Alex Belfort and the Queen of Egypt

By Marc Duncan

Alex Belfort and his buddy Gary leave their lives in America and soon find themselves catapulted across the millennia by forces unknown to the ancients. When they arrive, they surmise that they have journeyed to the banks of the River Nile … three thousand years in the past.

There the two men must find a way to survive in an ancient and foreign land, one that is ruled by pharaohs and Egyptian gods alike. Alex befriends a beguiling woman, Nofratari Mari An Mut, whose name literally means “The beautiful one, beloved of Mut.” Also revered as divine mother Isis incarnate, his new friend is one of the most powerful women to have ever lived—and Alex is going to need a powerful protector to survive. The special bond that forms between the American man and the queen of Egypt is one of great spiritual awakening for both.

Nearly thirty years in the making, this epic time-travel adventure combines the excitement of a science-fiction story with a very detailed depiction of life in ancient times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Oct 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483418339

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DUNCAN

Copyright © 2014 Marc Alexandre Duncan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1832-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1834-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1833-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014916427

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 09/12/2014

CONTENTS

Foreword

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

Footnotes

"

To my sweet, wonderful wife:

goddess Nana.

FOREWORD

A long time ago, in a town not so far away (sorry, not a galaxy far, far away), the town of San Jose, California, to be exact, I happened to have an unusual experience while visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. To this day, I feel privileged to be living close to this remarkably interesting landmark. Anyone who has any interest in the subject of ancient Egypt would certainly feel the same way. Not only this Museum can boast of having one of only two full size reproductions of an Egyptian tomb in America (the other one is in Chicago), but the park surrounding it does replicate an ancient Egyptian temple grounds, complete with a temple, statues, and a large obelisk.

Now, getting back to my unusual experience. I was indulging in my favorite pastime of admiring the many ancient Egyptian artifacts displayed in glass cases at the Museum. One of them held many small statues and amulets of the ancient Egyptian deities. As usual, this particular display was a favorite of many parents who had brought their children along. It is at that time that I heard this unusually derogatory comment that a lady made while her children were observing the religious artifacts with great curiosity.

I quote: You see all these ugly idols? Back then, people did not know about our heavenly father, so they all worshipped evil idols.

To this day, I still vividly recall that lady’s demeaning statement, and I still find it quite outrageous. Although I take pride in being very understanding and tolerant of other people’s faiths and beliefs, I could not help but feel that it was time for me to quit procrastinating, and carry out a project that I had been ruminating over for some time already: writing a story that would paint an accurate and realistic portrait of ancient Egypt. Most importantly, a story that would realistically depict the ancient Egyptians for what they were, and what they stood for. I felt that the time to come to do my part in dissipating some of the darkness that still lingers on that subject. It did not take me long to find out the hard way that I had embarked on quite a monumental task, but again, I am not the type that gets easily discouraged.

Here, I must also express my thanks for all those who did provide me with valuable help in completing this challenging project, beginning with the reverend lady Zarita Muniz Zook, A’uwat-Sa Aakhuwt H.PS, for her invaluable advise, as well as for her permission to include in my story her liturgical creation Adoration to Isis. I would also like to thank his holiness, the reverend Ptahmassu Kaamptah Marianptah Nofra-Uaa, for his invaluable advise on Egyptian customs, rituals, and original liturgies. I also feel very indebted to the Rosicrucian order AMORC, San Jose, California, whose beautiful park and museum were invaluable in helping me visualize many scenes from ancient Egypt. Also, thanks to Jose and all the staff from the 1700 Park & Naglee Starbucks for preparing the many hot chocolates needed to fuel my brain power. Finally, this list would not be complete without the lady Theresa Parmigiani, from the city of Fairfield building division, who gave me a quality pen at a time when it was sorely needed to complete the manuscript!

Indeed, it took many years, and quite a lot of work to bring this project to completion, but today, I can unequivocally say that it was worth it. I might add that its completion comes none too soon, because it is painfully obvious to me, or to anyone with any real knowledge of ancient Egypt, that the many years that went by since I got on with the project have done little to dissipate the darkness. Even some excellent recent movies and documentaries are still peppered with inaccuracies that I find almost as outrageous as the lady’s comments at the museum, so many years ago.

