Chapter 5: Thebes City of the Living

It was very early in the morning, even before the sun had begun to rise, when the group of twenty people heading for Thebes gathered at the edge of Cairo to begin the journey. The group was comprised of men and woman, all scholars seeking to help restore the former home of Pharaohs, and perhaps to find some treasure along the way. Once the group was ready, the trip began with Evelyn and Rick in the lead. On his back, in a self made carrier using a large military issued backpack, Alex road securely asleep, which Rick was glad for. He and Evie had rigged up an umbrella that went over both he and Alex to protect him once the sun began to rise, though now it was quite chilly.

“So whats the game plan Mrs. O’Connell?” Rick asked as they road along, leaving the city behind them. Evie smiled, looking at him.

“I was thinking starting in the Palace first would be good. The throne room was supposed to be a commons area, and was for Pharaoh to see his people, but there were also places where he hid treasures of various sorts, and I want to see if we can find that for the museum in London,” she replied.

“So no great discoveries await us?” Rick asked cautiously. At that Evie smiled.

“Well you never know what we could find, but Thebes has been visited by many groups such as ours before. The likelihood of us finding anything would be very slim,” she said. What her husband didn’t know was that she had come across some writings in the Library of her father, of a treasure he had wanted to find after he and his mother had finished at Tututkamens tomb. A
very special bracelet was said to be within the premise of Thebes, and Evelyn was hopeful for the time within the two week stay that they would come across that.

~*~

The journey to Thebes took the group two days, and upon their arrival the second day while they guys set up camp, Evelyn took Alex to the outer wall of the city.

“Dat all broked, they not take good care of tings there,” he said. Evie smiled at her little boy.

“Well darling, no one has lived there for a long time, and with all the sandstorms, and no one to take care of things, it has deteriorated,” she explained.

“Mummy I unt find treasure for Gypsies,” he said. Evie smiled again kissing him.

“Well then we need to go to our tent and find your shovel and your bucket,” she said taking him back the small distance to the camp. There Rick and Jonathan had set up their two tents, and were helping set up the other tents. A few of the men and woman were putting stones in a circle, and putting wood down to build a fire to start lunch, and a few more people had gone to the Nile to gather water to cook the food. She found Rick finishing the set up of another tent and smiled as Alex ran over to him and the two played chase.

“All right you two, lets go to our tent and get supplies ready,” she said. They followed her there, and once they had gotten Alex’s bucket and shovel, and her took kit, they all settled around the fire for lunch and a meeting to discuss what they wanted to accomplish with the time they had left during their first day.

~*~

As work on the restoration began, Rick noticed how determined his wife was, and the more he worked with her, the less he believed that she was there souly for the restoration. After the second day of work, and once Alex was asleep he confronted her.

“Evie, I’d like to think I know you pretty good,” he said as he settled beside her on their bedroll. She was reading a book her father had written and jumped when he sat beside her, putting the book away, which got his attention.

“And just what is that your reading?” he asked trying to get the book.

“It’s not important,” she tried, but he had the book and found the page she had left off on. The page told about the Bracelet of Anubis, and Rick shut the book.

“So you will be satisfied with just the restoration?” he asked eyeing her. She sighed.

“Rick, I won’t deliberately look for it, but I want to keep my eyes open. That bracelet would be an amazing discovery for us, for the world. He sighed laying down, and pulling her with him.

“So my love why is that bracelet so important?” he asked smiling as she rested her cheek against his chest. He rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head.

“Among the tales of Egypt one that has been told is about a powerful man, The Scorpion King,” she began. Rick grumbled something and yelped when she lightly bit him.

“Hey,” he said smacking her bottom.

“Behave Darling, or I’ll bite you harder the next time.” Rick sighed and let her continue.

“At first he was among a group of assassins who defeated an evil man called Mimnon. Once that happened, Egypt saw many peaceful years, and then The Scorpion King gathered an army of thousands of men, and began to take out the Ancient Kingdoms one by one, until only Thebes was left standing. Pharaohs men had trained long to defeat him, and they did. The rest is left up to myth. Some say that he made a pact with Anubis, a dark god and gained control of his army, the one that defeated this city. Others say the city fell under the curse of the Scorpion King, and it wasn’t until Seti’s time that the bracelet of Anubis was found and put into safe keeping,” she said. Rick had an uneasy feeling now that he knew the origin of the bracelet, and let her know that fast.

“Maybe since we have Alex with us, it’s not the best idea for us to try and find it. I would assume it has a curse attached to it,” he said as he thought of Hamunaptra.

