THE PHAROS

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Claudette was keen to get to work at the museum. Today's exhibition was to receive a visit from the Major, with several prominent dignitaries from the town council. The museum was in desperate need of funds, which it hoped to obtain by local endorsements. She aimed to get to the museum well before the rest of the staff, as she was responsible for the security of a special shipment.

The unusual content of this exhibition struck her once more. Why was a skeleton from Cairo, being shipped to a small town in France for this exhibition? She had been informed that John Hunter the curator of the Cairo museum, was escorting the coffin along with armed guards, but why armed guards this seemed excessive behavior to Claudette

She looked into the hall mirror as she reached for her coat. She was pretty but not beautiful in the classic sense. She had long curly raven black hair; the face staring back at her was round and petite, with a pale complexion, and long eyelashes covering large green eyes. She was of slight frame, but tall, measuring six foot tall in stocking feet.


Relations had told her how much that she looked like her mother. Claudette had been shown photographs of her, and there was certainly a striking resemblance. Unfortunately, she never really knew her parents; they where killed in a car crash some twenty years before when she was still an infant.

As she drove to work, she found herself thinking about her parent's accident, and wondering not for the first time, what had caused the car to crash. Why had there so much mystery surrounding their deaths? The Egyptian police had given no acceptable explanation.

No faults could be found with the car when it was examined; seemingly, they had just veered off the road and crashed into a tree without another car in sight. The police had raised suspicions as to it being alcohol related accident, but both her parents where known to be teetotal. The police had given no further explanations about the accident and the case had been closed.


As she let herself into the museum, a large armed guard barred her entrance and startled her. She let out a scream, a man's voice coming from the office; spoke to the guard in a foreign language, and the guard stepped aside to let her through, "Sorry about that" said a young man walking towards her. "He is not used to this country and its customs, allow me to introduce myself; I'm John Hunter."

She found herself shaking hands with a handsome looking man in his mid thirties; he had blonde hair with a tanned complexion. John was over six foot tall and stocky built. Surprisingly he spoke with a strong Scottish accent. "I'm sorry; I had forgotten that you were going to be here early, I had been warned to expect you", said Claudette removing her coat. After they had finished introducing themselves, the pair made for the museums exhibition hall.

In the centre of the room on a plinth stood the coffin surrounded by armed guards. "Is all this, really necessary, why the armed guards?" Claudette said moving forward "I'm afraid so, the coffin was only allowed out of Egypt with this proviso." The lid to the coffin was open, revealing the skeleton. "Meet Adios" he said gesturing towards the coffin.

"I tried doing some research on your man Adios before your visit, but I could not find any information", said Claudette moving in a little closer to get a better look." It's a long story said John, I'll tell you the story over a cup of coffee, and how our quest has led us here; to Pyoneia."


They sat at a desk in the office sipping their mugs of coffee. John started to tell the story, how ten years before he had received a grant from Cambridge for his thesis on Egyptian Archaeology. When his funds run out, he wanted to continue his research, so he got a job working for the Cairo museum, the curator had disappeared some six months ago, and John had found himself temporarily, in charge of the museum.

He then went onto explain some of the history of Adios, and others; how when the pyramids of Egypt where being built, the local people of the country would bury their important family elders in caves. Their bodies where placed in a sarcophagus, along with their most prized possessions. This practice went on for generations. When caves became full, they where sealed, and new caves where cut out of the hillsides.

A year ago, archaeologists discovered a new colony of caves; and started excavations. The sarcophaguses they found had the names of the deceased engraved on them, making identification easy for the archaeologists. "Adios" was the penultimate coffin taken from one of the caves, the last being that of his wife "Isis" whose coffin had laid beside his.


The following day had been set aside for the opening of Isis's sarcophagus, but the Egyptian government heard of the archaeologist's plans, and appeared at the excavations site. Without explanation, they removed her sarcophagus, putting it into a tomb in a cave. They surrounded the tomb with a four-foot thick wall, and then sealed the cave by dynamiting the entrance. Armed guards now patrol the surrounding area day and night.

"My god, what are they afraid of?" said Claudette, "I'm not sure, but it certainly has them spooked, the officials would not talk to any one about it. Some good news though after months of research on Adios and Isis, I have found a direct link to her, from someone here in Pyoneia. "How exciting interrupted Claudette." "Yes it is" said John. "Because that someone is you!"

"Have a drink, you look very pale", said John passing her a glass of water which had been brought in by a guard, she took a few sips. "I'll be fine in a minute, it was just a bit of a shock, and I feel sure there must be some mistake?" Claudette said. "I know it's hard to believe, but I have proof, you really are the only direct descendant of Isis remaining", John said getting up.


He took the glass from her saying "Between the two coffins was a stone chest, in that chest there where spear heads, amulets, and several scrolls. There where also two caskets each with their names on, we have already opened Adois's casket, the contents which are being kept in the Cairo museum."

He moved towards her and lowered his voice "I've smuggled the casket out of the country that belonged to Isis, I thought you might like to open that one; since your related to her so-to-speak." John said pointing to his rucksack with a nod of his head. "I think it may be of some help to you."

The guard, who was still in the room, was staring at Claudette intently; turning to John she whispered, "Why is he staring at me?" John spoke to him and he left the room. "Abdul-Hadi can be trusted, but he only speaks Arabic, he was one of the helpers from the caves, he has seen the etching's on the cave walls, always of the same striking and looking woman, hardly changing over the generations, you do bear a strong similarity to her" he said.