Now, without going into the details, I would like to mention that there are three major points I intended to make as part of the project. The first one is, obviously, to present the reader with a truly accurate representation of this remarkable ancient civilization. The second one is to bring to light the personality and qualities of one person from this bygone era whom I always found to be quite remarkable. That happens to be the legendary queen Nofratari Mari An Mut, great queen of the two lands, still known today as she for whom the sun shines. There were many great queens during the long history of ancient Egypt, but, with the possible exception of Cleopatra, few have left such an enduring mystique and aura of fascination as she did. After decades of study, as well as being very fortunate to have access to information not available to the general public, I have no doubt that my rendition of her does justice to this truly extraordinary lady. Although not entirely forgotten, she is no longer a major subject of conversation today. That is why I am quite sure that, if the dead could come back, she would probably appreciate being depicted as the principal character in my book. True, the dead cannot come back, but talking about them sure makes their presence felt among the living, just as it was during the time when they were around. So, I find it easy to understand the ancient Egyptian adage: to speak the name of the dead is to make them live again.

The third point I wish to make is one that, ironically, was not in any way a part of the original project. That issue did not raise its ugly head until the more recent apparition of Youtube service! The first thing that drew me to the internet was the mere fact that it is an inexhaustible source of valuable information, but I did not fare so well when it comes to my first intellectual encounters on social media. Spirituality being such an integral part of the ancient Egyptian culture, it is a subject I simply could not avoid tackling in greater detail. For that purpose, I thought it would be a good idea to exchange some thoughts and ideas on the subject through social media. I felt it should only be fair to explore some viewpoints that differ from mine when it comes to spirituality and religion.

Again, it did not take me long to find out the hard way that the young intellectuals of today, particularly the ones posting comments on Youtube, are anything but the engaging, gentle minded, affable scholars of 100 years ago. They turned up to be more like many candidates on American Idol oozing with arrogance, craving for instant fame and gratification, and particularly impervious to any open dialogue. I found it particularly disturbing how quick they were to use strong language from the moment I expressed a viewpoint that in any way differed from theirs. Ever since I began to experience chatting on the Internet, especially on Youtube, not once did I find any scientist, skeptic, or atheist who did not quickly turn up to be defensive, vindictive, even downright nasty from the moment I expressed any view that might in any way bruise his/her ego, or burst his/her intellectual bubble. That is when this unpleasant experience inspired me to include in my story what a person like that might go through if he or she was to spend some time in ancient Egypt. I honestly believe that it would do a lot of good for the young technocrats of today to be immersed into a radically different culture, of which they obviously understand so little.

One might notice that I appear to paint a rather negative portrait of atheists in my story, as if I had a score to settle with them. Actually, I do! Their litany of insults was plenty enough to prompt some form of intellectual retaliation on my part. In conclusion, I can say that the third point I wish to make is that science and technology are not the silver bullet that arrogant intellectuals claim it to be. The bottom line is, being educated does not necessarily mean being right. After finding so many things the hard way, I felt it would be only fair to depict in my story some atheist character going through the same kind of experience.

And so, I have made my points. This challenging and monumental project is finally completed. And although I do not expect to reap any big monetary rewards for all my work, it is my hope that the reader might at least find this story educational and entertaining, as was written on an old flyer from the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, which I still have today. If the only difference it would ever make was to ensure that a long time from now, in a galaxy far, far away, a lady taking her children to visit the newest virtual reality exhibit on ancient Egypt would make a more favorable comment than the one I heard in San Jose so many years ago, that would be good enough for me.

Am Hotep!

CHAPTER 1

I t was quite unusual for a beautiful Egyptian noblewoman to spend hours hiding among the papyrus plants that blanket the banks of the Nile. However, Ta-ath had simply run out of options. All her previous efforts to solve an intriguing and exciting mystery had failed.

She was understandably tired, sore, and quite uncomfortable. The same could be said about her faithful servant Kemi, whose exposed skin was a heaven for the mosquitoes!

Nevertheless, she too was thrilled at the mere prospect of getting this unique chance to see something truly out of the ordinary.

So far, this beautiful morning seemed quite ordinary. Ra, the Egyptian sun god was rising majestically above the calm waters of the Nile. The birds nestled among the papyrus reeds were beginning their soft chirping. There was no breeze whatsoever, but the cool air of the early morning was quite pleasant.

Ta-ath was sitting quietly, waiting patiently, hoping to reap some reward for her effort.

As to Kemi, she was getting bored. She could hardly wait to return to her more ordinary duties in the comfort of her mistress’s luxurious home. Her only pleasure at that time was the beautiful natural spectacle of the bright sunlight shimmering over the surface of the river.

