by D. S. Murphy
“Siri, how much does an adult hippopotamus weigh?” Jessie asked.
Isis’s eyes went wide as a disembodied voice responded.
The average hippo weighs around 1,600 kilograms.
Isis snatched the device and brought the screen up close to her eye, scrutinizing the build turning it over in her fingers.
“All the world’s knowledge on a tablet that fits in your hand, and the device has its own energy?”
“Enough for a day or so, then you need to recharge it.”
“Remarkable. And where is this knowledge? Inside the device?”
“Well, not really, it’s on the web. It’s everywhere.”
“Extraordinary.
“The lighthouse,” I said suddenly. “You mentioned a new technology. The lighthouse was like a giant magnifying glass, wasn’t it? To read the tablet?”
“Yes,” Isis said with a wink. “Clever girl. The tablet stores the information, the Eye of Horus reads and writes, while also containing the vast amounts of energy needed for the device to function. The lighthouse was merely a shell to hold the two pieces steady, so that a researcher could use them.”
“But, it’s in ruins,” Jessie said, gesturing towards the stump that was left of the lighthouse across the bay.
“Yes, that’s unfortunate,” Isis said. “It needs to be reconstructed.”
“We don’t have time to rebuild the lighthouse!” Sitri said. “We came to find you, and maybe the tablet – that has to be enough. We’re in danger, now that Hera knows where we are, our cover is blown. Zeus could be here any minute.”
“I don’t think Hera will tell him,” Isis said. “He doesn’t talk much about his mistresses to his wife.”
“I’m not his mistress!” I said, clenching my fists.
“You’re a distraction, a novelty. Powerful, beautiful. Hera is right to be jealous of you, and Zeus will be determined to get what he wants.”
“That’s never going to happen,” I said. But Sitri was right. My arm was throbbing, and each time I thought we were getting close to an answer, the goalpost moved farther away. We’d found Isis, against all odds, but we still needed the emerald tablet and the Eye of Horus. Even if we were able to find them both, it could take months to rebuild the lighthouse.
“I really thought we could do this,” I said. “I thought you could just tell me how to untangle the threads and we could be done. But now...” I looked down at my mangled arm. I was afraid to take the glove off and see the damage. We’d already risked so much and still had nothing to show for it. I couldn’t ask the others to stay in danger any longer.
“Where’s the eye now?” Jessie asked.
“Underwater, I’m afraid. I was just teaching Hypatia its secrets, we were using Cleopatra’s abandoned palace as a laboratory, but then an earthquake sank the whole island. I tried again with some very smart Arabs in the Middle Ages, but more earthquakes toppled the lighthouse completely.”
“Perfect,” Jessie said.
“All is not lost,” Isis said. “You can see the threads of fate, yes? Then you should be able to find the eye. You may be the only one who can. Then, I can teach you the spell you seek.”
“So, to untangle the threads, we need to break into the museum and steal an emerald tablet, then also dive through the underwater ruins of Cleopatra’s temple, and reconstruct a massive lighthouse – without letting Zeus discover our location. No problem.”
“We still have about 15 hours left,” Sitri said.
“I was being sarcastic,” I said.
“I know. But we might as well give it a shot.”
I looked up at him in surprise.
Puriel nodded, his eyes burning with intensity.
“I’m in,” Jessie said, tossing a pink macaron in her mouth.
“You guys are crazy,” I said. “This is impossible.”
But what choice did we have? If we returned to Nevah empty-handed, I knew Able wouldn’t give us another chance.
“We’re closer now than we ever will be again,” Sitri said.
“Plus, you’re having tea with a witch, a werewolf and a fallen angel,” Jessie said, smirking. “Open your mind a little.”
“It’s a plan,” I said, uneasily. A bad one, maybe. But it would have to do. “Tonight, we break into the museum. Tomorrow morning, when it’s light, we dive. Get the necklace, the Eye of Horus, read the tablet and get the spell.”
“What about the lighthouse?” Jessie asked.
