Reawakened

  “Okay, but with all these tourists, how are we going to accomplish anything?”

  “Ah, the tourists and merchants will leave the moment the brothers arrive.”

  “How?” When he grinned, I said, “Wait. Don’t tell me. I’ll see, right?”

  “Right.”

  He parked the car and we grabbed the many bags before heading toward the Great Sphinx. At least the monument we reached was roped off so no one could touch it. Flashing his credentials to the one guard fending off dozens of tourists, Dr. Hassan opened a gate and bade me to follow him.

  I stepped in the footprints he made in the sand, looking up when we reached the front of the Sphinx. It was hard to believe I was actually standing there. I was so absorbed in my surroundings that I jumped when Dr. Hassan nudged my arm.

  “This way,” he said.

  After leading me into an ancient stone structure that looked like a series of empty chambers, he reached behind a brick that jutted out a bit at the end of the room and pushed on something. A mechanical rumbling shook the area we were in, causing a cascade of sand to drop over the entrance. The back wall moved aside, revealing a series of steps that led down into darkness.

  “Archaeologist hideaway or grand vizier secret?” I asked as I pointed to the opening.

  “Grand vizier,” he mumbled as he gathered his things. “Come.”

  I stumbled along, descending steadily until the door closed and we were surrounded by complete darkness.

  “Dr. Hassan?” I whispered worriedly.

  “Wait a moment.”

  My eyes began to adjust and I noticed a series of large stones placed in alcoves. They glowed like the rock Asten had given me in the Oasis of the Sacred Stones.

  “Did Asten make those?” I asked.

  Osahar shook his head and started down the steps again. “Perhaps he did at one time. All I know is that they are regenerated each time the ceremony is complete. The light has faded over the last thousand years, but when our task is done, it will be so bright down here you would think it was our own personal sun. My theory is that the pyramids generate the power somehow.”

  “Interesting.” The heavy bag bumped against my leg. “So are you going to tell me what all this stuff is for now?”

  “I am creating an effigy.”

  “You mean like a voodoo doll?”

  “On a much larger scale.”

  “Why?”

  “There is a spell that will weaken if not destroy Apophis.”

  “And you hope it will work on Sebak?”

  “Yes. I will need your help to construct it.”

  We arrived at the bottom of the stairs and stopped in front of a heavy door. Osahar took a key that hung from a chain around his neck and fit it into the ancient lock. I was almost afraid it wouldn’t turn because the lock was so old, but the key worked and the door opened without even a squeak. Inside the large room were a worktable and a giant dresser-sized glowing rock.

  Pressing my hands against the rock, I found it warm, but it didn’t burn me. I could feel a hum of energy coming from it. Old parchments and books lined handmade shelves, and various tools, both modern and ancient, hung from a pegged wall.

  “Did you make this space?”

  Dr. Hassan shook his head. “I have added to it over the years, but this has been here since the time of Amon’s birth.” He pointed to one tunnel and then another, in a different corner. “These underground passageways connect to the pyramids and even run beneath the Sphinx. It is how we viziers recover the bodies of the brothers when their time on Earth has elapsed,” he finished quietly.

  “Oh.” Though I knew that Amon had to die so that he could rise again, the idea that his body would be recovered and painstakingly preserved was disturbing. I had a sudden urge to rush out to his tour bus and beg him not to go through with it. But instead of giving into my emotions, I reminded myself that I was just a mortal girl who had journeyed for a time, however brief, with gods come to life. Who was I to judge whether their task was a worthy one and whether the sacrifices made were justifiable?

  I didn’t know yet what Osahar had in mind for me, but if there was something I could do to make what Amon had to endure easier, then I was willing to see it through. “What do you need me to do?” I asked.

  “Take these bags and form a body.”

  “Like a scarecrow?”

  “Exactly.”

  Reaching into the bags, I found a pair of pants, rope, a knife, and several pillows of different sizes. As I stuffed smaller pillows down the pant legs, Dr. Hassan cut into the large pillow and placed a tool and a comb inside. “These belonged to Sebak,” he said.

