Patricia Abbott Wrote:

On Wednesday 25 February, I went to Sydney to see the exhibition Threshold, by Marcelle Mansour, an Australian artist whose work is currently on display at the Mary MacKillop Museum at North Sydney.

Marcelle works with light, using a methodology in which the work is an experience which alters the perception of the viewer. To put it simply, it changes the way in which we see and understand things through enabling the viewer to see and experience differently, and therefore can perceive differently. But isn't all art this, I hear you say? An experience of seeing something? Well Yes and No. Some art we look at and some art is a experience that opens up new ways to see and know the world. Marcelle's work which is profoundly beautiful and moving is the latter.

Think of James Turrell, Bill Viola, Robert Irwin . . . and driving through the cross-city tunnel with the single beam of light above and ahead and pulling you forward and you feel small and like you never thought a light in a tunnel could be so beautiful. It's an experience.

The exhibition is a selection of Marcelle's paintings with light and if you're in North Sydney, I'd recommend taking time to go and see her work. After the exhibition, Marcelle took me to her studio to show me more of her work.

If you'd like to read more, I'd recommend Marcelle's thesis which is available at http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/…/10…/1/mansour_mm_thesis.pdf and it is a great read! Especially for anyone who loves beautiful ideas or beautiful things! And I reckon that's pretty much all of us, in one way or another.

The Australian Lebanese Poet Mr Badaoui El-Hage who is professionally a Construction Engineer launched his first book of Arabic poetry is called  “... walaw ba’ada heen”,  meaning,  “... even after a while”,  on 28 March 2015.  It was held at the senior’s multipurpose room at Our Lady of Lebanon Church Harris Park, in the presence of Mr Tony Issa MP OAM and Marada guests from Lebanon; Mrs Vera Yammine and Mr Jawad Khoury, a number of media journalists, organization representatives, prominent personalities, writers, poets, artists, and crowd of community members. Not to forget the beautiful young Cynthia Farah, Miss Lebanon Australia Beauty Pageants 2014.  Mr Sarkis Karam performed a superb Master of Ceremonies (M.C.) for the evening where he welcomed and thanked all audience and the spencers of the event, including Mr Joseph Khoury OAM the, Owner and Editor of Almestaqbal (Future) newspaper, EL Marada Australia and Nader Jewellery.

Brilliant speeches were made by writers Mr Elias Chediack, Mr Hassan Zahwa and Mrs Vera Yammine.  Dr. Jamil Doueihy, Editor-in-Chief of Almestaqbal newspaper and renowned poet recited his lovely poems about great love of women and Homeland Ehden. One of his amazing poems I recall is about love and humanity in a spiritual sense when he says: “Love and Human are the only ones resemble God”.

The evening was highlighted by reading selected poems from the book by the author himself. This poetry book of literature contains composed poems of three interesting sections, called “Woman”, “Homeland” and “Spirit”. The largest part is beautifully about great love-poems of women. Mr Badaoui El-Hage read snippets of his amazing variable poems of Homeland including Al-Qouds, and other passionate expressive poems where he says: “I am attracted to you via dim light “.

After the book launch concluded I went home and felt like reading it before I sleep for I was still in the mode of the poetry atmosphere. 

In his book, El-Hage started with his short sparkling poem of “Raheel wa Zaakerah”, meaning “Departure and Memory” ,  expressing his love, loyalty and faithfulness for his beloved one and swinging and longing between the two charming cities of Beirut and Sydney, p35.  El-Hage’ s  “Voice & Echo” is one of his greatest love poems where he says : “You live in my face...you inhabit my voice, you live in the drowsiness of  my bed....”p15;  and in the poem of “Naked gentle breeze” he says “ In every woman’s body lives a naked gentle breeze...” P29. Moreover, the poet is very fond of the “Women of Beirut “p63, he admits the women of Beirut are the most beautiful women around the world.  

During my reading, I was wondering where from the author chose the title of his book? “... walaw ba’ada heen” , meaning:  “...even after a while”?  I thought at first that was a title of one of his poems, I continued reading until I explored that he extracted the title from the text of his poem titled “Yaqzato el Haneen”,  meaning  ‘Vigilance Nostalgia’.  His work in this poem is an awaking state of yearning and longing for a previous time or a space or a significant body in his life. This is because the sense of nostalgia in the poet’s mind is where the home resides - which perhaps suggests the possibility of being his beloved wife that evokes the sense of eagerness and hankering at the time of departure; where she feels the ‘Lost Love’ as the MC Karam humorously mentioned. This feeling seems spontaneous for any female who lives a strong love experience with her husband or partner for love dominates the space. It is in reality an actual indication of genuine love, loyalty and faithfulness that would be inhabited constantly and permanently despite the space and the place and is therefore highly praised. In this context, I also commend the poet in exchanging the same feelings with no surprise, for he is the Eastern man who has only ‘one heart’. In his series poems of “woman 1- 5”, he shows that he is fond of woman and continues praising her:  in his poem of ‘Woman 2” p75 he says “....I have one heart that owned by protective.” and in “Woman 5” he reveals his tremendous love with “no repent” p81. 

The second part of the book is called ”Homeland”, in the first three poems, the poet describes the importance of defending one’s own motherland whether it is Lebanon or Palestine or any other country. The first poem titled “Resistance” he speaks of the struggle for the ‘liberation’ of ‘land’ is a real feast of glory p85. In “Al-Qouds- Jerusalem” he reveals the cause of failure and conquer among the Palestinian leaders p87, and in “Gaza” poem p89, the poet depicts the horror and terror of the tragic descriptive scenes of the innocent victims of genocide war.  In all situations, El-Hage proved to be the patriotic citizen who is caring for all the Middle Eastern countries regardless of what nation or people for he understands the concept behind the Arab unity in protecting the whole area against the land invasion or occupation. The poet here carries the burden on his back and points out to the Arab leaders the weakness and shortcomings in their leadership. This undoubtedly implies the actual need for reformation and the radical change for conquering “Daa’sh” whom he condemns p93.

In continuing reading the book, in section three called “the Spirit” with a variety of spiritual poems, one of them is titled “Qandeel” , meaning “Lantern” , where he says: ‘on its dim light, I wrote my first poem...In its light ...I saw the innocence of my childhood”p127.  In another poem called “Ardana”p131, the poet does not forget the land of his birthplace which lies in the Northern part of Zgharta and has its original name from the ancient language of Canaanites. All evokes the childhood memories.

While I was reading, to my surprise I came across a poem that contains verses familiar to me. I read it again, and then I realized that it is the same poem that was gifted to me at my Facebook page by the poet himself on the occasion of attending my “Threshold” Solo Art Exhibition in Bankstown Art Centre 2014. I first met Mr Badaoui El-Hage while he was viewing my new artworks and was involved in taking photos on his mobile phone, while contemplating – in a silent deep conversation – of each reflective unit and was trying to properly perceive the whole art exhibition that emanating light, and shifting colours in a relaxing surrounding.  I guessed at that time that he was trying to figure out the idea and the drive behind those units of artworks, what does it mean to him and what is the purpose of it? No doubt, he appeared to be caring creative person and possess the combined high abilities of thinking and imagination together. That was my first impression about him which proved later to be correct. To make it short, this particular poem is published in the book titled “Aaraa’ Molawana” , which literary means “Colourful Opinions” and I would translate it as “Colourful Perception” where he begins with beautiful descriptive words by saying : “Paintings with no frames...transcend lines and boundaries.“ The poet ends it by saying: “colours that are universal and eternal.” P129. I would like add here that El-Hage has a great sense of perception for he successfully selected the perfect words to give the meaningful expression that suits the art description. 

Generally speaking, I find the book to be inspiring and very poetic where it has the natural rhythm of human feelings that full of sensations, passion and love for woman, for the roots and homeland. 160 pages with a small size paper and white book cover. The introduction was written by the Lebanese Writer Mr Assad El- Khoury.  It is inviting for reading in depth, on the bases of its beauty and simplicity, to focus on words, meaning and imagery of the verses that takes the reader into a splendid journey. 

Congratulations to Badaoui El-Hage who has wonderfully published his first poetry book and wish him all the best and good luck with his future books.

