by Jonas, Gary
“Very good. Thank you, Lester.”
The foyer had a number of racks loaded with coats. Lincoln and Rayna shrugged out of their jackets and draped them over others on one of the racks. Thaddeus folded his coat and slung it over a banister that guarded a stairwell to the second floor. He opened a small closet and pulled out one black robe and two white robes.
“You’ll need these,” Thaddeus said, handing each of them a silver mask and a white robe. Thaddeus fastened a gold mask over his own face before putting on his hooded black robe.
“It must be Halloween,” Rayna said as she put the mask and robe on. Lincoln nodded and did the same.
“Follow me,” Thaddeus said.
He led them down a hall to a grand room filled with people clad in black robes. Here the music was much louder. The members all wore golden masks. On a dais in the center of the room, a man and woman, nude except for their masks, performed a sex act for the crowd, and on the far side of the room stood a man in a red hooded robe and a black mask.
“And wait here,” Thaddeus said as they entered the grand ballroom.
Rayna and Lincoln exchanged glances while Thaddeus crossed the room to speak with the man in red. Thaddeus bowed to the man and moved back over to where Rayna and Lincoln waited.
“The Master will see you,” Thaddeus said to Rayna. He shook his head at Lincoln. “But you need to wait here. There’s a chair in the corner.”
“That’s fine,” Lincoln said. “As long as I have a nice view of the woman on stage, I’ll be happy to wait.”
Rayna followed Thaddeus around the crowd of robed people. Some were male; some were female. All were watching the spectacle on the dais, and she noticed that some of the audience had their hands in one another’s robes.
Thaddeus led her to the Master in red. “Master,” he said, “I present Miss Rayna Noble, a seeker of truth and a holder of beauty.”
As he spoke the words, Thaddeus bowed and backed away to give them privacy. He moved over to join the crowd watching the couple have sex. Rayna wouldn’t call it making love as it was an animalistic thing with heavy grunting.
“Do you seek to join the temple, Miss Noble?” the Master asked.
“No,” Rayna said. “I came here looking for information.”
The Master nodded. “As it happens, I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects from Atlantis to the Akashic Records.”
Rayna smiled under her mask. “Mr. Penick, I presume.”
“You may call me Carlton,” he said.
“I guess Thaddeus told you my name.”
“Oh, another mystery shredded and tossed on the wind.”
“Right. I read some of your book.”
“Some?”
“It’s a long book, and the library was closing.”
“I do hope you’ll go back to read the rest.”
“Perhaps.”
“You seek information. Can you be more specific?”
She considered walking around the subject a bit, but the music was loud and the grunts behind her were distracting. “I’m looking for a man named Henry Winslow.”
“What a shame,” Carlton said.
“What do you mean?”
“I was hoping you were looking for me.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Turn around,” he said.
“Why?”
“They’re about to climax together,” Carlton said.
“I don’t consider sex to be a spectator sport,” Rayna said.
“Perhaps you’re doing it wrong. Observe.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the couple on the dais. Their bodies writhed and their fingers clutched one another. “See how they rise and fall as one? This is the holy union. The ultimate sacrifice. The little deaths that only two can share.”
Rayna thought the guy needed to get out more.
“And they fall to the floor, spent, having given all of themselves to one another. There is no more intimate act on the physical plane where both partners live.”
“What does that mean?” Rayna asked.
“It is so beautiful,” Carlton said as if he hadn’t heard her question. “So very beautiful.” He sounded wistful.
“Okay,” Rayna, said turning back to face him. “Do you know Henry Winslow?”
He sighed. “I did know him. I’m sorry to say he’s passed on to another plane of existence, shuffled off this mortal coil.”
“Pushing up daisies, kicked the bucket, yada yada yada,” Rayna said. “Only you and I both know he’s back.”
“Do you wish to join our temple? Become an initiate?”
“I already answered that question. Sidestepping 101. You could be a politician.”
“I am a politician, though this is the only office I care to hold. Do you wish to be an initiate?”
“How many times do I have to answer that question?”
“At least once more.”
“Right. Does it involve having sex in front of all these people? Because if so, I’m going to have to pass.”
“I’ve seen what lies behind that mask, Miss Noble. You have no reason to be modest. You are one of the loveliest women in the temple.”
“The Thoth Hermes Temple,” Rayna said.
“Number nine,” Carlton said.
“Weren’t Thoth and Hermes the same deity?”
“Different names, Egyptian and Greek, and the answer is yes. Different aspects of the same god, but a god by any other name wouldn’t be as sweet.”
“Shakespeare said it better. So why the redundant temple name?”
“To be honest, the temple was founded in 1897 by Lockwood and Whitty, so I’m not the one who chose the name.”
“Of course not. You’d have chosen the name Carlton J. Penick’s Sex Palace.”
“How droll.”
“Are you going to tell me about Winslow?”
“Perhaps another time. Will you reconsider your answer and agree to be initiated? If so, I will join with you in front of my brothers and sisters. It’s a truly great honor.”
