Small Hotel in Kahn's Bazaar, Cairo, 1940--Day One of the Search

Ardeth's three year old filly Tjia had nearly collapsed during the northeasterly run Ardeth made her do across the western desert. In the El Faiyum oasis, he'd put Tjia up in a stable, and had rented a fresh horse. He'd paid with several small rings of silver. The stable boy's eyes had grown large at the size of the payment, but he knew the Commander of the Med Jai was a generous man and would often have need of such help from poor stable boys.

He had ridden hard and fast the rest of the way to the Nile, stopping only to rest the horse. A sense of urgency spurred him on, and it showed upon his strained face. Upon reaching the Nile village of Beni Suef, he'd rented a fast felucca and paid the owner with a dozen rings of gold, which had not only earned Ardeth a fast felucca but the lasting gratitude of the felucca's owner.

Finally reaching Cairo, he had sought out a small hotel in Kahn's Bazaar, which rented rooms by the hour, and which he used often for changing his clothes and taking a shower.

Ardeth let the cool water flow over him and wash the sand and the salt from his skin.

As he showered, Ardeth couldn't help but thinking of his terrifying dream. He'd spurred his mount Tjia to her limits, and to his relief, Tjia had responded well to his commands. But during the nights on the felucca, the Dark One showed him what Egypt would become should Ardeth fail in his quest:

Ardeth stood on the edge of the gaping maw where the three Great Pyramids had once stood.

In the huge hole as deep as the Qartrani Depression, debris and human remains mingled together in a macabre mix. Already, the sucking dry air of the late Saharan summer had transformed the screaming corpses into dried husks, their hands reaching out to him, imploring, pleading him to help them, their mouths forever open in screams.

Tears were flowing down Ardeth's face as he looked into the earthly version of the Underworld.

"It is not too late. You still have time to restore Egypt’s Ma’at, Chosen One. It is not yet the seventh day of the full moon," Nuit's velvet voice whispered to him, comforting him as the tears flowed down his face.

Too late for what he felt would happen? That Cairo would be rent by a terrible shaking and later overrun by tanks and airplanes bent on destroying this very Egypt? When he'd seen the airplanes come from the Mediterranean towards Cairo, a long black line as dark as a line of thunderheads, Ardeth had started screaming in his sleep. He felt that the line of airplanes was a great pestilence coming from the north--north of the Mediterranean--and the pestilence couldn't be stopped from spreading.

It was at that point in the dream that Nuit, The Great Mother, had stopped to look at him and send some of her children to shoot across the sky to comfort her Chosen One in his sleep.

The shaking of Cairo he could stop. All he had to do was find the Ring of Nuit and return it to her ruined temple by the seventh day of the new moon.

And by getting the Ring of Nuit back to its rightful place by the seventh day of the new moon, Ardeth knew he could mitigate the effects of the coming pestilence on Cairo and the rest of his Egypt. But Ardeth knew he couldn't stop the pestilence from spreading to the rest of the world.

Ardeth finished his shower and had changed into the fresh clothes he'd packed with him. He paid for his room with a few copper bracelets and went to the small hotel's restaurant to pick up something to eat and drink. He knew he'd have a long hard journey ahead of him. The sounds of the bickering in Kahn's Bazaar filtered in through the shade of the many trees that the owner had planted in sturdy stone planters.

"Greetings, Ardeth," a pleasant voice, accented with a North London accent said. "Kem, your favorite belly dancer, is here today. Shall I arrange a private viewing with her?"

"Kem may be a pleasure to look at, but I have other plans," Ardeth said as John placed before Ardeth a plate of bread, a plate of meat and vegetables and a pitcher of iced tea.

"Ahh, yes. Which one called you?"

"Nuit," Ardeth said, taking a long sip of the iced tea. He'd discovered he'd liked iced tea; mainly he liked the sugar. He finished the glass in one long sip and refilled it.

"The Great Mother. Do you need assistance? Anything I can do?" John asked, inclining his head reverently.

Ardeth thought about this request. He would have need of a fast felucca...or even better, one of the small airplanes (he shuddered to think of getting on an airplane for in his mind he kept seeing that black line of airplanes heading towards Cairo with the malign intent of destroying the ancient city). Yes, an airplane.

"My friend, I have urgent need of an airplane. I need to get to the city of Djeba by the seventh day of the full moon," he told John as he picked up a piece of bread and sopped up some of the juice. He took a bite.

"Curry," he smiled around his bread.

"Airplane to Djeba," John mused as he stroked his chin. He kept his body clean shaven, like the priests of antiquity did. "I can arrange one for you," he told Ardeth. "You do know the seventh day of the full moon is six days away," he told Ardeth, who was taking a huge bite of meat.

Ardeth nearly choked on his mouthful of meat. Managing to swallow, he asked, "Six days? I've only six days to find the Ring of Nuit?"

John nodded. If you need to get to Djeba by the seventh day of the full moon, you have only six days in which to do so."

Ardeth paled beneath his thick black beard. How could he find the Ring of Nuit in less than six days' time?

"I shall, of course, pay you with some of the gold..." he started to tell John but John held up his hand.

"A horse. A fine filly," John said.

Ardeth nodded. He had plenty of fillys, most of the young colts were too skittish to be of much use to Ardeth. He was more than willing to offload a few of them for use as workhorses, or in John's case, to provide entertainment to his young daughter. He would choose Tutu, Tjia's daughter. Tutu was a smaller horse, much smaller than her mother, almost a midget horse, and she was gentle enough for John's young daughter to ride around on.

Ardeth placed meat and vegetables on the bread and took a bite. Swallowing, he said,

"The Great Imhotep, Architect and High Priest to King Djoser, built a temple to Khnum when the God told him that building a temple to his glory would end the famine which had been ravaging the Nile for seven years. Upon completion of the temple; indeed, the very day the last stone was slid into place, the God was happy, and Isis wept her tears, ending the seven year famine," Ardeth said. "I don't want to think of the destruction of Ma’at which will occur if I don't find the Ring of Nuit as the Goddess commands me," he finished.

John sat down. "Is it...will it?" his voice trailed off as Ardeth looked at him with sad eyes.

"My friend, if I don't bring the Ring of Nuit back to her ruined temple in Djeba, a terrible catastrophe will await Cairo--and Egypt. I can not let this happen."

"What kind of catastrophe?" John was nothing if not insistent.

Ardeth looked at John. Was it better to keep his own counsel or better to tell John. He decided to tell John, for he was a superstitious man and Ardeth needed help. John thought he was the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian--like a lot of people these days. The British archeologist, Howard Carter, was largely responsible for the phenomenon--at least to Ardeth's mind--but Ardeth knew that Egyptology fever and the craze of reincarnation had begun late in the last century.

