For Monoke. Based off an idea by Monoke and Abrank

***

What am I here for?  Part 3

"What?!"

"Yes mam, I'm afraid it's true.  Pharaoh Doulen is dead!"

Lilly wasted no time in immediately running out into the main hall, where hundreds of people were milling about, all shouting and trying to get to Doulen's room.  Weet soon came up after her.  The two tried to move past the crowd, but it was impossible.  But then a familiar face appeared.

"Dervan!"  Lilly shouted.  "Dervan!"  The elderly priest was out of the bedroom, but he glanced over upon hearing his name being called.  His duties at this time were sorely needed, but he quickly stopped and motioned them over.  "Dervan," Lilly gasped as she and Weet came over.  "Is it true?"

"Yes…"  Dervan said with a heavy heart.  "I'm afraid it is." 

"But how?"

"That I do not know.  Now come along, or wait here until we decide what to do next."  With that, Dervan and his other priests resumed their quick entry into the pharaoh's bedroom, Weet and Lilly close behind. 

The bedroom was pretty much the same as when Lilly had last left it, save for the rancid piles of blood on the bed, and on the floor.  Doulen was lying face up on the bed, caked and crusted blood around his mouth.  His eyes were blank, staring at nothing, save death.

Lilly had to do her best not to throw up at the sight.  Dervan somehow managed not to throw up as he walked over to the young pharaoh's body, cautioning the others not to touch the blood.

"What happened?"  Weet asked.

"Doulen had been sick these past few months."  Dervan said quietly.  "He kept it a secret from almost everyone.  He had been throwing up blood and feeling extremely weak.  He kept it hidden from others because he did not want Egypt to know that it's ruler was dying so young and without an heir to continue the throne."

Weet and Lilly were silent. 

"He wanted to impregnate a woman, but he didn’t know if his illness would transfer to her and the unborn child.  He couldn't risk harming those who didn't know.  But now…with no heir to come to the throne…"

He couldn't continue…but everyone knew what he meant. 

Lilly couldn't keep her look off Doulen's lifeless face.  He looked both sad and terrified, knowing that his death was upon him.  Had he suffered?  It looked like he had.  Lilly could only hope it had been brief.

Weet on the other hand, looked petrified.  Not struck with sadness, but with horror.  "Weet?"  Lilly asked.  "Weet, what's wrong?"  The woman didn't speak. 

"The two of you may go."  Dervan said.  "There is nothing you can do here."  Gazing one more time at the face of the dead pharaoh, Lilly took Weet's hand and led her out of the room.  The hallway outside was packed with those seeking any news about Doulen.  Lilly pushed past them, heading towards her room.  Weet seemed withdrawn, unable to do anything but follow where she was being led. 

Finally, when they were inside, only then did Weet sit down, her hands trembling.  "He's dead…" She whimpered.  "He's dead…"

Lilly said nothing.  The thought on her mind was on matters of if she was infected with whatever Doulen had.  The horrible odds were that yes, she just might be carrying whatever he had.  Or she might not.  Right now, only time would tell. 

"He's dead…he's dead…"

"Lilly, I know this may be hard, but try to calm down.  It's not the end of the world." 

"It is for me."

"Nonsense.  Just because Doulen has died doesn't mean your life is going to end.  He was a nice man, I will say that, but life doesn't stop just because someone dies."

"You don't understand Lilly."  Weet whispered.  "You just don't understand." 

"Then tell me.  What is it Weet?  Maybe I can help."

"No, no."  Weet shook her head.  "You can't help.  There's nothing you can do.  I fear that it will come for you as well."  Something in Weet's voice chilled Lilly to the bone.

"What Weet?"  She asked, her tone now far more serious and worried.  "What may come?"

But to that, Weet only shook her head.

***

A short time later, bells began to ring, their toll echoing through the palace and drifting out into the city.  Their clanging made it almost impossible to get any sleep.  Lilly lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.  Weet still sat in a chair, slowly rocking back and forth.  No amount of convincing or talking had gotten anything out of her. 

Doulen was dead.  Nothing could bring him back.  Had the last hope of finding out what she was supposed to do gone with him?  There was a timer slowly ticking down.  Second by second, it was getting closer to the point of failure, from which there could be no return.  And Lilly somehow knew that time was almost up.  She had maybe a day or two, maybe three.  If she didn't find out what she was here to do…then she would fail. 

But where?!  Where was that blasted note that told her what to do?  She was thinking, thinking hard, trying to figure out where it could possibly be.  The only thought that came to her was Dervan.  If there was anyone who could figure it out, it was him.  Weet was helpful, but she didn't have a clue where to look or what to do.  Dervan was old, wise, knowledgeable, and helpful.  If anyone could find the piece of paper, it was him.

She would go see him.  No matter what he was doing now, she had to find out.  The very future might depend on it.  As she got up from the bed, she started to walk to the door.  Surprisingly, there was the sound of footsteps on the other side.

Weet heard them too.  Her eyes bulged, and her body began to sweat in terrible fear.  She glanced at Lilly.  "Hide!"  She hissed.  "Hide!  And whatever you do, don't make a noise!  Don't make a sound!" 

The strength in her voice struck Lilly.  Weet had never talked like that before.  "Hide!"  She hissed.  There was no room for an argument.  Turning, Lilly got down and crawled under the bed, wondering what the hell was going on.

"If they come for you…"  Weet whispered.  "Don't fight, you will only be hurt.  Give in." 

The door was opened and a priest walked in, along with three soldiers.  "Servant."  He said simply.

"Yes?"  Weet's voice trembled.

"Pharaoh Doulen has died.  You are aware of what that means for his immediate household, are you not?"

From under the bed, Lilly saw Weet nod slowly.  What was going on?

"We are here to collect you." 

"Yes…I know."  The priest looked around the room.  Instinctively, Lilly shrank back, trying to hide in the darkness. 

"Where is the woman Lilly?"

"She is not here…she went to find Dervan."

"Hmm…"  The priest turned to the third guard and nodded.  The guard took off.  The other two looked to the priest for their orders.  Nodding slowly, the priest looked at Weet.  What happened next chilled Lilly to the bone.

The soldiers came forward.  One took Weet's arms and put them behind her back.  The other clasped a pair of iron manacles around her wrists, locking them in place.  Moving with chilling efficiency that could only come from practice, the two guards marched Weet out of the room, the priest following them.  Then the door was closed, and it was silent.

Lilly stayed under the bed, too startled to move.  What the hell had just happened?  Weet had been arrested, but why?  Did they suspect that she had done something, that she was involved in Doulen's death?  Lilly couldn't see how.  She had been in this room the entire time.  She couldn't have possibly done anything.

But another, more sinister thought came to her…the priest had been looking for her…

Did they think she had poisoned Doulen? 

The thought was too horrible to imagine, to believe.  But at the moment, with the current circumstances, it was, in a horrible way, the most logical explanation.  If that was true…then Lilly didn't have much time.  She had to find out what she was here for, and do it before the palace guards caught her.

Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out the list she had gotten from Doulen.  She scanned the events and dates on it, trying to sense any hidden clue, any possible hint to what she was here for.  Sadly, a second look at the list revealed nothing new.  Simply dates and events.  If only there…

Lilly's eyes went wide.  Of course!  Why hadn't she realized it before?!  "Stupid, stupid!"  She cursed silently.  "You should have seen it earlier!"  It was as if a light had gone on above Lilly's head.  Now, all she had to do was find Doulen's body.  Of course, she realized, it wasn't going to be easy.  But somehow, she just knew that he was the key to finding out the mystery of why she was here.

Glancing around the room, she searched for something she could use to try and sneak around without being noticed.  The walls yielded no items, so she checked a chest at the foot of the bed.  To her luck, there was something inside it. 

"Bingo."

***

Five minutes later, Lilly was at the door, taking deep breaths.  "Okay…you can do this."  She whispered.  "You can do this.  Just go out there, and start walking…"  She paused.

"For Joe…"

Gritting her teeth, she took one last breath, then went through the door into the hallway.  The crowds had dissipated just a little bit, but not much.  Good.  Hopefully, all these people would provide some cover for her to slip through.  The ceremonial mask on her face kept her identity secret, letting her move without being recognized. 

As luck would have it, Doulen's body was being moved just as Lilly reached the corridor leading to his room.  The procession was led by several priests, his young body laid out on a platform being carried by several servants. 

With a quick trot, Lilly snuck in behind them, blending in with several mourners who were following the body.  No one even lifted an eyebrow at the woman who joined them.  Under the mask, Lilly smiled.  So far, so good.  Now all she had to do was keep it up…

The procession went on for several hallways, until it reached a large set of double doors.  Guards unlocked them, and they were slowly opened so that the procession could enter.  Lilly followed, her mind racing a mile a minute.  How was she going to be alone with Doulen's body?  It seemed impossible, for he was no doubt going to be well guarded.

They were all in a dark set of white marble tunnels, lit by torches.  There was a door already opened and waiting for the body.  The mourners stopped, but the body went inside.  Lilly got only a glimpse inside, but recognized the room.  There was a simple table, as well as many instruments waiting on a shelf.  That was where they were going to mummify his body.

She slowly took a step towards it when the doors were closed and bolted tightly.  Two guards took their positions next to the doors, and the mourners slowly dispersed, leaving the pharaoh and his attendants inside the room.  Lilly followed them…but only briefly.  When they were far down the tunnel, she slowly stopped and darted into the darkened recesses of the walls.  Up ahead, she heard the mourners leave, then heard the doors shut, locking her inside.

