Death of a Pharaoh (16 page)

Seconds later the
video ended.

Ryan sat a moment
pondering what he had just seen. It was all so fantastic, so difficult to
accept. The grandmother he had never known was the Pharaoh of Egypt. She had a
gold seal that would cover the foreign debt of a small nation and could fill a
box with cash and diamonds for his traveling expenses. She commanded an army of
disciplined soldiers, Ethan being one of them, who could break people out of a
medium security prison. On top of it all, he had to accept this unbelievable
legacy or the world might end and the bad guys would win. Ryan buried his
pounding head in his hands. He needed some time to think.

Just then the door
opened and Mr. Lewis walked in, “My Lord, if you have finished I must return
the seal and your symbols to safe keeping. Zach is waiting to have dinner with you."

Ryan didn’t
respond at first, still deep in thought.

“My Lord, is
everything alright?”

“Yes, just a bit
shell shocked. It has been a long day,” he explained then added, “Mr. Lewis,
where is my grandmother now?”

“Her body is in
route to Egypt where you will perform a special ceremony for her when you are
Pharaoh.”

“I would have
liked to see her.”

“In a way you
will, but more important you will soon feel her presence.”

“Mr. Lewis did you
know my birth mother?”

“Yes, I had the
honor of working on Princess Eshe’s personal staff.”

“Tell me about
her, please,” he pleaded.

Herbert knew the
time had come.

“She was a
remarkable lady, intelligent like you, and devoted to the work of the
organization. About a year and a half before you were born, she was diagnosed
with leukemia.”

Ryan was visibly
shocked. “I never knew.”

“She decided to
delay her treatment in order to have a child. She put her duty before her own
well-being. Having an heir was more important than her own health.”

“Was she married
at the time?”

“No, she was
single and the identity of your father is a secret that she took to her grave.”

“Didn’t he ever
come looking for me?”

Herbert ignored
the question.

“When you were six
months old, your Mother was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation because the cancer
had spread. She was returning from a treatment when an attacker rammed her
vehicle. You were in the car with her. The impact broke her hip and her legs
became entangled in the crushed door. She could not free herself. She
selflessly handed you to the driver to save you from drowning. Her last words
were “It is not his destiny.”

“How do you know
that?”

“Because I was the
driver of the car!” he stated, his voice quivering. “I grabbed you out of her
hands and obeyed her order to take you to safety. There is not a day that I
don’t regret not doing more to save her.”

Ryan felt great
compassion for the choices this man had made.

“So you have
actually saved me from drowning twice,” he noted.

“A hundred times
if the Gods command me, my Lord.”

“Let’s stay away
from water for now,” Ryan suggested. He was thoughtful for a moment.

“Why didn’t my
grandmother keep me?”

“Your mother’s
killer belonged to a fanatical Catholic organization and we assumed that if
they determined that you had survived the crash then they would stop at nothing
to murder you as well. Your grandmother had no choice. As heir, we needed to
ensure you reached adulthood alive. It pained her terribly and she suffered for
her decision. She was celebrating your 17
^th
birthday just before she
was shot, as she had every year since the accident.”

“Where was her
security?”

“I…we failed…” He
couldn’t continue, too overcome by emotion.

“You were in
charge of her security?”

“Yes, my Lord and
may the Gods forgive me.”

Ryan looked at the
man who had saved his life twice. “I can’t speak for them yet, but I do.”

“Thank you my
Lord. The investigation into her death is still ongoing but we will find out
who did it and we will bring them to justice.”

Ryan withdrew into
his thoughts again.

“Zach is waiting,”
Herbert gently reminded the teenager sitting before him. He broke protocol and
placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder.

“Have dinner and
try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a special day.”

As he was about to
turn, Ryan spoke.

“Mr. Lewis, can I
do this? I’m barely seventeen,” he reminded the man standing before him as well
as the Gods, wherever they were. “What if I screw up?”

“You are brave and
I have faith that the Gods know what they are doing. Besides, you are the only
option. If you decide to decline the throne, we will be disappointed but we
will understand. Just remember this, if you turn your back on your destiny then
it is humanity that will become orphaned and the consequences would be
unimaginable.”

Ryan forced a
smile, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

He got up from the
chair as one of the security guards entered to take the chest away. He went
looking for Zach and found him at the dining room table that someone had set
for two. He was showered and dressed in news jeans, rad sneakers and a polo
top.

“Ethan says we can
order anything we want,” he blurted out in excitement. “There’s a little fridge
over there loaded with beer and wine. I don’t think anyone will know if we have
some.”

“You go for it, my
head still hurts too much but I think I’ll have a steak. I’m starved.”

“What did your
grandmother say?” Zach inquired while they waited for the food to arrive.

