The Other Side – Part 4
Late June 1925
The Guardians Citadel “Il Wasi Qal’a”
Royal study ~ east wing
Two days later ~ afternoon
Ralon stood on the small stone balcony situated outside of the library and leaned against the railing, lost in the memories of the past. He had spent the past two days wandering aimlessly through the courtyards and hallways of what he once considered to be his home only to discover it no longer felt welcoming.
It no longer felt like he belonged.
The happy and cherished memories of his youth spent with Ardeth were now tainted by his father’s unsolved murder, and Ralon eagerly embraced the resentment that was festering in his heart. “Abu,” he murmured sadly as his gaze swept over the city teeming with life. “Now more than ever I am in need of your wise counsel; why did I come here? I am haunted every waking moment from memories, and tormented by what I have been unable to do. I have yet to avenge your death…”
“Is that why you came here, Cousin? To redeem yourself in the eyes of Alhasan Bay, and our people, by bringing his murderer to justice?”
Ralon stiffened from the sound of Ardeth’s voice and slowly turned around as a critical eye roamed over his cousin’s appearance. Dareejah had not exaggerated about Ardeth’s physical well being. He felt the tint of shame rush through his face for his previous behavior and yet it was mingled with the excitement of seeing him again.
An uncharacteristic weariness showed in Ardeth’s eyes as he stiffly walked across the room, and Ralon could see he favored one arm. The lines in his face seemed more prominent and his broad shoulders were slightly stooped, as if he had just waged an insurmountable battle, and lost. Glimpses of the proud warrior that lurked beneath the royal demeanor came through in short intervals, but the man that stopped in front of him seemed to be more of an aloof stranger.
Another reason to feel ashamed of his actions…
He ignored the worrisome voice in his head telling him Ardeth did not look well and latched onto the old bitterness. “If only that were possible in such a short time. Granted you have had at least one year’s worth of time to investigate and yet you still have not filed any formal charges. You dishonor the memory of my father, Cousin, with your inability to act.”
Ardeth’s eyes narrowed as he walked over and stood next to Ralon; he leaned against the railing and looked out over the city as well. “If you hate me so much, then I ask again – why did you come here? I thought you had finally been able to find peace with your American wife, Tina.”
“Tina is the only reason why I returned; she wanted me to comply with Dareejah’s request for a visit,” Ralon replied. He hesitated, wanting desperately to have things the way they used to be between them, and hastily added on, “I do not hate you; I am just…disappointed in you. It seems like there are always more pressing issues than restarting the investigation into my father’s death.”
Ardeth sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, the wistful tone in Ralon’s voice not lost on him. “The inquiry into Alhasan’s death was never concluded,” he stated softly, wondering why Ralon had always refused to believe that fact. “But I will gladly admit that I have been remiss in my duties…”
“The inquisition was ended by you,” Ralon snapped impatiently and turned away from Ardeth, pacing the small stone area. “You agreed with the Elders that there was insufficient evidence for a conviction.”
“I did no such thing.”
Ralon strode over to Ardeth, jabbing his finger into the air as the notorious Bay temper flared. “It was recorded in a public document…”
“One that I have previously stated, on numerous occasions, that I have never seen.”
“Your signature is at the bottom.”
“Then it is a forgery for I would have never signed…”
“You lie! This is another pitiful attempt to assuage your guilt and cleanse yourself of any wrong doing.”
The two warriors squared off in front of one another like two infuriated bulls; fists were clenched, chests were heaving, and eyes were flashing with more than just rage.
“I do not lie,” Ardeth growled each word. “Strong words coming from a man who could not stay and face his demons, but chose to run like a coward.”
“I did not run. I left the city in order to escape the glaring inadequacy of its ruler. Dareejah was right; you have grown arrogant and overconfident in your old age,” Ralon stated disgustedly.
“And you are a fool for listening to a woman who undermines my authority and feeds you lie after lie,” Ardeth spat.
“I may be many things, ya ra’is, but I assure you I do not lie,” Dareejah called out as she sailed out on to the stone balcony with two Elders in tow, and her constant shadow, Councilor Thias.
“Ardeth, what in the name of Allah is going on?” asked Elder Izz al Din as he walked over to the warrior and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. “We could hear this…this discussion out in the central courtyard.”
“Ralon and I were merely conferring about family matters,” Ardeth replied and then gave a respectful nod to the other Elders.
“A talk that it would seem is long over due,” Thias boomed and clapped Ralon on the shoulder, the jovial smile on his face fading slightly from the warrior’s cold glare.
“It is my fault,” Dareejah clasped her hands and turned to the Elders with a beseeching expression on her face. “I will readily admit that I lied to both Ardeth and Ralon so that they would coincidentally meet one another here today. I had hoped that by giving them a chance to talk, away from the formalities of the court that the bond they once shared would bloom again.”
