by Jonas, Gary
“I don’t need help,” she said and pulled away.
“We all need help, Kelly.”
“Let’s go.”
“All right. Just know that I’m here for you.”
She started toward the door but looked back at me because I hadn’t moved. “Are you ready?”
“Give me a minute. I need to get rid of some of that beer.”
KELLY CHAN
I couldn’t believe this was happening. Two months ago, I could have died, and that would have been all right because it would have been an honorable death. But I survived. I bounced back as well as I could, and each day, I was a little better than the day before. I figured eventually I’d be one hundred percent. And now I felt as if I’d been smacked back to square one.
Getting sick was not normal for me.
For me it was a sign of weakness. I didn’t feel that way about others because they weren’t Sekutar. I worried that being sick was a sign that the magic they used to engineer me was wearing off as it had for Brand. Or worse, what if the wizards at DGI did this to me? What if they changed me so the magic would fade and I’d be a regular woman again? I wouldn’t put it past them.
I would have no value to Jonathan at that point. He relied on me for my strength. I needed to be strong for him even more than I needed it for myself. He’d given me my purpose in life and made me see that I could be more than just an assassin. I could contribute to the world. But I needed to be a Sekutar to do that. Why else would he need me to be here if not to protect him from danger?
While Jonathan used the restroom, I went to my pack on the floor and pulled out a small dagger. I rolled up my right pant leg and sliced my calf open. It was a small cut, perhaps a quarter of an inch long. Blood welled but it didn’t hurt. I’d done this every day when I woke up since I left the healing room at DGI. I needed the reassurance that I felt no real pain and that I could still heal quickly. I watched the flesh slowly start to knit together.
Jonathan returned from the latrine, and I shook my pant leg down before he could see the cut.
JONATHAN SHADE
When I returned to the bedroom, Kelly had a dagger in her hand.
“Was it something I said?” I asked.
“Usually.” She tossed the dagger onto her pack. She turned and left the room.
I shrugged and followed her.
Sadek bowed to us as we approached.
“Kelly, this is Sadek. She’ll get us whatever we need while we’re here. We also have another servant named Tuya, but I don’t know where she is right now.”
“Tuya is also a servant of the Great Royal Wife,” Sadek said. “She will accompany you back to your residence tonight.”
“Tuya or Ankhesenamun?” I asked.
Kelly sighed. “Tuya. Why would Ankhesenamun accompany us?”
“I am sorry,” Sadek said, her eyes wide and her mouth quivering. “I did not intend to mislead you.” She bowed deeply.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I knew what you meant. I was just joking.”
“If you wish to have me beaten, I will understand.”
“Why would I want you to be beaten?”
“I would prefer a beating to working in the quarries or the mines.”
“Sadek,” I said, “while I’m here, you will never be beaten, and you won’t go to the quarries or the mines. Do you understand?”
“I will work harder.”
“You’re doing just fine. Can you take us to the dinner hall?”
“Oh, yes. I did not mean to delay you. Please follow me.”
“Way to go, Jonathan,” Kelly whispered. “You have the poor girl scared to death.”
“I was kidding.”
“She’s a servant. You’re a guest of the king. You really think she’s going to believe you’re just joking around? Besides, for all you know, she was perfectly clear and the translation didn’t work properly.”
I felt like a jerk.
We followed Sadek outside. She led us through the compound to the festival hall. As we entered, I could hear music—a harp and percussion. Inside the banquet hall, small, round tables lined the room. People clad in white linen robes sat on the floor, and in the center of the room, several naked women danced. Okay, each wore a narrow, colored sash around her waist, but that was it. They were lovely women, mostly slender and agile as can be. They twirled and performed gymnastic feats that were mighty impressive. They had little, round weights at the ends of their hair, which clacked pleasantly as they moved.
“Eyes back in your head, Jonathan,” Kelly whispered.
Sadek led us to our tables near the front of the room. Off to the side, I saw the harpist and two women in flimsy linen tapping lightly on the drums in rhythm. They played softly enough that people could speak.
The room was packed with people, but Tut and Ankhesenamun were not present. I didn’t see Aye or Horemheb yet either, though there were four vacant tables beside us. We sat on the floor the way everyone else did. The meal had not yet begun, though I saw servants holding large blue glazed faience bowls heaped with bread and fruit standing just outside a back doorway. Cups, also made of faience, stood on each table, but at the moment, they were empty.
Once we were seated, Aye and Horemheb entered the room followed by Tut and Ankhesenamun. Tutankhamun wore a white kilt, his crown, and a massive collar with a yellowish glass scarab in the center. The scarab seemed to have wings breaking out on either side. Tut’s wife looked especially lovely with her makeup accentuating her exotic features. Her form-fitting linen dress didn’t leave much to the imagination. Clothed, she held my attention more than the lovely nude dancers.
Kelly leaned toward me and whispered, “Don’t stare at her.”
I looked around and saw that nobody in the room dared to look at the king and queen. They bowed deeply.