Suddenly, something very unexpected, very intense, and very out of the ordinary happened. The two women were extremely surprised, to say the least. They could not utter a word, nor believe their eyes. An extremely bright light was shining in the blue sky, right above them. It appeared to be quite high and distant, but its brightness was so intense, it was actually outshining the sun itself. The whole landscape was getting dappled in an intense green light.

Unlike the sun, the mysterious light above was green. Also unlike the sun, it was distinctly oval in shape. Ta-ath and Kemi had to cover their eyes as they tried to identify what this object might be. They readily noticed its odd shape, as well as the fact that it was moving quite fast. Indeed, within a very short span of time, the mysterious object became quite distant. Its brightness decreased as it headed swiftly towards the Northeast.

It did not take long for it to appear as nothing more than a distant bright speck in the blue sky.

Needless to say, the two women were nothing short of awestruck by this extraordinary encounter. Kemi was quite scared at first. By contrast, Ta-ath felt that she had already moved one step closer to solving the biggest puzzle of her life.

When the mysterious bright object got so distant that it simply faded from view, Kemi felt reassured enough to pop a question.

Mistress, is this what they call the satellite?

Yes, Kemi! This is what these strange men use to travel to our land. That means they must not be far away.

Surely they must be gods!

This is what everyone thought at first, Kemi. But these men never claimed to be gods, in spite of their extraordinary powers and magic. On the contrary, one of them is said to worship our gods. The people from the village told me how devoted he is to our beloved goddess Isis.

But, if they are not gods, if they are merely mortals like us, who could they be? And where could they possibly come from?

According to the villagers, these men are called Americans. They come from a very distant land called America.

It would have to be distant all right! No one anywhere in the known world has ever heard of a land called America. I can understand why you are so curious about them, mistress.

And by hiding here, my curiosity may at last be satisfied, Kemi! I have learned from the villagers that one of them comes regularly to this spot to water his horse. If we can get a glimpse of him, that would be quite enough to satisfy my curiosity.

That might be quite dangerous as well, mistress! I will follow you anywhere, but I must tell you that attempting to see one of them up close seems like a risky venture to me.

I understand your concern, Kemi. But I see no reason for being afraid. You know how well informed I am. The people from the village have done much to satisfy my curiosity already.

That I know, mistress. A little gold buys you a lot of knowledge.

And the knowledge I have acquired leads me to believe that these men are not hostile. On the contrary, the villagers told me about all the good they did for them. They used their extraordinary magic to help them in every way, like curing all their ailments and doubling the size of their harvest. That doesn’t sound like hostile behavior to me.

I agree, mistress. We should be thankful to the gods that men endowed with such powers don’t appear to be enemies. But there is still no telling if they are pure of heart and true of voice.

I would not expect to find out that much about them today, Kemi. But seeing one of them up close could give us a good insight. What we are attempting may be risky, but also well worth it.

What if he sees us, mistress?

I wouldn’t see that happening, Kemi. We are well hidden here. The only way he might notice our presence is if he hears us talk; so we better speak softly, or just keep quiet.

We better, mistress! Look! Over there!

It so happened that she was the first one to get a glimpse of what got her mistress so intrigued for so long.

Some distance away, still far from the river, was a man riding a beautiful white horse.

We got to see him, finally! Said Kemi.

That is so wonderful, Kemi! But let’s be quiet now!

Indeed, the mysterious rider began heading in their direction. Before long, he was getting close enough that it became imperative for the two women to whisper. It is fair to say that, at that time, they could feel their hearts pounding! For Ta-ath and Kemi, it was an adrenaline rush, but they managed to remain calm and discreet. They were observing him with the utmost attention and curiosity.

What struck Ta-ath the most were his looks. She realized then that the descriptions she got of him did not do justice to this man who was remarkably young, well groomed, athletic, and very appealing. He was definitely way more handsome than anything she expected. His facial features, as well as his attire, clearly revealed that he was not Egyptian. As he got closer, she could see that he was not wearing any eye makeup. His nose was more prominent and curved than that of the Egyptian men. His hairstyle was also markedly different. His dark hair was not the wig traditionally worn by most men in Egypt. It was obviously his natural hair, cut quite short. He was wearing an oddly shaped hat, and most of his body was well fitted with strange looking clothing whose design and fabric were totally unknown in Egypt. Strangest of all was his footwear, which appeared to be rugged, elongated, remarkably decorated, and made of some type of tanned animal hide.