“There are still some torches left in Egypt, if I’m not mistaken,” Isis said. “Some of the most powerful studied magic with me; we call them Djedi. Sorcerer-priests, if you will. We may be able to attract a few to our cause. But Zeus will know when the lighthouse is activated, and he’ll sense it drawing energy. We won’t have much time.”
***
“Holy shit,” Jessie said, as Isis opened the door to the upstairs apartment. Large open doors led to a wide balcony overlooking the sea. From the third floor, we had a clear view of the coast. A cool breeze fluttered past the white linen curtains. The floors were in patterned marble. The walls were a collection of paintings and Egyptian artifacts, but this apartment had more personality than the museum display downstairs. The windows were rimmed with stained glass scenes of coiled serpents. A large Atlas statue was holding an antique globe, and one wall was entirely taken up with a bookshelf so high there was second level you could only reach with a ladder.
A collection of art deco prints and colorful paintings decorated the walls. The middle of the room was taken up with two sets of wide leather sofas, an enormous rug, a stuffed tiger, and a marble bust of a young man with curly hair. Dark wood furniture with fancy gold inlay, decorated with palms and geometric patterns, had a distinctly Egyptian feel.
“I guess it’s all a bit kitsch, now,” Isis said, pulling her feet up under her on the sofa as we wandered the studio. Someone had refilled her glass and she sipped it, curling a strand of hair around her finger.
“It was the bee’s knees in the 20’s, and I was so excited for the revival of Egyptian motifs I went a bit overboard. I was too late to stop the plundering of our tombs, that all happened in the late 1880’s and the British occupation. It started with Napoleon of course, he found the Rosetta Stone, which led to deciphering the hieroglyphs. Then came the ‘archaeologists’ – who weren’t clever enough to open the counterweight mechanisms that we used to seal our tombs, and used dynamite to smash and grab what they could. Egyptian treasures became the ultimate sign of cultural refinement. Mummies were unwrapped at fancy dinner parties, though I suppose it was better than being used as fuel for railway engines, as the local public had started doing.”
“That’s awful,” Jessie said.
“Some would call it progress. For the first time in centuries, people were excited about the future. In 1909 an Italian poet wrote the Manifesto of Futurism. It called for a cultural reset.”
“We will destroy the museums, libraries, academies of every kind, will fight moralism, feminism, every opportunistic or utilitarian cowardice,” Sitri recited.
“It was exciting,” Isis said. “The youth, the energy. It was all about action and immediacy; experiential knowledge, technological advancement, and rebellion. There were parts I liked. One passage in particular, they borrowed from Milton’s Paradise Lost: ‘Erect on the summit of the world, once again we hurl our defiance at the stars!’”
“They glorified violence. It led to the first world war.”
“But also to revolution, and independence. Did you say the first?”
“The second started in 1939,” Sitri said.
“I was already in the ground by then. The party was over, and I was sick and tired of watching the Europeans divide up land they didn’t own and grow rich by theft. Maybe it would have been different if I could travel, see the world, but there are terms to my freedom. I did manage to snag some of their treasures though, while they were stealing ours.”
She waved at the paintings, one o
f which looked suspiciously like a Klimt. Jessie was standing next to a fractured piece showing a kneeling woman half concealed by magnificent feathers.
“What about the wings?” Jessie said, pointing at the portrait and studying Isis’s slim, dark arms.
“I might have encouraged that particular association,” Isis said. “I absolutely adore flying. Zeus and I would spend hours flitting through the sky, surveying my kingdom from above. But it takes a great deal of power to transform. After he left me, I had to get inventive. You’ve heard of Icarus right? Unfortunately his father Daidalos got hold of one of my earlier, rather flawed, designs.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, resting my head against the back of the couch as I listened to the story. After awhile, Isis noticed and jumped up.
“Heavens, listen to me drone on, where are my manners,” she said. “You need a bath and nap, in that order. Frankly, I’m not tired. If Sitri would be a dear and show me how to use that Internet thing, I’ll get myself up to speed while you rest.”