By Sarkis Karam 

It was a very enjoyable experience to attend a talk today delivered by the creative and brilliant artist Marcelle Mansour at her Threshold Art Exhibition which is still on in Mary MacKillop Place Museum North Sydney. Marcelle explained in depth the drive that inspired her to undertake a new innovative type of art where bravery, imagination and very unique skills are required to get the message across. She underlined her devotion for world peace and for humanitarian relationships that break the barriers of discrimination and sectarianism. Then, she pointed out the meaning she conceives in every art item she displays at her Threshold exhibition while inviting art lovers to allow their vision and senses to interpret every work as their mind sees fit. The title of every work created by Marcelle reflects her brave, tranquil and stimulating message: We are in, Alchemy, Inner Depth, Transfiguration, Heartbeat, Liberation, Threshold, Five Senses, Transformation, Healing, Illumination, The Mandylion, Bread of Life, Portrait and Metamorphosis. They represent light effects and inner motion portraits of meanings that are very much attached to the artist’s roots and life experiences, and in fact relate to every human being anywhere in the world. The artist concluded her invigorating and inspiring talk with a radiant and moving poem in English followed by another in Arabic which was just as moving and gratifying. The intellect discussion at the end of the session where questions and answers complimented the occasion was simply superb. It was an intellectually rewarding occasion enhanced by the relaxing spiritual surrounding of Mary MacKillop . I wish you Marcelle all of the very best of success in your endeavour to promote peace and to advocate the implementation of justice and the protection of human rights.

Address by Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay

Visit of The Hon Mike Baird, Premier of NSW

To Beit Maroun

Thursday 26 February 2015

Dear Premier and Friends,

I would firstly like to welcome the Honourable Mr Mike Baird, Premier of NSW, on his first visit to Beit Maroun.  Mr Baird is the leader of the State Liberal Party, Member for Manly, Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Western Sydney.

Mr Premier, we bid you a warm welcome to Beit Maroun during this most Holy Lenten season.   It is perhaps timely for us to reflect during Lent on our shared values of faith, love and community. These values that the Maronites have carried with them from their homeland and that they share with the wider Australian community. 

Allow me first to tell you a bit about “Beit Maroun” where we gather today. This house was designed by the famous Architect Walter Burley Griffin, and built in 1927 for the McCormic family. Archbishop Khalife, the first Maronite Bishop of Australia, purchased it in 1984. Beit Maroun translates to the House of Maroun, father of the Maronite Church. It is basically the house of all the Maronites of Australia.

The history of the Maronite Church in Australia, dear Premier, tells of how a people held fast to what was good, working tirelessly for their families in a new land that became their home. 

The first Lebanese probably arrived in Australia by 1850 emigrating from North Lebanon to achieve a better life for themselves and their children. Family and church were essentially one for these people. On 10 January 1897, the first Australian Maronite Church, St Maroun’s in Redfern was dedicated.

Our community today counts around 250,000 people and our Eparchy is served by 48 priests and 21 religious sisters working in our 18 parishes and mass centres, 5 schools, 3 nursing homes, child care centres, a Radio station, and our official magazine Marounia. 

In continuing the tradition of service, the Maronite Eparchy of Australia is embarking on a number of exciting and substantial community projects in the areas of aged care, health, disability, child care and drug rehabilitation and reintegration, to provide much needed facilities and services. We hope to achieve all these projects in partnership with the federal and state governments, especially in NSW as working for the betterment of a community also serves for the betterment of the wider society and the nation. 

In the area of aged care, we have identified the need for aged care services for our community in the Bankstown and Parramatta regions and are therefore hoping to establish the Our Lady Care Centre in Harris Park and the St Charbel’s Care Centre in Punchbowl in collaboration with the Lebanese Maronite Order of Monks. Planning is now at an advanced stage for both projects. Our intention is to also establish a much needed medical centre in Harris Park.  

Plans are also underway for a centre for the care of people with disability as part of the community of St Joseph’s Parish in Croydon. 

Another major project that we are launching is the White Stone project in Bilpin, NSW. This centre will not only help treat individuals suffering from addiction but also aims to raise awareness of these social issues and to promote prevention programs. 

Our Eparchy is also budding with many initiatives and activities. One of our most prominent groups is Maronite Mission which is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers who reach out to the marginalised members of our society to relieve some of their sufferings and provide some companionship through a number of initiatives including:

• weekly Food van outreach programs 

• a home visits program where they provide companionship, food packs and advise to struggling families

• overseas missions to help the poorest of the poor in the slums of the Philippines, and in Lebanon to help those individuals and families displaced due to war and persecution. And they have plans to send a team to Iraq in the near future. 

All these projects present a significant undertaking, but we are confident on being able to deliver them with the assistance of the community and in partnership of the different government departments. 

Dear Mr Premier, 

It is our greatest pleasure to welcome you at Beit Maroun along with many other guests whom we are proud to call friends. Allow me to extend a warm welcome to:

• Mr Charles Casuscelli, Member for Strathfield 

• Mr Tony Issa, Member for Granville

• Mr Glenn Brookes, Member for East Hills

• Mr George Zakhia, Liberal Candidate for Bankstown

• Mr George El-Dahr, Christian Democratic Party Member for Lakemba

• Very Reverend Monsignor Marcelino Youssef, our Vicar General

• All the Reverend Monsignors, Superiors, Fathers and Religious Sisters

• The Presidents and Members of the Maronite and Lebanese organisations

• Representatives of the Media 

• Supporters and dear friends of the Maronite Eparchy of Australia

You come to your home when you visit Beit Maroun. As we say in Arabic, ‘Ahla w Sahla’.

Dear Premier, you have announced that the NSW Government will turbocharge the NSW economy by investing $20 billion in infrastructure through its Rebuilding NSW Plan. We assure you that the Maronite community will definitely stand by you in this initiative. Not only that, it will be also by contributing to rebuild New South Wales by launching the projects that I have mentioned to serve the community. 

The Maronite community has produced professionals and tradespeople, skilled and unskilled, each with their unique talent and dignity, and, significantly for our future, politicians and public servants. Although they have not forgotten their homeland, the Australian Maronites consider themselves Australians through and through. They have nothing but great love, deep gratitude and strong loyalty for this generous nation.

Dear Mr Premier and dear friends, we feel that we are heading into a new era for our church in Australia, in community services and we are confident the government of NSW will be supportive of our initiatives.

Mr Premier, once again, welcome to Beit Maroun. Thank you for taking the time to visit us today although we know you have the busiest of schedules. We look forward to working with you towards the service of the community and Rebuilding New South Wales.

"Your majesty I'm not going up to those flight of steps till you tell me who are they?"

"The guards that are guarding the Holy Ankh of the bright Sunrise, the Holy Cross. Their job is to try to stop us from taking it from the Egyptian realm. They will do everything they can to stop us. Let us not waste time."

Nigel followed her up the flight of ten rocky steps shaken by her words. He never knew what to expect with Sekhmet. His plight with her was full of surprises. Needless to mention his carefulness that he must keep with her in fear of his life getting threatened if he ever dared anger her; and now a new endeavor into the unknown, a vicious battle to overtake what will save the world. 

A new warning made him snap out of his contemplations. "Nigel and remember, no weapons."

Suddenly a big door opened in front of them. They walked through it and stood in their place awed by what they saw. It was in the middle of the spacious temple, the torches that Nigel lit still glowing revealing its magnificence. The door, being originally camouflaged with a painting of the god Amenram, closed behind returning to its place. The much sought after Holy Cross was resting inside an open box on a small square table but positioned in the middle tile of thirty square floor tiles colored white and beige. There were three rows of ten tiles erected in the rectangular shape design of the Senet game board. Four sticks colored beige on one side and black on the other rested silently beside the board. 

Nigel walked up to the Senet board but suddenly jumped back as all twenty nine tiles lit with fire. 

"WATCH OUT NIGEL!!!" 

"WHAT IS GOING ON? Someone here wants us to play Senet but what's with the fire games!" he said feeling the blazes of heat against his face and body. Nigel's spine suddenly chilled as he felt something uneasy about to happen. An invisible entity wrote with a red ink on a tile besides the Senet in Hieroglyphics, "Nigel I challenge you to fight for your life on death Senet; there are twenty nine squares of death on the board. I'm writing with the blood of the last loser against me on this game."  

Sekhmet screamed hysterically, "No Seti!!! It's my fault!!! Punish me!!!"

Nigel yelled back, "Why do you want to challenge me? What is going on?!"

Sekhmet explained, "He thinks I'm in love with you. He's trying to punish me. He went jealous because of the glance I gave you while we were in front of the pool of water earlier!!!” She continued “Please forgive me. It is all my fault.”

She explained to Nigel, “He was able to read my mind."