"Okay Lilly…no going back now." 

Walking as quietly as she could, Lilly snuck back to the doors, which were open.  The attendants and priests were walking out, apparently leaving the body for one night before work would begin on mummifying it.  Good.  Pressing herself into the wall as tightly as she could, Lilly waited until they had all left, and they too had exited the tunnel.  Now it was only Lilly and the two guards.

She was going to have to time this just right, because there was going to be no second chance.  Looking at her dress, she reached inside one of the pockets, pulling out her cell phone.  Fortunately, the battery was still strong.  Opening it, Lilly flipped through the menus until she reached sounds.  Clicking through, she selected the loudest ringtone she could, and pressed "test"

In a heartbeat, she flung the cell phone down the corridor.  It landed against the wall and fell to the ground.  Spinning, the guards looked in it's direction, but did not move.  A second later, the ringtone began to play, attracting their attention. 

"Come on…"  Lilly hissed.  "Come on…"

The guards, intrigued by the sound, left the doors and headed after the cell phone. 

"Yes!"  Quietly, Lilly walked over to the doors, pulled them open, and slipped inside.

The embalming room was deathly quiet.  A few candles were flickering, providing the only illumination to light the way.  Lilly quietly walked towards the table where Doulen's body lay.  Getting closer, she slowed down, almost reverent.  Doulen was still, eyes closed, the blood around his mouth wiped away.  He looked peaceful now, no longer suffering from his illness.

Lilly gave a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder.  She kept it there for a few moments, then lifted it off.  Her eyes shifted to his pants…no, her pants.  The blue jeans he had been wearing since Lilly got here.

Reaching over, Lilly stuck her hand into both front pockets.  Nothing.  Oh boy, this was going to get her in trouble…Taking the body, Lilly flipped it, so that it was lying on it's chest.  She reached into the left rear pocket…and touched a piece of paper.  She tried not to shriek in joy.

Pulling out, she at last saw what she was looking for.  The note.  It had been in her pants all along…she had only forgotten it.  But that was of no consequence now.  She had the note at last.  Taking a deep breath, she read it.

"My dear Lilly."  It said.  "This is a note from your husband to be, in case you should forget what you came here to do.  Lilly, you have gone into ancient Egypt 's past to stop an event that could spell the end for humanity in our time.  The event?  World war three.  Or, in this case, Armageddon, the end of all things."

Lilly's heart stopped.

"It began in the year 2008, when a nuclear bomb was detonated in the Middle East .  Nobody knew how it got there, or who was responsible, but soon, all nations were attacking each other.  It was slaughter on an unprecedented scale.  You and I…we were spared.  We were in Egypt on vacation, working a dig site when the war began. 

Lilly, a new tomb was found in the year 2007, one that had never been discovered before.  You and I…we were working in that tomb when the war started.  And we had helped find it when it was discovered, filled with dozens of mummies and the mummy of a very important, but young ruler.  The new king Tut.  But that isn't why you came here, to Egypt 's past. 

We found a hidden chamber mere days before the war broke out Lilly.  You were the one who found it actually.  Your chisel went through the wall, and you found the mysterious portal inside, a portal that was a time travel machine.  We were so excited love, so excited that we may have made the greatest archeological discovery of all time.  But alas…the bombs stopped our chance of announcing it.

We devised a plan together to try and stop the war.  We had to go back in time and leave a message for the people of the future, so that when the tomb was dug up in 2007, they would find a note that would warn them of the dangers ahead.  That note is in your back right pocket.  The dates there, are to be left in the tomb so that when it is opened centuries later, we will find it and the world will heed it's message so that the end of the world may be avoided.

Lilly my love…you volunteered to go back.  You were the only one among us who knew how to speak ancient Egypt .  Heck, you might even pass for one with the right clothing.  Hopefully, your mission will not take long.  And then you can come back, and the two of us will be together again.  And if God is helping, the war will never begin. 

Leave the notes in the tomb.  That is your mission Lilly.  Good luck, and godspeed.

Your loving husband,

            Joe"

World war three…So that was what she had come here to do.  To stop the end of the world.

For the first real time since this whole adventure had started, Lilly didn't know what to do.  The magnitude of this whole event was starting to overwhelm her.  The event was written out for her, as was what to do about it.  She had to act on it now, before it was too late…

She reached into the right back pocket of the jeans.  There was a tiny piece of paper there, no wider then her pinkie finger.  Even as she looked at it, she saw that it was from the list she had gotten.  Taking it out, she put the two together.  Dates and events, one after another, ending with 2008, and nuclear war.

After that…all that was there was the words "Humanity goes extinct."

There wasn't any time to waste.  Putting the list back in her pocket, Lilly turned Doulen onto his back and headed for the exit from the room.  Amazingly, the guards were gone.  Not wanting to chance anything, Lilly ran for the exit.  She was going to head back to her room, figure out where the tomb was going to be, and leave the note.  And then she was going to find Weet and get to the bottom of what was happening. 

She reached the door, finding it open.  But as she went out, her heart suddenly stopped.  Several priests and guards were standing there, waiting for her.  The priest looked at Lilly, a sad look on his face. 

"We've been looking for you."

***

Lilly had never been arrested before, so the feeling of having her wrists pulled behind her back and being placed in manacles was a new (and unnerving) experience.  So was being marched under the guard of two heavily armed men.  Her ankles had remained unfettered, so she could have kicked and run if she had wanted too.

But she had been too scared.

She was taken to the temple where her chest of toys had been summoned, only this time they went further, to the priests housing quarters.  She and her guards went into an office.  Dervan was there, sitting in a chair.

"Dervan!"  The elderly priest turned and looked at Lilly.  His face was grim, and there was no cheerfulness or welcome in his eyes.  A quick nod, and Lilly's guards left.  Lilly was left behind, her manacles still locked onto her.

"One of my priests told me you were looking for me, correct?"  Lilly said nothing.  Dervan sighed.  "Lilly, my ruler has died this evening, so I'll be brief.  Egypt is on the edge of the brink.  We are standing on the edge of a sword.  Lean one way and we shall collapse.  Lean the other way, and we just might make it through.  With no other heir to the throne, responsibility for leading Egypt has fallen upon me.  I have to make many important decisions now, such as how an old man is going to keep control of the country.  Now, you have been brought here because you wished to find me.  Why is that?"

“You want the truth, or would something else work better?”

“Lilly, the truth is always greater then a lie, no matter how great the damage is as a result.”  Lilly gave a sigh.

“I wasn’t looking for you.  That was a statement that Weet came up with when I was hiding.  I needed to get to Doulen’s body so I could find something that I needed off his body.”  Dervan looked, but didn’t stop her.  “And I did find what I was looking for, and I…well, I’m not quite sure what to do next.”

The high priest sighed.  “My priests inform me that you moved Doulen, correct?”

“Yes…I did.  I had to in order to look in the pants.”  Dervan’s eyebrows went up.  “No, no, not like that.  I was looking for a piece of paper in the back pockets.”  Sighing, the priest rubbed his head.

“You are not aware Lilly, of the sacredness our death rituals, correct?”  Lilly shrugged.

“A little.”

The only thing Lilly could think to say (in a very quiet voice mind you) was “shit.”

“What are those consequences?”  She asked, already afraid to know the answer.

Doulen looked very sad as he looked at Lilly straight in the eye.  “Death.” 

The feeling of having one’s heart crushed in a vice came close to describing the shock that Lilly felt, but nothing could be written about the incomprehensible abyss that she felt.  All hope was sucked out of her.

“W…what?”

“No Dervan, please…can…can’t you change it?  Please, I didn’t know.”  Tears were beginning to well up.

“I’m so sorry Lilly, but I cannot change the laws and traditions of our country, even if I am it’s temporary ruler.  To make an exception for one individual after this doctrine has been held for hundreds of years is not acceptable.  I’m sorry, but I cannot change what will happen to you.  The truth hurts, I know.”   

She could barely manage to ask the inevitable question. “And what is going to happen to me?”

Dervan didn’t answer.

Lilly waited for a few seconds, looking at his sad face, before she couldn’t take it.  “What?!  What is going to happen to me?!”

“DAMN YOU!”  She screamed.  “DAMN YOU!”  The doors were shut, and she was gone.  The elderly man looked at the doors for several seconds. 

It was only then that Dervan broke down and sobbed.  He had been ruler of Egypt for less then two hours and already he was ruining someone else’s life.  Things weren’t supposed to turn out this way. 

He had found Doulen lying on his bed, with the blood pouring out of him.  Thinking of nothing but saving his life, Dervan had tried to save the young ruler.  But he had failed.

He couldn’t forget Doulen had said.  He had looked at the elderly priest, and somehow managed to whisper, through the blood in his throat, “She looked…so beautiful.”  Those had been his last words.

Dervan had stayed there for several moments, looking at the body of his ruler, his mind swirling, trying to figure out what to do.  Doulen had died.  He had no heirs, no children, and no siblings to take over.  Dervan, the old high priest of Egypt …was alone.

In his haze, he had initially overlooked Doulen's arm, which was lying sprawled on the bed.  It wasn't random though.  It had been pointing towards the several items from Lilly's chest.  There was a gag there…and what looked like a brilliant silver collar.  That caught his attention, even if it was only for a few moments.  Had he put these on Lilly?  He had thought.  Had she worn them while he tried to persuade her?  It didn't look like it.

Maybe, in one way or another…Dervan could do what Doulen wanted…as a last gesture.