“She’s a neat lady
but she laid a heavy trip on me about all this pharaoh stuff.”

“Based on this
crib, it can’t be such a bad gig,” he admitted. “Looks like they have loads of
money.”

“You can’t even
imagine.”

“Ethan says I can
get a job as part of your security team. That way we don’t have to spit up.
Whadya think?” the eagerness was patent in his face.

“Of course! I
really need a friend with me now and since you kept my back in prison, I’m sure
you’ll do fine out here.”

“So what is going
to happen now? We can’t stayed holed up here forever, even though I wouldn’t
mind. You should see my bed. It has a big curtain on top and at least six
pillows. I’ve already forgotten about the one I left behind. I’m going to hump
two maybe three tonight; a regular orgy!”

Ryan chuckled.
Zach’s crude sexual honesty was a balm for his aching head.

“I have a meeting
with some dude from Africa tomorrow morning and I have to decide if I want to
be the next King Tut or else everyone will be real disappointed.”

Zach thought about
it for a moment.

“Didn’t those
Pharaohs have harems full of beautiful women? Maybe I can get some of your
leftovers?”

“Keep it in your
pants for now.”

“Ethan assured me
that they have people watching my Mom’s place just in case.”

“You guys seem to
be real tight all of a sudden,” Ryan observed. “Do I need to be jealous?”

“Actually, he’s a
nice guy. I still think he’s gay, but in a good way. You know what I mean. Like
the dude helped me pick out these clothes, man, and he was bang on. I once read
on the internet that those guys have great taste.”

Ryan relaxed for
the first time since he received Herbert Lewis’s call in prison.

The food was
delicious, much better than the cafeteria at Sullivan, and he even split a beer
with Zach. After dinner, they went into the living room to watch a movie.

“Look there’s pay
per view and they even have porn. A movie costs $12.95. Think they’d be
pissed?”

“Go for it. I’m
hitting the sack. Tomorrow is decision time.”

“Well don’t think
about it too much. Ethan said your headache will only get worse and if you wait
too long your dick will shrivel up and fall off!”

“That last part
better be a joke or I’ll have your head cut off.”

They both laughed.
It felt good.

“Goodnight Ryan.
See you in the morning.”

The bed was heaven. The sheets were the softest he had ever
experienced. He had to throw half the pillows on the floor just to get
horizontal. Despite the luxury, he couldn’t sleep. He must have tossed and
turned for an hour. He was finally about to pass out from exhaustion when he
heard someone call his name. It was Zach. He was standing by the bed naked with
a pillow covering his privates.

“Hey buddy. Can I
sleep in here tonight? It’s too quiet in my room and I miss having you just a
few feet away.”

“Sure, I was
having trouble sleeping without all that rustling you used to make.”

Ryan looked at the
pillow Zach was holding. “That your new girlfriend?”

“Nah, she’s a
slut! She didn’t even resist through the first scene of the movie. She’s
stuffed full of feathers though; real soft!”

“You can climb in
but the pillow stays out,” he ordered. “Understand! And keep to your side of
the bed.”

Zach smiled and
crawled under the covers. Before long, Ryan could hear his steady breathing
just as if they were back in their cell and he soon fell asleep.

Presidential Suite, The Rittenhouse Hotel,
Philadelphia: 08:37 EDT September 17, 2016

The nightmare came back. The water was dark and cold. Ryan panicked as
he fought for air. Just as he was about to black out he heard someone calling
his name. It was a different voice this time. It was his grandmother and then
he woke up.

 Ryan turned on
the television to see if there was more on the prison break. Sullivan was old
news already, replaced by graphic images of lifeless bodies among broken
concrete and twisted rebar in the aftermath of a massive earthquake in northern
Turkey. Rescuers worked frantically to find survivors in a primary school not
far from the epicenter. Authorities estimated that more than a thousand
children were in class when the tragedy struck. It didn’t look like there would
be many survivors. Updates danced across the bottom of the screen, unseen by
the hundreds of stunned parents standing helplessly behind emergency lines,
refusing to believe the reality before their eyes. Ryan remembered his
grandmother’s words in the video. Reports suggested that fatalities exceeded
50,000 with double that number still missing. He knew it was crazy, but somehow
he felt responsible.

Ryan barely spoke
at breakfast unable to forget the horrific scenes at the school. Zach had just
finished a huge breakfast with extra side orders of bacon and Belgian waffles.

“They taste just
like American ones,” he assured his friend unaware of the motive for his
introspection. A knock on the door interrupted his next comment.

Herbert Lewis
walked in.

“My Lord, there is
someone who wishes an audience before your meeting.”

“Sure, show him
in,” he agreed wondering who it could possibly be.

He could barely
believe his eyes when David, his Sensei, walked through the door. He leapt from
his chair and ran to give him a bear hug.

