The Cult of Osiris

  For fuck's sake,' he sighed, I'm not seeing her, okay? We're not meeting up in secret to bang each other's brains out, if that's what you think/

  Then what should I think?' Nina demanded, but before she could get an answer the door buzzer rasped. She went to the speaker. Yes?'

  'Dr Wilde? It's Macy.'

  Come on up.' She pushed the button to unlock the outer door, then turned back to Eddie. We'll discuss this later.

  There's nothing to bloody discuss,' he said. 'She's just helping me with something, all right?'

  So why didn't you ask me to help you? That's what husbands and wives are supposed to do - y'know, help each other.

  It's not that kind of thing.

  Nina was about to ask what kind of thing it actually was when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find Macy, still in her skimpy clothes from the previous night. Eddie automatically checked her out, earning a scowl from his wife. 'Macy, come in,' she said.

  Thanks, Dr Wilde,' she replied, entering the apartment. 'I'm glad you're okay.'

  Yeah, me too. Are you okay? Is your friend all right?'

  Joey? He's fine, just a bit banged up. I called him after I found a hotel for the night. Oh, here's your phone.' She handed it back to Nina. What about you?'

  We spent most of the night being questioned by the police, which was fun. This is my husband, by the way,' Nina said, indicating Eddie. 'Eddie. Chase. Who lives up to his surname when it comes to skirts, apparently.'

  Eddie made an irritated noise, then went to Macy. *Hi. Yeah, I'm Nina's husband - and part-time bodyguard. For all the thanks I get.'

  Hi.' Macy gave his hand a perfunctory shake, giving him a look-over that was equally brief. Nina could tell what she was thinking - too old, too bald- and smirked.

  So,' he said, sitting down, 'now you're here, maybe someone can finally tell me what the hell's going on? Like why something in Egypt meant I had to nick Grant Thorn's Lamborghini and chase you halfway across town?'

  You know Grant Thorn?' Macy asked. He is so hot. Wow. That's cook

  Grant Thorn's not who we should be talking about,' said Nina, seeing that Macy's opinion of Eddie had just been revised upwards. Tt's those guys who were after you. Were they the same ones who chased you in Egypt?

  Only the guy with the bad hair and the terrible jacket.'

  Thought his jacket was pretty cool, myself,' said Eddie. He frowned, a memory tickling his mind.

  What?'Nina asked.

  I saw someone with the same jacket, just recently . . .' His frown deepened as he tried to recall the image. 'Shit! It wasn'tjust the same jacket - it was the same guy! He was at that cult thing Grant dragged me to.'

  The Osirian Temple?

  Yeah, that's it. He was in a limo with the head guy, some ex-actor. There was another bloke too, this miserable-looking sod with a big burn scar—'

  Oh, my God!' Macy interrupted. She tapped her right cheek. The scar, was it here?'

  Yeah, right across his face.

  He was there too!' she told Nina excitedly. 'He was at the Sphinx - he was in charge of the whole thing!'

  What is this thing at the Sphinx?' asked Eddie. 'What are they after?'

  You know those TV commercials that get me so mad?' said Nina. He nodded. They're after that.'

  They're trying to dig in before the IHA so that they can steal what's inside,' Macy elaborated.

  Which is?' Eddie said.

  Macy took out her camera. I'll show you.' She saw Nina's laptop. Can I connect it to that?'

  Nina rummaged in a drawer for a connecting cable, then plugged the camera into her MacBook Pro so Macy could copy over the relevant files. A minute later, she was able to take a proper, detailed look at the images she had seen in miniature on the camera's screen. So those are the three scrolls that were given to the IHA . . .'

  And that's the one that wasn't,' said Macy, pointing at the fourth of the ancient pages. She zoomed in. 'This part here describes the north entrance to the Hall of Records - it wouldVe been reserved for the pharaohs' use, cause the Egyptians had a big thing about the Pole Star symbolising royalty and the gods.' She flicked through to the next picture, showing the blueprints of the Sphinx compound, and pointed out the two tunnels. Everyone else would have used the eastern entrance.'

  The one Logan's excavating,' Nina said, nodding. 'What else does it say?

  Macy returned to the first picture and scrolled down it. 'Something about a map chamber . . . here! There's a zodiac in it, which if you know the secret tells you how to find the Pyramid of Osiris.