"The Ring of Nuit can prevent the destruction of the Pyramids," he told John. "As a reincarnated priest of Osiris, I trust you understand what the destruction of the pyramids truly means," Ardeth intoned.

Now it was John's turn to pale. His father had been British; his mother a mix of Ethiopian, Coptic Egyptian and Italian. Like the priests of antiquity, John shaved all his body hair, and went so far as to wax off his eyebrows, a prospect Ardeth thought to be painful.

"Cairo? The pyramids? Will they be destroyed? The end of mankind?" John's voice cracked.

"Not if I can restore Ma’at to Egypt," Ardeth said as he took a bite of the vegetables. The potato was still new to him, and he found he enjoyed the vegetable. He desperately wanted to start his search, but he knew he needed all his strength, for the coming days would be arduous.

For the destruction of the pyramids was the element of horror which had awakened Ardeth and he'd found himself screaming into Nuit's starry shoulder and then, gratefully, had felt the cool breath of the Bringer of the Wind cooling his skin and cooling his fears.

The destruction of the Pyramids was also the source of the recurring dreams Ardeth had been experiencing the past month.

"I'll make the arrangements for the plane. Just tell me when you need the plane," he told Ardeth.

"As soon as possible. I shall also need you to send word to my Commanders at the base of the Qartrani Mountains. Dekel, my fastest runner, is waiting there in a campsite. I need my Commanders to travel as quickly as possible to Djeba," Ardeth asked of his friend. "I will be able to make payment in elephant ivory."

"For one tusk of elephant ivory you will be able to rent a train! I know who to send who is the fastest messenger. Dekel can expect to see an airplane."

"Then make it so," Ardeth said, then added, "Dekel will like seeing an airplane."

"I have more than one friend with airplanes," John said, smiling. "A priest of Osiris needs to be prepared."

Ardeth finished up his meal. A young boy had brought a plate of baklava and Ardeth took a piece from the plate. The honey-walnut mixture was good, and sweet. Baklava was a Greek import to Cairo and Ardeth had found he had a penchant for the Greek dessert.

The bickering continued in Kahn's Bazaar. The Bazaar was thousands of years old, and Ardeth's ancestors began their trading here. In Kahn's Bazaar one could find anything: ancient mummy beads--the faience beads used in burials--to gold and silver jewelry needing to be pawned.

Ardeth thought he would find the Ring of Nuit in Kahn's Bazaar. But first he would go to the Pyramids and ask for help from the faint echoes of the Gods who still hovered near, still protecting the Pharoahs who had built the Pyramids.

John and Ardeth sat in silence, listening to the faint sounds of bickering from the Bazaar, each looking inwards--Ardeth about how to find the Ring of Nuit and John was thinking about how terrible these times were to live in: the War looming in Europe, and now Ardeth's revelation.

Ardeth finished up his baklava. "I need to be off," he said, standing up.

John stood up as well. "May the Gods find you well, and may you find the Ring of Nuit quickly," he said to Ardeth, as Ardeth took his leave of John's little roadside restaurant.

Port City of Alexandria, 1940

"See, the Bracelet of Lostris was made by her former slave, Lord Taita, just before he died. Some of the Bedouin said he was a hundred years old at his death and others said he was two hundred," Martin was explaining over a dinner of meat, vegetables, bread and beer.

He continued explaining his dream. "As a last respect to his beloved Queen, and to preserve her powers of protection to those that called upon her, Lord Taita had fashioned the Bracelet out of electrum and emeralds. When he fashioned the Bracelet, he added some of her hair that he had saved. He told me he would always be able to see the tendrils of her soul from the afterlife and know the Bracelet--and her power--was safe," Martin said, taking a sip of the cold beer.

Ardeth tried to remain interested in this new legend. He would ask Martin to write the Legend down, and Ardeth would give the scroll to his Scribe. "What does this Bracelet do?" Ardeth now asked, picking up his bread and sopping up the juices from his meat and vegetable plate.

"Why, the Bracelet protects those from evil," Martin said.

"My friend, when did your Queen live?"

"During the time of the Hyksos invasion. She was the only queen of Pharoah Mamose to give birth to a son," Martin said.

"Nearly thirty seven hundred years ago," Ardeth said, taking up his cup and draining the beer.

"Yes. Queen Lostris was forced to flee Egypt with her son and her beloved slave Taita. She fled south, leading her people to the lands of Kush and farther down into Ethiopia where they buried Pharoah Mamose. She returned to Egypt, twenty years after she left and her adult son, Pharoah Tamose, drove the Hyksos from Lower Egypt and their beloved Thebes," Martin said, sipping his beer.

He continued. "There in Thebes, Tamose begat the progenitor of the man who became my Pharoah Kamose. And the former slave Taita, freed by Tamose, became Lord Taita and lived in the desert, where at the end of his long life, made the Bracelet of Lostris. The Bracelet was made to ensure the freedom of Egypt during times of distress, for Lord Taita had helped the young Kamose run the Red Road, and thus become Pharoah before he reached the age of majority. Egypt needed a native son to start the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt."

Martin had evidently become thirsty from his long winded explanation for he tipped his cup up and drained the rest of his beer in one long sip.

Ardeth knew from his father's teachings that a young heir to the Horus Throne who was not yet of majority age, could assume the false beard by running the Red Road--an arduous physical task of endurance.

"You have vivid dreams, my friend. Has there been any evidence of Queen Lostris?"

"Sadly, no. I keep trying to work with Egyptologists but they dismiss my claims," Martin said sadly.

Ardeth stretched his back. "Lostris. I am not familiar with the name Lostris," Ardeth said as he took up a piece of baklava and bit into it. The Greeks really did know how to take honey and walnuts and make it into something delicious. "What does the name mean?"

"Daughter of the Waters," Martin replied and Ardeth nearly choked for the second time that day.

"Daughter of the Waters?" Ardeth asked after he'd composed himself.

"Yes. Does that mean something to you?"

"My friend, I think we have been brought together for a very special reason. Do you know how to dive?" he asked Martin, who was looking at him curiously.

"Dive? I can hold my breath under water, if that's what you mean. Why?"

"My friend, the Goddess Nuit has set forth a task for me: I must find the Ring of Nuit under the waters off Alexandria. If you were the Keeper of the Bracelet of Lostris, I will need you to call upon the Great Queen for her help," Ardeth said.

Understanding dawned in Martin's dark green eyes. "The Daughter of the Waters would be able to help you locate the Ring of Nuit in the seabed. Is this the same Ring of Nuit that was robbed from her Temple when the Hyksos invaded? There was a scrap of papyrus in the Cairo Museum, since lost, that told of a Ring stolen from a far southern town."

