Avoiding Khenti’s piercing gaze she marveled instead at the extraordinary survival story all around her. That these people’s
ancestors had managed to overcome the traumas of being ripped
from their home world and transported across the galaxy, that somehow they’d survived the battles between Ra and Setesh and created lives with meaning and value, that their descendants still thrived here after three thousand years…
For all our faults we’re a remarkable species.
“Sam,” said Khenti. “I have been patient. I have not asked questions. But I am senior Elder of Mennufer and all here encompassed in your eye sits in my palm, that I might be its protector. I will not press you about Jack and where he has gone, or how he will speak with the Elders of your people. He is your Elder and you owe him obedience. But when he returns we must speak openly of things. I think you know this. I think you know many things, that I must know too.”
Turning to him, Sam released a long slow sigh. “Yes, Khenti. I agree. I regret I can’t tell you any more than that but I have my orders. I hope you understand.”
Khenti clasped his hands and bowed his head. “You are obedient to your Elder. That is something I understand and respect.”
Thank God for that
. “Khenti, what I wanted to ask is this. Are we permitted to explore your valley, or is it taboo?”
“The shrine of rebirth is sacred and only for the Elders,” said Khenti, after a moment. “Everywhere else may be walked. Why are you interested?”
She hesitated. The colonel still hadn’t given any of them clearance to discuss the mission objective with the Elders or the villagers.
Here I go again, tap-dancing round the truth
… “Well, Khenti, like Colonel O’Neill said yesterday… it’s what we do. We travel to distant places so we can learn about them and the people who live there.” God, she felt like crossing her fingers behind her back. “Your valley is very different from the valleys we have at home.”
And that wasn’t exactly lying. Because no, Earth valleys
didn’t
usually contain Goa’uld mines.
“But Sam,” said Khenti, after another considering pause. “There is nothing to see. Trees. Rocks. Bracken.”
And naquadah
. “Perhaps,” she said, carefully, almost holding her breath. “But still… we’d like to learn more about it, if you have no objection.”
“I have no objection,” said Khenti. “But you must not go near Mennufer’s shrine.”
Please God, don’t let it be anywhere near the mine entrance
…
“Of course not. If you could just point out where — ”
“There,” said Khenti, turning to indicate an area of valley behind and to the left of the village. “There is where you may not tread.”
Oh, thank God. It was nowhere near the mine’s probable location. She smiled, relief bubbling like champagne. “All right, Khenti. We’ll keep well away from that area.”
“The rest of the valley is yours to walk.”
“Thank you,” she said. “We truly appreciate it. Oh — but Daniel won’t be coming with this us this morning. He wants to spend more time in the village. Is that all right?”
Khenti smiled. “Daniel is a welcome man.”
He left her then, and for a little while longer she stayed on the river bank watching the workers on the water’s far side follow the rhythms of ancient humanity.
It’s so peaceful here. So… unspoiled. Untouched. If we get what we’re after, if we come with our needs and our machines and our strange alien ways
…
She felt her guts clench, her heart hitch. It didn’t matter that on balance the people of Mennufer and Adjo’s other villages would gain far more than they lost from reuniting with the world from which their ancestors had been stolen.
They’ll still be losin
g something… and that makes me feel like a thief
.
Which was exactly the kind of thought she wouldn’t be sharing with Colonel O’Neill any time soon. Sharing those kinds of thoughts, Daniel thoughts, would get her head bitten clean off her shoulders.
With a shake of her head she turned her back on the river and the workers in the fields. One more look at the UAV stills and it would be time for her team to go mine hunting.
Please God, let us find something. Let this not be for nothing
.
Hammond was debriefing an uneventfully returned SG-6 when the call from Adjo came through to the SGC. Abruptly excusing himself, he hurried into the control room.
“It’s Colonel O’Neill, sir,” said Harriman, grinning.
With a pleased nod Hammond toggled the mike. “This is Hammond. Go ahead, Colonel.”
“
Hey, General
!” O’Neill’s voice crackled through the speak
ers, distance not dimming his anarchic cheer. “
E.T. O’Neill here,
phoning home from sunny Adjo.
”
A lifetime of military discipline meant Hammond was able to completely quash any sight or sound of his immense relief. “And not before time, Colonel. It’s been over two days since your last contact. Is everything all right?”
“
Yeah, sorry about that, General. But the gate is hours away from Mennufer — the village — ev
en with Lotar’s handy-dandy shortcuts. Until we get a decent base camp established here I’m afraid daily chitchats are out of the question
.”
He felt his heart thump, hard. Village? Lotar? “Can I take it then, Colonel, you’ve successfully made first contact and are confident your primary mission goal can be achieved?”
O’Neill’s reply was a resounding sneeze. “
Dammit
.
Sorry, sir. It’s spring here. Is hayfever contagious
?”
Harriman was struggling not to laugh out loud. Hammond flicked him a frowning glance. “Not that I’m aware of, Colonel. What’s your status?”
“
Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Mission status is that things are promising. The villagers aren’t the least bit bothered by our presence. If anything they’re thrilled to find they’re not alone in the big bad galax
y.
”
“That’s a relief.”
O’Neill sneezed again. “
Sure is. General, I’ve been feeling my way with the village leadership. I haven’t made any official overtures as far as the mining concessions are concerned, but I’m working up to it. Daniel’s in his element,
making friends and recording everyone’s life stories
.
