CHAPTER TWO

School. Day. The weather is nice and cold. Under the big tree there is a boy sitting under it. A boy reading a book. A boy who didn't know the father was.

Beautiful, intelligent like his mother and stronger like his father.

ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴇɢʏᴘᴛ the book he choose to read today. Lunch today was fine, he chose to eat outside the cafeteria. Away from a bunch of losers and bullies.

"Dakota".

A girl the same age takes a seat beside him. Food tray she laid in on the freshly mowed grass. She pushed up her glasses back to crooked nose.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

Dakota shows her the big title front of the book cover.

"You love Egypt so much aren't you, Dakota". he looked up to her. "You like to spend your time in the library with all Ancient Egypt you read. I know your mum works as a librarian and she's also an Egyptologist. But this is London. Should she..."

He closed the book and began to eat his lunch, ignoring the girl beside him. "You can't ignore me, Dakota. We're in the same class and it's not polite to do so".

"Then what do you suggest?" his eyes on her. "Talking with you till dawn. Is that what you want, Claudia".

"Everybody talks about you lately because of yesterday between you and George. They are afraid to be near you".

"Isn't it good? They should stay away from me. I don't have time for gossip". he sighs. "They are watching if you are still here, they will think I am about to hurt you. We don't know what people thought about us, but we sure they are".

She look around the place. Dakota was right they are watching. "I read your mum book. It was an amazing journey, somehow your mum is in it. That book based on your mum life isn't it".

"I don't know. I wasn't born yet at that time".

"She's beautiful, you know that. Your mum".

"Thanks".

"But I hadn't seen your dad".

There was a long pause for Dakota. He never knew about his father either. Not even his mother and Jonathan try to speak about him. Is his dad a bad person? Why do they hate him?

"We don't speak about my dad, Claudia. I barely knew him".

She bit her lips. Sorry. He gathered all his things, no such word after she asked him about his father. He then walked back inside the building leaving her alone behind.

Eyes are everywhere. That's why he hurried to walk away from her. She was wasting her time talking with him. What will she get talking about with him?

Nothing.

ᗰᑌՏᗴᑌᗰ ᗩᑎTIᑫᑌᗴ

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ᗷᖇITIՏᕼ ᒪIᗷᖇᗩᖇY

Deep in the bowels of the museum lie the stacks. Rows upon rows of towering book shelves. Filled with literature on the Antiquities.

Standing at the top of a tall ladder between two of these rows and leaning against one of the book shelves is a rather interesting British mother's eye-glasses, waving black hair down, long pants and shirts.

Evelyn pulls a book out from a stack under her arm, blows the dust off it, then places it on a shelf with other books whose titles all begin with the letter "O".

Then she grabs another book out from under her arm and reads the title.

"Sacred Stones, Sculpture and Aesthetics. Socrates, Seth - volume one, volume two... and volume three. And T- Tuthmosis? What are you doing here?"

Evelyn looked around the shelves.

"T." "T," "T," "T," "T." "T.

And she found it. "I'm going to put you where you belong".

Carefully, so as not to lose her balance, she looks over her shoulder to the bookshelf behind her, where all the titles begin with the letter 'T-O'

Then she looks down. It's a long way to the bottom. Evelyn gently sets the other books down on the top shelf, then turns and gingerly starts to reach across the aisle with the Tuthmosis book.

It's a little too far, so she stretches, reaching, holding the top of the ladder with her fingertips. She's almost got it, closer now closer. And that's when the ladder pulls away from the shelf.

Evelyn yelps, flings the Tuthmosis book and grabs the top of the ladder, which stands straight up. Evelyn holds her breath, swaying precariously, a long beat, and then she loses her balance, the ladder swings around and Evelyn starts stil walking down the aisle.

"OHEIUGM!! AHHHHHH!"

The ladder crosses the aisle, does an about face and heads back the way it came. Evelyn clings to the top, struggling for balance. The ladder teeters out into the main aisle and picks up speed.

Evelyn screams as it does a 180 spin into another aisle and finally crashes to a stop at the top of a bookshelf. Evelyn holds her breath, then sighs heavily.

And that's when the bookshelf falls away from her and crashes into the next bookshelf. Evelyn slides down the ladder and plops to the floor. She looks up just as the domino effect kicks in each bookshelf crashing into the next.