A rider attired like him was definitely unlike any the two women had seen before. In spite of his utterly alien looks, this man made quite a favorable impression on Ta-ath, and rightfully so. His good looks, his relaxed posture, his calm composure, the serene and forthright expression in his eyes, everything about him indicated that he was courageous, compassionate, trustworthy, manly but gentle, even downright noble. This handsome man riding a beautiful white horse was indeed a very appealing sight. There was an aura of manliness mixed with gentleness and high morals about him that was truly striking.

At that time, Ta-ath felt very excited, very intrigued, and, much to her surprise, also very drawn to him! It is fair to say that she must have felt the same way a Medieval lady would when seeing her knight in shining armor.

As he slowly trotted by their hideout, the two women got a very got view of him from barely twenty feet away. Ta-ath found herself quite elated. Obviously, her patience and effort had already produced an appreciable result!

As to Kemi, she was also very captivated, but she became alarmed when she noticed one particular item that was in a leather holster on the man’s belt.

I am afraid, mistress! Whispered Kemi, Look! He carries his rod of thunder.

You are right, Kemi! Said Ta-ath, But I wouldn’t see him using it against us. First, he hasn’t seen us. Second, we pose no threat to him.

Just as she was saying these words, the man and his horse paused for a moment. It was as though he was beginning to suspect their presence. The beautiful white horse gave off a short neigh. The man took a quick look around him, but saw nothing. He then patted the neck of his horse before pursuing his ride towards the river. Kemi and Ta-ath breathed a sigh of relief.

When he reached the river’s edge, the man got off his horse. He was obviously eager to stretch his legs a little. At that time, he was barely thirty yards from the two women’s hideout. Other than the chirping of a few birds, the whole area was fairly quiet; so they heard him distinctly when he uttered a few words in his language.

There you are, good girl! Said the man in English, You like drinking from the Nile, don’t you?

Of course, Ta-ath and Kemi had no idea of what he was saying.

I wish I could understand what he is saying. Said Ta-ath.

I wonder what language that is? Said Kemi.

If my sources are correct, it is called English.

The two women abruptly ended their conversation when they began hearing a very loud roaring sound. It was distant at first, but its intensity was increasing extremely fast.

Don’t move, Kemi! Be still! Said Ta-ath.

I am scared, mistress!

The gods shall not forsake us! Oh! Look!

Where, mistress?

Over there! Look at that!

Sobek help us!

In the distance, a strange looking, fast moving object, was approaching the clearing. It was not particularly large, but it gave off a terrifying and very loud roaring sound. It was also leaving a long thick cloud of dust behind it. The two women were understandably quite scared. It was as if a small sandstorm was heading right towards them!

In no time, it got close enough that they could see it clearly. It was a man riding what looked like a small chariot, but with only two wheels, and moving by itself. It finally slowed down a little as it passed by their hideout. This time, they did not get a good view of the man riding it, because he went by so fast. But he finally stopped, not far from where the first man was.

Of course, the two Egyptian women were very intrigued by his chariot, which any American would instantly recognize as a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The two men obviously knew each other, because the first one seemed happy to have the other one join him at this remote spot.

The second man turned off his engine. He then got off his motorcycle, after which he began to converse in English with his friend.

What brings you here, bud? Said the first man.

I was a little worried. If there is any truth to these rumors about patrolling chariots, our days in the village may be numbered.

You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill, bud! So what else is new? You told me yourself before we went on this trip that the Pharaoh has eyes and ears everywhere. He sure is just as obsessed about catching us as you are about seeing his queen, but he hasn’t caught us yet, and I don’t think he ever will.

That’s because we always kept a safe distance. I don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but I must tell you that today, I am a little worried.

I appreciate your concern, bud. But I sure wouldn’t see the Pharaoh’s eyes and ears extending this far.

After a short pause, he added:

Although, when I came here, I had this funny feeling of being watched. But that’s all it was, a funny feeling.

I agree! I can’t think of anyone capable of sneaking up on you! Anyway, that is more than unlikely in this remote spot.

I like coming here. It’s a great place to get away.

If nothing else, this is the kind of place where I like to listen to my old music.

I like the idea! Did you bring your Victrola?

The VV-50? You bet! Said the second man as he opened a large container that was secured on the luggage rack of his motorcycle.