Carter’s been adopted by a tribe of little girls who can’t get over the color of her hair. At the rate they’re going they’ll have plucked her bald by the end of the week. As for Teal’c… well, Teal’c’s h
is normal, chatty, gregarious self. It’s all good, sir. I’d say we’re on track
.”
“There’s been no hint of trouble? Nothing to corroborate Teal’c’s concerns about Adjo’s threat level?”
“
Not a thing, sir. Between you and me I think he’s a tad miffed.
I think
he thinks he’s blotted his copybook
.”
Of course Teal’c would think that. “I doubt that’s possible, Colonel. Let him know I’m pleased, not disappointed. And I have no doubt the Pentagon and the President will share my sentiments. What about Colonel Dixon?”
No reply. Then the audio-link through the wormhole crack
led. “
Yeah. Dixon. Well, he’s around. Y’know. Observing. Hasn’t
fallen off a mountain yet, or drowned in the river
.”
Not even a few thousand lightyears could disguise O’Neill’s lack of enthusiasm. Hammond swallowed a sigh. “Well, when you see him next tell him that Major Logan has returned safe and sound with SG-6. His other men are still offworld but I’m given to understand they’re also safe.”
“
Yeah, okay, sir. I’ll tell him
.”
“And the mine from UAV footage, Jack? How promising is it?”
“
I can’t say sir, we haven’t located it yet. Carter, Teal’c and Dixon are going to try and slip away from our hosts sometime today and do a bit of scouting. Maybe stumble across it accidentally on purpose. Carter’s pret
ty sure she’s got a bead on its location. Hopefully they’ll have good news by the time I get back to the village
.”
Hammond grimaced. Hopefully indeed. His hot seat was growing steadily hotter. “Colonel,” he said, “my superiors are going to want to know how soon we can set up our first base camp and start properly surveying any mine you can find on Adjo. What can I tell them?”
A fusillade of sneezes and some muffled cursing. Then: “
Tell them what
Daniel keeps telling me, sir. That we can’
t march in and start making demands of the Adjoans, that we have to make sure we’ve established a solid foundation of friendship first, that taking things steadily at the start means we can push on faster a bit further down the track. I mean, you know Dani
el. Blah blah blah
.”
“I understand, Colonel. But the Pentagon won’t be pleased to hear it.”
“
I’m not exactly turning cartwheels myself, General. And I wish I could say Daniel’s full of crap, but he’s not. So far the locals are friendly but we don’t know th
em well enough yet to say full steam ahead. Tell the brass to pull their heads in, sir. It’s not like Adjo’s going anywhere
.”
“I doubt I’ll phrase it quite like that, Colonel, but I get the message.”
“
Yes, sir. Sir, I don’t suppose you’ve heard back from J
acob, have you?
”
“No, Colonel. I think it’s safe to say the Tok’ra are out of the picture.”
“
So, more good news. Sir, I’ll check back with you as soon as I’ve got something to report
.”
“You do that, Colonel. In the meantime I’ll leave you with this word of warning: I’ll be able to contain the Pentagon’s impatience for another couple of days. Beyond that the pressure will be… considerable. You’ll make my life a lot less complicated if you can provide me with a confirmed plan of action sometime within the next seventy-two hours.”
“
Seventy-two hours it is, sir.
” Another sneeze
. “Dammit! O’Neill out
.”
“He sounds in a good mood, sir,” said Harriman, as the wormhole disengaged from the Adjo end.
Hammond nodded. “Please God it lasts.”
SG-6 were still waiting for him in the briefing room. He returned to them, and spent the rest of their debriefing session only half-listening as he mentally composed conciliatory, stalling memos for the brass and suits in Washington… acutely aware that the seventy-two hour window he’d given O’Neill was at best optimistic. Washington would be hammering him relentlessly by this time tomorrow.
So bring home the bacon, Jack. For all our sakes, bring it home
.
Damn, but it was a long hike from the village to the Stargate and back again. O’Neill paused in his tramping to retie his jacket sleeves around his middle and take another swig of water from his canteen. Just as he swallowed he sneezed again, explosively.
Damn
. His nose was itching like a mother, his throat was scratchy, and his eyes felt like they were crawling with ants.
Since when do I get hayfever? I don’t. Oh, crap.
Just what he needed, a head cold to go along with his pain in the butt from Dixon.
He tried to distract himself by admiring the scenery. You’d be hard-pressed to find a prettier place to hike through than Adjo, or at least this stretch of it. It reminded him of Yosemite. Pristine, untainted, with a ripe promise in the air of the seasons, changing. Against his sweaty skin a seductive burgeoning warmth. And everywhere he looked, tight buds unfurling.
Best thing of all, not a single solitary sign of Goa’uld activity or presence. You’d never know they’d been here. As they had been on Earth, their footprints were erased.
I just hope I live long enough to see them erased from th
e whole damned galaxy
.
Breathing deeply, enjoying the spicy aroma of wilderness, he found himself thinking about Lotar. She hadn’t been at the gate when he got there. Hadn’t come running at the sound of the wormhole engaging, which was pretty damned loud and not a sound she’d be used to. The
whoosh
had sent all the birds in the surrounding trees screaming into the cloudless sky. But even
that
hadn’t alerted her.