His other self was sitting cross-legged in the shade of the courtyard wall, squinting at a scroll unrolled in his lap. A younger scribe sat with him, busy with ink and reed pen, making notes as Danyel dictated to him. Daniel hesitated, not wanting to interrupt, but his other self looked up before he could back away.
“Nothing important,” Daniel said quickly. “I can come back.”
“No, we’re done.” Danyel looked at the scribe, who dipped his head.
“I will make the copies, Danyel, and bring them to Pharaoh.”
“And one for Sa-Mantha, too, please.”
“Of course.” The scribe finished gathering up his equipment, and disappeared into the house.
Danyel looked up at him, squinting again. “I’d suggest going inside, but it’s a lot less crowded here.”
Daniel nodded. He was abruptly overtaken by a memory of everyone on Abydos crowding into Kasuf’s tent. He and Sha’re had ended up jammed into a corner, and she had ended up in his lap, which hadn’t exactly helped him pay attention to the matter at hand… He shook the thought away. This was Egypt, not Abydos, and he had something equally important to deal with. “I wanted to talk to you about coming back with us,” he said.
“I don’t — I’m not sure that’s possible,” Danyel answered.
Daniel settled himself in the dirt at his other self’s side, rested his back against the brick wall. This early in the morning they were still cool, and the shade was pleasant. “I think it is. In fact, I think you can all come back. If you want.”
“It’s taking a hell of a risk with the timeline,” Danyel said. “Not to mention that having two versions of us in the same place — I’m surprised we haven’t had problems already. I’ve been worried about Sam. And Teal’c.”
And not about us, Daniel thought, unsurprised. Or at least not that either of us would admit. He said, “That’s right, you — our timelines diverged before that.”
“Before what?”
“Before —” Daniel stopped, trying to think of a good way to sum up a situation that had been bizarre even by the relaxed standards of the SGC. “Due to an unfortunate incident involving massive energy weapons and a black hole, we ended up with I think it was sixteen versions of SG-1, all from different alternate universes, but no entropic cascade failure. The Carters and Dr. Lee theorized that the universes were all similar enough that there wasn’t a problem. And our universes — well, they’re different timelines within the same universe.”
“I think that still makes them different universes,” Danyel said. “Though certainly it would explain why you and I aren’t having problems.”
“And Sam and Teal’c — and Jack, though that’s not entirely relevant in this case — may have been from a more different universe, but they’re now firmly established in this one.”
Danyel pushed his glasses into a more secure position. “I think I want to talk this over with Sam.”
Daniel nodded. “Yeah.”
“So.” Danyel gave him a sidelong glance. “What did you really want?”
“I think you should come back,” Daniel said. “All of you.”
“I’m already there,” Danyel pointed out. “Or — you know what I mean.”
Daniel nodded. “And I say this without false modesty, two of us would be useful. As would two of Sam, and Teal’c —”
“Teal’c can’t come,” Danyel said. “Egeria needs him.” He smiled then, not entirely pleasantly. “And what about Jack? One retired colonel, one active-service general — that’s a bit awkward, don’t you think?”
“We’ve done weirder,” Daniel said, thinking of Jack’s teen-aged clone, and Danyel nodded.
“OK, point. But —”
“You don’t want to come back,” Daniel said. He blinked, started. How had Mitchell noticed that, and he hadn’t? This was himself he was talking about, he ought to know what he’d want. “That’s what this is about. Never mind all the arguments, you don’t want to leave.”
Danyel tipped his head back so that it was resting against the wall. “No, I — I suppose I don’t.”
Why the hell not? Daniel swallowed the words, knowing how he’d react to a direct question, and narrowed his eyes at his other self. “And so you’re going to talk everyone else into staying?”
“They can make their own choices,” Danyel said. “Ask them.”
“We will,” Daniel said. “But — they’re your friends. And it’s a dangerous place to raise a child. Snakes, scorpions, diseases that could be cured in a heartbeat at home…”
“You think I don’t know that? That Sam doesn’t know that?” Danyel glared at him, then shoved himself to his feet. “Do you really think the SGC would just, I don’t know, give us our old jobs back? Jobs Sam and Jack never actually had?”
“It would be a waste not to,” Daniel answered, standing with him. He wasn’t entirely sure it was true, but it was better to get them back first, and then worry about the details. “Are you being fair about this? This may be what you want, but what about them?”
Danyel’s fists tightened. “That’s a low blow.”
“Is it?” Daniel paused, ready to duck when the other man took a swing at him. “Remember what happened the last time we stayed behind.”
For a second, he thought Danyel was going to hit him, but then Danyel shook his head.
“No,” he said. “This isn’t Abydos.” He turned on his heel and walked away.
“Isn’t it?” Daniel called after him, but there was no response.
“So this is the plan?” Carter asked. She hoped she didn’t sound quite as dubious as she felt, but from the expression on Mitchell’s face, he was thinking the same thing. “We’re going to use the two — sorry, three — puddle jumpers to bluff Ra into leaving Earth for fear that the Ancients will retaliate.”
