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Chapter 7
Adham waited until after the creature had left to return to Thebes, dinner had been eaten, and he and Leila had gotten the girls settled into bed before he went to find O’Connell. He waited until Selim and Pasha had Ardeth well distracted with some discussion before he caught the American’s attention. O’Connell looked surprised when he indicated with a wave that he wished to speak to him but then said something to his wife and joined him where he stood. “Will you walk with me for a bit, brother of my cousin? I must speak with you and would do so where all the tribes might not hear.”
“All right.” O’Connell agreed, but he glanced back at his wife and then over at where Ardeth was sitting with the other Medjai leaders. “Is everything all right?”
“That remains to be seen.” He replied. “I would not burden Ardeth with this yet when he carries so much for us all, already.”
“I don’t know what help I can be, but lets see.” O’Connell agreed, and Adham stored that piece of information away. Protecting Ardeth when possible was something he understood well, and apparently O’Connell was susceptible to the same thing. They walked and Adham led them away from camp toward the Nile. It did not take long for them to leave the tents and fires behind.
“Thank you for coming to speak with me, O’Connell.” He offered finally, coming to a stop by a solid outcrop of rock amidst the sand.
“You wouldn’t have asked unless it was important. So what is it? Is something wrong?”
“That depends at the moment, mostly on you.” He replied. “I am concerned for Ardeth.”
“I really don’t like talking in riddles, Adham. What about Ardeth?”
“He calls you his brother, you seem to consider him the same is this true?”
“Yeah. He’s my best friend too.”
Adham nodded and then he looked at the younger man, drawing himself up to his full height. “I would not have thought you the sort of man to take advantage of a friend.”
O’Connell was silent but he tensed, hands half-curling into fists, no doubt ready to fight should it be necessary. “Want to explain that?”
“I do not need to explain.” He replied, coldly. “He is a strong man who trusts you and turns to you for comfort who in hell are you to take advantage of his innocence and trust for your own pleasure?”
O’Connell growled something, that was probably not a word and swung hard, catching Adham across the jaw. He turned with the blow and kept from backhanding the man but it was a near thing. “Go to hell.”
“No O’Connell. So you do care enough to be angry at least, that is something.” He rubbed his jaw. “I wondered how you would respond to that.”
The man’s eyes narrowed but he kept both hands up, ready no doubt to fight more if need be. “You really like talking in circles?”
“No, actually. I do not. You are his friend, I do not doubt that. But I reserve the right to cut out your heart if you are only toying with his. So, I will speak plainly. I do not object to the love between you or whatever expression you both choose to give it. But my cousin is very new to love and desire O’Connell and you are not. So if I find you are taking advantage of that I will kill you. Is that plain enough?”
“Just what gives you the idea Ardeth and I are more than friends anyway?”
He snorted. “He does not lie well, O’Connell, not even with his eyes when he looks at you mostly. And he and I have been friends since we were younger than your son so I know him well enough to read his eyes. But, mostly, it is that you need to be more conscious of the marks you leave him with. You are fortunate that we as a people wear so much clothing, no?”
O’Connell was silent for a bit. “Might not have been me.” He pointed out.
“No, that is true. But since he swears to me he came by the marks willingly and there is no other man in all the worlds he loves as he loves you I know I am not wrong.”
“Assuming you aren’t wrong. Which is a damned big assumption. What happens now?”
“Nothing, so long as you do not cause him harm. It is good to see him smile so, despite the horror he faces here and the torment he deals with in Thebes.”
“You seem to think you know an awful lot for someone who just got here.” O’Connell growled. Adham did not bother to think about it, only acted, reaching over and gripping the man’s shirt and hauling him up to slam him against the wall of rock behind them.
“I spoke to Ardeth earlier today so yes, I know a great deal. We are brothers too in our own way he and I, O’Connell more than we are cousins. So do not assume that you are the only friend he has. I follow him because he is my chieftain and if he is willing to call the damned creature ally and offer hospitality I will do so for his sake. But I know very well indeed what haunts his eyes yet.” He pushed the man harder against the rock. “What sort of brother are you then that you let the damned thing torment him so?”
Anger and aggression gave way very suddenly in the man’s face to something colder. “You think I wouldn’t sell my soul to keep him safe?”
Adham sighed and stepped back to release the man, but he made certain he was well out of striking range before he spoke. O’Connell only straightened his clothing and weapons. “Then explain to me why you allow it.”
“Allow?” O’Connell snorted. “It might play nice here, Adham but it doesn’t have to keep from slamming me into walls or holding me still with a thought in Thebes. And half the time it doesn’t even let me be there when Ardeth is anyway. You don’t have any idea what’s happened because I guarantee you Ardeth didn’t say a damned word about it, not really.”
“It is not something he finds easy to speak of no.” Adham agreed. “I apologize, O’Connell I truly did not mean that nearly as insultingly as it sounded I only meant to ask you how it is you deal so with it. I am not finding it easy to do so at all. It is unfair of me to be angry at you certainly when it is obvious you support him as best you can through it.”
“Sometimes I ask Ardeth the same thing you know, how do you stay so calm? He keeps telling me he’s not calm but getting angry doesn’t do any good. He’s got a point.”
Adham sighed. “No doubt he does. I think we are both warriors and men enough as well as good enough friends with Ardeth for me to speak plainly, O’Connell. He has told me the creature has threatened much, but that he has not been raped praise be to God, but when I ask how far it is the creature has pressed him he only says he does not wish to speak of it. But I must know, or likely I will only make things worse. I have not Ardeth’s patience you know.”
“Noticed that.” O’Connell replied but there was a trace of humor to the words. “I can understand that. Did you really just ask him if the damned thing had hurt him?”
“We have known each other to long and been too good of friends and brothers to not speak plainly with each other.” Adham replied.
“Huh. Selim was a lot more subtle.”
“No doubt. I do not want to cause him more embarrassment or shame, O’Connell, not for loving you and not for dealing so very well indeed with whatever the creature has done that haunts him still but I must know what it is that he faces or how can I support him against it?”
“I can’t tell you, Adham. It isn’t my place.”
“You realize of course you have told me that I am not wrong by not simply telling me I am.”
“Not much I can do about that. All I will tell you is that I’ll do my damnedest to guard his back and stand beside him all the way to hell if I have to.”
“Then I will content myself with that I suppose. I will be thankful to Allah then that he has you to turn to for whatever comfort he can find.” He smiled just a bit. “Perhaps though I should have taken him to a few other places in Cairo when we were young if that is what it takes for him to consider finally getting married.”
O’Connell snorted. “That was kinda rude you know.”
“Yes, I admit that. But I think it might be accurate yet. My cousin is not by nature a man to lie well or to hide his feelings with any measure of success, O’Connell so I am somewhat amazed everyone in the tribes does not realize how much the joy lights his eyes despite the horror of these last few days. So do try to give those of us who are too observant for our own good less to notice will you please?”
“You’ve known Ardeth a really long time, Adham do you really get the idea that he ever takes orders even if he doesn’t know what he’s doing?”
And that, he had to admit was very likely. He chuckled. “No, knowing Ardeth I would expect not. He is stubborn to a fault, and brave and sometimes foolish with his own safety but never with another’s.”