  Nina's scepticism returned. 'Are you sure that's what it says?'

  Macy sounded almost peevish, before remembering to whom she was talking. 'Yes, I'm sure, Dr Wilde. I thought it was weird too, but that's what it says. The zodiac's some kind of map.'

  Nina regarded the screen. The first three scrolls about the Hall of Records had proved accurate, and if the fourth were as reliable . . . 'This could be huge. If the Pyramid of Osiris really existed, it'd change everything we thought we knew about Egyptian history.' She looked at Macy. 'And the guys after you obviously believed it's real enough to kill for/ Her gaze returned to the papyrus. 'What else does it say?

  Macy read on. 'The tomb of Osiris, the immortal god-king, keeper of ... of the sacred bread of life.'

  Not much of an immortal if he's in a tomb,' Eddie pointed out.

  It's complicated,' said Macy. 'He was murdered by being trapped in a coffin, resurrected, murdered again, became immortal but could never come back to the living world . . . kind of an ancient daytime soap opera.'

  It's a bit more than that,' Nina said tartly. The Osiris mythology is the foundation of the entire Egyptian religion. But does this text tell us how to find the pyramid using the zodiac?'

  Macy scanned through the rest of the papyrus. 'No. I guess that's a need-to-know thing for the priests or whoever. But it definitely says the zodiac's the map to the tomb.

  Eddie leaned closer to the screen. So if this pyramid's real, what's inside it that's worth blowing up half of Times Square for? Are we talking Tutankhamun's treasure?'

  More than that,' Macy told him. Osiris is who all the other pharaohs aspired to be - the greatest Egyptian king ever. Even though they thought they were going to become gods themselves when they died, none of them would ever have dared try to outbling him, because he's the guy who actually judges if they deserve to go into the next life or not.'

  So all the pharaohs' treasures that have ever been found,' said Nina thoughtfully, would still be less valuable than whatever's in Osiris's tomb. And considering how incredible some of the finds from other tombs have been . . .'

  Eddie stood back. 'There's your motive, then. Money. Lots and lots of money.' He indicated the screen. 'Go on the Internet - I think we should have a gander at this Osirian Temple thing.'

  Macy opened the browser, typing in the address of the Qexia search engine. Not using Google?' Eddie asked.

  This is cooler,' she said, entering a search string for the Osirian Temple. A 'cloud' of results appeared, the largest at the centre. She clicked it, taking them to the cult's home page. A heavily airbrushed portrait of Khalid Osir, standing before what appeared to be a large pyramid of black glass, smiled at them.

  That's the guy I saw the other day,' said Eddie. 'Used to be a big movie star in Egypt.'

  Nina read his potted biography. 'And then he got religion. Though I guess his ego was too big for him to just join someone else's - he had to start his own.' According to the bio, Osir had founded the Osirian Temple fifteen years previously, the organisation now headquartered in Switzerland and established in over fifty countries.

  Looks like it's a nice little earner,' Eddie said as Macy clicked through to other pages. As much of the site seemed to be devoted to selling merchandise as to explaining the cult's beliefs.

  Macy snorted sarcastically at one section of the latter. What? That's not even right! Osiris wasn't immortal while he was still alive - that didn't ha
ppen until he entered the Underworld.

  Nina scanned the rest of the text. 'Huh. For a cult that's based round the myths of Osiris, it doesn't seem too interested in the accepted versions of those myths. It's like this guy Osir's deliberately ignoring anything that conflicts with what he's trying to say.'

  Trying to sell, you mean,' Eddie corrected as another page opened, more catalogue than catechism. 'Look at all this stuff. Diets, exercise plans, vitamins . . . it'll all help you live longer, yeah, but he slaps a picture of a pyramid on it and charges five times more than you'd pay at the supermarket, and makes you listen to a load of religious twaddle while you're doing it.'

  It's not just "twaddle", Eddie,' Nina chided. 'People might not believe in it now, but it was the basis of a civilisation that lasted for almost three thousand years/

  Maybe, but this Osir bloke's making it up as he goes. So, typical cult, really.'

  Macy had meanwhile found another page: the Osirian Temple's leaders. Osir took pride of place at the top, but below his entry was a smaller, black and white picture of another man with similar features.

