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Something woke Anne. She sat up and found herself in the small pull-out bed on board the family jet.
Egypt, she thought. We must be there.
She threw back the covers and went to the window. Lights dotted a black velvet ground. She glanced at her watch, but that didn’t help at all. It was still on New York time. Grabbing a light blanket to wrap around herself, she walked into the main cabin.
Bob, the new security man, looked up. “Couldn’t sleep?”
Anne slid into the seat opposite him and pressed her face to the window. “Something woke me. Like electricity. Some kind of buzz.”
Bob just nodded. He seemed to have adjusted to the peculiarities of the Le Clairs.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Almost eleven at night, Egypt time.”
The cockpit door opened. “Time to wake up her—oh, you’re up.”
“Her highness is awake,” Anne said.
“Excuse me, ma’am.”
“No problem.”
“Time to buckle up. We’re cleared for landing.”
Touchdown was smooth. The plane taxied a short distance and stopped. Anne went to the back room that converted between a bedroom and conference room and quickly changed clothes. After repacking her toothbrush and nightgown, she pulled the suitcase off the bed and walked back into the main cabin. The door was already open and the stairs pushed up to the plane. Bob took the suitcase from her, peeked out the door for a moment, then proceeded down.
The air was cooler than she’d expected and smelled of dust, flowers, and jet exhaust. They walked quickly into the terminal and down a long, featureless hallway to customs. She squinted against the harsh fluorescent lights. The line at customs was short, but Bob walked behind the waiting people and into a windowed office.
The man behind the desk stood and extended his hand. He was short with dark hair and dressed in a khaki uniform. “Miss Le Clair.”
Anne shook his hand, suddenly self-conscious of her blue jeans and T- shirt. Where was her family training? She’d expected an anonymous arrival, but you could never count on that if you were a Le Clair. She sat down quickly.
“May I see your papers, please? A formality, I assure you. We are honored by your visit.”
Anne handed over her passport and the money for two visas. “You’re very kind. The honor is all mine, I assure you.” She slipped easily back into her public self.
I’ve been cooped up in Grandmother’s house too long, she thought.
“And yours, sir?”
Bob slid his papers across the desk.
“You will be staying where?”
“The Mena House,” Bob answered.
“How long?”
“I think we’ll be in Egypt for at least a month. There is so much to see, so many national treasures,” Anne said.
The man smiled and stamped both passports quickly. “Enjoy your visit.”
“I’m certain I’ll enjoy your beautiful country.”
The official stood when she did. Anne and Bob made their way into the main terminal. It was late at night and she hoped there would be no more special attention. Maybe she could sneak into her room without fanfare when they arrived at the hotel, but already a woman was approaching them with a formal smile. She breathed a sigh of relief when she caught sight of Arnold right behind her.
“All clear?” he asked Bob.
“Yes.”
“Excellent.” He turned to Anne. “Did you have a good trip?”
Anne nodded.
“This is Shani, our guide’s daughter.”
Anne extended her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you. The family is grateful for your assistance.”
“Welcome home to Egypt.” Shani’s round face lit in a smile.
“Uh, thank you.” Anne’s eyes darted to Arnold, who shrugged.
“My father sends his apologies for not greeting you himself, but he asked me to be sure you got settled.”
“I appreciate your help,” Anne said.
Arnold grabbed the large suitcase. “The car is this way.”
Anne followed him out the sliding glass doors with Bob behind her carrying a smaller case and Shani on her left. Anne slid into the backseat of the waiting limousine while Arnold loaded the luggage. When everyone had taken a seat, the car pulled away and Anne watched the outskirts of Cairo pass by her window.
After about ten minutes, Shani said, “On the right you’ll see the Citadel. It was built by Saladin before the crusades, around the twelfth century.”
The fortress was a large stone structure on the side of the road. The walls were golden under the lights still illuminating it even at this hour.
“The stones were quarried from pyramids at Giza,” Shani said.
The car took a few curves, and then headed for the ring road. People, mostly men, still walked the streets. Some sat together in front of street-side cafés, smoking hookah pipes, drinking tea, or playing board games. A few women looked out of second-story windows, white scarves covering their hair above black robes. Some were bareheaded. More people were sitting outside grocery shops. Tubs full of mangoes, bananas, potatoes, broccoli, and some kind of nut lined the front of the shops. Next came a store with racks filled with shoes up to the ceiling. Anne had never seen so many shoes in one place before.
“The population of Cairo is eighteen million. It’s the most populated city in Egypt.” Shani’s voice narrated the scene as it unfolded through the window.