"But I don't understand…"

"I messed up everything. He hungers for my love as I wear my full royal glamour…I still awaken his passions as if we married just yesterday…But your beauty overpowers me from time to time when those two passions just clash together within me as I stand still wearing this mortal vessel connected into two distinct worlds, ”

Nigel eyed the board with wonder. "Doesn't he know that?"

"No. He's so jealous of you he is unable to think anymore."

Nigel placed his hands on her shoulders and stated with understanding, "It seems there is no other way out." The blazes on the board raged and a tongue lashed out towards him. He jumped back a distance shouting with surprise. Sekhmet knelt down before the Senet board game and begged, "Please my Lord. Forgive him!!!" The Blazes calmed down as Nigel stood up savoring some relief.

He kept a distance away from Sekhmet and asked, "What are the rules of the game?"

Tears suddenly ran down Sekhmet's eyes as she spoke, "I don't know; with its blazing squares there are no safe blocks. It was basically about a number of pawns that advance on the squares based on the throws of four sticks. The pawns move according to the number of white sides that are upwards after they roll. There are five safe blocks only on the board." Sekhmet studied the board, "But this is not the Senet that I know."

"So the odds of my survival are nil to thirty." He eyed the blazing tiles as the vicious tongues of flames crackled on them. There were no pawns other than his soul to play with. Soon he announced, "Seti I accept your challenge!"

Sekhmet's heart shuddered with fright as Nigel headed towards the board game. The box with the Holy Cross closed and the blazes died down as he stepped on the first tile. "But who will be his opposing pawn?" Soon the entity wrote on the ground in Hieroglyphics "Play."

Sekhmet picked up the four sticks and threw them on the floor. The sticks settled on the floor with three of them having there beige sides up. She ordered, "Nigel move three spaces up the floor." Nigel did as ordered. As he stepped on the third tile the grounds wavered underneath him. Before he knew it he was crashing down.  

Sekhmet ran up to the board as Nigel yelled for help, but the tiles blazed once again preventing her from helping him. Nigel hands bounced on the hot grounds attempting to maintain their grip on the ledges as the pieces of rock crashed a short distance down underneath on what seemed to him as pointed spades. 

Sekhmet yelled out and backed away making the blazes diminish, "Seti stop this! Please! I have been always faithful to you! Please spare this poor young man!" However the only answer she got was a cold current heaving the sticks up a short distance off of the grounds and shuffling them together.  

Nigel released a sigh of relief as he attempted pull himself up. The cold currents around him very soon ended leaving behind them a clanking on the floor. "It was obviously his turn," he thought. A wild crash made him turn his head back towards the first tile. Sekhmet stood petrified as the vicious beastly howling filled the atmosphere. The Ammit stood around the broken rock he tore through hurling menaces at Nigel. He dashed towards him with unseen speed. 

Sekhemt's opponent's three meant that his pawn could bash the opposing pawn and send it back to square one, only his vicious pawn meant he was intending to kill hers'. A thousand waves of terror tore through her as her eyes filled with the image of the beast with his awkward limbs attacking Nigel. Her heart beats raced uncontrollably and panic filled her soul.

Nigel stood with his legs open standing on the edges of the ledge calculating the Ammits heavy thuds. As the Ammit closed up on him he leaped towards him. Nigel jumped up with his full strength and landed on the Ammit’s back pressing him downwards. Sekhmet released a gasp and covered her face as the beast hurled downwards releasing a chilling howl while the spades tore up his body. Nigel fell through the gap but managed to grasp the ledges again. His plan miraculously worked saving his life. He pulled himself up and stood at the side of the open tile breathing heavily.

Sekhmet slowly removed her hands and looked towards the board. A huge relaxation engulfed her as she saw Nigel standing on the edge of the board incredibly unhurt. "Seti please this is enough!!! Release the Holy Ankh and Nigel!!!"

The entity wrote with blood, "Turn the sticks of fate."

Sekhmet knew her husband’s stubborn temper. Not a single human being can make him change his mind when it was set on something. She nervously picked up the sticks and threw them. All came down with the same suite of colors; a miraculous five moves. 

She ordered, "Nigel move five paces up." He moved accordingly and looked around with nervous anticipation for his new opponent.

The winds heaved the sticks one more time. They came down with the same count and color. Sekhmet snapped back, "Stop it!!! This is not fair!!!" Her voice that echoed through the vast temple was followed by something unforeseen. It suddenly appeared out of the blue, a mere bundle of blackness, jumping from pillar to pillar with unseen briskness. They both watched with fear as it turned around them in circles. Sekhmet shouted, "Seti what is this!!!"

"Sekhmet throw me the gun!!!" Nigel demanded as his head toiled with the motion of the light being.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"I don't feel safe without it anymore. Throw it Sekhmet. Now!!!"

Despite her awed soul she managed to pick up the shotgun. She threw it with a good swing at Nigel. He caught it but he instantly froze in his place. The hair on his head and body rose. His spine chilled with terror and his heart beats raced wildly. His body shook uncontrollably, his teeth clattering very quickly together. His soul was screaming with help and prayers. 

Sekhmet eyed the macabre bundle of blackness begin to engulf Nigel in it. Her petrified legs were unable to move and her tongue was as heavy as a boulder. Six human arms extended from inside its sinister color and locked on to Nigel's shuddering body. Nigel screamed with agony as he felt his blood begin to gash from his body. He screamed from pain as the sinister being sucked the life out of him. Within seconds he felt something wanting to depart from within his body. He knelt down weakened by the mounting pain, helpless within the creature's grasp. 

The creature howled victoriously as each pump of blood from Nigel's body gave him more shape and size. He eyed elated as his flesh and body regained their form once again and his strength increased. He sucked quenching his thirst, making his victim scream more from agony and pain, nearing him to his death. It was the red essence of human life that refreshed his presence and elated him. 

Sekhmet's teeth clattered against each other and her soul shreiked with fear. Massive sweat attacked her body and tears gushed involuntarily from her eyes from the big panic she was in. She began hysterically shouting, "Mercy! Help Me!" Instantly a bright light swirled around her. Three armored mummified guards appeared kneeling before her with respect. She screamed out, "Kill that disgusting creature quick!" 

The guards dashed with unseen briskness towards the Senet table. They raised their pointed spears and dipped them inside the fleshy parts of the creature making him bleed and dance around with pain. He turned around and grabbed them by his human arms and crushed their necks to pieces. They fell to the grounds and disintegrated instantly. Part of his blood gushed out of his body and shot back into the six canals that were open in Nigel's body making him release petrifying deafening howls. Nigel wailed from the pain as the blood entered back and the wounds healed, leaving his assailant feeble. He wavered in his place gasping for air and control over himself. The creature continued to swing in his place with pain and bumped into the Holy Cross's table. A fire gushed through him making him simmer and melt to the grounds. Soon his melted remains seeped through the lined edges of the tiles on the floor and headed towards the statue of Amenram then disappeared completely. A big silence prevailed in the atmosphere in the temple.  

Nigel spoke despite his pains, "Enough is Enough!!!" He feebly approached the box containing the cross and picked it up. "Sekhmet come on. Hurry"

"Seti leave us depart peacefully!!! Please!!!"

"Sekhmet we have no time, we must leave now!!!"

Sekhmet ran up to the senate board where Nigel was standing but only to find the mighty statue of Amenram moving. A deep loud voice suddenly announced, "The Holy Cross must never leave Egypt!!! Kill, Kill the plunderers!!!" The statue jumped off of its rocky base and stood on the floor making the grounds quiver mightily. Cracks made their way across its body as it flexed its limbs. Its rocky appearance began to drop to the floor gradually revealing its fearsome contents. It was the skeleton of a lion with areas of muscle and flesh covering it randomly and incompletely.  

Nigel stood in his place as the creature looked at him and Sekhmet with its' only eye. "Now I knew what the temple priests were feeding exactly. They fed the statue so much blood that they turned it into the lion they were so afraid of."

Sekhmet replied nervously, "What are you talking about? We have disturbed our war god."

Nigel pumped his shot gun and screamed out as the lion went on all fours. It took steps towards them making the ground tremor underneath them, "SEKHMET, THIS IS NOT A WAR GOD. THIS IS A DEMON. YOU HAVE INVITED A DEMON INTO YOUR CULTS OF WORSHIP!!! IT ALMOST KILLED ME ON THE BOARD!!!"