  After we’d dressed the makeshift scarecrow, Dr. Hassan handed me a very gaudy crocodile-skin jacket. “Is this real?” I asked.

  “He is part crocodile now. To minimize his power we must destroy every part of him.”

  “So what’s the spell?” I asked as Dr. Hassan finished preparing a potion.

  “It is more of a ritual than a spell. Is the effigy ready?”

  “I think so. It’s just that you have more clothes and a fedora in the bag. Did you need more layers?”

  “No. Those are for later. Please bring the remaining bag. I will carry the effigy.”

  Dr. Hassan picked up a mallet and a weighty-looking metal rod, then hefted up the effigy. He led me through one long tunnel after the next. Finally, we climbed another set of stairs, which seemed to go on forever. When we emerged we were on top of an ancient structure. The sun had just set and the orange sky was slowly turning purple.

  “Where did everyone go?” I asked, surprised to see the previously crowded valley as deserted as a church on Monday.

  “They are here,” Dr. Hassan said. “Like I said, when the sons of Egypt set foot on the soil surrounding the pyramids, the people in the vicinity immediately depart. They are suddenly distracted or they remember they have to be somewhere. I have a theory that it has something to do with the energy the brothers give off.” He sighed. “There are so many questions I wish to ask. If only there were time. The scientist in me mourns the limited amount of time I have to be among them, but the vizier in me is grateful to have had even that.”

  I could identify with his mixed feelings.

  Squinting in the fading light, I made out three black dots standing by the Sphinx. “I see them!”

  One of the brothers strode forward, just passing the Sphinx, when a hissing sound, like sand falling through an hourglass, filled the air. The noise grew louder and became unbearable.

  “What is it?” I yelled as I pressed my hands against my ears.

  “It is the dark priest of Seth,” Dr. Hassan replied.

  Quickly he took the rod and pounded it with the mallet until it was embedded in the roof. I jumped to help him secure the effigy to the rod. Just as we finished, the hissing noise stopped and an eerie quiet descended on the landscape.

  A breeze lifted my hair from my neck and I slowly turned. Amon, Asten, and Ahmose stood in a spot where a quivering mass of blackness now erupted between them and the pyramids.

  “What’s that?” I gasped.

  “That, my dear, is an army of the dead.”

  I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine. There were literally thousands of zombies standing between the brothers and the pyramids. The black mass was like a shuddering scourge of desolation, just waiting to sink its teeth into three juicy demigods. Ahmose and Asten had given up so much of their strength to sustain Amon that they were almost as drained now as he was. Even if they did decide to fight, Amon would literally be fighting blind.

  “We have to help them!” I cried.

  “We will. But we must wait for all the players to enter the arena.”

  As soon as Dr. Hassan said that, a rumbling shook the ground and a fissure opened in the middle of the zombie mass. Brilliant light shone from the opening as mist flowed from it. Even far away, I could clearly see the giant crocodile claw rising out of a crack in the earth. The cl
aw stretched out, digging deeply into the soil before a giant body heaved out after it. It was a horrendous monster: half man, half Godzilla, with a long crocodile tail.

  “Is that…Sebak?” I called out incredulously.

  “I am afraid it is,” Dr. Hassan replied.

  The edge of the moon broke over the horizon, bathing the landscape in its brilliant silvery light. Bravely, the three brothers stood before the creature, which was larger in scale and in height than the Sphinx. As one, they raised their hands in the air. The spell they chanted grew so loud I could easily hear it, though I didn’t understand the words.

  Light bubbled around them—a swirling mass of silver, gold, and white. The shimmering bubble grew and then burst in a supernova, spreading light in all directions before settling on the ground and encircling the pyramids. Then, slowly, the light rose upward, forming a wall that grew until it arched over our heads in a transparent iridescent dome.