They drove up a ramp and across a long bridge. The water, dotted with large boats, flowed dark beneath. Behind her on the right, Anne saw a tall, brilliantly lit hotel. On the other side of the river, tall apartment complexes lined one street. Each apartment had a small balcony; clothes dried on a few, others sported plants.
“Was that the Nile?” Anne asked as the car slid away from the river.
“Yes. It’s the longest river in the world, starting in Ethiopia and ending in Alexandria. It flows south to north.”
Anne nodded.
“Hapi is the Neter of the Nile, a hermaphroditic god because the river contains both female and male elements. The Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt before the dam was built. The yearly flood of the river began in late July, shortly after Sirius began to be seen on the morning horizon.”
Anne looked up, surprised.
Arnold chuckled. “We thought you’d need a special kind of guide.”
“Tomorrow I’ll take you to meet my father.”
“Mr. Ahram?” Anne asked.
“Yes, but everyone calls him Tahir.”
They rode in silence for a while. Anne marveled at how crowded the streets were even at this hour. She sat back, trying to relax, but a subtle energy worked its way through her body, like celestial espresso. It was pleasant and annoying at the same time.
The car traveled along a canal, sporadically littered with garbage. Hotels, shops, and restaurants lined the street. Then the car turned and drove slowly along a smaller street, again lined with shops and a few restaurants. Anne snorted with disgust when she saw a Pizza Hut on her left. Would American fast food become dominant just as American corporations had? The car pulled over and stopped. Anne looked up in surprise. “This is the hotel?”
“Not yet,” Shani said. “Since you are a special visitor, I thought we should come here first.”
Anne wondered just how much this guide knew about her mission.
She opened the door and gestured for Anne to follow. Arnold got out first and looked around, then extended his hand. She took it just to keep him happy. They stood in front of a low fence with a grocery store on the right and on the left a Dumpster, which was being picked over by a group of cats. A few looked up suspiciously. Anne stooped down and called to them. A mostly orange calico came running and rubbed herself against Anne’s legs.
Shani chuckled. “Now that is a sign.”
“I love cats.”
“I can see that, but these cats are wild. They don’t trust most people.”
“Then I’m doubly honored,” Anne said, scratching the cat behind her ears.
“Now may I introduce you to the supreme cat of all Egypt?”
“Excuse me?” Anne stood up, brushing hair from her hands. Shani was pointing into the darkness in front of her. Anne walked up to the fence and peered into the mist. After a moment’s search, she saw a form, a conical shape. Suddenly, she realized she was staring at the Sphinx. “Oh, my God! It’s so much smaller than I expected.”
You just wait until I get hold of you. The words traveled across the span of sand between the statue and her. Shani went on with her explanations, but Anne did not hear. She’d found the source of the energy she’d been feeling since she woke on the plane. She stared into the darkness, almost making out the Sphinx’s features, her mouth slightly open, caught up in the currents of energy flowing around and through the site.
After a minute, Arnold cleared his throat.
“We’re coming back tomorrow?” Anne asked.
“Yes, everyone should see the Sphinx first,” Shani answered.
Anne shot a glance at Arnold, who was frowning. “Okay, let’s go.”
The party got back into the limousine. The driver turned the car around and they drove around the Giza complex. Anne strained to catch a glimpse of the pyramids, but it was too dark, the mist too thick. She hadn’t expected mist in a desert. She sat back, wondering about those words she’d heard.
Thankfully, the hotel lobby wasn’t crowded and Anne checked in quickly. In her suite she found the fridge stuffed with bottles of water, fruit juices, pop, plus some chocolate wafers. A vase of red roses from the hotel manager sat on the small desk.
Arnold dropped her suitcases near the luggage rack, then turned to leave. He turned back. “Only drink bottled water.”
“I know,” Anne laughed.
“I’d recommend it even for brushing your teeth.”
“Thank you, Arnold,” Anne said in a slightly formal voice.
“Good night, then. I’m just next door.”
“Would you relax?”
Arnold shot her a look, then left, shutting the door behind him.
Anne was exhausted, yet still swimming with the electric energy. She took a warm shower, hoping this would take the edge off, and then stretched out in bed, preparing to sleep. But sleep refused to come. Instead, the weird energy intensified. She fished out two melatonin tablets from her toiletries bag and swallowed them with the bottled water. Then she tried to meditate lying in bed. That usually put her to sleep, but instead the energy increased until Anne’s limbs felt like they were vibrating.
Relax, she told herself. It’s just jet lag. It will pass.