  Sebak Shaban,' Nina read. 'They look a lot alike - maybe they're brothers.'

  Yeah, I thought that,' Eddie said, remembering seeing them together two days earlier. How come they've got different surnames?'

  Duh,' Macy said off handedly. Osiris, Osir? It's like a stage name.' Eddie glared at her, but she didn't notice. 'And yeah, total Photoshop.' The picture of Shaban very much favoured the left side of his face, but the part of his upper lip that in real life was scarred here appeared completely normal.

  Nina leaned back. 'And you're absolutely sure he was in charge of whatever was going on at the Sphinx?'

  Totally. It was him.'

  And the guy from last night works for him?' Macy nodded. Okay, so they really, really want to make sure you don't tell anyone about it.'

  'So what do we do?' Macy asked.

  We tell someone about it,' said Eddie. 'Duh.

  She pouted. T tried. Nobody in Egypt would listen to me. When I phoned Dr Berkeley, he just told me to turn myself in to the police.'

  How did you get out of Egypt if the police were looking for you?' asked Nina.

  Through Jordan. I heard him,' she indicated Shaban, 'say to watch the airports, so I couldn't get out that way. But I had my passport and some money with me, so once I got back

  into Cairo I took a bus to this little town out on the east coast, and persuaded some guy to take me across to Jordan in his boat. Then I got another bus to Amman, flew back to America, and here I am!'

  Macy was more resourceful than she seemed, Nina decided. Even Eddie appeared mildly impressed that she had evaded the authorities. And then, out of everybody you could have turned to, you came to me.'

  Because I knew you could help. And you did. If you hadn't saved me, that guy would have killed me. So, thanks!'

  Not a problem,' Nina replied. Eddie grunted sarcastically. But now you're safe—'

  I hope,' Macy cut in, glancing warily at the door.

  I think that after last night's little debacle, the bad guys will be trying to get as far away from New York as possible. But since you're hopefully safe, and we've got the pictures, we can tell the IHA what's happened.' She gave Eddie an uncertain look. That's assuming Maureen Rothschild will even speak to me.'

  Persuading Lola to ask Rothschild if she would take a call from Nina was easy. Actually getting Rothschild to answer proved harder. It took three attempts, Nina telling Lola to relay increasingly hyperbolic pleas before the older woman finally, and resentfully, picked up.

  Well, this should be interesting, Nina,' she snapped. 'After last night, I'm surprised you're not calling me from prison. From what I saw on the news, there were two dead, several injured, a colossal amount of property damage and half the city thrown into chaos. Just another day for you, isn't it?'

  Nina held back an acidic reply, forcing herself to remain diplomatic. Maureen, this is very important. It's about the dig at the Sphinx.'

  What about it?'

  Someone's trying to rob the Hall of Records before Logan can open it.1

  There was a brief silence before Rothschild's disbelieving, explosive, ' What?'

  The Osirian Temple - they're behind it. They used a fourth page of the Gaza scrolls that they didn't give to the IHA to locate a second entrance. They're digging into it right now/

  Another pause. Then, to Nina's anger, a mocking laugh. 'Thank you, Nina, for confirming my theory - you have gone completely insane. I thought claiming to discover the Garden of Eden was outrageous enough, but this? Why would the Osirian Temple carry out a second dig when they're already helping pay for the first one?

  Maybe you should ask them,' Nina growled. But I've got a picture right here of the fourth scroll, as well as a plan of the tunnel.

  And where did you get these pictures? One of those websites that claims there are flying saucers recorded in Egyptian hieroglyphics?

  'No, from Macy Sharif.'

  Macy Sharif? You mean the intern?'

  That's right.

  The intern who's wanted by the Egyptian police for assault and antiquities theft?

  Nina glanced at Macy, who was watching anxiously. T think she was framed. Everything that happened last night was because they were trying to kill her, so she couldn't tell anyone what she'd discovered.'

  Rothschild's voice turned cold. Nina, I really do not have the time to listen to paranoid conspiracy theories. Don't call me again.'

  At least look at the pictures. I'll send them to you—'

  Don't bother/ She hung up.

  God damn it,' Nina muttered. She emailed the pictures anyway, then called Lola once more.

