Dark Wisdom Part Four

I was hanging and swinging weakly over the shoulder of Dark Owl as we flew south from Cairo. As the city receded, I could see the glow of the sand on the desert beneath me and if I could cock my head, the sky was full of more stars than I could ever see in Queen City.

I could see the Nile reflecting the pale moonlight beneath us, and calculated we were heading south by southeast toward the Sudan. I wrestled with my restraints, but the handcuffs Black Ibis had used were mine, and had been test rated against some powerful villains.

We flew south and east for a while and from my own experiences flying and carrying, I figured we were well away from the city. The terrain slowly changed from desert to rocky cliffs, and I realized we were nearing an area that had sheltered bandits, guerrillas and outcasts for centuries. Its remote location and myriad caverns made it a fantastic place to hide things of value.

We entered a dark, winding canyon, and I saw the ground rising to meet us. Ibis shifted his positions and mine, and landed with a gentleness born of much practice near an unguarded cavern. To the east, the sky was glowing a dark red, as the faint beginnings of dawn heralded the arrival of another sun. "Take a good look, dear Athena. Tonight, you will follow the sun into the realm of Osiris. Only you won't be reborn, I'm afraid."

He placed a hand on my shoulder and tried to force me into the cave. I whirled on my heel and slammed him in the ribs with a whirling roundhouse. Black Ibis groaned, as my unexpected attack caught him by surprise. I planted my feet, flexed and leaped into the air. But as I attempted to fly, I heard a fast whir past my ear.

Another whirring sound buzzed past, then I felt a stabbing pain in my left thigh as Black Ibis hit home with one of his Shurriken. I winced, then felt three more tag me in my right shin, my waist and my shoulder. Trying to ignore the pain, I staggered in flight. But Black Ibis had one last trick; a large silver ball shot past me, then opened, revealing a net. I flew directly into the web, snagged by the heavy nylon. The net shot close around me, and Ibis reeled me in like a prize catch of fish.

"That was very foolish, my dear," he said. Leaving me in the mesh, Ibis dragged me deep into the dark cavern. As we slipped in, I could see the sun fading from view. We rounded one corner, and I saw the shadows of daylight playing on a retreating wall. Then a second corner and suddenly I was plunged into an eerie and complete darkness. My tail felt sore, from all the dragging on the harsh sand and rough rock of the cave. I lost count of the steps and the turns Ibis made, though how he could see was beyond me.

But on a wall in front of us, I saw a dancing light--flickering like a torch playing on a wall. We rounded that turn and the narrow passage opened into a large cave, one that looked like it had been altered by humans...

The walls were painted with scenes that would rival a Pharaoh's tomb. Despite the smoke from the braziers surrounding the room, the paint looked almost untouched. I ached, wishing I had my camera and my art tools. An undiscovered temple, and now in use by Black Ibis as a base. The walls were fantastic, the main wall, directly opposite of me was absolutely breathtaking. There was a large onyx statue of Thoth, holding a balance. In front was a large table or altar with bas relief images of Osiris and Anubis carved into the dark stone. Parts of the stone were darker than the normal shade, and I had to assume the most grisly events that had happened here.

Ibis dropped the bag in the center of the room. Suddenly I was surrounded by five men in dark, flowing robes, who began poking and prodding me. The net was removed, and I heard murmurs of appreciation as the men examined my nearly nude form. "Do not molest her!" I heard Black Ibis say, his voice full of command authority. The men retreated a step, though they still watched with wary and leering eyes.

"This woman is our guest, she will share bread, water and salt with us before she makes her journey." The men nodded silently, in agreement and I saw their demeanor change to obedience.

With shaky legs, I attempted to stand.

Ibis licked his lips greedily, then pointed at one of the men and said, "You, get bandages for her. The rest of you, take her to her chamber until we are ready to send her ka to the birthplace of the dawn. Be wary though, despite her size, she is more powerful than any of you."

Two men helped me to my feet. I stood up, feeling strength returning. One of the men said, "You are playing a joke on us Black One! This is a mere slip of a girl, how can she..." His sentence was never completed as I elbowed him in the ribs. I swivelled again, and kicked out at the other guard. He howled in pain as I connected in the center of his crotch, dropping his rifle. I then bowed at the waist, flipping the third into the fourth.

I turned to face Ibis, but was met instead with his powerful fist in my jaw. I crumpled to the floor. "Now maybe you'll believe me," Ibis said to his pained men. "Take her away, and chain her well, she's not to escape."

I came to my senses lying on a cold granite floor, with my arms and legs chained in a large X pattern to several rings mounted in the cave wall. My camisole was torn, but intact as were my panties. I pulled at the chains, wondering how strong the walls and chains were. Outside I could hear voices, but a large wooden door made it impossible to see who was out there. In the darkness of the cave I had lost all track of time, but I knew that if Daud had his way, my time on earth was running out.

(to be continued)