The sound they all heard was the ARMPIT approaching.
“Okay, I will not be able to tell you all I had wanted to, but here is something else you need to understand about magic. Mixtures are of items that you would never consider putting together. If flour, egg and sugar formed part of a magic spell, then we would have cupcakes exploding all over the world. Just by the law of averages, someone somewhere would say the right combination of words in order to make the magic work. You must go now, but one final thing, you need Henuttawy to be with you if you are going to get through this. The ten grains of sand of the Sun we need for the spell is the real reason why I asked her to come back. She is uniquely placed to help you with this task.”
“You do not have to make best friends of her, Kate, but you must work with her,” Gadeem shouted down from the roof as Joe helped the youngsters into the ARMPIT.
Chapter 23
-
Vision of Reality
“That is one cool vehicle,” said Alex as he sat on the sand by the edge of the Nile looking back at the ARMPIT. It was parked side on, half in and half out of the water, leaning towards the Nile at an unnerving angle. It was the first-time Alex had really been able to take in the mass of black which sat before him. Oversized wheels fitted into a brute of a body.
“Impressive, isn’t it,” said Joe.
“In everything except name,” replied Alex.
“We usually refer to it as the ARM. This is the latest version. The first time we saw this was when it arrived outside the Winter Palace, so we are still getting used to it. The last one was impressive, but this is light-years ahead.”
“Well, at least the driver seems to know how it all works.”
“Secret, Alex … there is no driver!”
“You have not seen anything yet. There are loads of really cool gadgets in there,” shouted Kate as she and Cairo walked over to join Alex. Joe said good morning to them as he left. “So, where are we?”
“I don’t know exactly. All I know is that we have been travelling north.” Alex looked around, apart from the Nile all he could see in any direction was sand. With it being so early in the morning, there was a lovely light breeze, and though it was already very bright, the sun had yet to gain its power.
“I thought it best if we gathered our thoughts over breakfast,” said Dr Margretti. “Prepacked, I am afraid, unless … aah yes, I do believe a fresh breakfast is about to arrive.”
They watched as no more than fifty metres behind them figures emerged from beneath the sand. Both male and female were dressed the same, a golden band around the head with matching golden bands on each wrist. Their wraparound pleated skirts looked as though they had been made from material which had been spun from solid gold. Each was tied around the waist with a golden cord, finished with elaborate tassels which hung to one side. Plain leather soles were held in place by yet more golden cord. This crossed over itself and finished just above the ankle. The serving girls did have an additional band of golden material which just about covered their breasts. From its simplicity, as well as their obvious discomfort, this was not something they normally wore. It had apparently only been added whilst they served breakfast to non-ancients. They were all slightly darker in tone than the Egyptians of Luxor, but then so was Alex.
A large square table was placed on the sand, followed by extremely large opulent chairs. Behind each of these a man stood to attention, holding a large fan made from ostrich feathers, the staff of which rested on the sand. Serving girls placed solid gold platters heaped with prepared food on the table, along with pitchers, plates and goblets, also of gold.
“In a very short while it will be far too hot for us to be able to sit outside, so shall we?” Dr Margretti gestured towards the table.
Once they were all seated, Kate just had to ask, “They are not really coming out of the ground, are they?” To her it looked like a horror movie, where bodies were leaving their graves.
“Oh, my goodness, no!” said the Doctor. “They are walking the path as it was in their time. That whole area has filled with sand. You are sitting on a rock plateau, so you are at ancient ground level.”
The ‘you’ was not lost on Alex, as he immediately became aware that both Dr Margretti’s and Joe’s chairs were not only positioned on the Nile side of the table, they were on a different level to the rest. They were not sitting on ancient ground.
Upon seeing a look of concern come over the young adventurers’ faces, Dr Margretti added, “Nothing to worry about, I can assure you. It is quite safe here.”
“After all I have been through, can you give me just a little more assurance than that?” asked Alex.
“Joe, would you be so kind?”
Almost instantly, well over one hundred ancient soldiers rose from the desert to form a ring, three deep, around the breakfast table.
“Satisfied, Alex?”
“Wow, yes!”
“Thank you, Joe.”
The soldiers dropped down beneath the sand just as quickly as they had risen from it.
Alex was about to ask Joe how he was able to control the soldiers, when he had neither heard him speak nor seen him move. He did not get the chance, as the sight of Henuttawy rising from the desert erased such any questions from his mind.
Breakfast turned out to be a surprisingly relaxed affair, or it had until Dr Margretti announced that it was time to return their thoughts to the quest at hand. This came as quite a shock. Sitting where they were, on the banks of the River Nile, the last hour or so had given them a reminder of just how beautiful Egypt was, how good life could be when it was shared with friends. How absolutely wonderful it was, when there was no worry of the warlock or the pressure of finding ten grains of sand of the Sun.
“So, what exactly are the ten grains of sand of the Sun?” asked Kate.
“This is where I come in,” replied Henuttawy, “as this is the reason behind Gadeem asking me to return. Once we are inside, I will explain everything.”
