The Ankh of Isis: The Library of Athena, Book 2

by Christine Norris

  “Eternal life awaits you in the palace of the queen”

  Rachel sighed and rested her forehead against the edge of the sarcophagus. “I suppose this means we need to make another trip?”

  Megan looked confused. “But isn’t this the palace of a queen? Her afterlife palace, but still—”

  “Or it could mean the palace at Thebes,” Claire said. “I know the pharaoh’s a king, but he’s got a wife or two—”

  “—there must be a thousand tombs of queens in this valley,” Megan continued, not really listening to Claire.

  “Or what about what you said before, Megan? That Abu Simbel place?” Rachel said. “Where Nefertari’s husband built that shrine thing?”

  A smile broke across Diedrich’s face. “Rachel, you’re brilliant. Osiris must have meant his queen. The Queen of the Egyptian Gods—Isis herself.”

  “It is her ankh, after all,” Claire said with a nod.

  “Thanks for that update, oh Queen of the Obvious,” Rachel retorted.

  “And just where is the palace of Isis?” Megan asked. She spun around and slid off the coffin to the floor. “And can you tell me after we get out of here? I’ve had enough of this place.”

  With one last look at the body of Josef Hemmlich, the four of them left the burial chamber and walked out the tomb’s front door. Megan saw the look of utter misery on Diedrich’s face as they pushed the stone door closed.

  “He would have killed us all, even me,” he said in a choked voice. “And for what—this thing, this ankh?”

  “Eternal life is a powerful temptation,” Megan said. She put her hand on Diedrich’s shoulder. “He was blinded by it.”

  “He didn’t deserve what he got,” Diedrich said. “To die like that. He should have been able to come home and be turned over to the authorities.” His expression turned cold. “But he was judged fairly, and he has paid for his actions.”

  Their horses were where they had left them, plus a fourth—Mr. Hemmlich’s. The sun was well past midpoint in the sky; there wasn’t much day left.

  “So, where to?” Megan swung her leg over her horse’s back and settled into the saddle.

  “Philae,” Diedrich said. “And we’ll need to take another boat ride to get there. It’s in the middle of the Nile.”

  Sweat from Megan’s horse flew into her eyes and mixed with her own. She wiped it with edge of her dress and gave the white horse a kick, urging her to go faster. They left the Valley of the Queens at a full gallop and headed south again. Diedrich told the horses that speed was what was needed, and they obliged. People on the road between Thebes and Edfu scattered as the four steeds raced along, leaving a cloud of throat-clogging dust in their wake. Even at that speed, it would take half a day to reach Aswan, the city where Philae was located. They stopped on the outskirts of Edfu just long enough to give the horses a short rest and some water, and they were off again.

  The sun hovered above the western mountains when Megan and her friends charged onto the ferry dock. The horses’ hooves stamped a rapid beat on the wooden planks that led over the water to the wide, flat, floating platform that moved between Philae and the western shore of the Nile. People stared at them, but all pretense of following local customs had been dropped—none of them wanted anything more than to get home.

  “We need to go to the temple,” Megan said. “Now.”

  The ferryman scoffed. “The last ferry to the temple was an hour ago. You cannot get there until morning.”

  Diedrich reached down and grabbed the man by the front of his dingy tunic. He swore in the ferryman’s face. “Didn’t you hear the lady? You will take us to the temple, and you will do it now.”

  The man’s face dropped. He bowed his head, but not before Megan saw his lower lip trembling. She had never seen Diedrich act like that, but she understood. He was channeling his grief for his father into getting them home. Still, the forcefulness Diedrich used on their behalf made Megan’s insides squirm pleasantly.

  “Right away,” the ferryman muttered. In an instant, the ropes that tied the boat to the shore were coiled in a corner and the island temple of Philae was getting closer.

  It was a quick trip. The temple and island were enormous—it took a good-sized chunk out of the middle of the Nile. Two confused-looking men stood on the island dock. When the ferry pulled up, they grabbed the barge and tied it up.