Ardeth didn't know why, but he nodded, and felt that he was right. "Yes, Chosen One. My Ring was stolen by the Hyskos of which your friend speaks. Indeed, a Daughter of the Waters would be an asset in your search," the Goddess's voice whispered.

Martin started. "Did you hear something?"

Ardeth replied, "Nuit. You heard Nuit." A shooting star streaked across the sky, from south to north, leaving a trail of green fire. The Daughter of Nuit hovered over the city of Alexandria, then moved to just off the shoreline, where she hovered, blinked once, blinked twice, then winked out. Ardeth felt a shiver of deja vu.

Martin gaped. "Did you see that?" he asked.

"Yes. Nuit was confirming the Ring is located there. But the ocean floor off the city is large and I shall need Lostris's help in locating the Ring," Ardeth said.

His dessert finished, Ardeth stood up, as did Martin.

"I have need to meditate and ask for the Queen's help," Martin said, as he made his way out of the small restaurant the two were sitting in. "Good night, my friend. I shall see you in the morning."

"Good night, my friend," Ardeth said as he too made his way out of the restaurant and back to his small motel room. He prepared himself for bed and for the first time in a long while, dreamed a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

Night Sky, 1940

Nuit, The Great Mother, caressed her Chosen One as he slept, protecting him from the terrible dreams which he'd been experiencing. Ardeth had done well, and with the help of a Daughter of the Waters, Nuit knew Ardeth could resurrect her powers and help fend off the terrible destruction. She'd been blinded when the earthquake had buried her in the Mediterranean mud and she couldn't direct Ardeth to where she lay under the Green Waters. She had to rely on Imhotep, and the Daughter of the Waters to help Ardeth find her earthly incarnation.

Day Two of the Search—Alexandria, Egypt, 1940

The next morning, Ardeth, sans the shadows under his eyes, and Martin breakfasted on another meat and vegetable mix. They didn't speak at all to each other but remained in their own heads, each thinking of the task set before them. After breakfast, they made their way down to the shores of the Mediterranean.

Ardeth paid for a boat rental with several of the gold rings he always carried with him. The two men ensured they had plenty provisions before they set sail.

"Did the Queen promise you her help?" Ardeth asked once they were under way.

"She promised she would direct us to the exact area over where the Ring is located," Martin replied.

Ardeth felt his stomach churn. "Just over the area? She will not direct me to the Ring itself?"

"She said that the way to the Ring was blocked by someone more powerful than her, but that you would know what to do once you dived into the water," Martin replied, then frowned. "The Queen was not in a happy mood. Her brow was troubled when she spoke to me, and she kept looking in the direction of the north, where the destruction will come forth," Martin said.

"She is worried about what will happen if I do not return the Ring of Nuit to the Temple of Nuit in four days' time," Ardeth said.

"Where is the Temple of Nuit?"

"In the city of Djeba," Ardeth replied.

"We will need to stop to refuel more than one time. The journey to Djeba is long," Martin said. The boat was taking to the wind and was sailing under full sail. Ardeth tilted his face to Ra and allowed the sun to warm his face.

The two men took out their flagons of beer and sat in the boat, sipping and sailing. Ardeth was steering the boat around the waters of the Mediterranean aimlessly, hoping that the Goddess would speak once he neared the right place. Martin dozed and a loud snore erupted from his mouth.

The boat was about four miles from the coast when a gentle wind stirred the water. "Chosen One, you are near," Nuit's voice whispered. Ardeth blinked.

"We are near the place where the Ring is located," Martin said at the same time, sitting up suddenly. "The Queen came to me as I was dozing and indicated we should drop anchor now."

Ardeth nodded. He picked up the anchor and dropped it over the side of the small boat. He felt hope surging into his heart for the first time since his frightening dream more than two weeks ago.

"Good luck, my friend," Martin said as Ardeth stripped off his black robes. Taking up a small cannonball in each hand and placing them in a leather bag that he tied around his waist, he took three deep breaths, and dived over the side of the boat into the sea.

The green waters of the Mediterranean closed over Ardeth's head. With the cannonballs in the leather bag, he sunk towards the sunken city of Herakleion rapidly.

Whispers surrounded him, murmuring to him of things past: the extensive trading which the inhabitants had done with distant peoples from far north of the shores of the Black Sea; a baby's cry was suddenly halted as the earthquake struck and the newborn babe died as the waters of the Great Green rushed into its mouth.

"Ardeth! Here lies a boat full of amphorae from Greece. We are filled with amber and silver coins."

"Ardeth! Here we are! We are the shards of a Phoenician wooden boat, one of the first wooden boats to sail the Great Green."

"Ardeth! Ardeth! Ardeth!" came the voices, whispering their secrets into Ardeth's ear, demanding his attention.

Ardeth opened his eyes. Surprisingly, he could see quite clearly under the water. He'd always thought the water would be murky this deep. But he could see as clear as day.

He saw a flicker out of the corner of his eye.

--A shark!--he thought.

But he felt the presence of someone else, a calming presence. He saw a shadowy shape, a figure of a golden woman, appear before him and the shark veered away from him.

"I have come to assist you as I promised the Caller, Chosen One," a beautiful woman's voice floated through Ardeth's brain. "I am Lostris, Daughter of the Waters, and the animals living in the waters of the Great Green shall not bother you during your search. I have also cleared the waters to aid in your search," she said to his mind.

Ardeth wanted to thank her but all he could do was sink towards the sunken city. His lungs were a third empty. He hoped he'd be able to find the Ring of Nuit before he ran out of breath. He didn't know how many times he could dive.

"Kick your legs, Son of Nuit, and go straight ahead of you," a male voice said in Ardeth's head.

He did as he was told, with the cannonballs in the leather bag holding him close to the floor of the Mediterranean sea. He brushed his fingers over the top of the mud as he swam.

"Keep going, you are near. Plunge your hand deep into the mud when I tell you," the male voice told him. Ardeth did as he was told and kicked his legs hard.

"Here!" the voice commanded and Ardeth plunged his hand deep into the mud. He plunged his arm until the mud covered his elbow. His felt his finger tips touch something cool, and round. He poked at the unseen object, and felt the Ring slip partway onto his finger.

He closed his fingers around the Ring, and gently pulled his arm out of the sucking mud. The mud did not want to give up its prize easily and Ardeth felt the Ring start to slip. He stopped pulling, his lungs more than half empty, and carefully moved his thumb over the Ring and slipped it further onto his fourth finger of his left hand.

