Incest/Taboo Pharaoh’s Curse

"Thank you, my lord; I'll get out of your hair so you can enjoy your meal," Halima said; happiness and pride filled her heart that he truly appreciated her talent. As she neared the tent's exit, Andrew's voice stopped causing her to turn back to him. "Yes?"

"Tomorrow, you will be leaving with me; you are my bodyguard, yes?"

"I am, might I ask; where are we going?" Halima asked, curious.

"Cairo, then a trip up the Nile," Andrew said factually.

"Andrew?!" Alex puffed out her cheeks, knowing exactly where he was going.

"What, you're here doing your job, a job I might add you left Dad and me for, so you just can't run off and follow your son to NeoHierakonpolis," Andrew said, taunting his mother.

"I swear to you, I will not divulge its location to anyone," Halima swore.

"Oh, I know you won't; if you do, Ammit will devour you," Andrew said with deathly undertones with a gaze to match. Their heads turned as a panting Haas came running up to the mess tent.

"Please... you have... to stop... him," Haas said through heaves of breath.

"Stop who?" Andrew asked confused as Haas stared right at him. Ever since the night at the museum, she and Bill had pretty much gone out of their way to avoid him. Not that he cared if they didn't want to be friendly with one another; he was under no obligation to be a welcome mat for them.

"Bill... he's going to your tent," Haas gulped for breath.

"Stupid idiot," Andrew grumbled as he surged from his seat. He knew the Uraeus would keep anyone from taking the crown from where it rested. That wasn't the problem; the problem was the fire that the Uraeus tended to spit out at whomever it was. It didn't care it was in a flammable tent at the moment. As he predicted, the moment he was a few feet out of the mess tent, Bill came rushing out of his tent in a ball of flame. Luckily Andrew didn't see flames coming out of his tent, so he had to assume until he got there, the fire only struck Bill. Watching how one of the Medjay tackled Bill in a blanket smothering out the fire. Breathing out a sigh of relief when he peered into his tent, seeing it unharmed by Bill's stupidity. Turning around, noting how the nurse was rushing towards Bill as the smell of his burnt hair left a foul odor in the air. "You know, I would have thought someone who's attending college would have more smarts than trying to steal something that doesn't belong to them," Andrew said coldly as he glared down at Bill.

"It belongs in a museum," Bill stammered through rough coughs. While he lost the hair on his head, his eyebrows, forearms, and lower legs, a light singe to his skin, he was relatively unharmed.

"No, it belongs to the Pharaoh, and I am the Pharaoh. Next time you won't get away with a smack on the wrist, thief; the Gods don't take kindly to those that interfere with their plans. May Ra help you if you try to steal from me again, for I will send Set to swallow you whole if you dare take what is mine again," Andrew said with a coldness even he didn't think he had in him. "Now take him to the nurse's station and see to his wounds, but I want someone watching him while I'm here," he ordered, looking over at Halima.

"Of course, my lord, I will see that the man doesn't interfere with you again," Halima said, bowing to him and gesturing for two of her order to escort Bill to the nurse's station and the rest to keep their eyes on the man.

"Andy..." Carla's voice drifted on the wind as he turned towards her, "did you have to be so harsh?" she asked, wondering if this side of him was always present and she was just now seeing it.

"Sometimes a Pharaoh needs to be harsh, Carla; I don't have the luxury of being nice all the time. That only shows weakness to Egypt's enemies who think they can take what isn't theirs. Why do you think the Hyksos could have invaded? Because the Thirteenth Dynasty were weak, and their enemies smelled it and plundered the land. I cannot bring Egypt back from this stagnation by being weak, Carla. I can't think just about myself any longer, Carla; it's taken me this long to come to terms with what I have to do. What I do from this day forward until the day I die and meet Osiris in Duat to be judged will echo for the rest of eternity. It's just not me that you have to worry about; it's every single soul that calls Egypt home that I must concern myself with. I'm not saying it will be easy; nothing worth having is ever easy. Yet when its all said and done, the land, its people, and its place on the world stage will shine like no other in all of human history. That is what I've been tasked with, Carla. I've gone through too much just to let it all go to waste. I am sorry if that upsets you; if you want..." Andrew's words were cut off as Carla took hold of his face and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever," staring intently into Andrew's eyes, "think I'm going to leave you because of what you must do. I love you, Andy. I've loved you since the moment you saved my life when I fell off that ladder, and you caught me. I'm just worried all this... will change you into something I know you're not," Carla said heatedly. Her nostrils flared; her heart drummed against her ribs as Andrew pulled her close against him.

