by Klara Raškaj
Sarah remembered when Mesehradabet spoke to her back in the museum. He used that same word. Netjeret. Goddess.
"Maybe I can try?" Sarah asked with a light smile, hunching her back slightly as she rose her hand.
Hastings sighed. "Sarah, I know you're Professor Fraser's most prized student, but--"
"It said that same thing when it spoke to Sarah," Tom added with his trembling voice. "That word. I heard it. Net-je-ret?"
Fraser stared at Sarah with wide-open eyes. He closed them for a moment and took a deep breath, then reopened them and nodded.
Slowly, Sarah walked over to Mesehradabet and asked him if she could take a seat next to him.
Though it was a bit hard to make out his facial expressions with such a large mouth covered in nothing but thick, sharp teeth, he seemed to smile at her as he answered, "Yes."
In ancient Egyptian, she asked him how he was feeling.
He said he was feeling much better now, and that he was beyond grateful. That was the gist of it, anyway. Sarah failed to catch the specifics of what he'd just told her.
His broad shoulders and muscular physique kept her eyes occupied. He was wearing nothing but a thin blanket to cover the lower half of his body with, which was truly failing at its job if his bulge was too large for it to fully conceal. And the way he pronounced the words with his deep, masculine voice... It was mesmerizing. Almost like the sound of it was making love to the auditory cortex in her brain. It was so gentle, mystical, yet booming and frightening all at the same time.
It was only when he said the word "netjeret" again that Sarah shook her head and snapped herself out of her trance.
"He says he is very grateful to the goddess for aiding him, and that he is feeling much better now that she is beside him," Fraser told to the dean.
"And Sarah is the goddess?" asked Hastings. "Did I understand that right?"
Fraser chuckled. "Well, I don't know about you, but if I saw a beautiful woman dressed in alien clothing after having lain dormant for thousands of years, it's safe to say I would think the same."
After having spoken to Mesehradabet some more, Sarah turned to the professor and the dean. "He says he can use his magic to talk like us."
"Magic?" the dean inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Sarah talked with Mesehradabet some more. Her eyes opened wider and her lips parted as the pharaoh explained his request to her. Her heart pounded faster, and her palms started to sweat. She looked at Professor Fraser, asking him for advice with her gaze.
"Nobody is going to force you to do anything you don't want to, Sarah," he assured her. "Whatever you decide, we'll respect it."
The idea scared her, but also excited her at the same time. Mesehradabet seemed so honest and compassionate despite the strange request he made. She felt like she could trust him not to do her any harm. Her hands trembled as she sat there, gazing back at him, still trying to muster up the courage to say "yes." Finally, with a coy smile, she nodded.
Mesehradabet smiled right back at her.
"What did he ask for?" Hastings whispered to Fraser.
"He..." Fraser glanced down. "He said he needed to kiss her in order to sap the knowledge of our language from her tongue."
The dean gave him a disturbed look.
Sarah stared at her lap, unable to hide the shame she felt for being somewhat excited for what was about to happen. Her lips trembled a bit as she struggled to keep herself from smiling.
Mesehradabet leaned closer, looming over her with his large, muscular chest. But instead of tilting her head up to kiss her, however he intended to do it with all of those fangs in the way, he took her hands in his and just held them.
Beyond confused, Sarah looked up at him and then back down at his hands that were gently clasping hers. His skin was hot to the touch, sending a wave of sparks through her body all the way down between her legs. She couldn't bring herself to face him after that.
He told her that her hands were trembling and asked if she was afraid of him.
Sarah shook her head and replied, "No" in a stuttering voice.
He begged her to tell him what was the matter and said he wouldn't do anything until he was sure she was all right.