“Yeah, stubborn’s a bit mild a word though.”
“Indeed.” Adham looked back over at the younger man. “Very well then, O’Connell I will not hold you accountable for my cousin’s…indiscretion entirely. But I meant what I said. Hurt him with this and I will kill you.”
“You really do think there’s more than friendship between me and him don’t you?” O’Connell chuckled.
“More than friendship? Yes. I do. Because if there was not and I had suggested it you would have punched me again for the insult to you and to Ardeth.”
“Maybe.” O’Connell shrugged. “But I’ll take the warning like you meant it. It’s good to know he’s got someone here he can turn to if he needs to.”
“Onto death.” Adham agreed. “Will you do me the kindness then as one of his friends to the other, when this war with Germany is over and we are no longer allies with the damned creature may I help you with locking it back in its grave for tormenting my cousin so?”
“Sure. I can use the help.” O’Connell agreed. “But we should let Ardeth have first dibs really.”
“As you say. I can agree with that.” Adham offered the man his hand. “Welcome then to the Medjai, Rick O’Connell and to the extended family. Allah knows we can use all the help we can get to keep him well.”
“That I won’t argue with at all.” O’Connell took his hand and shook it. Adham used the grip to remind the other man of his strength for just a moment. And O’Connell returned it with a smile.
“You want to try that with the damned thing sometime? Bet it would annoy the hell out of him to find one of the Medjai who’s stronger than he is.”
“I did so.” Adham smiled. “It was mutual though, as he is far stronger than I expected. Not an easy man to fight and defeat even without his powers.”
“No. I can vouch for that.” O’Connell agreed and released his hand. “Let’s go back to camp, huh? Evie’s going to wonder where I got to.”
“No doubt. I should get back to Leila and the children as well. And Ardeth will be worried about us both.”
“Probably.”
They walked back toward camp. “If there is anything I can do here to ease the burdens he gathers in Thebes, Rick, will you tell me even if he can not?”
“If it doesn’t break his trust in me, Adham, sure.” The man nodded.
“Good. Ma’Salaama then, cousin.”
“Ma’Salaama, Adham.” Rick chuckled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ardeth woke to find himself, not surprisingly in Thebes once more. He was also not surprisingly curled on his side with his head on Rick’s shoulder, one arm around his friend’s chest. Then he remembered that he had not gone to sleep with Rick beside him and tensed, starting to roll away until he was certain.
“Just me, easy now, Ardeth.” Rick’s arm loosened around his shoulder obviously willing to let him go if he still felt the need to.
“I-- was not certain.” He replied but he laid his head back on Rick’s shoulder and only snuggled closer. The arm around his shoulders tightened again and Rick’s other hand came up to stroke through his hair.
“Noticed that.” Rick replied. “Okay now?”
“Now that I know it is you, certainly.” He smiled a bit. “How is it that we did not go to sleep even in the same tent and now here we are in bed?”
“I wasn’t even going to worry about it. Figure we owe Horus a thank you or something?”
“Perhaps.” Ardeth chuckled. “For this I would even thank our host I think.”
Rick tensed and then chuckled a little, but there was something dark to the tone. “You know, Ardeth, for this I’d probably thank him myself, despite the fact that I’d like to rip his throat out. Because having you in my arms is the closest thing to paradise I’ve found in this place yet.”
Ardeth felt himself flush just a little. “And I, Rick. And I.” He agreed. “It was hard indeed at times today not to want to turn to you and hold you close.”
“Well I’m here now. I wish to God you hadn’t had to lose so many people, Ardeth.”
“As do I. I know in my heart they are in Paradise with Allah, and that is good, but it grieves me so that I have lost them.” He laid his head on Rick’s shoulder. “But I will try to be thankful for the joy I have received as well. There were so many times today in Ahm Shere when I wanted to kiss you.”
“Hmm, really?” Rick’s voice was still soft. “So?”
He raised himself up on his arm to look at his friend, not certain what to think. The blue eyes were warm and teasing and full of that look that Ardeth was beginning to look forward to. It should have made him nervous and only made his anticipate more what was to come. “I do not understand?” He admitted.
“If you wanted to kiss me so often in Ahm Shere, Ardeth, why don’t you do it now that you can?”
“Oh.” He smiled a bit and then did. Leaned over and kissed Rick fully. It was still such an odd thing to realize how very much he enjoyed kissing his friend.. Rick for his part, seemed willing to let Ardeth dictate this one. So he deepened it quickly, not really worrying this time about easing into it since he knew very well that Rick enjoyed the kisses as much as he did. Somehow, however, one led to several and he was lying underneath his friend and enjoying himself far more than he had meant to. “Rick.” He managed the name in a sigh and then broke the kiss to tilt his head back and try and catch his breath. Rick groaned something that might of been his name in return and then trailed kisses down his throat, back up to his ear and then nipped gently, which only roused Ardeth further. “Allah but that feels good, Rick.” He managed somehow, stroking his hands down his friend’s back and then up to tangle as well as he could in Rick’s hair, which was just too short to get a grip on.
“Like that, hmm?” Rick asked and Ardeth could hear the smile.
“Very much.” He admitted. But he pulled Rick back to kiss him again. Then he did his best to return the caress of tongue and teeth, smiling himself as Rick groaned.
“God, you’re getting good at that.” Rick chuckled and Ardeth had to chuckle as well. He turned his head a bit to follow the same path with the edge of his beard as he had with his tongue. And he could not help the pride he felt as Rick gasped and his friend’s strong hands tightened in his hair. “Tease.”
“If you wish me to tease you, habib you will have to tell me how.” Ardeth returned with a smile. “I would like that very much you know.” He rolled them over so that Rick was underneath him now and raised himself up on his arms to meet the warm blue eyes. “Tell me, Rick O’Connell what you desire and I will do so with whatever skill I can find.”
Rick’s eyes darkened and then he smiled. “You would, huh?”
“I would.” He agreed, but he did not miss the flash of something like pain in his friend’s eyes either. Why is it when I wish to please you, you do not want me too, Rick? He traced his friend’s jaw with one hand. “Did you not say you wanted to find what roused us both?” He offered recalling what Rick had said last night.
“Yeah, I did.” Rick agreed with a smile that this time took the rest of the darkness with it and brightened the heat in the blue eyes some as well. “Sounds good.”
“It does.” He agreed. “Just kissing you is almost enough to rouse me by itself you know.” He said softly and then kissed his friend again, a long hot duel of their tongues that took his breath away before he finally broke it again. “But I like kissing you even better when there are not so many clothes in the way.”
“Sounds even better.” Rick agreed with another smile and then reached for Ardeth’s sash.
“No, not this time.” He shook his head and then rolled to his feet. “This time, I get to practice first, remember?”
“Right.” Rick chuckled. “Forgot that part.” He sat up. “I’m not wearing my boots, you either I notice.”
“Now that is odd.” He agreed, because indeed their boots were sitting beside the bed. “Perhaps we owe thanks to Bastet instead of Horus.” He shook his head and then reached over to undo the buttons on Rick’s shirt, which was easier this time than last.
Rick reached for his sash again and Ardeth let him undo it, trusting the rest of his robes would take longer than the buttons. “You wear too damn much.” Rick pointed out.
