Holding up a hand to slow the girl’s intensity, my mind raced. “I made a wrong turn. Been gone too long.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No, you’re not as dumb as the others. Are you trying to look at girls?”
“No!” I said, clenching my jaw and glancing around with embarrassment. Nothing but burning lamps lined the hall. I whispered, “I need to see Nefertiti.”
“Why?” she asked, playing with a lock of hair as if it were a stringed instrument.
“I need to go.” I turned to leave.
“I might be able to help you if you tell me why you want to see her.”
Temptation tickled my insides, which was probably her plan. But what else could I do? I may not get another chance. Removing the pieces of the broken amulet from inside my kilt, I held them out in an open palm. “These were parts of a necklace given to me by a Theban priest. It helped save my life, and I want to give it to Nefertiti. My wish is to make her happy again.”
Laughing, Mutnedjmet clutched her belly. “That is sweet, Horemheb, but Bes is completely broken. He can’t help anyone like that. He’s supposed to be an invincible guardian.”
Heat rose in my cheeks with humiliation. I was a fool. Spinning around, I shuffled away.
“I know where we can get another,” Mutnedjmet said. “A complete talisman.”
I stopped.
“I’m not sure if it will lift her depression, but we can try.” Mutnedjmet hopped over and grabbed my hand, tugging. “Come on.” She skipped off down the hall.
Trailing Nefertiti’s sister around sharp corners under dancing flames, we ventured into regions of the palace I’d never seen. We passed servants, all of whom eyed me suspiciously and made my skin crawl.
“It was boring here after you and Nefertiti left,” Mutnedjmet said over her shoulder. “I had to spend too much time with Beketaten, listening to her opinions about everything. Was it fun? The trip, I mean?”
Fun? Stabbing pain climbed up my bad leg, causing me to wince. “I became a hero for a moment and saw the world. I remember a lot of pain but also so much wonder. And I met people who owed me nothing but were willing to save my life.”
She smiled, pointing. Fading sunlight streamed through a doorway and my throat constricted with worry. I knew I’d better get back and assist with Akhenaten’s dinner and bedtime rituals before he grew furious. He’d be waiting on me soon.
“Why’s no one around?” Mutnedjmet asked, tiptoeing to the doorway and peeking inside. “The magician should be here. Let’s check his lab.” She inched down the hall to the adjacent room.
A light glimmered within, dark green but faint and without an obvious source. So many objects littered the chamber there was no clear walkway. I stalked after Mutnedjmet in deathly silence, the eerie light washing our skin in green. Blankets of goose flesh arose on my shaved arms and legs.
What a mess. But the jumble was created by oddities with lingering odors I did not recognize. Jars sat upon overflowing shelves, stuffed with assortments of unidentifiable contents. Statues and statuettes of men and animals swarmed around everything. Powders of brilliant colors spilled from containers, creating mounds on the floor. Creatures and pieces of creatures floated in yellow liquids. An unmistakable hippo bobbed inside a jar, but my head was bigger than the entire creature. Wrinkles ran over its pink body, its eyes closed in death. Sticking out of its belly was an umbilical cord. Eerie curiosity consumed me, making my stomach crawl inward. The familiar head and chest of a cat seamlessly blended into the hind end of a fish, floating in suspended animation. I gasped. Could magic really combine animals into horrid beasts? Or had someone sewed them together?
Mutnedjmet didn’t seem to care, which shocked me just as deeply.
The creature I feared more than death itself floated in a jar in front of me, causing me to jump back. A miniature beast that combined the head and jaws of a crocodile, the body of a lion, and the hind end of a hippo, a fetus of the Devouring Monster—the greatest fear of any man or child! My heart skipped along with my breathing, rapid with terror. Blood pounded in my ears. How could this be? Squeezing the fragments of my necklace, I leaned closer.
A reptilian eye popped open, staring directly at me.
Present Day
I AWOKE TO THE LURCH AND squealing of brakes halting the train. Jumping in my seat, I struck my head on the bench. The chill air-conditioning raised goose bumps along my arms. Had we arrived in Cairo, near the ancient city of Memphis, already? Or just a stop along the way?