  Dr. Hassan gave a satisfied grunt. “There. Now we cannot be observed from the outside. For all intents and purposes, the citizens of Cairo will see only a massive storm cloud covering the pyramids. They will not be able to see or hear anything occurring within the circle of light. All outsiders with an interest in viewing the pyramids tonight will turn aside, completely forgetting that they even attempted to visit.”

  I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Surely if the people of Egypt knew their gods were fighting to keep dark energy at bay and to prevent the rising of the god of chaos, they would, at the very least, be concerned.

  In comic books, regular citizens often rose up in defense of their heroes. Granted, they also got in the way and frequently had to be saved from death, but in this case, the distraction of mortals might help stave off the zombies. Of course, with our luck, they’d probably get bitten and join the zombie ranks.

  Turning to Dr. Hassan, I asked, “Now?”

  “Yes. It is time.”

  Dr. Hassan pulled out an ancient book and ran his finger down a page until he found what he was looking for.

  Asten’s voice rose from the cloud, as clearly as if he stood next to us.

  The stars whisper the will of the cosmos.

  A hiss, like ocean foam washing across the sand, echoed around us and some movement overhead caught my eye. Through the flickering dome, the stars burned brighter than I’d ever seen them, which shouldn’t have been possible since we were so close to a major city.

  They pulsed brilliantly, the familiar constellations seeming close enough to touch. The more-distant stars appeared closer as well, and as I gazed overhead, I felt weightless, like I could float upward into the night sky and become lost in the universe.

  I was able to see the colors of the stars with my naked eye, which I knew was impossible. I could make out the rings of Saturn, a binary star, and a distant galaxy. Then, all of a sudden, the world shifted.

  The stars fell.

  Or rather, they were moving, the night sky spinning like a top, with each star leaving a streak of light behind it. Dizzy, I reached for Dr. Hassan’s hand and the spinning heavens slowed to a stop. The patterns of the stars overhead were no longer familiar. It was almost as if I were looking at the sky from the perspective of a different point in the galaxy.

  Ahmose spoke next, his deep voice echoing in my mind.

  “The moon fills the air with thrumming power.”

  The luminous full moon, which was only halfway over the horizon, shone brighter and brighter. Its silvery light spilled over the land in almost liquid form, bathing everything in the pyramid zone with a mercurial glow. The speed of the moonrise accelerated until it was almost directly over the top of the temples before it stopped.

  I froze as Amon’s rich voice swept over me. Despite the power that emanated from it, I could still hear a slight quaver, a resigned tinge of sadness, and I wondered if it was possible that he regretted sending me away. That he might miss me as much as I missed him.

  The sun uncovers all hidden pathways

  And exposes all that is secret and shadow.

  When he uttered the last word, a bright light burst forth and emanated from the three servants of the gods, who stood facing the darkness. The light rose, encompassing everything in the dome, burning so vibrantly that the visible world became white. It took several moments before I could even recognize shapes. A shadow nearby spoke to me.

  “Can you see me, Lily? I should have warned you not to look.”

  The blur in front of me went in and out of focus. “No. It’s all hazy.”

  I heard Amon’s voice once again and his words gave me courage.

  Stand firm, my brothers.

  Steady your hearts.

  We will charge them as the falcon, the ibis, and the crane.

  We will slaughter and destroy them,

  Returning them to the dust from whence they came.

  Dr. Hassan patted my hand. “The battle has begun. I need to weave my spell. When the time comes you must hand me the correct object.”

  He passed me a box. Inside it, he’d put several objects. I nicked my finger on one as I was feeling around, and realized it was a small knife. There was also a lighter, a metal rod about the size of a kid’s baseball bat, a length of heavy chains, a stoppered bottle of liquid, and a weighty object with a plastic cover. It was a tool of some kind, but I couldn’t really tell what it was from feeling it. Dr. Hassan asked another question, but I was distracted by the sounds of battle. I worried about Amon fighting blind. Now that I was affected in a similar way, the idea of being surrounded by undead that I couldn’t see, and facing a giant crocodile demon ready to gobble me up, was terrifying. Dr. Hassan cleared his throat. “Lily, I will begin.”