Rayna laughed. “For you. I think I’ll pass.”
“Then you may never find the answers you seek.”
“Nice try,” she said. “You get points for showmanship, but I’m not big on PDAs.”
“What are PDAs?”
“Public displays of affection.”
Carlton nodded. “Thaddeus will show you the way out.”
He motioned to Thaddeus, and the man hurried over.
“Yes, Master?” Thaddeus said.
“Miss Noble doesn’t meet the requirements for initiation at this time. Please see to it that she and her friend get home safely.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Once you’ve seen to that task, I want you to return. We have something to discuss, you and I.”
“Of course, Master.” Thaddeus sounded nervous. He took hold of Rayna’s arm. “It’s time to go.”
“This was a waste of my time,” Rayna said, “but I guess Lincoln will be happy thanks to the peep show.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JONATHAN SHADE
The next morning, a man named Hani joined us as Khattusa-zita, Kelly, and I boarded a cedar wood barge on the Nile. Khattusa-zita was glad we were going with him and was happy to answer questions. He told us that the cedar was imported from Lebanon because wood was so scarce in Egypt. Oarsmen were already in place, though I suspected we’d let the slow current carry us most of the way.
Hani approached me. “I am the envoy for the queen. You will not speak to the Hittite king. That is my duty. You will not speak to me. That is my choice.”
I just gave him a nod.
While Hani and the servants loaded provisions, I watched an eagle soar through the sky. The great bird did a quick nosedive into the water of the Nile and shot skyward again with a fish in its talons. One of the oarsmen watched too. He whispered to the guy on his left that it was a sign.
The sand a
long the bank was black, and the pungent smell of water and fish assaulted me. The Nile was a huge river. I knew it was the longest river in the world, and I knew we’d see plenty of crocodiles along the banks. Beyond that, I didn’t know what to expect.
I saw a few fishermen on papyrus rafts off in the distance, their skin browned by the sun.
“May Hapi be with you,” a servant said as he placed a basket of bread near me. It took me a moment to realize that Hapi was a god. At first I thought the translation was skewed and the guy was either telling me to be happy or he was trying to say, “May the Force be with you,” thousands of years before George Lucas was born.
“Thanks,” I said because I wasn’t sure how to respond.
Before too long, we cast off from the shore and began the long journey down the Nile. Hani stood near the bow as far away from everyone as he could get. The man didn’t like conversing with anyone, and as his face seemed stuck in a permanent scowl, I figured we’d just avoid him as much as we could on a barge.
Kelly sat on the starboard side, clenching and unclenching her fist. She stared at her hand when she opened it; then she shook it a bit.
“You all right?” I asked, taking a seat beside her.
“I’m still lacking some feeling in my right hand,” she said. “Nothing to worry about but it’s annoying.”
I took her hand and began massaging it.
She stared at my thumbs as I worked, trying to knead the feelings back into the nerves. The wizards had removed the pain receptors, but she was supposed to be able to feel other sensations so she’d know how tightly to grip a sword or how much pressure to apply to a carotid artery to knock someone out.
“Are you sure it’s wise to leave Winslow here?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “But he’s right that if he decides to pull a Houdini, we’ll be pulled along with him. Well, you will, so if you feel a pull like that, you’d better grab me.”
“You trust him a lot more than I do.”
I laughed while I rubbed her hand, applying good pressure. Her hands, while deadly, were also soft with the exception of calluses on her knuckles. I had similar calluses, of course. Years of martial arts had built them up. “I trust everyone more than you do.”
She tilted her head, as if considering that, then grinned. “You act as if I don’t trust anyone.”
“Who do you trust?” I asked.
She met my gaze. “I trust you.”
I realized that I was now simply holding her hand. It felt more intimate, especially with those words echoing in my head and her brown eyes staring into my own. “Yes, well, I . . . uh,” I said and let go of her hand. “Maybe I should check on Khattusa-zita.”
She took hold of my hand, and when I started to rise, she shook her head as she pulled me back down. “He’s fine. He’s watching the water and making sure the oarsmen are ready should they be needed.”
I didn’t know why I was so nervous. I’d known Kelly for years. We’d fought together. We’d saved each other’s lives. Granted, she’d saved mine a lot more than I’d ever saved hers, but we were friends and business partners and allies. I felt as if I were trying to swallow a frog.
I looked across the river, and Kelly pulled gently on my hand to get my attention.
“Keep massaging,” she said. “It feels good.”
Well, it gave me something to do. I found that I wasn’t putting much pressure on her fingers now. It was more like a caress. I didn’t want to meet her gaze, so I looked at her mouth. Her lips were slender but inviting, so I looked at her chin. I took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” she asked. Her voice was gentle.
I looked into her eyes again and nodded. I wanted to lean forward and kiss her, but my heart beat too fast. Did I want to risk crossing that bridge? Once crossed, things would never be the same. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words, so I turned away. I felt guilty, as if I were a jerk trying to cheat on Rayna. How would she feel if she knew I was tempted by another woman?