“Inside where?” Kate could see from the way Alex and Cairo looked around, to confirm that they were indeed surrounded by nothing except sand, that they were thinking exactly the same.
Dr Margretti caught Henuttawy’s eye, flicking his hand in a be-gone-with-you motion.
“Should we follow her?” Alex asked the Doctor.
“I would be most delighted to see you try,” he replied with a smile, as the top of Henuttawy’s head disappeared beneath the sand.
Kate elbowed Alex in the ribs. He gasped as she said, “Keep your mind on obtaining ten grains of sand of the Sun. Remember what Gadeem said, we work as a team or we will fail.”
Alex did not really understand the relevance of her comment, though before he could give it any more thought, Dr Margretti spoke.
“Have any of you seen Egypt as it was in ancient times?”
“I have,” said Kate excitedly. “I have seen Luxor Temple as it was.” She gave a short pause before adding, “Twice.”
“And on either occasion did you walk into the temple, whilst you were seeing it as it looked all those thousands of years ago?”
“No, I couldn’t. The first time I was on a boat on the Nile, and the second time I was tied up.”
“My, my, you have had some good luck.”
“Being tied up is good luck?”
The doctor pondered on his reply. “Probably better luck than if you had been able to enter into what you saw, at a time when you were so totally unprepared. You had obviously ‘seen’ by that time.” Kate nodded. “What about you, Alex?”
“No, I haven’t seen anything like that, though I only ‘saw’ recently.
“And you, Cairo?” He shook his head. “Well, before this day is out, with any luck, you are all going to see Amarna as it was. Though this will be no sanitised Hollywood film set. I fear you will not all survive.”
“Do you really have to keep telling us that?” asked Kate.
“Possibly not, as you are on a magnificent adventure, though
it is one which none of you will survive if you do not listen to Henuttawy.” Looks of excitement turned to fear. “I can see that you, Alex, look at her in a particular way. It is obvious you have affections for her, something which has not been lost on Kate, whom I understand, you also had, or have, affections for.”
Kate got in before Alex could, “Oh that, that was just friendship being confused for something more. We have our ancient memories now, so whatever it was is history.”
Alex was taken by surprise as Kate had said this genuinely, rather than for effect. It was also exactly how he now felt.
“And so are your ancient memories, history.” Kate looked at the Doctor as if he had been out in the sun for far too long. The penny did eventually drop. “Are these memories becoming any clearer to you?”
“I think so,” said Kate. Alex and Cairo both nodded, even though the question had not been addressed to them.
“This is a very good sign. Something you may find surprising, Kate, is that what you saw were not visions, they were a reality that you could have stepped into, however, being unprepared I am very glad that you were unable to. It is that reality which is going to get you all into Amarna. However, any ancient reality that you are able to see is always an emotionally charged reality, which is why it is so dangerous to step into. Famine, war, celebration, the emotions must be high.”
“Can’t we enter at a time of celebration, as surely that can’t be a dangerous time to enter the past?” asked Alex.
“I am surprised and somewhat disappointed that you did not think it through before you spoke. On reflection, I am sure you will be able to see that a time of celebration is an emotionally charged time for any city or country, a time of high security. You have met Alexander the Great; can you imagine what he would do if you suddenly appeared from nowhere in your strange costumes whilst he was celebrating a great victory? Something as simple as the T-shirt you are wearing would be strange in his time.”
Alex wanted to say that his T-shirt was strange to him as it was his dad’s, but he thought better of it.
“What do you think Alexander would do to someone he did not know, who in his opinion had evaded his elite soldiers in order to get close to him? A man who so readily killed his own generals, people he had put trust into, because of his paranoia.” The Doctor paused.
“He would kill us without a moment’s hesitation, then ask questions later.”
“Exactly, Alex, exactly! This is why you must all listen to Henuttawy. She knows Amarna better than anyone.”
“May I speak?”
“Of course, Joe, please do.”
“When you enter Amarna, be prepared to run. Do not enter running, or you may well crash straight into those you must run from. Consider reaction times. You will already be mentally prepared to run. They, soldiers or whoever, will have to process what they have seen before they can react. That should give you enough time to get away.”
“Thank you, Joe. A very good point, very well made. Yes, I agree,” said the Doctor as he saw Joe look at his watch, “it is time for our intrepid young adventurers to leave.”
“Just one question, Doctor, before we go. If you know where the ten grains of sand of the Sun are, why don’t you go and get them?”
The Doctor had obviously been expecting this question because he replied without a moment’s hesitation. “You obviously know where in England the crown jewels are kept?” Both Alex and Kate nodded, and much to their surprise so did Cairo. “So, if I asked you to go and look at them, it would pose no problem to any of you?” They agreed. “What would you think if I asked you to bring me just one, the very smallest and most insignificant of the crown jewels?”
“Impossible,” they all said as one.
“That is what is difficult about the ten grains of sand of the Sun.”
“So, knowing where they are and getting our hands on them are completely different things?”
“Exactly, Kate, exactly.” Dr Margretti paused before he added. “Most, if not all ancients know where they are kept. They are part of our folklore.”
Joe coughed.