With the Ring now more secure, he curled his fingers and pulled his hand fully out of the mud. Pushing the Ring completely onto his left fourth finger, Ardeth kicked his legs, but he was weak and the cannonballs were holding him down. His mind started to grow hazy, then he heard two voices:

"Son of Nuit, you have done well. Now hurry back to her Temple. You do not have much time," the male voice said.

"Chosen One, I will bring a dolphin to help you get to the surface of the Great Green faster, for your breath is running out and you do not have enough to get to the surface," the voice of Lostris said and Ardeth realized she was right. He saw blackness creep into the edge of his vision and knew he didn't have enough strength or breath to get back to the top. He tilted his head up and saw the shadow of the boat he and Martin had rented.

"I am Imhotep, Great Architect to King Djoser, second King of the Third Dynasty. Son of Nuit, my pyramid will also be destroyed by the invaders from the north if you do not return the Ring of Nuit to her Temple in time. There are secrets that my Pyramid stills holds--and will not yet reveal--for the stars have not yet realigned in their positions. I shall direct you to her Temple once you arrive in Djeba," Imhotep told Ardeth. His statement intrigued Ardeth.

Ardeth felt his breath running out. He knew he'd been under the surface for longer than he'd ever submerged himself. He felt, rather than saw, a sleek skin brush by him. He grasped the fin of the dolphin that Lostris had sent and he felt the dolphin take him to the surface.

The two voices said in unison, "May the Gods see you well, Chosen One, Son of Nuit. And may the Gods speed you on your journey to Djeba." The voices faded out.

Ardeth's head broke the surface of the water. He sucked in a deep breath, mixed with water and coughed, trying not to swallow the water. He hung onto the dolphin, sucking in air, while Martin tried to get the boat nearer to Ardeth to he could pull him in.

"My friend! I thought you had passed on to the Afterlife!" Martin said, throwing Ardeth a rope. Ardeth let go of the dolphin.

"Not this soon, my friend," he weakly replied to Martin. To the dolphin he said,

"Thank you, my lady dolphin. Give the Queen my thanks." The dolphin squealed, backed off and then did a back flip, spraying Ardeth with water. He smiled.

"So the Queen sent the dolphin to help you," Martin observed as he pulled a weak Ardeth towards the boat. He helped Ardeth climb the rope ladder and Ardeth sunk gracefully into the boat.

He held up his left hand. The sun glinted off the silver edging the ring on the fourth finger. Martin drew his breath inwards.

"Beautiful!" he murmured.

Ardeth had to agree. The thick lapis lazuli ring, edged in silver, was a sight to behold. An inch thick, the ring was carved with hieroglyphics: Ring of Nuit, Ardeth read the simple engraving aloud. Martin lifted the anchor, turned the boat around and set sail back to the harbor of Alexandria.

"Do we tell of the lost city beneath the waves?" Martin asked.

"As the Keeper of the Bracelet of Lostris, I do not believe it would be a good idea to tell of this sunken city. Perhaps, at some point in the future, you, or your descendants, might wish to tell of our sunken city. But for now, she needs to remain beneath the waves. I do not know why; I only felt a terrible presentiment when you asked if we should tell," Ardeth replied.

"Perhaps you felt that Hitler would ravage the treasures," Martin said, his green eyes showing concern.

"Perhaps," Ardeth replied. He lay back, protecting the Ring of Nuit in his hand, and dozed in the afternoon sunlight.

"Thank you, Ardeth Bey," the voices in Ardeth's head were relieved.

"Ooomph. That's the second time we've had to stop to refuel," Ardeth said, as he came back from the small bathroom. Water dripped down his thick black beard for Ardeth had washed his face of the sand and grit which had been plastered onto his face by the open air biplane.

"It can't be helped," Martin said as he filled the tank of the airplane. "We shall reach Djeba by nightfall," he finished.

Ardeth nodded. "It is fitting, to reach Djeba as the cloak of The Great Mother covers the sky," he said as he swigged a cup of cold beer that had been offered to him by the owner of the small airstrip. He set the cup down and walked over to the airplane.

Martin nodded and the two men climbed into the plane.

"Here we go!" Martin called back and started the plane.

City of Djeba, 1940--Day Three of the Search, Just before Dawn

"Do you know where to go?" Martin asked Ardeth, after the two had been woken from their slumber by the owner of the small inn. Martin's sleep had been fitful, but Ardeth's sleep had been dreamless. Ardeth had been grateful for the deep, dreamless sleep, for he knew the next few days would be sleepless.

"The Great Mother--or Imhotep--will guide me," Ardeth said. "Her Temple is buried under the sands."

"Did you bring help?" Martin asked. "You might need help digging," he observed.

"Yes, my men should be here by morning," Ardeth said. "I shall need to go out into the desert," he said, not giving an explanation as he strode off.

Striding towards the end of the city, he came upon the stables.

Renting the fastest horse, he swung up on the stallion's back, and rode off towards the west at a gallop. A mile outside Djeba, Ardeth shuddered violently and the world seemed to shift, first sideways, then upside down. When the world righted itself again, most of the surrounding desert and the banks of the Nile were empty, except for ancient Djeba and what appeared in front of him.

He saw, in front of him, vaguely, a small Temple, and knew it to be the Temple of Nuit. As he looked at the vision, the Temple grew more solid.

Ardeth heard Imhotep's voice whisper,

"I have placed the two of us in the Crossroads of Time. Under the sands in this spot lies the Temple of Nuit where I constructed her nearly 4,700 floodings of the Nile ago. In my time, her Temple has just been completed and the moon is glinting off the walls studded with lapis lazuli," Imhotep whispered. "I am afraid the Hyksos took down the lapis lazuli," he finished sadly.

"Thank you, Imhotep. I can see the Temple as she stood in her glory. Your architecture is stunning," Ardeth said, feeling Imhotep's sadness. The ancient man had worked hard to build this Temple, and to know that the Temple had been desecrated, and later ruined by an earthquake, must have been devastating to the Great Architect Imhotep: lover and builder of one of the first stone buildings in the world.

"You are welcome. I know her Temple is to be toppled in an earthquake but that is what the Gods command. But the Gods do not command what is supposed to happen to Egypt in your lifetime. The Dark One has command of the one that would destroy this Egypt of ours. That much the Gods revealed to me. You are a Son of Nuit. You have done as she has commanded. Speed you well. Hurry!" Imhotep said as his voice faded out. The Temple of Nuit, as she has stood nearly 4,700 years ago, remained as a vision for a few moments longer before the Temple seemed to melt down into the sands of Egypt.

