Ok, Here's the resolution of the Quentin plot. After this, I'll be back on track to what I planned! Lol!
Bill and Sookie hopped the next plane for Egypt after Ahkman’s urgent phone call. Sookie was surprised at how anxious Ahkman had sounded. He had never really been an emotional man, and to hear the desperation in his voice was an odd thing. The only time Sookie could recall him showing any emotion at all was when he’d told Sookie of his girlfriend back in Egypt.
He had told Sookie that it was his broken heart over their break-up that had caused him to come on so strong to Sookie’s friend, Lin Hua from China and ruin her vacation with Sookie. She was sure she’d never forgive Ahkman for what he did to Lin, but when she heard how sad he was over this girl, Nabila, her heart went out to him. After all, hadn’t we all done sad, strange, desperate things for love?
It was almost that same tone she heard in his voice when he’d called from Egypt. It broke Sookie’s heart to know this little boy might well be an orphan. As soon as they touched down, Bill and Sookie separated. Bill went to meet Ahkman at the Great Pyramid to search for the boy’s father, and Sookie went straight to Base Camp to find and guard the boy. She chatted with some of the usual explorers who were gathered at the camp to see if they’d seen him.
Ahkman had described him, and the helpful explorer had pointed him out, but she didn’t need a description to find a sad, lonely boy standing alone near the tents, looking out to the desert. It was clear he was hoping to see someone returning from an adventure. Sookie hoped that he would indeed get to see that sight as she approached him.
Sookie introduced herself to the boy, telling him she was a friend of Ahkman’s. At the mention of Ahkman’s name, the boy’s face lit up. He battered Sookie with question after question of what Ahkman had been doing since he went to live in America. It was easy to see that this boy had a strong hero worship for him.
“My father laughs at me when I tell him I want to be just like Ahkman-Rah when I grow up, but he will see. I will make him proud.” Quentin told her. At the mention of his father, Quentin grew somber. “He should have called by now. He always calls me. I know there’s no reception in the tombs, but he always calls before he goes in. He was to be back days ago, but no one has heard from him.”
Sookie tried to put her arms around the boy to comfort him, but Quentin stopped her.
“I am a strong man, like my father and Ahkman-Rah. I will be strong and wait for their return.” Quentin’s face hardened.
Sookie answered, “I can see that, but it’s OK to be worried for your father. That just means that you love him. Ahkman and our friend Bill are out looking for your father right now, because they’re worried for him, too. And Ahkman sent me here to be with you, because he was worried for you. See? Even a big, strong, brave man like Ahkman worries about those he cares about.”
With that, Quentin’s face became that of a frightened little boy once again, and he hugged Sookie for all he was worth.
Although Sookie had been here before, she tried to distract Quentin by asking him for a tour of the market square, and he was more than happy to oblige. As they began their short trip, he told her of the fabulous desserts that could be bought there.
Bill and Ahkman reached the entrance to the Great Pyramid at the same time. They could easily see that the tomb had been entered.
Ahkman looked at his friend. He remembered when he’d met Bill and Sookie while they came on vacation so long ago. He’d had no idea then of how important they would become to him when he drew them in with his story. He knew he would need their help to do what no one in Egypt would allow him to do. He didn’t let himself feel bad about deceiving them, because it was a necessary thing. But now, seeing how quickly they flew to his side, putting themselves in danger without a second thought, all for him, Ahkman began to wonder at what he had become. What kind of man was he now, that he would allow this sacrifice on their part? What was Edith going through back in America, all because of him and his deceit?
He could not think of that right now. Kafele’s life was in danger right now. They needed to find him right away, but in his heart, Ahkman felt it was already too late.
Bill could see the worry in his friend’s eyes. “If he’s in there, we’ll find him.” Bill told Ahkman.
“Sookie’s with the boy now, so if anyone tries anything at Base Camp, Sookie will be there to protect him. God knows her martial arts skills are probably better than either one of us!” Bill was glad to see Ahkman crack a small smile as they went inside.
It was easy for both men to see that a struggle had taken place just inside the door. They looked at each other, and moved on without a word. They soon came to a chamber that held relics.