“At ease,” Horemheb said loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Once the king and queen were seated, Horemheb sat next to me, and Aye sat on the other side of Ankhesenamun. I caught him staring at her too. With him, it was a bit creepy because he was pushing sixty and she was maybe nineteen. She was too young for me too, but at least I wasn’t creepy about it. Well, I hoped I wasn’t creepy.
“Let the banquet begin,” Tut said and clapped his hands twice.
Servants entered the room and moved from table to table to present faience bowls filled with beef and vegetables. Another servant delivered bread, while several more filled our cups with wine.
“This evening’s wine is my favorite,” Tut said. “It comes from the finest vineyard in Egypt in the Delta, and I chose it to welcome our visitors.” He gestured toward Kelly and me. We nodded to the people.
When the servant filled my glass, I tasted the dark red wine. It was dry but still had a decent flavor. “It’s pretty good,” I whispered to Kelly.
“Don’t try to quote Sideways, Jonathan. They don’t have movies here.”
“I know that,” I said, feeling a little insulted. I doubt I could have quoted Sideways, and I was far from an expert on wines. I could tell a dry wine from a sweet wine, but that was about the extent of it. I was more of a beer guy.
There were no utensils, so I watched the other people to see how they ate. They all used their fingers. I made sure to point it out to Kelly so she wouldn’t give me any shit about it, then I dug in. The food had a lot more flavor than I expected. They used spices generously. I recognized the flavors of the salt, sage, thyme, and anise in the dishes. The beef was roasted, and the vegetables ranged from peas to onions touching base with celery, peppers, and radishes.
The music kept playing, and the dancers kept dancing.
The bread was okay, but it had sand in it, so I really didn’t care for the texture. The flavor wasn’t bad, but I had to be careful chewing it because I didn’t want to damage my teeth. I suspected the Egyptians had terrible teeth if they ate this stuff all the time.
Around the third course, a young woman stepped into the hall. Like the dancers, she
was nude except for a belt of beads. She had some meat on her bones, but she carried it well. She nodded to the harpist, and the music shifted.
The woman smiled and began singing.
“Spend the day merrily,
Put unguent and fine oil to your nostrils,
And lotus flowers on the body of your beloved.
Place singing and music before your face.
Cast all evil behind you and think of joy,
Until that day comes, that harbor is reached,
In the land that loves silence.
Spend the day merrily,
And weary not therein:
Lo, none can take his goods with him;
Lo, none that has departed can come again.”
She bowed and moved off to the side to join the harpist.
I looked at Kelly. “I don’t think that will hit the Top Forty.”
“They were all mouthing the words, so I think you’re wrong,” she said.
I looked over at Horemheb and saw that he was staring at me.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“Tonight is for drinking and revelry. Tomorrow I want a demonstration of your skill as a warrior.”
“I’m not here to give demonstrations,” I said. “I’m a visitor who is simply passing through.”
“Aye said your magic is strong.”
“Perhaps his is simply weak.”
“The people who saw your arrival accept you as gods, but you and your wife hold yourselves as warriors.”
“What’s your point?”
“I do not believe you are a god, but I do believe you are a danger to our king.”
Tut rose and looked at Horemheb for a moment before looking at me. “Do you intend harm to anyone in my kingdom?”
“No, Your Highness,” I said. “We’re looking for a stranger, but we have reason to believe he’s probably in Memphis. We would like to go find him. That’s all.”
“I agree with Horemheb that you carry yourself as a warrior, not a god. So does your wife. I would like to see what capabilities you possess. We have a war campaign coming, and we may have need of your services in our army. If so, we will help you find the man you seek. If not, we will allow you to go find him, though we will have soldiers accompany you.”
I didn’t think it would be wise to argue with a king because he could have us killed, so I simply nodded. “As you wish,” I said.
“That is all for tomorrow. Tonight is for revelry.”
They moved off and I turned to Kelly. “I just have one question.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“How do gods carry themselves?”
“Really?”
“For future reference, you know. If we ever get confused for gods again, I’d like to keep it going a bit longer.”
“Well, if there’s any doubt about your godhood, it will be dispelled if they hand you a compound bow.”
I feigned disgust. “Oh, come on, the last time I tried to shoot an arrow, it flew at least five feet.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “If that’s part of the test or demonstration, you drive the chariot, I’ll fire the bow.”
“I’ve never driven a chariot.”
“Yes, but we know you can’t handle a bow.”
The servants brought more wine. I looked over at King Tut, but he was speaking with his wife. I noticed Aye staring at Tut’s wife again, and the creep-out factor went off the meter.
CHAPTER EIGHT
JONATHAN SHADE
Kelly hung in there like a trooper. I noticed she didn’t eat much of the food, nor did she drink much of the wine. Just enough to be polite. I’d seen traces of vomit when I’d used the restroom back in our residence, so I knew she wasn’t doing as well as she pretended. As soon as it wouldn’t be seen as an insult, I made our excuses so Kelly and I could get back to our room. I wasn’t looking forward to the challenge we’d have to face, and I knew if Kelly was going to be anywhere near fighting shape, she’d need more rest.
Our servant led us through the night to the residence. Oil lamps were already lit inside, so we could easily see where we were going. As soon as Sadek left us, I ushered Kelly into the bedroom.