The lion's skull had fleshy parts on its head and sides. Nigel fired a round on the fleshy parts of the skull making him bleed. The lion's roar thundered loudly in the temple causing cracks within the colonnades around them. Nigel aimed his shotgun and fired twice, one round at a fleshy part of his front limbs and the second at his only eye. The beast roared with pain as his eye dropped with splashes of blood around them. He beat about frantically in the temple unable to see, bumping into the colonnades, making some of them break. The ceiling of the temple began to collapse causing the temple's closed entrance to open. Both rushed out into the empty streets of Thebes but stopped at the pointed guns aimed at them just outside the temple. Soon commands followed, "Soldiers on guard! Aim! Fire!"

Machine gun firing through a big opening in the temple walls that was caused by the lions' wild attack hurled it into a vicious tantrum of roars. It beat itself into the remaining walls and colonnades making some of them waver out of place and collapse. Soon it died in the midst of a huge pool of blood. 

The figure having them at gunpoint was a tall Caucasian gentleman. He had a revolver aimed directly at them. Soon the four soldiers firing at the lion caught up with them and surrounded them with their weapons. The gentleman finally spoke with an American accent. "Our chief wishes to see both of you."

He took out a piece of paper and read in ancient Egyptian, much to Nigel and Sekhmet's surprise, "Lords of the other realm, whose magnificence we honor send us back the world we came from…"

Within seconds clouds of mist engulfed them then cleared away. The world around them immediately moved in circles. Both their heads swayed as the fanning motion sped up making them kneel on the floor dizzy in the middle of the cyclone they were in. Eventually the circling disappeared and they found themselves in a modern elegant estate in an unknown world. 

*****

The handicapped studied his two shaking guests with a big smile. They were lying on the floor of his spacious living room between his guards helpless like prey in a hunter's nest. His hands moved the wheels of his chair advancing himself towards them. He motioned the guards to make way for him and stopped his chair right besides them. Nigel looked up at the stranger and asked, "Where are we. Who are you?"

He gave him a mocking smile and answered, "I know you but you don't know me. Introducing myself is a politeness I will not give you."

"I don't understand anything."

Sekhmet spoke in ancient Egyptian, "Nigel who is he and what does he want?"

"I don't know. He doesn't want to tell us."

The handicapped ordered the guards with a hand gesture to do something. Soon one of them hovered over Nigel and grabbed the golden box in between his hands. Nigel pulled the box back resisting but another guard punched him on his mouth. He fell back to the floor with pain unable to do anything while the guard handed the box to his chief whom was seated calmly on his wheel chair smiling with pleasure. He answered, "That is mine thank you."

"You will never get away with this!" Nigel snapped back with frustration.

"Disarm the gentleman Ally, and don't leave them until I tell you what to do with them."

The soldier took away the bullet belts, the shotgun and rifle. "You are one big disgusting creep do you know that." Nigel fired back at his captor.

The handicapped retorted with bitterness, his eyes shooting spears of madness at them, "You almost cost me my life one day Nigel." Nigel gasped with surprise at his name. 

"Don't you ever explain anything, I don't know you. How the hell can you accuse me of such a thing?"

Sekhmet's eyes bounced back and forth between the men perplexed as the handicapped figure answered back, "You know something, you probably won't live long enough to find out who I am." He looked back at Ally and ordered sternly, "This guy is a very feisty one. They are both to remain under surveillance around the clock till I come back."

He rolled the wheels of his mobile chair towards a spiral staircase that lied exactly in front of them in the middle of the living room. Two guards soon followed him and carried him with the chair up the stairs to the upper floor. They guards came back and joined their mates fulfilling their orders.

Sekhmet cuddled afraid in his arms as she watched him sit in despair lamenting his luck. He hugged the poor queen back as the handsome Louie the sixteenth styled furniture in the spacious living room blurred behind the tears in his eyes. He totally felt sorry for all the hardship he faced and the dangers that he subdued in order to reach the Holy Relic and perform his duties as a faithful member of his community. He totally missed Angel whom was nowhere to be found and pitied the royalty whom was probably granted to him as a free guide to overcome the dangerous corridors that led to the Holy Cross. He was afraid himself of the guards that might shoot him at the orders of a sinister being that was bitter with him for reasons he didn't know. The entire situation didn't add up. 

Sekhmet didn't understand the hassle around her any more than Nigel did. The mocking faces of the crippled man, the armed soldiers with their unfriendly faces. The foreign language estranged her from the conflict happening and the weaponry made her go very nervous. She knew the weapons that the guards carried with them were like the violent weapon that Nigel had used in the past and feared their effects tremendously. Didn’t those people know she was a queen? If she were still in her realm her guards wouldn't have allowed her to be imprisoned in this manner at all. However she felt that if she stayed still and did what her captors want they would just maybe keep her alive.

Nigel looked at the fancy living room that they were in. Beige walls, beautiful stylish furniture, breathtaking renaissance paintings that were probably original buys, and extravagantly sized chandeliers up on the high ceiling above them. "This guy must be loaded to live like this," He thought. However four wooded human sized statues of Ancient Egyptian soldiers were randomly dispersed in different corners of the living room. He calmly spoke to Sekhmet, "Your majesty, do you recognize the ancient soldier statues in the living room."

She suddenly stood up but to find the guards waving her to sit down with their weapons. Suddenly the handicapped man called from the top of the stairs. 

"Ally, Esmat, come and help me."

Both guards left towards the staircase and ascended it. One guard came down carrying him while the other carried the wheel chair downstairs. He was quickly placed in his seat while he ordered, "I am leaving. They are all yours guys," the golden box glowing in his hands from the sunlight that filled the room. 

Nigel hugged Sekhmet closely while the atmosphere very soon filled with car engine sounds. A stillness followed as the car took off interrupted only with their breathing and the firm footsteps of the guards marching towards them, their frowning faces heralding their menacing thoughts and intensions. They halted exactly above them. One of them studied Sekhmet with delight while the other said in a broken English accent, "I'm first."

Nigel embraced Sekhmet strongly as Esmat extended his arms towards her. She yelled, "Get away from me!!!" Nigel pushed him away but only to find another soldier raise his machine gun and slam his waist with its wooden handle. He cringed yelling from the pain and knelt down. Sekhmet wasn't more than a stiff log in the embraces of the foreigner. She looked at the gentleman's oval face and black eyes that had want written all over them. His dark complexion was all sweaty and a foul smell arose from him. He attempted to kiss her but she smacked him across the face. Ally caught her gown and tore it at its front revealing her upper body. Sekhmet screamed with fear as Nigel that was still crouching down from the pain stood up and punched Ally on the mouth. Sekhmet covered herself with the pieces of her torn robe. Ally rubbed his mouth and aimed his machine gun towards Nigel. Sekhmet jumped in between them and said in her native tongue, "Stop! Don't kill him. I will give you what you want."

Nigel refused, "No your majesty! Don't give yourself to those bastards!"

Ally asked, "What is the bitch saying."

Suddenly heavy shuffling stirred up in the distances. The four Egyptian soldiers that were dispersed around the living room suddenly marched with life and gathered together a short distance away from them with a one man's march. The mouths' of the four bulky guards dropped with awe as the fully armored soldiers screamed with bitterness at them, "Death to the traitors!!!"

With unseen precession they raised their spears and hurled them at the four guards striking their arms and pinning them to the walls behind them. The guards screamed with pain as their weapons dropped to the floor. They danced feverishly grappling with their wounded arms. The soldiers approached them and raised their swords. One of the guards managed to grab his machine gun again and fired towards one of the ancient soldiers. The bullets shot through him rendering him unharmed and struck the other end of the wall of the living room. 

Nigel looked at them sarcastically and commented, "Didn't you know from the crown on her head that she's a queen?"

The guards screamed for mercy as the soldiers grabbed their other arms and sliced them off. They twisted like madmen from the woes of agony, their screams thundering through the premises. A huge pool of blood gathered around as their blood gushed from their bodies. 

The soldiers knelt in front of Sekhmet, whom was still covering herself with the pieces of her torn gown, asking, "Does your Majesty require anything else?"

She answered with a royal disposition, "No. You may leave."

A luminous glow circled her then they marched back with utmost precession to their original places in the living room. In moments they were lifeless wooded boards again. Nigel gasped as he saw her in a fresh gown. Sekhmet eyed the slaughtered guards. She spat at them as they lied in their pitiful pains pinned like pray to the spears. One of them was still awake shaking from the killing. Nigel knelt beside him and grabbed him by his blood soaked army shirt. His dark complexion and face was full of torment as he spoke feebly, "Please help me."

"Where are we? Which country are we in?! Speak to me."

"Egypt"

"Who is he? Where did he take the Holy Relic?"