“Where have you
been, I missed you so much.”

“My Lord, I…”

“Wait, you’re one
of the Servants?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“That’s why I
could never read any of your thoughts.”

“They train us in
that,” he confessed.

“So you didn’t go
away because you were disappointed in me?”

“Of course not,”
he assured him. “When you moved away to private school, I was no longer needed
there and I transferred to our training academy. I have watched you from a
distance and I am proud of the man you have become. You will make a great
king.”

“I am not so
certain.”

“Ryan, forgive me,”
he corrected his style of address, “my Lord… I think I know you better than
most and I have no doubt that you will kick some serious butt.”

“Thanks for the
confidence.” Ryan suddenly remembered his breakfast companion, “David this is
my best friend, Zach.”

Zach smiled and
waved.

“Zach, this is my
karate teacher,” he announced. “He used to be my best friend, well, I mean he
still is and…”

“My Lord, I am
your humble servant and I would give my life to protect you. Friendship such as
the one you have with Mr. Adams is not my place.”

“Well, when I’m
Pharaoh, I’ll say who my friends are.”

“So you have made
up your mind?”

“Have you seen the
news?” Ryan asked. “Maybe it is a reminder of the price of indecision.”

“Perhaps, but it
could also reflect the great anger of the Gods over the murder of your
grandmother,” he observed. “You have enough on your plate already.”

“That is why you
came this morning, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Will you help me
get back in shape with my karate?”

“It would be my
great honor.”

“Then I look
forward to beating your tired old ass,” Ryan added backed by his first smile of
the day.

“My Lord, the
group in the next room is glued to CNN,” his former Sensei advised. “More than
ever, they await your decision. I will take my leave.”

“Don’t go too far.
I’ll be calling for you soon.”

Right after he
left, Herbert Lewis returned followed by three other men. The first was a short
black man very African looking. Ryan assumed he was Chief Mbaye.

Both Ryan and Zach
rose to greet them.

Chief Mbaye stepped
forward and shook Ryan's hand. "All heaven and earth await your decision,
My Lord. Are you ready to accept your destiny?" His voice sounded grave.

Ryan heard himself
answering, “On behalf of those children in Turkey and my ancestors, Yes.”

"Then there
is no time to lose," the Chief responded, "If you please, My
Lord." Chief Mbaye gestured for Ryan to accompany him into the living room
of the suite. Herbert Lewis and the others followed at a respectful distance.

"Where do we
begin?" Ryan asked.

Chief Mbaye warned
him not to speak by placing a finger in front of his lips.

One of the team
set up a laptop on the coffee table then took out an electronic scanner and
began to check the room for listening devices. Everyone stayed silent. When the
technician signaled that all was clear, Chief Mbaye invited Ryan to take a
seat.

"My apologies
my Lord but we cannot be too careful, the staff of the hotel have been here
this morning." He then crossed his arms as if waiting for someone. A
moment later, there was a knock on the door. Ethan was the closest and turned
to open it.

Ryan didn't
recognize the man who entered carrying an official looking briefcase.

"Gentlemen,"
he addressed them all with a nod. He placed his briefcase on the table and
extracted a single page document. When he closed it, Ryan noticed the seal of
the Department of Justice.

He began to read,
"Executive Order 15678 dated September 16, 2016. Section 1. This executive
order declares that the building located at 210 West Rittenhouse Square in
Philadelphia, known as the Rittenhouse Hotel shall be declared extraterritorial
for a period of three hours beginning at 09:00 Eastern Daylight Time on
September 17, 2016 and as such international territory not subject to the laws
and sovereignty of the United States of America. Section 2. This executive
order will expire at 11.59 pm on September 17, 2016. Signed Barak Obama,
President of the United States."

The man replaced
the letter, closed his briefcase with a snap of the latch, waved goodbye and
promptly took his leave without another word. Ryan couldn’t believe what had
just happened.

As soon as the
door closed behind him, Chief Mbaye explained, "It is necessary that you
take your oath in Egyptian territory."

"But we are
still in Philadelphia."

"That is correct.
Allow me to present Mr. Abdul Raman, Vice chancellor of the Embassy of Egypt in
Washington. Mr. Raman bears a document declaring this room temporarily an
adjunct of the Embassy and therefore sovereign territory of Egypt."

Mr. Raman
dutifully placed the diplomatic order in front of the Chief.

"Thank you,
Abdul. As always we are grateful for your assistance."

The diplomat stood
then turned to Ryan, "May Horus protect you my Lord Pharaoh."

"Now that we
are officially in Egypt, we may start."

Ryan interrupted,
"Before we proceed. I have a few conditions."

If Chief Mbaye was
surprised, he didn’t show it.