That was…what?  Two hours ago?  Now he was in his room in the temple, head in hands, trying to figure out what to do.

***

The dungeons were not as dark or as cold as Lilly had expected them to be, but they were not pleasant.  This was a place where prisoners were kept, not a four star hotel.  Many of the cells were filled with people in simple dresses and tunics.  All of them looked like they were from the staff and maintenance parts of the place.  What were they doing down here?

Lilly was moved towards a cell near the back of this block, where the lit torches were dim, giving only a little light to see.  As she was closer, Lilly saw that the cell was already occupied with…

"Weet!"  The door was opened, the manacles released, and Lilly was put inside.  She went to Weet, who was sitting on the floor, throwing her arms around the servant woman as the gate to the cell was locked.  With her attention focused on Weet, Lilly didn't notice.  And in a way, at that moment, she didn't care.  "Weet, thank goodness you're okay!  I was so worried about you!"

Weet looked at Lilly.  She looked terrible, like she hadn't slept in days.  Yet, a smile managed to creep onto her face.  "And I was worried about you too Lilly."  Lilly hugged the woman again, too happy to ask questions. 

A few minutes passed by, and Lilly's emotions calmed down enough to the point where she could ask them.  "Weet, what are you doing here?  What are all these people doing here for that matter?"

Weet's smile faded.  "We are here because Pharaoh Doulen is dead."

"Do they think you're somehow involved in his death?  That can't be true."

"No Lilly, we're not here because of that."

"Then why are you here?"  The servant girl cried a little bit, gulped, and tried to speak.

"When I was a little girl…my mother told me stories about the ones who lived in this palace with the pharaoh.  They could eat all they wanted, they got to sleep in a warm bed every night, but most important of all, they were close to the pharaoh.  And they served him.  But…"  Weet's face went white.  "But…when the pharaoh died…his…his…"

"What is it Lilly?"

"His servants…they were buried with him, to accompany him to the next life.   Weet…we're all going to be buried alive with the pharaoh." 

Lilly froze.

"When my parents were sick and dying, there was no other way for me to get a job…so I came here to the palace to be a servant woman.  I figured that I would die long before the pharaoh, who was so much younger then I was…and when my parents died, I had to sell everything to give them a proper burial.  I lost everything and had to keep working here…and I thought I could join my parents before my master died…"

Weet, unable to keep going, broke down in tears, putting her hands to her face, trying to hold them back.  "I don't want to die!"  She sobbed.  "I don't want to die!"  Lilly, moved to compassion, tightened her hold on Weet, drawing her body closer, holding her tightly, gently rocking the woman. 

She didn't speak.  Deep down, Lilly knew that she was to join Weet and the others in their fate of live burial and entombment, but for some reason, it didn't matter.  What mattered now was helping Weet. 

She kept rocking her.

***

With nothing but the torch lights in the dungeon, there was no way to tell how much time had passed since Lilly had first come in here.  It could have been an hour or two days.  Eventually, Weet stopped crying, but her face remained sad.  Lilly did not loosen her hold, but still held Weet tightly, as if she was her mother.

Involuntarily, Lilly yawned.  She was tired.  Her problems could be put aside for a little while to get some rest.  She would sleep sitting up if she had to, if it meant holding onto Weet.  She was the one person who kept Lilly from breaking down.

Weet however, noticed the fatigue in her friend's face, both physical and emotional.  "I…I am sorry you were not able to find out what you came here to do."  She said, trying to make Lilly feel better.  It seemed to work, for Lilly did give a little smile.

"Thank you Weet.  But actually, I did find out what I'm supposed to do." 

"Really?  How?"

"Doulen.  He had the note in the pocket of his pants all along.  I just forgot that it had been there."

"And the note?"  Weet slowly sat up, disentangling herself from Lilly.  "What did it say?"

"In the year 2007, over one and a half thousand years from now, a tomb will be discovered by myself and my…husband.  A year after that, a war erupts across the planet that will kill 99% of humanity, perhaps all of them.  I came here to the past, to discover the tomb, and to place a message inside it for the people of the future, so they could be warned about what they was going to happen if they did not take action to prevent it."

Weet looked at Lilly, flabbergasted.

"But now, with this…"  She looked at the cell.  "I don't think I can do it.  I can't get to the tomb, and I can't get the message in.  If I'm going to be buried alive with you, then there's nothing I can do."  With that horrible realization, dread gripped her heart.  "And because of that…the war is going to happen…and…and everyone is going to die…"

Tears came, but to Lilly.  "And my family and….and…and Joe are going to…"

It was Lilly's turn to burst into tears, and it was Weet's turn to hold her.  She was quiet as Lilly sobbed, quiet as she cried Joe's name over and over again with the horrible knowing that they would never see each other again.

Weet looked down at Lilly, holding one of the only true friends she had ever had.  She was here to save humanity…Weet?  She was only a servant, a painter, someone who was insignificant.  What could she possibly do to help? 

She, Weet, was going to die no matter what.  She would end her days inside the pharaoh's tomb, wrapped as a mummy and sealed into a coffin, along with the rest of Doulen's closest and most trusted staff.  Lilly…she was going to join them as well, sealed into her own coffin to accompany Doulen into the afterlife. 

No…it couldn't end like that.  If Lilly was here to save her people, and to save humanity…then something had to be done.  She couldn't have gone all this way for nothing.  Weet may only have been a painter, but she did have one dream…to have her work last forever, to have future generations look upon it and enjoy it. 

Now…maybe…she could possibly do something that would last much longer then that.

Still holding Lilly, Weet looked around.  There was a guard standing at the end of the corridor, right next to her cell.  He was drowsy, but he was awake.  Weet had never disobeyed the rules and had always done what she had told.  Perhaps the guards would honor a last request.

Lilly had gone limp in her arms, her breathing quiet.  She was asleep.  As gently as she could, Weet lay her down on the floor, on top of the thickest straw there was.  Then she rose and walked over to the gate, getting the guards attention.

He walked over.

***

"Lilly my sweet, have I told you how gorgeous you look next to the fire?"  Lilly smiled and laughed.

"Only about a dozen times my love."

"Well, it's true you know."  He was right.  The two were curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace, which was burning brightly, it's warmth delicious against the softly falling rain outside the house.

Neither were in bondage.  They were wearing spandex body suits though, Joe's black, and Lilly's white.  Or, as they liked to call them, the yin and yang suits.  Joe had his spandex covered arms around Lilly's waist, holding her tightly.  Leaning over, he kissed her.  "The rarest of evenings."  He whispered.  "A warm fire, the two of us together, and not a care in the world between us."

Lilly leaned back and kissed him on the lips.  Smiling, he kissed her back.  "But to make things interesting…" She whispered.

"…Neither of us are tied up."  Joe finished. 

"Hey, how'd you know I was going to say that?"

"Oh my lovely sweet, I already know everything about you…such as the fact that you're feeling odd right now, aren't you?  You may be wearing the spandex, but something is missing, the perfect compliment.  Allow me to go get it."  With a quick hop, Joe left the soft couch and bolted upstairs.  Lilly sat, patiently waiting.  Joe came back a moment later, carrying the one item that Lilly had no qualms wearing at any time of the day.

The collar. 

Eagerly, she presented her bare neck, lifting her soft hair out of the way.  Smiling, Joe sat back down on the couch and quickly fastened it, making sure the padlock was nice and snug.

She had been wearing the collar more then usual lately.  Joe's joke about pharaoh and queen had, surprisingly, come true.  Wearing it, feeling it, made Lilly feel like a queen.  Joe was sometimes the ruling king of course, but at other times, he was the servant, existing only to make her happy.

What was he going to be this evening, she wondered.  King or servant? 

Joe wrapped his arms around Lilly, gently squeezing her to him, his neck rubbing against hers.  His lips touched her ear.

Ah, he was the servant…

It came as a surprise then, when felt something familiar being gently pushed into her mouth.  The inflatable gag, a favorite of his, or rather, both of them.  Tonight it was going to silence her.  Smiling, Lilly opened her mouth and allowed it to glide into place, which it did so.  A few tugs on the buckle and it was in place, where it was quickly inflated. 

But there was one more item.  The spandex hood was pulled on over Lilly's head, her hair poking out the top.  With no eyeholes, Lilly was blind, gagged, and held.

And loving every second of it, safe in her fiancé's arms, who was now both king, servant, and simply, friend.

Joe lay down and stretched out on the soft couch, taking Lilly with him.  His legs wrapped around hers, and his arms held her arms as she was pulled up against him. 

"I love you Lilly."  He said quietly. 

"And I love you too Joe."  Lilly thought.  "Now…and forever."  She snuggled closer to him.

And they lay there, warm in each other and the soft fire.

***

"Lilly?" 

"Nnnnhh?"

"Lilly, wake up, we don't have much time."

"Weet?..."

"Lilly, listen to me.  Listen to me very, very carefully.  You have to tell Dervan what you came here to do."

"What's going on?"  Lilly asked, groggy.

"Lilly, go to him.  Tell him what you came here to do.  You can still leave a message for your husband.  You can still leave a message in the tomb."  Lilly's fog lifted as she slowly opened her eyes and looked into Weet's face.  It was now clean of fear, with only determination in it's place.  "You can do it Lilly.  I believe in you."

"Weet, why are you…"  Lilly stopped.  In the corridor outside their cell, the servants and workers were being led out, their arms and legs being shackled. 

