Passage to Queen Mesentia

by Vann, Dorlana

  It was too far. Standing on top of the table, he searched the room for something, anything he could use. He noticed a mummy case in the back of the room. It reminded him of the King Tut one he saw everywhere, but it had the undeniable face of Ben. He shivered from the thought of the process Ben had planned for the evening. “We’ve gotta get out of here,” Wade said as he jumped down and walked over to Lilly.

  “The stars which never rest…”

  “I know, it’s all really neat, and if I didn’t have the threat of my lungs getting ripped out of my body, I would probably be thinking about how this stuff would make me filthy rich. But we gotta split before his wall predictions come true. But we’re not going get out through the ceiling. We need to find something to wedge that outer door open.”

  “A burial fit for a king.”

  “Lilly!”

  “I know,” she said, turning from the wall. “I’m okay. I’m looking.” She started walking around the room. “I’m looking. What should I look for?”

  “A jack hammer.”

  “Wow! Here it is!” she said.

  “You found a jack hammer?”

  “No… the Pyramidion Statuette.”

  Chapter 17

  Binpanek truly regretted that in order to achieve death and then passage, it would cause Lillian extreme pain. However, he did understand why this gave him such anguish; she reminded him of Mesentia. A great deal of time had passed since he had last touched his lover, and Lillian had been the only woman to ever make him fully remember the feel of Mesentia. She had brought back sensual sensations he had assumed fled with his mortality.

  None of that mattered; he could not stay on Earth, not even with a woman who could possibly alleviate some of his loneliness. With a little meditation, he easily transformed his feelings for Lillian into heightened eagerness to see his queen once again.

  “I am ready,” he said to Schelsteder. “Open.”

  Schelsteder and three men rolled away the stone door. When Binpanek stepped into the outer chamber, Wade and Lillian were no longer tied to their chairs, but standing. Wade had a knife at Lillian’s throat.

  “Not another move,” Wade yelled. “I mean it.”

  Ben put his hand up, stopping Schelsteder’s advance.

  “You were right,” Wade said. “You made her fall in love with you. I have nothing to lose.”

  “Do you take me for a fool?” Binpanek said.

  “Well, either way she’s dead, right? But if I kill her, right here, right now, there goes your little party. You’ll have to start all over trying to find someone to love you.”

  Schelsteder had aimed and cocked his gun, as Wade started moving with Lillian towards the door. Schelsteder looked to Binpanek to find out what he wanted him to do.

  “Let them go,” Binpanek said. He knew they wouldn’t get far. The worse that could happen is that his plans would be delayed for a day.

  The men moved, clearing the exit. Wade grabbed a torch as he and Lillian backed out.

  As soon as they had disappeared, Binpanek said, “Follow. Alert the others to secure the perimeter. Seize them as soon as they are separated. I’ll meet you.”

  Binpanek took the small key that fit into the inner chamber, its only copy hid safely across the globe, out of his pocket. He trusted no one completely, not even Schelsteder—after all, immense riches filled his chamber. Time had given him an advantage over the kings of the past. Technology allowed for great security measures. A timer controlled the door so that when it had been set, it would automatically shut and lock. There was also a container built into the wall that he would fill with wet cement right before the ceremony. After the door closed, the cement would be released, running down the sides of the door and into a small tube to the lock, covering and sealing any evidence of the door. If Schelsteder decided to double-cross him, he would have to hurry—Binpanek planned to set the timer for one hour, barely enough time to complete the ritual for his passage.

  He doubted his loyal follower would be so inclined, because sealing the door also opened a secret area in the outer chamber containing enough riches for Schelsteder and generations to come. Binpanek had begun construction of his chamber thousands of years before. Generation after generation of native followers helped him gather the items he needed for the afterlife. They did not care, nor did they ask of his roots. They were paid handsomely for their loyalty.

  As he rounded the corner, he almost tripped over his precious artifacts and statues that scattered the corridor. He stepped over the items to the door of his tomb, aware of what the couple had been trying to achieve. In one movement he flew to the other side of the room. He searched the table where the Pyramidion Statuette had been waiting for its purpose… gone.

