by Wend Petzler
Sabni!
Staggered by the drastic change in the priest's physical appearance, Setti slowly rose, releasing the sobbing man who scurried to his knees, prostrating before him. Taking pity on the priest, Setti placed a gentle hand on Sabni's shaking shoulder. “Sabni, what has happened to you?"
"Pharaoh, you have returned! I tried to come back and release you, but SobeKnefru set her jackals after me. Please forgive me. Please?” Sabni babbled on, frothing at the mouth in his insanity, haunted by failing his king.
Alarmed, Setti knew he must calm Sabni before the man hurt himself. Taking a commanding tone, he rose to his towering height. “Sabni, your Pharaoh commands you to rise and make sense. You are a priest of Amun Ra, rise and serve your master and God!"
Forcing himself to get his wild ramblings under control, Sabni appeared somewhat calmer and rose unsteadily to his feet. “Many apologies, my Pharaoh, these four years have been difficult.” Focusing on the woman, Sabni bowed to her. Fighting to keep his tenuous hold on his sanity, he tried to straighten his torn and tattered robe. “Forgive me, I have forgotten my manners. I am Sabni."
Kate tried not to stare at the ragged, gaunt-looking man. He attempted to dust off his clothes, causing her to cough from his effort. She asked, “Sabni, do you have the Black Book in your possession?” Setti moved protectively closer to her as the priest tried to focus on her question.
"The Black Book?” Frowning, he felt he should know what she was talking about. Remembering his task, he shouted, “Yes, yes, I know where I hid the Black Book. Come with me, I will get it for you."
Looking at Sabni, wariness in his eyes, Setti warned the man, “Do not betray me again, Sabni, or I will end you life."
Swallowing hard, Sabni nodded in understanding. “I swear, Setti, I will end your curse after you kill SobeKnefru and remove her from the throne of Egypt. She betrayed us both that tragic day.” Whipping around, Sabni took up a torch and lit it by using the one Setti held. Leading the way through the passageways, he headed straight for Pharaoh Amenemhet's burial chamber.
Kate tried to remain calm, except she was absolutely terrified. The hiccups came soon after.
Shaking his head at her, Setti smiled and claimed her limp hand. “Do not worry, I promise to protect you."
Glaring at him, she tried to breathe slowly, hoping to stop the hiccups, hating the harsh sound echoing in the chambers. “When ... we ... get the ... Black Book, where ... will ... we go?"
"We will go to Itj-towy and have a nice chat with my dear little sister.” His sculptured lips curled into a mirthless smile, the look in his eyes promised death.
* * * *
Mike gradually became aware he sat on hot, burning sand. Yelping, he jumped to his feet. Shielding his eyes from the blinding glare, he scanned the surrounding area, finding nothing familiar, only more sand. The blazing waves of inferno-like heat engulfed him, roasting his skin and lungs when he breathed.
"Where the hell am I?” Damn, he had to be insane to go to Ancient Egypt. Like, I really had a choice, Mike grumbled as he dusted his bare legs free of gritty sand. Straightening the unfamiliar weight of the blue loincloth he wore around his hips, he shouted a few choice words at the vultures flying overhead.
The High Priest of the Shedty decided he was the best choice to go back in time. In order to ensure his dedication to their cause, he was sent without the Black Book. Inarus, named after the first who served Pharaoh Queen SobeKnefru, kept the Black Book as insurance, commanding Mike to find Sabni. The Shedty needed the Ra priest and Setti's amulet to raise SobeKnefru from the dead and make her an immortal.
Resigned to his given task, Mike tossed the hood of the royal blue cloak up, covering his head. Adjusting the burlap sack tossed over his shoulder, he started walking, hoping he was headed in the right direction. Hours later and lightheaded from the glaring sun, he stumbled to a halt, relieved to see the Nile below and the pyramids of Giza. His first stop—Temple of the Shedty.
Pounding on the thick, heavy door, Mike waited until the door cracked open a bit, exposing a wary eye belonging to a bald-headed priest. Mike held out a rolled, papyrus parchment to the wary priest whose gaze remained glued on the tattoo of the altered Sobek etched over his heart, proclaiming him a Shedet. The nervous man grabbed the parchment and slammed the door shut. Several minutes passed when suddenly it swung open and several Shedty exited, roughly hauling Mike inside.