"You sure? It is going to get rough from here on out," Andrew warned.

"What kind of Queen would I be if I didn't stand by my King?" Carla whispered yearning just to taste those lips again. Also, she wanted to hear the words he said to Anta in the club directed at her.

"Good, because I don't want just anyone as my Queen," Andrew said lovingly as he gently palmed her ass. Feeling her fingers curling around his shirt as she pressed her 36B breasts into his chest, waiting for him to say those three words. He wasn't an idiot; he knew what they'd been dying to hear. He just never knew the best time to say them. Then again, when was the best time to tell someone you loved them?

"Baby?!" Carla whined softly so only Andrew could hear.

"Love you too, Carla." If he had known speaking those words would lead to her shoving her tongue down his throat or how the act set his body on fire, Andrew would have spoken the words months ago.

"Come, we still have work to do before dinner, then we'll help you get packed," Carla said, leading him by the hand towards the temple. While she was going to miss him when he was away, yet she knew he would be on this plane, not off in the Duat... she hoped.

Chapter Six

"You promise to be safe?" Alex asked in a worried motherly tone, knowing Andrew would be wading into waters she didn't know how to navigate.

"Mmmhmm," Andrew nodded as he stood beside the Land Rover that had been rented by the museum to take him back to Cairo early the next morning.

"And you promise to call every day?" Anta asked as she held his hand.

"Of course," Andrew nodded again.

"And you promise you won't go looking for another wife?" Carla asked sternly, knowing Halima and a man Andrew had picked out last night waited patiently in the SUV.

"Of course, I have all I need right here," Andrew said warmly.

"Good, you better not forget that; now you better go before I change my mind and keep you tied to the hammock," Carla said, letting some of her more adventurous side out.

"Kinky, I like it," Andrew uttered with a coy smile. "I'm holding you responsible for their safety while I'm gone," he spoke, peering at the man Halima had put in charge while they were away from the site.

"You have my word, my lord, not a hair will be harmed on their bodies," the man stated firmly as he placed his right arm diagonally across his chest and bowed to Andrew.

"Don't work too hard; I'll be back soon," Andrew stated after getting his goodbye kisses in. "In you go, Bast," he said, waving for her to hop into the back of the vehicle as he held the door open. Reaching up and taking off his crown, he couldn't very well sit in the car with it on, and he wasn't about to leave it behind. Waving to the three of them as the SUV turned around and pulled onto the road.

"Where to, Lord Menes?" the man asked, looking at Andrew in the rearview mirror.

"Memphis," Andrew ordered, seeing the man nodding in understanding.

As Andrew was relaxing in his seat, watching the land of Egypt flying past him from his window with his arm resting on the top of his crown. He began to wonder just how he was going to store it given he didn't have a place at the moment, nor did he have guards he could trust to safe guard it from people too stupid to heed the warnings the Uraeus gave before it set them on fire or whatever would happen to the person if they tried to wear it. Shivering in his mind at what that would entail. Looking down at the seat as Bast pushed something toward him with her tail. A curious look appeared in his eyes when he noted the small black box covered in hieroglyphics. A name burned into the back of his eyes as Ptah's name appeared on top of the box. Glancing up, her green eyes met his eyes, conveying that he should open the box. His head snapped back as that once ring-sized box grew to a size that would accommodate his crown.

"Give Ptah my thanks," Andrew whispered as he placed his crown into it, seeing Bast nod in understanding as he closed it. While it was bulky in his pocket, it was better than having a beacon on his head. He wasn't ready to take on the current establishment. He wanted the transition to be bloodless, yet he knew that was never the case. He just wanted to keep the blood to a minimum as much as he could. He didn't want to tear Egypt apart because the Gods had decreed that the Pharaonic line must once again rise up and lead the nation. Yet this was his job now, and he would make the best of it.

"My lord Pharaoh?" Halima's voice drew him out of his meandering thoughts.

"Hmm?" Andrew hummed.