  ***

  Wade grabbed Lilly’s hand as soon as they were beyond the door. They ran up an incline and out into the dark night. He looked in every directions before glancing back at Lilly, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, What now? “Come on,” he said, pulling her along. “I hope that pick-up is still here, or we have a very long walk ahead of us.”

  “Hey, maybe the limousine is still here.”

  “Limousine?” Wade stopped, let go of her hand, and faced her. “Don’t tell me you came here in a limo?”

  “Well, it wasn’t as great as you’re making it sound. I was thrown in there after I woke up alone in a fast moving cab.”

  “Oh… but still, that jerk made me take a bus, and then put a bag over my head and threw me in the back of a beat-up truck. And,” he touched his head, “I lost my hat!”

  She shrugged and gave a sideways smile.

  “I really do hate that guy,” Wade said through his teeth.

  “I’m sorry, but shouldn’t we be getting out of here.”

  “Yeah… where’d the valet park the limo?”

  Lilly looked around. “That way.” She pointed to the right, and Wade turned and walked on, but a second later Lilly screamed. Wade and the flame whooshed around to see a man with his hands latched around Lilly in a bear-hug. Wade took two giant steps and punched him in the nose. The man fell back, but before they had a chance to run, another man jumped on Wade’s back. Wade whirled around and hoisted the flame over his shoulder into the guy’s face. The man immediately retreated, screaming into the night.

  Wade and Lilly ran through the thick sand, only able to see a short distance in front of them in the dark night with the light from the torch. After a minute, they climbed up a thick sand mound and immediately noticed a spot of white a few yards away.

  “We don’t have a key,” Lilly said.

  “That hasn’t stopped us, yet. You forget that cars are my specialty.” Wade sped up when they neared the vehicle. “Are you kidding me? Lilly, this is not a limousine. This is a freaking Hummer limousine. You didn’t say Hummer.” He walked around it quickly, admiring it. “Holy crap, you rode in this? Does it have a full bar? I bet it took the sand like it was concrete.”

  “Wade!”

  “Right.” He tried the door but, of course, it was locked.

  “Even if we get out of here, he’s going to come looking for us… for it.” Lilly patted her purse, which held the statuette. “He’s not going to stop.”

  “We have to destroy it or hide it so it takes him another 5k to find it. Sacrificing us, or anybody else for that matter, won’t do him any good without it.” He was trying all the doors. “But I guess that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want to kill us for that.” When he got to one of the back windows, he noticed it was cracked, just a hair. A hair was all he needed. He reached inside his pocket to see what he could use when he heard a gasp from behind him. He turned around.

  “Don’t move,” he heard Schelsteder say. He had one arm around Lilly’s neck and the other one held his gun.

  In no time, there was movement and specks of light in the darkness. They were surrounded by at least a dozen men.

  Wade’s heart sank and then pounded as Ben eased up behind Lilly and Schelsteder.

/>   “I do respect you for trying to protect the woman you love,” Ben said. “Oh, how this proves this is destiny. I will receive the heart of a true warrior, of a man who has as much passion as I do. And Lillian, I already knew the answer to my question before I asked you—the question about why you love Wade. Wade’s integrity outshines his mouth. After centuries, everything has come together. Tonight Hydra and Mesentia await my arrival.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Wade said. “You know, if you kill us and then yourself, I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere near that star up there. I’m pretty sure you’re going to burn in hell.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

  Burn in hell…

  “I’m the last of my kind,” Ben said. “The last of the era of deities and kings.” He took a step toward Wade. “Of greatness a human can never understand…”

  “Lilly, what did you read on walls?” Wade held the flame out in front of him.

  “I… I don’t know. It had what he said: blood, hate, and love and how the elements…”

  “No-no-no. The other part.”

  Ben took a step forward and Wade took one back.

  “You are only prolonging this,” Ben said calmly.