He stopped speaking as his body convulsed. He managed very feebly after a second's time, "back...sixty" then rested lifeless on the grounds. 

Sekhmet asked, "What is he saying Nigel?"

Nigel stood up and kicked him in Frustration. He died without telling me where he took our Holy Relic. We could wait for him and when he comes back we will return it to our possession."

Sekhmet liked the idea although she felt it wasn't necessary at all. "Do you know Nigel…Nigel? What are you looking at?"

Suddenly his eyes came upon a paper calendar that hung on the walls. His eyes grew wide with shock as he read the date that was written in Arabic and ancient Egyptian numbers, "15/5/1964..." A lotus flower, nine coils of rope, six cattle hobbles and four strokes followed afterwards.  

"What is going on? What is this papyrus?" She grabbed it and recognized the numbers. She read out loud, "One thousand nine hundred sixty four. What is this number?"

"Sekhmet I'm from the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you recognize a head priest in your kingdom called Setekh?"

"Setekh?" Sekhmet drifted into a phase of deep thought and concentration. It has been a long time since she has heard anyone pronounce this name. What did he have to do with their present dilemma? She finally spoke, "Setekh is a name forbidden on every Egyptian tongue in our lands. Ramses my step son announced that after hearing him speak of treason he beheaded him. He was buried in a far away land so Egypt will bear his memory no more. This is what I know about him. But what does he have to do with what we are in right now?"

"This is not the complete truth. Setekh caused your son Ramses big pains and toils. He attempted to steal the throne in collaboration with your sister in law Princess Isis."

"Hold your tongue Nigel. Isis is a very good person."

"Sekhmet I know the truth is shocking but there is a complete page in your history that was eclipsed from your knowledge."

Sekhmet turned her back to him and kept her silence encouraging him to continue. 

"Sekhmet listen to me. Setekh was a very evil person. He dealt with hidden powerful evil forces that gave him powers beyond any regular person's attributes. He used those powers to attack Ramses and halt his sovereignty over Egypt. He caused Seti's death. When Ramses sped off with one hundred thousand soldiers accounting for almost half your population in Thebes and Memphis to fight the Hittites he killed the other half of the population with his evil magic and turned them into vicious walking dead people; he had the families of the soldiers that remained after the army in your cities to attack the soldiers upon their return from the wars and suck their blood. He attempted to pave the way for an evil entity to rule the world. But our Lord is a very mighty Lord and helped Ramses fight to save his Kingdom and kill Setekh with his evil lords. Isis knew all about this and wanted to betray Seti because he married you while you served in his palace. She loathed you for this…"

Sekhmet turned around and replied firmly with tears in her eyes, "ENOUGH NIGEL! SILENCE! YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR PLACE! Don't you dare speak ill of Isis! If we were back in the court I would have imprisoned you for accusing her of treason!" She wiped the tears from her eyes continuing, "I don't know of what you are speaking to me. It's true at first Isis had problems accepting me in their royal family and she was mistreating me but we became friends upon Seti's death. His death pained everybody and brought us together to support one another upon his departure." Sekhmet's eyes sparkled with sorrow as she spoke, "I don't know of what you are telling me."

"It's best I keep silent about the rest. But you have to understand that I know all of this because I'm from the future. I'm from a time that comes after your civilizations ended in a very long time. I'm three thousand two hundred fifty six years after your time! Your world returned you to our human world and united our paths together to save my world from a similar dark fate that struck your world. A man similar to Setekh threatens to reopen Setekh's tomb, thinking it contains golden treasures, and fate will have it that the same history will repeat itself. That is why I have to regain the Holy Ankh. In my time it is called The Holy Cross and it is what stopped Setekh in your world."

"Your words are startling me."

"The reason I told you this is that if we cannot retrieve the Holy Cross we are going to have to retrieve the scriptures of the Priests of Thebes…"

"I can't…we can't…"

Nigel snapped back in surprise, "Why?"

"They are totally hidden in a distant unreachable land like the Holy Ankh."

"But that is not true. Although my information has it that they perished much after your time in a war with another ruling empire, they have been retrieved in our time. But I need to know where they are kept when Seti was ruling?"

"No, that is not true. Before Seti's rule, when Amenophis was in command he attempted to impose his religious beliefs on the priests and on our great grandfathers. In the midst of their brawling he forced them to tear them up. However it has been believed that the temple priests with their utmost cunningness had the scribes make an extra copy and cast a magical spell upon it hiding it in a place preceded with long corridors and mazes full of perils."

Nigel thought, "Nothing is impossible as he was just in a time warp that modern science would take years, and if at all possible, to prove through research." He smacked his forehead with his hand and exclaimed, "Not again."

Sekhmet suddenly remembered Ally and the incantations he read to take them out of the time warp and bring them to the estate they were in. "Nigel we can go there. Search Ally for the inscriptions he read while we were fighting the god in the temple." 

By Dr. Safwat Riad

In the presence of Egyptian Consul H.E Mr. Youssef Shawki, his wife, Mr.Danny Eid ( Lebanese speaking Lawyer)and Journalist Mrs Jana Wendt the Egyptian community leaders meet in dinner on Sunday 22 February for solidarity with Mr. Nick Kaldas and his wife Mrs Natalie O'Brine. 

On behalf of the Australian  Branch of the International Coptic Union, we would like to offer our condolences to the families of the 21 Egyptians that were a beheaded by terrorists in Libya on Sunday the 8th of February 2015. It was a sad day for both Egypt and the World as innocent lives were lost in the hands of barbaric actions.

We also pass on our condolences to President Sisi and praise him for the actions he has taken in the light of such terrible events. President Sisi was swift in his response to these killing and as a result commenced air strikes on Terrorist Targets in Libya which resulted in the killings of over 70 terrorists.

We support President Sisi, his holiness Pope Tawadrous and the people of Egypt during this time of mourning, and hope that Egypt overcomes its fight against Terrorism.

Ray Ibrahim

Spokesman of International Coptic Union Australian Branch

The PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) did not object to the appointment of new UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Nikolay Mladenov, although he was described by Tayseer Khaled, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, as “persona non grata” — not trusted by the Palestinians and nor qualified for the job.

The 15-member UN Security Council unanimously voted to appoint Bulgarian Mladenov, 42, to succeed Holland’s Robert Serry. He would also be the representative of the UN secretary general to the International Quartet (the UN, US, EU and Russia), and personal representative of the UN chief to the PLO (the State of Palestine) and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Although protocol allows the PLO the right to reject diplomatic representatives to the organisation, observers cannot understand why it accepted Mladenov. There is no convincing answer except a futile desire by the PLO to appease the UN and Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, at a time when PLO diplomatic efforts are focused on the UN and its agencies.

Mladenov not only failed in a similar mission as UN envoy to Iraq and resigned, he is someone who describes himself — and is described by the leaders of the Israeli occupation — as “a good friend of Israel”. As Bulgarian foreign minister, Mladenov suggested a “military alliance” between Bulgaria and Israel. He has often spoken about his bias towards “Israel’s right to exist” and its right “to defend itself” against Palestinians resisting Israeli occupation. He even admitted to being a Free Mason, served Jewish billionaire George Soros, and publicly advocated the US’s “constructive chaos” policies in the Arab world. In fact, his Jewish origins may be the least controversial aspect of him.

Meanwhile, the occupation state does not hesitate in ignoring the UN, its resolutions and representatives, disregarding and even assassinating them when necessary. Most recently, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to “expel” Mladenov’s predecessor Serry as “persona non grata”. Shortly before that, William Schabas, the head of the UN commission investigating the occupation’s recent war on the Gaza Strip, resigned after Israel refused to cooperate with him or allow him to enter the country.

After the UN tolerated the assassination of its first envoy to Palestine, Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte in 1948, at the hands of the Zionist Stern Gang led by Yitzhak Shamir (who later became prime minister of the occupation state), Israel was emboldened to adopt a permanent policy of disregarding the UN without deterrence so far.

In fact, over the past two years the occupation state has carried out a proxy war against the UN. It has facilitated logistics, intelligence, firepower and medical assistance to allow the domination of militias fighting the Syrian regime on its side of the disengagement zone between the liberated and occupied Arab Syrian Golan. This compelled the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to withdraw after its positions were attacked, dozens of its troops kidnapped and their weapons and equipment seized. Until today, the UN has not dared to rectify the situation, which resulted in the collapse of the UN-sponsored ceasefire and rules of engagement between Syria and Israel.