"Might I ask, without seeming to be offensive, do you regularly talk to animals like they're the Gods?" Halima asked from the front passenger seat, remembering how he had spoken to the falcon who once used his head as a perch.

"Who says they aren't the Gods?" Andrew retorted, noting the intense interest in the man's eyes as he glanced in the mirror.

"So you're saying that cat, that falcon, and the lion were actually all Gods?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Andrew answered plainly. "Do you honestly think I go around talking to animals like a crazy person... scratch that, you might actually think that. Do you think I could sit in front of a lion, a real lion, and not get eaten? That would mean I'm like the Beast Master or some... although that would be kind of cool walking around with ferrets in a satchel," Andrew mused, referring to his father's favorite show growing up.

"So... that is really Bast... the cat goddess?" Halima asked with a tad bit of fear in her voice.

"Yes, she is that Bast," Andrew stated, sensing Bast's enjoyment out of the whole conversation. "Hey, question, since you're the cat goddess and all, what's the deal with cats and boxes?" he asked, snorting at the answer she spoke in his mind.

"And she speaks to you... regularly?" Halima asked in awe of the interaction between the two. Although no sound came from the cat, she knew, she didn't know how she knew, she just did, that the cat was indeed speaking to Andrew.

"Pretty much."

"And the falcon, was Horus, the god of kingship?"

Andrew arched an eyebrow as Halima quickly turned around in her seat, rapidly muttering under her breath when he nodded his answer. Reaching over and scratching her right hind leg as he went back to peering out the window. Asking her how she would like her new temple there as they rode along the Nile. "Oh? Not there; how about the Delta, all that water," Andrew teased, getting a hiss out of Bast.

"My lord, maybe it wouldn't be wise to anger a goddess in the car," Halima said fearfully.

"Don't you stroke her ego; it's big enough as it is; you don't want to know how many times she's regaled me with the fact she's the Eye..." Andrew's words were cut off as a flying ball of fur launched herself at Andrew's face. "So cute when you get all angry in this form," Andrew mused, keeping his face well away from her kicking hind feet as he held her at arm's length. "Oh, now is a perfect time; you can't run away from me in a car," he said, grinning evilly. He just wanted to know why she was so against belly rubs. Only to feel her power breaking his grip on her and bashing him in the nose for the thought of defiling her divine body. "Damn, Bast, what was that for?" Andrew asked, his voice muffled as his hands cupped his nose.

"Next time, you'll get the claws," Bast said heatedly, extending her very sharp, wicked claws to him. "It's undignified to rub your protector's belly," she lied; she just didn't want Andrew to know how she acted when that happened. It was how mankind had gotten her drunk in the first place when Ra ordered her to exterminate the human race. She was not about to allow that to happen ever again.

"If you're going to be like that, then go back to the Duat or Anta," Andrew grumbled, checking to see if his nose was bleeding as he rubbed it.

"No," Bast spoke, knowing he was only saying it out of anger. "It's what you get for trying to humiliate me. You shouldn't do that to your wife; I thought you were smarter than that."

"Menes?" the man's voice interrupted Andrew's ongoing fight with Bast as the car sped down the Genish road as they approached Helwan as they cruised beside the Nile.

"Yeah?" Andrew answered; agitation could be heard in the tone of his voice.

"Might I inquire about Ra?"

"What about him?" Andrew asked, looking at the back of the man's head.

"He is still with the people of Egypt, isn't he? He hasn't forgotten about us, right?"

"Who do you think put this whole thing together? It certainly wasn't me. I'd rather be back in New York with my family than dealing with abusive wives," Andrew answered, glancing at Bast from the corner of his eye just to be argumentative with her. Noticing how she narrowed her eyes at that.

"You speak like you've met the Great Sun god," the man said as he peered intently at Andrew from the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, many a time, cool dude, even lets me play around with his godly weapons," Andrew joked, blocking Bast's attempts to kick him in the side of his head.

"Then the night at the museum, those were the true weapons of Ra?" Halima asked in wonder. Never before had she ever heard of such a thing. "Is that why it felt like a miniature sun in that room?"

"Yep," Andrew answered with a pop of his lips.

"And you've talked to Ra, mean face to face?" Halima asked, peering around her seat.

