Page 9 of A Mutual Accord

CHAPTER 8

E gypt, 651 AD

Cartaphilus stood alone, contemplating a silent ritual in the moonlight. He stood before the Great Pyramid of Giza, breathing evenly, staring at the point at the top of the temple. A vision washed over him, and whispers of the ancient pharaohs chanted in his ears secrets that have been lost to time.

He stood, rooted to the ground, arms outstretched, whispering the lost knowledge of the great rulers for hours, until the moon disappeared and the sun began to rise in the east.

A pair of travelling scholars passed, first stopping to observe him for some minutes, then moving on, murmuring to themselves. Cartaphilus stood, unmoving, as the men continued to the city, arguing between themselves over whether he had been a real man, or perhaps a spirit from another realm.