Ardeth knew this was where he needed to begin digging—and the sooner the better. He swung his horse around towards Djeba, and rode the mile at a fast gallop. Coming hard upon the stables, he swung down, and watered his mount. Leaving his mount to be groomed by the stable boy, Ardeth went to purchase the supplies he needed for his dig.

Ardeth knew he wouldn't have much sleep now, for he needed to unearth the Shrine of Nuit before dawn of the sixth day.

Telling John where to bring his men once they arrived in Djeba, Ardeth took the supplies, loaded the horse and took off again for the desert.

2644 BC, Temple of Nuit, Private Room (Just before Dawn of Day Three of Ardeth's Search)

An inner voice had commanded Imhotep to return to the Temple before Ra dawned. Imhotep still hadn't recovered from the effects of the mushroom, but he'd known what he had to do.

Seating himself before Nuit's shrine, he prepared another of the mushrooms, and ate it. When he'd induced himself into a trancelike state, he gained access once again to the Crossroads of Time.

He saw the Son of Nuit swinging up on an unknown animal. And his trance was none too soon, for shortly the Son of Nuit would reach where the Temple was located.

As the Son of Nuit passed near where he'd built the Temple, he said,

"I have placed the two of us in the Crossroads of Time. Under the sands in this spot lies the Temple of Nuit where I constructed her nearly 4,700 floodings of the Nile ago. In my time, her Temple has just been completed and the moon is glinting off the walls studded with lapis lazuli," Imhotep whispered. "I am afraid the Hyksos took down the lapis lazuli," he finished sadly.

"Thank you, Imhotep," Ardeth said. "Sometimes it is difficult to know the future, and even more difficult to know the names of those who rent Egypt and her Glory," Ardeth finished.

"You are welcome. I know her Temple is to be toppled in an earthquake but that is what the Gods command. But the Gods do not command what is supposed to happen in your lifetime. The Dark One has command of the one that would destroy this Egypt of ours. That much the Gods revealed to me. You are a Son of Nuit. You have done as she has commanded. Speed you well. Hurry!" Imhotep said, as the vision of the future faded out.

Imhotep opened his eyes. He looked around at the private room--the walls studded with lapis lazuli. He stood up, and made his reverence to The Great Mother and walked outside of the temple.

Ra was beginning to awake and Nuit was slowly, reluctantly heading west.

"Chosen One, you have done well. I know how difficult it is to access the Crossroads of Time and even more difficult to bring another into the Crossroads. But now my other Chosen One will be able to defend this very Egypt from those that seek to destroy her. Your Pyramid, and the Great Pyramids, and the secrets that they hold, will remain undisturbed. Your efforts will help restore Ma'at to Egypt. Your heart and the hearts of your descendents will be blessed with a happy afterlife. Your name shall be remembered well in Ardeth's time. Thank you, Imhotep," Nuit said, looking over her starry shoulder.

Nuit sent another one of her Daughters to shoot across the brightening sky. Imhotep saw the star hover of the city of Djeba, blink once, blink twice, then wink out.

Imhotep breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know mankind would not be destroyed. Imhotep had felt horror when he'd seen the Pyramids explode as if they were faience shattering upon the stones.

Overhead, Ra reached his golden fingers out to Imhotep, welcoming him to a new day along the Nile. .

Day Five of the Search--mid afternoon

"Ardeth! I've struck something!" Dekel shouted.The boy was a hard worker, as well as the fastest runner. It had been the youth's idea to make shadoofs to lift the sand. Ardeth hadn't thought of using shadoofs to lift sand, for the shadoof had originally been invented to lift water from the Nile. As Dekel had pointed out, it didn't matter what the shadoofs lifted, so long as they lifted more than what a man could ordinarily lift. And Ardeth had agreed.

Ardeth, with deepening shadows under his eyes, strode over to see what the boy had unearthed.

"It is stone. Perhaps from the Temple?" Dekel asked, awed at the sight of the ancient quarried stone. The thought ran through Dekel's mind that the stone cutters hadn't had the advantage of iron, just bronze tools to cut each stone precisely to size.

"I think so. We will keep digging here. You have done well, my runner," Ardeth said, and smiled at Dekel. His initial anger at the teen's side excursion in the Qartrani Mountains had dissipated and Ardeth could see the beginnings of a tactical leader in Dekel: the young man scouted out potential resources beneficial to the Med Jai.

But Dekel would have to be trained to follow orders. Ardeth suddenly chuckled as the memory of himself at Dekel's age overtook him. For he too had been a little reluctant to follow orders and had often run off on side excursions, much to the dismay of his father.

Ardeth was bone-weary but he couldn't stop the digging to allow himself to sleep. The rasping sounds of sand being lifted by the shadoofs filled his ears, and Ardeth knew he'd be able to fullfil his task.

Twilight, Day Five

In the deepening twilight, as Nuit began to cover the sky with her velvety black mantle, the remains of a small temple wall were unearthed about a mile outside the present day city of Djeba.

The stones were limestone, broken in half, and standing no higher than a man, but nevertheless, Ardeth knew they were the remains from the Temple of Nuit. The stones were cracked, perhaps during the great earthquake that had sunk the delta port city of Herakleion.

In any event, the stones did not look as if they could remain upright for much longer. They wobbled when anyone tried to clear the sand from around their bases.

"Do not worry with that. I only need to find out which side of the Temple would have been indoors," Ardeth said, as he stroked the Ring of Nuit on his left ring finger.

He'd wished he could talk with Martin, but Martin's work had been done, and he'd returned to Cairo under Ardeth's orders not to reveal anything about their adventure. Most importantly, he'd sworn a blood oath to Ardeth that he would not reveal the location of the sunken city of Herakleion until such time as he—or his descendents--received a sign.

Martin had agreed, and the airplane carrying Martin had lifted up into the sky. Looking after the airplane, Ardeth felt his terror about airplanes dissipate. He knew the reason why: he'd accomplished the task set forth to him by Nuit, and under Imhotep's guidance, had found the location of the temple.

The Temple had been breathtaking in the vision. It had been an open air temple, and the walls of the temple were studded with lapis lazuli. The dawning light of Ra had glinted off the lapis lazuli studded temple walls and Ardeth couldn't help but being amazed.

He walked around the stones, looking at them carefully. His sharp eye caught an indentation.

--This was where the lapis lazuli was embedded in the walls--he thought to himself.

He clapped his hands.

"We are done, my Commanders! You have done well and now I shall send you to your dinners. Eat and drink well this night, my Commanders!" Ardeth said, dismissing his men. His men, laughing and talking, now that their task was completed, gathered up their tools, and began the mile long walk back to Djeba. The tone of Ardeth's voice told them he would be successful in finishing the one task remaining to him.