Ardeth chuckled. “You would rather I dress like I live here in Thebes? Would that suit you, Rick?”
“Be easier that’s for sure.” Rick chuckled again. “Of course I’d never think about anything but how you looked.”
“Truly?” He smiled himself. “Not even when there is dancing?”
“Nefshen’s beautiful yeah, but I think the only person in the world that would look as good as you in almost nothing is Evie. Now if she showed up dressed like Nefertiri that would be a different story.”
“No doubt.” Ardeth flushed himself because it was suddenly very hard not to picture just that.
Rick laughed, no doubt realizing why he was flushing. “She’s beautiful, Ardeth, there’s no-- .how do you put it again, disrespect meant? Just because you noticed that.”
“Thank you.” He sighed. “You look very good yourself, you know, in almost nothing.” He brushed the shirt from Rick’s shoulders and followed it down his arms with his hands. “If you tangle those knots I will have to cut the laces.” He pointed out as Rick paused in undoing the ties to his robes.
“That’s tempting.” Rick returned with a grin.
“Hmm, no doubt.” He undid the lacing to the outer robe himself and let Rick pull that one from him to pool onto the floor. Then he smiled and did as he had the first time they had done this and put his hands on each of Rick’s knees and knelt. And this time when the passion flared hot in his friend’s eyes he knew why. Surprising himself as much as Rick to judge by the look that flicked through those blue eyes he ran his hands not down Rick’s legs but up along his thighs, then to the buckle of his belt, and got it undone before Rick caught his hands.
“God, Ardeth, you learn quick.”
“It is easy to learn, when I enjoy it very much indeed.” He smiled and then leaned up a bit to kiss his friend for a long moment. “It rouses me to know I rouse you.” He whispered softly as he broke the kiss finally.
“Oh, this is going to be so damned hard. Isn’t it?” Rick shook his head. “Ardeth, we should slow down. This is...You aren’t used to this and...”
He gave a brief prayer to Allah for strength and patience both. “I am naive certainly, Rick but that in no way makes me unwilling. I like this, hmm? Feeling you, touching you, kissing you.” He worked the buttons of Rick’s pants undone and then let his fingers stroke with surety along his friend’s growing arousal. It was still odd, certainly, to stroke Rick like this instead of himself but he knew what he enjoyed so it was not very hard at all to mirror those touches for his friend. Rick groaned, leaning his head back a little.
“Ardeth..”
“Yes, habib?” He smiled and then eased the pants down a bit, not off completely because Rick would not cooperate and raise his hips any. But it was enough that he could manage what he wanted. “Look at me.” He whispered, not sure where the dark note in his own voice came from. Rick groaned but he did so, his eyes darkening again and Ardeth leaned forward and licked lightly over the tip of the hard flesh in his hand before taking what little he could into his mouth and recalling how wonderful it had felt when Rick had done it for him he swallowed, pulling his friend even deeper into his mouth as he did so.
“Oh, Christ.” Rick’s hands gripped his hair tightly and he had the choice of going with the pull or causing himself pain.
“Let me do this...” He started to argue but Rick kissed him with a hunger and desperation he could not ignore and he let himself be pulled back to the bed and rolled onto his back. The kiss grew even deeper, edged around with a harshness he had not known before but nothing like force either only desire and heat. So he let Rick show him how to kiss so and returned it as best he could. Until he could not think of anything but satisfying the hunger the kiss had come to represent. He arched his back, rubbing his own arousal against Rick, not caring that they were still mostly dressed. He found a good grip on Rick’s pants and pushed them further down his friend’s hips which only seemed to make the need to get out of his own clothes worse not better. Rick groaned, and broke the kiss with a gasp.
“Stop.” Rick voice was a low groan. “Please.”
Ardeth groaned himself but he let his hands pause where they were on Rick’s back and simply lay there for a few moments and caught his breath. “Allah-- have mercy, hmm?”
“Yeah.” Rick agreed. “Way too fast.”
“Good though.” He smiled just a bit “But better I think, with less clothes.”
“Yeah.” Rick chuckled. “You okay?”
“I am. Is there some reason I should not be?” He arched his back just a little, because it felt good to have Rick’s weight against him like this. And he had to sigh at the resulting sensations.
“Yeah, that is nice.” Rick agreed. But he raised himself up on his arms and that was not nearly as good. Ardeth pulled him back down and kissed him again, not quite as harsh and desperate as before but not minding the heat and hunger at all
“Ardeth,” Rick muttered breaking the kiss after far too short a time. “We need to slow down.”
“I do not want to slow down.” He surprised himself with the complaint. “Please, Rick? I-- want this so.”
“Crazy. okay, I gotta get undressed, huh? You too. You wear too much, Ardeth.”
“Right now, I agree with that.” He nodded, but he let Rick go a bit and then rolled them back over so Rick was on his back. “Let me do this.” He got up and pulled Rick’s pants off to join the shirt and his outer robe already on the floor then undid the tangle of knots on his galabeyeha and the lacings on his own pants so the entirety of it could fall to the floor. Rick had raised himself up onto his arms and was only watching him with that same dark hunger to his eyes that made Ardeth want to smile and yet shiver as well. “Am I so very good to look at, Rick?”
“Yeah.” Rick smiled. “You are. Come here, Ardeth.”
“We are even on this as well then.” He felt himself flushing as he took that one step back to the bed. And he recalled how Nefshen had asked him almost the same question the first night he had spent in her arms. He smiled and then followed her example there and went back to his knees to caress Rick with his hands and tongue, trying to recall something both of what Nefshen and Rick had done for him.
“Oh Christ,” Rick groaned, his fingers back in Ardeth’s hair but they did not pull him away this time only rested there. “Ardeth, you don’t have to-- do this.”
“Do you not enjoy it?” He raised his head to try and meet Rick’s eyes. It did not seem possible given the very real proof of Rick’s desire but he was unused to this yet so perhaps there was more involved than he understood. “I only wanted to try and bring you pleasure, as you do me.”
“Crazy idiot. You don’t have to try so hard, Ardeth.”
“Why not? If it pleases us both, when I do?” He stroked Rick firmly, finding that spot that had made him nearly arch off the bed the first time they’d done this. “Like that...”
Rick groaned something that might have been his name.
“Let me taste you?” He asked, hoping the flush he could feel did not keep the hunger from showing as well. “Please?”
“God, Ardeth. Yeah-- I just...yeah. Please.”
“Good.” He lowered his head and went back to the caresses. Both Rick and Nefshen had managed to take far more of him into their mouths than he seemed able to accomplish but Rick did not seem to mind him using his hands as well so he did so.
“You don’t know how– good that feels.” Rick whispered.
He pulled back enough to lick at the tip again and smile. “I know how good it felt when you did it for me.” He pointed out.
“Yeah...I guess.” Rick’s hand laced through his hair again. “Ardeth.”
“Yes.” He took his name as a request and went back to trying to figure out how it was Rick managed this so well.
“Oh Christ,” Rick repeated, his hands tightening in Ardeth’s hair so he assumed he had done something good and only repeated the same caress of his tongue again. Rick arched his back at that, the move pushing him deeper into Ardeth’s mouth and he swallowed reflexively before pulling back a bit so as not to choke. “Sorry...”
