Last paragraph from preceding chapter for your convenience:
Trueth checked, with the exception of Metjen her friends seemed to mirror her confusion. He, however, was still frozen in mid-movement like a robot with circuit problems.
Your thinking is defective! The warriors of the light carried the seals with them when they sallied forth to defend the portal. They were meant to pass through, then close the access. They never did, so the plugs were left behind.
'Left behind where?' Trueth asked.
In the demon world.
The realisation hit Trueth like the kick of a particularly vicious mule. 'What did you say?'
Metjen shook himself and splattered juice down his chest. 'Ack, where was I?'
I have told them.
Trueth's ears were ringing with the rush of her blood. 'Do you mean-'
'-the seals are on the other side, yes.' Metjen said. 'So, we have to go back to our world and find them. There were seven once. One will do. By 'we' I mean all of us. Including you, Seisi, so don't hang your ears. We saved this world once, the circle thinks we can do it again.'
It might be easy. I knew the Guardians had the wig. I kept the headrest in the store rooms at the last temple of Ra.
'Oh, now you tell me.' Metjen was pressing his lips together in a way that indicated a rough ride lay ahead for Iseret.
Would you have me speak out to the circle? I can do that. Then you will lose your little foray into your home world. The other high priests only let you leave because they think your quest will be a difficult one.
Metjen ignored her. 'Trueth, there is one thing you need to know. The high-priestess of Selket has decreed you should be given an opportunity to decide where you wish to be. And what it is you intend to do. We all seconded that. You never wanted to follow us through here. So you are given a second chance to make a proper choice. Are we nice, or what?'
'But-I thought the portal was sealed forever?' Seisi had gone quite pale in the face. Trueth felt pity for him, despite all the thoughts tumbling through her brain which made it almost impossible to sit still. He would not want to lose her.
'I've said it already.' Metjen hit the cushion for emphasis.' It should be. It isn't. Something that powerful, something that kept a whole civilisation in the balance for so long-that we have to shut down. Permanently.'
'You can't go,' Ranofer said, pointing at his brother. 'They need you here in the temple and in any case the bigwigs never get their hands dirty. Only the minions do.'
'Minds, not hands, dear,' Rani-Ra said. 'And a dirty mind big bro definitely has.'
'In the name of the Devourer, give it a rest, will you?' Metjen had got up and was pacing the deck in a familiar fashion. 'I'll be your return ticket. We can't set up another permanent gate. So I have to be with you. I might be a rookie high priest but I'm also the only one who can keep in touch with the circle. So, no chance little brother. I'm coming. We all go. Including mum and dad.'
A growl came from inside the cabin.
'Ah, all right, you can join us as well.' Metjen turned his back on his pets and smiled wrily. 'I'm probably still pretty expendable. That's why they're letting me off the leash. But it doesn't matter. I can live with that.'
'We will return to Kemet when all is done?' Seisi asked.
'Well, I guess I'm now the spokesperson of the heavenly Ra here on the ground. Plus I have to sort out this midden that calls itself a temple.'
'Will they be okay without a head honcho? These people live and breathe only in hierarchies.' Rani-Ra said.
'For a while, yes. The third prophet is now my second and will keep things afloat, but I'll have to take over eventually,' Metjen said.
'Where is our second prophet. Ex-prophet I presume. I mean Ptahmes,' Seisi said.
Metjen's face froze. 'He's in the temple of the Maat, being interrogated. We will find out the truth, even if we have to do the unspeakable and penetrate his brain. Let's not talk about that creep.'
A painful silence followed his words.
Trueth rapped her knuckles on the table to get everybody's attention. 'I could never stand that guy, all he needed was a mustache, and you would have had the perfect villain. Anyway, isn't it ironic. We have the same story all over again. You are needed somewhere and the rest will follow you. And I have to work out where I want to be.'
Metjen turned towards her. 'I hope you come back with us, Tru-I should know better, shouldn't I?'
Seisi sat unmoving at her right as the eerie sunlight glare of Metjen's eyes bore into her soul.
There was a lose strand on her cushion and Trueth started pulling on it. One more chance. A final one. Why on Earth did this bollocks keep happening to her? Whenever she had thought she had found some sort of footing, some idiot pulled the rug from under her. Escape had been on her mind all the time. So why was she feeling depressed instead of happy?