“It is quite admirable that you care so much about the welfare of these two warriors,” Elder Yushua Abdul-Bari beamed at Dareejah. He gave both Ardeth and Ralon a quick shake of the head and wagged one finger at them. “It would be wise for the both of you to listen to Lady Dareejah, and stop acting like two children.”
Izz al Din rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yushua, they are not children any longer, so stop talking to them as if they were.”
“They were behaving like children,” Yushua replied as he allowed Thias to gently usher him off the balcony.
“I believe it would be best for all parties involved if we adjourned to the solarium for some tea.” Thias rounded up Izz al Din and continued herding the two old men towards a set of double doors. “And leave family matters exactly where they are: within the Bay family.”
“While they may have been acting like children, it did not help matters that you addressed them as such,” Izz al Din fussed as he was being led away.
“Big children with an appalling lack of manners.” Yushua sniffed. “Ralon barely acknowledged our presence.”
“I have ordered the cooks to add a special cake to the tea service today as a treat,” Thias said patiently as he cast a meaningful glance over his shoulder at Dareejah.
The old men were still arguing as they disappeared from sight; nervously Dareejah turned to the warriors and smiled tentatively. “Well,” she said as she glanced from the frowning Ardeth back to the glowering Ralon. “It would seem my first attempt as acting like a mother to you both has failed miserably. I was never very good in playing the role of the peacemaker.”
“Ya ume’s name was Sameeha,” Ardeth stated coldly, his dark eyes blazing with anger from Dareejah’s audacity to propagate herself as anything more than his step-aunt. “I have no need for another.”
“And ya ume’s name was Merinpa,” Ralon sighed and held up one hand in a gesture for silence between Ardeth and Dareejah. “However our mother’s names are not the issue here…” he paused and looked at Ardeth, sorrow emanating from the expression on his face. “What issues we do have are many in number, and would take more than one day to resolve.”
“Agreed. Now is not the time for any further discussion,” Ardeth stated crisply. He gave Dareejah a slight nod, and then turned to Ralon. “Duties that you may believe I have been shirking or neglecting are still my duties, Cousin, and I find that I must take my leave of you both for now. I trust that since you have been able to unleash most of your frustration on me that you will be leaving the city soon?”
Ralon nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “There is nothing further to discuss.”
“La,” Dareejah boldly grabbed Ardeth’s sleeve and then turned to Ralon. “How can you do this? How can you both act this way? I have listened so many times to the stories that some of the Elders love to tell, and what I noticed the most about them is how close you once were. You were like brothers, and the love that you felt for one another was clearly expressed in every adventure, in every tale. Is this how you honor those memories?”
“Dareejah,” Ralon began when Ardeth remained stubbornly silent.
“Is this how a family that has lost so much over the past few years supports one another?” Dareejah asked and pointed at Ralon. “Can you not let go of the past for just one moment, and look perhaps at your cousin with new eyes? He has changed, his life altered from a chance meeting with a barranidinyi mara. He needs you, although I doubt he will admit it.”
“Stop,” Ardeth said softly as Dareejah turned to him. “Do not…”
“And you, oh mighty chieftain,” Dareejah purposely interrupted Ardeth, the ultimate goal of this fine piece of acting almost within grasp. “You are going to be an uncle. The cousin that you loved so much when you were a child is about to become a father. Can you not put aside your differences for just one night, and spend some time with Ralon before he must return home? Or are you willing to lose not only Ralon, but his wife and child as well? Your family is dwindling before your very eyes, Ardeth. You must act.”
Ardeth sighed, hating how Dareejah had manipulated them into rethinking past accusations and actions. He saw Ralon staring expectantly at him, and for a brief moment the wall of anger around his heart cracked, making him yearn for what has been always slightly out of reach.
“I wish to prepare a dinner for you by the week’s end.” Dareejah softly cajoled as she wove her intricate web around the warriors. “It could be deemed a temporary truce to the war that you both seem intent on waging with one another. Or it could be a simple dinner between the three of us in an attempt to give us one last happy memory of us together…as a family.”
“How in the name of Allah did you meet an outworlder?” Ralon asked Ardeth with a slight smile.
“You should talk,” Ardeth replied with the same smile. “You had promised me when we were youths that you would never marry; we would both be free from the shackles of matrimony. Now you are to be a father. Does the woman who has ensnared you know what she has gotten herself into?”
Dareejah pasted a loving and cheerful smile on her face as the two warriors continued talking, reminiscing about the days of their youth. She artfully interjected the courses for dinner, appearing that her primary concern was the fare and the atmosphere. Mentally she readied another list that include a sharp dagger and the staunch loyalty of her personal guards; she didn’t need them rushing into the room after the murders had been committed, now did she?
~*~
Base camp within the triangle of Abydos, Dendera, and the West Bank of Luxor
Fifty miles south of the original gateway
Three days later…
Bijan settled uneasily on the lush pillows that were strewn across the intricately woven carpet covering the sandy floor, balancing his mug of tea in one hand while trying not to topple over. It had been quite a while since he had last experienced the hospitality of his desert kin, and had unfortunately forgotten their taste for the more rustic accommodations.