He wanted to say something but did not want to stop to be able too so he only growled a little and then recalling what Rick had done with him put one arm across his friend’s hips to push him back to the bed.
“Oh yeah, good. Don’t want to choke you.”
“Hmm.” He wanted to smile at the breathless groan that overlay the words but it was just as impossible as speech.
Rick growled something that might have been Ardeth’s name and thrust his hips forward again. Ardeth swallowed, and pushed him back down. It seemed to work well enough so when Rick thrust up again he simply repeated the move. It grew a bit easier to take more of his friend into his mouth and he tried that too. It was so very odd to be trying this, he decided suddenly, when he had never even considered that it was possible a few days ago but then he supposed he was finding out many things were possible that he had never considered. And without meaning to he recalled what Khalifa had said. ‘Nothing is impossible if Allah does not wish it to be.’ And he chuckled without thinking about that either. Rick groaned out something that Ardeth was almost certain was French and his friend’s hands in his hair tightened enough to make him wince.
“Sorry,” Rick muttered, his hands loosening some. “I...maybe you should stop? Huh? I don’t-- want-- to choke you.”
Ardeth sighed and raised his head slowly. “Let me try?” He asked, his own voice a little rough. “Please, Rick?”
“Okay.”
He smiled and then licked from base to tip again, before taking another risk and pressing his tongue against that spot that made Rick jump so when he touched it with his fingers. And he was glad he was mostly pinning Rick to the bed otherwise he might have indeed gotten choked. He took the hard length into his mouth again, chuckling at the strangled groan that invoked. Rick tensed, hands tightening in his hair once more and then shuddered. Later, Ardeth realized he should have known what that meant but it was still a shock when the first hot pulse of fluid poured into his mouth, followed by another and another. He swallowed again, just as reflexively and tried not to choke as Rick suggested. It was not an easy thing at all to swallow fast enough and he felt a bit dizzy from not breathing by the time he finished. Rick tugged insistently, if without much strength, at his hair and he moved up to lay mostly on top of his friend and just breathe.
It took him a bit to decipher the soft mumble of words Rick was saying. But they only mirrored the gentle hand that stroked through his hair and the other that trailed caresses up and down his back. “I am fine.” He found his own voice after a moment longer. “Only surprised, and a bit out of breath.” He smiled and raised himself up on one arm. “Please, tell me that felt, as good for you as I wanted it to.” He traced his friend’s jaw, not certain what to make of the dark look to the blue eyes or the fact that there was real evidence of tears. “Rick?”
“It was perfect.” Rick replied, roughly. “God, Ardeth, you are nuts, You know that, right?”
“Hmm, perhaps I am. It is a good thing we both enjoy my insanity then is it not?” He smiled a bit.
“Yeah. You liked that, huh?” That seemed to surprise Rick quite a bit but the blue eyes lightened again. “Thought I might have choked you.”
“It was a near thing.” He agreed, and felt himself flush again. “I do not see how it is you manage to take so much of me into your mouth, Rick. I would choke for certain.”
“Practice.” Rick replied with a smile. “Crazy, stubborn, idiot, how’d you learn that so quickly, huh?”
“Beginner’s luck?” He returned, recalling the American phrase with a smile.
That got a chuckle from his friend. “Right. Well, let’s see if your luck’s holding for a while, huh?” And he let himself be rolled onto his back and kissed. Rick deepened the kiss slowly but with a growing hunger than only reminded Ardeth of his own desire, which he had almost managed to forget while pleasing his friend. He returned the kiss as well as he knew how and let himself simply enjoy it. “You really do like kissing, don’t you, Ardeth?”
“Very much.” He agreed, and then asked, even though he could feel himself flush darkly as he spoke. “When you kissed me, yesterday, and I could taste myself on your tongue, I thought I would rouse all over again. Do you like it as well?”
Rick stared down at him in what had to be shock although he had never actually seen that look in his friend’s eyes before, then it turned to disbelief and then amusement.
“Should I not have asked then?” He offered finally. “I apologize if...”
Rick leaned down to kiss him again, quick and light this time. “Yeah, Ardeth, I like it. I just didn’t expect you to ask.”
“Ah.” He shifted a bit, enjoying the feel of Rick’s weight pressing him into the bed. “How am I to know if I do not ask? And if I do not ask, I can not learn.”
“I think you’ve learned way too fast already, Ardeth.” Rick chuckled. “My turn then, Ardeth, what do you like, hmm? Tell me what you desire, Ardeth, and let’s see if I can do it.”
He flushed again, and then tilted his head back, offering Rick his throat. “Kiss me until I can not think, let me feel your weight against me like this, and hold me tightly, hmm? I want to feel you.”
“Easy, where’s the challenge in that, huh?” Rick’s lips teased his throat, up to his ear and then he groaned as his friend bit lightly.
“I did not realize I was to think of something challenging, only what I desire.” He managed the words despite the way his thoughts wanted to fly away.
“I was teasing. Whatever you like, Ardeth.” Rick kissed him again, deep and long and with enough heat and hunger that Ardeth could only enjoy it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rick broke the kiss with a last lick of his tongue over Ardeth’s lips and smiled at the picture Ardeth made lying there under him, flushed with desire, lips still swollen both from Rick’s kisses and likely from the pleasure he’d given Rick just minutes earlier. And that had been so much more than Rick had known how to deal with, anyway, that he wasn’t even going to think about it right now. He licked his way down Ardeth’s neck and then back up again to tease his ear. Ardeth groaned and then tightened his arms around Rick with a shiver. Rick smiled, and then repeated the move just to feel the shudder go through his friend again.
“That feels, so good.” Ardeth mumbled finally.
“Well I hope so.” He chuckled and then kissed his way back down Ardeth’s neck.
“Be careful, hmm? I do not want to explain, or not, to Adham again.”
Rick shook his head and raised himself back up onto his arms. “What?” He really did want to know exactly what had prompted Adham’s half-threat half conversation earlier.
Ardeth flushed dark across his cheeks and Rick had a hard time not telling him how cute that made him look. But he raised one hand to touch his neck. “I was, not certain how to explain that.”
Rick moved his hand aside and then chuckled, flushing a bit himself, and then nipped lightly at the reddened skin. “Sorry about that.” He said softly, soothing the mark with his tongue.
“Hmm, as you say.”
“So what did you tell Adham?”
Ardeth chuckled. “That I came by it quite willingly and I was not going to tell him who gave it to me.”
“Something give him the idea you might have got it unwillingly?”
“Apparently.” Ardeth sighed. “He worries.”
“I noticed that.” Rick chuckled himself and let it go for now. “Guess I’ll have to be careful Or you’ll have to keep dressed a lot.” He moved further down Ardeth’s shoulder and nipped again. “Why’d you take your robes off anyway?”
“So Leila could mend the sleeve.” Ardeth shivered a bit. “I do not think, I can think, when you do that.”
“No?” He soothed that spot with his tongue as well. But he stroked his hand gently down Ardeth’s arm only then realizing the cut he’d gotten at AhmShere was already healed here. He traced the slight scar with his finger and then moved up to kiss his friend again. It still surprised him a little how much Ardeth really seemed to enjoy kissing. But he also wasn’t above using it make Ardeth groan either. He couldn’t help but remember Ardeth’s question about the kiss earlier. He chuckled because it really was so much like Ardeth to do something like that and surprise the hell out of him with it.
