by Roger Hurn
Ashkala didn’t flinch. ‘ I do understand, but I am more than willing to sacrifice myself if I can rid the world of that vile creature.’
‘Do they pay you priestesses danger money for this kind of work, or is putting your life at risk to save the world all part of the job?’ Kaheb was staring at her in disbelief, but it was Theoman who answered on her behalf.
‘Ashkala will receive no danger money - and neither will you, Kaheb.’
Kaheb eyes narrowed. ‘What do you mean? I’m not asking for danger money because I’m not intending to do anything dangerous. It’s Ashkala who’s putting her neck on the line. I’m just here to wish her good luck and then I’m gone.’
The others stared at him but said nothing. Kaheb felt a pressing need to fill the silence.
‘Look, I’m not the Pharaoh so I don’t have a sacred duty to Egypt, and I’m not a priest so I don’t do mumbo jumbo. In fact, there’s no reason for me to still be here.’ He clicked his fingers. ‘And I’ve just remembered that there’s a boat leaving Egypt on the dawn tide and I’ve been offered a place on it. If I hurry, I’ll just about catch it.’ He smiled apologetically and made as if to leave.
‘If you run away our plan will surely fail,’ said Theoman.
Kaheb hesitated. ‘Yes, but …’
‘And if we don’t stop Sebek now there will be nowhere in this world where you can hide. He and his kind will sweep through our world like the deadliest of plagues. At least by staying and helping us you have a faint chance of surviving.’
Kaheb’s shoulders sagged. ‘On the other hand I do get seasick very easily,’ he said. ‘So what do I want to rush off on a boat for? All right, Theoman, I’ll stay.’
Ramenha inclined his head slightly. ‘I will remember this moment, Kaheb.’
Kaheb hoped with all his heart that Pharaoh meant he’d remember it in a good way. But why worry, he thought to himself. Our chances of beating Sebek are non existent.
Ramenha turned his attention to the elderly priest. ‘Now, Theoman, what do we have to do?’
‘We need to get into position now before our enemies return, but I’m afraid we can’t act until the sun is up. Kaheb, you must hide under this altar table while Ashkala conceals herself behind that screen over there.
Kaheb smiled. ‘Hiding’s good,’ he said. ‘I can do hiding.’
Theoman ignored him. ‘Ramenha, you go and wait outside the Temple and when you see the moon begin to eclipse the sun, you must make your entry. It is imperative that you distract Salen’s attention long enough to enable Kaheb to grab the Eye and throw it to Ashkala so that she can attempt to destroy Sebek.’ The years seemed to have fallen away from Theoman and his skinny body was quivering with barely suppressed excitement.
‘But what about you, Theoman?’ asked Ramenha. ‘What part will you play?
Theoman blew out his cheeks. ‘My task will be to ensure that Salen puts the Eye of the Pharaoh down on the altar table in the first place, and then to draw Sebek as far away from Ashkala’s hiding-place as possible.’ He answered as if he were talking about nothing more difficult than putting the Temple cat out for the night.
‘That sounds tricky.’
‘Very tricky, and quite possibly impossible,’ replied Theoman. ‘But what other choice do we have? Now, to your positions everyone and please, Ramenha, make sure your entry is perfectly timed for if you’re a few seconds too soon or too late, it will mean death for us all!’
Kaheb in an attempt to lighten the pressure called out, ‘Hey, boss, no pressure then.’
Ashkala sighed and shook her head but Ramenha smiled. Then all four went to their allotted places to await Salen’s arrival.
Chapter Twenty-Three
They didn’t have to wait too long. As soon as the red fingers of dawn scraped across the sky, Salen entered the Temple. He was alone, but if you looked at him out of the corner of your eye you would swear that a sinister and shadowy figure accompanied him. Theoman screwed up his courage and stepped into the inner sanctum.
Salen grinned when he saw him. ‘Why Theoman,’ he said, ‘you have no idea of just how pleased I am to see you.’
Theoman was trembling and he looked flustered. ‘Salen,’ he squeaked, ‘what is going on? The palace is full of wild rumours that Ahketnan has stolen the Eye of the Pharaoh and fled the country with it.’
Salen giggled. ‘As usual, the palace gossips have got it all wrong. I stole the Eye of the Pharaoh and, by now, I would think Ahketnan is dead. Killed by Sebek on my instructions.’ His voice held an unpleasant and gloating note of triumph.