“Time for you to crash,” I said.
“You too.”
“I think we’re safe here for the night. If they want to kill us, they’ll do it tomorrow during the war games demonstration. You take the bed; I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Like hell you will. Scorpions are nocturnal, and the species they have here are poisonous, so you’ll sleep in the bed with me.”
It was hard to argue with her logic but I tried. “The bed is small.”
“We’ll make do.”
“Okay.” I didn’t say I tried hard. From the moment she mentioned scorpions, I wanted to jump into the bed. Of course, the damn things could probably climb the legs and join us.
“I didn’t have a change of clothes with me at the dojo, so these are all I have,” she said.
“What’s your point?”
“My point is that we should sleep in our underwear.”
“Good thing I didn’t go commando,” I said.
She removed her boots and pants while I pulled off my shirt and kicked off my shoes. I took off my jeans while she hesitated. I started to ask if something was wrong, but she pulled off her shirt, and I saw she didn’t have a bra. Her breasts were small, firm, and lovely. I averted my eyes because it felt wrong to be looking at them. I also felt a stirring, and I didn’t want to climb into bed with her sporting wood. I used the old standby of thinking about baseball for a moment until I had myself under control.
We folded our clothes and placed them on the adobe ledge.
“I want the outside,” she said.
I nodded, removed the weird headrests, and climbed into bed first. I scooted over as far as I could to give her some room.
She crawled into bed with me. I used my right arm as a pillow and placed my left along my side. Kelly kept her back to me, but there was so little room on the bed that we were forced to spoon.
“Well,” I said. “This is awkward.”
“Can you do me a favor?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“Don’t make any jokes. Just go to sleep.”
“Okay.”
She reached back and pulled my left arm around her waist.
I tried to think about baseball some more, but I found myself half-chubbed. I knew she could feel it pressing against her, and that made it even harder.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“It’s all right. I’d be disappointed if I didn’t have some effect on you. Now let’s just sleep.”
She drifted off. I closed my eyes, but sleep refused me.
Kelly was a beautiful woman. I’d never considered her as girlfriend material. My friend Patrick O’Malley once asked me about it because he had the hots for her. I made a joke about not wanting to date women who could kick my ass, and he accepted that. For whatever reason, I treated Kelly more like a sibling and a business partner, but lying in bed with her, my thoughts were in a completely different place.
Kelly was in a relationship with Brand, though I suspected they were on the outs, and I was in a relationship with Rayna.
Brand and Rayna weren’t here.
Brand and Kelly were near the end of their relationship until Brand sacrificed himself for her, and now I wasn’t sure how things stood, but they were no longer touching each other all the time, so it was probably over. Rayna and I were at the beginning of our relationship.
I didn’t know whether or not we’d survive our time in Egypt. I didn’t know how long we’d be in Egypt either. Days were passing for us at the same rate they were passing for Brand and Rayna even though they were in different times. The link and the magic meant that if it took us a few months here, and then a few months in the nineteenth century, I’d be away from Rayna longer than I’d even known her. I liked her a lot, but at this point, I wasn’t sure I was really
in love with her. I thought maybe things were growing toward the L word, though. And for all I knew, I was thinking this way because I was in bed with another woman even though there was no hanky panky going on.
Even if Kelly and I survived Egypt, I knew that Winslow would be stronger when we faced him in the nineteenth century. There was no guarantee that we could beat him there, and I also knew he’d be the strongest in the twentieth century. For all I knew, I’d never see Rayna again.
But I had to hold on to the idea that we would win and that I’d soon have her back in my arms. We hadn’t talked about being exclusive with one another, but I knew she wasn’t seeing anyone else, and she knew the same was true for me. Was it an unspoken thing? Would I even be thinking this way if Kelly and I weren’t half naked in bed together?
I hadn’t done anything, but I still felt guilty.
Time passed and sleep still eluded me.
Kelly shifted. She turned over and put her arms around me, her breasts pressing against my ribs as she pushed me onto my back. She was still asleep, of course. She used my chest as a pillow and raised her right leg up so her thigh rested on my crotch. I adjusted the covers and put my arms around her, trying to think of anything that would take my mind off sex. Kelly felt good in my arms, and that made the task even more difficult.
I tried to focus on other things. I reminded myself that she was under the weather, but that just made me think about holding her when she was well again. I tried to think about the demonstration we’d have to handle the next day. Then I thought of scorpions. That didn’t help. I tried to shove all thoughts aside. I must have lain awake for ages before my eyelids finally grew heavy enough to stay closed and I drifted away to the land of dreams.
KELLY CHAN
I woke up with one hand on Jonathan’s stomach, the other at my side, and my head lying on his chest. My stomach was still a bit queasy, and my head was foggy. My fever seemed to be worse, and that really concerned me. I looked up at Jonathan’s face, and he looked at peace as he slept. Lying in his arms felt better than I wanted to admit. I’d never really felt this way with Brand. Sure, it was fun most of the time, but while I knew Brand cared for me, I didn’t think he knew the real me.