Ahkman’s eyes grew large, as right before him sat the last canopic jar he needed. He tried not to draw attention to it, instead plundering the chest next to the table where it sat. He hoped to put it in his pack without Bill noticing, but Bill had already spied it and looked it over, finding the inscription on the bottom: ‘When one has all five Sacred Canopic Jars, power over the mummy will soon be theirs.’
“Did you see this?” Bill asked. “Is this something we should take?”
“Let me have a look.” Ahkman replied, trying to make it seem insignificant. He took it in his hands, turning it casually to inspect it while his heart thundered in his chest. “Ha! This is a trick. A fake placed here to fool all the relic hunters who come to raid the tombs. Just like that collection I have back home, that they sell in the gift shop, remember? I think I’ll take this one as well – it’ll be something fun to show people. Come, let’s keep going.”
Ahkman was pleased to see that Bill seemed to believe his explanation as they continued to search the tomb for his friend. As they moved through each chamber, here and there they found signs of a struggle. It gave Ahkman some hope to think maybe his friend was still alive in here somewhere after all. He was grateful to have Bill here with him. Together, they were able to move more statues, disarm more traps, and explore more rooms than either of them could alone. At this rate, they would quickly gain on the people ahead of them.
As they neared the center of the pyramid, they came to a small chamber that contained a lone skeleton. Being used to seeing tombs littered with the remains of adventurers from long ago, Bill was ready to continue past into the larger chamber beyond. But something had stopped Ahkman in his tracks.
This skeleton was wearing a necklace made from crocodile teeth that matched his own. Quentin had made one for each of them a few years back while he waited for them to return from a quest at the base camp. The boy told the explorers that they were lucky and would keep them safe, so they must never take them off. He bent closer, inspecting the remains.
Bill noticed Ahkman’s interest in the remains and grew curious. “Ahkman? This can’t possibly be Kafele – he’s only been missing a few days. These remains are far older.”
Ahkman sadly shook his head. “I wish that were true, my friend. I have only read of this, I’ve never seen it myself, but this is indeed Kafele, and his remains look this way because he was killed by a mummy’s curse. See how his necklace matches my own? His son made them.”
Bill looked skeptical, but didn’t say anything. Ahkman continued, “See his leg? He broke that when we were children, playing at being explorers and climbing everything in sight. His arm? Same thing. We’d fallen from every tree, every tower, every building we could climb and broken many bones before we were teens. That one is fresh.” Ahkman pointed to the shoulder, which appeared to be shattered. “This must’ve happened when he was struggling to break free. I don’t believe he happened upon a mummy and was cursed. I believe he was brought here to BE cursed.”
“The message on that jar you took – could someone have control of a mummy and make it do that?” Bill asked as he looked at Ahkman’s pack where the jar now rested.
Ahkman knew that was exactly what happened, but he had to be careful so Bill would not suspect his taking of the jar. He looked down quickly, deciding how much to tell Bill. He needed to know it was true so he would be careful of the mummy should they meet it. He took a deep breath and answered, “It IS possible, Bill. It’s more than possible, it’s true. The legend has been around for ages, but I never believed it to be true until I saw Kafele with my own eyes. The MorcuCorp operatives who have done this must have recognized the jar I have as a fake as well, or they would’ve taken it for themselves. Perhaps it was even they who left it there when they took the real one.” Ahkman was amazed at how easily these little stories came to him now. He thought of the four jars waiting for him at home. He prayed he would not need them for what he had planned, but he had to be prepared in case things turned out badly. They were a necessary evil, and as sick as the thought of needing them made Ahkman, he was also relieved he’d found the last one.
“What do you want to do?” Bill asked. “Should we continue on, or head back to camp?” Although Ahkman’s explanation sounded perfectly true, Bill was starting to have his doubts. While he didn’t have Sookie’s ability to look into someone’s thoughts, he was none the less starting to get the feeling he wasn’t getting the whole story from Ahkman. He did get the feeling that Ahkman’s grief was genuine. And Sookie thought HE was a puzzle! His thoughts drifted back to Sookie at Base Camp. With MorcuCorp moving from relic thieves to murderers, he felt uncomfortable leaving Sookie on her own.
Ahkman rose from his dead friend’s remains, pocketing the necklace to return to Quentin. “Because of the curse, we can’t tell how long he’s been dead. It’s possible that MorcuCorp got what they wanted and are already gone, but if there’s a chance that they are still here exploring, I think we should keep going. They believed Kafele knew something, and were willing to kill him to find out. I know Kafele would die before betraying the Resistance, which means they are going through this tomb blind. I would like to find what my friend died to protect.”