Ardeth watched them leave. The night was dark. He knew he'd have to dig in the sand until he found the golden shrine of Nuit and place her Ring underneath the shrine in the small cup.

He sat down at the small fire that had been left burning for him. Taking out a large clay pot, he opened the lid. The smell of meat and potatoes wafted up to his nose. He pulled out a spoon, and some bread, from the leather bag next to him, and began to eat, sipping occasionally from the large flagon of beer beside him.

It would be a long night digging, but the shadoofs would ease his labors. Ardeth was tired but he needed food. Overhead, Nuit hovered above him, sending her sister, the Bringer of Wind, to blow gentle, cooling breaths over Ardeth, ruffling his hair slightly, and causing Ardeth to smile around mouthfuls of food.

As the rays of Ra began to piece the velvet cloak of Nuit, Ardeth found the golden shrine. Apparently, the Hyksos hadn't removed this item from the shrine, or perhaps one of the priests had hidden the shrine until the invaders had finished pillaging Djeba.

Ardeth decided the latter explanation made more sense. It wasn't unknown for priests to hide a temple's religious objects if the temple came under seige, and if the Ring had been under the shrine in a small cup, it must have fallen out when the priest had snatched the shrine up in a hurry.

Ardeth brushed the sand off the golden shrine as these thoughts ran through his mind. The waning light of Nuit's children was being replaced by Ra's golden light.

Placing the Ring of Nuit in its cup underneath the golden shrine he'd unearthed, Ardeth stood up and looked around.

He heard an eerie tinkling sound as he stood in the ruins of the Temple of Nuit. Not for the first time, Ardeth felt the world shift, turn sideways, then upside down. When the world righted again, in front of him was a light filled tunnel. He looked, and saw to the past--he saw the a king of Kemet as Egypt was called in those clear ancient days--the great King Menes who had first built the city of Memphis.

Looking further, Ardeth saw the architect who had built Nuit's Temple and knew his name to be Imhotep; he who had spoken to him under the waters of the Great Green. Imhotep's mouth was open in horror and he was looking behind Ardeth.

Still further in the golden tunnel, he saw a beautiful woman, with dark green eyes (Martin's eyes, Ardeth thought), standing in the light, her arms open to him. A tall man was standing slightly behind the woman. Ardeth realized this man was Taita, the maker of the Bracelet of Lostris. And he knew that this woman, this very young woman, was Queen Lostris. She was pointing to the tunnel behind him.

Ardeth turned around, and looked behind him.

What he saw chilled his blood. He saw ahead of him that the city of London was devastated by a line of airplanes much like the ones in his dream. He saw the man responsible for this carnage and responsible for the deaths of millions and knew this man would die by his own hand.

Ardeth looked towards the distant future and saw large silver buildings tumble down and he saw the pale screaming faces of those trapped within the buildings. Those buildings caused great grey clouds to billow forth, and a rumbling noise louder than any earthquake he had ever heard washed over him and Ardeth covered his ears but could not drown out the sounds of the dead.

He lifted up in the air, and going even further ahead, saw human blood running thickly in the streets in the land once known--and soon to be known again in Ardeth's time--as Israel.

Ardeth shuddered. He didn't want to look at this time. He turned back towards the man he knew to be Imhotep. Unlike another man by that name, this Imhotep had kind eyes, worried eyes. This Imhotep was gaping at the destruction he'd seen in Ardeth's future--the future of mankind.

But the Pyramids, and Cairo were overlaid on this vision, and neither was destroyed. Both glimmered under Ra's golden light and Nuit's starry cloak.

"Thank you for your help, Imhotep," Ardeth said to the one who'd build the Step Pyramid. "Without you, I would have never been able to find Nuit's earthy incarnation. I rather suspect Nuit put a task to you and had you fashion her earthly incarnation."

"You are welcome, earthly Son of Nuit," Imhotep replied. "Yes. I was honored to perform the Goddess's command. All those who wish for Egypt's continued glory work together in the past, present and future to ensure Egypt remains as the Gods intended her."

Imhotep held up his hand in a come-back gesture. Ardeth knew this meant that he should walk with the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt watching over him.

He made the same gesture at Imhotep and Imhotep and Lostris and the first King of Kemet faded, replaced by a shimmering golden light.

Now Nuit's voice, as soft as silk or velvet, whispered in the air around Ardeth. He saw the shimmering golden light grow stronger as the voice continued to speak.

"My child, my Chosen One. You are standing in the Crossroads of Time. Time does not flow evenly here, for what appears to be a few hours may be a few seconds, or a few days, or even centuries. One can see the past, the present and the future all at once. Those who have just died may have found thousands of years to have passed in the earthly realm, yet they find they have just arrived in the Crossroads. This is where the Paths are Chosen by the Gods and where one meets their Destiny: either the Afterlife, or the Underworld."

"You have fulfilled the task which I have set before you, Ardeth Bey, Commander of the Med Jai, and restored Ma’at to Egypt. Cairo will not be destroyed. Nor will the Pyramids be destroyed by the man those living north of the Great Green call Hitler. But there is another task that awaits you, and your descendents: for so long as the Pyramids shall stand, so stands the future of Mankind. Should the Pyramids tumble, so shall Mankind tumble."

"This is the decree of Osiris. And this is why the Pyramids were built: not only to house the Pharoah's earthly remains but also to celebrate the earthly tenure of mankind, to pay homage to the knowledge given to Man by the Gods."

"I gave a challenge to my another of my earthly children, the one you know as Imhotep. It was to him that was given the first vision of the Pyramids and it was to him that was also given, by the Dark One, Set, the sour knowledge of knowing that one day his pyramid--and those a few hundred years later--could be destroyed."

"Imhotep had the Ring of Nuit constructed to help him reach you here in the Crossroads of Time, and to give you directions as to the location of the Ring although thousands of years have passed between my earthly children."

"You have risen to the challenge of your Ethereal Mother, Ardeth Bey. You and your descendents shall be forever blessed with Ma'at and having hearts less than the weight of a feather--and a happy afterlife awaits you and your children."

Nuit's soft voice faded out. Ardeth could see the shimmering golden light was in the shape of a woman with blue skin, hair the color of honey, with eyes the color of lapis lazuli. Her irises were pure silver. She smiled at Ardeth before fading out.

"Farewell, my Chosen One. I shall have need of your services again, but not for many floodings of the Nile. Sleep well during your nights, my Son."

2644 BC, Temple of Nuit, Djeba. Dawn (Dawning of Day Six of Ardeth's Search)

Once again, Imhotep had spent the night in the Temple. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed to be here in case the Son of Nuit needed additional help.