Kemi and Ta-ath were close enough to see what he took out of it. At first glance, it was only a wooden box. When he opened it, they could just about make out some shiny metal parts inside of it. They became even more intrigued when they saw him insert a mysterious black circular object inside the box.

You wouldn’t happen to have my favorite artist? The French Diva?

Try me!

The man gently laid the tone arm onto the record. It was an original recording of Je cherche un millionaire (I am looking for a millionaire, 1937) by the late French Diva Mistinguett. Quite old by modern standards, but quite beautiful, a true classic.

When the venerable old machine began playing the voice of the legendary French singer, Kemi and Ta-ath were understandably nothing short of flabbergasted! They were both looking with their eyes peeled and their ears open. It was unquestionably the most unusual and astounding experience of their lives! Stunned as she was, Kemi noticed that this song was being sung in a different language.

Mistress! That song, that language, that’s not English! Said Kemi.

You’re right, Kemi! Said Ta-ath, That’s one more thing we learned about them today!

You really got your gold’s worth, mistress!

Astonished as she was by the music generated by the wooden box, Ta-ath was equally curious about the newcomer. He was markedly different from the first American. For one thing, his skin tone was much lighter. Also, he seemed to be a little younger. The best way to describe him would be to say that he actually bore a certain resemblance to the American actor Michael Douglas in his younger years. Beyond that, there was an aura of mystery about him that got Ta-ath particularly baffled.

That is so strange! Whispered Ta-ath while holding her hand to her chin.

These two men are very strange all right Said Kemi.

You are not going to believe this, Kemi! But I am quite sure that I’ve seen this man before!

Kemi was understandably quite skeptical of her mistress’s extraordinary statement.

That’s impossible, mistress! You must be mistaken, somehow.

No, I am not mistaken, Kemi! I know it sounds crazy, but I am sure! The way he talks, the way he moves, there’s something about this man I have seen before.

Where then, mistress?

It doesn’t matter, Kemi! You wouldn’t believe me if I told you!

Then maybe you shouldn’t tell me.

I would have given all that I own for this moment, Kemi! I cannot believe my eyes, much less my ears! Everything I was told about these strange men is true. Their magic is incredible!

No wonder our lord the Pharaoh is so eager to capture them.

How could anyone capture men that have such powerful magic?

If only we could talk to them.

Suit yourself, mistress. I’ll pass on that.

When the famous song ended, the first man applauded, as if the long deceased artist was present, waiting for her well deserved ovation. As to Ta-ath and Kemi, they sure felt very privileged to get this ringside seat view of something so outlandish, so unlike anything that anyone in Egypt had ever seen before.

Not bad, for an old machine that never needs batteries! Said the first man, I still can’t believe how loud and clear these old vinyl records sound. It was a good idea to bring your old Victrola collection along.

I told you, bud! These old machines are handy in a place like this, where there is no electricity. The achievements of the past should never be underestimated. And here, in Egypt, you are bound to see things that will blow you away!

Right now, I see something I’d rather not see!

Really? And what is that?

A party pooper! Look!

An enormous, imposing, fierce looking lioness came into view, walking slowly towards the river! She did not roar, she did not even seem to be particularly aggressive. She might not even have been hungry, but she kept on walking at a slow pace towards the clearing near the river. It was more likely that she had chosen the same spot to quench her thirst.

The fierce beast kept on walking towards the two men. For a moment, she paused while looking at them. After giving off a short growl, she kept on heading in their direction.

The first man looked understandably alarmed. He drew a large revolver from his holster. The beautiful white horse was getting agitated. By contrast, the second man looked remarkably detached. Tense as they were from the arrival of this formidable newcomer, Kemi and Ta-ath could clearly notice his face lighting up!

The goddess Sekhmet! We are blessed! Said the second man.

Call her what you like, bud! To me, she is a carnivorous feline! I can’t let her harm my horse.

Leave that to me. Said the second man as he motioned for his friend to aim his revolver away from the fierce beast. He then reached into the pouches on his motorcycle, from which he took a few small cylindrical objects.

Kemi and Ta-ath were very curious as to what these objects were, and what he had in mind. He sure looked remarkably composed and relaxed as he began walking slowly towards the lioness. He must have meant what he said when he referred to the mighty beast as the goddess Sekhmet, because instead of showing fear, he was raising his right hand in the traditional Egyptian gesture of reverence. It looked as though he had fully embraced the ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, especially when he uttered words that the two Egyptian women immediately understood.

