Anubis
Anubis copyright c. 2015 T.A. Chase
Part Fifteen-
It was almost as though Ahmed spoke from experience. Jamil gave himself a mental shake. A lot of the scholars of ancient history spoke of the gods like they were real, but if they ever existed, they lost their power when people stopped believing in them.
“You sound as though you believe in them,” he commented, having an urge to know how Ahmed thought about everything and anything.
Ahmed chuckled. “Late at night, when I can see the stars in the dark sky, I do believe they are looking down on us. They might not have a hand in our day-to-day lives, but they are watching. I guess you can take the boy out of the desert, but you can’t take the desert out of the boy.”
Jamil tilted his head. “I can see that. We’re all shaped by what we experienced during our formative years. You were raised as a nomad and your life was controlled by the whims of nature. There are spirits in the sand and wind. Then we learn new things when we move away, but it doesn’t change our inner beliefs.”
“True.”
They fell silent as they wandered along the trail through the canyons leading to the city. Jamil let his mind go blank, absorbing the heat and the stillness of the area. Oh there were people all around him, tour groups heading to Petra, but their conversations were hushed as though they felt the weight of time pushing down on them.
As they approached the steps of the Treasury, Ahmed stiffened beside him and Jamil shot him a quick look. He noticed that Ahmed was staring straight ahead, so he turned and spotted a tall slender man standing at the entrance arches. Sandy and Eesha were talking with him.
“I wonder who that is,” Jamil murmured as they continued on.
“It’s Thomas Hutchinson,” Ahmed told him.
“Really? He told me he wouldn’t be here until tomorrow. Guess he got a earlier flight.” Jamil jogged up the steps. “Dr. Hutchinson, I’m Jamil Ahlid. I’m glad you could come.”
Hutchinson shook his hand then gave Ahmed a quick man-hug, thumping his shoulder with a heavy hand. “Ahmed, I appreciate you telling Ahlid here about me. Glad you’re willing to share the fame from finding this stuff.”
Ahmed grimaced, but simply replied, “I didn’t find this stuff, Thomas. Jamil did, so you should be thanking him for pulling you in. You’ll have to share whatever fame there is to come with him.”
“Of course.” Hutchinson flashed him a bright grin. “When do I get to look at the jars?”
“They’re already at the museum, but you can meet us there in the morning if you want.” Jamil set his pack down then pulled out his laptop. “I have pictures of the writing on here. Maybe you can do a quick translation then do a deeper one later.”
After straightening, he turned his computer on and adjusted the screen so that Hutchinson could see it. Ahmed had wandered over to talk with Sandy and Eesha. Jamil saw how the women seemed charmed by the man. A hint of jealousy swelled in him and he tried to tamp it down. After all, he was the one Ahmed had kissed.
I need to get over myself. It’s not like we’re a couple or anything. Jamil gave himself a mental slap upside the head.
“You don’t have to worry,” Hutchinson muttered, nudging him with his knee. “He’s not interested in those women. Hell…he hasn’t been interested in women since he was born, I bet.”
His cheeks heated and he ducked his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you don’t.”
He heard the amusement in Hutchinson’s voice, but he wasn’t going to acknowledge what the man had said. “Here are the up close pictures. You can look at them out here. I’m heading to my unit.”
Hutchinson took the laptop and grinned, but didn’t stop him as he moved into the darkened interior. Ahmed returned to Hutchinson’s side and pointed something out on the screen to him. Eesha and Sandy joined Jamil, escorting him through the outer chambers while chattering on and on about Hutchinson.
“It was like he appeared out of nowhere. I was outside on the steps right before he showed up and I swear to God, he didn’t walk in. Not from where the main groups do.” Sandy shook her head.
Eesha laughed. “Maybe he repelled in from the top of the canyon like Spiderman or something.”
Jamil chuckled. “He does have the look of a superhero, doesn’t he?”
“They both do.”
At Sandy’s statement, they all turned around to look at the two men standing in the arched entryway of the Treasury. Hutchinson and Ahmed were the same height and had the same dark coloring. Jamil wouldn’t doubt that Hutchinson had Arab blood in his genes. Ahmed was slightly more muscular, which made him more attractive to Jamil.
They held themselves like warriors. They were talking about the jars, but Jamil could tell they were keeping an eye on everyone around them. When they finished talking, Hutchinson closed the computer then they strolled in Jamil’s direction.
The loud inhalation from both women shocked him out of staring at the men. He nudged his friends with his elbows before turning around to continue on to his unit. By the time he got there, Ahmed and Hutchinson had joined their group.
“From my brief perusal of the writing, I think Ahmed is right about it being the Princess and the young prince’s canopic jars. I definitely will take a closer look when I can see the real things, but you’ve made an amazing discovery, Dr. Ahlid.” Hutchinson handed Jamil his computer back.
“Thank you. We do think there might be more things to be dug up in that chamber and a few other rooms that we’ve been given access to.” Jamil rubbed his chin. “The government also gave us permission to go into some of the caves in the area. We think there might be some burials there.”
Ahmed hissed, startling Jamil.
One Response “Anubis”
great excerpt, TA…worth the wait… soooo, tomorrow, right? 🙂 🙂