  “Thank you,” Megan said stiffly. The ferryman had been rude to her, but that didn’t mean she had to return the favor.

  She clucked to her mount, and led her friends onto the dirt path that led around the island to the front of the temple. Above them loomed a great stone wall that ran the perimeter of the temple. There was a gate at the tip of the oblong island, and inside a set of wide steps that led to an enormous courtyard, paved with red, flat stones. A series of columns ran down each side. At the far end, much like the temple of Horus, was a pair of pylons with a door between them.

  “This temple is set up a lot like that one,” Diedrich said when Megan mentioned it. “I think they were built around the same time.”

  They dismounted and left the horses to roam freely in the courtyard. Megan gave the white mare a grateful pat on the neck. “This is probably the last time I’ll see you, girl. Thanks.”

  “She says ‘You’re very welcome’,” Diedrich said, translating the series of whinnies and neighs that the horse gave Megan.

  The four companions walked through the door, past the hypostyle halls and into the sanctuary. The time for sightseeing was long past.

  The room was long and rectangular. The door they used to enter, in the center of one long side, was the only way in or out. At each end was a sunken stone pit. A fire blazed in one, and in the other was a bubbling fountain.

  Directly across from the door was an altar. “Isis,” Diedrich said, his voice a little above a whisper.

  The goddess was a woman with long, straight hair, seated on a throne. A pair of horns sat upon her head, the sun disc of Ra between them. On her lap was a smaller version of the falcon they had seen at the temple of Ho rus.

  Megan approached it. The ankh wasn’t on the statue itself, so she pushed on it with the hope of opening another hidden passage or secret compartment. No such luck.

  “Just give it to us!” Megan shouted to the air. “We played your stupid game!” Frustrated and tired, she pulled a foot back and kicked the statue, and immediately regretted it as pain shot up her leg. She swore loudly, her injured foot in one hand as she hopped up and down on the other.

  “That was dumb,” Rachel said.

  Megan gave her a rude hand gesture.

  Rachel put a hand on her chest in an expression of faux shock. “And that was unnecessary. Just because you did something stupid, don’t take it out on me.”

  “It’s not here,” Megan said to the near-empty room. Her head sank onto her chest and her shoulders drooped. She wanted to go home. It was all she could do now not to cry.

  “Did you think he was just going to leave it out with a big sign that says ‘Take me’?” Rachel asked, her smile sympathetic. “Come on, Meg, you know that’s not Sir Gregory’s style. We’ve got to work for it.”

  Megan spun around and looked at Rachel, her hopelessness and frustration turning to anger. “I died. I actually freaking died! Or did you forget already? I managed to come back from the dead. I’ve worked plenty. I’ve earned it.”

  She clamped her mouth shut and tried not to cry. Why did I do that? Am I trying to trash my relationship with my best friend? This book…what is it doing to us?

  “Okay, okay, I see your point.” Rachel held her hands up in surrender. “But it’s not up to me.” She put her arm around Megan’s shoulders. “Sweetie, we know it’s here, and we’ll find it. Come on, Meg. Don’t give up on me now.”

  “Found it,” Claire said.

  She stood in front of the fire pit. She pointed to the heart of the fire. “It’s in there.”

  In the center of the pit, engulfed in flames, wa
s the ankh. It hovered inside the fire, as if it were suspended in mid-air, or held in place by the fire itself.

  “Just how in blazes are we supposed to get it out of there?” Rachel reached toward the flames, but quickly pulled her hand back and sucked on the tips of her fingers.

  “No way to reach it without getting burned,” she mumbled.

  As if to add to their troubles, the fire shot skyward in a column of flame. It was now over eight feet high and covered the ankh completely.

  “Great,” Diedrich said. “Just great.”

  From within the pillar of fire rose a magnificent bird. Its feathers were red and orange, with a gold beak, and gold on the end of the tail and tips of its wings. The bird broke free of the fire and glided above them. It circled the room and came back to the fire pit. It landed on the stone rim of the pit.

  “It’s so beautiful,” Rachel said.

