Destiny of the Sands

by Rai Aren

  Setar felt his face grow hot. His hands trembled. “Secrets and lies…that is what my father said.”

  “What?” she asked, shocked at what he had just said. She felt a sudden wave of anger from him. Deep, dark anger.

  Setar placed his hand over his heart. “He said he would never lie to me.” He glared at her. “He was the only one.”

  Anjia watched him. She felt something change within him, a shift. She suddenly felt cold, ice cold. Her pendant’s energy seemed to fade, then surge back with a different rhythm. “Setar…” she started to say.

  “I know about Mindara…and my real mother,” he said in a voice that sounded hollow. “I know what she did to her.”

  Anjia inhaled sharply. “Setar,” she said, “I am sorry that you had to…”

  “You knew,” he said as he took a step back, a look of revulsion on his face, “and yet you still accept her? You say that you love her? You kept all of this from me my whole life?”

  “Setar, please listen to me, let me explain,” she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

  He shook his head vigorously, taking a few more steps back. “I will never trust any of you again. You are all nothing but liars. You kill anyone who crosses you.” His face looked different now. He appeared almost broken, shattered.

  “That is not true, Setar, please understand,” Anjia begged him, growing more fearful of his reaction, “there is so much more to this. Let me tell you what happened…”

  “I will never forgive any of you for what you have done.” And with that he ran off.

  Chapter 62

  Secrets Uncovered, Present-day Egypt

  THE four friends were alone in their bright, spacious, private hospital suite, courtesy of Dr. Khadesh. Jack was in the bed, recovering from his gunshot wound. The others sat around his bed in comfortably padded chairs. They were enjoying a huge platter of fresh fruit and bread that Dr. Khadesh and Khamir had sent them, while watching the news on TV. The female news anchor spoke on the television:

  “The Cairo airport remains under heavy security. The investigation is finally complete and the official report to international governments and the media was that four Americans were kidnapped. In their attempts at escape they were falsely accused of being terrorists by Maximilian Reichmann, the head of Reichmann Enterprises. Mr. Reichmann is a wealthy German antique smuggler and, as revealed by the police investigation, has ties to the Stasi, the former secret police organization of East Germany. The four Americans were able to retrieve the stolen artifacts and assist Egyptian police in their investigation, resulting in the arrest of the culprits. Maximilian Reichmann, who authorities said orchestrated one of the biggest antique smuggling rings in the world, was killed in a firefight with police. His role in several other murders is also being investigated.”

  She continued with her report, “Maximilian Reichmann had help from two American archaeologists, Fessel C. Blothers and Professor Abner Dustimaine. Mr. Blothers was injured during the retrieval of the stolen artifacts, but will make a full recovery. He is cooperating with authorities in this investigation and will testify that he and Professor Dustimaine had helped Maximilian Reichmann illegally excavate near the Great Sphinx, in an attempt to steal ancient relics. How Maximilian Reichmann was allowed to undertake such a shockingly brazen endeavor, which is described as an affront to history and to the great nation of Egypt, will be part of this investigation. Several Egyptian officials are also being investigated for their roles in this matter. German authorities have seized the assets of Reichmann Enterprise and are working closely with Egyptian police to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.”

  “The four Americans who foiled this grand caper also work in the field of archaeology. All charges against them have been dropped. In fact, Dr. Khadesh, the Director of Egyptian Antiquities, has stated that we all owe a debt of gratitude to the four Americans for their heroic actions in helping to preserve Egypt’s great history.”

  “Wow,” Bob said, thrilled at what he had just heard.

  “Heroes, hey?” Jack beamed. He struggled to sit up, his left arm heavily bandaged in a sling.

  “Here, let me help you,” Alex said. “You’re going to have to get used to wearing that. The doctors will take it off once we’re back in the States.”

  “Could you pass me the jello?” Jack asked.

  “Sure,” she said, grabbing the cup of bouncy, green jello.

  He struggled with the spoon.

  “I’ll help you,” she said, and taking the spoon from him, she spoon-fed him some jello.

  “Thanks, Alex. You’re an angel.” He smiled at her. “It’s just so uncomfortable,” he said as he took another bite. He shifted. “And it still hurts a lot,” he winced and sighed.

  “I know,” she replied. “You poor thing.” She fed him more jello.

  Bob rolled his eyes.