“What amuses you so?” Ardeth whispered, his voice low and a bit breathless.
“It wasn’t amusement, just enjoyment.” He moved his lips back to Ardeth’s ear and nibbled. “I like tasting myself when I kiss you..”
Ardeth obviously tried to stifle the groan that invoked but it really was a nice sound anyway, low and sweet.
Rick smiled and then moved down a bit to trace kisses and the occasional nibble from the hollow of Ardeth’s throat to the curve of muscle along his chest and then to one nipple. Ardeth’s hands gripped his shoulders tightly and he smiled a bit more but kept the gentle suction for a while longer. Then he raised his head to meet the very heated brown eyes. “Good?”
“Yes,” Ardeth nodded, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. “More?”
“Oh yeah, there’s more.” He promised, moving to the other side to continue the caress. And it felt really good to have Ardeth shuddering underneath him like this. He’d kept most of his weigh on his friend, since for some reason Ardeth seemed to like that. And it was really arousing to feel all the little shivers and twitches that went through the strong muscles under his. He worked his way slowly lower, taking his time to drag as many breathless half-swallowed moans out of Ardeth as he could. Then he pushed Ardeth’s legs apart a bit so he could lie between them and licked teasingly up the entire length of his cock.
Ardeth arched his back, and the moaned sort of sob could have been Rick’s name, maybe. He closed his lips just around the head and swallowed, and Ardeth arched up into the move with a cry he didn’t even try to smother. Rick chuckled, liking the sound and knowing the vibration around Ardeth’s cock was just one more thing for his friend to enjoy. He pushed Ardeth back to the bed and braced one arm over his hips to keep him there before taking a deep breath and swallowing Ardeth whole. It was worth it to hear Ardeth’s response but he couldn’t keep it up long, his throat wanting to tighten too much and make him gag. So he raised his head slowly, making it a tease and licked the tip again.
“Allah have mercy, Rick. How do you do that?” Ardeth groaned, his voice low and rough around trying to catch his breath.
“Practice.” He smiled.
Ardeth groaned and then tossed his head back as Rick stroked his hand slowly up from his balls to the head and back down. “Please?”
“You have any idea how good you look right now?” Rick asked, working his way back up to kiss Ardeth hard, still stroking his cock with light enough strokes that he was pretty sure would keep his friend just this side of coming.
“Rick,” Ardeth moaned his name, arching into the caresses with something like a sob. And Rick stroked harder, and then pulled his hand away to let his weight press Ardeth back into the bed. Rick slid his arms around his friend as best he could and pulled him tight against him before kissing him as deeply as he knew how. Ardeth shuddered, gasping out something and arched his back despite Rick’s full weight. Hot liquid spilled between them and Rick chuckled softly, breaking the kiss for a bit so Ardeth could catch his breath. He reached down to beside the bed coming up with one of Ardeth’s robes which he figured would work well enough for now to wipe them clean. He dropped the fabric back to the floor after a minute and then snuggled Ardeth into his arms and just held him.
“Okay?” He asked finally.
“Paradise can not be better.” Ardeth answered softly and only snuggled closer.
“Nope, be kinda hard to top that.” He agreed, stroking his hand through the dark waves.
“Why is it you stroking me like that feels so much better than doing so myself?”
Rick had to chuckle, despite feeling himself blush. “Cause we’re doing it together. It’s just one of those things about making love.”
“Hmm.” Ardeth sighed. “I liked just having your weight against me too.”
“So did I.” He agreed. “Nice not to worry I’ll crush you.”
“You are not that much bigger than I am.” Ardeth pointed out. “But I do wish I could manage to swallow you as you do me. I think I would like that.”
Rick closed his eyes because his mind was trying to come up with just what that would feel and look like. “Takes lots of practice.” He managed finally. Which was true enough if not all of it.
“Then we will just have to practice, hmm?”
He chuckled, tightening his arms around Ardeth. “Sure.” It might be kinda nice actually to let Ardeth learn this sort of thing slow and with as much fun as they could squeeze into it. “You figure out who we’re supposed to be thanking for waking up in bed together, because I’ll definitely offer them some beer.”
Ardeth chuckled. “I have no idea. I am just thankful to Allah on general principle and trust that will do.”
“Right.” Rick agreed with a smile. “I’m pretty thankful to him myself you know.” He stroked the tangled hair again.
“Hmm.” Ardeth agreed, moving a bit to press a kiss to the side of Rick’s throat. “It was perfect, habib.”
“It was. This is pretty good to.”
“It is.” Ardeth nodded and put his head back against Rick’s shoulder but he pulled the sheet up around them both. “In case we dose off.”
“And have company later.” He grumbled. Then he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Best of both. I get to hold you after really great lovemaking and I get to annoy the hell out of the damned thing. I like this.”
Ardeth muttered something but he laughed as well. “You are impossible.” He growled finally.
“You aren’t glad we get to annoy the hell out of it?”
“I am-- amused that for all his interest in me and the teasing and annoying I have endured here all he has succeeded in is giving us this opportunity. And I suppose I will enjoy the fact that he will undoubtedly be jealous and annoyed by the fact that we are lovers in truth and not just pretense. Although he certainly did not seem annoyed yesterday.”
Rick shrugged. “He seemed pretty annoyed to me when we were talking last night before you woke up.”
“Did he? Good.” Ardeth sighed. “Best I think if we do not annoy him too much though. He has been quite courteous these last two days and I am loathe to return to the way it was before. I owe him four kisses yet.”
“Right. Okay. I can play nice.” Rick sighed. “And he did help keep you safe in hell. So, I’ll try to remember that.”
“Indeed.” Ardeth shivered a bit and then snuggled closer. Rick tightened his arms as well. “That was-- unnerving.”
“Yeah.” He agreed. But he titled Ardeth’s head up and kissed him again, long and full because he could and it was the best cure for all the horrible images his mind wanted him to remember right then. Ardeth, bless him, only returned the kiss fully.
“Later, we shall do that again when you can taste yourself on my tongue, hmm?”
And that just knocked the darker images right out of his mind and he had to chuckle. “Sounds really good.”
“It does.” Ardeth agreed. “Let us doze a bit? And then perhaps we can go bathe and dress for dinner. I am hungry.”
“So am I.” Rick agreed. “Nefshen’s going to be annoyed at me.”
Ardeth chuckled. “No doubt. She will be annoyed anyway, habib. Because we would have spent the night in this bed together regardless of whether or not we were doing more than sleeping. I am only a very fortunate man that Allah has gifted me with someone to guard my back and share my bed and love me well.”
He could feel himself flush a bit. “Thanks.”
“You are most welcome. Now when I tell you that you are so much more than a good friend to me, Rick O’Connell, it will mean so many things.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled and then ruffled the long waves. “Habibi.”
“As you say.” Ardeth chuckled. “Habibi, habib, akee, sadiqa, so many words I could use.”
“Too bad there isn’t just one for all of that.”
“Shield-mates.” Ardeth suggested, recalling the phrase Nefshen used for their relationship, which had stuck in his mind. “Hankerati.” He offered the original Egyptian as well.
“Is that what we are?”