Oh no…it was happening…

"Why do you keep saying that?  I can't get to that man."

"Yes you can.  You are.  You're going to see him right now."

"But…what about you?"

"Don't worry about me Lilly.  I'll be fine."  The cell door was opened, and three guards came in, one carrying four sets of manacles.  Weet looked at the guards, then slowly took Lilly's hand and helped her stand up.

"Weet?"  Lilly asked as her wrists were pulled behind her back and cuffed together.

"Don’t resist Lilly."  Weet said as her wrists were locked together.  "Go along with it.  You'll be okay."  Even as her ankles were cuffed together though, Weet knew that it was a lie.  But Lilly needed every piece of support she could get.

Lilly's ankles were cuffed together, reducing her speed to that of a mere hobble.  The guards took both prisoners and led them out of the cell into the hallway where the rest of the staff were waiting to be marched away.  Weet and Lilly were at the very end.  "Weet."  Lilly said, now fully awake.  "What did you do?"  Weet was quiet, resigned.

"My last request was for you to meet with Dervan, to tell him what he needs to know.  Don't waste this opportunity Lilly.  You won't get another chance at this."  There was a pull from the front of the line, and the prisoners started walking, all of them chained to each other…except for Lilly, who was separate. 

They walked out of the hall, and out through the heavy doors that were the entrance to the dungeon.  With great difficulty, all the prisoners walked up the guarded staircase that led to the surface.  When they reached the top, there was a brief moment to rest, then the march began again.

Only this time, Lilly was kept in place while all the others were marched off…including Weet.  Watching her leave, watching Weet being led down the hallway to her death, was more then Lilly could take.  "Weet!"  She called out.  "Don't leave me!"

Weet looked back at Lilly, her face so sad.  She almost cried…but instead said what Lilly needed to hear.  "I love you Lilly."

"I love you too!"  Lilly sobbed.  "I love you Weet!"

Then with that, the group rounded a corner, and Weet was gone.  "Lilly!  NOOOO!!!"  Lilly buckled at the knees, almost falling down if it had not been for her two guards that caught and held her up.  "NOOO!!!" 

They slowly turned her and started marching towards the temple, where Dervan was waiting.

***

They entered the room with the priest sitting at his table, patiently awaiting Lilly's arrival.  He was a bit shocked at her appearance when she arrived.  Her simple white dress was now dirty and scoffed, and the manacles and chains that bound her made her seem like a sad, sad woman.  She had been crying, he could tell that.  She looked drained, emotionally, and physically.

But, unlike others who were to be buried, she had the appearance of a determined woman.  "Dervan."  She said, sounding exhausted.  "We need to talk."

"Lilly, I am sorry, but I cannot undo what has been set in motion.  I…"

"I'm not asking you to call off my burial."  She said.  "I have come here to ask for something else."  Dervan was not a man who was easily surprised, but this time he was.  She wasn't asking to be released from her fate? 

"What is it you wish to tell me?"

"I know why I came here."  She said.  "I came back in time to stop a terrible war that is going to happen thousands of years in the future from now.  A war that may wipe out all humans on the planet."

Dervan said nothing.

"Thousands of years from now, Doulen's tomb will be uncovered in the desert, untouched by thieves or grave robbers.  Inside it will be found the mummy of the pharaoh, and the mummies of many others who were buried with him.  It is discovered exactly one year before the war erupts.  I need to leave a message in that tomb Dervan, so that when the tomb is opened again, thousands of years from now, the people of my time will see the warning of what is to come, and they will change their ways, and with any luck, the war will be avoided."

The high priest looked at the cuffed woman before him, his face…stunned.  "What is it you are asking of me?"

"Look in the left pocket of my dress."  She said.  One of the guards reached in and took out two sheets of paper.  "This list has several dates and events on them."  Lilly said.  "If they are copied and left inside the tomb, they will be found by the people of my time.  I am asking you to please copy those words and dates and to leave them in plain sight for those of my time to find."

Dervan took the pieces of paper and looked at them.  He didn't know English, Lilly knew that, but it was a very good guess that he could still copy something.  "Can you do that Dervan?"  Lilly asked.  "The fate of billions rests upon what you choose to do.  I am now a prisoner and unable to make my own decisions.  You however, can still make choices.  Please, if you do nothing else, please do this.  For me."

The priest looked at Lilly.  She could not tell by his expression if he believed her, or if he simply couldn't believe.  If he was the former, then Lilly's wish just might be granted.  If he was the latter…then this was all for nothing.

Before he could answer, a priest came in.  "High priest Dervan."  He said.  "They are beginning the wrapping.  Woman Lilly is required."  The guards quickly turned and marched Lilly out of the room, before she could even protest.  She did manage a quick look back at Dervan, the old man looking at her as she was marched away.

Dervan looked at the door for several moments, then turned his attention to the pieces of paper in his hands.  He looked at them for several minutes.  And then he turned and looked at Lilly's chest, which had been brought down here. 

He thought for a long time.

***

The walk to Lilly's mummification was deathly silent.  Both she, the guards, and the priest were quiet.  Lilly, most of all, was in no mood to talk, her mind devoted to contemplating her fate, her burial, and her entombment.  The shock of it all was almost too much for her to take.  Just a little more, and she would have fainted.

Yet, somehow, she remained awake. 

Her guards marched her back to the dungeons, but they went to the corridor that Weet and the others had vanished behind.  It led down a long, dimly lit hallway that ended in a huge, locked door.  It was opened briefly so that the four could walk through. 

It was like walking into a temple of gloom.  The very air, the very walls of the hallway were dripped in sorrow and fear.  The atmosphere was charged with it.  There were distant shrieks, distant sobs of despair coming from further down the hallway, but the small group did not go that far.  Instead, they went to the first open door they came to.

Lilly's heart pounded so hard she thought it was going to burst.  Who knows, that might be preferable to living, however long she was going to live now, with the knowledge that she had apparently failed, and that billions yet unborn were going to die because of her.  Then, they went through the door.

The chamber they entered reminded Lilly of the one she had seen in that mummy movie she had seen once, the one with the bald guy.  This room was just like the one he and his priests had been mummified in.  It was rough stone with lit chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.  There were many tables, many stocks and shackles designed for holding bodies, both living and alive.

There were many people in that room.  Half were guards and embalmers, the other half people being mummified alive.  Already they were strapped down, tied up, and being wrapped alive, becoming encased in layers of funeral bandages.  In one corner of the room, two men were nailing coffins together, and as wrapped and squirming people were brought to them, they selected the appropriately sized coffin for the person to lie in.

There were no tables available for Lilly.  She was going to have to stand during her mummification. 

The guards walked Lilly over to a corner of the room, where two cuffs dangled from the ceiling, awaiting arms that they could be locked around.  Lilly was walked over to them.  A guard produced a knife, carefully cutting away Lilly's clothes, leaving her naked, flesh exposed to the warm air. 

It is said that when one is dying, they go through stages.  Among them is fear, bargaining, anger, then acceptance.  Lilly had moved into the last stage, accepting what was to happen to her.  She would not try to stop it, nor hinder it.  She would accept whatever was to happen to her.

Her wrists were pulled up and placed into the shackles, which were quickly locked into place.  Next to her, on a table, a mummified man's face was wrapped up, covering his terrified eyes forever. 

The shackles were double checked to ensure tightness.  An embalmer was called, who walked over with two assistants.  The wrapped man on the table was unlocked from the leather straps holding him down.

Lilly watched as the embalmer walked up to her form.  He had no instruments of cutting or slicing, which was a relief.  His only materials were many rolls of white, tight bandages that were to encase, mummify, and contain Lilly for all of eternity. 

As the squirming mummy was carried away to its coffin, the embalmer began to mummify Lilly, bringing her ankles together and tying a knot with the bandages around one of them.  Lilly felt detached, like she wasn't really there, as if this was happening to someone else, not her. 

Fear there was, but it was mercifully small.  Sorrow instead took its place as Lilly began to think of Joe.  The bandages were quickly wound up Lilly's legs, reaching her knees in a matter of seconds.  The embalmers had already mummified five.  One more would be nothing to them.

"Joe…can you hear me?"

The bandages were wound up around Lilly's knees.  A quick tug pulled her legs tighter together.

"I don't know if you can, but I hope you do hear me."

There was a scream of fear and terror from across the room, where a wrapped woman was pleading with her embalmers not to wrap her face.  They ignored her pleas and stuffed bandages into her mouth, then wrapped over it, silencing her.  They could still see her eyes as the rest of her face was quickly wrapped into the bandages.

"Do you know how much I love you Joe?"  A tear came out of Lilly's left eye.  "I may be thousands of years away from you, but I want you to know that I love you."

Lilly initially did not feel as the bandages reached her hips, winding around her legs, then her crotch.  A quick tug, a further tightening, and Lilly's legs were encased, held together and immobile.  They would never separate ever again.

Another muffled, barely audible scream came as the woman's eyes were wrapped tightly, perhaps a little too tightly by her embalmers, who were tired of having to wrap squirming, terrified people.

Where was Weet in this teeming mass of humans?  Had she already been wrapped and placed into a coffin, awaiting her burial?

"I wish I was able to come home to you Joe, but I don't think that's going to happen."  Inch by inch, the tight wrappings went up Lilly's body, slowly, but surely transforming her into a white wrapped being, sealed away forever.  It was only a matter of time.

"I'm being wrapped now, and I'll soon be a mummy.  Wrapped head to toe, most likely in several layers to ensure immobility and confinement.  I can still remember how you often wrapped me up.  How, when I was unable to move, you would lie with me, hugging my body to yours."