I adjusted the towel guarding my seat. Who knew what kind of germs bred in the fabric of such communal furniture?
Maddie slept beside me, her face resting peacefully upon the red bench seat. Dried mud dangled from her dark hair. I smiled, glad the professor’s letter enticed her. But she also made me nervous—like no one else—because she was my perfect girl. My fidgeting and inability to articulate well when speaking with her probably made me unattractive. Why was the world this way? The more you desire something, the more important it becomes, and the more important something is, the more doubt and nervousness chew away at your confidence like roaches, making you less likely to attain your desire. People who don’t care are relaxed and poised. They land the prettiest girls and best jobs. Maybe that was why I was able to get into medical school, because I didn’t truly want it and was therefore confident during my interviews.
I released a deep breath. At least when Maddie and I worked together on a project my nerves settled, but what she desired still remained a mystery. Placing her on a pedestal like she claimed she wanted never worked. I found myself staring. Her perfect teeth peeked out from her open mouth, reminding me of the first time I’d seen her smile. I’d been walking under falling maple leaves, through campus with a mutual guy friend. She waved at him as she approached, and he introduced us. Her natural beauty, intelligence, and something else … her vibrating energy struck me. And, I have to admit, so did her backside in those black yoga pants. It popped, not wide, but out and round. My friend referred to that full appearance as “Pop to her boom.”
Attempting to say something funny but still entranced, I had ended up only stuttering, “H-hi.” Our initial awkward meeting and my nerves rubbed off and made Maddie uneasy around me. But we shared many classes and a limitless fascination with ancient Egypt. Eventually we became good friends—
My stomach churned and cramped in protest, curtailing my thoughts. I held my breath in fear. The tightness receded. Throwing a handful of antacids into my mouth, I washed down the fruity chalk with half a bottle of water. At least I’d had a real adventure, although it wasn’t anything like I’d envisioned. I should return home and face my failures.
My fingers brushed against cold metal, settling on the bronze bracelet I typically hid beneath the sleeve of my shirt. The ancient Egyptian-style artifact made me feel like the worldly adventurer I wanted to be. It also made me think of my dad. Complications from the same gastrointestinal disease I carried led to his passing years ago. But in his day he was the adventuresome type who toured the globe, selling medical supplies to hospitals all over the world.
Did my dad encounter any excitement like I had just had? He’d brought the bracelet back after a trip maybe fifteen years ago and told me he purchased it from an Egyptian man on the black market. The seller claimed the artifact originated from a tomb he had uncovered and would have belonged to a simple man in ancient Egypt over three thousand years ago. These salesmen were untrustworthy, but the story overcame my dad, forcing him to make the purchase. He never brought the bracelet to an expert, either, because he wanted to believe it was genuine or feared the artifact might be confiscated.
Not until after his death, when packing to leave for college, did I find the bracelet and start wearing it. Even on my scrawny wrists it clamped tight, but I could squeeze it on with a little work. And all ancient people were small compared to today’s standards. This could’ve been the decorative wear of a large man in those times. The thought made me feel bigger
and stronger.
Running my fingers across the cool bronze reminded me not only of my dad, but of the man I wanted to be. To desire something so old, rather than the latest thing, felt right. The connection to the souls of the ages never ceased to send shivers up my spine. I hoped the previous owners were heroes but felt more connected to good simple men. What were their lives like? Their hopes and dreams? What about regrets, and even secrets? And how did my dad receive the photograph with Dr. Shelsher’s letter? Possibly from my great great grandfather, who had also spent a lot of time in Egypt. But why not go after the tomb? My dad pushed me to chase my dreams, not necessarily follow in his footsteps. Then how did he mail it to me after his death?
To my astonishment, I’d received a package from my dad several months ago, years after his death. It arrived on my birthday. Maybe an old friend had mailed it. I had tried to get to the bottom of it over the next couple weeks by contacting everyone he knew, but they all seemed just as surprised.