But when she relaxed into the sensation, the energy amplified again. She felt as if her whole body was being shaken, only there was no movement. There had to be some explanation. Sometimes Anne had this feeling when she’d done too much psychic work. It felt like an overload, but this energy was much more intense than any she’d encountered before.
Just let it happen. It was the same voice she’d heard at the Sphinx enclosure.
She resigned herself. It seemed she’d signed up for a roller coaster ride without knowing it. Suddenly, Anne felt herself surrounded by an enormous lioness. Now the energy sounded like a purr, but that was an innocuous word for such a tremendous force. Anne opened to the vibration more and it spread quickly through her whole being. She felt like she was being shaken apart. Finally, she stopped fighting. The energy grew to a fever pitch and Anne lost awareness.
Minutes or hours later, Anne felt a quickening in the silence that had become her consciousness, like a light breeze blowing over a still pond. She lay still, feeling the Earth tilt toward morning. A bird lifted its voice, declaring the coming end of darkness. Next the voice of a mu’adhdhin lifted to God, summoning the people to prayer. Anne rose and dressed quickly. She walked down a carpeted hallway of arabesque arches and dark wooden panels, past the empty bar with its amber chandelier, down the steps, and across the lobby. The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east. She headed toward the pool and surrounding garden, then looked to her right. And there they stood. The pyramids, massive solid stone anchors in the earth.
Anne found a quiet corner beneath a palm tree to watch the sun rise. The birds had now begun a full song, flitting from bush to bush, but the mu’adhdhin had stopped. The sun finally lifted his head above the horizon and the scent of jasmine filled the air. Gradually, the sounds from Alexandria Street made their way across the garden to Anne’s corner—truck horns, the rush of cars. She heard people talking, the bray of a donkey. A man arrived with a large net on a long pole and started skimming leaves and flower petals from the pool. He nodded at Anne. Time for breakfast, she decided.
She walked across the lawn to the Greenery, the toes of her shoes damp from the morning dew. After getting a table, she went over to the sumptuous buffet. She piled her plate high with fresh strawberries and melons, a croissant, scrambled eggs, and a few black olives. When she returned to her table, she found hot tea. Anne settled down to eat, completely content, the difficult night forgotten.
“Excuse me, are you here for the conference?”
Anne looked up to see a tall spindly man peering at her. She recognized him, but the name did not come. “Oh, yes, Mr.—” She paused, but he didn’t supply his name. “I heard you speak in New York, at the Solstice conference.”
“Paul Marchant.”
“Yes, of course. Please forgive my memory. I’m Anne.” She offered her hand, but his were full of a breakfast plate and newspaper. He stood there a moment longer.
“Would you care to join me?” she finally asked.
“May I?” Marchant put his plate down. “Coffee,” he called out to a waiter passing by.
“Are you here for the conference?” he asked again.
“Yes, I’m certainly looking forward to your presentation. I have to admit the math is a bit steep even for me, but your ideas are fascinating.” Anne wondered if she was overdoing the dingbat routine. Thomas had told her Marchant was someone to watch out for.
“I’m hoping to go into much more detail while I’m here.” Marchant looked at Anne, cocking his head at a peculiar angle that made Anne think of a praying mantis. “But you’re early. What are you planning to do before the conference begins?”
“Sightseeing, shopping, all the usual things.” She hesitated. “I don’t suppose . . . no, I’m sure all your time is spoken for.”
Marchant took a breath as if to speak, then hesitated. “I am quite busy, but I’d certainly be happy to suggest an itinerary. Of course, we’ll be visiting all the usual places during the conference, but perhaps I can clear a morning or two to show you a few of my favorite sites.”
“Could you? I would be most grateful.” Anne gave him a dazzling, well-practiced smile.
Marchant pulled a pen out of his shirt pocket. “I’ll make a list of must-sees.” He looked around for a piece of paper and found a large paper napkin.
Anne spent the rest of breakfast listening to Marchant discuss the sites he’d listed. She didn’t like deception and was not a particularly good spy. She’d have to find something she liked about him if she was going to win his confidence. Before she left the Greenery, she secured a promise that he would visit at least a few of the sites with her.
☥☥☥
Early Friday evening, Michael caught a cab to the other side of the Giza Plateau to the village of Nazlet el Samman. Finally, he was going to meet Tahir. He’d spent the day reviewing his notes so he’d be prepared.
The cab pulled up in front of the Sphinx enclosure and Michael got out. She was awake but said nothing as he paid his respects from the street, then found his way to Tahir’s door. This time a young woman with short coifed hair opened the door.
He introduced himself. “I was told this would be a good time to see Tahir Nur Ahram.”
