TOMBRAIDER

BY CHRISTOPHER TOILKIEN

[ part 1B ]

"Isis and Ank looked at each other.

"Mothers hand reached out to protect and guide us" Isis softly, stated.

"Maybe" Was all Ank would comment.

"Where are we?" Isis inquired as they walked out of the tunnel.

"Originally, this had been an arboretum" Ank informed her. "But it had fallen into just a storage room when he found it"

Isis saw a large darken shape ahead of her, and her charges huddled along the wall, in a corner to her left.

Lightning flashed, and the picture of a Pharaoh, riding a chariot, created in colored tiles leapt out at her from the entrance wall. A square pillared shape dominated the center of the room. As more bright flashes came and went. Isis worked out the rest of her surroundings.

"This glass-roofed place is a contemporary of the one at out school`," Isis thought.

"Holly EarthMother" Isis proclaimed aloud.

"That roofless small, plain, lotus stalk carved pillared temple, complete with its low three step base, stood in the center of the room. The interior pylons they had walked through to get here, proclaimed the might and power of a pharaoh through inlaid scenes of the pharaoh conquering enemies and sacrificing. These and others showing the pharaoh going about everyday life were painted all down the two long walled leading to a wall at the far end. Only a single slightly inclined doorway marked the right hand wall.

"We found it completely dismantled in a brick lined burial pit outside of Thebes" Ank informed Isis, and when he saw this place, moved heaven and earth to get it assembled here.

"How did he ever convince the Egyptian antiquities authority to let him take it out of Egypt?" Isis inquired.

"I think he forgot to ask" Ank softly replied.

As in a dream, Isis walked away from her charges and into the miniature temple.

"You know what this is, don’t you?" Isis said. Ignoring the crashes of thunder and streaks of lightning reavening the sky asunder outside the glass roof over her head, but when her superstitious charges crowded inside the small temple, she moved back into the here and now.

"Your four fetch the water" She ordered. And had them sit around the edges of the small inner space formed by the large columns, backs against the inside of the pillars, when it was brought up, handing out a bottle to each of them.

"We will sit out the storm here safe and sound" Isis instructed. "Huddle together and get some sleep"

"He did a remarkable job recreating the inside of the shrine walls" Isis said. "And must have had a great deal of help from researchers"

"Or someone who had seen it when it was reassembled the first time" Ank replied, with a smile on her lips.

They both were standing across from each other around a piece that predated the Pyramids themselves. It was a piece of ocean blue marble that was carved as if were a waterspout gushing up from the gray stone floor. Its top forming a shallow bowl edged by white marble foam.

"Is this pure spring water or pure H2O" inquired Ank.

"We are watered with the schools own naturally fluoridated spring water" Isis replied.

"Excellent" Ank replied, pouring her full bottle into the bowl.

"What are you doing?" Isis inquired.

"Watch" Ank replied. "This is one secret I did not share, nor did he torture out of me"

The clear water clouded, then Isis gasped as the reflection in the pool changed from the dark lightning streaked storm, it had reflected a second ago, to a near cloudless sky.

"This is what was reflected the last time spring, not pure H2O was poured into it" Ank taught.

It had to be thousands of years ago. The near cloudless sky above showed carrion birds chasing down a faltering falcon. As they watched, an arrow transfixed its body and a carrion bird swooped in and snatched it away before its fellows had a chance.

"That was a Ba’s, not a Falcon" Ank informed Isis. "It is supposed to bring sustenance to the dead"

Just then, another brilliant flash seared everyone’s eyes.

"Sweat sprang from every pour as searing heat, from every direction, the same reaction on their bodies as the first strike of Sister A’s ever present switch.

"Holly EarthMother" Screamed Isis what the hell did you just do?"

"Nothing!, I did nothing to do this" Cried out Ank. Looking down into a dust filled bowl.

Cries of a different sort came from outside the walls of the enclosure. The sounds of battle, or more correctly slaughter.

"Herd them inside, never mind robbing them now, just kill them and we will sweep the pale for loot later" A voice used to being obeyed ordered came from over the nearest wall.

Just then, battering at the sealed doorway between the dusty, faded paint covered pylons came to their ears. Heavier and heavier until with a crash the horizontal bar splintered and a wave of bare chested, white kited Egyptian soldiers burst in.

"Run" Ordered Isis and they fled, but with no where to go, ended up bunched together along the far end wall. A double line of Kopus and spear armed soldiers closing for the kill.

And it was obvious they had seen had a lot of recent practice.

Blood dripped from spear pints and blades. Blood spattered the white of their kilts. Blood mottled their sun burnt bodies and blood ran down their legs. Just as the rear rank raised their spears for a killing throw and the front extended their blade weapon’s for killing thrusts, a commanding voice rang out.

