forever.”
“They don’t live,” Wade said shaking his hands up by his face. “They’re the undead.”
Lilly felt a flutter of eeriness run up her spine. Trying to ignore it, she looked at Ben and said, “So ancient Gubla, that’s now the city of Jbeil, right? On the Syrian coast?”
Wade grumbled something but then settled down with his arms crossed in front of him.
“Yes, and trade had been established with Egypt well before my birth. When I was 29, the Egyptian supply became increasingly short. I traveled south, crossing the great sea with my officers, to Egypt to discuss the matter. The king’s vizier met us, and we boarded a boat and sailed down the Nile toward Memphis, stopping in Saqqara to tour the place the Egyptian king would start his afterlife.
“Saqqara is now nothing but dirt and rubble, but back then, it was in its vibrant infancy. Inside the burial chamber, artists painted the gabled ceiling shades of the evening sky while others painted the alabaster lined walls with unfamiliar text that I would later learn depicted Unas’ nefarious spells.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Wade said. “Hold it right there. Unas?” Wade asked Lilly: “Isn’t that the same guy your parents were talking about at their lecture and in the journals?”
She nodded. “The mummy they found was his lost queen. Queen Mesentia.”
The waitress came to the table and sat their drinks down. “Are y’all ready to order?”
“Can we have a few minutes?” Lilly asked. When she looked back at Ben, he stared blankly out into the restaurant. “You knew him? My goodness my parents… you and this story must have given them the thrill of a lifetime.”
“You don’t believe this crap, do you?” Wade said.
She turned her attention to Wade. She knew she had to calm him down or he would storm out of there like a little kid who didn’t win a board game. On the other hand, she didn’t want to offend Ben by calling him a liar. She gently said, “We gave him our word that we would listen to his story… remember?”
“But it’s so ridiculous…”
“Please,” she said.
Wade hastily took a bite of his apple while glaring at Ben.
Lilly said, “What happened when you met with him?”
Ben’s glassy eyes finally blinked. He smiled at her as he nodded his head. “In a short while, we had identified a thief who had been skimming the shipments for his own profits and decided upon the appropriate punishment. Our business complete, I was shown to my chambers for a welcomed rest. My men were given hammocks and cots in the antechamber to a royal suite. I walked through their quarters to the cedar door—a piece of home—that opened to a lavish and comfortable room.
“Later that evening, Unas invited me to a feast. I drank beer, ate from overflowing platters of bread and fruit, enjoyed the entertainment, and talked with Unas about pleasantries. As I was preparing to retire, she walked in… the vision.
“She had long, braided hair, rich skin, and mysterious eyes. I still remember how she made me suffer in that very instant. She must have felt my stare for slowly she turned her attention to me. I watched her take an impetuous breath before quickly averting her eyes to Unas.
“Unas introduced her as his wife, the Queen Mesentia. His wife . Every word afterwards seemed like blurred vision. She sat beside her husband, and even though she tried to pretend it wasn’t so, I had her attention for the remainder of the night. I also knew the instant and intense ache between us was incredibly dangerous.
“I went back home the next morning, but soon thoughts of her that I could not drown away with my own wives consumed my days and nights. Confused by my fascination, I forced myself to analyze why I would obsess over one woman who I had never even spoken to. Nevertheless, in the next instant, I fell back into my dream world. It had begun to affect my rule.”
“Are y’all ready to order… yet?”
“Bring us your
“They don’t live,” Wade said shaking his hands up by his face. “They’re the undead.”
Lilly felt a flutter of eeriness run up her spine. Trying to ignore it, she looked at Ben and said, “So ancient Gubla, that’s now the city of Jbeil, right? On the Syrian coast?”
Wade grumbled something but then settled down with his arms crossed in front of him.
“Yes, and trade had been established with Egypt well before my birth. When I was 29, the Egyptian supply became increasingly short. I traveled south, crossing the great sea with my officers, to Egypt to discuss the matter. The king’s vizier met us, and we boarded a boat and sailed down the Nile toward Memphis, stopping in Saqqara to tour the place the Egyptian king would start his afterlife.
“Saqqara is now nothing but dirt and rubble, but back then, it was in its vibrant infancy. Inside the burial chamber, artists painted the gabled ceiling shades of the evening sky while others painted the alabaster lined walls with unfamiliar text that I would later learn depicted Unas’ nefarious spells.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Wade said. “Hold it right there. Unas?” Wade asked Lilly: “Isn’t that the same guy your parents were talking about at their lecture and in the journals?”
She nodded. “The mummy they found was his lost queen. Queen Mesentia.”
The waitress came to the table and sat their drinks down. “Are y’all ready to order?”
“Can we have a few minutes?” Lilly asked. When she looked back at Ben, he stared blankly out into the restaurant. “You knew him? My goodness my parents… you and this story must have given them the thrill of a lifetime.”
“You don’t believe this crap, do you?” Wade said.
She turned her attention to Wade. She knew she had to calm him down or he would storm out of there like a little kid who didn’t win a board game. On the other hand, she didn’t want to offend Ben by calling him a liar. She gently said, “We gave him our word that we would listen to his story… remember?”
“But it’s so ridiculous…”
“Please,” she said.
Wade hastily took a bite of his apple while glaring at Ben.
Lilly said, “What happened when you met with him?”
Ben’s glassy eyes finally blinked. He smiled at her as he nodded his head. “In a short while, we had identified a thief who had been skimming the shipments for his own profits and decided upon the appropriate punishment. Our business complete, I was shown to my chambers for a welcomed rest. My men were given hammocks and cots in the antechamber to a royal suite. I walked through their quarters to the cedar door—a piece of home—that opened to a lavish and comfortable room.
“Later that evening, Unas invited me to a feast. I drank beer, ate from overflowing platters of bread and fruit, enjoyed the entertainment, and talked with Unas about pleasantries. As I was preparing to retire, she walked in… the vision.
“She had long, braided hair, rich skin, and mysterious eyes. I still remember how she made me suffer in that very instant. She must have felt my stare for slowly she turned her attention to me. I watched her take an impetuous breath before quickly averting her eyes to Unas.
“Unas introduced her as his wife, the Queen Mesentia. His wife . Every word afterwards seemed like blurred vision. She sat beside her husband, and even though she tried to pretend it wasn’t so, I had her attention for the remainder of the night. I also knew the instant and intense ache between us was incredibly dangerous.
“I went back home the next morning, but soon thoughts of her that I could not drown away with my own wives consumed my days and nights. Confused by my fascination, I forced myself to analyze why I would obsess over one woman who I had never even spoken to. Nevertheless, in the next instant, I fell back into my dream world. It had begun to affect my rule.”
“Are y’all ready to order… yet?”
“Bring us your
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