The Middle East is teeming with international peace envoys. The UN has one, so does the US, the EU, Russia, China and the Quartet. Their names change without anything on the ground in occupied Palestine changing. Except for expanding the occupation through settlements under the “peace” umbrella these envoys provide, without any hope that the international community they represent will be able to effect any real tangible change for the present and future of the Palestinian people on the ground.

So what can Mladenov do that his predecessors, the UN, the Quartet, the Arab League and others, couldn’t?

Khaled believes the real test, to remove Palestinian doubts about Mladenov’s role and mission, will be his position on the siege on Gaza and reconstruction there. However, Mladenov’s track record does not indicate there is cause for optimism. Nor does the track record of “UN special coordinators” since the creation of the position in 1994 and the subsequent expansion of its role, as well as the extensive history of choosing UN and US envoys of Jewish origins or related in the first degree to Jews, such as Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, John Kerry, Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk and Quartet representative Tony Blair.

On 6 February, the secretaries general of the UN and Arab League issued a joint statement expressing “deep concern” about conditions in Gaza. They urged Arab and international donors to honour their financial pledges made at the Cairo Conference last October “as soon as possible”, in order to rebuild the Gaza Strip and end the siege there. A few days ago, James Rowley, UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, sent out an “urgent call” for these commitments to be fulfilled and an “immediate” lift of the siege on Gaza, because he is “very concerned another conflict will break out” if not.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the statement by the Quartet on 8 February after it met in Munich, Germany, as “short of expectations” because it ignored “all the old-new and evolving truths” of the occupation state.

The Quartet also said it is “deeply concerned” about the “difficult conditions in Gaza where reconstruction needs to be quicker” and urged donors to “pay their financial pledges as soon as possible”. However, it linked this to encouraging both sides to “restart negotiations as soon as possible”.

Restarting talks “as soon as possible”, nonetheless, must await the outcome of general elections in Israel and the US. This means the Palestinian people must wait for another two years in the vain hope of reconstructing Gaza. It is obvious the occupation state is enjoying the luxury of time, making easy the occupation without resistance, as well as building settlements without deterrence.

Before handing over the reins to Mladenov, Serry described the failure of donors to pay their dues as “scandalous” and warned “if there is no progress in the coming months” — not two years — towards a two-state solution, “the reality will be a one state [solution]”: the single state of Israel. Former UN coordinator Terry Rod Larsen said in 2002, “the Palestinian patient is dying in the interim.”

Last December, Serry warned in his report to the Security Council that a war in Gaza “could re-ignite if conditions on the ground do not change” in the besieged Gaza Strip. It is clear that what Serry described as a “deadly diplomatic vacuum” coupled with the ongoing siege on rebuilding Gaza, are an explosive recipe in the besieged Gaza Strip, the outcome and ramifications of which are unpredictable.

The “scandal” of donors not paying their dues to rebuild Gaza, as Serry described it, under the pretext that the PLO government does not control the Gaza Strip, is a green light given by the international community to the occupation state to carry out another military assault on national resistance forces in Gaza.

The scandal of Arabs not paying their pledges at Arab summits to provide the PA with a financial “safety net” amounts to flagrant Arab pressure on the PLO to accept the Quartet’s proposal to restart talks with the occupation state “as soon as possible”.

This is Mladenov’s dual mission as the new UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. PLO negotiators continue to wait for a breakthrough by “peace” envoys that are imposed on them and appointed by the US and the UN, although they represent the occupation state. Mladenov is the most recent. He will not change anything on the ground.

* Nicola Nasser is a veteran Arab journalist based in Birzeit, West Bank of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories (nassernicola@ymail.com). This article was translated from Arabic and first published by Al-Ahram Weekly on 20 February 2015.      

The sounds of the rushing waters of a river filled the premises they were in. Within short minutes big splashes were heard underneath informing of the fat of the deteriorated structures. 

Nigel looked at Angel's miraculous quiescence despite the incidents. It was as if she was expecting what happened. Her behavior truly shifted one hundred and eighty degrees. The warmth of her eyes totally disappeared and her passionate loving words to mere orders. But he was a man with ethics and he promised his Angel, whom he knew still existed deep insider his new companion, to help her despite the changes in her disposition.

"Come Nigel. We must get down there."

Nigel stood up and walked to the end of the ledge. They were suspended on the ledge hanging within a huge immeasurable cubed like premises. It was the area of a football stadium, volume wise extremely vast, its' walls of pure white limestone with their glow dancing in the wake of the torch in Angel's hands; an incredible quarter carved in the undergrounds. What task force would be capable of such a burdening achievement? But he soon reasoned that whoever built the pyramids can do much more if they intended to. "Have any idea how on earth we're going to climb down from here? Its' a sixty foot drop."

Angel smiled back coolly and answered, "Never heard of rope ladders Nigel?"

"Where?"

She took the rifle off of her shoulders and knelt downwards. She shook a rope ladder nailed at its top to the edge of the ledge they were on, examining its strength and safety. Its' sides were made of rope but its steps made out of wood sandwiched and nailed at its side to the rope. 

Nigel exclaimed back, "Where the hell did this come from."

She stiffly ordered, "Don't ask too much questions and follow me."

At assurance that the rope was solidly intact she boldly moved to step down when he interrupted her, "Please Angel. Let me go first. I just want to check if its' perfectly safe before you try it." She moved away with a royal swagger giving way for Nigel to step on the ladder. "Suite your self."

The trip down the ladder was dangerous. From the first steps taken he grew aware of the risk factors involved. He called out soon upon stepping on the seventh step, "Angel its sturdy enough. You can step down but carefully."

She put out the fire of the torch and amazingly stepped down with unseen briskness as if doing so for the hundredth time. Nigel's mouth dropped as he saw her legs move with accuracy not mistaking a single step. "But what Angel said didn't add up then. Why would a queen maintain such skills only known to the lower labor forces in the Ancient Egyptian lands?" He soon continued his descent, looking upwards at her from time to time, making sure she was alright. The more they descended the stronger the sounds of the river got. Towards the middle the ladder swayed with the movement of their heavy bodies. Nigel attempted to limit any unnecessary movements and asked the same from Angel but she simply asked him not to fear and move on downwards. The swinging continued challenging their stamina and tolerance till they were able to reach towards the bottom. Soon both were savoring the comforts of the solid grounds, Nigel giving long sighs of relief after their stunt.

He took the torch from Angel and relit it again to study the area around him. He soon was staring at the most formidable piece of architecture he ever saw in Ancient Egyptian history. A stream of water about one hundred and thirty feet wide descended from a system leading to an entrance. It flowed afterwards calmly towards another opening that was immediately followed by a water fall in the limestone cave; the stream itself being not less than three hundred feet long. The water outlets were guarded by four stone statues of soldiers, two at the sides of each outlet, carrying raised swords creating an arch like effect. Both its banks were made out of white limestone as well. A lengthy thick stone barrier resembling an open door lied at the sides of the entrance of the stream. A huge breathtaking throne made out of pure gold rested exactly behind them. It was about sixteen feet long and nine feet wide. 

"Angel what is this place?"

Angel's face shined with a yearning as she explained, "This place and the throne was built in honor of our god Ra. The head priest says that the sun god comes down here every sunset with his ark and descends into the underworld through this place. The next day he ascends, after his victorious battle, beginning a new day. The dead pharaohs and nobilities ascend with him by his ark to the afterlife, after they reunite with their souls again in their tombs from this place, to begin their long journey to the courts of justice. The priests view this as the real first gate to the afterlife."

"But where does all this water drop to?" Nigel asked pointing to the end of the river.

"Where else? To the Underworld? How else does Ra descend there for his battle?" 

Nigel's skin crawled for a couple of seconds. But soon the magnificent architecture took his mind off of the subject and sent him admiring it again. The walls were filled with inscriptions of Ani's version of the Book of the Dead. A gigantic painting from the same book was drawn on one of the walls. He carefully studied the scenes. On the left Ani and his wife Tutu are depicted playing senet, a board game greatly popular in their days and that can also be used as a symbol for a man traveling into the next world. In front of them both on top of their white tomb stood their human-headed ba spirits next to one another. Their bodies resembled two lions which represented those of the horizon over whose backs the sun rises daily. A bird standing to the right of the lions was the benu bird, the phoenix-like bird that represents the soul of the sun-god Re. Under the canopy, Ani's mummy lies on its bier, attended either side by Isis and Nephthys in the form of two birds.