“My father believed that it was just a bracelet, but there are some who believe whoever wears that bracelet will have the power to find the grave of the Scorpion King and once again raise the Army of Anubis,” she said yawning. Rick held her closer, and for now all talk of Scorpion Kings, and curses was left in the cool night, and the two lovers fell into a restful sleep, or at least one did.

A dream stole over Evelyn. She saw images of a completed Thebes, of beautiful gardens, and a man who she didn’t know spinning her around. Another image was of a woman, a beautiful woman who she walked the gardens with, perhaps a friend. The next image brought sorrow as she watched priests sealing a tomb within Hamunaptra.

Beside him Rick felt his wife start to struggle, and felt her tears against his chest, which woke him.

“Hey,” he said pulling her closer. Evie came awake then, and lifted her head.

“I saw Thebes, but it wasn’t this Thebes, It was new, and beautiful, and I was somehow a part of it,” she said. More unease crept into Ricks heart and he sat up kissing her tears away.

“What else did you see?” he asked. Evie tried to think, but the more awake she became the less she was able to clearly remember what she had seen.

“It was just a dream,” she said sleepily as she lay against the soft pillow on their bedroll. Rick lay beside her, pulling her against him once again. Long after she had gone asleep he watched her, worried that the dream had some sort of meaning. Finally after a long time of watching her he went back to sleep, and the rest of the night went undisturbed.

~*~

Their first week at Thebes went by uneventful, and the restoration of the Throne room was going well. They had found the stashes of treasures Evie had hoped to find, and everyone was pleased. For Rick, his time was spent helping Jonathan with Alex who had been remarkably well behaved, and watching his wife who was waking up each night in great sorrow, then was unable to remember what she had dreamed. This week Evie decided the group needed to begin the Restoration of the Temple of Osiris, and as the early Monday morning hours rolled past, the workers began to set up scaffolding in the Temple while Evie and another woman Sylvia dusted of the walls.

“What treasures are we to find here?” she asked Evelyn. Sylvia was a few years younger than Evie and had been her shadow for the past week.

“Scrolls mostly, ones I’ve seen before. The museum would like to have them to put on display. As far as any gold or jewelry, within these walls there isn’t much to find,” She said as they worked together. Rick came in at that point with Alex and his bucket and got him situated in an area instructing him to clean the floor, and put the sand he found in the bucket which Alex did gladly, then he went over to where his wife was working.

“So anything interesting ladies?” he asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Evelyn replied. Rick nodded, and began to help them every so often looking in Alex’s direction finding his son happily working on cleaning the floor. That job for Alex soon became boring, and so the toddler took his special light his daddy had given him and looked around the room. He looked over at his daddy who was talking to his mummy, then moved to the far inner wall finding an entrance of some sort. Since he was three, he didn’t have much fear, and went in the wall without hesitation. Several minutes had passed since Rick had looked at Alex, and when he did all he saw was the bucket and the Shovel. He looked around the room expecting to see him with some of the other workers, and when he did not he left Evelyn and began to look around. The room was not all that big, and when Rick didn’t see his son, his heart began to pound.

“Evie Alex is gone,” he said. Evelyn looked at the bucket and not worried went to her husband.

“Go see if he went to the camp, I’m sure he went to find Jonathan and talked him into another swim in the Nile,” she said. Rick guessed she was right and walked out of the temple. Jonathan had gotten heat stroke a few days before and wasn’t able to do much more than watch Alex during his naps, though yesterday the two had spent time in the Nile. When he reached camp, he stuck his head in their tent, and not finding Alex there went to Jonathan’s tent.

“Hey Jonathan, is Alex in there with you,” A moment later Rick got his answer when Jonathan came out without his son. As they were about to start a search Sylvia came running out.

“We found a passage, and Evie thinks Alex went in, she found his footprints in the sand,” she said out of breath. Rick left Jonathan speechless, and went back in the temple finding his wife frantic. Quickly he grabbed her and held her until she calmed down.

“Rick he’ll get hurt,” she said.

“Not if we hurry up and go find him.” They gathered a few people and all went within the passage.

~*~

It was if something was drawing Alex within the depths of the temple, and the toddler walked the passages without getting lost. Now deep within the underground passages, Alex snapped out of what ever trance he had been in, and looked around. It was very quiet, and very dark with his small light.

“Mummy?” he called out. He began to wonder the passages blindly, walking for almost an hour until he found himself at a dead end.

“I want my mummy,” he said and sat down beginning to cry. What he did not notice were two scorpions by his hand, and he screamed when one of them stung him on his thumb.

~*~

On any other day, searching the passages beneath the temple would have been exciting for Evie, but the fact that her son was not with them, that he was lost somewhere within the depths of the temple made her sense of adventure disappear.