Lilly's breasts were squeezed out, bulging as the wrappings criss-crossed them tightly, making a bra of sorts to hold them.  The embalmers normally were not supposed to allow animal feelings to overcome them, but in this situation and environment, one of the assistants couldn't resist.  Reaching over, he rubbed Lilly's breasts, jiggling her left breast up and down, making sure to tickle her nipple.  That was the only time Lilly squirmed, as her body squirmed underneath the stimulating touch.  Alas, it was over all too soon as her breast was wrapped up, joining the rest of her body in mummification.

"I remember how you played with my breasts.  I often felt so full that I wanted you to suck them, so I could feed and nourish you with my milk.  I wanted to nourish your body, I wanted to keep you healthy…but mostly, I wanted you to suck hard and suck deep."

***

Weet was there, but Lilly didn't know it.  Weet's body had already been bound and mummified, sealed away forever in seven layers of white funeral bandages, her hair shaved to accommodate her head wrappings.  She lay now on her table, several leather straps holding her down.  She couldn't move or leave, as her legs were wrapped and her arms were bound to her sides.  With her face and eyes now sealed away from human view, buried under seven layers, no one knew how she felt, for she was awake and fully conscious of everything going on around her, aware of how she was going to be taken to a coffin, placed within it, and buried, along with everyone else in this room.

She did think about Lilly.  Weet knew that her part had come to an end.  There was nothing she could do now, nothing at all. 

Nothing…except wait.

***

"Joe, you were there for me.  You always encouraged me to do just a little bit more.  You encouraged me to follow my dream, to get into the business of law.  When I was having a tough time, you were there to hold me up, there to help me stand.  You helped me through the hardest times, and for that I am forever grateful."

Lilly's body had been almost completely wrapped.  The bandaging had stopped at her shoulders, leaving her head and her arms bare while the embalmers worked on wrapping extra layers around Lilly's legs, chest, and upper body.  One layer was on now, and there were six to go.  As they wrapped, their captive continued to stare into space.

"I wish I could be there for you when you go through the hard times Joe.  I wish I could stand at your side as the years go on, as the two of us would walk together, hand in hand, in marriage, through thick and thin, through hard and good times.  But Joe…"  There was a tight tug as the fourth layer as finished. 

"…I'm not coming home."

The last two layers were started.  Already Lilly's legs were restrained so tightly that even wiggling them was impossibility.  Her breasts and chests were securely put away, pressed tightly against the wrappings that now contained Lilly's body.

"But I'll try to be there Joe.  If not in the flesh, then maybe in spirit.  I'll try to be with you for as long as you live.  I'll be in your dreams at night, and I'll be standing by your bed when you wake up."

The last layer began to wind it's way up Lilly's already wrapped breasts.

"I guess this is it honey."

There was a last tug, a tie, a sew and a stitch, and the wrapping of Lilly's legs, chest, and upper body was complete.  Her mummification was close to being finished.  With the assistants putting their hands on the woman's body, the embalmer unlocked the shackles.

"I love you."

***

Lilly was carried to the table where the man had lain not half an hour ago.  She was laid down on it, and straps were buckled around her to hold her mummified body down on the table while the guards finished their work.

She was beyond tears.  She wanted to cry, but could not.  The embalmers worked on her arms, taking them and wrapping them.  Lilly didn't resist as she allowed them to wrap her arms.  The tight bandages began to numb her skin as they were applied and tightened.  Then, when they were wrapped, Lilly's arms were crossed upon her chest.  One of the assistants held her upper body up as bandages were wrapped around her arms, holding them in place.

Lilly helped by keeping her arms rigid and in place, assisting the embalmers in their work.  If she was going to go like this, then she would go willingly and cooperatively.  Nobody would remember it, but at least she could go with dignity. 

It did not go unnoticed by those who were wrapping her arms, but they said nothing as they continued.  Lilly kept her arms still, even as the bandages held them, thus requiring no effort on her part. 

She turned her head to the coffin makers.  They were still making more coffins, awaiting those who remained and had yet to be completely mummified, Lilly among them.  One of those coffins was hers.  The question was, which one?

Even as she thought about it, fear began to creep up upon Lilly.  She fought it, beat it back.  Even now, in this dark hour, she was not going to submit to fear and allow it to control her final hours. 

Her upper body was laid back down.  One embalmer took her hair and pulled it back, as if making a pony tail.  It was however, simply to keep it out of the way as one of the assistants began to wrap the bandages around Lilly's head.

As the bandages went over her ears, it began a process.  Slowly, bit by bit, with the wrapping of her head, Lilly was slowly being taken away from the world, being placed into a private one that she had all to herself.  Her hearing slowly began to decrease.  Her skin was pressed on all sides as the bandages were wound around and around, again and again. 

They left her mouth open, eventually covering everything else…nose, forehead, the back of the skull…but now they had to cover her eyes.  The embalmers stopped momentarily as one assistant took small gauze pads.  Lilly instantly recognized that they were to be placed on her eyelids to keep them shut.

Oh god, this was it.  The end of her sight.  She would never, ever see anything again.  Looking up at the gauze pads slowly coming down onto her, Lilly took one final look at the world.

The ceiling was high above her, some candles lit in the chandelier.  A few pieces of wax dripped down onto the ground.  Her embalmers, the ones turning her into a living mummy, all had a good tan from being out in the sun.  They each had no shirts and had well built chest muscles.  And then the gauze pads were right above her.

Lilly closed her eyes.  The pads were put onto her eyelids, and a bandage was wrapped around her head, tightening the pads, sealing her eyes shut.  Then another bandage went on.  And then another.  And another.

For Lilly, her world was now darkness.  She was very alone, sealed into this private cocoon.  Her skin was completely covered, surrounded on all sides by firm, unyielding pressure.  There was no chance of escape.  Ever.

This was how she was going to remain for eternity.

The woman could only imagine what was going on, for she could barely feel or sense anything in her world of darkness.  She could feel some more bandages being wound around her head.  Then they stopped. 

Was it over?

She felt movement near her feet.  More bandages were being wrapped around her for one last layer.  They went on tight and evenly, adding another layer of restraint and restriction on Lilly, going up her chest, her breasts, her shoulders, and finally her head.

And then, only then, did it finally stop.

Nothing happened for…how long?  A minute?  Three minutes?  Even more so then her dungeon cell with Weet, Lilly had no sense of time.  There were no references for it.  All she knew was restraint, unyielding pressure, and the inability to move, even to wiggle.  She could breathe fine through her mouth, and even through her nose slightly, though it was a struggle. 

She was a mummy.  No longer a woman, no longer someone with a body, with legs and arms.  She was simply a mind trapped within a cocoon of bandages, held prisoner with no chance, no possibility of escape.  The physical was gone. 

Something touched her lips. 

Instinctively, Lilly tried to pull away, but her body could not obey the orders her brain sent.  She could only remain still.  Slowly, tentatively, her lips moved, the only part of her body that could move, touching the object against her lips.  It felt…

No…it couldn't be…

It was the gag.  The inflatable gag.  The one that Joe…

It was pressed gently against her lips.  It wanted in.  It wanted to join her in her eternal tomb.  Lilly thought only for a few moments, then made her choice.  She would cooperate. 

Lilly opened her mouth, allowing her captors to gently push the gag into her.  It went between her teeth as it had many times before.  The only difference was, it wasn't coming out this time.  It would never come out.

inflatable ball gag

The gag was pushed in all the way until it was firmly in place.  Lilly's head was picked up and the buckle was strapped into place behind her skull.  There was the sensation of pressure as the gag inflated, as someone worked the pump.  It began to fill to fill her mouth.  There was a moment of fear when Lilly realized that if it was over-inflated, she would have a very sore mouth for the rest of her (short) life.  Thankfully, it stopped in a comfortable position.

In a way, it was comforting to have the gag in her.  It was like a treasured blanket, or a beloved teddy bear.  It was something that she had shared with Joe many times, and now it would accompany her into eternity, comfortingly keeping her silent, enforcing silence.  Lilly would obey its command now, and forever.

She wanted to know how she looked from the outside, wanted to know how the gag looked strapped to the fully wrapped head of a woman who was going to be buried alive.  Maybe it would match her flowing hair, which still lay out.  For some reason, it was not going to be cut away.

There was a feeling around her neck as something was put around it.  There was only one thing it could be, Lilly realized.

The collar.

She felt the familiar sensation as it was clipped shut, resting on top of her throat wrappings.  Oh god, the collar…it too was going to come with her into eternity, resting on her neck.  Would the people of the future, thousands of years from now, think she was a queen?  There was no way to know.

Lilly began to weep, tears coming from the edges of her eyelids, where they were quickly absorbed by the bandages.  In a way, she was going with the things that she and Joe had loved the most.  She was going to be buried with the things she loved.  Not because they were objects or because they were hers.  But rather, it was because they had brought her and Joe together.

Who had put them on her?  She didn't know.  But she wanted to thank whoever it was.  Thank them for giving her this gift.

"Whoever you are…thank you."

***

Dervan looked down at Lilly's form.  Just like the others, she was now a mummy, fully wrapped and immobile, ready for her burial.  She looked just like all the others already in their coffins.  But…the gag and the collar made her stand out, along with her hair that was coming out of the top of her skull like a ponytail. 