When Ra started poking his long golden fingers into the temple walls, Imhotep got up from his vigil in front of the golden shrine to Nuit and began to walk back towards Djeba. The Son of Nuit didn't need his help today.

Imhotep's steps towards Djeba halted as he saw before him a golden light tunnel. In this light tunnel, he saw the Son of Nuit looking at him. He heard the words the Goddess was telling her earthly Son, and tears slipped down Imhotep's face in relief: this Son of Nuit had completed the task set before him.

Behind the Son of Nuit, Imhotep saw terrible shiny birds rent destruction upon a city of stone; he saw two tall silver buildings take their tumble; he saw the streets of the land just east of the peninsula run thick with blood...and he knew the Son of Nuit would not be able to stop this destruction. But he could stop the destruction of the Pyramids.

Imhotep also saw the woman he knew to be Queen Lostris. She was beautiful, her eyes were dark green, and beside her, and slightly behind her, stood a tall man with piercing blue eyes, a color Imhotep had never seen before in a living human. Lostris too was watching the time behind the Son of Nuit, her mouth open in horror.

He was grateful the Goddess of the Sky allowed him to speak to her Son again in the Crossroads of Time. Imhotep raised his hand in a come back gesture, hoping the Son of Nuit would know that Imhotep wanted him to walk with the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt watching over him.

After the Son of Nuit faded, and in the dying remnants of the golden light, Lostris turned to Imhotep. He couldn't hear her words clearly in the fading light, but he thought he heard the words, 'thank you.' He raised his hand in a come back motion and Lostris and the man beside her nodded their heads. The golden light faded.

Imhotep walked out of the Temple and into the brightening day. Ra, as if to approve of Imhotep's actions during the night, burst forth over the horizon and shone his full light on Imhotep, illuminating the golden pectoral Imhotep wore and suffusing Imhotep's face with his light.

Crossroads of Time, in the Waning of the Golden Light

"Taita, why are tendrils of my soul reaching out towards the future? Do the sons of my bloodline run strong there?"

"Yes, my Queen. Sons and daughters of your bloodline still thrive in Ardeth's time," Taita said as he hugged her. "But there also awaits in the future a Bracelet to protect those in need of your protection."

"Did you make the Bracelet?" she asked.

Taita smiled at her. "Yes, my Queen. I took some of the hairs from your head when I embalmed you and made the Periapt of Lostris. My very last earthly deed in your name was to embed some of your hairs in a thick band of electrum that I studded with emeralds. It was after I passed the Bracelet unto the care of the Keeper and instructed him in its use that I heard your voice calling me to the Afterlife. And here I am."

"Taita! You should have told me this straight off!"

"I meant it to be a secret."

"You imp!" Lostris laughed. "You know I can never resist a secret!"

Now it was Taita's turn to laugh. "The Bracelet needs to be restored, for it is lying in a jumbled heap of jewelry in a bazaar, but it will fall into Ardeth's hands. He will have need of your protection," Taita said, a bit sadly. He realized that thousands of years had passed on earth yet he'd just arrived at the Crossroads. He would think on this concept of time later, after he'd been reacquainted with Lostris and his friend Tanus.

Lostris stood on her tiptoes and kissed Taita on the lips. She smiled at him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Oh Taita, I am glad the earthly Son of Nuit will have my protection. He is worthy of being Commander of the Med Jai." She sighed. "I wish he had been protecting my pharoahs. Now it is I who can protect him."

As the golden light vanished, Lostris smiled as the reunited friends walked off into the Crossroads of Time to meet Tanus, the father of Lostris's son, Pharoah Tamose.

Dawn: Day Six, Northern Rim of the Mediterranean Basin

The bomber plane rumbled through the darkening clouds. The dark thunderhead had sprung up suddenly in the dawn over the northern rim of the Mediterranean. Lightning flashed.

The pilot, unknown to anyone, had chosen this day to make a reconnaissance of Cairo. He heard a voice come out of the thunderhead.

"Grey eyed One! My Chosen One has completed the task that I set before him and returned the Ring of Nuit to its rightful place. For centuries my earthly incarnation lay buried in the mud of the Great Green and my powers were reduced. But with the restoration of my shrine, I have returned to earth and have called upon the wind and the rain to stop you in your task. You are in the Crossroads of Time, where your Destiny is determined."

The pilot screamed as a lady's figure, blue skinned with dark blue eyes and silver irises, emerged out of the dark clouds before him. The plane continued bucking.

"I have sent this thunderstorm to crash your plane into the sea. Your heart is heavy and you shall be sent to the Underworld, your soul eaten by the demons who reside there," she said as the plane began to plunge downwards into a whirlpool that had formed in the now turbulent waters of the Mediterranean.

"Nooooooooo!" he shouted as lightning struck the plane and the plane crashed into sea and down into the gaping maw of the Underworld. Demons snashed their teeth, and shoved each other in their attempts to get to the new arrival first.

1940, Temple of Nuit, Dawn of Day Six

Ardeth saw another shimmering light and he stopped in his tracks.

Dimly, he saw a plane coming out of the light and crash into the sea. He saw Nuit watching as the plane went into the gaping maw of the underworld where the demons awaited the pilot.

Ardeth saw Nuit turn towards him.

Tears were slipping down his face.

"Do not cry, my child. He planned the destruction of Cairo and the destruction of the Pyramids--and of mankind. It was his choice to make. He chose darkness when he chose to worship the Dark One."

"Will London be saved?"

"Alas, no. It is meant to be."

"I can get a message to my friends in London. Perhaps they can warn..."

"Ardeth, the destruction of London has already begun. Look."

Ardeth looked. He saw a line of bomber planes filling the sky with darkness and dropping bombs over London. Tears slipped down his face in rivers, wetting his beard.

"Your friends are safe, Chosen One. I shall protect their home from the ravages of the bombs,," Nuit's soft voice told him. As she faded out, Nuit reached out and held Ardeth's cheek in her hands. "Fear not for their safety, Chosen One," she said.

Ardeth tried to smile behind his tears. The vision faded and he was standing in the ruins of the Temple of Nuit.

He looked up at the blue sky over Egypt, clear of airplanes, clear of bombs.

2644 BC, Temple of Nuit, Djeba. Dawn (Dawning of Day Six)

The world suddenly shifted sideways, then upside down, and finally right side up. A light shimmered in front of Imhotep as he stepped outside the temple walls.

He saw a dark grey metal bird, with a human inside. Dark thunderheads clouded the horizon and Imhotep knew that Nuit had called upon her sister to bring the thunderstorm. Thunderstorms were rare in Lower Eypgt, but when he'd been along the shores of the Great Green, Imhotep had experienced water falling from the sky.