And the ship sailed down the Nile.
BRAND EASTON
Wind howled in the distance like a hurricane in a tunnel. Brand tried to move, but the paralysis was complete. Something dark fluttered past his vision. He tried to track the motion with his eyes, but it was too fast. A voice whispered in his ear, and the wind died and howled around the words as if they were contained in those silent moments.
“You’re mine,” the empty voice said.
The wind slowed and silence settled around him.
His fingers clawed at the sheets. He moved!
But Brand didn’t do the moving.
His body sat up as if on its own.
“Did it work?” Priscilla said, and Brand could see her standing in the compartment, hope filling her eyes.
Brand’s right hand moved up and cradled her cheek. Brand’s voice spoke words that Brand didn’t mean to say and ended with, “I am in control.” Then he kissed her.
“At last!” Priscilla said. She embraced him, held him as if she hadn’t held someone for decades.
Brand could feel her arms around him. He wanted to push her away, but his arms engulfed her and pulled her close, holding her tightly.
Brand looked through his own eyes, thought his own thoughts, but had zero control. He could feel his body as it touched things—the cloth of Priscilla’s dress, the silky smoothness of her silver hair, the warmth of her breath on his neck.
He wanted to scream, but instead he found his lips meeting hers again. He was a passenger in his own body, and Edward was the driver.
Brand tried to scream, but no sound issued forth save his voice under Edward’s control saying, “I finally have you back in my arms, my love, and I shall never let you go.”
RAYNA NOBLE
Three days after the meeting at the Thoth Hermes Temple, Rayna met Lincoln in front of a clothing store. She stared through the window at the brand-new—but vintage to her—dresses. Some were plain and some were elegant, but she missed blue jeans and sports bras more than anything.
Lincoln approached her. “Walk with me,” he said, glancing around.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hopefully nothing,” he said.
“You weren’t at the office Saturday,” she said, rushing to keep up as he moved along the short block and turned right onto a long street.
Lincoln pressed himself to the wall and chanced a glance around the building back the way they’d come. “You can’t resist my charms, eh?”
“What charms? Are we being followed?” Rayna asked.
“This way,” he said and moved to an open doorway. Inside, the foyer of the building had two staircases: one that went to the upper floors and one that descended into the basement. There were no lights on the lower level. Lincoln moved down the stairs into the darkness.
Rayna followed him. “What—?”
“Shh!”
Lincoln pulled her down the stairs into the shadows and watched through the open doorway as a young man stopped in front of the door. He looked around but then looked at someone out of Rayna’s field of vision in the distance. He shrugged and held his hands out to his sides with palms turned to the sky. A moment later, he pointed into the doorway, nodded, and entered the building. He glanced down the stairs briefly then upstairs.
Rayna heard footsteps on the level above them.
She saw the man move to the stairs and heard a woman gasp.
“Oh! You scared me,” she said.
“Sorry,” the man said. “Did you see a man and woman come up the stairs?”
“No, but I just left my apartment a moment ago. Just going to the market to get some tea.”
The woman exited the building. Rayna saw that she was elderly and squat. She turned left and moved down the street.
The man remained on the stairs, unmoving, for what seemed an eternity.
“Damn,” he said. He jumped down to the landing and glanced once more down the stairs into the darkness.
&
nbsp; Rayna was afraid he would come down the stairs, but he shook his head and left the building, turning right and moving down the block.
“That guy has been following me since Saturday morning. I spotted him instantly, but I think that was his intent.”
“Why would he be following you?”
“I think he was at that temple.”
“How would you know with the masks and robes?”
“Because Thaddeus is dead.”
“What?”
“Police found him in an alley with his throat cut. What did you say to the guy in red?”
“Nothing. I mean, I asked about Winslow, and I turned him down when he wanted to bed me.”
“He had plenty of women there to sleep with. You’re a doll but there were a dozen like you in that house for the taking, and believe me, they were definitely being taken.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I went back.”
“How could you have found the place?”
“I followed Thaddeus after we dropped you off.”
Rayna frowned.
“Shh!” Lincoln said and hunched lower in the shadows.
Outside the building, the man returned to view. He kept shaking his head. Again he entered the building. He glanced down the stairs, squinted, then sighed and moved upstairs.
“We need to go now,” Lincoln whispered. “There has to be another guy off to the right, so we’ll go back the way we came.”
They crept up the stairs. Rayna could hear the man tromping up several flights of stairs above them.
“Now,” Lincoln said.
They rushed out of the building, turned left to take the short block back toward the clothing store, and ran right into Mr. Carlton J. Penick.
“Why, Miss Noble,” he said, aiming a pistol at her. “How wonderful to see you again.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
JONATHAN SHADE
The boat drifted along the Nile at little more than walking speed. The oarsmen were along for the ride, but they weren’t helping with the speed, so I assumed they were there to help us get back. Hani the messenger looked bored. Ankhesenamun wanted him to reinforce what she’d told the Hittite king in her letter. Hani kept to himself, though he did spend some time speaking with Khattusa-zita.