!" Evy wailed, a moment later. She hardly knew herself what her intentions had been when she stabbed Ardeth, making it impossible for her to be as certain as Rick that Al 'Asima would release her...or Ardeth in her place. Evy knew she couldn't let someone else be punished for her actions; she couldn't live with herself if she did.
"Rick! Do something!"
Rick hesitated, Evy's insistence on stopping Ardeth making him nervous. He realized she'd never really explained what had happened, and, to his dismay, abruptly found himself questioning her actions. He couldn't risk letting Evy's soul be destroyed, even if that meant Ardeth's would be in its place.
"RICK!" Evy wailed, when her husband failed to act. "We can't let him do this! I couldn't live with myself!"
"We are going in there!" Rick aggressively informed the Abadi, realizing Evy meant it. Were Ardeth's soul to be destroyed, the guilt would destroy her. He would have to find a way to save both Evy and Ardeth, or he'd lose both.
Neither Zaynab nor the guards moved.
"Look, we can do this the easy way or we can make you let us pass," Rick informed them. Still, the Abadi stood firm. "Surely you know we've defeated the Imhotep and the Scorpion King. You don't really believe four human warriors are gonna stop us, do you?"
"It is possible you would defeat our warriors, but it would not be in time to accomplish what you desire," Zaynab assured him, the challenge obvious in her tone. The O'Connells glanced anxiously at each other, realizing they were going to have to fight there way inside, but then the Abadi surprised them by waving her warriors aside.
"You may defeat our warriors, but it is also possible that you will not. And it would hardly do to kill you out here, while in there, Ardeth Bey is sacrificing himself protect you. I will take you to him," she stated, glumly, before reluctantly gesturing to them to follow.
The O'Connell's breathed a collective sigh of relief, even as they steeled themselves for the fight that loomed ahead of them.
~*~*~*~*~
"So what now?" Jonathan asked, stopping as they reached a sarcophagus. Easing Ardeth down to sit on it, the Englishman needed only a glance to know the Abadi tended it well. Made of limestone, it held a high-polish and its beautiful paint - in silver, black, indigo and purple - remained nearly flawless, as did the inlaid onyx and alabaster.
"You must place the keys within the locks and release the Amulet of Souls," Najat explained, fixing her gaze on Ardeth. Seeing the Medjai's head droop almost as though he'd lost consciousness, she sighed.
"The weapons?!" Ardeth gasped in response, managing to lift his head enough to meet Najat's gaze. His feverish mind had forgotten the weapons were a necessary part of the ritual.
"They were brought here immediately upon our arrival," the Abadi informed him. Relieved, Ardeth let his head fall again, while Najat turned to fetch the weapons.
"So what does that do...the Amulet of Souls," Jonathan nervously inquired.
"You will soon see for yourself," Najat quipped, provoking a frown from the Englishman. "You are ready?"
Ardeth forced his head up, again, and found Najat standing next to him with the weapons in hand. He nodded and slid from his seat to stand. As he rose, his knees buckled beneath him, but the warrior managed to throw his hands down onto the sarcophagus quickly enough to keep himself upright.
"You sure you're up to this, old boy?" Jonathan asked, anxiously.
"I...will...manage," Ardeth assured him. Pausing a few seconds to gather his nearly spent strength, he bit his lip and, painfully, managed a couple deep breaths.
"Once you have claimed the amulet, you must place it on yourself so that it rest over your heart," Najat explained, as she watched the warrior prepare himself. She knew whatever reserve he was mustering would not last long and didn't want him to have to pause for instruction once he'd begun to move.
Ardeth responded with a clipped nod. Pushing away from the sarcophagus, he turned his trembling body toward the Abadi and reach out to claim the weapons.
"Maybe I should give you hand with this," Jonathan offered, as the weight of the sword nearly took Ardeth to floor. Letting the tip slam into the ground, the Medjai rested his weight on it, as though it were a cane, and managed, barely, to stay upright.
"No, that is not possible. He that desires to stand before Al 'Asima must alone place the keys within the locks," Najat stated, sadly.
"But..." Jonathan began to argue, but the Abadi interrupted.
