Cursed Times - What Now?

Chapter 12 - Memories

Ranofer crackled back in again with a large bag full of provisions. Metjen started to arrange them close to the remains of similar gifts left behind by the last mourners. He piled bread, fruit, a bowl he filled with water, there were even roses which had started to go limp after being transported around so much and—

'What's this?'

Ranofer had a sheepish expression on his face. 'Eh, muesli bars? I like them and I thought she might want to have a taste too?'

Metjen shook his head as he placed muesli bars, chocolate biscuits and even chewing gum on the floor before picking the latter back up again – enough was enough

After bowing and saying a last prayer where he asked the deceased for her consent to their intrusion, Metjen completely wiped out his remaining powers for a rudimentary mind-sweep of the tomb, and they all left.

On their drive back to their hotel nobody spoke a word. Above them, the light of suns that might have died eons ago glittered from a night sky which reflected the cold of the desert.

***

Trueth did not feel like having conversation so early in the morning, however her intrepid companions gave that idiotic expression 'bright-eyed and bushy tailed' a new meaning.

'You know what pisses me off?' Rani-Ra said as she was contemplating whether to have fruit salad for breakfast or the sesame rings with yogurt. In the end she went for both and had to swallow hard to be able to continue talking. 'Whatever we might have discovered in Amasis' tomb – it just doesn't get us anywhere. Metjen, spare me your raised finger – I fully appreciate we are no better off than all these ancestors of ours, but we had to go to extremes for whatever it is we might have got there.'

Rani-Ra made a sweeping gesture that nearly knocked over the coffee-pot and resolutely bit into a sesame ring. Trueth regarded her with admiration. Rani-Ra was her kind of girl and the boys were not that bad either – assuming Metjen would deign to address his issues with attitude.

'Well, it appears you might indeed have found your ancestress out there in the desert, and that alone is pretty amazing," Trueth said. "She has left you a letter, which the professor will, hopefully, be able to salvage. You also have the other bit of your wig back. 

'And this holy object Metjen refuses to talk about is whispering that we need to save something, maybe it is referring to those pylons of hope the good Lord Imhotep is writing about. All we have to do is work out what they are and if we are maybe missing yet another part of this conundrum.' Speaking made her thirsty, so Trueth took a swig of the pomegranate juice.

Metjen waved for the waiter before turning to her. ''If you did as you were told and stayed with the servants for a little while, you would find out a little bit more about holy objects. Plus, you might actually learn not only who you are but also how to behave with demureness— and that wouldn't be a bad idea at all.'

Trueth licked her lips. 'Don't forget, Your Weirdness, your mother was right, I do see things. You wouldn't have got anywhere without me yesterday and if you don't like the things I say and the way I say them you might as well see how far you get when I'm gone.'

'You're not going anywhere,' Metjen said.

'Oh, it's like that, is it?' Trueth asked.

They fumed at each other over the marmalade. 

'Lady and gentleman,' Rani-Ra made a soothing movement with the palms of her hands. 'This doesn't help. I suggest we take this scroll to father as soon as possible. I'm sure he'll drool at getting his scientific paws on both the document and the other part of the wig, so we might get away with venting but no nuclear explosion.'