  Mitch laughed. “Let’s not let this hero business go to our heads. We still have things to wrap up, you know.”

  “That’s right,” Alex said. “Lots of unfinished business, and not the glamorous kind either.”

  The four friends had spent the past week in an Egyptian hospital, while they recovered from their wounds. They had all sustained some injuries, but nothing time could not heal. Jack’s injuries were the most serious, requiring two surgeries, as the bullet had lodged in his humerus, but his doctors said with time and a lot of physiotherapy he would likely make a full recovery.

  There was a knock on the door.

  They all jumped.

  The door opened. “My friends, how are you doing this fine day?” Dr. Khadesh asked as he entered the room, accompanied by Khamir who waved and smiled at them all.

  They were visibly relieved.

  “Still a little jumpy, are we?” Khamir asked. “I can understand that. It will take awhile to recover physically and emotionally.” He set a duffel bag down on a nearby table.

  “Yeah, once I can get some shut-eye,” Bob said. “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.” He pointed to the cots they had been using. “Those things aren’t built for a man of my stature. I’m seriously sleep deprived and aching all over.”

  They hadn’t wanted to be apart since their ordeal, so they requested cots for Jack’s room. Dr. Khadesh had facilitated all of the arrangements for them.

  “Actually, I beg to differ. I know that you’ve been sleeping,” Jack said. “It sounds like there’s a freight train in here at night you snore so loud.”

  “It’s true,” Alex said.

  Mitch nodded. “Totally. Two freight trains I think.”

  “Well, I don’t know how you can hear anything, Jack,” Bob retorted. “I’ve seen all the painkillers you’ve been getting. It’s a wonder you’ve been aware of anything at all.”

  “Been having some pretty good dreams, too,” he said as he winked at his friend. He stole a quick glance in Alex’s direction.

  “Unbelievable, even with a gunshot wound, you never stop,” Bob said, laughing.

  “Well,” Dr. Khadesh said, sitting down in a chair near the TV, “I think your recovery is coming along just fine.”

  “They’ve been amazing to us here,” Alex said. “Thank-you for everything. We also heard about our status on the news.”

  “I apologize that you found out that way. I meant to tell you myself, but we had a lot of things to address regarding what happened. I believe everything is under control now and back in order,” he said, wincing as he shifted in the chair.

  Khamir poured him a glass of water, then took a seat next to him.

  “How is the shoulder healing?” Mitch asked.

  Dr. Khadesh still wore a sling over one arm, but looked amazingly well for someone who had been shot.

  “Still sore, but luckily the bullet passed clean through my shoulder,” he said, taking a long
drink of the water. Khamir refilled his glass.

  “Lucky you,” Jack added. “They keep coming at me with knives getting mine out.”

  “We are very sorry for your injury, Jack,” Khamir added. “We wish things had not gone as they did.”

  “Further to that,” Mitch said, “Dr. Khadesh, how is your colleague doing, the one that Maximilian used to lure you out?”

  “He is recovering reasonably well, thank-you for asking,” he said. “They say he will be in the hospital for no more than a couple of weeks longer, then he will he be doing some physical therapy for awhile. He has some challenges ahead, but he should recover at least most of the way.”

  “Our very best wishes for his recovery,” Alex said. She wanted to change the subject away from all of those traumatic events. “We’re sure glad you’re here. We missed you this last week.”

  “We can tell you must have been busy,” Mitch said. “On the news they said that the people involved with Maximilian are under investigation. Things are wrapping up nicely.”

  “Yes, it took some doing,” Khamir added, “but there will be a few more matters for us to handle in the days to come.”

  “Speaking of matters to handle,” Alex said. “Do you mind if we ask you about a certain… relic?”

  Dr. Khadesh smiled. “Perhaps we should discuss this behind closed doors.”

  Khamir got up and closed the door to the suite. He sat back down.

  “To answer your question, Alex, it is safe,” Dr. Khadesh replied.

  “Both the Pharom and the Sun Disk were hidden in a new secure place,” Khamir added. “Do you want to know where they are hidden?”

  “No!” the four friends replied in unison.

  “At least not for awhile,” Alex added, winking. “Maybe after we’ve all healed…”

  Bob kicked her chair.

  She laughed.

  “So, if I might ask,” Mitch ventured, “did anyone else see the Pharom?”

  “I managed to hide it away again in the third hidden chamber,” Khamir said, “before the authorities searched the area.”