"It is the way it must be."
Jonathan sighed. As frustrating as it was, he'd experienced enough during the family's adventures to know that such rules couldn't be argued away. Everything had to be done right and proper to fix such messes as this one.
Ardeth didn't bother to respond to Jonathan's offer, or Najat's rebuff of it. He hadn't the strength to spare. Tempted to close his eyes, the Medjai, instead, abruptly turned back toward the sarcophagus, nearly losing his balance. He tossed down the hand holding the dagger to catch himself, studying the stone lid as rested for a moment.
It had been carved in the image of a woman. Her arms lay folded over her chest, with the hands placed over her heart. The finely etched silver and jeweled scabbards of the weapons rested beneath her arms, the dagger's under one and the sword's under the other. Each pointed outward, forming an invisible triangle. Ardeth sighed as he realized the angle would not allow both weapons to be placed into their scabbard from a single position. He would have to move from one side of the sarcophagus to the other.
His will forcing his feet into motion, the Medjai slowly inched his way to the first scabbard. Leaning heavily against the sarcophagus for support, he weakly dragged the sword along. Its weight seemed to increase with each step, tugging increasingly at his attention and sapping his will. Longing to be rid of the heavy weapon, Ardeth shook his head in weary resignation as he slid the dagger into its scabbard first. It seemed somehow fitting to him that his task would be made difficult down to the final details.
As if in response to the thought, the dagger stuck an inch before setting properly within it's casing. Ardeth's worn and fevered brain found it oddly humorous, and he unconsciously smirked, as he leaned his weight into the weapon to jam it in the rest of the way. Losing his balance in the effort, the Medjai fell forward into the stone cover. Blackness threatened to consume him as pain flared out from his ribs and abdominal wound, but Ardeth determinedly fought it back.
Jonathan reflexively lunged forward as Ardeth slipped, but Najat caught his arm. Finding it agonizing to watch helplessly, he glanced, pleadingly, at the Abadi; she simply shook her head. Jonathan could see pain her in expression and knew she ached to go the Medjai as well, but the understanding didn't make him feel any better.
Pushing himself up, Ardeth fought the temptation to close his eyes for a moment, fearing that he wouldn't manage to open them again. Forcing his feet to move instead, he struggled not to topple over as maintaining his grip upon the broadsword required increasing amounts of concentration. Finally reaching the second scabbard, Ardeth sighed with relief, but it lengthened into one of frustration, as he abruptly realized the weapon would have to be lifted. It had drained nearly everything he had left just to drag it behind him.
Ardeth sucked in a trembling breath, then, exhaled slowly, as he planted his hip against the sarcophagus for support. As ready as he could make himself, he grabbed the hilt with both hands, focused his remaining strength, and lifted the blade. Too weak to ease it onto the lid gently, the blade clattered loudly against the stone, sending vibrations through the metal sword that antagonized his aching body and forced a moan from the warrior's lips. Ignoring the pain, Ardeth forced his protesting arms to ease the sword into position and slid it into the second lock.
Resting limply against the sarcophagus, he registered a soft click and glanced over to discover that stone hands had lifted slightly. It took several seconds for his feverish brain to register that they were hinged where the carved sleeves ended at the wrists. More falling in the appropriate direction, than reaching, Ardeth slid a hand beneath the narrow opening. His weary fingers clumsily searched for the amulet and weakly pulled it out into the dim light.
Feeling Najat grow increasingly tense beside him, Jonathan fidgeted, nervously. She seemed to be expecting something unpleasant, but, with the exception of Ardeth needing to perform it, the ritual seemed pretty benign to him. His anxiety increased as it occurred to him that it had, thus far, been, perhaps, too benign. It made him worry about the magnitude of whatever came next.
"Everything's going to be fine now, right?" Jonathan abruptly asked, as he watched Ardeth push himself onto his feet and awkwardly pull the amulet's chain over his head. "I mean nobody's dead, he's returned the bloody weapons and retrieved the amulet; so now he just needs to give a quick 'how do you do' to this Al 'Asima person and we can hustle him back to bed, eh?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Jonathan saw Najat look at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. However, it still managed to make his stomach clench, fearfully. Catching the slight movement as Ardeth shifted the amulet to lie directly over his heart, Jonathan nearly bolted to stop him, but approaching voices distracted him at the last second.