"Please do not have your men kill of my new Temple girls, Mohtep"

"Pull back" A young officer voice sounded out.

A tall thin man dressed in an impeccable clean High Priests outfit walked up to the trembling Isis, who had fallen to her knees, head down, hands clasped behind her back.

"I discern from the whip hanging at your belt you are in charge of these girls?" He inquired.

"Yes Master" A trembling Isis replied.

"Were are you from?" He questioned. "The training school in Thebes, Master" She said. "I will be ever thankful Sister A told me she ran one for centuries there" Isis said to herself.

"These are the ones I had previously sent for to replace the tainted ones we had to kill off this morning" He informed the officer.

Where are the guards who should be with you?” He demanded of the tearful girl trembling in front of him..

“They were taking us towards the large buildings at the city center when they were attacked by other soldiers” I Isis lied. “They yelled for us to flee, and they stayed to protect our escape”

“My soldiers have been engaged in running fights with heretic infantry, trying to protect fleeing city inhabitants all day” The officer informed the priest. “As ordered, we attempted to prevent anyone escaping the city”

“We are all doing our duty to stamp out any remnants of the heresy, Mohtep” the high priest replied.

"I will leave you in charge at this long ignored old temple while I see to ensuring all his heretics are accounted for" He instructed Isis.

"That door over their leads to a small palace. He indicated. " Clean it up enough for me to have a place to eat and sleep in peace, and have it ready to receive me by nightfall, or that flogger at your belt will be used on your own backside"

"I will do as you order Master" Isis softly replied.

Isis observed he set four guards at the damaged gate, promptly two stayed at the door, the other two off to plunder.

"Let’s get that water hidden right now" Isis ordered. "It just might be our only way back"

Inside the dark structure, they searched for lamps and oil, luckily coming across a stocked dry goods room. Soon oil lamps brought at least light and even thought the girls should have been tired, the night’s shocks had charged them with adrenaline.

They located a princely set of four rooms and set about dusting them out. One had been a sort of snack prep room, with iron braziers. And pots of charcoal soon had them glowing, producing heat to boil water.

But all around, the sounds of the slaughter, or maybe worse came to their ears. Death sounds of humans, male, female, young and old. The girls were hiding in shadowy corners and crying out at every noise. Isis knew only by keeping them busy, would they get through this night of horrors without going insane. She first ordered them to strip, piling clothing and jewelry into a small sleeping room and after they still refused to move, set about them with her whip. She drove them to search out the near rooms, flogged them, for sloth as they hauled out woven mats for cleaning. Switched them as they washed down the dusty walls and floors. Yelled that everything was still filthy and they were lazy until her arm was sore and all their backsides red.

It will not be my body this whip will be used on she threatened. I will not be flogged for your laziness” She screamed. “Find more brooms to sweep, get your lazy assess into it” “If I do not see that wall shine by the time I get back” She threatened two girls. “It will be your tears not mine, that will be used to wash the tiled floor”

Banging at the entrance from the courtyard brought apprehensive Isis and Ank. ""Here are baskets of foodstuffs"

An officer with eight encumbered soldiers informed the two frightened girls,. "Well they may have been later trained as entertainers, but first they were just typical little Arabic girls, and it did not take to long, before the smell of warm food permeated the enclave of piece in a city of horrors.

Isis had the girls eat first, then Isis and Ank, as there was quite a lot of food. She then loaded bowls of food into the hands of four girls and led them out towards the door guards.

"For the warriors of the true Pharaoh" Isis proclaimed as the four girls presented each of the obviously tired and hungry guards with a bowl of food, a piece of flatbed and one of water. I only have these poor offering for those who guard our lives from the horrors outside. "She said. “ As of yet we have not found all the ingredients for beer, unfortunately”

"The very surprised guards just smiled, sat down and devoured the meal. But as the girls stood waiting for them to finish, the older one reached down into a pile of loot at his feet and flung a silver chain with a gold pendant hanging from it at Isis.

‘Keep this now useless trinket hidden in a hole in your cell, temple girl" He warned. "Have a back alley jeweler melt it down and buy your freedom one day with it"

"Isis reached out and caught the gift., bowed and walked back through the doorway towards where her charges were hard at work. The silver necklace was worth ten times its weight in gold rich Egypt. Silver in the ancient world came from the Assyrian Mountains far away. And being found with the gold symbol of the sun worshipers of the now dead heretic Pharaoh. Had gotten most of the inhabitants of his new city Amarna slaughtered today.

The darkness may have fallen, but the work outside continued.

The girls had stopped cringing at every scream, nor cried anymore when they heard someone begging for their lives.

Isis knew they had not become immured to the sounds of death all around them, but as hers, their tear ducts had simply dried up. And knew by working their tales off, to take their minds off the horrors taking place all around them.