“You first,” Jessie said, grabbing a plate of cookies from the table and settling into a reading nook looking over the sea. Puriel, without direction, sat on the floor next to her and opened one of the books. I soaked in the lavender scented water until it grew cold, then wrapped myself in a huge, soft towel and dried my hair. I had dark bruises on my arms and legs from my tumble in the tomb, and an ugly cut on my forehead from Hera’s scepter. It was my second full day in Egypt, and apart from a few hours sleep in the police station, I’d been awake the whole time.
The wardrobe in the master bedroom was filled with elegant ball gowns and shoes, but Ramses had already procured a selection of modern apparel. Everything was high quality, but I had to remember I was dressing for a museum-heist. Finally I found a pair of black sweatpants and an olive green hoodie with pockets.
“Damn,” Jessie said, when she helped me cut off the price tag. “Who buys $820 sweats?”
The boys had their own bathroom, and by the time I was done they’d both already cleaned up. Jessie took a shower next. I went downstairs for a glass of water. Ramses had moved the vintage typewriter on the wide desk to the side and set up a brand new 27” iMac. Puriel was showing her how to use the mouse to browse the Internet, though it seemed like they were figuring it out together. In the kitchen, I helped myself to another fizzy ginger cocktail, hoping it would numb some of the pain and help me sleep.
When I went back upstairs, I found Sitri had taken over the large table in the loft and was preparing an arsenal, sharpening weapons and cleaning out a pistol.
“Where’d you find that stuff?” I asked.
“Isis has a whole armory in the basement, but it’s a bit rusty. Luckily Ramses keeps the house up to date in her absence, which included some combat gear. Some of this stuff is pretty fancy. I have a feeling Ramses is involved in some less than legal dealings.”
“I thought watchers just took bets, but didn’t get involved.”
“They like to be prepared,” Sitri said. “How’s your arm?”
I flexed my fingers. The metal felt cool against my skin again, but the stickiness was uncomfortable, and when I twisted my wrist I felt a sharp stinging, like my skin wasn’t properly attached.
“Doesn’t hurt,” I said. “Much.”
“Maybe we should take it off, check the damage?”
“Let’s wait until we get back to Alice,” I said. “I don’t want to make it worse.”
Sitri frowned, and he stared at me for a long moment, but then went back to cleaning his gun.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “It’s just, I should have been there. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. After Alexandria, I was too distracted. Too casual.”
“Because of me,” I said. He hadn’t said it, but I knew that’s what he meant. He was backpedaling, again.
“I don’t think you understand the danger we’re in. This was supposed to be a quick, in-and-out mission. First the leech, then the son of Cadmus, even the goddamn alligator. You seem to attract trouble.”
“You’re blaming me?” I asked.
“I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at myself. Hera knows you’re here. Zeus could send a thousand hunters through that window at any moment. I can’t protect you like this, out here.”
“You don’t have to protect me,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“It’s not like that,” Sitri said. “I’m not worried about you. You’re braver, stronger, than anyone I’ve ever met. When Able first sent me to Nevah, I thought you were just some girl, just another root. I had no idea how powerful you’d become. But we’re risking everything by staying. I’m afraid, my feelings for you are clouding my judgment.”
“Tell me more about these feelings,” I said, smirking.
“Able would say I’m too involved. He’d want us home already.”
“And what do you want?” I asked, moving closer. Sitri sucked in a breath, and looked down at my mouth. I licked my bottom lip involuntarily. He put down the gun and place his hands flat against the table, as if he was worried he couldn’t control them.
“I want you to be prepared,” he said finally. “In case this doesn’t work. In case you can’t break the spell. This war, it’s been going on too long. Think of everyone at Nevah. They could all die, and most will, if we take on Zeus’s forces directly. You have the shears, you have the power – all that’s lacking is the will.”
“No, I get it now. I understand what I have to do. If I have to kill Zeus, I will. But I’m not going to let him take you down as well.”