With a solemn nod, Bill joined Ahkman and moved into the next chamber with him.
They divided the tasks between them, with Bill clearing the rubble with the Axe of Pangu. He was a skilled Rock Mover now through his use of the ancient device, so he was able to clear the rubble much more quickly than anyone else.
Ahkman disarmed the fire and electrical traps. His logic and handyman skills, plus his vast experience with the traps made him able to disarm them much more quickly.
In the larger rooms with traps on either side, they were able to move quickly through by each taking half of the room.
Sometimes it was best for them to each take a different chamber to clear an area quickly. Ahkman found many urns, and stopped to mourn for the dead. His mourning brought a cloud sweeping through the room, and when it was gone, a trap appeared for him to inspect.
Bill made sure to open each chest and sarcophagus to check for anything that might be of value to MorcuCorp, keeping an eye open for any hidden entrances.
Each made sure to fully explore their area and take everything of value before meeting up to conquer the larger traps together. As they worked their way through the chambers, Ahkman could see that Bill was becoming more and more worried about Sookie being back at Base Camp alone with Quentin.
“You know, your Sookie reminds me much of my best friend Naima. They were raised in such a way that being a girl was never an issue. Naima could beat me down in a fair fight, although I never told her so. I always let her think I was ‘letting’ her win when we would spar. Truth was, she was a much stronger fighter than she was given credit for. Stronger and smarter. Your Sookie is like that. Strong and smart. I don’t believe they would come for Quentin just yet. I think he is only in danger if they cannot find what they seek. When they run out of ideas, it might occur to them that Kafele told his secrets to his son.”
“I know she can take care of herself and the boy, but still feel like I’m letting her down by not being there.” Bill replied.
“That is the way of love. Working together will get us out of here sooner. Let’s finish up and get you back to Sookie.”
When they felt they must be getting close, they encountered their first dart trap. They could see the trigger which would stop the deadly flow of darts, but it couldn’t be reached without going through them. Finally, Bill found a moveable statue. When he moved it, Ahkman was able to gain access to the trigger, and finally disable it so they could move on.
As Bill reached for the next door, Ahkman stopped him. “Shhh. Listen.”
There were sounds coming from the next chamber. Groaning, dragging, and moaning. This had to mean mummies.
“Do you think this is the MorcuCorp Mummy?” Bill asked.
“We are close to the center of the pyramid. I believe it might be. We must be very careful. If this is that mummy, it has already cursed someone to death. It is far more powerful than a regular mummy.”
When they opened the door, they were faced with a sarcophagus in the center of what appeared to be an arena. There was nothing there that could account for the noises they heard, unless the mummy was hiding in the sarcophagus waiting for them.
They looked at each other, wondering if they should go after the mummy, or let the mummy come after them.
“If he’s waiting to curse us when we open the door, it’s best if we let him come out. We’ll be on even footing then.” Ahkman said.
Bill walked to the side of the arena, while Ahkman went to the chest in the center and opened it. As soon as the lid was raised, the mummy left his sarcophagus.
He didn’t attack, but he circled the arena, looking at Bill and Ahkman as though sizing them up.
As he rounded the side where Bill stood, the mummy attacked. Bill was ready, and went right into his martial arts training. Ahkman stood at the ready, in case Bill needed his help. It was the hardest fight of Bill’s life…
But he finally defeated the mummy.
As Bill struck a celebratory pose, Ahkman looked around to see if the person controlling the mummy was somewhere nearby, watching. He didn’t want to ruin Bill’s moment, but he was fairly sure that this was not the mummy responsible for cursing Kafele. While he gave Bill quite a fight, this mummy was not a fierce as Ahkman expected. When he had Bill’s full attention again, Ahkman filled him in on his thoughts.
“I was afraid you would say that.” Bill replied. Still, he was pretty happy about the outcome of his first mummy encounter. They cleared the arena of treasure, and headed out.
Bill and Ahkman continued through the tomb. They came to a throne room, where Ahkman worked a floor trigger. Soon, a hidden door opened, and they gained entry into a chamber like they’d never seen.