Then she heard the soldiers at the gate berated for slacking off at their post and roused the girls to be ready for their new master as they had practiced. He came to the doorway leading from the temple compound. Isis was there, with four well-practiced girls to meet him.

"Why are they kneeling before me with a great bronze bowl of hot water girl?" He inquired.

"That they might wash the dust of the heretic city and the blood of his heretic followers off your feet before you bring such contaminates into your house" She replied.

"Your school instructs its pupils well" He replied as the girls slipped off, one by one his papyrus sandals, washing and drying his feet before slipping on new ones.

"This way master" Isis quietly said, pointing to the lighted doorway to his right.

It was clear he was pleased with what he saw. Neat, clean rooms with newly dusted woven mats on the floor. Oil lamps for light and charcoal braziers for warmth.

"Your humble repast awaits you master" Isis informed him, indicating a low table and soft bench..

"The food is unfortunately plain, with a rather dry wine, but the fish, breads and greenery are fresh.

As he ate, he looked around at the freshly scrubbed walls.

"What do they call you?" He inquired.

"I am called Isis, Master" She replied as she knelt in front of him. “And my first assistant is Ank”

"I am Smenkhkare, brother and chief minister to the new Pharaoh" He informed Isis.

"And the one who instituted the slaughter of the sun worshippers" Isis said to herself. " A man with ambition for the highest seat and the ability to carry it out"

"It is obvious we are both tired from a very arduous day" He explained as he reached down and pulled Isis close.

"But as we both have many horrors to forget" He whispered in her ear. "It maybe time for us both to get some sleep"

He stood and not letting go of her forearm pulled her back into the sleeping alcove behind him.

"I hope there is room for two of us" Isis, terrified, both to resist such a ruthless man, and loosing her virginity" Was dragged helplessly in.

But as he slumped down on the recently aired out mattress, whispered. "Be gone beloved of Isis, for I know you are to be saved for a greater sacrifice" He then rolled over and was asleep.

Isis walked on wobbly legs back to the bare room the girls had cleaned out for their sleeping accommodation.

A few layers of the imbiciouse reed mats made the room one huge bed and the girls quickly stripped off their finery, placing it carefully along one wall and just lay down were they were.

Ank slipped over to where Isis lay, and snuggled close.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered. "Where are we and how will we survive?’

"Apparently, as we are currently safe, well fed and well housed, in 1336 BC during the eighteenth Egyptian dynasty, one day at a time works for me" Isis replied.

Ahk’s face came up off Isis’s chest and looked her in the eyes. "That I already know, what I do not know is how we will get back to were we are supposed to be"

"Maybe we are supposed to be here again, because we did not get it right the first time" Isis informed her.

"Ankhesenpaten, youngest daughter of the recently deceased Pharaoh and eventual senior, older wife, and mentor to the future Pharaoh Tutankhamun " "Oh, you know" Was all Ank replied and rolled off Isis to sleep beside her.

"All I have to do is figure out what we both did not do right the first time we were here" Isis sighed and fell asleep.

The day starts early for Temple slave girls and it was fortunate today their new master had been exhausted by his labors supervising the slaughter of the heretics the day before.

Morning porridge, fresh baked bread, warm water and clean cloths awaited him when he stumbled out of his bed. After stumbling through his ablutions, sat as two of the Arabic girls washed his face and hands then offered him his breakfast.

Isis rushed in when she heard him yelling at someone.

"How may I assist Master?" She inquired.

"These two idiots do not know when to leave me alone, even after I threatened to have them slowly fed to crocodiles" He angrily informed her. "What kind of dumb girls did they send with you?"

"Ones that do not understand Egyptian, Master" She quietly replied. "Out Temple girls are not taught our language in order that their masters may talk freely while they serve them"

"O, that is a good idea" He replied. "Only you and the other understand Egyptian?"

"We both converse, read and write it master" Isis replied.

"Just then, the young officer, still looking tried, but at least dressed in a new kilt appeared.

"I have brought some of my men and our servants that you might gather supplies to aid your housing while we deal with the heretics Lord" He stated. " And brought a few plain garments for yours from the palace stores as you ordered " This one has seen too much death. And knows yesterdays was unnecessary" Isis said to herself. "He comes for orders, but does not bow before Smenkhkare because he does not honor him"

""You and Ank change into more practical clothing, and go with them to ensure they gather enough none perishables to last for two weeks" He instructed Isis.

"The officer motioned to a male servant behind him and the servant walked up with an armload of plain white shifts.

Isis instructed the Arabic girls to strip off their temple clothing in order to clean up more rooms and set about handing out the plain course shifts, reserving two for her and Ank. They retained their gold jewelry and Isis her whip as signs of their higher status.

In the center of a block of eight soldiers, with a dozen male servants behind Isis and Ank went out of their oasis of calm into a virtual slaughterhouse.