“Able would call it collateral damage. Acceptable losses.”
“They aren’t acceptable. Not to me.”
“And that’s the weakness Zeus will exploit.”
“I’d let you exploit my weaknesses,” I said, giggling. I was feeling tipsy from the cocktail, and drowsy. It was a stupid joke, something Jessie might have said, but I didn’t apologize for it. There was something fierce in his eyes, and then his hand moved slowly to my hip. I ran my fingers through his hair, and he bit his lip. Then he put his arm around my waist and drew me in closer, pressing his fingers into the small of my back.
“I wasn’t sure,” he said, gazing into my eyes. “How you feel. About me. Even after today, in the catacombs.”
“Nothing has changed,” I said.
“But you saw me,” he said. “You know what I am, a monster. A killer. You don’t know how many people I’ve hurt, I was Zeus’s destruction. And even now, even after all these years, I still can’t resist him. I was ashamed.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said, stroking his cheek with my finger. His eyes were full of remorse and regret. But he didn’t pull away. He shoved the guns and blades to the side with one hand, then lifted me up so I was sitting on the table, with my legs around his. I raised my chin as he nuzzled my neck, looking out over the balcony at the moon and the sea. I ran my fingers down his chest, sliding them between the buttons of his shirt. Then I kissed him, and for a moment, time stood still and there was nothing else, just us.
“When all this is over,” I said, “we’ll both be free. And then we can figure out what we want. For now, one step at a time. Tablet, lighthouse, spell, scissors,” I recited, making a list in my head. He nodded, holding my hand softly in his. He kissed my knuckles, and the stubble on his chin tickled my skin. I brushed his dark hair away from his face, marveling at being able to touch him. It reminded me of my first kiss, with Puriel, but that was chaste in comparison. With Sitri, we were hungry for each other, and my body responded with fire at his touch. But this wasn’t the time or place.
“Get some sleep,” he said finally, dragging himself away. We said goodnight and I headed back through the empty halls towards my room. It was dark already, and I flinched when I saw a dark shape standing alone in the living room, facing the ocean. It was Isis, in a black nightgown.
“It’s good to see you smile,” she said, even though she hadn’t turned around
to look at me. I hated projected my emotions to everyone, but after kissing Sitri, it was hard to stop smiling.
“I guess it’s been awhile,” I said. “End of the world and all that.”
Even back at JDRI, I wasn’t known for my sunny disposition. Nevah was full of surprises, but it was hard to ever relax enough to really be happy.
“You will free yourself when you learn the language of your heart. Knowledge is one thing, love another. Know the world in yourself. Know yourself... and you shall know the gods.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I didn’t say anything. I was about to leave but she seemed so isolated there, all alone in the moonlight. I lingered in the doorway.
“What will you do?” I said. “After?”
“Egypt is my home,” she said simply.
“But aren’t you lonely here?”
“If you love someone, you are always joined with them – in joy, in absence, in solitude, in strife,” she said. Then she turned away from the windows and gave a sad smile. “Sorry, it’s a poem I like. The moon makes me nostalgic.”
“You should come with us. I’m sure Able could protect you at Nevah. Plus, I think you and Heph would get along; you have so much in common.”
“That would a thing to see,” she said wistfully. “Goodnight.”
18
Jessie shook me awake at midnight. When I’d come into the room earlier, she was already passed out under the covers. I sank into the sheets next to her and fell into a deep sleep. But now she was awake and dressed. She’d picked out a pair of dark leather pants, a black sweater and a tight leather jacket, and held out a something similar for me.
“Isn’t this a bit on the nose?” I asked. “I mean, shouldn’t we try not to look like thieves?”
“Don’t be like that,” she said, turning me towards the mirror. She wrapped a black scarf around my nose and mouth, then pulled the hood of my sweater up to hide my face.
“We haven’t broken into a museum for like a whole week. When else do you get to dress like a medieval assassin?”