“ALEX,” she yelled. She and Rick had branched out from the group, and everyone had a string they had tied off at a junction which had three seperate passages.

“Rick where could he be?” she asked holding tight to his hand. Before either could answer they thought they heard a faint cry.

“ALEX,” Rick yelled. They heard more cries, and followed it until they came to the end of the winding passage and found Alex laying down. Evlyn knelt down and upon touching him found him burning hot.

“Oh god,” Rick said noticing one dead scorpion beside where Alex had been laying. Evie had not seen it and was holding her baby trying to get him to wake up.

“Evie he was stung by a scorpion we need to find where,” Rick said. She began to undress him and the looked all over his body, and just as they were about to give up, Rick took his hand and noticed how swollen his thumb was.

“I found it,” he said taking a knife, but Evie moved his hand away.

“Rick you can’t do that, you’ll hurt him,” she said sobbing. Having seen men suffer from the sting of a scorpion,” Rick knew they didn’t have much time.

“Evie listen to me. I need to cut in to his thumb and try and Drain out the infection, then we need to get him back to camp and Let Dr. Ignatus look at him,” Rick said. Before she could say anything Alex woke up.

“Ummy ouch,” he said softly.

“I know baby,” she said holding him close and closed her eyes as Rick cut into his thumb. Alex screamed and cried begging Rick to stop as he began to squeeze his thumb. Green infection dripped from his thumb for quite some time before the blood ran clear, and even then they were not out of the woods. The venom had gone into his blood, and unless they got help, Alex would die. Once Rick had wrapped a strip of cloth from his handkerchief around Alex’s thumb, they left, both running the way they had come, following the string path. At the Junction they met with the other two groups who followed them out of the temple to the camp.

~*~

Night fell and Alex was very sick. The Dr. had given him a shot of penicillin to try and fight of the venom, though he had said that the chances of Alex suriving the night were slim. In their tent, Evelyn sat rocking her baby who was just in his underpants, wrapped in wet blankets they had soaked in the Nile to try and bring his raging fever down. All Alex did was cry, and drift off into restless sleep.

“Alex listen to mummy, you have to stay with us,” Evie said as she kissed his reddened cheeks. Rick came in with more wet blankets and Evie let him take Alex to wrap him in those.

“No,” Alex said softly.

“I know big guy,” Rick said trying his best to be strong for both his wife and his son. Once Alex was wrapped up Rick placed him on his bedroll, and went to where his wife was sitting crying.

“Why did we come back,” Evie said as she let her husband hold her.

“Because we wanted to relive our past adventures?” Rick said trying to lighten her mood.

“Because of that, we are going to lose our son,” she said in a shaky voice.

“We won’t let that happen..” he started to say then Evie got up and ran to Alex who had started to convulse.

“GET THE DOCTOR,” she screamed holding him close. Rick ran out and got Doctor Ignatus who sent Rick out to calm Evie. Now they waited along with Jonathan for what seemed like an eternity before the Dr. came out.

“He is resting, but The poison is running its course,” he said. Evie pushed past him and went back to her baby

“Alex talk to mummy,” she said laying next to him. Rick came and lay on the other side of him, and both watched as he slept, his breathing labored.

~*~

In her dream Evie found herself at Alex’s bed, though where she found herself was once again in Thebes of Ancient times, and the child she tended was somehow not Alex, but hers. This dream was not clouded, but as clear as any memory, and a priest came with a blue bottle and had the child drink from that. The next image she saw was of the child playing, then the dream faded and she woke up as Alex started to scream. His screams woke both parents, and Rick held him feeling the fever worse.

“I’m going to put him in the water,” Rick said, knowing they had to bring down his fever. Evie just nodded, and Rick left passing the doctor and the rest who had woken up. Evie dressed and got a lantern then ran for the palace, knowing that the dream she had seen had meaning. Upon their work in the Palace the week before they had found a room off of the Throne room, a room that looked like an Ancient version of a doctors office, but more holy, and Evie had believed it had belonged to Imhotep who aside from being the priest, was also a healer. Now in his room, despising that she was in a place he had once walked, she began to look for the blue bottle.

“You must hurry,” a voice said softly, using the ancient language. Evie turned to find herself face to face with someone who looked like her, but was clearly not her. The woman gave her the blue bottle.

“He must drink all of it,” she said, then the woman was gone. Evelyn ran back to their tent, and inside she found Rick with their baby who was breathing hard.

“Evie we need to find a way to save him,” Rick said looking up at her.

“I have a way,” she said. She instructed Rick to lay so that he held Alex against him and then she offered Alex the bottle. He got choked and began to cry, not liking what he was drinking.