“In part I think.” Ardeth sighed. “But here I will be happy with habibi.” Then he chuckled. “Or merru if you prefer to learn a bit more Egyptian.”
“Merru?” Rick tried the word. “That’s lovers, huh?”
“It is, or beloved, or simply love I think. Much like habibi actually. I am uncertain whether merr or merru is the correct form for lovers.”
“Like habib and habibi?”
“Exactly.” Another chuckle. “That will annoy our host to no end I am certain. He teased me once with threatening to call me that.”
“Did he?” Rick smiled a bit, coldly. “So if I call you that it’s kinda like rubbing his nose in it is it?”
Ardeth sighed. “You and your phrases for things. Yes, I suppose it is.”
“Good. I’ll save it for being really annoying then.”
“Bis’mil’Allah,.” Ardeth sighed but he didn’t seem too unhappy with it. And Rick was willing to let it rest for now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imhotep let the shadows pool around him and kept from announcing his presence far longer than he had really meant to. Ardeth and O’Connell had gone to bathe and somehow managed to get the area to themselves. And he intended to see that it stayed that way because watching the two men alone was far too amusing to stop. Odd how they could be so very adult in most things and then truly enjoy acting like children at others. O’Connell took a very real delight in watching Ardeth bathe and in occasionally helping. The helping almost always resulted in arousing Ardeth quite a bit, a fact the Medjai did not appreciate given the semi-public place they were in. This latest bit of teasing resulted from Ardeth pouring one of the cold water jugs over O’Connell’s head while the American was relaxing in very warm water. They were at the moment wrestling more than drying off and there was easily as much foreplay involved as anything.
It was, he admitted to himself both incredibly amusing and a bit arousing to watch. And he envied O’Connell far more than he wanted to think about. At the same time however he really had no desire to interrupt their teasing enjoyment of each other. So he only stayed to the shadows and watched.
“Rick.” Ardeth’s voice was breathless from laughter and passion and exasperation all no doubt.
“Hmm?” O’Connell had his brother pinned under him on top of a large pile of drying cloths.
“Let me up.”
“Now, why would I want to do that. I won right?” The grin was both teasing and far more wicked than Imhotep would have expected from the man.
“Do you want me to concede then? Fine. Yes. I yield. Let me up now.”
“No.” The tone was a darker one, full of promises best kept to the shadows. “I don’t think so.”
“Someone will come in any minute. And then what will we do?” Ardeth flushed as he spoke glancing, to Imhotep’s amusement almost directly into the shadows where he stood.
“Tell them we’re busy.” O’Connell replied. “We are busy, aren’t we Ardeth?” He leaned down and caught his brother in a kiss. And there was no way of thinking about it as anything but a claim of ownership.
“Bis’mil’Allah.” Ardeth whispered when O’Connell broke the kiss finally. “Rick.”
“I won right? That means I get the spoils of war and all that.”
“I am not a treasure.” Ardeth disagreed, squirming a bit under his brother’s weight. The move only truly succeeded in arousing them both.
“Oh, I think you’d make a great treasure.” O’Connell disagreed with a smile. On that, Imhotep had to agree.
“Rick.” Ardeth growled, but he flushed darker and it only made him more desirable.
“You conceded right? That means you’re a treasure if I say so.”
“I am not.” Ardeth shook his head. “This is silly. Let me up now.”
“Nope. Not until you agree with me.” O’Connell chuckled and it was a dark sound. He caught Ardeth in another kiss, long and deep. And it was so obviously a true struggle for Ardeth to keep in mind that he was someplace that he did not think they should be doing this. Imhotep smothered his own chuckle as O’Connell let his brother breathe finally. And he promised himself that the next kiss he had from the Medjai he was going to enjoy it thoroughly.
“Rick...” Ardeth whispered, his voice low and breathless. “I can not do this.”
“Do what?” O’Connell grinned. “Admit that you’re treasure? Why not?”
“I am not an object like the gold of Hamanaptura.”
“Nope, you’re not. That’s only gold. You know more about ancient Egypt than I do Ardeth and I know captives were at least as much of the treasure of winning that gold was.”
Disbelief and then much to Imhotep’s surprise a flash of real anger. “I am no man’s slave, Rick O’Connell. Let me go. Now.”
O’Connell it seemed missed the true note of anger in his brother’s voice, which Imhotep admitted would have been easy to do if not for the added insight he had to the young man’s thoughts. “Nope.” He leaned forward to catch Ardeth in another kiss.
“No.” Ardeth growled the word, turning his head and pushing away hard, no longer playing at all. It was not the move O’Connell had expected but he rolled with it, letting Ardeth go without a question.
“Easy, Ardeth...It’s just me, huh? I was only teasing.”
“I am not.” Ardeth repeated harshly.
“No, no you aren’t.” O’Connell agreed although it was obvious to Imhotep that he was not at all sure what he was agreeing to. “I’m sorry, Ardeth, really.”
“I...” The young man stopped whatever he was going to say and only shivered. “As you say. No harm done.” He got to his feet and found his clothes.
“Did I hurt you?” O’Connell asked worried now, closer to panic really.
“No. Of course you did not. It was only playing, Rick. I realize that.”
“Didn’t sound like it to me.” O’Connell pointed out. And Imhotep wanted to agree with that. It had not sounded nor had Ardeth though of it as playing at all. “God I’m sorry, Ardeth. That was just stupid. I know damned well you have enough of that sort of crap to deal with without me adding to it.”
Imhotep growled silently to himself. Never, in all the times he had been given the opportunity, had he once, held the young man pinned underneath him and taken even a kiss while he struggled to get free. Nor, he should point out to them both at some point had Ardeth ever actually asked him to let him go. No, then the young man would realize the point and ask and he would have to let go.
“It is nothing. A...passing memory nothing more.”
And that caught his attention. Because while O’Connell automatically assumed it had something to do with him, he was equally certain it did not. But he could not grasp what it was that Ardeth had thought of because the young man had already pushed it aside. Oh I will know what that means, Ardeth. Do not doubt that.
“Does it help at all if I say I’m sorry?” O’Connell asked.
“Already forgiven.” Ardeth smiled. “You meant no harm and truly, most of it was quite a lot of fun. We are fortunate indeed however that no one came in while we were playing.”
“I would have let you go if they had. You know that right? I...all you ever have to do is tell me if I do something you don’t like, Ardeth.” The words were quiet but there was utter conviction behind them and a bitter sort of truth that made Imhotep wish he could decipher the American’s thoughts around the English they were made of.
“I know that.” Ardeth returned and reached over to grip O’Connell’s shoulder. “Forgiven and done. Come, we will get dressed and find some dinner. I am beyond hungry now.”
“Yeah, okay.” O’Connell did not sound any more convinced than his thoughts indicated he was. But he followed his brother’s example and dressed.
Imhotep waited until they were both mostly clothed to let the outer door open and the three young women who were just coming to the baths walked in. They seemed surprised to see the two men but only smiled and with far too little modesty for Ardeth’s peace of mind began to undress and bathe.
O’Connell smiled a bit and clasped his shoulder, gathering up his own weapons and following his brother out into the hall. Imhotep waited a bit and then left the shadows and followed until he could catch up with them a few hallways away from the baths themselves.