There was a huge skull on the floor, surrounded by moving statues. It took them a while to move the statues into a formation that opened a floor trigger. Ahkman stood on the trigger, which opened a new trigger in the eye of the skull. When he moved to check it, the new trigger disappeared. He went back to stand on the floor trigger, which brought the new trigger back up again. This time, he remained standing where he was and let Bill check the eye trigger. Once Bill had worked the trigger, a new one showed up in the other eye of the skull. Again, Ahkman tried to move but had to return to the square he’d been standing on to keep the eye triggers visible. Bill worked the second eye trigger, which opened up a new hidden door. This time, both Bill and Ahkman had no doubt they had found what they’d come for.
There wasn’t one mummy, but two. And they guarded a chest that was different from the others they’d seen throughout the tomb. Again, the mummies stalled with attacking, giving Bill time to clear the chest of its relics. The second he had the goods stowed away, they attacked. One mummy for each explorer. Ahkman was getting the best of the mummy in red, but Bill was struggling with the one in the green. When Ahkman finally defeated his mummy, something happened to the mummy which was fighting Bill.
The mummy’s eyes grew wide, and he turned on Bill as quick as a cobra strike.
Before he knew what was happening, Bill fell to the floor, unconscious. Ahkman rushed over to him, trying to see if his friend was still alive. The mummy looked at Ahkman, turned, and came for them again with a look of awareness in its glowing eyes. Ahkman pulled Bill out of the chamber, and sealed the door behind them.
Back at the market, Sookie tried to reach Bill on his cell phone for what seemed like the millionth time. His number still showed ‘unavailable’, which she knew meant he was still in the tomb. She gave up trying, knowing that he would call as soon as he could. Sookie knew better than to stand around and worry, and she certainly couldn’t let that worry show to Quentin.
Sookie looked over to where Quentin sat, eating a cherry cobbler now. She was certain they’d bought him every dessert the vendor had, but the boy was a bottomless pit. She went back and joined him at the table.
“Awwmmy mmws?” Quentin said, not looking up from his plate.
Sookie was pretty sure he was asking if there was any news. “No, they must still be in the tomb.” She didn’t want to tell him everything would be alright, because there was a good chance it wouldn’t. Being without his mother and living the adventurer life with his father had made young Quentin grow up quickly. She hoped fate wouldn’t deal him another blow.
Finally, he was finished. “So are you going to show me any sights beside the food vendor?” Sookie asked.
Wiping his mouth on his arm, he got up from the table and led Sookie….right back to the food vendor.
“Just teasing!” Quentin laughed. He thanked the vendor in a language Sookie didn’t understand, and he led her through the square.
The next stop was the relic merchant, Dalinda Barakat, who was a good friend of Ahkman. Quentin couldn’t help but boast to Dalinda that Ahkman-Rah himself was going to bring his father home.
‘That explains the appetite.’ thought Sookie. ‘He’s certain that Ahkman won’t fail. Please don’t let him be wrong.’
After letting Sookie quickly browse the shop, Quentin could not wait another minute.
As he dragged her to the next merchant, Dalinda made a call.
Quentin introduced Sookie to the special merchant next. He tried to dazzle her with special wares that could not be found elsewhere, but Sookie was too distracted to pay much attention. After some polite conversation, it was time to move on. Quentin dragged her to every stand, and spoke to every person he could find, bragging that Ahkman was bringing his father home. The looks the people gave Sookie over Quentin’s head said everything she was thinking herself. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know they were just as concerned about what was going to happen if Ahkman didn’t bring Kafele back with him. This boy’s hopes were sky high, and if Ahkman couldn’t find his father, he would be crushed.
Exhausted, they finally made their way back to Base Camp. While they settled in to wait, Sookie tried to prepare Quentin for the worst, but he wouldn’t be swayed. Eventually, they settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the horizon. Suddenly, a lone figure appeared, walking slowly towards them.
Sookie rushed into Bill’s arms. She was going to give him an earful for not calling, but it would have to wait until she was done holding him. Finally, he pulled away, wiping a stray tear from her face.
“Where’s Ahkman? What about Kafele?” Sookie and Bill both looked over at Quentin as they spoke.
Bill answered in a low voice, “Kafele is dead. Ahkman feels the boy is in danger, and he’s making arrangements to get him out of the country.”
