Eight
AHMOSE was brought back to his chamber so he could rest for the night as he clung to life. It took three guards to carry his muscled body, and I had the honor of bringing his crown. All of the servants became ground statues, and wept miserably as we passed them in the corridors. They gently laid him to rest upon a grand bed of scarlet cushions, and quietly bowed their heads as Ahmose appeared to be in deep slumber.
They started to usher me out the door, but Ahmose awakened and in a soft voice, commanded them to leave me be. After they had gone, I paced furiously in the doorway, silently cursing myself for giving him the anti-venom while all the guards watched. They were now exposed to science, and surely the future would suffer the consequences.
I stopped suddenly to watch Ahmose rest peacefully. The golden framed bed glimmered in the firelight from the alabaster lamps, casting sparkles around him as if he were encased in topaz. I was brooding about everything that had happened, from the guard handing me the dinner platter, to Ahmose's delicate balance between life and death.
He must have noticed my distress. Groaning softly, he stretched his limp hand towards me and called to me in a weak voice. Softly, he whispered my name. I came to him and sunk into the chair by his bedside. He looked at me through heavy lids, his tired eyes struggling to focus on me.
"Your Majesty, do you need something? Should I call for the guards?" I whispered so only he could hear. The guards that lingered near the door watched me with suspicious and angry eyes. They didn't know what to make of me; was I a witch? Could I be trusted? "Perhaps you would rather be with someone of more familiarity? I can send for them, if you would like."
"I want only you," he replied. He lazily raised one of his hands and caressed my cheek. His fingers ghosted over my cheekbone, coming to rest his warm palm against my face. I didn't pull away this time. "Kara...stranger to Egypt, please answer a question that has plagued me since we met. Are you a demon?"
I wasn't surprised-or offended-when he asked me that. The Egyptians didn't have science. And I couldn't blame him if he believed I was. I wasn't even sure myself anymore. After all, I came to be in ancient Egypt as the result of some mysticism.
"I am not a demon," I replied reassuringly. I turned my cheek into the warmth of his strong hand. "And even if I was, I would never harm you, I swear. You cannot believe I would ever do something so frightening...to put a serpent in your dinner platter."
The lines of his mouth relaxed as his smile faded, appearing as if he would faint with exhaustion from even a simple grin. "You are not to blame for this crime that has been committed against me. You tried to save me."
His gentle, unguarded face was that of an angel's; graceful, compassionate, forgiving. Even so close to death, he was dignified.
"You are too lovely to be a demon," he whispered. "You are good and pure, I can see it in your eyes...a pair of blue spheres; it's like gazing into a heavenly sky. But Thutmosis believes I am spellbound, that you have enchanted me. I don't know what to believe, but there is one thing I am certain about. I have found more happiness in my friendship with you than I have ever known in my entire life. I know you didn't plant the asp. You wouldn't harm me."
My heart fluttered, and I glanced at the doorway to ensure it was safe to speak to him. The guards had turned their backs to us, watching the halls as they gripped their ivory tipped spears. I had to tell him about the other guard, and I didn't want them to hear, wondering if they had loyalties to each other. "The guard you assigned to me earlier was the one who gave me the dinner platter. Is it possible he could have a hand in this? Many have become upset over the rebellion in Canaan. Especially Thutmosis..."
"You were listening in on our meeting," he murmured.
"I couldn't help it, Your Majesty. I've been uneasy since you received news from your scout this morning. I'm afraid of war," I confessed. If Ahmose died tonight and I became Pharaoh of Egypt, how could I lead the country to war against Canaan? In college, I couldn't even lead the academic team to victory over the opposing school, let alone an entire army into battle. I was not a leader.
"I trust you," he replied. "When you become pharaoh, you will make the right decision." Thutmosis had great influence over the court. He wanted to march to Megiddo and crush the rebellion, but Ahmose wanted to let them go. I tried to recall what had happened in history...
"Egypt will never have a greater pharaoh than you. I will never be worthy of your crown, though it matters not because you are not going to die," I whispered, grasping his hand. "You must believe you will survive this. You have to fight to stay alive."
"You must be an oracle then, sent by the goddess Isis to protect Egypt. Have you come to take me into the afterlife?"
"No, I am not an oracle either. I am just a human being like you. I have no magical powers," I answered.
"You are so strange..." he whispered. "If you are not connected to the gods, then how did you know how to treat my wound?"
I wondered whether or not I should tell him the truth. How much harm could it possibly do now? Ahmose was growing weaker with each moment that passed, and seemed to be dying anyway. He was certainly in no shape to go parading around ancient Egypt, shouting the medical wonders of the twenty-first century to everyone. I sighed in defeat.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied miserably.
"You've fully recovered your memory," he gasped and his eyes lighted as he examined my face. "You know who you are and where you came from. You must tell me your story. I don't want to die without knowing where you came from. Please tell me... You tried to help me; I see it in your eyes. You took the platter from me, tried to open it first so I would not be harmed. I want to know who you really are."
"I never lost my memory," I replied. Ahmose's gaze never wavered, but the light in his eyes diminished at the realization of who I really was; I was a liar.
"Why have you deceived me?" he demanded. His face shifted between volatile emotions. He was hurt, believing I intended to make a fool of him; he was empathic, declaring I'd had no other choice in order to justify my deception. His question hung in the air, insisting on an explanation when he said no more.