Theoman recoiled from him in horror, his eyes wide with fear. ‘You’re mad, Salen. I don’t believe you.’
Salen regarded Theoman in the same way a lion regards a wounded antelope. A strange coldness seemed to flow from him chilling Theoman’s heart. ‘Don’t you?’ he mused. ‘Well, I can prove it.’
Theoman forced himself to look Salen straight in the eye. ‘Of course you can’t! You haven’t got the brains to do anything clever. That’s why you are only an acolyte while I am the High Priest.’
He flung his words into Salen’s face and the contempt they contained stung Salen as surely as acid. His lips twisted into a sneer.
‘Really?’ he snarled. ‘Well, if I’m too stupid to have stolen the Eye, just how do you explain this?’
Salen produced the jewel and slammed it down onto the altar table. Theoman gasped in astonishment.
‘Why, it isthe Eye of the Pharaoh!’ Suddenly, Theoman seemed to shrink and age before Salen’s eyes.
‘Oh yes, and just to prove I wasn’t boasting about my power, I’ll arrange a little demonstration of it with you in a starring role – as a victim!’ He gave a cracked laugh then said in a strangely sad voice, ‘I’ve got so good at conjuring Sebek, I don’t even need to use the jewel anymore.’
For a split second, Theoman saw the confused, lonely young man who had come to him a decade ago as a very junior acolyte, but then icicles formed in Salen’s eyes and his face contorted with pain as if a terrible power was crushing him from within. ‘Sebek!’ he called in a strangled voice. ‘I summon you from the darkness.’
A blast of frozen air ripped through the room and Sebek materialised.
‘You don’t summon me, priestling. I come and go as I please. But I smell fear and a fresh soul and that brought me here. Now where is my kill?’
Salen pointed at Theoman. Theoman began to back away as Sebek moved towards him.
‘No, please. Spare me.’
Sebek opened his mouth and clouds of freezing mist billowed out. Theoman looked desperately at the acolyte. ‘Salen, I beg you, in the name of Amon-Ra, help me!’
Salen moved away from the altar and came closer to Sebek and Theoman. ‘Take your time, Sebek. I like to hear the old fool beg.’
Theoman sank to his knees and began to gabble a prayer. Sebek stood over him and raised his claw-like hand above Theoman’s scrawny neck. He was about to deliver a tremendous blow and silence the old priest forever when Ramenha burst in shouting, ‘Now, Kaheb! The Moon is covering the sun so do it now!’
Kaheb popped up from beneath the altar table and grabbed the jewel. Salen spun round and saw Kaheb with the ruby in his hand. He gave a strangled scream and ran towards him, but Ramenha hurled himself at Salen and flattened him. They rolled around on the floor punching, biting and kicking each other. Salen’s attacks were vicious and frenzied but Ramenha was stronger and he held Salen down.
Sebek brought his hand crashing down where Theoman’s head had been only a split second before, but the diversion created by Ramenha’s arrival had given the old priest time to duck. As a result, Sebek missed him by a hair’s breadth. Before he could strike again, Ashkala stepped out from behind the screen.
‘Leave the old man, evil one,’ she yelled. ‘You have a powerful enemy to battle with now.’
Sebek made a sound like two glaciers colliding. He was laughing. ‘You can’t hurt me, priestess, you don’t have
the jewel.’
Ashkala looked frantically at Kaheb. ‘Throw it to me you idiot,’ she screamed.
At once, Kaheb made to throw the Eye to her.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ howled Salen. He head butted Ramenha and squirmed out his grasp. He launched himself at Kaheb and sank his teeth into Kaheb’s arm. Kaheb howled and dropped the jewel and it went tumbling towards the floor.
Sebek’s laughter echoed off the temple walls. But Kaheb kicked out at the ruby as it fell. He caught it with his foot and sent it sailing across the sanctum into Ashkala’s grateful hands.
Contemptuously, Sebek pushed Theoman aside and strode towards Ashkala.
‘Foolish girl,’ he spat. ‘I warned you that I would give you death next time we met. Are you so eager to die that you have sought me out?’ He bared his teeth and pointed at her. ‘I will rip out your heart and eat it before your eyes.’