A horn brayed on their right, so loud it hurt. Trueth started and noticed a huge ship with red and white sails furled halfway up the mast, magical oars slowly ploughing through the water to keep her steady. The ship was anchored at the largest of Ra's temple moorings; more barges bearing the same colours were docking as she watched. The mother ship was packed with soldiers, their weaponry glinting in the sunlight as they precision-marched down the gangways.
A holy gong joined its boom to the clamour; others joined in from the surrounding sanctuaries. The war-horns took up the challenge, blasting the troops on their way. Priests came running from all directions, like colourful ants drawn to an oversized sweet.
'Those are Pharaoh's personal barges. What's he doing here?' Rani-Ra asked.
'What are the soldiers up to, might be more to the point.' Ranofer gripped one the ropes, trying to get a better view. With a shudder, the 'Wings of Ibis' arrived at the dock, throwing him off balance.
Metjen appeared perplexed. 'Don't know. Let me mind-call the circle to find out. I'll need some peace and quiet for that.' He got up from his cushions and stretched. 'Before I do anything I'll have to get changed. Our esteemed brethren are a bunch of stuffy cassocks and won't appreciate my outfit. I might have to borrow some of your clobber, Seisi.'
'That would not be appropriate,' Seisi said.
Your thinking is pedestrian. All you have to do is mind-lift your robes to this place. This pains me. I shall rest and let you toy with the soldiers.
'Iseret?' Metjen gave the others a thumbs-up. 'She's gone.' He pivoted and strode towards the deck house, or would have had he not stumbled over his feet again. Seisi caught his boss and escorted him into the cabin. From the quay sounded the rhythmic tromping of military sandals and the agitated expressions of priestly concern.
Metjen stuck his head back out. 'You continue to the noble pile. I'll find out what's going on. In the meantime, pack your stuff and get ready to travel across. I'll be in touch, I'll need another few days before I'm fit to go anywhere.'
Trueth stood to attention. 'Sir, Yessir! '
Seisi leaned against the entrance of the deck house, grinning, his arms crossed in front of his impressive chest. 'Do not give this first prophet any ideas, Trueth, lest you regret them later.'
'Oh, ... go away,' Metjen said. Both of you. Hang on... .' Metjen grabbed Seisi by his arm. 'I didn't mean it that way. You stay with me. I need somebody I can trust.' He disappeared again into the cabin.
'Imhotep... .'
'You're not his serf, Seisi. You're a servant of Ra,' Metjen shouted from inside. 'My revered ancestor can find somebody else to put into the line of fire for a change. I'll talk to him.'
A flash shot from the cabin. Metjen strode back out, this time in his ceremonial gear.
'It's a bit bling, isn'it?' Rani-Ra observed. 'All this gold stitching, and dangly things. And yellow really isn't your colour. To be quite honest, this funny leopard fur would have the animal right's protectors up in arms back home.'
Trueth winced, but Metjen only ground his teeth and refrained from barbecuing his beaming sister.
Seisi moved towards the deck house, before he could enter there was another flash and he too wore his priestly outfit.
'Heh,' Metjen said. 'I'm getting better at this. Let's go, brother. Not you Rano, I mean Seisi. Bloody hell, this is all so difficult. And granddad has arrived to say hello, I see.'
He was right. Next to the dock, among squadrons of weapon wielding Medjay and the colourful but no less lethal throngs of holy servants, stood a grey-haired figure clad in turquoise, ramrod-straight and utterly silent.
As the two figures in yellow walked down the gangway and across to join Imhotep, Metjen's voice rang in her mind. Trueth, Imhotep tells me, Pharaoh is not here to wage war. He's looking for shelter. I'll find out more, just make sure all is ready when we call you.
She flipped him the bird.
Pull the other one, Your Wisdom. I'm not your body slave! I'll come back with you, and then it is about time I make up my mind about a few things. And I'm not talking about you.
Trueth thought she heard a guffaw coming from below as she turned her back on the temple mooring. 'Captain, to the palace. Go as fast as you can.'
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This chapter is dedicated to CaitLin817 'The Stolen Papyrus' - as the title indicates - features an adventure with a setting very similar to mine. Check it out!