The Hieroglyphics inscribed on the walls were exquisitely original, unmatched in any of Egypt's ruins. He read an excerpt, "Great sun, wheel of fire, Ra in your glory, hear us as we honor you on this, the shortest day of the year. Summer has gone, passed us by, the fields are dead and cold, all of earth sleeps in your absence. Even in the darkest times, you light the way for those who would need a beacon, of hope, of brightness, shining in the night. Winter is here, and colder days coming, the fields are bare and the livestock thin. We light these candles in your honor, that you might gather your strength and bring life back to the world. O Ra, mighty sun above us, we ask you to return, to bring back to us the light and the warmth of your fire. Bring life back to earth, Bring light back to earth. Hail Ra! Ruler of the sun!"    

"It's almost sunset here Nigel. He will come and when he enters his quarters, it is said he enters them with glory."

"Angel forgive me but to me these are all legends. There will not be a god coming through these quarters. Look my Angel." He gave her a sincere warm look despite her lofty looks, "Can you just wake up with me for a second and think with me. We are here to look for the Holy Cross. But due to our bandaged friends we were viciously pushed away from the only place that may hold it which is the temple of Amenram. Now we are stuck here with apparently no safe way out. Can you help me think of a solution? I'm tired and worked out."          

"Do you know how to dive Nigel?"

"Why?"

"There is a path but I'm not allowed to use the waters without his permission. Go without me."

"I'm not leaving without you Angel."

Angel replied annoyed, "Who is Angel? Stop calling me Angel."

Nigel closed his eyes in annoyance. He knelt down mocking her, "Your Majesty Sekhmet; right?"

"If you don't watch your tongue young man the consequences next time wouldn't be pleasing."

Suddenly a small tremor shook the grounds and caused vibes to run through the waters. Angel took a couple of steps back away from the spacious banks of the stream of the Nile. "He has arrived," she thought.

Nigel begged, "Hey guys, I was only joking. Don't you have any sense of humor? 

The tremors increased and caused small tsunamis to begin traveling through the waters. 

Nigel pleaded in panic, "Angel…I mean Sekhmet…Have them stop. You know how much I love you. I will never ever mock you again."

They both backed away till they hit the wall paralleling the majestical throne. 

Angel said, "He is arriving!"

"RA?!"

"Who else ignorant servant!"

"Don't call me that!"

A bright light magnificently tore through the premises forcing Angel and Nigel to bend over and cover their eyes. A loud splash sent waves showering them with water. 

Suddenly a deep spine chilling voice with a majestical tone spoke in Ancient Egyptian, "Sekhmet wife of Pharaoh Seti, reawakened for a good cause in the universe, what brings you to my realm from the afterlife of your people?"

Angel suddenly replied in ancient Egyptian with a frightened voice, "Please forgive my boldness but I have a quest to fulfill and the keepers of the Temple of Amenram kept me from achieving it. They are the ones who forced me to cross your path."

"The Holy Relic you try to find is a very powerful domain and I dare not challenge its' will. I have no authority over it."

"Please don't obstruct our paths then and let us be."

"You shall have what you inquire of me Sekhmet. Your earthly glory shall be bestowed upon you until the purpose of your mission is fulfilled completely and you return to the afterlife of your forefathers. Be diligent in your search for what you seek is within your grasp."

The being continued his way through the streams tearing through the waters, disrupting the peace of the cavern, till he disappeared through the other entrance. Nigel slowly opened his eyes, rubbing them from the brightness that almost blinded him. Spectrums of dancing colors caused his vision to go hazy for a moment's time. As his sight cleared up he stood eyeing Angel with wonder. He took a couple of steps back bewildered at the majesty she was in. A beautiful white robe clothed her body and a crown dotted around its sides with sparkling gems topped her head. She was in pure leather sandals instead of her boots that she wore moments ago. 

After a minute's time he calmly stated, "I believe you sweetheart."

She replied in ancient Egyptian, "I don't understand."

He closed his eyes trying to remember his linguistic knowledge he reaped upon his work in Egypt. He calmly stated, "You make the most beautiful queen my eyes ever saw. I believe you sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart. You will make him jealous."

"Who?"

"My husband Seti of course."

"BUT HE'S DEAD!!!" Nigel yelled. 

"Not in my world he isn't. He has only begun his afterlife moments ago."

"OK your majesty. We have a quest to fulfill. You still remember what we came here for?"

"Follow me?" 

She walked up to the banks of the big streams looking at the waters that returned to their calmness once again. Nigel approached her and asked while inspecting the wet torch in his hand, "Listen if we are going to dive its better you give me your crown so it won't get damaged. I still have the bag of that soldier." 

"Silence servant."

Nigel threw away the bag and useless torch, parting a distance from her annoyed again. It wasn't easy for him to handle her strict temper but he knew that there was something wrong and it will go away with due time. He had to handle what was going on patiently for his love's sake. Chanting caught his attention. They were verses he was hearing for the first time, requests for help from Sekhmet to an unknown entity.

"Come to my help and rescue me, come fulfill your queens will, come from the fields of reeds without any haste and make the waters still."

"Fields of reeds were worked by the Pharaohs' and nobles' servants in the afterlife." His skin began to crawl all over again as he anticipated what might happen. Shooting down walking mummies that are three thousand years old, killing demons of the Egyptian underworld, talking to legendary gods, and now only God knows what was to come. He pumped his shotgun in preparation but Sekhmet suddenly ordered screaming, "What are you doing!!!" 

But it was too late. Four muscular well built servants tore out of the waters and stood with short handled sickles in their hands smiling menaces at Nigel. Nigel gulped hard and froze in his place with surprise. Within a seconds' time they raised their sickles and hurled them with full force at him. Sekhmet screamed with freight as Nigel jumped away from his place. The sickles circled like a bladed fan as they rocketed through the air and crashed on the wall chipping the limestone from their thrust and fell to the floor. 

Sekhmet shrieked sending echoes through the massive chamber "CEASE YOUR ATTACK!!!"

Nigel stood up and aimed his shotgun but stopped as he noticed the servants cease their movement at Sekhmet's orders. All four of them approached her and knelt before her with respect. One of them asked, "What can your servants do for you?"

Sekhmet seeing Nigel was safe turned her attention to the servants and ordered, "Stop the waters till we cross its doors," 

The servant replied, "Her majesty must hasten as we might not be able to hold them back for long, and this might anger Ra our god as well. Never before have the waters been cut back from their source."

"This should be enough."

She looked at Nigel commanding, "You almost killed yourself. Now do you believe me? Follow me. It’s a good thing they weren't soldiers; and from now on you will call me your majesty!"

Nigel rubbed his neck at the sight of the sickles with their sharp semi-circular ends lying on the floor besides the wall. All four of them where accurately aimed at his neck. That was very close. "Yes I do your majesty." He answered with a nervous voice.

The guards walked with unseen one man discipline towards the stone barrier that was at the side of the stream's entrance. All four of them began pushing, their muscles flexing strongly, against the heaviness they were moving out of place. The barrier began moving towards its corresponding bank releasing a deep shuffling sound. Gradually the waters ceased rushing as the barrier crossed its full length closing the entrance. A huge trap door half way the length of the river with a huge boulder on top came into view as the beds of the deep stream that were full of natural debris cleared from the currents. Descending stone steps carved within the bank wall, withered by the strong currents but still within usable condition, rested close by. "Obviously remnants of the worksite that was here up until the completion of the project," Nigel thought as they quickly descended the flight into the deeply dug stream bed and hurried within the vastness of the schism to the iron trap door. Nigel attempted to lift the boulder but was no match for its heaviness. He looked up Sekhmet and pleaded, "Have your servants help me." They both looked and gasped with surprise as the stone wall began rattling with the water pressure, "Quickly call them before it’s too late." 

Sekhmet looked at the servants that were dwarfed by the distances and signaled for help. One of them quickly jumped into the stream bed with utmost easiness and ran towards them. Nigel backed off allowing him to do his job. He eyed with wonder as the servant shoved the boulder aside with one hand.  Suddenly the barrier cracked at a weak side leaking big amounts of water that rushed towards them. Sekhmet and Nigel eyed with horror as they saw the fearsome tides thundering through the channel. The servant quickly hastened opening the iron trap door revealing a stone flight of steps. They both descended as the servant closed the trap door with a powerful slam, heavy waters descending with them through the uneven sides of the door. Sekhmet and Nigel descended the flight of steps carefully, feeling every next step in their wake from the dense darkness that suddenly engulfed them, the waters doubling the dangers of slipping on the solid stone. Eventually they met a short corridor with a closed door; the unending seeping waters raising the water level inside the corridor to their ankles heralding danger they had to stop. Strangely their was no lock locking the door. It resembled a lengthy piece of iron blocking the entrance. Three bars were at its top indicating another passage behind it. Nigel tried rattling it but it was very stiff.