The two girls gagged at the stench of limb less bodies being piled up for burning in every open area. Faces ashen and stomachs churning, the girls stumbled and retched until they had no more left to throw up. Lines of arrow filled bodies of soldiers indicated were loyalist troops hopelessly attempted to halt the overwhelming tide of attackers.

These still had limbs and they saw figures pulling the arrows out and lining up the bodies, for at least wrapping up in clothes for a real burial in a long trench.

Inside the palace, they discovered a warehouse, where the girls set to work having the servants start hauling still sealed jars of oil and grains back to the temple and then return for more.

"We have instructed the local fishermen and growers of fresh food to bring enough for your needs directly to the temple grounds" The officer informed Isis.

The whaling of female voices drew Isis’s attention, and she walked down a windowed corridor to find the doorway at the end blocked by two soldiers with shield and spear. Beyond, she could see a courtyard with a pool at the center and bodies lying between it and the high wall beyond.

“Stand aside” Isis ordered. “I am High priestess to the Chancellor”

“And surprisingly enough, they did.

“Inside, the area between the entranceway and the pool was littered with torn clothing and discarded sandals. Beyond the pool, nude female bodies lay everywhere, many weeping and crying.

“Who are these females” Isis inquired of the under officer.

“Choice heretic females my men and I have been toying with before they are sold off to slavery” The war hardened ranker informed Isis.

“Finished with them?” She continued.

“For now, as my men are out collecting loot” He replied. A sly grin on his face.

“Then I will take them instead of the large tithe my master would have required of your gathered spoils to support his newly restored temple” Isis boldly informed him. “Or would you rather keep these already abused, wretches who are sorely in need of food and water you do not have?”

“Take them” He replied looking down into Isis’s determined face. “We have had our fill of heretics, alive or dead to last us the rest of our lives” He replied.

Isis ordered her escort to follow her around the pool to where the female bodies lay sprawled on the bricked courtyard. It was obvious most had been repeatedly raped, even though quite a few still wore the havelock of hair hanging down one side of her otherwise shaven head, indicating she was still preteen.

“Water” many begged.

“Save us Mistress” many more croaked.

“Crawl to the pool if you wish water to drink” Isis ordered, holding back her tears. She knew that showing any mercy to these poor creatures would only bring the wrath of her pitiless new master down on her own head. She saw the pool water was probably spring or cistern fed as a ripple from around a center stone showed the movement of the incoming water.

But six did not move the first two were cold, third unconscious and the other three just too ill-used to even move.

Isis had Ank lug the smallest one right up to the water and dump her in. The others, were carried over by more robust of their companions.

When they had at least drunk their fill, Isis snapped here whip until they all looked up.

“You are all now property of the ancient temple that predated you cities being here” She instructed. “The rules are simple”

“If you work hard” She said forcefully. “You live to see another day”

“Every sip of water“S he informed them. “Every bite of food”

“Will have to be earned by hard physical labor” She went on.

“My backside will not be whipped because of your laziness. Understand?” Isis demanded.

“I have the whip, and will use it on yours until I am satisfied, my master will be satisfied” Isis threatened.

“Now, get your useless heretical assess out of her” Isis went on.” Or it will be these soldiers who are directed to deliver your bodies to the Nile crocks”

Shambling, hobbling, leaning on each other, many still sobbing. They were herded out of the temple and along the wide road towards the Nile where the early dynasty period temple lay enshrouded in its own walls. Finally they were all sat down in the shade of the pylons while Isis and Ahnk figured out what to do with them.

“What will we tell him when he comes for his dinner: Ahnk inquired.

“That we purloined over fifty choice females for him to use as slaves either on his lands, or in and around his temples and houses” Isis suggested.

“You know, the truth might just work for once” Ank replied and smiled for the first time since they had arrived.

“They called out their original twenty-two. Who promptly obeyed ever since Isis began laying about quite freely with her whip lately on their bodies to emphasize her authority.

“We have discover an interior courtyard mistress” one of the Arabic girls informed Isis. “It contains a functioning well and a deep stone lined pool probably used for either washing clothes or bathing”

“Move this lot to it and get them to wash off the stink of their abusers at least” Isis ordered.

Teth, who appeared to have been, appointed spokesperson for her fellow students. Walked up to Isis and knelt before her, head down, hands clasped behind her back.

“I am not Your Headmistress” Isis informed the supplicant girl.

“But we would feel easier in our minds if we gave you the submission we gave her” Teth explained.

“Then until we return under Sister A’s tender mercies you may give me the subservience we all owe her” Isis told her.

“It will make their lives easier” Ank spoke up. ”If they figure you are looking after them”

“But who will look after me?” Isis replied.

“Me” Ank whispered to herself as she fell into what would be her proper place, one step behind and just beside her new Mistress.