  I'm guessing it didn't go well,' said Lola. 'Professor Rothschild just told me never to put you through to her again.'

  Yeah, I thought she might. Listen, I just sent her an email with some photos attached -she'll probably delete it without even looking, but I'm going to send it to you as welL Can you print them out and put them in her in-tray or something? It's really important that she at least looks at them.'

  I'll see what I can do. Hey, did you see what happened in Times Square last night?'

  I might have heard something,' said Nina, deadpan. Bye, Lola.' She sent a second copy of the email to Lola, then slumped in her chair. 'God, this is so frustrating! If I'd still been at the IHA I could have had someone check it out in five minutes.'

  There's got to be something else you can do,' Macy protested. If these guys get their hands on the zodiac, they'll work out how to find the Pyramid of Osiris and go rob it - and nobody else will ever know that they've done it. The whole place'!! be lost for ever! Is that what you want?'

  Of course it's not what I want,' Nina snapped. But there's not really much I can do about it, is there? Unless we actually go to Egypt and catch them red-handed . . .' She tailed off.

  Eddie recognised her look. No,' he said in a warning tone.

  We could go to Egypt.' 'No, we couldn't.'

  Yes, we could.

  We don't have visas.

  'Our UN visas are still valid.'

  We've got no bloody money!

  We've got credit cards/

  That are almost maxed out!'

  'I'vegot a credit card,' offered Macy. Til pay.'

  Nina gave the nineteen year old an incredulous look. 'Are you serious? Sure! I've got tons of credit/ 'Must be nice,' Eddie muttered.

  Nina was still dubious. T don't know how much it costs to fly to Egypt, but I'm pretty sure it's not cheap. We can cover it ourselves.'

  He made a face. If we sell a kidney or two/

  It's not a problem, I can afford it,' said Macy. Well, my mom and dad can, but same diff. My dad's a plastic surgeon and my mom's a psychiatrist, they're really rich. They pay for all my stuff anyway.'

  Wait a minute,' said Nina. 'Macy, have you actually told your parents about any of this?

  She looked sheepish. Ah, that would be no. They don't e
ven know I'm back in the country.'

  Nina was horrified. 'Oh, my God! How could you not tell them?'

  I was trying to protect them! That scar-faced guy said he was going to send people to watch our house and tap the phones, so they could find me. If Mom and Dad didn't know anything was wrong, they wouldn't get worried, and they couldn't give me away.'

  Well, they'll know something's wrong now,' Nina told her. 'Even if the IHA didn't contact them after you got in trouble - which I'm pretty sure they would have done - I had to tell the police about meeting you last night. They'll have got your parents' details from the IHA, and called them/

  Macy went pale. 'Oh. I . . . didn't think of that.'

  Nina indicated the phone. Call them, right now. Let them know you're okay.

  She picked it up and dialled. Mom, hi! Mom? Mom, calm down - I'm okay, I'm fine. Yes, I'm okay, really! Oh, the IHA called, huh?' She grimaced. 'No, that's not what happened at all, they're totally lying!' She huffed impatiently. Mom! No, I can't come home, not just yet. I'll come back as soon as I can, but there's something I need to do first, it's really important. I'll tell you and Dad all about it afterwards. Oh, and if you think anyone's watching the house, call the police, 'kay?'

  That prompted a near-hysterical response loud enough for her hosts to overhear. 'Jeez, Mom! Look, really, I'm okay. I'll talk to you soon, okay? Give my love to everyone. Mom. Mom! I said I'll eg//you. Okay, hanging up now. Bye. Bye.

  Macy lowered the phone, looking flustered and frustrated. 'Parents! God! They can be such a pain sometimes.' Then she looked at Nina, suddenly apologetic. Oh! Sorry.'

  Nina was confused. 'For what?'

  I read in the Time article that your parents died when you were about my age, so I didn't want you to think I was saying that about all parents. I'm sure yours were great. Sorry.' She went back to the laptop.

  Er . . . okay,' said Nina, taken aback.

  Subtle, ain't she?' Eddie whispered.

  Yeah. I think you two 11 get along fine.'

  Tchah!'

  Okay,' said Macy, looking round at them, 'so, flights to Egypt. Do you guys want regular or vegetarian meals?'

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