"Mmmhmm, really tall dude, kind of shiny too." Andrew tilted his head when the two of them started mumbling prayers to the Gods. Rolling his eyes at the display, giving Bast the opening she needed to slip into his lap. Rubbing his jaw when she gave it a few swats with her paw before standing on his lap, her front paws pressing on his chest as her face filled his view. Her head thumped hard against his as those green eyes of hers pulled him into their depths. Feeling the sand paper texture of her tongue as she licked up the glabella of his face, which was weird if you asked him. Andrew took that as it was her way of saying she was sorry, given how god or goddess wasn't ever going to say the words, even if they were in the wrong, to begin with. "You better be glad you're so pretty," he mumbled down to her as she laid on his lap. The thump of her tail against his leg told him she was.

"So after you speak with Mal, where will we be taking you?" Halima asked as the sign for Cairo's city limit flew past them.

"To the docks past the last bridge north of the city," Andrew stated, blowing out a breath in his mind, knowing the rise of his kingdom starts the moment he got out of the Rover.

"Might I inquire why the docks when we have a car?" the man asked; he was willing to follow Andrew wherever he wanted to go; he just thought the Rover would get them there fast and cooler than on a ship.

"Where I'm going, there are no roads to it," Andrew said factually.

"Maybe we can have workers build one to it; we do have a few members that do that kind of work," Halima offered as she peered back at him. The moment he turned his gaze to her, she knew his answer as those blue-green eyes with a strange light within them had a hard look to them. A look of a man that's seen things, things she couldn't possibly understand.

"No."

"May I ask why you're so vehement about not connecting your capital to the rest of Egypt?" Halima asked, trying to understand.

"It's to keep the villagers safe and not fall prey to people of this age," Andrew said in a monotone voice as he turned his gaze back out the window. Feeling Bast purring on his lap as he stroked along her spine.

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to understand to heed my command, do you?" Andrew spoke, his eyes glancing over at her.

"Please, my lord, please don't take offense to my inquiring nature; I just wish to learn how best to protect you from Egypt's enemies," Halima said with downcast eyes. "But might I ask, what did you mean by people of this age?"

"The people of my capital are from an age long, long since passed, an age where none of what we have today existed. Long ago, something fell from the sky onto the land of Punt, killing Pharaoh Baka on his expedition to it. Destroy the kingdom of Punt in the process and trapping the people of the capital city of Punt in a place out of time..."

"Whoa, whoa, back up, I thought Punt was like a city or something, and what's this thing that fell from the sky?! Was it a meteor or something?" Halima asked, knowing what he was telling her she could never divulge to anyone. She knew, and her peer knew he wouldn't hesitate to enact his threat.

"Far worse than a meteor," Andrew replied, feeling Bast tensing up beneath his touch.

"What could be worse than a meteor wiping out a kingdom?!" Halima exclaimed; the sound of her hands striking the center console filled the air.

"A goddess, a fallen one, to be precise," Andrew said with deathly undertones, causing Bast to release a blood-curdling growl at just the hint of Ba'al.

"There are others?!"

"Many more," Andrew nodded. "So anyway, this goddess trapped the people of the capital of Punt in this other dimension sort of, and I freed them and brought them back so they can live out the lives they would have if this goddess hadn't altered their fate. This is why, for now, the modern world cannot interact with them so they can adjust to life four thousand years after they were trapped by this goddess."

"You're telling me these people are from four thousand years ago?!" Halima asked in shock.

"They are," Andrew nodded. "I expect you two to keep this to yourselves."

"Of course, Pharaoh, we would never betray your trust as to divulge such delicate information you have just imparted to us," Halima stated, with her counterpart nodding along. "I know you don't have a high opinion of our order at the moment, yet we, Medjay, know how to keep the Pharaoh's secrets secret," she said with pride, getting an 'Mmmhmm' out of her counterpart. "Even on the pain of death, we would never reveal what you have spoken to us." Hoping Andrew believed her words as his eyes studied her as they roamed her face, also that her parents were proud of her to be traveling alongside their Pharaoh. "Can I ask, what was this goddess' name?"

"Ba'al, the usurper," Andrew said with disdain.

"We're almost to the University, my lord," the man said, pointing to the sign for it a few feet a head of them.

"I just texted Mal; he said he'll meet you in the quad on the east end since he's just now getting out of class," Halima said, pocketing her phone. "I know where it is; it's not that hard to find from the parking lot," she stated, peering at him in the vanity mirror, seeing him nod in response.