My hands had shaken with excitement as I’d read my dad’s simple “Happy Birthday!” note and gazed upon the picture of an excavated tomb from the 1920s. My dad would never just give me something; a secret riddle or clue was always hidden. Every birthday and Christmas present I ever received needed to be discovered, some not until months later if I couldn’t figure out his puzzles. After locating the professor’s and another unknown man’s letters wedged into the cracked frame, I poured over the words a thousand times.
Chasing clues enthralled me, but at first I hadn’t believed any of it. The information encrypted into the professor’s letter wasn’t corroborated anywhere. With my knowledge, I would’ve had some inkling or would’ve found a connection during extensive library searches. My dad wouldn’t lie to me, but he was the type to believe anything that promised excitement and adventure. I had stashed the letter away.
Cleaning out my apartment after the medical school mishap, my dad’s gift resurfaced and offered me another path. I’d been plotting a new life ever—
“Trouble sleeping?” Maddie asked, startling me.
Nodding, I tapped the cover of the cracked leather journal in my lap and said, “This story can’t be true. Too much unexplainable magic.”
“Ancient Egyptians had rare men whose profession was listed as magician,” she said. “They must’ve explained the unknown as magic. How would your mind react in a scary ancient world?” She smiled. “Remember when Mr. Scalone grabbed you in the tomb and you screamed like a little girl? Did you think he was a mummy?”
Staring out into the moonlit night in shame, I clutched my bracelet. She had a point.
“You still wear that thing?” Maddie asked, eyeing the bronze on my wrist.
The train started moving again. I placed my fedora over my face and closed my eyes. If she only knew.
Journal Translation
THE ELONGATED PUPIL COLLAPSED inside a deep yellow iris. Lurching backward, I tripped over stacks of papyrus and fell to the ground with a smack. Parchment spilled everywhere.
“Careful!” Mutnedjmet said.
“Did you see that?” I pointed a shaky finger at the monster inside the murky bottle.
“I see a lot of scary things in here,” she said.
“No, the miniature Devouring Monster looked at me!”
She examined it, but its eye had shut.
“That thing looked at me, I swear!”
Tapping echoed out in the hall, then faded. I ducked behind the toppled mounds of papyrus. No one entered.
“I’m going to see if that’s the son of Hapu,” Mutnedjmet said. “Stay here. I’ll let him know I invited you so you don’t get in trouble.”
Watching the creature in the jar out of the corner of my eyes, I nodded.
After she stepped out I picked my way along, searching the jumbled mess for Nefertiti’s treasure. Sunlight faded from the windows, leaving only the deep green glow. Akhenaten would be waiting for me. She had better hurry!
The temperature climbed several degrees, and a rotting stench filled the room. Heaving breaths sounded at the doorway, thickening my blood. Ducking behind a chest, I peeked through a gap between the object and the wall. A figure in a black cloak appeared under green light, leaned over a small object, and whispered. Picking something up, the veiled man placed it deep inside a bag. He buried the sack inside his cloak, his shadowed hood scanning the room. Stiffening as if he’d detected something, he shuffled closer.
Cold sweat condensed on my forehead, summoning a chilling fear. I shouldn’t let this man see me. But who was he and what was he searching for? And where was Mutnedjmet? Holding my crouched stance burned my muscles, and they screamed for me to move. But the thought of the noise I’d make held me still.
Sniffing sounds snuck out from beneath the man’s hood. My hand shook upon my broken amulet, my muscles feeling as if they were being stabbed with hundreds of needles. He lumbered toward me with conviction. Something scampered past the doorway and hissed. The figure paused. Sniffing again, he paced back to the exit, peered outside, and slipped into the shadows.
After a minute I stood to relieve my burning muscles and crept to the doorway. I listened before glancing out. Nothing. A white cat darted past me, its fat rolls swinging back and forth as it fled. I nearly shrieked in shock but covered my mouth. Where did it come from?
Slinking outside, I cast a glance back into the glowing room. Faint movement stirred against a corner, appearing transparent like mist or fog. I needed to get out of here.