“Oh yes, we heard someone had come by. Please come in.”
The woman led Michael into a central room where a man in his sixties had just risen from a cushion on the floor. He was lean and unusually tall for an Egyptian. The white turban around his head contrasted with his brown face, and he wore a flowing brown gallabiya. Warm green eyes looked out of a slightly wrinkled face, eyes that seemed used to squinting against the sun and blinking against the dust. Before Michael could introduce himself, Tahir smiled and offered his hand. “Ahlan wa sahlam. Welcome home to Egypt. I’ve been expecting you, Michael.”
In his surprise, Michael forgot to shake the offered hand. “Expecting me? Did Moishe call you?”
“I didn’t need a telephone to feel you coming. Please, sit.”
Michael took a seat on the adjacent couch and Tahir walked to the open-air porch and shouted across the street, “Azzizi, etneen chai.” He took his seat on the floor again and Michael slid off the wooden couch and onto the floor across from him. Two children chased each other into the front room, then back again, the little girl screeching in delight.
A man rushed in carrying a silver tray with tea, two cups, and a sugar bowl, took off his shoes and set the tray on the rug in the middle of the room. Michael looked at Tahir again, who picked up his tea. He gestured for Michael to pick his up. “Bilhana Woshefer,” he said, “to the success of our mission.”
Michael stared at Tahir, then quickly raised his cup to his lips as Tahir took a sip. Michael swallowed the hot tea, then repeated, “To the success of our mission. But, please, how did you know?”
“I have been waiting for this time all my life.” The children reappeared, this time running around the tray. Tahir spoke sharply to them in Arabic and they ran from the room, laughing.
“So you know.”
Tahir chuckled. “You sound surprised.”
“Please forgive me. It’s just that I grew up with this carefully guarded secret passed on in strict ritual. I’m not used to—”
Tahir laughed again. “How can we be used to this time that comes only every fifty-two thousand years?”
“Indeed. Moishe ben Zvi told me how to find you. I must say I’m relieved you know the purpose of my visit.”
“And how is Moishe? I haven’t seen him in several years.”
“His health seems good. He sends his regards.”
“He told you I would be able to explain the story of the stones, how they left Egypt, and why they are now returning.”
A rush of gratitude filled Michael, followed by a shiver of fear. “Are they returning?”
“Yes, the time has come. Surely you have questions?”
“A couple hundred.”
But before Michael could begin, there was a knock on the door. Tahir looked up expectantly, his eyes shining.
The same woman opened the door and they heard muffled conversation, then footsteps. Michael leapt to his feet when the visitors walked into the room. “Anne.”
☥☥☥
“Michael!” Anne was so relieved to see him she had to stop herself from stepping into his arms. “But how did you find your way here?”
“My group gave Cynthia her contact in Israel.” He shrugged almost apologetically.
Tahir stepped forward, his arms open. “Anne Le Clair, welcome home to Egypt.”
“I am honored to meet you, sir.” She returned the hug, a bit uncomfortable, then stepped back. At that moment, Arnold stepped in front of Anne and glared at Michael, who blanched and took a step back.
“Arnold, stop it. I’ve told you Michael is innocent. You just heard what he said. We must work together and how can we if you’re always threatening him?”
The bodyguard looked from Michael to Anne, then grudgingly moved to the corner and took up his post.
Tahir walked to the porch again and shouted for more chai. Anne settled next to Tahir, Michael in his old place. More cups of tea appeared from across the street.
Tahir raised his cup again. “To the Keepers of the Keys. May our mission be successful.”
Anne stared at Tahir, forgetting to take a sip.
“He knows everything.” Michael’s quiet voice reached across the room to her.
She looked at Michael, then suddenly started to laugh. “Of course he does. That’s why we’re here.” She raised her cup. “To the success of our mission. And what exactly is our mission?”
Tahir looked around from face to face. Anne felt a spark of recognition as those twinkling green eyes looked deep into hers. An expectant quiet spread through the room. “Before we discuss what we’re going to do, I think I should fill in some gaps concerning your crystals.” He looked at Anne. “I’m sorry, but your man may not hear this.”
“Arnold.”
“My orders forbid me to leave you alone with him.” He looked hard at Michael.
She stood up and faced him. “We need privacy. You and I need to come to a compromise.”
Arnold looked around the room and the adjoining porch. Anne followed him. The back wall was open at shoulder level, giving a good view of the Sphinx. “I’ll sit here.” He pointed to a bench pushed against the outside wall. “I can be in here in a few seconds if you need me.” He walked up to Michael. “I’m sorry sir, but I’ll have to frisk you.”