Ashkala stood her ground. ‘I think not. I have the Eye now.’ Her voice was as hard as the jewel itself.
‘It will not save you.’ Sebek ground the words out as if his jaws were made of brick. ‘Your time has come to die.’
The priestess held the Eye of the Pharaoh out in front of her face and chanted,
‘Goddess of the Moon, please hear your daughter.
Cover the face of the sun and send me the power to slaughter.’
Immediately, the sanctum was plunged into darkness. Then a shaft of dazzling crimson lightning flashed from the jewel and struck Sebek full in the face. The brilliant light flowed over the creature trapping him like an insect in amber. Suddenly there was an explosion like the crack of doom and then everywhere was plunged into darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Slowly, the light filtered back into the sanctum. Ashkala was sprawled on the ground looking dazed, but there was no sign of Sebek anywhere. Salen broke free from Ramenha’s grasp and stumbled over to the spot where the creature had been standing. He fell to his knees on the scorched and blackened floor.
‘Master, Master, where are you?’ he babbled.
Theoman spoke in a voice that was both compassionate and weary. ‘Sebek is destroyed, Salen. His hold over you is broken and the power you sought is gone.’
Salen looked up. His expression was like that of a lost and bewildered child. But then he began to giggle and the sound was like icicles scratching on stone. Kaheb wanted to scream at him to stop but, before he could say anything, Salen clutched at his chest and pitched forward.
Kaheb rushed over and knelt down by Salen’s side. He touched Salen’s neck and felt for a pulse. He looked up at Theoman and shook his head. Theoman shrugged. ‘He’s beyond our help now,’ he said. ‘Ashkala is our main concern.’
Ashkala was already back up on her feet. She was rather shaky but was otherwise unhurt. ‘Don’t worry about me. I’m fine, but that’s more than I can say for the Eye of the Pharaoh. When its power departed, it crumbled into dust.’ She looked warily at the Pharaoh. ‘I’m sorry, Ramenha.’
Ramenha nodded and to her relief said, ‘But we are not dust so it is of no importance.’
Theoman frowned. ‘Well, I …’
Ramenha silenced him by raising his hand. ‘No, hear me out Theoman. The evil that threatened us all has been defeated thanks to Ashkala’s courage and our teamwork.’
Theoman nodded. ‘I agree,’ he said, ‘but we need the jewel because ...’
Ramenha put his hands on Theoman’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. ‘Not so. The jewel only reflects and amplifies the intentions of those who possess it. The Eye of the Pharaoh held too much power and temptation for humankind and, while it existed, we were all in danger of falling under its spell. It’s better that it’s gone. From now on, it will be up to all of us to work together to create a world that’s free from fear and evil.’
Kaheb listened along with the others. Hmm, he thought, the Pharaoh’s talks a good talk. I just hope the good citizens of Egypt swallow it when the time comes for the ceremony next year and they find out there’s no jewel. Memo to self. Commission a fake – just to be on the safe side.’
When Ramenha finished speaking, Ashkala was so overcome that she acted totally out of character and hugged Kaheb. He yelped and complained that she was hurting his injured shoulder. Ashkala glowered at him. ‘Forgive me for being excited by Pharaoh’s vision for a brave new world.’
Kaheb harrumphed. ‘Yes, well try and contain your excitement, Ashkala because I, for one, won’t live to see any brave new world if I don’t get some kind of treatment for my shoulder soon.’ Then he muttered half under his breath, ‘And stop trying to toady up to Ramenha, it’s not a pretty sight.’
Ashkala went eyeball to eyeball with Kaheb and the two left the sanctum snapping and snarling at each other.
Ramenha and Theoman exchanged glances and smiled ruefully. ‘I see Kaheb and Ashkala are bickering again,’ said Ramenha.
‘Indeed they are,’ agreed Theoman. ‘You know, I think it’s a sign from the gods that life is back to normal.’ He paused and then said seriously, ‘Now about the Eye of the Pharaoh...’
Epilogue
Later, when the servants came to take Salen’s body away, they were surprised to see that, even in death, he still clutched something tightly to his chest. Curiosity got the better of them and so they prised his hand open and discovered, to their amazement, that he was holding a tiny nugget of ice. But when one of them touched it, the nugget melted and the water ran away into the dust and was lost forever.