“Where’s he going to take him?”As the question left Sookie’s lips, she already knew the answer.
In case there was any doubt, Bill smiled and said, “Congratulations! It’s a boy!”
They quickly grew serious again, when Sookie realized that they would have to tell Quentin about his father. “Let me.” Bill said.
He walked over to Quentin and introduced himself. He got down on Quentin’s level, and looked him in the eye. “Quentin, your daddy isn’t coming home. Ahkman, Sookie and I are going to take care of you now. Ahkman is making the arrangements, and he’ll be here as soon as everything is all set. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Quentin’s eyes were wide, and he nodded at Bill. Finally, he found his voice, and Bill could see he was fighting not to cry. “My father said this could happen someday, and that Ahkman would take care of me. I must be brave for the Resistance. We must all sacrifice for the cause.”
Bill knew the grown-up words must’ve been taught to him by his father, and couldn’t imagine leading the kind of life Kafele did knowing he risked leaving his son an orphan.
“Did you sing over my father’s body?” Quentin asked.
“I’m sorry, we didn’t. We were afraid the men who did this to him might still be around, so we hurried after them.” Bill knew the boy appreciated not being talked to like a child, so he tried to walk that line of giving him acceptable information in as grown-up a way as he could. “But if you’d like, we could do it now. Can you teach me?” Bill asked.
And together, Bill and Quentin sang a song in honor of Kafele.
As Bill went to clean up, Sookie and Quentin settled back in to wait for Ahkman.
When Bill was finished, he came out to join them. They told Quentin about their home in America, about sports and school, and anything else they could think of to pass the time. Finally, Ahkman returned from dropping off the relics they’d found and obtaining the paperwork they’d need to get Quentin on a plane. False, no doubt, but the boy’s life was in danger. They weren’t going to worry about the legalities.
As soon as Quentin saw Ahkman, his brave front vanished and he rushed into Ahkman’s arms.
Realizing that he had forgotten himself, Quentin pulled away and stood straight and tall.
“I will work and earn my keep.” He told Ahkman. “I promise I will not be a burden, and I will obey you at all times.”
“Of course you will!” Ahkman told him. “You will sleep in the yard, and you will build me a beautiful pyramid, brick by brick.” Ahkman paused a beat, then smiled to let him know he was teasing.
Quentin and Ahkman laughed as they walked towards the fire pit.
Ahkman gave Quentin back his father’s necklace.
Quentin looked at it sadly, and said, “The crocodile teeth were supposed to keep him safe. I guess it didn’t work.”
“That’s not true.” Ahkman reassured him. “It looked like they had tried to take it from him before he died. I think they realized that they couldn’t hurt him while he wore it.” It was a small lie, and as grown up as he tried to be, Quentin was just a boy who had lost his only parent. He wanted to give the boy as much comfort as he could.
They talked for an hour or so, mostly about how brave and heroic Kafele was. Finally, Ahkman sent Quentin to the tent to get some sleep before they had to catch the plane.
Quentin tried to argue that he would wait up with Ahkman, but he couldn’t hide the yawn that escaped him.
With one more hug, Ahkman sent Quentin to bed. Once the boy was safely tucked in, Ahkman came back to sit at the fire pit. How had things gotten so far out of control? It was bad enough that he had to lie and trick people who were nothing but kind to him, now it seemed he was an instant father. How in the world was he going to pull this off now? There was no way he could hide it if his plan worked. He’d just have to cross that bridge when he got there. In the meantime, he could conduct the experiments in Edith’s nectar cellar until he knew it would work. He’d worry about the rest after that.
Back in America, Edith was daydreaming about Ahkman. His work was so important to him. She hoped he was able to get the missing pieces he was looking for. Restless, she got up and went to the closet where Ahkman stored his books.
She picked them up and took them out to the porch, settling in the chair with the one she was reading before. If she could learn what it was he was trying to do, she was sure she could help. She wasn’t going to fool herself into thinking he loved her, but if she could be important to him, that would be enough. She read long into the night.
Thats the thing Jill, you did it so well, that peeps just think it is part of the story(Quentin is so cute!) I love it! 
Two more CH & everyone will know what the mysterious Ahkman is up too * 
Can't wait to see what happens next!
..where's Ahkman at 