She gazed up at him in awe while still holding her head down. No man had ever shown such interest and concern for her. If there was any reluctance left in her about letting him kiss her, it was completely gone at that moment. She no longer settled for giving in just to help him. Though she was ashamed of the thought, she craved his touch. Mesehradabet made it clear that he wouldn't do anything unless he was absolutely sure she wanted it, but she couldn't bring herself to show him how truly eager she was. She had to do something, and she had to do it fast. Gently, she pulled her hands back and moved closer to the pharaoh. She leaned forward to reach his ear with her lips while keeping her eyes pointed at the floor. Quietly, she confessed to him that she wasn't nervous because she was scared, but because she was secretly excited about it. She also told him he had a really nice voice.
Mesehradabet chuckled, almost to the point of it becoming whole-hearted laughter.
Sarah let out a nervous giggle in return, unsure of whether he was genuinely amused or just mocking her.
He sighed, smiling, and gazed into her eyes as he ran his fingers through her shimmering ginger hair.
Sarah's heart continued to race. The longer she stared back at him, the more heat built up inside her chest, keeping her from being able to take in a decent breath.
He closed in on her with his face, his eye half-closed as he slowly opened his monstrous maw. He held her with his arms and leaned her back slightly while his long, thick tongue slipped in between her lips.
Her chest heaved as she released a muffled moan and closed her eyes. She didn't mean to do any of it, but she found she couldn't control how her body reacted to his touches. She'd never felt such fullness inside her mouth. It was much more pleasant that she thought it would be. The urge to suck on it took over her, but she held back by the final strands of her self-control. She didn't want the moment to end. And though his giant, flesh-ripping teeth were covering half of her face, she wasn't scared. In fact, she felt the safest she'd ever been right there in his arms, at his mercy. Slowly, she opened her eyes as he parted from her, pulling out his tongue from her mouth.
Feint traces of black sand danced in the air around them.
"Sarah? Are you--?" asked Fraser.
"Y-yeah!" she yelped as she turned to face the other men in the room with a bashful smile. "I'm fine," she assured them and stood up, pulling down her skirt.
Dean Hastings glanced at Fraser. "Can he--?"
Mesehradabet pushed himself off the sofa while holding up the blanket around his waist with one hand. "Thank you," he told Sarah, smiling softly. "I...hope I haven't brought you too much discomfort."
"U-um...no..." she replied. "I-it's fine..."
Dean Hastings approached him with a cautious step. "So, you really are--?"
"Mesehradabet. The first, and I should suspect the last," he answered in an American English accent. "Thank you all for your help. I can't imagine how strange this experience must have been for you."
"For us?" asked Tom with a terrified, but also mesmerized look in his eyes as he shot himself up from his seat. "You were a bloody corpse an hour ago, and you're asking us that?"
"For me, my return was only to be expected. For you, on the other hand..." Mesehradabet sighed with a smirk. "Well...you seemed rather surprised when you realized I spoke of magic. Was I wrong to assume it is still an uncommon practice?"
"No, you are correct," Fraser replied with a light smile and extended his hand to him. "Richard Fraser."
Mesehradabet titled his head slightly as he inspected it and mimicked the movement after a moment of thought.
Fraser shook his hand. "I would have greeted you in your own custom, but sadly, your civilization is so ancient, we hardly have enough records of it. In fact, we didn't how to even pronounce the words in y
our language until you spoke."
The pharaoh smiled at him. "My people's time has long passed. I have invaded your time. It's only fair I be the one to adapt."
"So...Mesehradabet--" said the dean as he walked over to him, suspicion still lingering on his face.
"If it is easier for you, Meseh is fine," said the pharaoh.
"Meseh..." The dean nodded with a smile. "We've never had a dead person come back to life before. Honestly, we have no idea what to do with you, especially given your appearance."
"Would it be rude to ask how you even came about looking this way?" asked Fraser. "Your mummified corpse has puzzled me and many other scholars across the world ever since we dug up your remains from your tomb."
"It's not a problem. I'm very much aware of my disfigurement," said Meseh. "However, I'm...not very comfortable talking about such things with just anyone."
