“So. This shrine you’re talking about,” said Jack, looking around the retreat’s austere lamp-lit space. What he was thinking showed clearly on his face.
Crap. Not exactly the Hilton
. “Is it the same kind of shrine where we met Lotar?”
Khenti shook his head. “No. The shrine of rebirthing is only for the Elders.”
As Sam, Teal’c and Dixon drifted sideways to stand along one wall, Jack took center stage and adopted a standard at ease pose, his hands clasped lightly in front of him.
“So, it’s a
special
shrine, for
special
people?”
Sebak considered Jack in silence for a moment. “The Elders
of a village are tasked with its safety and well-being. Where you
are from, do your Elders not gather in… special… places?”
Daniel risked a pointed look sideways.
Jack, you idiot, this is not the time for the politics of equality!
“Yes, they certainly do, Elder Sebak,” he said, his tone deliberately soothing. “But not one for rebirthing, as far as I know.”
“No rebirthing?” Sebak demanded, pinning him with a sharp stare.
“I don’t think so,” he said cautiously. “At least, I don’t recognize your terminology. Perhaps we do share the same ritual but just call it by a different name.”
“Perhaps,” said Sebak, dismissive. “Khenti will speak of this when he returns.”
“Which will be when, exactly?” said Jack.
From the look on his face Sebak clearly didn’t care for being questioned. “Khenti comes when he comes. You will wait. You will see him.”
“Yes, of course we will,” Daniel said quickly, before Jack could answer. “Thank you. Sebak, Lotar told me your village is called Mennufer.”
Sebak nodded, his expression easing. “Yes. Mennufer.”
“Or as the Greek put it, Memphis,” Daniel explained, glancing at the rest of the team.
“Tennessee?” said Jack, incapable of helping himself. “What does that make your river? The Mississippi?”
“Our river is the sacred Nile,” said Sebak.
“Of course it is,” said Daniel, with another quelling look at Jack. “The Nile, source of all bounty. A blessing upon the people of your land. And Mennufer, the good place, sacred seat of the gods.”
Sebak smiled again. “You understand.”
“I try to,” he replied. He gestured at the glyphs painted over the retreat’s four walls. “You are protected by Ra and Setesh?”
Sebak’s face went still. “You know their names.”
“I recognize their symbols.”
“You are their emissaries?”
“No,” said Jack. “Really, really no. Whatever the opposite word is to emissaries, that would be us. Sebak, we’re no danger to you. I give you my word. We’re not here to harm you or your people.”
Disturbed, Sebak began to pace the open space between the four painted walls. “Save your words for Khenti. He is our senior Elder. He is the speaker for the people of Mennufer.”
Daniel touched Jack’s forearm. “Don’t,” he muttered. “Just let it go for the moment. First Lotar, now Sebak. They’re still deathly afraid of the Goa’uld, Jack.”
“Which is a bit odd, don’t you think? Seeing how the Goa’uld
haven’t set foot on Adjo for three thousand years?”
“Well…” Daniel shrugged. “Jesus last walked the earth two thousand years ago. That hasn’t lessened his impact any.”
“Guys,” Sam said softly. “Not the time for a comparative religion debate.”
She was right, as usual.
Sebak stopped pacing and turned. “This man,” he said, pointing at Teal’c. “This man is not like the rest of you.”
“He may look different,” said Jack, “but he’s one of us, Sebak.”
Sebak stepped closer. “It seems to my eyes that a god has written upon his forehead.
“No god has touched me, Sebak,” said Teal’c. “On that you have my word.”
Sebak’s gaze moved from Teal’c to the glyphs on the walls. For the first time since they’d met him, uncertainty shifted across his austere face. “I do not sense a lie in you. But neither do my eyes deceive.”
“I think,” said Jack, letting his own authority crackle through his voice, “these are words to be saved for Khenti.”
Sebak walked to the open doorway and gazed outside. “Yes. He is senior Elder. He is the wisest of us all.”
“Nice deflection, Teal’c,” said Jack, as Sebak stepped out of the retreat to stand on the dirt pathway leading to its door.
“Are you going to tell this Khenti who Teal’c really is?” said Dixon.
Jack glared at him. “Speak up there, why don’t you, Dixon? I don’t think Sebak heard you.”