But he'd never seen Nuit so angry. A whirlpool opened up in the murky waters of the Great Green and Imhotep saw the dark grey metal bird plunging into the gaping maw of the underworld.

Imhotep saw the demons of the underworld waiting for the new arrivals, and he shuddered with fear.

Nuit allowed him to see the maw of the underworld close around the plane, and he felt the Ma'at of Egypt restored to rightness.

The light faded, and Ra once again shined his light on Imhotep. A smile suffused his face, and he walked towards Djeba knowing that the Son of Nuit--Ardeth Bey--had succeeded in his task.

Ardeth is a worthy Commander of the Med Jai, Imhotep thought.

A week later, John's restaurant, Cairo, 1940

"John, you really should name your hotel," The Keeper advised him as the Priest of Osiris placed a pitcher of iced tea on the table.

"Mmmm. Why?"

"So others will know what to call your place," Martin said, pouring himself a glass of the tea.

"They know the hotel as John's, next to Kahn's Bazaar," John replied, sitting down. "When will Ardeth get here?" he asked.

"Don't know. He's had a difficult few weeks, especially the past week. May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you think he'll need the Bracelet of Lostris? With London and all?" Martin asked, as he took out a small leather pouch from his shirt pocket. He opened the pouch and slid out a heavy object, wrapped in velvet.

"He may, now that London's been bombed for a week straight. He'll no doubt be worried about Rick and Evie," John replied as Martin placed the object on the table. Martin opened the ends of the velvet to reveal a thick bracelet of electrum. Where the emeralds had been inserted, there were small holes. Martin would replace the emeralds.

John's breathing slowed as he gazed upon the Bracelet of Lostris. "Can you feel its power thrumming at the edges of your soul?" he asked.

Martin nodded, gazing at the Bracelet. He thought he could see tendrils of light drifting upwards towards Ra.

"How did you find it, after all these years?" John asked Martin.

"Lord Taita came to me in a dream and told me that when Ardeth placed the Ring of Nuit in its rightful place, he entered the Crossroads of Time and Lord Taita was able to trace the threads of Lostris' soul back to the Bracelet he'd constructed as his last respect to her. The Bracelet was in a jumbled box of jewelry just pawned by a family who desperately needed the money," Martin said as he brushed his fingers reverently over the electrum.

"I shall replace the emeralds and restore the Bracelet to its former glory," he whispered. "The emeralds are the earthly Eyes of Lostris and those who are in need of her protection shall be able to protect themselves. Ardeth needs this protection for his friends," Martin finished.

Just then, a tired and haggard Ardeth strode into the hotel's small restaurant area. The black shadows still under his eyes attested to the hard journey he'd had to make, and of the sour knowledge he'd had to endure.

In his hands was an English language newspaper, five days old.

"You have read this headline?" he asked of John and Martin but his eyes were transfixed on the Bracelet. Ardeth's eyes grew wide and his breathing shallow.

Lostris's voice whispered to him, "Ardeth, take my Bracelet and lend it to your friends, for I know they are in need of my protection. Even without my Eyes, the Bracelet shall protect your friends from harm. I know Nuit is protecting them by night but they need my protection during the day," Lostris told him as Ardeth slipped the Bracelet onto his wrist. An soft glow emanated from the Bracelet, reached up and twined itself with tendrils of Ardeth's soul, glowed brightly, then faded out.

Martin and John could only look on, dumbfounded. When the light had faded out, the three men sat, awed at what had happened.

Finally, Martin remembered Ardeth's question. "I know London's been bombed," he told Ardeth, wincing a little at his words.

"I knew the day they started the bombing," Ardeth said. "I was referring to one of the smaller headlines," he said as he opened the paper to page three and read from the lower left hand corner:

"Nazi Bomber Plane Downed in Mediterranean" —Crete, September 8
Pieces of a lone Nazi bomber plane were found washed ashore in Crete late yesterday afternoon. Residents say that the plane was headed south when a surprise thunderstorm downed the plane. The pilot's body has not yet been recovered."

John, who was sipping his iced tea, asked, "Was that the man who was planning on destroying the Pyramids?"

"Yes. Yes, that was the man. I am grateful to Nuit for not showing me his face. It is difficult to know the face of your enemy and I don't think I could have lived with myself having that knowledge," Ardeth said, as he reached for a piece of baklava. "The demons in the underworld wrestled each other in their attempts to get to the new arrival first."

Ardeth took a bite of the baklava. For the first time in weeks, he felt peace but worry still nagged at the edges of his Ka. He knew millions would die in the coming years, and there was nothing he could do, no task he could perform to save their souls.

"I have received a telegram from Rick and Evie," Ardeth continued after he'd taken a bite of the baklava. "They tell me that a strange darkness cloaks their home and that as bombs fell directly towards their home, the cloak seemed to take the weight of the bombs and bounced the bombs back into the bellies of the planes," Ardeth said, taking another bite of his baklava.

"It seems the Goddess is protecting them," John said, not quite hiding a smile."She is back to her full powers now that her shrine has been restored."

Ardeth nodded, and a smile suffused his face. "Yes, Nuit said she would protect them. Rick and Evie also say that the bomber planes now avoid their area of London."

"The enemy decided to be superstitious?" Martin asked.

Ardeth nodded, his face grave. "But I must send the Bracelet of Lostris to Rick and Evie," he said as he got up. "They need her protection as well as Nuit's protection."

"The Bracelet is at your disposal," Martin replied.

"I will get some sleep now," he told the two men. The Bracelet seemed to glow briefly as Ardeth walked out of the small restaurant and went to rent a room for the day.

"London will be difficult to get into with the bombing. How will Ardeth get the Bracelet to London?" Martin asked John as John poured himself another glass of iced tea.

"Possibly Ardeth will go by boat to Devon and make his way over land," John replied, setting the tea pitcher down.

"Or possibly the Goddess will lift the Bracelet on the wind and fly it to England," Martin said.

"Anything is possible in Egypt," John observed. "But one thing is sure--Ardeth will not rest until the Bracelet is protecting Rick and Evie."

"Why didn't he go now?" Martin asked, curious, because he didn't know Ardeth well enough to understand his actions.

"Because Nuit is protecting his friends and he trusts Nuit. She is back to her full power--I can feel her power thrumming all through my soul where there was no power before," John said, picking up a piece of baklava and biting into it. "Mmmmm! No wonder he likes this so much!" John exclaimed as a paper boy came walking by with the latest newspapers telling about the bombings in London.

Martin bought one and the two men sat reading, their eyes filling with tears as they read of the nightly bombings of London.