  “What about Dustimaine and Fessel?” Jack asked. “Aren’t you worried that those weasels might tell the authorities about the Pharom’s powers?”

  “Don’t be too hard on Fessel, Jack,” Bob said. “I think he’s learned his lessons. He almost died saving Mitch, remember.”

  “You’re right,” Jack said. “Plus they didn’t know they were working for ex-Stasi officers. Sorry, Fessel, wherever you are.”

  “He is here in the hospital as well,” Khamir said. “He is recovering surprisingly well. It did not look good at first.”

  “Really?” Bob replied. “Maybe we should stop by and say hello.”

  “Not now,” Khamir said, “he was a little traumatized at first, too. I am not sure he is ready for that yet.”

  “What about Maximilian’s guard?” Mitch asked.

  “Well,” Dr. Khadesh said, “Fessel and Maximilian’s guard, who is now in prison, sustained serious enough injuries that whatever they saw regarding the Pharom might be mistaken for hallucinations. They are not exactly trustworthy sources, being on the wrong side of the law. As for Abner, he is here as well…in the psychiatric ward. He had a bad reaction to everything that happened, a bit of a breakdown, from what I understand. It will be some time before anybody takes what he says seriously.”

  Alex looked down at her hands. In spite of everything Dustimaine and Fessel had done, she didn’t wish them ill any longer. She wanted to let go of the anger and resentment she had been carrying towards them. She was drained.

  “What if someone else like Maximilian comes along, snooping around?” Mitch asked.

  “Do not worry about the Pharom, my friends,” Khamir said. “We have taken care of everything. It is protected, along with the Sun Disk, and the scrolls. Our society is safe again.”

  Alex started to say something, then stopped.

  Dr. Khadesh looked at her. “What is it, Alexandra?”

  “Speaking of societies…the Pharom…” she started to say, then looked at Mitch, Jack, and Bob. They all nodded. They wanted to know, too.

  “It’s not exactly…I mean…it’s…” her face flushed. “Oh, what the hell! It’s alien isn’t it?”

  Dr. Khadesh looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. He glanced over at Khamir, who bowed his head. Dr. Khadesh set his shoulders and looked squarely at her. “Yes.”

  “We knew it!” Mitch exclaimed, thrusting his arms in the air.

  “Oh wow,” Jack said.

  Bob’s eyes were bugging out of his head.

  Alex swallowed hard, trying to stay calm. “The Kierani people, but if they created it…” she said, her heart beat faster, her palms grew sweaty, “if they were the ones, then they’re also…”

  “Yes,” Dr. Khadesh answered simply.

  “Oh my god,” she said, breathlessly. Her eyes welled up with tears. She had a thousand questions. A million. She ran her fingers through her once-again blonde hair.

  “But you four had already figured that out,” Khamir added.

  “Well, we suspected, but…” Mitch said, standing up. He poured himself a glass of water. He was overwhelmed with the news. “To know now for sure…it changes so much.”

  “Excuse me,” Jack interjected. “I just thought of something. You’ve both been the guardians of this information and these ancient relics for how long?”

  “A very long time, Jack,” Dr. Khadesh smiled.

  The room was silent for a few minutes.

  Dr. Khadesh and Khamir sat quietly, waiting, watching the four. They saw the questions churning in their minds.

  Alex grabbed her still much shorter ponytail, twisting it, thinking. “So you said before that you and Khamir had done your own research, and learned of the Kierani.”

  “That is correct,” Khamir answered.

  “How exactly did you learn all this?” Alex asked.

  “Why not just ask us what is really on your mind, Alexandra?” Dr. Khadesh replied.

  She felt her stomach lurch to her throat. She was used to her questions being brushed aside. She tried to frame her thoughts. “I mean, if I had to guess, it might sound crazy, but…” she could feel beads of perspiration forming on her forehead, “well, I’ve often thought there was something different about the two of you. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it…” She looked at them intently, noticing, perhaps for the first time, in the bright hospital light, the golden flecks in their warm dark brown eyes.

  “I thought the same thing,” Jack added.

  “I think we all did,” she said nervously, “So, is it possible…are you somehow…related to them?”

  “Do you mean are we Kierani?” Dr. Khadesh asked.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Are you?”

  “We are.”

  “Oh my god!” she shouted, jumping up. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” She thought she could pull all of her hair out at that moment she was so excited.