"Wait here, don't want to cause a scene being seen with two armed guards, want to keep below the radar for the moment," Andrew instructed as he opened the rear door.

"Don't you want one of us to accompany you?" Halima asked, worried about his safety.

"Nah, Bast is coming along; if they can get past Bast, well, best not think about that," Andrew muttered, holding the door open for Bast, who jumped down to the ground from the back seat. "See, Bast, you have so many people to pick from that would love to have you as their protector," he teased, only to sense her snotty demeanor as she lifted up her head and tail and trotted towards the quad. "Sorry ladies seems she's taken a liking to me," Andrew said, waving to them as their collective 'Awws' filled the air.

"Hey!" Mal greeted, extending his hand into the air, getting Andrew's attention. Looking oddly as a cat just jumped onto the concrete table, one of the dozens that populated the quad. "Thought since I didn't hear from you for a month that you didn't want the design," he said lightheartedly.

"Yeah, sorry for the noncommunication on my part; I was kind of in a dead zone for a month," Andrew replied, shaking Mal's offered hand. "Is that it?" he asked, nodding towards the carboard tube.

"It is, made a model too if you would like to see it, didn't take you for a cat person," Mal said in a friendly tone as he noted how the cat placed its right paw on Andrew's left forearm.

"She's grown on me; she can even do tricks, too, watch," Andrew said, patting his left shoulder, getting a glare out of Bast. Narrowing her eyes as they battled it out in Andrew's mind, only to hear the sound of Bast's purr filling the air when Andrew agreed to do the thing she greatly enjoyed.

Mal watched in awe as Bast leapt perfectly onto Andrew's left shoulder. He had no idea how the cat was sitting so balanced on it. What came next had Mal balling out in laughter! "Fear me, puny human, for I am your cat overlord!" Andrew kept his mouth shut so Mal would think he was pulling a ventriloquist act when Bast opened her mouth and not hearing the true voice of the goddess herself playing along with Andrew's joke.

"Man, that was good. Must have taken you forever to get your cat to do that," Mal said through heaves of laughter.

"Oh, you just need to give her the right incentives," Andrew answered with a coy smirk. "So, you said something about a model?"

"I did, but it's not as big as the one I made earlier; I kind of broke my budget on that one," Mal stated, seeing Andrew nod in understanding. "I didn't paint it, I'm not good at that, but this should give you an idea of what it will look like when it's complete. But got to say, you sure do have some weird tastes, but I'm not complaining."

"Of course, you're not; you're about to get paid," Andrew mused to himself as he lifted off his seat to view the entirety of the model. "Who doesn't want to live like a king, eh?" A bemused grin spread along his lips. "Look, Bast, he even put that cat garden in it," he said, noting how Bast was curiously peering over the model beside him when he said it.

"Oh, this is just my idea of how the rooms would look, but it does have the numbers of rooms you asked for," Mal said, lifting the top of the model, ignoring how Andrew was talking to a cat. He wasn't about to blow his big payday because the first client of his professional career was a little eccentric.

"And that's the Harem house, right?" Andrew asked, pointing at the structure behind his palace along the rear wall.

"You sure that's what you want to call that thing?" Mal asked quizzically.

"Yeah, where else are the ladies going to gather?" Andrew retorted with a cocky grin.

"Hey, it's your dime," Mal uttered with a shrug of his shoulders. "So, what do you think of it?"

"You did make sure the electronics are hidden, right?"

"Yep, don't know why you want to hide them, but they're all located in this area. I made this wall a false wall; you'll just have to figure out how to make the mechanism work when you build this place to keep the wall secured like you wanted. That should be enough space for everything you'll need to power, heat, cool, and all the rest. Does it meet your requirements?" Mal asked, hoping he didn't get stiffed again or have to wait another month to get paid.

"It does; good job," Andrew said, reaching behind him and pulling out his wallet and handing Mal the check he had promised should he make the design to his specifications.

"Thank you, if you ever need a house, building, or whatever, I'll be happy to work with you," Mal said happily, extending his hand out to Andrew while stuffing the fifteen thousand dollar check into his pocket.

