Cursed Times - Only Yesterday! Sequel to Wattys 2015 winner!

Chapter 50: Trueth- Mamma Mia Part 1

The Maadi mansion was ablaze with lights and almost as noisy as the central railway station. Even the palm trees were waking from their slumber, rustling their immaculate fronds and stirring the shadows in the garden. More noise came from the direction of the living room, and the notes of the planet symphony blasted through the brand new bug screen that once more protected the living room from unwelcome airborne invaders.

Only one of the inhabitants was outside: Practicing Kung Fu among the greenery, Pharaoh's war cries sounded in succession from behind pruned roses, the garden shed and the garage. The fountain added its lusty gargle to the overall pandemonium, but it was losing against the sound of animated debate coming from the house. The music had cut off rather abruptly. Khy listened, somersaulted over the covered wickerwork furniture, then raced across the lawn , slamming the mosquito door behind him with a bang. 

The family was in the living room, debating dinner. 

'I did not realise you would all come back at once,' Nefertiti wailed, 'otherwise I would have had a lovely dinner waiting for you.'

'Mother, calm down.' Metjen was pressing his palms against his eyelids. 'It's no problem, really. We can just call in a curry or something. Others do it as well and survive.'

Trueth could not stop grinning. Being reunited with all of the members and associates of her adopted family made her feel happier than she had ever thought possible. She had learned so much, found so many friends. Her recent adventures had left her drained and befuddled, but despite her confusion something deep inside her wanted to frame this moment, place it on a shrine and start worshipping. 

Before she could contemplate helping some of them, she would need to stock up on calories. After all that climbing and sky-diving she was hungry enough to devour a charbroiled camel. Listening to the talk about dinners caused visions of burgers, chips and other deliciously unhealthy dishes to float before her inner eye. Her recent culinary experiences had been on the dull side, and she fancied a change. Next, she felt guilty. Her fellow witches were still stuck in Mistworld while she was thinking of fast food.

Pharaoh clapped his hands before she could remind Metjen of their plight.

'We want a pizza!'

'I understand you would like a pizza, dear, ' Nefertiti corrected him automatically.

'Then it pleases us to require a demon-world flatbread,' Khy said, displaying the pearly-toothed grin of a baby crocodile. He clearly was one of the world's survivors, responding to his environment like an oversized chameleon.

'Sounds like an unusually sound idea. Let's go for it,' Ranofer said. 'Shall we call in or go out?'

'We need to discuss a few things. As in, what to do next,' Metjen said. 'This might not go down so well in public.'

'I would like to have a bit of fun before we all trundle back to Kemet.' Rani-Ra was playing with the fake-fur cuffs of the fluffy mauve jumper she had bought in London. Given that it hugged her curves in a spectacular fashion, Pharaoh must have developed an immunity to Rani-Ra's attractions. Or maybe spurring him on had become a new pastime. 'Let's go out,' she said.

'Yeah. Let's. Just put a spell on things, bro,  so that nobody can hear us,' Ranofer turned around and winked at his older brother. 'Can't be that difficult.'

'I'm not your magical soundproofing agent,' Metjen snapped. 'I'm supposed to be a high priest.'

'You are, dear,' his mother said in exasperated tones. 'You got both Seisi and Trueth back to us. Let's not stress over this. I'm sure I can knock together a few omelettes.'