  “It’s a Benu,” Claire replied in her matter-of-fact tone. “A phoenix.”

  After her experience in the Hall of Judgment, Megan knew better. “It’s Osiris.”

  The bird seemed to understand Megan. It nodded its exquisite red and gold head. Then it turned its sad, round black eyes on her, opened its gold beak and began to sing.

  Never in her life had Megan heard anything so sad and beautiful. Crystal notes warbled into the still air—it was as if the whole world stopped to listen to the Benu’s song.

  Megan’s eyes welled with tears. All the strain of the last few hours melted away.

  Everything would be all right.

  When the bird finished he sat on his perch, looking at the four young people with a curious cock of its head.

  Diedrich took a slow step forward and bowed deeply. “Thank you.”

  The bird nodded again, then launched itself from the stone rim and soared upward. It dove into the flames. The fire returned to its previous size—the bird was gone.

  Rachel looked at Diedrich. “What was that all about? Did you understand it?” She slapped herself in the forehead. “Of course you did.”

  “I’m jealous,” Claire said. “I’ve never heard anything so wonderful.”

  “What did it say?” Megan said. “And why did it leave?”

  “It said, after it apologized to Megan, that in order to retrieve the ankh, you must put out the fire.” He shrugged. “I guess it left because its message was delivered.”

  “Well, now, why didn’t we think of that?” Rachel rolled her eyes in exasperation.

  “If that’s all there is to it, let’s just do it,” Megan marched across the room to the fountain. “Um, one problem. There’s nothing here to carry the water with.”

  Rachel searched the area around the fire pit. “Nothing here either. We could scoop it up with our hands and carry it, but I don’t think we’d get enough to put the fire out, even if all four of us did it.”

  “Besides,” Claire added, “it’s so far from one end to the other we’d probably have empty hands by the time we got to the fire.”

  Megan sat on the edge of the fountain and rested her head in one hand. “We’re missing something.”

  Diedrich sat next to her. “Why do you say that? There was probably a bucket here. Someone could have just taken it and moved it.”

  She shook her head. “If we needed a bucket, it would be here. It’s a puzzle.” She closed her eyes, thoughts swimming in her head.

  What’s the answer? Megan turned around and splashed some of water on her face. It was cool and refreshing as it ran down her face and neck in rivulets. She scooped another handful and poured it in into her mouth.

  Behind her there was a sizzling sound. Megan whipped her head around. Rachel and Claire stared at the fire, then at Megan, wearing identical looks of shock.

  “What happened?” Megan asked.

  Rachel pointed at the fire. “It was rather strange. The fire—uh, got smaller, for just a second. There was that sizzling sound, like someone dumped water on it. Then it came back, big as ever.”

  Megan’s face broke into a grin. Sir Gregory, you were a weird, clever guy. “I have an idea.” She scooped up another handful of water and drank it. She heard the sizzling again, and Rachel’s exclamation.

  “There it goes again! Whatever you’re doing, Megan, it’s brilliant.”

  Megan grinned. “Diedrich, help me—start drinking and don’t stop.”

  She quickly abandoned scooping up the water and stuck her whole face in the fountain. Diedrich followed suit. They both sucked up water as fast as they could until they needed to come up for air.

  “I can’t drink another drop.” Diedrich let out a long, loud burp.

  Megan wiped the water from her face and chin. “Was it enough?” she turned around. There was nothing left of the fire but a pile of wet, smoldering ash. A stone pedestal, which they hadn’t seen because of the fire, sat in the center of the pit. And on top was the Ankh of Isis.

  “Good job.” Claire reached across the pit to lift the ankh from its perch.

  “Don’t!” Megan said. “Remember last time? We held hands to make sure we all got out.”

  Claire pulled her hand back quickly. “Oops, sorry, I forgot. I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

  “Too right you don’t,” Rachel said. “Come on, you two, I don’t really want to be here another second.”

  As soon as Megan and Diedrich reached the other side of the room, they formed a human chain, with Megan at one end and Rachel on the other.

  “Everyone ready?” Megan asked. “Remember, hold on as tight as you can. Don’t let go, no matter what.”

