When Amon mentioned the ibis, a pinprick of white light formed in the darkness and traveled slowly around the room until it found the glowing green path created by Amon’s eyes. Bathing itself in Amon’s gaze, the light grew and spread until it became clear that the form was a bird, similar to Amon’s falcon. This bird, however, had a downcurved bill that was a little bit longer than its tapered, thin neck. It beat its wings, hovering in the air near Amon, who nodded and said, “Welcome, Brother.”
One by one, the four white lights that had come from the canopic jars merged with the flying creature. The bird cried out, circling over our heads, and then folded its wings and shot into the whirlwind. It burst into fragments of light that were sucked into the empty eye sockets of the mummy. The mummy’s wrappings floated momentarily, as if seeking a way to remain airborne without the wind, and then sank slowly to the cavern floor like little kites with a broken string. For a moment, all was silent.
Then a white gleam lit up within the mummy, spilling out of its orifices and bones. The body shivered and moved. Bones aligned and twisted, cracking as they shifted. The skull turned to Amon and then faced me and Dr. Hassan. Its jaw clacked shut, and its arms unfolded and rose into the air. The mummy looked like a Vitruvian man made of starlight. I fought to suppress a scream. Amon resumed chanting.
As you pass through this last portal of death,
Cries of joy will greet you,
Feasts will welcome you,
Your heart will beat again,
Your limbs will leap again,
Your voice will be heard again.
All that was lost will be returned.
Come, Asten, and fulfill your destiny!
The light emanating from the mummy intensified, radiating heat like a supernova as the discarded wrappings rose into the air, circling around it faster than before. The brightness coalesced, forming veins and a heart that beat forcefully. Then the light wrapped around the bones, thickening until it formed radiant muscles.
The light became so bright I had to cover my eyes, while my own heart pounded in answer to the audible beat of the mummy’s. Pain lanced through me and I screamed and blacked out.
When I opened my eyes, the glare had finally faded. Head aching, I pressed my hands against my eyes and took deep breaths to clear the nausea. I heard Dr. Hassan move. He fell to the dirt floor and exclaimed, “I am honored to be in your presence, Great One!”
Hyperaware of the sounds around me, each one pounding in my brain, I heard the crunch of sand, some softly murmured exchanges in Egyptian that quickly morphed into English, and then footsteps coming my way. Through the gaps between my fingers, I saw a pair of bare feet stop in front of me. Amon had been wearing shoes, so unless he’d somehow lost them, there was no way those two feet belonged to him. Fleshy toes drummed in the sand, and I heard a laugh.
“There is no need to fear me, priestess. I promise that I will not bite. Unless, of course, you wish it.”
My headache finally diminished to a dull throb and I allowed my eyes to lift from the incredibly tanned ankles attached to the feet in front of me to the man’s muscular legs. Amon’s brother wore a pleated white skirt almost exactly like Amon’s when I’d first met him. Glancing around, I saw Amon down on one knee near the sarcophagus. He was breathing heavily, his arms trembling.
I gathered my legs under me to stand and the laughing man offered a hand, drawing me up close to him. When I tried to push away to go to Amon, he said, “Let him gather his strength. Raising us saps his energy and his was depleted to begin with.” Over his shoulder, he added, “I was almost in danger of rising ugly.”