“Good afternoon, Medjai. Are you both well?”
“We are.” Ardeth replied. “We were going to go astound your cooks and ask for food.” The young man smiled a bit.
“It will unnerve them to the point we may yet see if a man’s heart can fail here in paradise.” He rolled his eyes a bit with amusement.
“Right.” O’Connell muttered.
“Truly, we are both hungry. Is it too late for lunch?”
“First you will not eat when there is food, and now you expect to be fed when meals are not prepared. Truly, Ardeth, if I can be a courteous guest for you, do you not think you could try to do the same for me?” He smiled a bit at the very real embarrassment that got. “But far be it from me to not feed you.” He relented. “It is late. But no doubt there is something to be found. The cooks are just finishing up preparing the meal for AmmunRa and I must go see him as he returns once more to battle Set.”
“Is it that late?” Ardeth asked, surprised. “I had not realized. We can then wait for dinner, certainly. Would you do me the courtesy of taking to AmmunRa my most heartfelt thanks again for the aid he and his children and grandchildren have given to us in this war against Germany? Truly, I am so much more than thankful, that I do not have the words to shape it.”
“I will do so. You may, if you like, come to thank him yourself. My god is fond of you, Ardeth.”
“I would not want to annoy him when it is not necessary.”
“If you only come to see him when you need to, that is annoying. Come to see him because you do not need to and only for the joy of it and he will be well pleased.” He returned.
“Truly?” That seemed to surprise them both. “I had not thought of it like that. Very well. I would be honored as always to see so amazing a sight.”
“He will let us know if he is annoyed. Likely he will be amused.” He smiled a bit himself. “He finds it intriguing that neither of Osiris’ son’s chose champions who believe in them.”
“It is not a matter of belief. It is impossible not to believe when I have seen them both and AmmunRa, he who is lord of all Egypt, in all their glory. It is only that I do not believe that there is any God but Allah and therefore I do not worship them. Does that make any sense at all?”
“It does. It oddly enough is not a matter of belief it is a matter of faith.”
“Yes.” Ardeth agreed with a nod.
“We truly must pick up our debate on religion again at some point, Medjai.” He pointed out. “I am as intrigued as AmmunRa I think with this faith of yours in your god.”
“It is the duty of any Muslim to explain the word of Allah when he can.” Ardeth agreed.
“You need to learn how to read Arabic.” O’Connell put in. “Since I really doubt anybody’s bothered to translate the Koran into hieroglyphics.”
Ardeth chuckled. “That would be unlikely. And I am no mulahin to answer all your questions but I will do my best.”
“This will take longer than your tale of the princess and the sultan which you have never finished either I will point out. One tale out of a thousand and one is not a good start, Medjai.”
“I am no longer telling tales to keep from dying am I?” Ardeth returned.
He smiled just a bit. “Is that the reason?” He shrugged. “Then I will never hear the tale will I? You never were, Medjai. You never were. Have you not realized that yet?” He shook his head.
Disbelief and then oddly enough a familiar resignation. “You are mad.”
“Yes, we have long since determined that. Do not dissuade me from it, Medjai if by being so I am not threatening you with death and damnation in truth instead of only pretending to.”
“Are you saying you truly, at no time, intended us harm?” Ardeth asked. O’Connell only snorted and muttered something in English but they both looked at him in disbelief.
“Medjai, truly, you are not either of you, stupid men, foolish perhaps, but not stupid. If I had intended you harm why would I not have done so? Even when you threatened my god’s temple with destruction and dynamite, O’Connell did I do any harm to either of you?”
Silence and then O’Connell said something to Ardeth in English. The young Medjai thought about that for a long moment. “I even shot you and you did us no harm. I thought perhaps it was because you were concerned that I would be unable to accomplish my task for Allah and Ammun. But at that time there was no real reason why you could not have done so once I was sane again. And as you say Rick did try to cause considerable damage to this place and you were in no way constrained from punishing him for it. I...do not understand you.”
“We have agreed on that as well.” He smiled a bit more. “Causing you harm, Medjai, was never my intention.” He switched back to Egyptian. “You are still far to intriguing to simply destroy so completely, Ardeth, even if my god or yours would allow me to do so. So, I can say quite honestly there is nothing that I want to do with you that involves harm. Pleasure, certainly, but not pain.” He chuckled just a bit at the dark flush that colored his guest’s skin. “I have been quite patient with not admiring you so openly in Ahm Shere Ardeth, while you spend your nights here sharing passion with your brother. So, since I have so little of the game left to teach you, do not expect me to play with only beginning moves, hmm?”
Ardeth tensed some, but there was no real fear to his thoughts. Distrust and anger and annoyance certainly, but not fear. Which was some sort of accomplishment he assumed. “Shall I take it then that the– game will continue, despite our alliance?”
“If it were not for our alliance, Ardeth, and the will of Egypt’s gods, do you think we would still be only dancing about each other with words? You are hardly as naive now as you were when you came here your first visit, Ardeth. We both know that I could have had far more from you than kisses, without breaking any oaths or geas I have. You may thank Allah for that if you wish. Or AmmunRa, which is far more appropriate really.” He looked over at his guest, and smiled.
“There is no god but Allah.” Ardeth disagreed, but he obviously had to struggle with the distrust and annoyance that wanted to color his voice as he switched the conversation back to Arabic.
“Truly, Allah must be thankful for your devotion. But for now, let us see to AmmunRa and wish him an easy victory against the destroyer. Then we shall eat and you can tell me more about your unhappy god.” He replied in Arabic as well.
“Allah is not unhappy.” Ardeth pointed out, with a trace of real anger to the words now.
“Are you certain?” He smiled. “He seems most unhappy to me. Perhaps we should offer him beer instead of Sekhmet would that cheer him enough to allow you to join your brother and I in a drink do you think?”
O’Connell smothered a laugh but he could not keep from smiling.
“You may tease me if you wish, priest of Ammun, but do not insult Allah.” Ardeth shook his head, and the anger was very real indeed.
You are still so easy to tease, Medjai. Ammun must know how I enjoy this. “As you say. It was not meant as an insult only a joke. My apologies certainly if I offended your faith or your god, Medjai.” He gave the reply with all the honesty and courtesy he could just to see the young man’s reaction.
Disbelief and then a sigh. “Bis’mil’Allah.” Ardeth muttered.
“What? Oh, I see, I am a damned thing and a monster and I am not supposed to apologize for offending you much less your god. Truly, Medjai I think you listen too much to the stories your tribesmates use to frighten children into behaving. Would that I were the monster you both think me warriors. My life would be far less complicated.” He looked over at Ardeth and smiled. “Although you can certainly thank Allah that I am not if it pleases you.” He offered in Egyptian.
“As always.” Ardeth agreed, but there was no anger now, only that same bitter edged acceptance he knew all to well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evie waited a bit until she was certain Rick was asleep before getting up and heading toward the fire. She smiled a bit pleased to see everyone there she expected.
“You asked us to be here, Sitt O’Connell.” Selim spoke finally. “Or so Azza tells me.”
“I did.” She agreed. “I need your help, gentlemen. It seems I have Osiris’ blessing to join my husband and Ardeth in Thebes tonight and I thought it best to not go alone.”