And onward it goes. Bookshelf after bookshelf. Thousands of volumes flinging off shelves and scattering across the floor. It finally ends as the last shelf crashes on the floor.

Evelyn's eyes are closed. She opens one eye. Look left then right. Then opens the other eye and stares at the huge mess.

"Oops".

Mr. John, the owner who just got back, was shocked as he saw the mess around him. He barely speaks, gasping.

"What- How c- I- H- How- Oh, look at this! Sons of the Pharaohs! Give me frogs! flies! locusts! Anything but you! Compared to you, the other plagues were a joy".

Evelyn pulled down her glasses from her crooked nose, her lips stuttering to speak.

"I am so very sorry. It was an accident".

"My girl. When Rameses destroyed Syria, that was an accident. You... are a catastrophe! Look at my library! Why do I put up with you?"

Evelyn looks at him trying to contain herself. "W- Well, you put up with me because I can- I can read and write ancient Egyptian... and I can- I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic... and, w-well, I am the only person within a thousand miles... who knows how to properly code and catalog this library, that's why."

"I put up with you because I know your father and mother were the finest patrons before they moved to Egypt. That's what you told me. God bless their souls. Now, I don't care how you do it. I don't care how long it takes. Straighten up this meshiver. I want it to be clean as soon as I get back again".

He storms out.

Evelyn just stands there, steaming and then she hears someone coughing, quickly she turns around. A beat then smiled as she saw Jonathan lean to the side of the frame second entrance floor.

"I can see it never changed." he walked forward. "Look at you my-dear-sister. Dakota is twelve year old boy and you still.." he stops. "Still what you are. Why?"

Snorts. Taking a seat at one of the shelves, she was destroyed. "I did it again. Of course in Dr. Bey library in Cairo. This is London". sigh. "Something is bothering me".

"What is wrong?"

"Dakota. He-he hears the whispers, the voice. He told me last night. Oh Jonathan.. What if it was Imhotep? What if he tries to get him back. I'm scared".

"How are you sure it was him?"

"Remember when I was too. I keep hearing Imhotep in my head. After I stumbled upon his grave, his statue. He keeps following me wherever I go. Please Jonathan do something. I don't want to lose Dakota".

He patted her back. "There's no reason for Imhotep to return. If he did. Ardeth of course will warn us. He won't get you and Dakota, Evie. We risked our life back then".

"We have never heard of Ardeth since that happened".

Jonathan nodded gently. "Which means we are safe from Imhotep. The world is safe. Now, we don't need to speak about him. Not anymore. Imhotep is on vacation in the underworld". he walks. "Don't forget to clean up your mess". she smiles then looks around her.

"Oh my God!"

Night. Dakota bedroom. He was reading again on his bed and suddenly Evelyn walked inside to collect all his dirty clothes. She glanced over at him and saw him reading. Collecting the last clothes from the floor, she looks at him with a smile.

"You destroy Mr. John library today". before she could speak. He knows about her already. "You know I like to spend my time in the library. So, today Mr. John asked me not to because of you. I ask him that I want to help you but he asks me to leave politely and come next time".

Evelyn sighs out loud and takes a seat at the edge of his bed. "This is bad".

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to destroy Mr. John library, the ladder doesn't work with me. So it was the ladder fault not me". he looked up from the book, eyes on her. "Fine. Dakota there is something I want you to hear from me. I may want the three of us to move back to Cairo. Hope you like it".

"Though England is your birth place".

Nods her head. "Of course England is my birth place, so Cairo is my home too. Besides you say you love Egypt so this is your opportunity to know their culture. Just imagine how wonderful we lived there".

"Does that mean I have to change my school?" Evelyn nod yes. "Splendid. I wouldn't face George anymore in school again".

Evelyn patted his laps gently. She knows that she made the right decision moving back to Cairo. Nothing was possible for her and Jonathan before. Besides, she misses Ardeth Bay and she will introduce Dakota to him.

"Don't worry about this house. Someone will look after it. I decide we move next week and tomorrow you will start packing all your things". he nods understanding.

Evelyn kisses the side of his head then walks out from his room with all his dirty clothes. He hears her shouting downstairs. Oh, come on, Jonathan. Again!