“Yes, yes, Joe, I know, but if these young adventurers are about to die, I want them to know the truth. Neither Joe nor I can ever go back into Amarna. Other ancients such as Ramses would only see the city as it was in their time. Deserted, in disrepair and being reclaimed by the desert.”
“Then how can Henuttawy see it as it was, because she is from the time of Ramses?” asked Alex immediately.
“I am impressed, as that is much clearer thinking, Alex. The answer to your question is that she cannot. She does however have a unique view. Do ask her to explain this to you when you get a quiet moment, if indeed you do!”
Chapter 24
-
Wall to Wall Ancients
“This is a labyrinthine city, so stick close.”
Cairo tugged at his friend’s shirt, causing Alex to turn to look at him. Immediately registering the look of confusion, he explained, “She means there are lots of ways to get lost.” Turning back, he saw a running Henuttawy disappear around a corner into a narrow alley between unpainted mud brick buildings. She was very closely followed by Kate. “Run, Cairo, we must not lose them, come on.”
They turned the same corner, only there was no sign of either of the girls. Alex almost swore, then from an alley to their left they appeared in panic.
“That way,” shouted Henuttawy, as she pointed past the boys. Alex and Cairo were not going to be left behind this time. They ran so close to the girls that they tripped each other on several occasions. With the alleys being so narrow, it was easier to avoid a fall than it was to get around anybody walking in either direction. All they had to do was to reach out and jam their hands between the walls. It slowed them down slightly every time they did this, but overall they were travelling fast.
Having taken so many twists and turns, if Henuttawy did indeed know where they were, then she was the only one. By now they suspected those soldiers, guards, or whoever had been after them, would have been left far behind. The sound from the beating of the alarm gongs was now someway off in the distance. Henuttawy appeared to be reluctant to stop running. Hearts pounding, they ran on. She had to be one hundred percent certain, because being caught was not on anybody’s wish list. Eventually, they collapsed in some sort of grain store.
Panting, Henuttawy explained in as few words as possible: “Bread is baked here very early every morning. Bakers have gone home to sleep now, so we should be safe for the rest of the day.”
Alex could not help to notice that whilst he, Kate and Cairo had made themselves comfy on the mountain of grain, Henuttawy was not at all comfortable. There would have been no grain here in her time, because in her time Amarna had been a deserted city.
Once the panting had subsided, Henuttawy spoke. “I have a few basic rules which you will all need to adhere to.” She paused in expectation of some cryptic remark from Kate. It never came. “First and most important, the wider the paths and roads become, the nearer to the royal palace you are. If we have to run for our lives, always, and I do mean always, head for the narrowest alley and keep heading for ever narrower and narrower.”
“Why?” asked Kate, though she asked without any attitude.
“Because the fittest, meanest and most intelligent soldiers are up by the palace. They would not wish to be seen dead in the narrow alleys of the peasants.”
“But they are dead!” exclaimed Cairo.
“Bad choice of words. Royal soldiers will not follow you into the poorer areas of Amarna, so that is where you need to head for. The poorer the area the narrower the alleys.”
Cairo nodded. He understood.
“Okay, secondly, once you have lost the palace guards … soldiers … they are the same so it does not matter what we call them … head back at a brisk walking pace, do not run, towards any wider paths or roads. I have some great friends in the poorer areas who I totally trust, however, far too many will give away your hidi
ng place for nothing more than a loaf of bread. Such is the poverty here. So, once you are sure you are free from being chased by soldiers, get back into a wealthier area without drawing too much attention to yourselves. Act natural and keep calm. Easier said than done, I know.
“Thirdly, Gadeem gave me these.” Henuttawy held out four small folded pieces of papyrus. Kate, Alex and then Cairo took one each. She held her piece aloft before slipping it into a pocket. “No need to open them, as they are of no use to any of us. Please put them somewhere on your person, do make sure you always keep them with you.” She could see they were eager to see what was on them. “Okay, if you must, do have a look. As you will see, each piece is half of a map. Any two pieces go together to form a complete map. This will tell anyone where our hideout is.”
“It leads whoever has captured two of us to where they can capture the rest of us. That doesn’t sound too clever to me, even though it was Gadeem who gave them to you. I really wouldn’t have thought he would have done something so stupid.” Kate again spoke normally, though with the very slightest sign of irritation.
“Actually, it is not stupid at all. It shows somewhere we can observe, rather than somewhere we will be. That way, by seeing who arrives, a rescue can be planned. This takes me to point four. We will be working in pairs, because if the four of us walk together we will be stopped and arrested. Men can walk on their own or in pairs. Women always in pairs, though they may also have a very young child or children with them. One boy and one girl can walk together during the day. This is acceptable in daylight, though never after dark.
“Finally, I make mistakes. I know Gadeem and Doctor Margretti will have told you to listen to me, because without my help you will not survive Amarna. I know they mean well, and yes, I do know Amarna really well, but I do not have all the answers. I also cannot see it as you do. I do not know if we can achieve our aims, but one thing I do know is that none of us can do this alone; I certainly cannot.”
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