"I'm going to be putting a group together here soon to restore Karnak and Luxor; if you want in on the project, when you hear of the announcement, by all means, feel free to do so; I'll make sure yours is looked at first. Just, however, stick to how they used to look; after all, this is for tourism. And they do come to view the ancient monuments," Andrew said, lifting the model off the table and tucking the carboard tube beneath his arm as he inched out from around the bench seat.

"But aren't those historical sites? The government isn't just..." Mal's voice died in his throat when Andrew had this cocky smirk on his face that said: 'I am the government.' "Right, when I hear about it, I'll submit it to wherever that might be." Mal's voice trailed after Andrew as he waved goodbye to him with his cat following along beside him.

"My Pharaoh, did it go as you hoped?" Halima asked, standing outside of the Rover, holding the rear door open. Her eyes followed how Bast sauntered and jumped into the back of the Rover as Andrew neared.

"Yes, now, to the docks," Andrew ordered as he slid into the back. Popping off the top of the tube and sliding Halima's design into it, so it wouldn't get lost or wet during the trek to NeoHierakonpolis.

Unlike the last time his solar barge was docked in Cairo, there was no media hype surrounding the dock as they pulled up to the long-term parking. Pulling out the box from his pocket as he stood on the black top, it still amazed him how it could transform like it did as he opened it. Seeing the luster in Bast's eyes, the same luster he had seen when he first put on his crown as he lifted it to his head. Closing the case and placing it back into his pocket, and grabbed the tube as Bast bounded out of the Rover before he shut the door.

"You wear the crown of the two lands very well, my lord," Halima praised with a bow, noting how the light seemed to make his crown shimmer and his body glow.

"Thanks, feels like I'm wearing a bowling ball pin on my head sometimes," Andrew muttered, seeing the confusion on Halima's and her male companion's faces due to the lack of Egypt not having a single bowling alley. "It's an American game, the pins sort of resemble the White Crown of Upper Egypt," he said, pointing up to it, at least the part that was sticking over the Red Crown of Lower Egypt.

"Ah, yes, I can see how that might feel like it," Halima said, nodding along, even though she had no clue what he was talking about, the game, not the crown.

"My lady, Bast," the man's voice caused Andrew to peer over at the man as he knelt down on the ground, "allow me the honor of carrying you since his lordship's hands are full at the moment," he said in reverence to her.

Hanging and shaking his head when she pranced over to the man when she knew his intentions were honorable. Andrew knew she would be a pain for a week or more due to all the pampering she's been getting lately. Wondering if this was how she was during the Old Kingdom. Although that didn't mean he would interfere with the man's obvious happiness as he cradled Bast in his arms as he rose.

"So lucky?!" Halima hissed in jealousy, given how no one had ever seen or much less touched a god or goddess in their entire life. Even if that god or goddess was in a polymorphed state. She knew how her order would be joyous and envious that Andrew had been and will always be surrounded by the Gods. "What's it like?" she whispered so as not to take the focus from Andrew as he led the way to the docks.

"I... can't even describe it, Halima, it's like nothing I've ever experienced before, and you know I've been on one campaign after another for the State. Been to the jungles of the Congo, seeing animals that are so bright and brilliant they defy imagination. Yet nothing compares to what I am experiencing right now." Their heads shot up when they heard fluent ancient Egyptian spoken, something they didn't think existed outside of their order, minus Andrew and his company.

"Pilous!" Andrew called back, smiling at the old man, taking him by the shoulders when the man dropped to his knees, causing the man to peer up at him. "I do not require my subjects to bruise and batter their bodies to prostrate themselves to me when a simple bow from one as wise as you is significant to address their King."

"Of course, my lord Pharaoh, you're too kind to this old man," Pilous stated with a wide smile on his face, not ignoring the glow that surrounded Andrew's body as he helped him to his feet. "But where are your lovely Queens? Surely they wouldn't allow one as handsome as you to wander the land unwatched?!" he said, eyeing the two strangers behind Andrew, getting a chuckle out of him.

"They're off doing important things; they will visit again; I assure you, they wouldn't miss a trip to NeoHierakonpolis if it wasn't important," Andrew said, clasping the man lightly but firmly on Pilous' left shoulder. "These are my guards during my travels to tour my kingdom; treat them as you would treat your own."