“After you and her, the other you, figure out a way to keep Ra from taking the Stargate with him,” Mitchell said. “Yep. That’s it.”
“I am in agreement with Colonel Carter,” Teal’c said. “There are many unanswered questions about this plan.”
“You think I hadn’t noticed?” Mitchell asked. They were sitting in the doorway of the storeroom that they had been allotted as quarters, making the most of a mild breeze. Vala had acquired a parasol somewhere, Carter noted without surprise, as well as a jewel-handled fan. She could probably have a handsome young soldier to wave it for her if she made an effort.
“It’s a typical Jack plan,” Daniel said. He was looking tired, Carter thought, probably from the strain of translating so much. “OK, kids, let’s try this incredibly unlikely idea, and see if we can’t make it work.”
He had O’Neill’s intonation down perfectly, and Carter grinned in spite of herself. “The basic idea makes sense,” she said. “We know that Ra doesn’t want to risk being attacked by the Ancients — his mothership won’t withstand a direct attack — and we also know he doesn’t want the other Goa’uld to know he’s screwed up. So if he leaves, and they bury the Stargate — he won’t be back.”
“It’s the ‘and now Ra leaves’ part that I have doubts about,” Daniel said.
“The main thing is to figure out how to make sure Ra doesn’t take the Stargate,” Carter said.
“Well, how’d they do it the last time?” Mitchell asked, after a moment.
“I don’t think it was a problem,” Carter said, and looked at Daniel. “Was it?”
“I’ve been talking to Daniel,” Vala said. “The other Daniel, the mostly naked Daniel. He told me that they had the advantage of surprise. Ra panicked and fled, and they buried the Stargate behind him. He thought it simply wasn’t worth Ra’s time to come back, not now that he has other sources of human slaves seeded throughout the galaxy.”
“I didn’t think ‘mostly naked Daniel’ was speaking to you,” Daniel said.
Vala smiled. “He changed his mind.”
“You are not going to make me jealous of myself,” Daniel said.
Mitchell cleared his throat. “So is there any reason to think that Ra won’t react the same way this time?”
“I believe he has more at stake,” Teal’c said. “From his perspective, he has been attacked. The Tau’ri invaded Abydos and stole a prim’tah. If he is to maintain his standing, and the loyalty of his Jaffa, he must punish them.”
“So he’s not going without a fight,” Mitchell said.
“I do not believe so.” Teal’c’s expression was impassive.
“Great.” Mitchell let his head fall back against the mud brick wall.
Carter reached for her water bottle and took a careful swallow. The biggest technical problem was to make sure that Ra couldn’t take the Stargate with him, and that meant finding enough power somewhere to counteract the mothership’s lifting beams. Maybe the time travel device — it had to use enormous power — though she didn’t really like the idea of messing with one of Janus’s devices. Maybe the gate itself? If she could figure out a way to tap the wormhole… Yes, if the wormhole could be tapped, she could increase the power in the jumper’s inertial dampeners exponentially, use the jumper itself as an anchor. “I need to talk to Sam,” she said, and the rest of the team gave her a startled look. “I have an idea.”
“Save it for later.” The voice was so like their own Jack’s that she automatically pulled herself to something closer to attention. O’Neill stood at the corner of the building, incongruous in his linen shorts and heavy gold necklace. “We’ve got another problem.”
The main room was even more crowded than the last time Pharaoh had held court, and it smelled strongly of sweat and garlic. Jack left them wedged into a corner by the door, and elbowed his way toward Hor-Aha, who sat in the center of the room, listening to a young man with a shaved head.
“A scribe or a priest,” Daniel said, almost to himself. “A message from the palace?” He broke off, said something in Egyptian to the nearest gold-braceleted officer, and grimaced at the answer.
Mitchell prodded him. “What?”
“I’m not —”
“Share with the rest of the class, Jackson.”
Daniel gave him a look. “Ra is preparing an assault. He knows where we are.”
“That’s not good,” Carter said, and saw the same knowledge on the others’ faces. Hor-Aha had maybe two hundred men, crack troops by his standards, but the Jaffa would cut them to pieces in a pitched battle. A guerilla campaign would stand more chance of success, but still — the odds were daunting.
Hor-Aha rose to his feet, and the room quieted, all eyes turning to him. He looked ordinary, Carter thought, just another skinny sun-browned guy with eyeliner and a heavy wig. She could see the sweat on his chest, and the worry lines bracketing his mouth. It was his father who defeated Ra the first time, not him. She hoped Jack was right, and he was up to the job.
The Pharaoh said something, and Daniel tipped his head to one side, began translating in a weary whisper.
“My people, there is word from the palace that Ra intends to attack within days. We’re sending away the women and children, under the queen’s command — his wife, not the queen mother — and keeping only those men of fighting age. They will defend our person and my house — this house — while our commander O’Neill once again faces Ra directly, with the weapons of the Ancients at his command. And together we will drive the false gods from the face of this world.”
There was a cheer in answer, but Sam caught the same worried speculation in the Egyptians’ eyes. This plan of Jack’s was a huge gamble, there was no denying that. And if they couldn’t pull it off, Hor-Aha’s men had almost no chance of defeating the Goa’uld.