Duwa, duwa, duwa! (Praise, praise, praise!)

Nebit Sokhamet! Nebit Sokhamet! (Lady Sekhmet! Lady Sekhmet!)

Duwa di u Nutjerus! (Praise to the gods!)

Duwa aduw, Nebit Sokhamet! (I adore you, lady Sekhmet!)

For Kemi and Ta-ath, this was a particularly striking revelation.

So, it is true! Whispered Ta-ath, This man does speak our language, and he really does worship our gods!

That is obvious by now, mistress! I remember you saying that he is particularly devoted to the divine mother, Isis. That would explain his obsession to see the queen. You know she is the divine mother incarnate.

Good thinking, Kemi!

Meanwhile, the first man was also observing this remarkable scene. He patted his horse. He still had his revolver drawn, but with its barrel pointing up.

The lioness, which was indeed revered by the Egyptians as Sekhmet, goddess of war and healing, was still not showing any signs of aggressivity. As he approached her, the man was looking straight into her eyes as he kept uttering his words of devotion. For a few brief moments, both he and the ferocious beast appeared remarkably calm and detached. It really looked as if they were communicating without using words.

Calm as she was, the lioness began to look away from the man’s eyes. Hers were now focused on the beautiful white horse. The other man also seemed to instinctively see something in her eyes that he did not like.

At that time, the second man realized that some measure of precaution was urgently needed, so he ignited one of the cylindrical objects he carried. It was an ordinary highway flare. Its crackling sound and bright red light got the lioness quite startled, she even began to look agitated. She took one step back as she gave off a fairly loud growl.

As Kemi and Ta-ath looked with their eyes peeled at this exciting scene, they could also hear an unusual clicking sound. It was the first man cocking the hammer on his revolver. The beautiful white horse was getting increasingly agitated. A confrontation with the mighty beast seemed imminent, if not unavoidable.

But the second man had a trick up his sleeve. First, he uttered a few more invocations, which seemed remarkably effective in calming down the mighty beast. Then he used the flame from his flare to ignite the other cylindrical object he carried. It was a fireworks piece called Flashtron fountain. When it went off, it gave off a spectacular fountain of fire all right! This combination of flying sparks, bright crackling flame, and whistling sound was more than enough to drive the lioness away for good. She left the scene in a hurry.

Kemi and Ta-ath were just as impressed. But they became quite alarmed when they noticed that the fleeing lioness was heading straight in their direction! Indeed, she was beating a hasty retreat towards the papyrus stalks, right to where they were hiding!

As she rushed through the plants, she actually saw the two women, but she paid no attention to them. Her only concern was to get away from this place in a big hurry, so she simply took a spectacular leap. Like a circus tiger jumping through a fiery hoop, she literally flew right above the two terrified women.

For Kemi, that was too much! She gave off a loud scream. She kept on screaming, even though the retreating lioness had quickly disappeared behind the bushes.

Ta-ath tried to shut her up, but it was too late! Her screams had been clearly heard by the two men.

The second one, who was still waving his smoldering fireworks piece, looked startled and incredulous. The first one, on the other hand, showed an air of determination as he quickly reacted. He began walking in the direction from which the screams had come from.

Did you hear that? Asked the second man.

I think there are ladies in need of rescue, here! Said the first man.

Here? That can’t be! It must be some other animal! I bet it’s a jackal!

No way, bud! That was human all right! And I’m sure it came from over there! Said the first man as he was heading straight for the two women’s hideout, with his massive revolver still drawn!

Ta-ath’s cover was obviously blown! She now found herself facing a double crisis, between trying to comfort her traumatized servant who was on the verge of fainting, and trying to figure out what course of action to take now that one of the mysterious strangers was not only aware of her presence, but heading straight in her direction! She quickly decided to show some resolve. She stood up, after which she walked out from the papyrus reeds into plain sight.

When the two men saw her, they were understandably very surprised. The first one, who was closest to her, was quite literally stunned, and for good reason. The beautiful noble lady, still decked in her splendid attire and jewelry, coming into view so unexpectedly, was like a shining diamond coming out of alluvial gravel.

It was not only her entrancing beauty that made such a vivid impression on him, but also the very special kind of class and charm that she displayed. As is fitting for a noble lady of her time, Ta-ath was unquestionably a very beautiful woman. But she was also endowed with a very unique majestic distinction. She was truly shining with the commanding glow of Egyptian royalty. Never before in his life had he ever met a