"We completely understand," said Fraser. "It's just that...your knowledge would be invaluable to us. We still know so little of you and your people, and now we have a chance to hear it all from a person who's actually experienced our past first-hand."
Meseh turned to Sarah. "Is this your daughter?"
Her heart skipped a beat as she met his gaze with a puzzled look.
"This is Sarah Khateb. She is a student here at the college," Hastings explained.
"Sarah..." he said as he faced her with his entire body, pronouncing her name as though he wanted to relish every second those letters danced on his tongue. "You've been so kind to me... You've revealed to me your most private thoughts. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I couldn't at the very least return the favor."
Tom, Dean Hastings, and Professor Fraser all turned to Sarah with curious gazes.
She didn't even feel the need to ask Professor Fraser for his opinion. She was actually really excited about the thought of spending more time with Meseh and finding out more about him. She'd already learned everything she could when he was just a corpse, but now she was given the chance to hear about his past from him personally. God only knew what this could do for her thesis on the subject. Maybe she'd even be awarded a Nobel Prize!
"Y-yeah! I'd be honored!" she exclaimed, smiling back at Meseh. "Thank you so much!"
"Please--there's really no need to thank me." He chuckled. "It would be my pleasure. Truly."
"The other staff and students will arrive any minute," the dean warned them. "We must keep the pharaoh a secret for the time being. If the press gets word of this, we might lose Meseh to some very influential people who will try to lure him away and snatch our money from under our noses. We can't risk anyone else finding out about this until we publish the research first."
"You don't need to worry about me meddling in your affairs," said Meseh. "Besides...the sun no longer rises and sets with me. I am no more a god than any of you here. I will keep my face hidden for the time being."
"Thank you," said the dean. "I'm glad we can agree on that."
"Sarah, this will probably be the most important task of your life." Fraser smiled at her. "I'm sure you're already thinking on expanding your thesis with Meseh's testimonies. I'll be looking forward to reading about your findings, and I expect nothing but the best from you."
"Thank you, professor," she replied.
"I'll have a hotel room arranged for you," the dean told Meseh. "We'll send over anything you might need. And I'm sure Miss Khateb won't mind answering any questions you might have for us as well."
"I appreciate your help," said Meseh. "But I hope you are aware I don't currently have a means of repaying this debt. If you have discovered my corpse, then I have no doubt most of my valuables have already been taken as well."
"Your knowledge and loyalty to the college are all the payment we need," said the dean. "In any case, we'll be at your disposal. I also trust Miss Khateb will see to it that your integration into our world is a smooth one." He then turned to the security guard. "Tom, you can expect an increase in your salary as of next month. Can we trust you to keep this between us?"
"Of course!" Tom answered with a surprised look on his face. "T-thank you, sir!"
"So...um...what now?" asked Sarah, shrugging.
"For starters, it might be appropriate to finally give Meseh some decent clothing," Fraser added. "Fortunately, I have some spare clothes in my office. You'll have to use the scarf my wife left here to cover your face with, though."
Dean Hastings went behind his desk and took out a bottle of whiskey from one of the drawers. "All right, then... Now that all the formalities are out of the way, I think we could all use some of this."
The professor smirked and sighed. "Would it be unprofessional to tell you I loved you?"
"Fraser, I would fire you if you didn't."
• • • •
The trees and freshly cut grass in the courtyard bathed in the morning sunlight, and the students of Sandersonia University were already on their way to their morning classes with hot cups of coffee in their hands.
Sarah strolled down the granite path in her school uniform beside Meseh.
He was wearing a white shirt, khakis, brown pointed shoes, and a beige scarf wrapped around his entire head, covering everything but his one eye.
"Hey, Khateb, daddy finally arranged a marriage for you?" shouted one of the male students leaning against a building wall.
His friend laughed. "How many camels did he trade you for?"
Sarah turned her head and smiled at them. "Too many for you to afford!"
They continued laughing as Sarah and Meseh moved farther away.