Sneaking down the hallway, I passed oil lamps and many rooms. No sign of Mutnedjmet. Residents stirred and grumbled from their beds when my feet scuffed the tiled floors.
Light filtered through a cracked doorway ahead. Akhenaten’s room. I stopped in my tracks, not wanting to ponder my punishment the next time he saw me. Inching my head around the door, I strained to see as a streak of light fell upon my peeking eye.
My master sat on the floor with his back to me, pale yellow light flickering on his far side. Contorting shadows danced across the floor as he muttered to someone or something. Was there someone small sitting on the floor across from him?
Leaning in to pick up the conversation, the smell of something rotten scathed my nostrils. I shuddered as my lip curled in disgust. At first his rambling sounded like gibberish, but then I caught a word here and there. He told a tale of his own.
“I was dead,” he whispered, his voice airy and secretive as he used a knife to cut into his own thumbnail. Trickling blood splattered amongst the contorting shadows as he grunted and groaned. “I saw the underworld. I had drowned. By the grace of the Aten, Mahu was granted the power to bring me back, to spread truth into our world. I saw exactly what it looked like and, as I believed, we were very wrong. All of my ancestors were so very wrong.”
I waited, mystified by the unveiled glimpse into the crevices of Akhenaten’s mind.
“Floating among the clouds,” he whispered as his hands fluttered in the air, dripping liquid. “But these clouds were enormous and full. Their pink contrasted against the dark blue sky, and I was not alone. A woman adorned in a simple white dress rode with me, a beautiful woman with pale hair and skin. I felt her love. I felt complete. Not desire, but something deeper. The clouds became an array of blues, purples, and oranges, transforming into the wings of a great bird, the phoenix itself. The ba of the Aten!
“Then I saw the others.” The character of his voice changed as if a different person spoke. “So many of them arced across the dark sky in wisps of gold and silvery light, leaving shimmering trails like shooting stars. A million voices chanted in unison and rained down to break upon me.
“I was one of them. One with all the universe. A minute part of everything linked together, like some intricate spider’s web ensnaring all existence. They told me I was one of them and had nothing to worry about. They would take care of me.
“We rode the phoenix over the river, the seas, and even soared through woods I had never seen. Then we entered it, the u
tter blackness. But the shadow only lasted a moment before light engulfed me. We veered toward the brightest point, a brilliant shining sphere. The Aten itself. It must have been! Could it have been anything else?” He threw his hands into the air and laughed. “I had arrived. Any question in my mind was answered by the sphere of light with clarity unbeknownst to this world. I learned and saw more than I had in all my years in Egypt. I beheld great power, and I understood. I saw the past, the present, and I remembered the future! It may have been a short time as determined by this world, but to my mind it was decades. The sphere was the connection to this world and the next. I wanted to know—”
My ankle popped underneath me as I subconsciously shifted my weight off of my bad leg. Terror stopped my breathing, my body going rigid. His head perked up and turned. The fire cast the side of his face into darkness. Huddling behind the doorway, I squeezed my eyes shut and waited. Nothing. Goose bumps arose on my forearms, spreading across my body. Should I wait until he dismissed the noise and started talking again, then run? Or should I run now? If he caught me spying …
Creeping backward, I kept my eye on the cracked doorway. A footfall scuffed the floor within his room. I swallowed.
Journal Translation
THE FAINT BRUSHING OF A sandal settling on tile whispered through the doorway. But Akhenaten didn’t appear. Another footfall. My nerves shattered, my body shaking. He must be creeping toward the opening to see who spied on him.
Wheeling around, I broke into a full sprint but glanced over my shoulder before turning a corner. The gangly outline of Akhenaten emerged. Racing on, I dove into my room and slid onto my bed. Croc leapt three feet into the air and hissed, his tail puffing up thicker than my arm. Yanking the blanket over my head, I rolled to face the wall and clamped my eyes shut. I felt like a small child, when pulling reeds over me acted as impenetrable armor against the dread of wandering spirits. Waiting, I attempted to slow my breathing.
Eve of the Pharaoh: Historical Adventure and Mystery Page 13