  Lilly said, “There was something about souls and gold and fire…”

  “Ah,” he said, grinning at Ben. “That’s right…”

  The spark of confusion in Ben’s eyes quickly turned to anger as Wade remembered part of the chant. “…over a soul of gold, or fire…” he shook the torch hoping Lilly would catch the hint. “…so hot the netherworld’s shining rays...” Wade gave a tiny nod to Lilly.

  “I’m not asleep this time,” Lilly said and quickly reached inside her bag and brought out the statuette. She threw it into the air to Wade. Ben and Schelsteder didn’t realize what was going on until Wade had already caught it, and then it was too late. Wade stuck the statuette into the fire of his torch. He cried out in pain because his hand also entered flame. Ben leaped across the sand knocking Wade backwards. The torch landed in the sand, and immediately burned out, but the statuette flew up in the air. As if in slow motion, Ben reached out and caught it before it hit the ground.

  Ben smiled triumphantly, his fangs still in full defense mode, as he regained his feet and held the statuette up for all to see. Wade sat on his knees holding his scorched hand, but mostly he felt nauseating defeat.

  Ben’s arm was outstretched and his open palm held the Pyramidion Statuette. The men, who surrounded them, cheered and raised their lights in the air. Ben announced, “Prepare the chamber for my homecoming!”

  Wade and Lilly looked at one another. Remembering the day they had met, he felt a familiar ache. Lilly had walked to her car that day without him saying a word to stop her. There had been this moment when their eyes had locked and he had felt such an overwhelming heavy dread, an instant remorse, because he knew he had let someone special walk out of his life… someone he would never see again. He had let her go then… and this time, he had let her down. Now, as he stared into her fearful eyes, nothing else mattered but holding her close, making her feel safe, if only for a moment. No matter what the consequences he was going to be with her. He stood up, but then he noticed the cheers had turned into murmurs. He eased his attention over to Ben.

  A tiny flame rose from the top of the statuette. Ben’s face hardened as he brought the statuette to his mouth and began to blow. The fire ignited, catching his entire hand on fire. Ben shook it vigorously, but the statuette seemed to be fused into the skin. Voices rose in the crowd as everyone watched in shock because Ben’s hand, within seconds, had burned to the bone and the flames moved up his arm, eating the flesh and meat as it passed. Ben lifted his face to the night sky and screamed to the Heavens, “Noooo!”

  Like coming out of a trance, his men came to his aid, swatting and hitting at the fire. However, they couldn’t keep the flames from consuming Ben’s chest. His cries were desperate and fierce as they echoed through the desert. Wade knew how the fire had felt on his hand, and that had only been for a few seconds, and shivered from the thought of Ben’s pain.

  Wade made his way towards Lilly, wondering where Schelsteder had gone. He wrapped his arm around her and they moved further back but couldn’t take their eyes away from Ben. Explosive bolts radiated from his body, catching a few of the men close to him on fire: some rolled in the sand and some ran into the desert screaming.

  Soon, Wade and Lilly found themselves alone with Ben, who now had fire only at his feet; the rest of his body had been burned to the bone. One second later… his skeleton collapsed. The night was suddenly silent and dark. They inched their way closer, the light from the moon and stars seemingly spotlighting what remained of Binpanek.

  “Do you think he’s really dead?” Lilly whispered.

  Wade remembered what Ben had said about being immortal. That nothing could kill him. Nothing except what had kept him alive. “I don’t think he can revive from that one.” He also noticed that there was no flesh smell, only of cinders and smoke. What was he?

  “How’d you know it would kill him?”

  “I didn’t… I just thought it would destroy the pyramid.”

  “Well, it didn’t.” Lilly pointed to the ashes. “There it is!”

  Wade kicked it a little bit, making sure it was no longer on fire, and then took off his shirt and picked it up. “What should we do with it?”

  “I think we should put it in the tomb with Binpanek.” Schelsteder was behind them.

  They jumped and then turned around.

  “Stay back, you son-of-a-bitch!” Wade moved in front of Lilly.

  “I have no reason to harm you. I only want what is best for my king.”