Trying his best to remain calm, the priests dragged him into the Temple's courtyard. They released him and stepped back when the commanding priest approached. Mike bowed at the waist to the hostile priest, trying to deflect the tension. “Master, I come to you in peaceful intent."
"Oh, really? I highly doubt it. However, Inarus has given explicit instructions how we are to aid you in finding the man and woman you seek. First, allow us to offer you our hospitality.” Clapping his hands loudly, he spoke to a lesser priest, “Prepare a room for our honored guest and plenty of water to ease his situation.” Facing the stranger, he bowed, “You wear the sand of the desert upon your feet. Go and seek your rest. When supper is ready, I shall send someone to fetch you.” The head priest walked away, disgruntled by having to play host to a total stranger, a foreigner no less. Being a wise man, he did as ordered, seeking not to anger the High Priest whose reputation of dealing with insubordinates terrifying to the most hardened of men.
Remembering to present a commanding presence, Mike followed the young boy to a cool chamber, feeling lucky the ruse worked. The Shedty in his time possessed the first Inarus’ seal and simply used it in the letter instructing he be given whatever he needed without question. The boy checked to make sure there was plenty of water in the clay pitcher next to the matching water basin. Bowing, he left Mike alone.
Mike removed his sandals and stripped his clothes. Using a coarse cloth, he washed the gritty sand off, beginning to feel much better. Wrapping a linen towel around his lean hips, he went to the table and poured a cup of wine. Sipping the strong brew, he worried that he might fail and never return home. He must find Sabni! Exhaustion won, and he lay on the narrow cot, seeking some rest before dinner.
The soft tapping on the door roused Mike from a deep sleep. Groggy, he rose and opened the door. “Yes?"
The same boy had returned and smiled tentatively. “The evening meal is set. Will you join us?"
"Give me a moment to get ready and I shall go with you.” Mike closed the door and hurried to don his garments, going over in his mind what he needed to ask the senior priest. Slipping on the leather sandals, Mike exited his chamber and followed the boy to the dining hall where twenty other priests sat at low tables, politely waiting for him and his companion.
Bowing low at the waist, his hands folded in front him, Mike waited for permission to sit. When the head priest motioned for him to take the vacant seat to his left, Mike sat down. Prayer was spoken over the simple meal of flatbread, oatcakes, green beans, and grilled fish. Ravenous, he piled the hot food onto his plate and dug in. In the middle of eating, he felt the hostile gaze of the head priest upon him.
"Forgive my skeptic nature, but why did Inarus send you here? Why do you seek the man and woman?"
Wiping his mouth with a linen napkin, glad the priest brought up the subject, he answered in a low voice, “We should speak privately."
"I do not keep secrets from my priests,” The man snapped, glaring at the foreigner.
Having had enough, Mike snapped back, “I seek the Scarab King and the red-haired woman who travels with him. They possess something of great importance to Pharaoh Queen SobeKnefru."
The priest paled considerably at the mention of the Scarab King. Leaning closer to the pale-haired man, he whispered, “Is it true? Does the Scarab King walk the land again, an immortal?"
"Unfortunately yes. I must find him and then the traitor, Sabni. Both are a threat to our beloved Queen and our religion. Will you help me?"
Leaning back, he contemplated his options. Seeing he really had no c
hoice in the matter, he gave his consent. “In the morning, we shall question the townspeople if any have seen the Cursed One or the traitor. What will we do if we find them?"
"SobeKnefru wants their heads."
"The Scarab King cannot be killed!"
"I know how to make him a mortal. The secret lies within the amulet he wears around his neck."
Not as confident as the foreigner, the priest returned his attention to the meal set before them, eating and drinking as if it were his last. One does not simply go after a cursed Immortal, especially one who hates the Pharaoh Queen and the Shedty. Before the Scarab King became an immortal, he was a singular force, feared by his enemies and loved by Egypt. No one in his right mind hunted down a man who cannot die!
