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Hall Place: Conference Room a short while later:
Evie sighed, since the very early hours of morning she brooded over the scroll, while Amanda was working concentrated on their secret special project, Evie knew Amanda was perfectly suited for the job, because of her unique skill set – and if things went according to plan, they would not need that failsafe.
Even if the Egyptologist had made decent progress it was hard work, her eyes burnt. The content of the scroll, or the part she had translated so far, reminded her of a very early stage of the pyramid texts, which were basically a guide through the afterlife for the Pharaoh.
Another sensation, because if her hypothesis would prove correct these texts would be the oldest funerary texts ever found: so far the oldest known pyramid texts dated to the 5th dynasty. This scroll was older, probably well over 200 years, then the till now oldest pyramid texts.
But after what Evie could tell already, the scroll contained not only funerary texts, but there were those diagrams and sketches in black and red ink as well. So far those remained a mystery – but there was a peculiar phrase, which she had never read in a funerary text ever before:
“The sun ray of Amon-Ra will turn the world to ashes and the Son of Horus will cleanse the earth with fire”
This phrase she had always found in context with those diagrams and sketches, 20 times so far. One crazy hypothesis she had pondered was that those diagrams and sketches could be some blue print of sorts, but if so: for what? The title “Son of Horus” referred to Pharaoh, so much was clear. Was the “sun ray of Amon-Ra” a mystical weapon? So far she discarded that idea. “This is neither a movie like “The Mummy” nor a novel like “The Queen of the dammed by Anne Rice” Evie scolded herself.
She concentrated on the next column …. as out of the blue a picture sprang into her mind: the moment as they charged into room 61 seeing the bloody and beaten body of Anna on the floor, Chris kneeling next to her, stroking the Russian gently above her head, speaking softly to her – around them the two corpses of Anna´s wannabe assassins, one headless lying in a pool blood, tissue, brain matter and bones, the other staring blindly at the ceiling a bolt protruding from her chest.
This picture haunted her as did the ones of Sarah and Kirsty dealing with the two cult-members who were supposed to catch her.
They had fought with desperation and blind rage, so that the Briton and the Canadian had had no choice but to kill them. The Dark Lady had taken out her opponent with a hard and precise stroke to the larynx, while Kirsty had rammed her combat knife into the chest of her enemy. Evie shuddered.
She could still not help but to feel a twinge of guilt for having left Anna alone, even if she knew that Anna had made that decision herself, for her, Evie´s own good – Sophie had told her as much too.
But that rationale did not ease the weight of guilt, it was still there, and she felt it keenly.
“Get a grip” the Egyptologist admonished herself “if you make no decent progress, Anna´s sacrifice will be for naught” Evie began to tackle with the next hieroglyph, some kind of stork … and immersed herself in this strange world,
the undiscovere'd country, from whose bourn No traveller returns’ That made sense she thought, only a happy few could travel this land – but she was sure, she would return, and unlock the secrets of the scroll.
Hall Place: Anna´s Room, around 0300 PM
When Anna awoke this time, she felt definitely much better than before: a glance at her watch told her that she had slept well over four hours straight, deep and dreamless. The Russian yawned, carefully she tried to sit up, and to her surprise this time she could do it herself, every movement still did hurt – much if she was honest to her herself - but not the excruciating way it had in the morning.
Slowly and very carefully she swung her legs out of bed, and found her comfy Birkenstocks next to her feet “How perceptive of you Kate” the violinist smiled fondly, Kate was the best friend one could wish for
For a moment she just sat there, before she tried to get up, very slowly, very carefully. Anna was still not moving very gracefully and far from elegant, but she managed to walk the short distance into the bathroom under her own steam – she was sweating though profusely when she arrived in the bathroom, she felt as she had run 10 kilometres. Anna avoided though a look into the mirror, as she washed her hands.
When she had returned from her visit to the bathroom Anna popped some cushions behind her back, so that she could sit upright. On her nightstand she found her copy of Dostoevsky´s “Crime and Punishment” which her grandfather had presented her with on her 15th birthday.
It travelled with her always – and obviously Kate had put it on the nightstand, because she knew that the Russian read in that novel frequently, mostly on travels. The main theme of the book, “one of the finest studies of the psychopathology of guilt written in any language” had never failed to fascinate her, and after the beating she had sustained, she felt strangely drawn to the book, not that she felt any guilt about anything. Guilt did not cut it. No, her “sin” had been of another sort. If she was honest with herself, she had simply underestimated the Egyptian driven by her desire for revenge – and paid the price – and almost made the highest sacrifice, if Kate and Sophie and Chris had not arrived right on time.