Her breathing was slow and steady.  At least she could breathe.  For that, Dervan was grateful.  If everything went fine, she would be able to breathe fully for a long time.  Reaching down, he rubbed her head, cupping it gently. 

Her head wiggled ever so slightly, almost unnoticed.  Dervan cradled it for a few more moments, then gently laid it back down.  Lilly was encased within these wrappings, never to be released.  He could do nothing about that now.  But he could do something else, before she was placed in her coffin.

The embalmers walked away, dismissed for now.  Dervan pulled up his ink and his quills.  Dipping one quill, he began to carefully write on Lilly's bandages, meticulously copying the dates and events from the list he had been given.  The others, all wrapped and lying in their coffins, were staring to squirm restlessly.  Being wrapped normally calmed one down after a while, giving the impression of safety within your shell.  These mummies were restless, if nothing else, wanting to be entombed to get it over with.

They could wait just a little longer.  Scribbling carefully, the ink formed letters and dates on the bandages, their meaning lost to the elderly priest, but knowing that they were vitally important.

At last, it was finished.  The copying was complete.  Dervan stood up, looking down.  The letters and numbers were exactly as written on the original.  Hopefully the people of the future would be able to read them.  But just to be safe, an extra sheet of parchment would be buried with Lilly, with the dates and events copied onto that as well.

The embalmers stood to the side, as restless as the squirming mummies.  They wanted to complete their job.  Dervan nodded, giving them permission to come forward and take the woman.  They walked up, undid the leather straps, and picked up the mummy, carrying her over to the coffins.

The coffin makers had one waiting for her.  It was a bit more elegant then the others, on Dervan's orders.  She was gently placed down inside the coffin.  It was a tight, snug fit, but she was able to lie in it.  With Lilly now lying in her coffin, the last step could be prepared.

Lids began to come on the coffins, and nails were pounded down, sealing the mummified people inside for all time.  When each coffin was sealed, it was taken and placed on a sled, where it was tied down.  Coffin after coffin was placed onto one another, stacked like boxes.

Lilly's was last.  The lid too, was placed on.  The mummy inside did not move as the lid was placed on, sealing it inside.  Lilly was now no longer a person.  She was just a mummy.

The nails were driven into the lid, sealing it tightly, ensuring that the mummy inside would not get out on it's own.  It was lifted and placed onto the sled, and it too was strapped down.  Horses were ready, already drawing the sled out into the dark Egyptian night.  It would be a long march to the tomb, and it needed to be done quickly.

As the sled was pulled out into the desert night, one went in front of it, carrying a lone coffin.  Inside it lay the mummy of Doulen.  Dervan, the only person who knew the mummification spell, had mummified the body earlier in the evening, before the servants were mummified to follow their ruler.  With his passing in the years to come, the spell would be lost forever.

Hour after hour the horses pulled, dragging the living and the dead to their final destinations.  The priests and workforce rode on both camels and horses, following the carts closely.  Up above, the stars twinkled in the night sky.  Was Doulen already among them?  Dervan wondered.

***

The tomb in which Doulen and his servants were to be buried in had been built many years before, in case a member of the royal family died and needed a quick burial.  Tonight, it was serving it's purpose.  Ordinarily, a lengthy funeral would have taken place, but with his administrative duties to attend to (such as how to control a population that had the capacity to go out of control), there wasn't time.

They arrived early in the morning, not long before the sun was to rise.  There were none there waiting for them, so the priests quickly found the locked door hidden behind many rocks and opened it. 

The servants took the cart of servant mummies and unloaded them, passing them into the tomb one by one.  They were placed side by side in various subchambers, but were given gentle treatment.  The ones inside after all, were being given the honor of going to join Doulen in the afterlife to serve him, an honor given only to a few.

Dervan watched the process from his horse, silent and unmoving as the last of the coffins were placed inside.  Lilly's was the last one.  Dervan looked at the workers to remind them of their instructions.  This coffin was to be placed next to the pharaoh's. 

The coffin did not move or tremble as it was taken inside, and out of sight.

The pharaoh's burial was a longer affair, as Dervan recited the ceremony and incantations to allow him eternal life.  He opened the mouth, the eyes, and the ears, so that Doulen could see, taste, and hear in the world beyond. 

Then the coffin was taken inside, to the chamber where it would reside until the day it was to be found, thousands of years later. 

***

At last, it was time for the chamber to be sealed up.  All the workers and all the priests were cleared from the tomb…except for Dervan, who gave a final look around to ensure that everything was in place.  The servant's coffins were in their various chambers, as were a few of Doulen's possessions. 

The main chamber, where Doulen's coffin and sarcophagus was located, was still and quiet.  Lilly's coffin lay next to it, looking small against the stone and marble of the sarcophagus.  Dervan slowly leaned down next to the coffin and put his hand on it, feeling the fine wood it had been constructed out of.

"I do not know if you can hear me Lilly."  He whispered.  "But if you can, I have done what you have asked for.  The notes have been copied, and they are here for your people to find, if what you say shall come to pass."  He paused, trying to find the right words, failed.  "I am sorry it had to come to this Lilly.  But I can promise you, that everything will turn out all right in the end.  For in the laws of the universe, stability and order will always win over chaos and disruption."

Closing his eyes, he focused on the coffin before him.  "Farewell Lilly.  Sleep now, and do not wake up." 

With a final, heavy breath, Dervan stood.  He looked at the coffin of the woman, rather then the coffin of his pharaoh.  As he slowly turned and walked out, he kept his attention on Lilly's coffin. 

He did one final sweep of the tomb, then went to the main entrance, where the others were waiting for him.  Walking outside into the quiet night air, he paused for a moment to take it all in.  The sun would rise in a few hours, and a new day would begin. 

Turning, he closed the gates of the tomb, took the heavy key, and locked the gates.  The workers moved the rocks and stones back into place, concealing the entrance, thus ensuring the privacy of the living and the dead now entombed within.  A final prayer was said for all inside.  Then, slowly, the others went to their horses and camels.

Doulen stayed a little longer, looking at the concealed entrance.  Perhaps with time, the desert would cover and conceal this place. 

But for now…he had things to do.

Walking to the others, the elderly priest climbed onto his camel, gave a brief tug on the reigns, turned, and began riding back towards his home.

***

From inside her coffin, now sealed away, Lilly had only one thought.  She was never going to see Joe again.  But at least, perhaps…he would be saved from the war.  If that was to come…then this had been worth it.

There was nothing left to do now.

Lilly quietly gave up, and surrendered to what was to come.

***

***

2007

***

The sun rose over the hot dunes, baking down on the desert.  Yet, to the people who were present at the dig site, the heat was of very little concern, considering what they were about to do.  The site was populated only by the diggers, the excavation team, and a small television crew.

"Welcome back to Egypt , where the dig team is ready to excavate what may be the greatest archeological discovery since the unearthing of King Tut."  The reporter paused for a moment, wiping sweat from his forehead.  "With the current state of world affairs, a discovery such as this one is an unprecedented event.  Perhaps with the discovery of ancient treasures, our eyes may be diverted from war and from bloodshed to share a common sense of amazement of what may lie within.  Ah, I see that the excavation leader is walking up with his assistant." 

Motioning for the camera to follow him, the reporter went across the sand to where the door of the new tomb was located, intercepting the team leader.  "Mr. Kramer, what do you expect to find within this tomb?"

"We don't know for sure," the team leader confessed.  "But we do hope that whatever is located inside, it will be of great historical value, and may contribute to our understanding of the ancients and their way of life." 

"Well, we wish you the best of luck.  You, what are your opinions on this excavation?"  The camera went to the face of one of the assistants, who looked depressed.  When he didn't answer, the reporter made a suggestion.  "Can you tell us your name please?"

"It's Joe."  The man answered quietly. 

"Joe, what are your opinions on this dig?  What do you think may lie within these doors?"

"I don't know."  He said.  "But whatever it is, it had better be good."  Sensing that they weren’t going to get anything good out of Joe, the reporter signaled "cut" on the camera.  Joe didn't care.  The less camera exposure, the better.  He hadn't felt like talking since Lilly had vanished just before he left on this trip.  It was to be their vacation…but she had simply vanished without a trace.

Mr. Kramer walked up to the door.  "This is it everyone."  The reporter said.  "In a matter of minutes, the door to a long lost Egyptian tomb will be opened!"  Kramer, crowbar in hand, walked up to the door.  Almost all of the caked on cements and bindings had been chipped away, leaving only the door itself to open. 

The crowbar was carefully put in place.  Going slowly for dramatic effect (Kramer couldn't help it, considering how the cameras were watching him), the dig leader gripped the crowbar and gave a firm tug.  The door didn't budge.  Frowning, he tried again.  This time there was a low groan as ancient hinges slowly moved again for the first time in thousands of years.  Grunting, Kramer gave one final pull.  With a pop, the doors to the tomb swung open, releasing centuries old air. 

It was dark inside, nearly impossible to see.  Kramer's eyes widened, trying to get more light in.  Joe however, was prepared.  He walked up, carrying a flashlight, not caring that he was getting in the way of the camera.  "Here."  He said, giving the light to Kramer. 

"Thank you Joe."  Gripping the light, Kramer peered in, the light illuminating his way.  He gasped at what he saw.

"What is it?"  Joe asked.  "What do you see?"

"Glorious…things."  Kramer whispered.  A quick peek from Joe showed why he was astonished.  Beyond the doors lay a small corridor.  At the end of it was an enormous room, painted gold, red, and yellow.  Chests lay inside, along with elegant chairs, stools, and beds.  "Joe…"  Kramer said, a grin coming onto his face.  "We've hit paydirt!"