Hor-Aha lifted his hands again, and the room quieted as he began to speak.
“He’s giving his orders,” Daniel said. “Dividing up duties. Sending away some of his people —”
An older man burst out in complaint, but Hor-Aha shook his head firmly, took the man by the arm until he bowed in agreement.
“And some of them don’t want to go,” Daniel said. “Hor-Aha’s telling him he’s needed to take care of the young queen, and the princes. Ah. The plan is to be out of this house by sundown tomorrow, with the women and children sent south by water, and the rest of the men dispersed to other places. And we’re going to stay here with the puddle jumpers and get ready to make Ra think we have an armada.”
Hor-Aha finished with raised hands and something that might have been either exhortation or blessing, but Daniel didn’t bother to translate. Instead, he looked at Mitchell. “So we’re really going to do this?”
“Have you got a better plan?” Mitchell asked, and lifted a hand. “Gen — Colonel O’Neill! If I might have a word?”
Jack grinned, came slouching over to join them, but Carter recognized the worry in his eyes. “Absolutely, Colonel.”
“Where exactly did this information come from?” Mitchell’s voice was very even.
“From Aset and Teal’c.” Jack met his eyes squarely. “You got a problem with that, Colonel?”
“I might.” Mitchell took a careful breath. “You have to admit, it’s very convenient for Ra. He makes us move well before we’re ready, and to put the noncombatants on the move, which makes them vulnerable.”
“Teal’c,” Jack said. “And Aset.” Danyel had come to join him, his eyes narrowing as he picked up the thread of the conversation.
“And Egeria,” Mitchell said. “If it really is Egeria. Teal’c — our Teal’c — and I have been talking, and he thinks it’s possible that a mature larva could effectively overhear what its Jaffa host was thinking, and could have figured out that claiming to be Egeria would save its life.”
“That’s pushing it,” Jack said.
“I believe it is possible, O’Neill,” Teal’c said.
“But you’ve got no proof,” Danyel said.
“And neither have you,” Daniel pointed out.
“What we have,” Danyel said, “is, first, our Teal’c’s word that this is Egeria. Second, she saved Aset’s life, and third, we’ve spoken to Aset since Egeria took her as a host. It’s clear that Egeria is acting like a Tok’ra, not a Goa’uld.”
“We thought we were talking to Tanith’s host, too,” Daniel said, and Jack lifted his hand.
“OK, putting all that aside — what exactly do you expect us to do differently, Colonel Mitchell?”
Mitchell pulled up short, frowning. “I don’t think there is anything, not at this point. But I think we do need to be aware that this ‘Egeria’ may not be on our side.”
“We’re going to need Aset’s help,” Danyel said, “Aset’s and Egeria’s. With her help, we’ve got a chance to reinforce Ra’s fear of the Ancients, maybe manipulate him into making mistakes. She’s incredibly useful.”
“If you can trust her,” Mitchell said, doggedly.
“I’d trust her with my life,” Jack said. “And, yeah, I know that’s exactly what I’m doing. End of discussion.”
Carter saw Mitchell’s mouth tighten, but they both recognized that tone of voice. This wasn’t an argument they could win, anyway, not when Jack was the Pharaoh’s right-hand man.
“OK,” Mitchell said. “What about Marik? Do you want to use him?”
“To do what?” O’Neill asked. “He can’t fly a jumper, and he’s a hell of a loose cannon. And if you think I’m going to trust him — you’re out of your mind.”
“You’re trusting one Tok’ra,” Cam said.
“It’s not the same,” O’Neill said.
He was right, Carter knew, and she cleared her throat. “How are you planning to let Teal’c and Aset know what to do?” she asked.
“I’m going to tell her,” Danyel said. “I’ll be heading to the palace once we’re done. Nobody got a good look at me —”
“You hope,” Mitchell interjected.
Danyel ignored him. “And anyway, all us humans look alike.”
Carter opened her mouth to protest, and closed it again. If they were going to tell Egeria — and if they trusted her, they had to tell her; they needed all the advantages they could get — then sending a messenger was the smart way to do it. There was no risk of anything being garbled as it was repeated, or of a written message falling into the wrong hands. Plus there was a good chance that Aset didn’t read Egyptian, and sending a note in Goa’uld was just stupid. No, the best thing was to let O’Neill and his people handle this part of the plan, and hope they knew what they were doing. She looked at Mitchell. “In that case, Colonel, I’d like to talk to Sam. I’ve got an idea of how we can keep Ra from taking the Stargate.”
Mitchell nodded. “Go ahead.”
“You said within days,” Vala said, looking at O’Neill, and Carter stopped to listen. “How long do you think we have?”
“They won’t come tonight,” Jack said. “But tomorrow — it’s possible. So we get as many people away tonight ourselves, and we have the jumpers ready to take off at first light.”
“Why first light?” Daniel began, and then answered his own question. “For the Egyptians, of course. The true gods supporting us against the false.”
“Well, there is that,” Jack said, with a sudden grin. “But mostly I need my sleep.”