  I turned my face in his direction, ready to help.

  In a booming voice, he shouted,

  I, the grand vizier, guardian of the three points

  Of the triangle of impossibility,

  Call upon the afterlife to lend its strength.

  He’d never spoken of a triangle of impossibility. I wondered what that was. Taking some quick mental notes, I added the phrase to a long list of unanswered questions. Was there some magical triangular object that he held? Why was he guarding three points and what were they? Was the afterlife the same thing as the netherworld?

  Dr. Hassan went on.

  We defend the path between

  The earth, the sky, and the places beyond,

  But our enemy has come among us.

  Osahar turned toward the sounds of fighting and raised his arms in the air. He’d started to come into focus a little bit more, but everything was still blurry.

  Treacherous one, we warn you to retreat!

  Do not seek to come against us.

  You cling to darkness and abhor the light.

  You seek camaraderie with evil, and so,

  You will receive the recompense of the one you embrace.

  You have chained yourself to chaos.

  Assuming that was my cue, I wrapped the chain around my arm, pressing my fingers against the other items in the box so I could grab them quickly.

  Your venom is as strong as a thousand vipers’.

  I heard a hiss and realized the sound was coming from the scarecrow we had made. Goose bumps broke out over my flesh, and I staggered away. I wasn’t sure if the snakes I heard were real, representations of Sebak, or if it was a mental trick—nothing in this crazy world seemed impossible—but in any case, I moved as far back as I dared, still unable to see exactly where the roof ended.

  You have made your teeth as knives.

  I heard another monstrous sound, and this time I knew what it was—crocodiles. Gasping in fear, I shifted nervously, but there were no long bodies or dark shapes coming after me. The effigy bucked and snapped against the tape we’d used to bind it to the rod.

  We who are your enemies revile you.

  Dr. Hassan approached the effigy representing Sebak and spat upon it. The bound figure swung its head back and forth wildly, the sha
pe of it now very different from the figure we’d created.

  We who would diminish your power smite you.

  “Lily, now!” Dr. Hassan sputtered, and I desperately fingered through the objects, finally selecting the metal rod.

  With a cry, Dr. Hassan hit the figure three times and I heard a sharp snap like bones breaking. A scream full of rage blossomed, not from the doll-figure, but from the giant creature by the pyramids. I squinted, focusing on the chaos of color below.

  As I peered down, the first thing I could make out was the crocodile beast that Sebak had become. He’d climbed the great pyramid and was about halfway up, but his left front leg hung limply at his side and one of his back legs seemed to have given way. He clung to the pyramid with a massive claw as he struggled to right himself. Broken bits of stone cracked away from the edifice, shattering as they hit the lower levels.

  Ahmose, his body silver and shimmering, lifted his cudgel in the air and brought it down upon the monster’s other leg, shattering the bone. Then he transformed into a silver crane. It was the first time I’d seen him in bird form. The crane leapt from the pyramid and circled the sky, seeking his brothers. Below him the zombie horde had clustered in two places, and I was just able to make out flashes of gold and white at the center of each. We needed to hurry.

  We who would strike fear into your heart pierce you.

  I quickly handed Dr. Hassan a pocketknife, my eyes finally adjusting from the light. The effigy writhing in front of us was nearly as monstrous as the creature below. The face looked eerily similar to Sebak’s human one, but its skin was reptilian. It had fangs, and the tongue that darted out from between its lips was forked like a snake’s.

  Leaping forward, Dr. Hassan thrust the small knife into the heart of the creature and left it there. It screamed—a horrible, bloodcurdling sound. Heaving, it wrenched from one side to the other, tearing away the tape on its upper torso. The Sebak effigy lunged forward, almost catching me, but Dr. Hassan pulled me out of its reach at the last possible second.