"How can I tell you?" I asked, questioning myself more than him. "How can I tell you all that has happened to me and expect you to believe me, when I don't understand it myself?" I brushed his arm with my fingertips.
Ahmose remained quiet as his amber eyes stared into mine, as if to touch my soul.
"I am not a magical being, but I am not from this world either. Everything you know, as it is now, in my world, is not to be. I am from another time, the future; years upon years, upon years from now," I said finally. Ahmose sunk back into his pillow as he processed my words. His forehead creased with vexation.
He must have believed I really thought he was a fool. Time traveling was the most absurd explanation I could have ever given him. And I wouldn't blame him if he didn't believe me.
"You traveled through...time..." he repeated.
"I don't expect you to believe me," I whispered. "Sometimes I can't believe any of this is real. But it must be real because I can vividly feel your hand against me."
He suddenly withdrew his hand from my cheek. He rose up and my heart pounded, afraid he would send me away. He regarded me with an expression I had not seen on him before, one I had never seen on anyone. His lips quivered, and he pulled me into his arms to hold me against his chest. He breathed in my hair.
"Many years ago, I had a vision," he said. He pulled me back and gazed into my eyes. "It was so long ago, I had nearly forgotten all about it. I was only a child then. That day, my father had taken me into the desert to hunt, and afterwards we rested in the shadow of the Sphinx. I fell asleep in the sand, and as I slumbered, I was greeted by Ra. He appeared before me in a golden light that was as bright as the sun. When he parted his lips to speak, a chorus of heavenly songstresses sang and showered me in warm light. As I basked in the everlasting sun, he foretold your arrival. He said, "Some day, you will encounter a woman who does not belong to this world, and she will have the power to change your path." I never understood the meaning of his message until now."
He held gently to my arms, but I sensed his hesitance as his hands quavered against me. He had dreamed of me too.
"Don't you see, Kara? You are meant to be here. The gods have brought you to me." He stared at me for a long moment, his glazed eyes full of certainty. "I knew you were different the moment I saw you in the street. When you touched me, I could sense it; I could sense Ra's presence. So you must have magical powers."
I watched him as his tired eyes struggled to fixate on me. "You need to lie down," I instructed. His breathing was calm and even as he relaxed. I was so afraid he would leave me. There was so much I wanted to learn from him, and if he died tonight, his secrets would perish with him. Noticing the lost look on my face, he touched my cheek, and then my hair.
"Tell me about the magic you put into my arm tonight."
"The anti-venom, in my world, is a cure for venomous bites. We call it medicine, not magic." But I wouldn't go into detail about the ugly truth of the anti-venom. I wanted Ahmose to rest.
Suddenly, something wet fell on my cheek. I glanced up at the ceiling irritably, wondering if it was leaking. Then I looked to the window. Outside, the night was clear, and there was no rain. Another drop landed on my other cheek. Ahmose wiped my eye, and I realized I was crying.
Startled, he asked, "Why are you shedding these tears?"
Under his gentle touch, I shuddered. "I have searched for you for so long," I answered. I thought about Father's discoveries, Clair's theories, and how they both had longed for the discovery of Ahmose. Then I remembered his mysterious tablet, and how it had entranced me so deeply. A mysterious force had summoned me here; so ancient it spanned thousands of years, drawing me here to this time and place. It brought me to Ahmose. "I've finally found you."
He rose up again and leaned into me, caressing my cheeks with his hands. "Tell me what you mean, Kara."
"All great pharaohs of this era have splendid tombs in the valley," I began. "Most of them have been uncovered, but there are others that have been lost to time. Yours, unfortunately, was one of those that had vanished from history, evading discovery all this time. But my father found your tablet one day. We wanted to find your tomb, return your name to history along with the other great pharaohs, but we were unsuccessful. You remained lost to time, forgotten as millennia passed. But I have found you now, Ahmose."
"Yes, you have found me," he breathed. "And I have found you. Even if you cannot save me, I believe you are meant for greatness here. For centuries, my ancestors have worshipped the asp. We revere its strength and ferocity. Death by an asp is sacred; it is the way of the Mother Goddess, Isis. It is a magnificent way to die. So if you cannot save me, please do not be anguished. In the short time I have acquainted you, you have shown me more compassion and devotion than anyone I have ever encountered. Thank you." For a moment, Ahmose looked sad. His tired eyes struggled again to focus on me.
"You mustn't die. Egypt will be lost without you," I whispered.
"What will become of Egypt without me, Kara? Tell me about Egypt in your time."
"I can't do that, Your Majesty," I replied. In case Ahmose survived, I couldn't let the cat out of the bag that the empire as he knew it would later fall to invaders. "I plan to return there, if I can ever find my way. Just my being here could ultimately change everything I know in my time. I can't let you change Egypt's fate, in case you dislike it." Ahmose grew even weaker, and concentrated hard on the sound of my voice. I felt guilty for hiding my identity from him. "I apologize for lying to you. Considering the circumstances, I hope you'll understand."
His hand left my cheek and grasped mine, our fingers entwined. "I understand, Kara. I suspect everyone would truly believe you're a demon if they knew the truth. And so they shan't know; this knowledge will remain between the two of us."
"Thank you," I whispered. Overwhelmed by grief, I held his hand tightly as he struggled to keep his eyes open. I had only known him for a small period of time, and already I was tormented by anguish and grief.