He brushed a few grains of sand from his pants, and resisted the urge to sigh with frustration; he had come ill prepared for desert travel and much to his chagrin, his hosts seemed to be enjoying his mild discomfort. He glanced up and noticed that the captain sitting across from him was flanked by two massive warriors who were staring expectantly at him.
Bijan hated the captain’s aura of self confidence and authority; steeped in the customs of their people, he proudly wore the traditional robes and sacred marks on his face and hands as if mocking Bijan’s decision to forgo the tattoos.
“Is it really necessary to have them here?” Bijan finally broke the lengthening silence and waved an arrogant hand at the captain’s silent sentinels.
Captain Emir Cohan had been watching the detective’s uneasy perch on one tasseled pillow with an amused expression on his face, his dark eyes sparkling with mirth. As he tentatively sipped from his mug, he continued his observation, expecting the man to tumble head over heels at any moment. “As necessary as getting you another pillow. Solman, would you please?”
The warrior named Solman moved with an easy grace and agility that piqued Bijan, but he wisely held his tongue as the giant loomed before him, offering two pillows instead of the requested one.
“Shukran,” he murmured and shifted again, horrified that he had spilled a few drops of tea on the carpet. Feeling someone staring at him, Bijan’s eyes swept up to meet the intensely steady gaze of the other young warrior sitting by Emir’s right side; it galled him to see such a large man casually displaying the very agility that seemed to have deserted him at the moment.
“Well,” Emir smiled and raised his cup to his lips to hide it as Bijan suddenly tilted to the left. “As much as I am reluctant to start our meeting off with grim news, I must inform you of the assassination attempt on our chieftain’s life.”
“All is not well,” sighed the other massive warrior as he sat down by Emir’s left side, watching Bijan’s pitiful attempts to stay upright. “Do you need my assistance again, Honored Guardian?” he asked when Bijan uncrossed his legs with a sigh.
Bijan glared at the young warrior and turned to Emir, his patience at an end. “Why are these two unseasoned warriors allowed to bear witness to this meeting? What may transpire here is of the utmost importance and I will not allow…”
“Commander ibn Sakhr sanctioned their presence here, and by decree of our chieftain they will remain by my side as we travel into the other world,” Emir stated firmly, daring Bijan to undermine the commander’s authority. “If you wish, I will have Jericho’s rest disrupted to satisfy your sense of propriety, Guardian, although I personally do not see the need.”
Mollified, Bijan deferred with a slight bow of his head. “I was merely following protocol, Captain. I meant no disrespect.”
Emir nodded, accepting the apology. “We have also been informed that you rescued the warrior, Sharif Rafe, and that he has been recuperating at your home in Cairo. We are overjoyed to hear this news, and Ardeth wishes for Sharif to return home as soon as possible.”
Bijan’s hand tightened around his mug from the mention of the wounded warrior. “In regards to Sharif’s return,” he started out slowly and paused, gauging how much he should reveal of what he thought to be the Traveler Zayn's ineptness. “There has been a complication.”
~*~
One hour later
Highway North by Northwest
Destination: Bijan’s home in Cairo
“It would appear that I have been handling this case improperly,” Bijan murmured as he gripped the SUV’s steering wheel, glancing in the rearview mirror at his passengers. “I should not have invited the Adams woman to stay at my home, yet it was my only means of damage control.”
“A most unusual decision, I agree, but one can certainly understand why it was made,” Traveler Lahab spoke up from the back of the vehicle. “What intrigues me is that all of the people you have named in your report are coexisting peaceably within your home.”
“It is a blending of cultures,” Emir said as he glanced over at Bijan, his gaze shrewd and assessing. The Guardian’s pristine reputation had preceded him, and Emir had been quite prepared to dislike the young man based on his own assumptions. The words ‘stubborn, unyielding,’ and ‘uncaring’ were often used in describing Bijan but Emir had felt a small amount of compassion for the other man. His was a job that decreed he live in two worlds, and remain ever vigilant for the time, if it ever came, to keep evil incarnate from ruling them both.
“It is my hope that one of us will be able to open the rift to send Sharif back,” Bijan said as he slowed down near a fork in the road. “Although I haven’t extensively questioned Traveler Zayn, I am still confused as to why his attempts have repeatedly failed.”
“The time for Sharif’s return is not at hand,” Solman said from his seat behind Bijan. Fascinated by the Land Rover’s electric windows, he went back to idly playing with the button, unaware of the shocked silence that followed his statement.
“How do you know this, ya SaHib?” Makin asked kindly of his warrior brother. “Did this come to you in a dream, like your other one?”
“La,” Solman replied, and shifted nervously, uncomfortable from everyone staring at him. He looked at Makin for reassurance and when he saw the slight nod, he happily went back to exploring the window’s mechanisms.
It was when conversation in the SUV had resumed did he finally elaborate. “This is what my heart tells me.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Other Side – Part 5