“Sorry, sir, but I think it’s a reasonable question,” said Sam.
“These people have retained enough of their history to recognize
Goa’uld symbology. They might not know Apophis, but — ”
Jack shut her down with a look. “Major, Teal’c is one of those bridges we don’t cross until we reach it, is that clear?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“We don’t need to complicate this situation. They don’t need to know he’s a real live Jaffa. Not if the idea of the Goa’uld scares the pants of them… which I think it’s pretty obvious is the case.”
Daniel nodded. “Agreed. The less we say about Teal’c’s origins the better. Unless not telling them the truth looks like putting the mission at risk.”
“And who makes that determination?” said Dixon. If he was offended by Jack’s slap down, he didn’t show it.
“Who do you think?” said Jack.
Before Dixon could reply, if he even intended to reply, Sebak re-entered the retreat, hands clasped and eyes fervent.
“You will kneel now, Daniel. All of you will kneel. Khenti approaches with the rest of the council. The time has come for you to speak your truths… and Khenti will tell you what they mean.”
Daniel held up a hand as Jack opened his mouth. “Thank you, Sebak,” he said. “You’re very kind.” And as Sebak stepped outside again to greet Khenti he knelt, resolutely ignoring Jack’s expression. “Humble, remember?” he muttered. “Go on. Surprise me.”
Jack smiled. “One more word and I’ll deck you, I swear.”
Khenti, senior Elder of Lotar’s village of Mennufer, ceased his whispered conference with Sebak and entered the retreat. Pressing his gnarled hands together, he dropped his chin to his chest in greeting. Like his fellow Elders he was dressed in crimson-dyed linens. Also like them he was small, sun-baked and shriveled by a hard life. But he was set apart from his companions by a clumsily inked tattoo of an ankh upon his left cheek, below the eye.
Daniel stared at the tattoo, intrigued.
Amazing that the symbol has survived this long. I wonder what its significance is to this population, as opposed to the people of ancient Egypt. Will I get the chance to ask him? I hope so.
I hope that kind of question isn’t considered rude
.
Behind Khenti stood Sebak and two other village Elders. All three of them appeared to be a few years younger than Khenti,
in Earth terms maybe a hard-fought fifty-five or sixty. He’d have
to ask Sam what that meant in Adjoan years. The two planets didn’t have the same timeframe references, due to dissimilar axes and rotations and astronomical stuff like that. There’d be some kind of complicated mathematical equation to work out the difference. Probably she could do it in her sleep.
Khenti, eyes hooded, reserving judgment, lifted his head. “Strangers, be welcome to this village of Mennufer,” he said, then looked at Jack. “Sebak tells me you are the Elder of your people?”
Jack nodded, his demeanor as respectful now as if he addressed General Hammond. “Their leader, yes. Colonel Jack O’Neill. And with me — ” He started pointing. “ — are Doctor Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, Teal’c, and Colonel David Dixon.”
Again, Khenti lowered his head. “All of you, be welcome. Here is the council of Mennufer. Sebak you have met. This is Madu, and this is Panahasi.”
The men nodded. Like Khenti and Sebak they bore no sign of previous illness.
That could be significant. Only the unblemished get to rule? Something else I’
ll have to ask about when the moment’s right
.
“Be upstanding before us,” said Khenti. “Tell me, what are these odd things you bear with you?”
They all pushed to their feet, Jack grunting painfully. “They’re weapons, Elder Khenti,” he said, patting his MP5-K. “Devices we use for self-defense. We’ve come a long way. We didn’t know what to expect when we arrived.”
Khenti’s thin lips curved in a smile. “You are a prudent man. You have a care for your people.”
“Yes, I do,” said Jack. “It’s my job as their Elder. Just as your job is to protect the people of Mennufer.”
“And will it come to pass that I must protect them from you, Colonel Jack O’Neill?”
Jack didn’t answer at first. Then, moving slowly and deliberately, he pulled the MP5-K from his shoulder and laid it on the floor at his feet. Next he unholstered his sidearm and put that on the floor too. Finally he unsheathed his knife and placed it beside the two guns.
Daniel did his best to hide his shock, even as he felt the same amazed disbelief from Sam and Teal’c. Jack
never
surrendered his weapons, not unless he was at the point of a zat or a staff weapon or someone else’s honking big gun.