"Tell me her story and why you think that I'll need the contents of the casket" said Claudette, "Unfortunately, I've not been able to find out very much; all I do know is that the generations I could trace she always had a short life span", John said looking down at his shoes. "Oh don't tell me, she dies in her early twenties in each case", she said flippantly thinking of her forthcoming birthday.

Looking at his face, she realized that he was deadly serious. "I'm afraid so", he said in a quiet voice, he crossed the room and picked up his rucksack. Opening the rucksack, he carefully lifted out a bronze casket. "I believe the answer of how to stop this curse from happening; lies within this casket, which is why I risked everything to bring it to you."

"I'd like to help if I can," said John, putting a hand on her shoulder as he handed her the casket with his other hand. Claudette could not believe what was happening to her; suddenly it was all too much to take in. She could not stop the feeling of nausea rising from her throat; she got up and ran from the room dropping the casket.


Several minutes later, she returned, finding John and Abdul-Hadi talking heatedly. She could see that John was holding the casket in his hands; on closer inspection, she could see that the clasp had been broken in the fall. "Open it", he said gently. She stood with her hand on the lid of the casket and it started to tremble, he put a reassuring hand on hers, and together they opened the lid.

As they opened, the lid a puff of acrid smoke invaded the air, inside the casket was a perfectly preserved finger, on the finger was a ring in the shape of an eye, a lock of hair on a bone clasp, and a very ornate amulet. Claudette reached into the casket lifting the amulet, which was heavily encrusted with gems. As she did so she realized that underneath these artifacts, there was a piece of parchment. She took the parchment out and carefully opened it up; it had a series of hieroglyphics on it.

"Do you understand this?" She said offering it to John. At that moment Abdul-Hadi started shouting and screaming in Arabic and ran out of the room. "A superstitious lot, I'm afraid", he said apologetically, "let me have a look", and taking it from her examined the parchment and said, "Yes, I can understand the majority of it, and I may be able to decipher the rest in time. According to this though, only you can read these words out aloud, for it to have any effect."

Claudette was becoming very anxious, it seemed to be taking forever for John to decipher the words; and then he had to transfer them onto a sheet of paper. Finally, when he had finished the translation he handed her the original parchment, which she returned to the casket. He then turned over the paper containing the translation placing a hand on it as he did so, at the same time placing his other hand on hers.


Looking intently into her eyes he said "Claudette, you cannot change any history that you are shown; if need be, you will be guided as to how to remain in the present. However, if you choose that option you will never be able to return to the past. This is going to transform your life forever, whatever you choose. You will be given certain powers, which you must use with care. If you share the secret of these powers with any one, save the one you truly love, and who loves you in return; your life will end, as have generations before you."

"I'm going to need to think, it's such a risk to take." Claudette said, "Will you leave me with my thoughts for a few minutes please," he folded the sheet of paper, put it into his pocket, and left the room. Her mind was in turmoil, so much had happened in a short time. The museum was due to open in ten minutes, what was she to do? Should she accept life for what it was now, dull, but secure. Then there was the fear she may only have month's left to live? Should she take the risk, and choose life?

John had said that she could only speak about this to someone she truly loved, if not there was no future for her, she absently trailed her hand in the casket, touching the ring as she did so. She was immediately thrown off the chair by some invisible force, she was squirming on the floor in agony, and it felt as if her finger was being cut off; when she looked down at her hand the ring was in firmly in place on her finger; it momentarily: "Blinked at her!"


John came running into the room and picked her up off the floor. "Are you ok", he said concerned. She held up her hand and showing him the ring on her finger." "What the hell have you have done?" He shouted grabbing at her hand, and trying to pull the ring off, but it would not budge. "I was touching the ring in the casket, and I was knocked off the chair by some force", she said. "Well, I think that clears up, there is no doubt, as to whether you are the chosen one" he said putting back the chair knocked over in the fall.

"Have you come to a decision?" he said. "Yes, I'm going to read the translation, I feel stronger somehow" she said, "I think that I can take on the world." "So you should", he said with a bemused look on his face "do you have you a mirror on you, if so, you should take a look at yourself." "That's a silly thing to ask a French woman", she said reaching into her bag and pulling out a mirror, she gazed at herself in awe.

Gone was the pale face she had seen that morning in the mirror, she now had a tanned healthy looking skin, with a slightly fuller face, her raven hair was a mass of tight glossy curls; but the main change was her physique she looked fitter, her body felt like it belonged to a finely tuned athlete. "I think I prefer this body", she said looking down at herself, "So do I" said John in admiration.


The museum clock struck the hour "Oh no, the curator will be here soon, he's always fashionably late." She said with hysteria rising in her voice. "It's now, or never then", said John. He took the folded paper from his pocket and passed it to her, he closed the casket and tucked it firmly under his arm, she held out her hand for his, and clasped it tightly.

Claudette looked into his eyes, "It's such a big step that I'm taking; she said if you're joining me, you have to be sure John?" It is not too late to change your mind." "What if the predications are right, I could not live with myself, if I had not done all I could to help you; I'm thirty four years old, and it's about time I took a few risks; I've always played safe, its time to live" he said squeezing her hand.

Claudette could hear the curator whistling as he came up the museum steps, she started to read aloud from the translated parchment, when the last word was spoken, once again, she was thrown to the floor, but this time it was with John. They found themselves in a cave, light was shining through a small whole in the roof, and they could see a tomb in the middle of the cave with a body slumped over it. John recognized it straight away; it was the missing curator of the Cairo museum.


She looked down at her hand; the ring was glowing, as if it was on fire. In her head Claudette could hear her name being called in Arabic, she was not in the least surprised that she was suddenly able to understand the language. Far above them, they could hear voices speaking...