Mike finished his meal and returned to his chambers, ignoring the questioning stares from the other priests. Pacing the small chamber, he thought about Kate Martin. The woman was really quite resourceful. Would she be able to figure out the real reason why the Shedty sought Sabni? The priest of Amun Ra was the necessary link to killing Setti. Mike knew Setti planned to kill SobeKnefru and at all cost, he must keep the Queen safe. The soon to be reincarnated SobeKnefru depended on his success.
At dawn, Mike rose and went to break the morning fast with the other priests. Afterwards, the search for Setti and Kate was quickly organized and in no time, he and the young priest, whom he met last night, left the Temple. Wandering the busy streets, Mike allowed the boy to inquire if anyone had seen a tall man wearing a ruby scarab amulet. Staring at a woman wearing a black veil, Mike's brow furrowed, noting she acted differently from the others around her. The tall man beside her wore a turban and the outfit of the Bedouin. He took her hand, shielding her when people bumped into her. The woman glanced behind her, her violet eyes widened, recognizing him.
Kate!
Triumphant, he knew he had them. “Stop,” Mike shouted. Grabbing the young priest, they tried to get through the crowds. When it failed, he waved down the policing soldiers. “Stop the Bedouin! He's stolen my slave."
The police gave chase when Setti and Kate ran, heading for the docks. Following, he lost them in the crowds. Running down the wooden docks, he skidded to a halt, breathing hard, then he spotted them on the river. The skiff they sailed in neared the swift current of the Nile, taking Kate and Setti farther away from him. Frowning, Mike became confused by their direction.
Why are they going in the opposite direction of Itj-towy?
"What are you doing, Kate Martin? Where are you going?” he asked out loud. Ignoring the confused look on the young priest's face, he ordered, “Come, I need to make arrangements for a boat. I must go and speak with Queen SobeKnefru.” Perhaps with the powerful Queen on his side, he wouldn't need the help of the future Shedty to get home.
* * * *
"Come, Jarha, we must hurry.” Huni drew his white linen cloak tighter about his shoulders, feeling the chill of apprehension assault him. Disembarking from the ship they traveled on, the thought refused to leave him that they were about to commit a treasonous act, punishable by death if Inarus found out. To stop a bloodthirsty queen was a just cause, he reasoned and well worth risking death. SobeKnefru had become a monster and needed to be destroyed if Egypt wished to survive.
The great city of Thebes stretched out before them. They hurried down the narrow streets, keeping to the shadows. The magnificent, white palace where Amenemhet the Fourth ruled before his death four years ago rose before them. As they climbed the steep steps, Huni glanced over his shoulder, shivering, fearful of how they might be received by Ramose and his men.
Doubt and fear invade Jarha's overwhelming need to tell the powerful Ramose, Royal Vizier of Egypt, about what he saw in Memphis.
Seeing the terror on the boy's open features, Huni placed a calming hand on Jarha's shoulder. “Do not fear. We are doing what is right. Ramose is a good and fair man, no harm will befall us."
Feeling a little better by Huni's calm reassurance, Jarha followed him up the stone steps where two guards halted them, holding spears. The guards approached, bearing hostile attitudes when they realized they were priests of Sobek from the amulets hanging about their necks.
"What do Shedty priests want in Thebes?” one demanded, glaring with open distrust at them, keeping the sharp tip of their spears pointed at the quaking priests.
Cautious, Huni stepped forward, holding his hands up, making sure not to make any sudden move to upset the guards further. “We are humble servants of Sobek, not of the Shedty. We have come to speak with Ramose in person. My student has seen a man the great and noble Vizier has sought for four years past."
"Who is this man you speak of?"
"Tell Ramose the Scarab King has returned."
Both guards visibly paled. They conversed softly to one another before making a decision. “Come with us. We will escort you to the Throne Room. Ramose will be summoned to speak with you."
"Wait! We must speak privately with the Vizier. We are risking our lives in coming here. Please, have mercy on us.” Huni felt his heart pounding erratically in his chest from the all consuming fear of being caught by the vengeful Inarus and the Shedty.
A light of understanding came in their eyes. The guards quickly ushered the frightened priests inside the palace to the Vizier's private courtyard, well away from any prying eyes. The guards made known to the Vizier's personal bodyguards they wished to speak to Ramose. After a brief discussion, one of the men slipped into the chamber. Moments later, he returned, motioning the priests to enter through the broad, golden double doors.