There was a bit of silence. “Are you saying you want us to go to Thebes with you?” Adham asked finally.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m asking. I don’t really know if there’s danger involved but when the god of the underworld asks you to do something it’s impossible to argue and he did specifically tell me to take you with me, Adham, Selim, Arebe. So I must ask.”
“If we journey with you to Thebes will we wake?” Arebe asked.
“I don’t see why not. Ardeth and Rick have been doing it for two weeks now and Alex and I were there often enough in the beginning. As long as someone stays here to wake us up come morning prayers.”
“Then let us go. I have been wishing since this started that I could face the damned thing with Ardeth each night.” Selim decided.
Evie smiled a bit.
“Of course I will go.” Adham agreed.
“In’sh’allah, it can not be worse than the Germans.” Arebe sighed. Ainya who was sitting with him only put her head on his shoulder. Evie gave the man a gentle smile, both amazed and saddened by his courage.
“If at any time it looks like it might be bad I can appeal to Sekhmet to let me wake and I will wake us all.” She promised, and knew it would work.
“Then I will go.” Arebe nodded.
“I would be honored to go.” Pasha put in. “And angry certainly to be left out.”
“If I have not lost all faith you had in me my friends I would be honored as well.” Kashim nodded.
“And I.” Husan agreed.
“That leaves Abdul and Mohamed on patrol. And Jumah and Galal here to insure we wake.” Selim said. “That seems well.”
“Are you certain it is all right if I go with you?” Sallah asked.
“Of course I am. It would be horribly improper for Nefertiri to go anywhere without a scribe, Sallah. If I’m going with a full group of Medjai in attendance it seems best to go as Pharaoh’s daughter I think. Besides which it will hardly be anything the creature is expecting.”
“There is logic in that.” Adham agreed. “So what is it we must do to journey to Thebes with you, princess?”
“I’m going to say a spell that will include everyone’s names so that we make certain we don’t leave anyone behind. That’s really the part I am uncertain of are you sure you don’t mind risking this?”
“I am going with my husband, Evelyn. I will of course be happy to be your attendant while I do so.” Ainya spoke softly. Arebe it seemed didn’t even think arguing was an option.
“And I.” Azza smiled. “You are my niece, of course I am going to go with you.”
“It is amazing Amal had more sense.” Selim grumbled.
“Amal is seeing to the children and Evelyn’s son of course she is not going.” Azza sighed.
“I would truly relish the opportunity.” Suri agreed.
“It would help if one of the women going spoke Egyptian.” Evelyn smiled at the young woman who she suspected would be marrying Sallah any day now.
“Then I will go.” Suri replied.
“That gives us seven Medjai, you and our three tribeswomen is that sufficient?” Adham asked.
“If you would each not mind choosing one warrior to go with you that will give us over a dozen Medjai and the four of us.” Evelyn decided.
“Can this spell function if we each take two warriors with us?” Selim asked.
“Twenty-four and myself?” She thought about it for a bit. “I think so. I wouldn’t want to try for more than that though.”
“Then that is what we shall do.”
“Make sure you bring all your weapons if you would. Pretend for the moment that we’re going to actually travel there. And when we get there you might have to fight.”
“Then we shall be ready to travel.” Adham agreed.
“Will you help me get dressed Azza?” She asked, her newly adopted aunt.
“Of course I will. Suri and Ainya will help too so that we can know what it is we are to be doing in this place we go to.”
It had taken the women with help from most of the others a bit to gather all the things together that she had asked for. But with their help it was actually possible to put together an outfit that would be suitable for Nefertiri to wear. It was a bit brighter actually than most of her clothing had been but she looked good in the reds and golds. It was, rather revealing too but not completely risque. She put her daggers and mask into the chest they had found them in to bring them with her. It took a bit to get the makeup right but Suri had a steady hand with the kohl and it was perfect when it was finished. She wrapped herself in a cloaking galabeya and helped the other three women don their best clothing and jewelry. And all they could borrow. If she was being Pharaoh’s daughter gold was essential. She was wearing more already than she had probably when she had been Nefertiri. Finally they were as together as they were getting and they went back out to the fire. The Medjai were waiting for them and she didn’t miss the rather startled smiles the three women with her got. “Get comfortable gentlemen, ladies. Once I say this we’re all likely to be sound asleep here and gone to Thebes.”
It took some arranging to make certain everyone had with them what they wished to take. Then she got everyone’s names and the names of both parents to insure she made no mistakes and listed them on paper in both hieroglyphics and arabic. Then she opened the book of AmmunRa and began to read and when she got to the point of reciting all twenty-two of the Medjai she laid down and read from the list until she reached her own. Then she set the paper aside and said hers. And Mut came on silent feet and she was asleep in a moment.
And when she opened her eyes much to her amazement she was standing just outside the gates of the main temple of Karnak, and all the Medjai who had been with her in Ahm Shere were with her as well. And Osiris and AmmunRa both must have agreed to this because there were horses there for the men as well.
“Bis’mil’Allah.” Sallah whispered. “Thebes.”
“It is indeed.” She smiled. “Will you be so kind a guard, Medjai as to go and announce to the gate keeper that we are here?” She asked in Egyptian. She noticed that Azza had picked up the chest with her weapons in it.
“I will do so.” Selim replied in the same language and then went and pounded on the gate with the hilt of his sword. The sun was already set she noticed and a few of the other Medjai pulled torches from their saddle packs and lit them.
A bird cried out overhead and Arebe looked up and then laughed as a falcon came to rest on his shoulder. “So you did not want to be left behind, Horus?”
“I know I didn’t include you in my spell.” She told the bird with a smile. “But I don’t doubt he’ll be glad to see you.”
“Princess? The guard says he will let us in. Do you wish to be announced?” It was obvious he was enjoying shocking the man at the gate.
“No, I wish to surprise the High Priest of AmmunRa.” She replied with a smile.
“Of course.” Selim agreed and they headed into the main temple.
“Should we leave the horses?” Sallah asked.
“Leave two men with them in the courtyard.” She decided. Sallah nodded and fell back to talk to the others. Evelyn let Selim, Adham, Kashim, and Pasha walk before her up the main walkway and then whispered directions until they were inside the courtyard. She took off the robe she was wearing and handed it to Ainya who folded it and set it aside in the saddle bag of her husband’s horse.
“Bis’mil’Allah.” Selim grumbled. “Evelyn.”
“I’m supposed to be Pharaoh’s daughter, Selim I can’t wear Evelyn O’Connell’s clothes and do that.” She sighed. “Do I look all right Azza? Ainya?”
“You do.” Azza straightened her hair a bit and checked the fall of her filmy skirts and cape in back. Then she slipped out of her own outer robe and smiled at her husband who undoubtedly had not seen her dressed in such finery since their wedding.
“At least you are not wearing almost nothing.” He grumbled but he smiled too.
“I would not want to embarrass you or our chieftain, husband.” She replied with a smile.
“Hmpf.”
“Let us go see to my husband and your chieftain.” She decided. “We go through the main doors on our left then up the first stairs to our right and down the hall to the dining area. Is that clear enough?”
“It is.” Adham agreed. “Let us go then.”
“Y’Allah.” Pasha put in.
“We can always pray.” Adham agreed and they headed inside.
Asr:ToC