Michael looked at Anne. “Is this really necessary?”
She took in Arnold’s set shoulders and glowering eyes. “I apologize, Michael, I really do, but this is the only way he’ll leave the room.”
“Just don’t ruin these clothes, please.”
Anne looked from Michael to Arnold, her forehead wrinkled.
Arnold patted Michael down, then left the room. The door clicked shut behind him and Anne took her seat again. She addressed herself to Tahir. “I’m sorry. My aunt was murdered, as I think Thomas told you, and my apartment broken into. We found cameras in my grandmother’s house. My uncle was also assassinated some time ago. It tends to make my family overly cautious.”
Tahir dismissed this apology with a wave of his hand. “We will welcome the protection on our trip.”
“Trip?” Anne asked.
But Tahir ignored the question. Instead he gestured for them to join hands. He closed his eyes for a moment, then began to chant in a language Anne had never heard before. When he was quiet again, she felt a tingle in the air, like she’d felt during the solstice ritual at her grandmother’s estate. She looked up. Tahir was watching her intently. He nodded his approval, then said, “I believe you know these crystals came from Egypt.”
Anne and Michael looked at each other and then nodded.
“What you don’t know is how long ago. Michael has heard the story of how they left Egypt.” He nodded at Michael, inviting him to retell the story.
Michael hesitated, then relayed the tale Moishe had told him about the Exodus and the Jewish connection with Akhenaten. “So my crystal traveled across the desert to Israel almost three thousand three hundred years ago.”
“Both your crystals made this journey,” Tahir corrected. “Anne, your crystal was given to the Davidic line and thus inherited by your ancestor, the great teacher Yeshua.”
“So I’ve been told, although I still can’t get used to it.”
Tahir smiled. “You carry his DNA, and hers, the Magdalene, who brought the line of Benjamin into the union. This is one reason the crystal responds to you and not just any random person. As you have no doubt been told, the crucifixion was staged as a way for the family to escape the Romans, but some of the plans leaked out, forcing Yeshua to part from his beloved. He left the crystal with the Magdalene because these things pass through the female side. What you do not know is this crystal was once in the hands of the Queen of Sheba.”
“The Queen of Sheba?”
“Yes. Ethiopian tradition holds that Menelik, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, stole the famous Ark of the Covenant from the temple, and this relic may now reside in Axum. It may be true, it may be false, but this does not concern us now. He did take another artifact more powerful in some ways than the Ark, although much less impressive to look at. He took your crystal. His mother felt that these power objects belonged to her since she had become the head of the family through their marriage, but my order disagreed. It was not appropriate for one person to hold so much power during the time of darkness, so after her death we took the crystal back and returned it to the Davidic line. I’m sure you know the history of your stone in Europe.”
“Thomas gave me a test on it, in fact, before he would let me get on the plane.”
Tahir smiled. “Your brother is a most excellent man. Now for yours, Michael. You have been told the crystal was held by the Levite priesthood, then by the Rosicrucians, our order in Europe, that it was taken to Germany to escape the Romans.”
Michael nodded his agreement, too absorbed to speak.
Tahir continued. “Our family’s crystal”—Anne sat bolt upright—“has never left the motherland.” He reached into the capacious pocket of his gal-labiya and brought out a necklace. He laid the crystal, similar in size and shape to their own, on the table before them. “The first triad is reunited,” he announced, with all the solemnity of a priest speaking the crowning words of a ritual.
“Oh, my God!” Anne whispered. She and Michael both leaned over the crystal to get a closer look. Anne’s crystal began to tingle.
“Yes,” Tahir agreed. “We will need the help of all the Neters to complete our mission successfully.”
Anne and Michael waited in silence.
Tahir studied each of them for a moment, then resumed his narrative. “Before the Greeks came to Egypt, even before the land was called by that name, before the kings reigned and claimed their power as the embodiment of Horus, an ancient civilization existed in this land. It was called Khemit, the Black Land, after the rich, dark soil deposited by the yearly floods of the Nile. These people carved the Sphinx and raised the great pyramids you see outside. And they did all this thousands and thousands of years before 2500 B.C., as my colleagues now say. The crystals come from this civilization.”
Tahir looked at Anne. “You ask what our mission is? Our mission is to use these keys to restore the flow.”
Anne felt goose bumps as she heard the exact words from her family’s story repeated by Tahir.
“Our mission is to ensure the coming of the Awakening. Together we will open the Hall of Records. But first you both must be initiated. Tomorrow we travel to the south of Egypt.”