They slowly walked inside, careful to keep an eye open for any booby traps.  Fortunately, there were none.  From behind, the two could hear the video crew follow them in.  "As long as they don't touch, or break anything."  Joe thought.  At that moment, they emerged into the main chamber of the tomb.  As glorious as it had been from the doorway, it was even more grand when one actually stood in it.  There were treasures and precious metals all around, twinkling under the gaze of the flashlights. 

"Look at this…"  The reporter muttered.  "An Emmy right in our grasp." 

"Joe, go take a look around, see what else you can find." 

"Right."  Reaching into his pockets, Joe pulled out a small key light.  Switching it on, he went off into a branching pathway.  Behind him, Kramer pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Susan?  Bring the others in here.  We've hit the jackpot!"

The little light gave some illumination, showing Joe his way as he went deeper and deeper into the tomb, doing his best not to step on anything or even touch anything.  Heading down the tunnel, he came into a new room.  This one however, had no precious jewels or metals.  Instead, there were coffins.  Lots and lots of coffins.  Servants of the pharaoh?  It was possible.  But…ugh, the stink…

Strangely, there wasn't any smell of rot and decay coming from it. 

Joe walked up to the two objects, leaning over to investigate them.  The smaller one was covered in at least half an inch of dust, yet seemed relatively intact, untouched by the passage of thousands of years.  The granite sarcophagus was in relatively the same condition.  It would take several careful days to open that one.  Less so for the other one, which more then likely held the pharaoh's wife.  Why, they could…

As his flashlight went over the coffin's lid, Joe saw something chiseled in it.  Curious, he slowly knelt, scanning the lid.  There was…what looked like numbers chiseled in.  Hmm…they looked strangely familiar.  Lilly would have known what they said, considering she was able to read ancient Egyptian.

Looking closer, Joe suddenly realized what they were.  They were numbers yes, but…they spelled something. 

2007.

And beneath them was what looked like a name.  Strange, these weren't Egyptian hieroglyphs.  They looked…like English letters.  As he read them, Joe's heart skipped a beat. 

JOE.

His light slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.

***

It only took a few minutes for Kramer and some assistants to join Joe in the room (the camera crew staying at the doorway) upon hearing what was on the coffin's lid.  Proving that he wasn't crazy, the other members of the staff saw the 2007 and JOE chiseled in.  Curiosity quickly overcame them, and they wanted to open the coffin to see what lay inside. 

"Who wanted to write your name in a coffin?"  One of the assistants joked.

"I don't know."  Kramer said.  "The word Joe wasn't used in ancient Egypt .  Now let's get these nails out."  Hammers and chisels went to work, carefully removing the nails. 

"Could these be a fraud?"  One of the assistants asked.

"I don't think so.  This chiseling is very, very old.  It looks, for all appearances, genuine."  A hush went over the room as the chiseling went on.  The implications showed that there was something very, very eerie going on.  With a pop, the nails came out one by one until the final one lay on the ground.  Several hands took hold of the lid and pulled up.  The wood stretched and creaked as the lid separated from the coffin.

There was a mummy inside, undisturbed since the day it had been buried.  The bandages were still tightly wrapped in place, a dull grey color where there had once been white.  The form beneath the bandages indicated that this was a female mummy.

There was a piece of parchment lying on top of the mummy.  There was what looked like a list on it.  But something else caught the attention of all in the room.  Something on the mummy's face.  "You…have…got to be kidding me."  The first assistant said.  Stretched across the face of the mummy was, impossibly, a gag, a tube running out of it and ending in a squeeze pump.  It was cracked and worn out, but it was unquestionably an inflatable gag.

"What the hell?!"  Kramer said that, not believing what his eyes were showing him.  It simply wasn't possible.  The ancient Egyptians of this era did not have inflatable sex toys.  Or at least, that was what historians had thought.  Now the textbooks were going to have to be rewritten. 

There was one other thing on the mummy, around it's neck.  When Joe made out what it was, he sat down on the ground, unable to stay crouched any more.  It was simply too much.  There was a dull silver collar around the mummy's neck…exactly like the one he had put on Lilly.

"What…the hell?"  He stammered. 

The second assistant leaned down over the mummy, looking at the parchment on its chest.  From the doorway, the camera crew zoomed in, the tape running.  "I can't read this."  The assistant said.  "Does someone have a light?"  Kramer gave her the flashlight.  Leaning in closely, the woman read while the light danced across the ancient piece of paper.  The woman read for a few moments…then her eyes went wide.  She shrieked and jumped back, the light falling from her fingers.

"Angela?  Angela, what is it?!"  Kramer asked.

"The words…"  She gasped.  "It's not ancient Egypt writing…"

"Greek?"

"No.  It's…It's…it's written in English!"  Kramer's face went white.  Turning, he, and the others, went for the paper, looking for themselves.  "She's right!"  The first assistant said.  "It is written in English!"

"It can't be!"  Kramer stammered.  "What does it say?"

"Seventeen seventy six, the declaration of independence.  Nineteen eighteen, the First World War begins…"  The man went on, listing out date after date, all of them correct.  "…September eleventh, two thousand one.  Terrorists destroy the world trade center." 

Everyone was getting chills.  "What in God's name…"  Kramer muttered.

The first assistant went on, but his voice trembled with fear.  "Two thousand eight:  Nuclear war destroys all life on earth."  For a moment there was dead silence in the room.  The camera whirred, still recording the scene. 

"My god…that's next year…"  The reporter muttered. 

"Look!"  The first assistant said.  "It's written on the mummy as well!"  The list was repeated on the mummy, the words written on the bandages encircling it's chest.  Whoever had written the list wanted it to be found.  "What does it mean?"  The first assistant muttered.

"It's a warning."  Joe said quietly, realizing it.  "A warning about what is going to happen.  If it's the real thing, it got all the other dates and events correct.  That means that a war is going to happen next year…unless we do something about it."

"What?"

"This is all on tape."  Joe said, pointing at, but not looking at, the camera.  "We broadcast this, show it to the world.  Let people know that we have to do something.  Let them know that we have to stop this disaster before it happens."

There was silence from the others.  At that moment there was a quiet click as the camera ran out of tape.  The reporter and the camerawoman looked at each other.  Then, without a word, they turned and quickly took off, heading for the small camp outside the tomb.  The others left behind were silent.

That is, until the second assistant glanced at the mummy.  And saw something.

"Oh my God!"  She screamed.  "Look!"  The others did.  "It's chest!  It's chest!  It's…its moving!"  She shrieked in terror.  Joe looked up.  He went over to the coffin.  He had the sharpest eyes of anyone, and if the mummy really was moving, he was going to be the one to spot it. 

It was.  The chest wrappings were moving very, very slowly up and down, so slow that it was very easy to miss. 

"Oh my God.  It…She's alive." 

"That's impossible!"  Kramer said.  "This tomb has been undisturbed for at least three thousand years!" 

"She's alive."  Joe said.  "She's right in front of us."  Picking up his pocketknife, Joe flipped out the blade and slowly began to cut into the bandages enveloping the face, careful to avoid the skin beneath.  The others watched, mesmerized by what they saw before their eyes. 

Slice after slice, and the bandages slowly fell away onto the ground.  The mummy's hair was very, very stiff and grey in color.  Then an ear appeared the flesh grey as well.  More slices and soon a forehead appeared.  Then a nose.  And finally, with another cut, the last of the bandages fell away, revealing the mummy's face. 

***

Light…there was a light in front of her…it was coming closer, getting brighter and brighter…at last, she was being released…death was coming for her, after so long, even though it had felt that she had been in this coffin for a day or two at most…

But…her eyes were closed, not open.  She could feel her eyes moving in their sockets, creaking with age.  It hurt to move them, yet they did move.  They ached, hurt so much.  But something was telling her to move, to blink. 

Lilly heard a voice, dim and distant, saying something about turning the light away.  Something was cutting near her.  Then, suddenly, her mouth was empty.  Her jaws snapped shut.  The feeling was frightening, alien to her.  Her tongue, which had lay still for so long, was starting to move again, trying to lubricate itself for speech. 

"Wha…"  She tried to speak.  "Wha…"  Was she dead?  Alive?  Had Dervan reversed the decision to bury her?  Was she being dug up, being released?  She had to know.  "Aaaa…"

The voices grew tremendously excited at her voice.  They sounded familiar…yet distant at the same time…they were speaking English.   She could hear.  She could move…slightly.  Now it was time for sight.

With a great effort, Lilly forced her eyelids to open.  It was very hard, yet she managed to do it.  The light was overpowering, forcing her eyes shut again.  She tried again, slowly opening them.  Again the light assaulted her, tearing into her vision.  But she didn't give up.  She kept her eyes open, looking at the light as shapes slowly came into form.  People…there were at least three of them.  There was one right in front her…a male face slowly came into focus…

He looked familiar…

And suddenly, Lilly recognized him.  It was…

"J…J…Joe…"

***

The face in front of him was Lilly's.  She had said his name.  But it just…no, it couldn't…but it was.  He knew it from the moment he heard his name.  It was Lilly.  There was no one else who had a voice like she did. 

"J…J…Joe…"  She said again, voice rasping from age.  "Is…tha…you?"

Tears came out of Joe's face.  It was her…"Yes."  He whispered, rubbing his hand through her stiff hair.  "Yes Lilly, it's me."