She stared ahead, but did not really see anything around her for a moment - images of the previous evening popped into her mind she felt the force of the blows and kicks again. Never in her whole life had she been so soundly beaten.
Anna shuddered as she remembered the moment when Anck-Sun-Amun´s brutal round house kick had hit her with full force it had felt as if her head had been ripped off her spinal column. The violinist did not register that her knuckles turned white, so tight she had gripped the book.
She would have her revenge she swore to herself, but on her terms, and when she would be ready for it, and that meant she would work hard on her martial arts skills. Anna nodded grimly. Her grip loosened. Dostoyevsky would be the right cure right now.
But before she opened the book, her growling stomach told Anna, that it had been hours since she had something to eat, just as she made motions to call Evie or Sybil, someone knocked at her door
Anna called “Enter” – it was Evie, the Egyptologist hovered on the threshold and seemed not entirely comfortable, there were those small tell-tale signs, which betrayed her uneasiness.
The other woman was clearly shocked by the sight of Anna´s face. “You should have seen me this morning” Anna tried a grin. “It is nothing that will not heal. In fact “You came right on time Evie! Could you get me something to eat?”
“Of course!” the Egyptologist piped up “Sophie made Chicken Madras this morning, I fetch you something”
Anna beamed, well the right unhurt side of her face at least, “That would be great!” What interested her more: Why had Evie come in the first place?
“Delicious!” she sighed 20 Minutes later and laid the spoon aside. The Russian looked up and regarded the Egyptologist with an inquisitive gaze “What is on your mind Evie?” Anna waited patiently
At last Evie took her heart in both hands, as she blurted out: “You know I feel bad, you got injured because of me, you nearly died - Sophie said that this is nonsense but …” Anna cut in “Sophie is right Evie: It is nonsense – I made my decision and it was the only chance for you to get help and save us both – and you did that, I owe you my life, never forget that – I will surely not, I owe you”
“I know, but ….”
“Save the but´s Evie” Anna said with a certain finality “You could not have done more than you did, tell me how is the translation going?” the Russian changed the subject – and Evie was glad she did.
“I am making progress, but it is difficult. This is by far the oldest text of its kind that has been discovered so far and that alone makes it unique, but on the other hand it is completely different that the later pyramid texts of the 5th dynasty, but the drawings and sketches? I have no idea so far, what they mean …“
“You will find out Evie, and Amanda is surely a great help” Anna reassured the Egyptologist “Sure, she is ….”
The Russian looked at her intently “There is something else, isn´t it Evie?” “Yes?” the Russian prodded gently
“I felt so incredibly helpless yesterday in the museum …” Evie sighed ´”could you guys teach me to fight for myself?” Evie ventured tentatively “I couldn´t have done what you did, throwing myself at those horrible women …”
“And look what I did get out of it” Anna replied dryly with a lopsided grin – and winced “A black eye, a few badly bruised rips a couple of ugly bruises and some nasty cuts, probably a scar” – she touched the wound above her left brow and grimaced - … “you are sure about this?”
“I am” Evie sounded surer now “If you are then we will teach you, but that will take time and you have to train hard” Anna stated “but there is another thing; Evie do you know what hurts more than my body?”
The Egyptologist shook her head “My pride” Anna said calmly, I got my ass handed back to me yesterday, and that did not happen in a while – I felt incredible helpless at some point …” she paused “No, “helpless does not cut it. I was certain I would die” For a moment Anna seemed to be very far away.
“But you did not run” Evie stated “No I didn´t” Anna nodded “But that is what this is all about: You can train, you can learn till the cows come home, but in the end all that matters is the will to fight – even against all odds, and you will find that strength in you Evie” the Russian added with utter surety
“You know, what kept me going was I knew you and the others would come for me, this is about trust, about courage, it is as simple as that” For a while neither Evie nor Anna said a word.
Finally the Russian stifled a yawn – “I am sorry Evie, but I am tired, we can talk later – and I meant it, that we will train you” and as soon as the Egyptologist had left, Anna washed down her pills with some water, curled herself together under the covers and was soon fast asleep again.
Evie thought long about what the Russian had said “I will find that strength” she swore to herself, “I will!”