"ARDETH, STOP!!" Evy shouted, entering the main cavern a half-step behind Zaynab and ahead of Rick.
Ardeth reflexively glanced up, but it was too late to stop. The amulet already in place, his eyes rolled back in his head at almost the same instant he met Evy's panicked gaze. His legs crumbling beneath him, Ardeth crashed onto the ground. His head missed the sarcophagus by millimeters, but only the two Abadi noticed. Jonathan and the O'Connells' gazes were fixed upon the shimmering image of Ardeth's soul, still standing where its body had left it. Its 'eyes' were still fixed on Evy's, their depths pleading for her to understand.
"Nooooooooo! Ardeth! What have you done?!" She cried. Her grief sounding like anger, the eyes looked away, and Evy immediately regretted the rebuke. She opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could form a word, the shimmering form faded away.
~*~*~*~*~
Seeking to escape Evy's anguished expression, Ardeth let his gaze drop away. Wearily closing his eyes, he didn't notice as the tomb surrounding him faded away. When he felt a presence approach from behind, he opened his eyes again and found himself staring out into the empty desert. The change of scenery threw him off balance for a moment, but the Medjai quickly regained his composure. His expression giving no indication of the nervous tickle he felt, he slowly turned to face Al 'Asima.
~*~*~*~*~
"Nooooooooooooooo!" Alex wailed, darting towards the Medjai's crumpled body. "Ardeth, come back!"
Watching her son, Evy abruptly wavered, overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions filling the small tomb. Rick lunged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Closing his eyes in an effort to rein in his emotions, he snuggled his head into her hair.
"Its gonna be all right, Evy," he whispered, more calmly than he felt. "We're gonna fix it. We're gonna get him back."
"How, Rick?! How do we fix this?! His soul is GONE!"
Tearing herself from her husband's arms, she chased after Alex. Evy found him sitting behind the sarcophagus, clinging desperately to one of the Medjai's limp hands. She tried to touch him, wanting to soothe away some of the grief etched into his young face, but Alex squirmed away, refusing to even look at her. Drowning in her own grief and guilt, Evy didn't try again. Instead, she sunk onto the ground near Ardeth's lifeless head and gently lifted it into her lap.
By the time Rick reached the trio, she'd begun to rock back and forth, mumbling, pleadingly, to the motionless warrior. Rick hovered over them, helplessly absorbing the scene, until his gaze landed on the amulet. A fit a grief-spawn rage overwhelming him, he reached for it, intending to fling the accursed object away.
"NOOO!" Najat shouted. Rushing to the fallen Medjai, she snagged Rick's attention just as his hand wrapped around the amulet. "It is the link between his body and his soul!"
Not quite understanding, Rick continued to grasp the amulet and simply stared at her.
"So he just looks dead, but really he's all right?" Jonathan anxiously quizzed, peering at the group from a distance safely outside his brother-in-law's reach. He expected that eventually his family's grief and guilt would seek an outlet, and, as he'd helped Ardeth behind their backs, he knew he'd set himself up to receive the brunt of it.
Najat sighed and tossed the Englishmen a look that reminded him Ardeth had been far from all right before entering the tomb. "He stands now before Al 'Asima. How she will judge him, I cannot know. But if she finds in his favor, his soul will be released and may return to his body. It cannot if the link is broken."
Rick dropped the amulet as if it were a hot coal. Regaining his composure a moment later, he carefully settled it over Ardeth's heart.
"What do you mean it 'may return'? It doesn't have to?" Alex asked, suspiciously.
Najat sighed, again, before responding, simply. "No, it does not have to."
"Don't you worry, Alex; he is going to come back. He is!" Evy attempted to soothe, but the slightly hysterical edge to her tone only added to everyone's agitation. She didn't notice. Her gaze fixed on Ardeth's motionless chest, she silently pleaded for it to rise.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~