"Of course, my lord, if you say they're with you, then they'll get the best that my people and I can offer; the ship is ready to sail whenever you are, my lord," Pilous said, gesturing to the barge.

"Good, good, we have many miles to travel," Andrew nodded. "Hope you two don't get sea sick," he said, peering over his shoulder at them.

"My lord Menes, how can these people speak our language?" Halima asked low as they stood out of the way as the crewmen made ready to sail.

"Long ago, when Egypt was crossing into the middle of the Third Dynasty, a man, a curious stranger, appeared in Egypt. So strange and exotic this stranger was that the man caught the attention of the local governor of the Nome the man was in. Upon learning of the never before seen items from textiles, pottery, jewelry, spices, incense, herbs, and a curious plant, the governor thought it wise to present the man to the Pharaoh. Such was the Pharaoh at the time amazed by the items before him; he beseeched the man to tell him where he was from.

So this stranger began to tell the Pharaoh of a land of wealth, beauty, and fertile land called Punt. For you see, the man had been blown off course on a trading expedition to a land I can't recall at the moment. That's not important; what's important is," holding up his index finger, noting how Halima and her companion were intently listening to his tale, "the Pharaoh at the time was so impressed with the items he bid the man to escort an expedition of his own men back to his land, which he learned was called Punt. With his men laden with Egyptian gold and a treaty in hand, they set off for this land that no man had seen before. Upon their return, they brought many riches to the land of Egypt, and soon trade between our two lands was thriving. And that is how they know our language," Andrew said, finishing his story.

"And what a day it was, my lord; my grandfather would boast about how these people of the Nile would bring all sorts of things for trade at the port when I was a boy," Pilous chuckled. "Punt was a beautiful land such a shame what that wicked Ba'al did to it. If it wasn't for our lord here, we would still be at her mercy," he praised as the ship cut cleanly through the water of the Nile.

"Then it's good that your people are free," Halima said in a warm tone with a smile to match.

"That it is," Pilous nodded before walking off, barking out orders as one of the lines for the sail grew slack.

Andrew's attention was roused as the same women who greeted him the first time approached him with fresh food to sate his hungry belly. "Eat; it'll be hours before we reach the city," Andrew said, gesturing to the trays. Noting the sadness in the man's eyes when Bast jumped from his arms and ambled over the overstuffed cushion she had laid on during their first trip.

"Ah, as it should be," Bast purred in his mind as a small girl began to fan her. "Not a word out of you," she warned as she stared right at Andrew.

As his ship approached Helwan, Andrew ordered the men to slow the ship as they neared a dock and barge that looked familiar to him. Seeing Abu and Jahi working on repairing some damage done to the deck of their ship, feeling his ship gliding along to a crawl. His crew tossed them the mooring lines, tying his ship up to theirs.

"Hello, Jahi and Abu," Andrew greeted, helping the two of them onto his ship.

"Hello, young man, fine ship you have here," Jahi greeted, looking around the deck for his daughter.

"Thank you, these people built it by hand," Andrew said, gesturing to Pilous and the others who were quietly minding their own business. "You should feel it on the water; it's rather comfortable."

"I'm sure it is," Abubaker uttered, wondering why the women were wearing such thin garments and why his sister allowed such a thing to happen.

"You hungry?" Andrew asked, waving over the women. "I have plenty to share," he stated, watching how a few of the men grabbed some of the cushions and brought them over to mid-deck. "Please, have a seat; you must be tired from working on your boat; what happened to it anyway?" Andrew asked, trying to be polite to his future in-laws. "Please, eat; Anta wouldn't want me to sail passed and not offer you lunch when I have plenty to share."

"Where is she anyway?" Abubaker asked, trying not to notice how the women's, who knelt between the three of them, nipples were bleeding through their linen dresses.

"Back at the dig, I had some things to do away from it, so I'm on my way up the Nile, saw you, thought I stop and chat," Andrew informed them.

"My daughter, is she safe?"

"Yes."

"And who are those two?" Abubaker nodded over to the two beneath the awning.

"Bodyguards of a sort," Andrew said factually, ignoring how they were trying not to stare at his crown.

"Is that thing real?" Abubaker asked, with his father nodding along.

"As real as you or I. So what happened to your ship?" Andrew asked again.