"Does their disrespect not bother you in the slightest?" asked Meseh, observing her from the corner of his eye.
"Sometimes, but...I don't think being married to you would be such a bad thing," she answered with a smile. "You seem nice. I think you'd take good care of me."
He looked away, his eye observing the path in front of him once again. "If you believe someone with a face like mine would have learned of kindness from having experienced it themselves, you are sorely mistaken. No woman has ever found herself in my bed of her own free will, nor has one left without tears. All I ever truly wanted was love...trust...loyalty." He sighed. "But...unlike flesh, it is not something that can be sold or bought."
Black sand traveled through the breeze over to a young man walking nearby and drinking water from a bottle. Suddenly, his stare went completely blank, and he changed his course to walk over to Meseh, handing him his water.
Sarah just stared dumbfounded at the student as he winced and held his head as if he'd just woken up with the biggest hangover of his life. She then turned back to Meseh with an awe-stricken gaze.
"But it can be forced...with a bit of 'persuasion.'" He chuckled and poured the entirety of the bottle's contents into his giant maw. With one tight squeeze of his hand, he distorted the bottle's shape beyond recognition and threw it away. "Unfortunately, that kind of love is a non-renewable resource. It sates me for a few moments, but only leaves me thirstier."
"Um... Sorry--are you talking literally or figuratively?" she asked.
Meseh laughed at her remark. "You are such a delight, Sarah," he told her. "Unlike the others, you do not hang on my words with neither fear nor prejudice. Though you have no reason to trust me, you have given me an opportunity to show you my true self. You could not even begin to comprehend how grateful I am for that. I know how...difficult it must be, given my appearance."
"Oh--you're welcome, I guess?" She chuckled. "But I'm not always like that. There have been people I've met who irked me the wrong way. I hadn't even gotten to know them, but I still felt kinda uncomfortable around them. I just don't get that feeling from you, that's all."
"My appearance does not affect your judgment of me," he said. "That's all I could ask for. What you sense in my heart is a different story."
"Okay--we're here!" she announced as they approached the library entrance. She opened the door for him and waited for him to enter first.
Meseh
obliged and went inside.
While he showed no initial reaction to the library's interior design, Sarah was as captivated with it as the first day she'd laid eyes on it.
Though it only had a ground and a first floor, the arched ceiling was so high it almost resembled a cathedral of some kind. Almost everything was made of wood, from the walls to the furniture.
The light shining in from the windows on the sides illuminated the broad hallway in the middle that always made Sarah feel like a royal whenever she strolled down it. Mostly because she would be the only one doing it several times in a row with seemingly no other discernible purpose or destination in mind. She just loved how it felt to walk there. At least she would have gotten a bit of exercise before returning to her study sessions.
"Well? What do you think?" she asked, smiling as she held her arms behind her back and looked around, admiring all the bookshelves on the upper floor.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Meseh replied in a low, almost whispering tone.
Sarah looked back at him just as he turned his head away to face the end of the hallway. "I know, right? Come on, I know a place where we can talk in private," she said and made her way down the corridor with Meseh following close behind. She took him to one of the smaller rooms in the back of the building.
There were only a few tables and a couple of bookcases inside, and the light was much dimmer due to the lack of windows. Even during daylight, one could mistake it for the night.
"I love this place," said Sarah as she hanged her shoulder bag onto one of the chairs and sat down. "I don't know--just feels really cozy."
"I agree," Meseh added with a smirk and took a seat next to her. "But I've come to prefer brighter spaces. Especially when I want the world to bear witness to something I take pride in. There are...so many things in this world that hold such beauty, and yet...we're ashamed of them." He leaned back and crossed his legs, his left ankle touching his right knee. "The woman's body, for instance."
Sarah's puzzled eyes kept jumping back and forth between Meseh and the desk beside her. "I... I guess..." she replied. After a contemplative pause, she tilted her head down and squeezed her legs tightly together as she looked through her bag for her iPad.