Sitting in a wooden chair, decorated in plated gold fronds and painted black lacquer, Ramose, the great Vizier of Egypt, waited with imperial dignity. Tall and stocky of build, his dark head cleanly shaven, Ramose wore a fine, white loincloth, fastened by a wide, brightly beaded belt around his broad waist. A thin shawl tunic covered his broad shoulders, the hem falling past his ankles. Impatient, Ramose waved the frightened priests to approach him. Piercing black eyes fixed upon them, Ramose rose from his chair. Walking around the unfamiliar men, he observed them as they knelt before him, prostrating in respect of his powerful status of running Egypt—the upper part anyway. The Pharaoh Queen had yet to find a way to kill him, wary of an open revolt from the people and the Egyptian Army. Here in Thebes, Ramose remained in relative safety from SobeKnefru.
"Rise, priests and rest a while,” Ramose ordered, his voice deep, ringing with authority. “Wine, food?"
Huni shook his bald head. “Many thanks for your kind hospitality, my lord, but we come on an extremely important matter."
"So my men have said. What brings priests of the Shedty to my door?” His deceptive casualness did not fool Huni one bit.
"My pupil and I do not belong to the evil Shedty cult. We worship Sobek, the original teachings before Inarus corrupted them and defiled it with blood sacrifices. What I tell you must remain secret for it will mean our deaths if Queen SobeKnefru were to find out."
"Why would she kill you for speaking to me?” Ramose asked, his curiosity evident. Returning to his chair, he leaned forward, resting an elbow on his knee, his interest growing.
"What we tell you should really be told to one of SobeKnefru's people or Inarus, but we chose to come to you, my lord.” Taking a deep breath, Huni continued bravely, “We do not wish them to know we have seen a man in Memphis whom my pupil believes is the Scarab King returned."
Ramose sat back in his chair, stunned. Could it really be so? Had Setti returned from the Underworld and come to set the Egyptian Kingdom aright? “How are you certain the man you saw is the Scarab King?"
Huni nudged Jarha who stuttered out a response. “I have dreams, my lord. Sometimes they come true. Three days ago, I saw a man wearing a ruby scarab amulet around his neck. He walked past me accompanied by a woman with red hair. When the man looked straight at me, there was no doubt in my mind he was the same man in my dreams. Except in my dreams, he began as a red scarab wearing the Double Crown of Egypt.
Not long passed and the scarab shape-shifted into a man holding the sacred Crook and Scepter of Pharaoh in his hands. He will take his rightful place upon the Golden Throne at Thebes and dispose of the Pharaoh Queen forever."
Rising unsteadily from his chair, Ramose asked almost breathlessly, daring to hope once again after so long, “Where is he now?
"Memphis was where we last saw him, my lord. Huni and I left to warn you before the Shedty find out the Scarab King walks amongst the living again."
Frowning, Ramose closed the distance between him and the Sobek priests. “Are you positive the Shedty do not know of the Scarab King's return?"
"Three days have passed since we left Memphis, someone might have recognized him, though he is disguised as a Bedouin."
"Damn! We need to find the Scarab King before SobeKnefru does. Where will he go?” Ramose walked around his sitting room with his hands folded behind his back.
"My lord, if I may?” Jarha spoke softly so not to anger the Vizier. “I believe the Scarab King will go to his brother's pyramid."
"Why would he return to where he has recently arisen from?” Ramose asked in puzzlement.
Glancing at Huni for support, the old man urged him to continue. “The Scarab King was not buried alongside his brother but was hidden where the Queen could not desecrate his grave."
"Why does the Scarab King seek Mazghuna?"
"There are rumors of a madman living amongst the dead, although none have seen or heard him, not even the guards protecting Amenemhet the Fourth. To end his curse, the Scarab King needs the man and the book he protects."
Ramose stopped in his tracks. “Could it be the traitor? I've men scouring Egypt for four years and not found a single trace of him?” Mussing over what the Sobek priests told him, he continued pacing. A commotion outside the room made them stare in uneasiness when the doors opened with a crash.