"Your majesty what now! You brought us here!" Nigel hollered accusingly.

Sekhmet Yelled back sternly, "And what are you here for servant. Work and get us out of here." She felt its outer surface with her arm. No engravings were felt on its smooth surface. "This door wasn't placed by my people. If it was done by my people they would have engraved their writings on it."

Nigel answered back attempting to calm the situation down, "Ok. What you're saying is true. So this is some sort of dead end. But we haven't reached all the way here to die." He eyed Sekhmet in the face and said, "At least the Angel that I know will never forgive me if I don't help her and do my best."

Her eyes shot spears of madness as she replied, "You keep mentioning this Angel to me. Is she more valuable to you than your queen you traitor? And get working. If you don't start working we will die!" The water reached knee length as the ceaseless stream above continued flooding their cubed corridor. 

There was nothing known to him on the face of this planet that would possible hurl this sturdy door out of its place. His shot gun would greatly anger her phantom guardians, provoking them to take surprise attacks on him. He was deprived of any tools that would help him dig around it and oust it out of its place. It was a truly choking stressful situation to even think under; a slow nearing merciless death. Obviously whomever erected this door walled the water and fortified it to handle tremendous pressure. 

Nigel asked helplessly, "Your Majesty can't your servants come and help. Can't you summon them again."

"No. This is part of the underworld. They cannot follow me here."

"Why didn't you say so?"

Sekhmet said indifferently, "You never asked."

"And…underworld? Is there something I should know your majesty?" He asked as he pumped his shotgun.

"I will tell you only what you must know and right now there is nothing."

Nigel aimed his shotgun at the top edge of the door frustrated as the water reached an endangering waist level. He fired a round that left deafening echos in the small corridor. Sekhmet suddenly screamed with terror and covered her ears, "Stop this loud noise." 

The door swayed from its place releasing a squeak. Nigel pulled Sekhmet towards him and hugged her consoling, "Calm down, please. This is our only way out."

She pushed him away screaming, "Please back away! You mustn't touch me!"

Suddenly the waters' pressure caused the door to hurl from its place to the floor with a big rattling. The currents continued across to the adjacent chamber. Nigel released a sigh of relief as the water level decreased around them. He took his lighter out and lighted the entrance searching for any nearby torches as they carefully stepped into the next room. Despite its light flame, signaling the weak fuel it had, a torch became apparent on the other side of the entrance. He took it from its place and lit it. The breathtaking design of the room came to view. 

A narrow stepping ledge surrounded the perimeter of the hallow grounds of the room that were almost completely filled with the water seeping from the stream through the corridor. A dazzling mini waterfall system seeping from the walls also fed the pond of water. A rectangular rocky ledge about five feet by two feet connected with the corridor projected into the pools' body, like a mini pier, and then ended. Nigel was able to make out four other torches at the walls to his right and left. He lit them illuminating the entire premises. His eyes bounced back and forth between the corridor and the pool several times before his mind glowed with knowledge and appreciation at the intricate water system feeding the pool. The pool was surely connected to something else feeding from it and whomever walled the waters from here waited patiently till the pool went empty. Their search had to have begun immediately after. "Treasure hunters never left quarters of the ancients ever in peace."

Sekhmet stood at the rocky pier looking about her with a confused face. Nigel felt as if she was giving something in her mind deep thought. He slowly approached her but stepped on something in his wake grabbing both their attention. 

Sekhmet suddenly in an unexpected gesture smiled back at him as her face came into focus in the wake of the torch light. She asked, "I still don't know your name."

Nigel found it hard not to smile back at her beautiful face that radiated suddenly a lot of sympathy. He answered while he picked up the objects he stumbled upon, "Nigel."

He studied the objects in the light while Sekhmet replied, "Nigaaal?"

"Nigel…Ni…gel."

"Nigel. Is that right? What is this in your hand?"

"It's a pack of shotgun bullets with things resembling glasses." Nigel studied the very strange object in his hand. The caliber of bullets he was eyeing was not to be found at all in any commercial ammunition store he knew. Their shape and size completely differed from his rounds as they were smaller, probably indicating a gun smaller than his. Despite the difference they were definitely something to worry about as they were modern age equipment. Obviously whom every left them was probably lightening up for the swim, or was never able to return back to retrieve them. He shuddered at the thought.

Sekhmet asked curiously, "What is shot gun bullets?"

Nigel explained patiently, "They are ammunition we feed the guns to fire and kill with."

Sekhmet frowned as she looked at the weapon and ordered, "This thing is frightening Nigel. Keep it away from me."

"But these, I think…" He turned one of the plastic glasses in his hand, pulling its band repeatedly, studying its purpose.  He finally figured it out and placed them on his eyes, fastening the elastic band around his head. The hazy vision soon made him remove it quickly. 

"Your majesty I think those things are for diving purposes. I personally never used them before. I fear also the other end of these waters may hold something unpleasant. But we have to dive through them. There is no other way out."

"We will come back to the temple through these waters Nigel."

Nigel shot a questioning look at her, "How are you so sure?"

"Read what is written."

He read the inscriptions on the walls, "Those waters bless the pure of heart and lead them to Pharaoh Seti's Royal Residence. But to those seeking evil, it turns to a curse and kills them."

He gulped hard as the curse enlightened him as to what probably came about of the owners of the rounds and glasses. "What does this mean your majesty?"

"Those quarters where never used before us. This place was meant to be a shelter for us if the worst ever came and the battles were taken to our cities. There is a short cut from the waters to the temple also." 

Nigel closed his eyes for a moments' time and attempted to regroup his strength. He opened his gun and placed some rounds in it. Sekhmet warned, "Don't use this once we arrive in the temple. You won't need to."

"This is for here and not the temple; you see someone left these objects behind and never came back to collect them. Can you hold your breath long enough?"

"Long enough to reach safety."

Nigel took off his shirt and removed Sekhmet's crown from her head. He wrapped it well in a bundle and tied it up with the long sleeves of his shirt. Sekhmet looked at his muscular body with glowing eyes, reminding him of Angel's loving looks. How much he missed her. He noticed and smiled back making her suddenly move her eyes away in embarrassment. With blushing red cheeks she ordered, "We have to get going."

"So there is a passionate woman underneath her stern royal disposition," he thought. However despite what her eyes revealed, the woman was loyal to her love. He respected her devotion to her Pharaoh's love. He was surely lucky to have her as his wife. But for a moments time it almost felt as if Angel was looking at him, it was her loving looks. 

Nigel fastened the goggles on her eyes then his'. He requested, "Your majesty try to stay besides me." 

Sekhmet replied, "I can't see anything clearly,"

"This might change underneath the water. They might help."

 She nodded back. They both took in a deep breath and jumped with a big splash diving into the deep. The waters were very cool making them shiver at first instances. Soon they were navigating through the deep, the goggles providing the required vision excellently. The waters extended straightforward into a deep tunnel dug within the rocks. They followed the tunnel hoping that they would arrive to a breakthrough soon. It was a very dangerous game of betting against the unknown but it was a risk they had to take. As the tunnel extended in front of them with no apparent breakthroughs Nigel felt the urge to return back. But soon they reached a T shaped crossing. Sekhmet gestured to go right and he followed her. Shortly a surface formed above them with lively breakers reverberating on it. They swam up and tore through the surfaces panting and gasping for air. "Thank God," Nigel screamed out as he appreciated the fresh cool oxygen of the small cave around them. "Those were a lethal fifteen seconds."  

Sekhmet moved to the bank with Nigel following her and sat down breathing heavily with a pale face. Nigel sat besides her placing his bundled shirt and shot gun aside, "Are you alright."

"Yes. I am," She barely was able to speak, her chest moving quickly with her heavy gasping and breathing, as if trying to suck back in her almost departed soul. "I'm not used to swimming or diving."

"Where are we?"

Sekhmet pointed to a door behind them. "This leads to the temple of Amenram. If we had headed left we would have reached Pharaohs residence." She unwrapped the bundle and placed her crown back on. Nigel followed her as she headed towards the two closed doors. A scarab beetle rested in the middle point were the two doors met and closed. It was turned upside down. She turned it anticlockwise till it was head up. The doors opened revealing a room containing a flight of stairs. Four torches lit the room. 

"What does this mean?"

"They are expecting us."