"Some idiot didn't properly secure one of the nets they use to hoist the grain bags off the deck to the crane, and it fell back onto the deck, nearly scuttled the ship," Abubaker sighed, knowing the way their ship was now they wouldn't be sailing anywhere or hauling anything for that matter. Their only hope was to hopefully repair it so it could sail to a shipyard to put into drydock and hope the price wasn't so great that the cost of refitting the barge would bankrupt their business.

"How bad is it?" Andrew asked, seeing the shadows playing along their faces.

"Bad," Jahi said in a sad grumble.

"I'm surprised it hasn't taken on water yet," Abubaker muttered, rubbing his hand through his hair as he chewed on his rather sweet date.

"I see," Andrew said, stroking his chin deep in thought. "Maybe I can help," he uttered, coming to the conclusion that Anta would totally stress out over the fate of her family if she knew, and from what he gathered, she didn't.

"We can't..."

"I can, I have the means, and you will be my family soon, and Anta would bite off my head if I didn't help you when she knew I could. Plus, if a Pharaoh can't help out his own family, how can he hope to help all the other souls that populate the land?" Andrew asked, waving his arms out to his surroundings.

"That does sound like my daughter; she gets it from her mother," Jahi chuckled, finally accepting the glass of wine from the woman to his right. "But I'm not taking charity; I plan on paying it back," he said sternly. Really digging into the platter once he had the richness of the food on his tongue.

"I don't have a problem with that, but you can pay me back by providing transportation for my workers. Anta would never allow me to take money from you. I'd rather not get smothered in my sleep," Andrew joked.

"And just where are you going on this thing?" Abubaker asked. While he didn't like his sister being around whatever Andrew was into, he couldn't say Andrew was a bad sort of person.

"NeoHierakonpolis, my capital," Andrew said factually. "Heading up there to start the building project for my Palace."

"And I'm sure my sister didn't go crazy at the mention of that word, right?" Abubaker inquired, shooting Andrew a knowing smile.

"You should have seen her already decorating the place, and it's not even built yet!"

"Abu!" Heba called out as she walked along the dock. "Just who are you... oh, your back! Nour, it's that Andrew boy, Anta's fiancé," she said to her mother-in-law when she came to see whose strange mast it was next to their family's ship.

"And you wish for me to haul your grain; that was what you said, right?" Jahi asked, tapping his chin as he sat across from Andrew, who nodded.

"Jahi, Abu, just what are the two of you doing on that boat?!" Nour huffed from the deck of her husband's barge.

"Andrew stopped on his way up the Nile and offered us lunch, which is rather good, by the way," Abubaker stated, peering over at Andrew.

"And where is my daughter?" Nour asked accusingly.

"Back at the dig site, she's safe, I promise you," Andrew assured her. Wondering if the woman was ever going to like him.

"Might I come onboard and tour your ship?" Heba asked in wonder.

"Sure, I don't mind," Andrew nodded, seeing Halima getting up from her spot to help Heba safely cross the gap. Pulling out his phone, bringing up his bank page, and going to the transfer section. Arching an eyebrow at how much was in his bank account after a month of not touching it like he had done during the tour. "Here, input your routing and account number, and I'll transfer the funds to your account," he said, handing Jahi his phone. Listening to the two women chat about the workmanship of his barge as they ambled around the deck. "That should be enough to help you," Andrew stated after transferring half a million dollars into Jahi's account.

"And when were you thinking of starting this construction project of yours?" Jahi asked, ignoring the ping of his phone.

"Thinking beginning of next week, that won't interfere with your normal business, will it?" Andrew asked, looking at the two of them.

"You just need us to haul them back and forth, say at dawn and close to dusk, yes?"

"Something like that," Andrew nodded.

"I think we can make shorter runs while it's going on, don't you think so, Abu?" Jahi spoke, glancing at his son.

"Yeah, I think we can make it work," Abubaker agreed.

"Well, you all have a pleasant rest of the afternoon; we still have some miles to go before we get to the capital," Andrew said as Abu and Jahi were unmooring him from their boat.

"But Cairo is that way," Heba said, confused, pointing in its direction.

"Yes, but the capital is that way," Andrew said, smiling and pointing up the river. "I'll tell Anta you all are doing okay when I talk to her," he called out, waving to them as he sailed up the Nile. Smirking evilly when he noticed how pale Bennu had gotten at the site of him.​