  “Your king?” Wade said. “You have got to be kidding me. How could you follow that lunatic? He wasn’t even human.”

  “He was good to us all.” Schelsteder gestured with his hand. Wade now heard the voices and movement of the men, women and children who came out of nowhere. Some held flashlights and some held torches. “We owe him a great deal. Please allow us to at least give his body a king’s burial, which includes the Pyramidion Statuette that he had searched his entire existence for. I believe it still contains part of him; the three elements he needed for change, transformation and then passage: his ka, ba, and akh.” Schelsteder bowed his head for a moment and looked to them again. “You have my word his tomb will never be disturbed. Binpanek has assured that it will stay sealed for all eternity.”

  “Why should we care what kind of burial that monster has?” Wade asked. “He tried to kill us, and not to mention, he did murder Lilly’s parents.”

  “I have known him since I was boy. He grieved every second, until your parents found Mesentia. He was grateful to them. He did not kill them, but he did blame himself. I did it. I killed them. It was a tragic misunderstanding in command.”

  “They’re dead,” Lilly said, stepping out from behind Wade. “And there was no misunderstanding today. He was going to kill us!”

  “Binpanek had lived far longer than any person should have to live. To him, life had no value. It was only a means to the end of his pain. Although, it is a shame that it had to end this way, I am still thankful that it is over and that he can finally rest. I will guard the tomb until my death, passing the secret of his burial to mine only. He is no longer a threat to you. Nevertheless, I will respect your wishes.”

  Chapter 18

  From the balcony of the hotel, Lilly snuggled in her bathrobe and drank her coffee as she watched three colorful hot air balloons. Tourist were admiring the work of the Egyptians from afar, unaware of Binpanek’s tomb that probably held a thousand secrets and answers to the ancient world. She knew her parents were probably rolling over in their graves at the thought of it being sealed up without discovery. Yet they had started this adventure and would’ve most likely ended it in the same way. Lilly didn’t really know how the Pyramidion Statuette worked, but she did know it was dangerous and the best place for
it was buried.

  She found herself wondering if Ben had found Mesentia. In a way, she hoped he had. Sure, Ben’s quest had been insane, but he had believed it. Lilly had to respect his determination to be with his lover. And she also respected his loyalty to the small group of Egyptians he had supported for generations. That was the reason they had handed over the statuette to Schelsteder… and because Wade had pointed out that there were a lot more of them. But they hadn’t stuck around for the ritual; they had driven out of there as fast as they could.

  There was a first-aid kit in the back of limo, but they didn’t dress Wade’s burn until they were in the city. Luckily, his hand was out of the fire before any major damage had been done, but he would be in pain for awhile.

  They had stopped at the first hotel they had found, and Wade paid for two rooms. The rooms were right next to one another, and Wade had given her a kiss on the cheek before unlocking his door and going inside. After she had done the same, she saw the bed, fell into it, and didn’t think or dream. She had soundly slept until an hour earlier.

  She had showered and was still waiting to get her clothes back from the laundry. They had been covered in sand and mud—but the maid hadn’t paid much attention to it. Lilly guessed she was used to dirty clothes from people exploring in the desert. Lilly was bruised and scraped and her shoulder hurt a little, but all of that would heal pretty quickly. What she was worried about the most was her relationship with Wade.

  As she went back inside, she wondered if he was up. She hoped that the separate rooms were no indication of the way he felt. After a good night’s sleep, would he scrutinize everything again and realize she wasn’t worth all the hassle? Perhaps he would think that now, since she was safe, she no longer needed him. But she did.

  She sat at the round table in the room and daydreamed of her future. In her thoughts, she sat in a pink room, not unlike her childhood bedroom. She pulled the blankets up to the chin of a little girl with pigtails, her little girl. Her daughter said, “Mommy, tell me the story of Princess Lilly. Tell me how her handsome prince saved her from the evil snakeman.” After the story, Lilly would tell her, “One day your handsome prince will rescue you. He will sweep you off your feet and… ”