Escape from Ancient Egypt (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #2)

Chapter 4

The next morning Neiko awoke feeling like she had been drugged. She pulled herself into sitting position and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It took her a few moments to recall where she was or what happened. A coffee would be nice. Oh wait, coffee hasn't been discovered in ancient Egypt, she thought. She noticed that she was alone in the cell. She instantly wondered where her friends had gone. She picked herself off the pallet and paced around the small room. The sun shone brightly through the small barred window, and it was getting hot in the cell. It was anyone's guess what time it was.

"Ohhh, man, I feel like I have jet-lag or something," Neiko groaned as she rubbed her eyes some more. "If I went through time, is it called time lag? Does this Kenes guy have something to eat around here? I'm starved—"

Neiko's thoughts scattered when four guards came into the cell. One of them was carrying a plate of food—a silver plate at that. The guard tried to hand it to her.

Neiko cocked her head and turned up her eyes at the guard in distrust. I've heard of stuff being handed to me on a silver platter, but this is ridiculous, thought Neiko. There wasn't any way that could be for her, could it?

The guard kept saying a word to her and trying to give her the plate of food. Then he signed "eat" by placing his fingers at his mouth and repeating the word.

Neiko took the plate and backed away and began devouring the food. Surprisingly it wasn't stale or gross. The food was very tasty. Is this what slaves get? Neiko wondered. She pictured something disgusting like stale bread and gruel for slaves. After she was finished eating, the guards took her from the cell.

When Neiko was brought into the house, servants and slaves were bustling about, but there were no signs of her friends. Then she remembered that they worked in the fields and gardens. As the guards took her farther inside the house, she saw Kenes and two other wealthy men sitting down eating a fine breakfast. From a closer look Kenes and his two acquaintances seemed to be in their late twenties or early thirties, close to her and her friends' age. The guard who delivered her food went to Kenes and said something to him as he placed the matching silver plate on the table next to him. Neiko observed they were eating the same food she had just eaten minutes ago. Coincidence? Nah, Neiko thought shrugging off the notion she had been fed off of Kenes' table.

Kenes nodded and waved his hand. Then he and his friends seemed to stare at Neiko. Neiko felt a bit miffed and awkward by the attention she was getting.

Only Neiko had no inkling what was happening. She guessed the two men must be his friends. It seemed awfully strange to her that there was no woman there at the table with them. Neiko shrugged at that thought, too.

Suddenly a woman did appear with a broom in hand. She thrust it at Neiko and made sweeping motions. Could she be Kenes' wife? She was not a pretty woman, and she seemed like "the scary babysitter named Helga" type. That didn't seem like Kenes' type, but then what was his type anyway? Neiko could only guess as her mind reeled in trying to make sense of this morning's events.

Neiko frowned and snatched the broom from the woman's hands. "I know what that is and what it's supposed to do," Neiko muttered under her breath. "I can make this fun! Let's see," she thought aloud as she spun the broom like someone on the flag corp as she swept. Then she went as far as pretending the broom was a guitar, and she was putting on a rock concert as she sung the tune to "Smoke on the Water" or other tunes that came to mind.

The other servants watched her as they worked. They couldn't help but to gander at this madness.

"What is this girl so happy about?" asked one young servant girl to a man who was polishing the floor.