He’s really taking this seriously. I guess we were both wrong: he can do humble if he has to
.
“No,” Jack said. “That will not come to pass, Elder Khenti. We are here as friends. We are here as allies. We have come to learn from you, and work with you, and help you. There are things that we know, things your people don’t know, that we believe they should. Truths that have been buried for far too long.”
Khenti’s regard was intense. “And you would unbury them?”
“Yes,” said Jack simply. “I would.”
“And who will these truths make rich, Colonel Jack O’Neill?”
If the question surprised him, Jack didn’t show it. “Your people, sir. And mine.”
“And who will they harm?”
“They’re not intended to harm anyone,” said Jack. “My people have a saying: the truth will set you free. That’s why we’re here, Khenti. To set both our peoples free.”
Khenti considered him. “You have not the look of a people in bondage.”
“There’s more than one kind of chain in the world,” Jack countered. “Just because you can’t see the links doesn’t mean ours don’t exist.”
Khenti smiled again. “This is one of your truths, I think.”
“One,” Jack agreed. “I’ve got plenty more. Interested?”
Khenti considered him, still smiling. “I am interested in knowing what you think to gain from us.”
Daniel held his breath, keeping his gaze front and center.
Careful, Jack, careful
…
“We’re explorers, Khenti,” said Jack, his tone indifferent. “We look for new places, new people. We do some trading, too. Who knows? Maybe we can trade. You trade with Adjo’s other villages, don’t you?”
Khenti nodded, his smile fading. “We do.”
“There you go.”
“We saw a strange bird in the sky,” said Khenti. “Its wings did not flap, its call was unknown to us. Can you speak of it, Colonel?”
“Yeah, I can,” said Jack. “It’s ours. It’s… trained to fly to new places and return to us, and tell us what it saw. Like our weapons, it’s for our protection.”
“And you would trade these trained birds with us?”
Jack shrugged. “Anything’s possible. Depends what you’ve got to offer in return.”
Khenti’s wide-set brown eyes grew intent again. He stepped forward until he and Jack were almost toe-to-toe. He had to look up to meet Jack’s steady, unintimidated gaze: there was something like a ten inch height difference between them. It didn’t seem as though Khenti even noticed.
“Where do you come from, Colonel Jack O’Neill?” he whispered.
“From far away,” said Jack. “Through the
chappa’ai
.”
Khenti released a deep, slow sigh, even as the other Elders pressed their fists to their mouths and gasped.
“Through the
chappa’ai
,” he repeated. “Not a truth I expected
to hear.”
“Does it frighten you?” said Jack.
Daniel held his breath again. What kind of a question was
that
to ask the leader of a people?
But Khenti evinced no sign of affront. “Only a foolish man is frightened of the truth.”
And now Jack smiled, one of his rare, unsnarky smiles. “Another truth, Khenti. Shall we go three for three? You are not a foolish man.”
Khenti made a fist and punched Jack lightly on the chest. “Neither are you, Colonel Jack O’Neill. And therefore are you and your people welcome in this village of Mennufer.”
Daniel could feel Jack’s relief.
He pretends things don’t get to him, that the pressure doesn’t get to him, but it does. I keep forgetting that
.
“Thank you, Khenti,” said Jack. “I think there’s much we can do for each other. And in the spirit of our new friendship, please call me Jack.”
Khenti’s expression remained polite, but noncommittal. “I return now to the shrine of rebirthing, Jack. My fellow Elders will return with me, for the season of rebirthing is once more upon us and we must pray. Be at peace in Mennufer. Consider this Elders’ retreat your home for as long as you are with us. No-one will accost you here. You will be safe and private. That is my word.”
“Terrific,” said Jack. “Thanks.”
“Before we return to the shrine I will tell Mennufer’s people who you are, and why you have come to us,” said Khenti. “When you hear the summoning gong strike three times you will know I have spoken, and you will be welcome to walk about our village freely. Speak with the people. Join them in their work. Thus will you see their good hearts, and show your own good hearts to them. As the sun sets we will return and feast and drink and be of good cheer. Tomorrow we will speak more of friendship, and freeing each other from our chains.”