Lilly's gazed eyes looked at him.  A smile appeared, and she began to tremble.  "J…Joe…you're crying."  Joe tried to answer, failed.  Instead, he did the only thing that came to his mind.  Reaching down, he grabbed Lilly's mummified form and brought her up to him, sobbing as he clutched her, ignoring the disgusting feel of her bandages and the feel of age.

He held her for a long time.  She cried too, tear ducts releasing the first tears in thousands of years. 

It was over.

***

The rest of the bandages were quickly cut away from Lilly's body, revealing a form that was still shapely, yet grey in color.  Thankfully, the normal skin color would return with time.  Lilly couldn't move, her muscles weak from lack of use.  She lay, naked, on the floor of the tomb while the others attended to her.  Yet, her eyes never strayed from Joe's face.  He held her hand tightly, trembling.

"I missed you."  She whispered.  Joe nodded, too stunned to speak.  A hundred questions were going through his mind.  How had she gotten here?  How had she been wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy?  How did she survive being buried for almost three thousand years?  Yet, at the moment, he didn't feel right asking those questions.

"Did you get the message?"  Lilly asked quietly, still trying to find her voice.

"Yes lilly."  Joe said, holding her hand tighter.  "Yes we did.  And we're going to let the whole world know about what it says.

Lilly's eyes closed.  "Then I did it.  We won."

"Lilly?" 

She smiled.  "I'll let you know later sweetie.  Just tell the world what it says."  A sudden wave of weakness came over Lilly, and she closed her eyes, unable to say anything more.  Leaning down, Joe picked her frail form up, and carried Lilly in his arms as he walked out of the tomb, heading to the camp outside, where she could be given proper medical attention.

A short time later, Lilly woke up in a soft bed, lying between soft, fluffy sheets.  The feeling was new and wonderful.  So much so that she smiled, relieved to feel them again.  Tubes went into her body and limbs, slowly giving her strength back.  It would be a while before she could completely move on her own.  But to her surprise, she could move her arms and fingers.  They were weak, but at least she could move them.

"Hi Lilly."  Turning her head, Lilly saw Joe sitting on a cot next to her bed.  He looked tired, exhausted, but thrilled to be sitting next to her.  "How are you?"

"Tired…but feeling better.  How are you?"

"Well…I'm not sure what to think really.  There are just so many things happening, so many things I want to ask you."  Lilly smiled warmly.

"I promise you Joe, you'll know everything.  For now, just know that you and I just saved the world…but without your help, I couldn't have done it."  Joe smiled, but said nothing.  He reached out and touched Lilly's arm, gently holding it, as if he was afraid to let go. 

The sound of rough breathing filled the air.  But it wasn't Lilly.  Her eyes looked around in confusion.  Who was breathing like that?  Joe saw her confusion.  "Look next to you sweetie."  He said.  Lilly slowly turned her head and saw…

Weet was hooked up to a breathing machine.  "After finding you…"  Joe said.  "We figured it would be best to search all the coffins.  She was the only other one we found."

"Weet…" Upon hearing her name, Weet turned her head.  She saw Lilly, and from under the mask, she smiled.  She reached out towards her friend, and Lilly did the same, taking her hand.  They were both weak, but they were alive, and they were holding hands.

"You're going to be okay."  Lilly whispered.  "You're going to be okay."

Weet cried and nodded her head, showing that she understood. 

***

Lilly and Weet spent the next three days asleep, their strength slowly being returned to them.  When Lilly next opened her eyes, she felt different.  She felt…more alive, more energized then ever before.  Her limbs were tingling with energy, with life.  She could move them and not feel weak. 

Looking around, Lilly saw that Weet was awake as well.  "Weet?"  She asked.  "You feeling okay?"  Weet looked over and nodded, still unable to speak.  "Weet…when we can move, and when we can get out of here…we're going to go see the art museums.  We're going to go see all the art you want to see.  We'll go to art museums, and you can get a job as a painter.  Does that sound okay to you?"

A smile of pure joy was on the woman's face, and her eyes were watering with tears.  She was smiling.  Reaching to her face, she pulled out the air tube.  She coughed and choked for a few seconds, but then regained her composure.  "Yes Lilly…"  She wheezed.  "Yes…thank you." 

Smiling, Lilly took Weet's hand in her own. 

Lilly was holding Weet's hand when she looked down and noticed a piece of folded up paper on the ground.  Curious, she reached down and picked it up.  There was a note attached to it:

This was addressed to you Lilly.  It was in your coffin.  We thought you should be the one to read it first- Joe

Smiling, Lilly took the note off and unfolded the letter.  It was an ancient piece of paper, obviously buried with her. 

My dear Lilly…"  It began, written in ancient Egyptian.  "If you are reading this, then it means that my plan has been successful, as I hoped it would be.  And if you yourself are reading this piece of paper, then it means that you have been found and released.

Again, I cannot say how sorry I am about what you had to go through.  Yet, after what you told me regarding your reason for coming back to our time, I could not help but think that it was unfair and unjust that you would have to die in a coffin, buried, and away from the one you love very much. 

Therefore, before the tomb was sealed, I used one of my most powerful spells.  I put you into a deep, deep sleep that was to last as long as your coffin remained closed.  It was the only way I could keep you alive so that you could return to your present time.  And I knew how much you and the servant girl had grown fond of each other, so I placed the spell on her as well before the tomb was sealed up.

Hopefully, your message has been delivered to the people of your time, and the catastrophe that would have happened has now been averted.  If that is so, then I am happy.  My own concern now is how I am to rule the kingdom and ensure that it continues and remains stable.  I am in debt to you, for you just may have provided me with the answer. 

But that is not important.  What is important is that you are alive, and that your mission has been accomplished.  I am glad to have known you Lilly, and I am glad to have known your companionship.  May the gods smile upon you and bless your life, and the lives of those you love forever.  May you find peace and may the road before you remain smooth.

With great affection

Dervan."

The note ended.  Lilly read it a few more times, then carefully and gently folded it up.  Dervan was dead now, meaning that all she had done in the past was now done.  All those, save Lilly, who had been there, were now gone.  She had been to two time periods, and now her mission was done.

There was a flickering noise.  Lilly looked up to see a television on a box near the two cots.  A man was on the television, apparently on a news channel.  "And with the recent amazing prophecy found in a recently excavated tomb in Egypt , the UN has called an emergency meeting to discuss the implications of what this amazing document says, and what can be done to avoid the last thing it lists, which is nuclear war in the year 2007.  Reaction to the list has been decisively amazed among all the countries of the world.  In this reporter's opinion, this is one time where an ancient prophecy may just be right.  Let us hope that it is wrong, and that we can avoid the last thing to come."

The man smiled and went on to other news, but it was only then that Lilly realized something.  The man's dress…it was…different from what she remembered.  Instead of wearing a simple suit and a tie, he was wearing…a latex bodysuit?  And was that…a ball gag around his neck?

Lilly sat up and took the remote control.  She began to flip through the channels.  Each one had shows, dramas, comedies, and news, but the attire of all the people in it was completely different.  Everyone was wearing a latex bodysuit.  Everyone had a ball gag either around their necks, or set firmly in their mouths.  Some had overcoats, but they were made of Latex as well.

What the hell? 

Glancing outside, Lilly suddenly realized that everyone in the camp was wearing a latex bodysuit, and they too had gags, except they were plugged into their mouths. 

But how?  Why? 

Suddenly, Lilly knew why.  Her chest…it had remained in the past.  Dervan…he must have figured out that if you want to keep people in control, you need to restrain them.  If he had done that…then the past and the future had been changed.  Perhaps Egypt 's influence had spread all across the world.  It would have been difficult, but not impossible, to replicate the items that Lilly had stored in her chest.

And as time had gone on, perhaps everyone had begun to wear bondage attire as their everyday wear.  The gags would keep people silent unless they absolutely needed to speak.  Cuffs might have kept the worst ones restrained and would have prevented physical crimes…

Lilly lay back in her cot, her head swimming.  A life full of bondage gear, of latex.  Of being gagged almost all the time, of cooperating with others in a peaceful life.  And that meant…that she and her husband would remain in bondage for the rest of their lives.  She could wear the collar all the time…

Suddenly, life seemed much sweeter.

Joe came in at that moment, wearing his suit, which Lilly had not recognized before.  He pulled up a seat and sat next to Lilly.  He said nothing, simply reaching out and taking her hand in his own latex covered hand.  It felt wonderful.  Lilly squeezed.  Joe smiled and squeezed back.

Reaching over, Lilly took Weet's hand and squeezed too.  Weet smiled, and she squeezed back.

The next few days would be interesting as Weet and Lilly were going to be given their own suits to wear, and their own gags and cuffs to gently restrain them in public, to join the rest of society in being gently restrained when among each other. 

But for now…for now, all three of them had each other…and that was all they needed.  Destiny and choice had brought them all together, and destiny had changed the world.  Lilly had simply been the starting point. 

Joe reached behind him and pulled something out.  Lilly recognized it immediately.  It was the collar, a bit dull and rusty from the years it had been worn, but it was still beautiful.  Smiling, Joe gently leaned down and put it on her, but did not lock it. 

Lilly however, reached back and did lock it.  "Now we're together again."  She said.  "And we will never, ever leave each other.  Right my king?"  Joe smiled and looked at Weet.  He barely knew her, but he sensed that she was going to be a perfect member of the family.  He nodded.

"Yes my queen…yes, we will be.  All of us."

From her cot…Lilly smiled. 

01.10.06

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