“What is that?”

“Don’t ask questions just help me get him to drink it,” Evie said. They had to force it down him, and it took almost ten minutes to get him to take all of it. Once they had he continuted his raspy heavy breathing, with Rick holding him.

“Evie what did we just give him?” Rick asked more demanding.

“I had a dream Rick, It was like I was here in Ancient times, and I saw Alex sick as he is now, and a priest giving him something from this bottle. When I went into the ancient room, the one we found last week, I found the bottle, full,” she said not wanting to tell him the exact details of the woman she had seen. Rick was about to yell at her for acting so crazy, but then Alex’s breathing began to go back to normal. Evie settled beside her husband, and Rick held her as well. Despite their best efforts, they fell asleep with him.

~*~

It was feeling Alex begin to struggle against him which brought Rick to sudden wakefulness. His son was still warm with fever, but not as bad as he had been.

“Shhh,” Rick said.

“Daddy want up,” Alex said softly. Hearing his voice, Evelyn came awake and moved in front of Alex and Rick. Her baby was very much awake, looking exhausted, but better.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked. He nodded and she went out of the tent finding her group awake all sitting around the fire.

“He is better,” she said. Dr. Ignatus wanted a look at him, and upon examining him found that Evelyn was right. Now he sat watching Alex as he drank the water Rick had offered him.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said to Evelyn as she helped him gather what he had used to examine Alex with.

“Maybe you should see what this is made from,” Evie said giving the blue bottle she had found in the Palace to the Doctor. There was a little fluid left, and the Dr. left with the bottle in hand. As the day moved on, Alex’s condition improved. He was still weak, and wanted to sleep, which both parents were fine with, but it appeared he was getting better. Now as he slept, Rick sat thinking things over, and Evelyn found him that way as she came in from exploring the room of Imhotep.

“What is on your mind?” Evelyn said as she settled next to her husband.

“It’s ironic that a man like Imhotep who wanted to sacrifice you, and kill me, made something that saved our son’s life,” Rick said as he gathered her in his arms.

“Before his betrayal of the Pharoah, he was a good man Rick. He was the healer, and probably would cure most of the illnesses of today if he were still around to do so. His knowledge of herbs, and medicines surpasses what Doctors know today, and I’m sure scorpion stings were more common then, than they are now,” she said.

“It’s still ironic. So what do you think of packing up and heading home early?” Rick asked figuring she would protest.

“I think we should. He needs to rest, and the heat here isn’t good for him, not with what he has been through. I think if we start now we can be ready by night, and if we ride through the night and into most of tomorrow we will be back in Cairo by nightfall.” Rick turned her to face him and kissed her.

“I love you,” he said. She smiled and rested her forehead against his. They shared a little cuddle time, then Evelyn addressed the workers who agreed to pack things up and leave, all supporting their decision to do what was best for Alex.

~*~

Evelyn’s plan of riding through the night and most of the next day worked, and by evening they were in Cairo. Now in the comfort of their home, and in their room with the Ceiling fan on, Evelyn rocked her son who had just gotten a bath, and who was ready to sleep again. Alex had finally eaten his first bit of solid food, regaining his appetite which the Doctor said he would do now that he was getting better.

“Mummy?” he asked. She smiled and kissed his wet head of hair.

“Yes baby.”

“I not want go back Thebes gain, dat hurt me,” he said. Evelyn held him closer to her chest.

“We won’t go back baby, rest now,” she said. Soon he slept, and after putting him in their bed, Evie went downstairs and found Rick and Jonathan talking.

“He’s asleep,” she informed.

“Good, maybe being home will help him,” Rick said. Evie nodded walking to where he sat, and settled in his lap which quickly got rid of Jonathan.

“I want to go back to England,” she said, having had her fill of Egypt.

“I made reservations for us on Friday, in two days time,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. Evelyn sighed.

“What?” he asked.

“I’m not sure we need to be coming back here. I think you were right about this place bringing us nothing but bad luck,” she informed. Rick moved her away so that she could see him face to face.

“Evie, I think that you and I coming back on digs is great. I also think that leaving Alex home with your Aunt Annie would likely be better than trying to bring him with us,” he said. To that Evelyn shook her head.

“I remember what it was like when Mum and dad would leave us behind, and as Much as I love Aunt Annie, she isn’t responsible for taking care of our son,” Evie said. She yawned, and Rick stood holding her in his arms.

“Why don’t we got upstairs and take a rest with Alex?” he asked. She nodded resting her head against his shoulder, and once in their room both parents slipped into bed with Alex between them joining him in sleep.