"First, I
want your assurance that my adoptive parents will be protected."

“My Lord, your
parents are both long time Servants of Ma’at. Our rules prevented them from
ever telling you the truth. You didn’t assume that your late grandmother would
leave you with perfect strangers?”

Ryan was surprised
but it immediately made sense and explained so many things.

“Second, I want
Zach to become a member of my security team.”

“Are you in
agreement with that Mr. Lewis?”

‘Yes, Lord Vizier.
It was already contemplated.” Herbert winked at Zach.

“Next?”

“We need to take
care of Zach’s mother and brother. As long as she is dependent on her husband,
they will be in danger.”

Chief Mbaye turned
again to Herbert Lewis.

“If the Pharaoh
requests we can arrange a new house for them where she will be safe from her
abuser.”

“Please pay any
costs out of my inheritance,” Ryan stated.

Chief Mbaye turned
back to Ryan with a look of infinite patience on his wrinkled face.

“Since you appear
to have some influence with the President, I want you to get an Executive
Pardon for a prisoner at Sullivan named Diego Luque Sanchez.”

Chief Mbaye nodded
in agreement, “Anything else?”

“Anyone have season
tickets to the Yankees?”

Chief Mbaye looked
quizzically at his bodyguard.

“Baseball, my Lord
Vizier.”

“I see,” he
responded dryly. “Well if there is nothing else then may we proceed?”

“Go ahead,” Ryan
answered with a voice steadier than his shaking knees.

Chief Mbaye
signaled to a security agent who stepped forward with a large flat suitcase
that he opened in front of Ryan. It was full of white sand.

"My Lord,
please remove your shoes. This sand is from the temple of Ma'at near
Luxor."

Ryan untied his
laces and removed his shoes and socks then stood in the sand as instructed.

Everyone rose.

Chief Mbaye
solemnly began to read from a document in his hand.

"I, Nkosana
Jonathan Carter, legitimate successor of Her Majesty, Fannie II, True Pharaoh
of Egypt, Defender of Ma'at and Beloved of Amon, do solemnly swear to preserve
the sacred principles of Ma'at against all enemies and to obey without
hesitation any orders given to me by the Supreme Council of the Gods. I freely
and without coercion accept my destiny as True Pharaoh and so demonstrate by
signing this document and affixing the royal seal."

“Do you so swear?”

“I swear.”

The Chief reached
over and placed the document on the table. He offered Ryan a fountain pen.

Ryan took it in
his left hand. He was aware that all the others were holding their breath. He
almost signed, Ryan J. Murphy but corrected himself and instead wrote Nkosana
Jonathan Carter as he had practiced before breakfast. He expected church bells
to peal or fireworks to explode. All he heard was the chief flicking a lighter
as he held a red candle over the document in order to melt some wax. One of the
assistants approached with the gold falcon seal that Ryan remembered from the
box the night before. Ryan took it in his hands and placed it on the wax.
Instantly the pain was gone in his head. When he looked at the others, they
were all on one knee with heads bowed.

"Long live
the True Pharaoh and may Lord Horus protect you against evil," Chief Mbaye
intoned.

"Long live
the True Pharaoh," the others responded in unison.

Suddenly Ryan felt
a loud rushing in his head, like a strong wind. It was as if millions of souls
had just sighed.

"What you
have just heard my Lord Pharaoh is the sound of Ma'at recovering some balance.
You may not completely understand yet but you have just saved hundreds of
thousands of lives."

It had all taken
less than thirty minutes and Ryan really didn't feel that different until he
glanced at Zach who was also on bended knee. A lump formed in his throat.

"What are
your first orders Lord Pharaoh?” the chief asked.

“I believe it is
tradition that I appoint a new Lord Vizier. Would you agree to stay on for a
few weeks until I have gained more experience?”

Chief Mbaye smiled
in approval, "I live to serve you, Lord Pharaoh." He then added, “If
I may, Mr. Franklin from the foundation has prepared your briefing books to
help you understand the working of the organization. There are also some
trading orders that require your immediate attention."

"How will I
know what’s the right thing to do?"

"The same way
that you knew intuitively to trust Ethan, you must let good guide your
hand."

Mr. Franklin
opened a file on the table. Ryan sat in front. The man patiently explained that
most were futures trading orders. Some of them were to sell gold futures and
others to acquire contracts to short sell petroleum. Ryan instantly regretted
that he hadn’t joined the investment club at school. He picked up the pen and
somehow knew that he should decline to approve the first document and when he turned
to the second, he signed without hesitation."

"I see that
you will be a fast learner, my Lord," Chief Mbaye noted with satisfaction.

"If you are
ready, we have a lunch in a private room downstairs with the first member of
your advisory council. You might recognize her, she is the current Chairman of
the Federal Reserve.”