  Diedrich gave her hand a squeeze. “Ready.”

  “Ready,” Claire said.

  “I’ve been ready for three days already,” Rachel chimed in.

  Megan took a deep breath, then reached up and grabbed the ankh. A glow surrounded the artifact and Megan’s hand. The wind whipped around them. Both light and wind grew until they blinded and deafened the children. She was lifted by the shoulders, but Diedrich’s hand was still in hers, holding tightly.

  She plunged headlong into the middle of the light, where she concentrated only on keeping a hold of Diedrich. All sense of time and space was lost—there was only light and sound.

  Behind closed eyelids, Megan saw the light decrease. Like a slow-motion film suddenly going full speed again, she felt herself hurtle through space. She landed on the floor of the Library.

  She caught her breath and quickly pulled herself out of the way. The last time they came out of a book, Rachel landed on her. Diedrich fell in the spot she had occupied just a second earlier, and Claire and Rachel followed immediately after.

  On the reading table, the red gold cloth cover of the book titled Ankh of Isis closed with a snap.

  Chapter Nineteen: Aftermath

  “Are we back?” Diedrich lay supine on the floor, staring at the Library’s ceiling. The starry night had been replaced with a sky full of pink and gold clouds. He, like all of them, was back in his nightclothes.

  Megan, who was on her belly, lifted her head. “Yep.” She pushed herself onto her hands and knees. The ankh had dropped from her hand when she hit the floor and slid away from her. She found it beneath a nearby bookshelf.

  Rachel and Claire stood and helped Diedrich up.

  “Everyone all right?” Rachel asked. Megan, Claire and Diedrich nodded.

  Claire bent down and picked up the Book of the Dead.

  “Come on, Rachel, let’s go and put this away.”

  “But Claire—”

  “Come on, Rachel.” Claire tugged at Rachel’s pajamas, giving her a pointed look. The girls disappeared around the corner.

  Diedrich scanned the floor. “Why didn’t my father’s…”

  Megan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Because he wasn’t with us,” she said gently. “If any of us hadn’t been holding on to the ankh, we would have been left behind too. We would have been stuck, because once the artifact is removed, the book is…just a book.”

  Diedr
ich nodded. Now that they were home and safe, Megan watched as the reality of what had happened came down on him. His chin and bottom lip quivered. “We should have brought his body, at least. I could have, I don’t know, carried him or something.”

  “I’m sorry,” Megan said. “I didn’t even think about…” There was nothing she could say. She knew the pain he was going through, and that he would have to face it in his own way. She put her arms around him and he pressed his head into her shoulder.

  Diedrich sobbed for several minutes, and Megan let some tears fall as well. Not for Josef Hemmlich, no. She was sorry he had died. He was Diedrich’s father, after all. And now the world would never know what kind of person he really was. She was not sorry she and her friends were all safe from him. She cried for Diedrich.

  Is this what it means to be the Librarian? That the people you care about are constantly in danger or in pain? That you fight with them? She wondered if it was really worth it, and if these…things, these artifacts, were really worth protecting so fiercely, or if the cost was just too high.

  Someone behind them cleared their throat. It didn’t sound female. Megan turned her head and saw Bailey in the center of the aisle, hands behind his back. His face held a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

  “Bailey.” Megan untwined herself from Diedrich and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her pajama top. “What are you doing down here?”

  “It is almost dawn, miss. I am always up at this hour, to do my morning inspection. Imagine my utter surprise when I found the door on the landing standing wide open.”

  Diedrich turned toward the butler, his eyes red and swollen and his nose running. He sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve. “I’m sorry, I must have left it open. I was the last one through.”

  Bailey looked Diedrich and Megan over and saw they had been crying. “Miss, what has happened?”

  Before she could answer, Rachel and Claire came back. Megan gave them a quick glance. “We had some trouble, Bailey. Uh, well, Mr. Hemmlich was after the Ankh of Isis.” She held up the heavy ankh and showed it to him. “It was why he was really here in the first place.”