Page 24 of Ra (The Scarab Prophecy #1)

“It is. Of course, anything is possible. But I tend to lean the other way. Let me share some of the photos we’ve taken of not only the artifacts found there, but of the temple itself.

” Azi clicked through the forty or so photos, displaying them all on the over sized white board at the rear of the stage, and on the white boards on the left and right of the stage as well, positioned so that they could easily be viewed by everyone.

She stopped to explain in great detail all she saw as an educated, experienced Egyptologist, versus just a fan of ancient Egypt.

When she finished going through the photos, she lifted up the last photo which clearly depicted Ra crossing the sky.

She walked out in front of the podium, and clasped her hands in front of herself as she took the time to look at everyone there.

“We’ll never know for sure, because we’re a few thousand years too late.

But though the walls are decorated with scenes from the creation of all the gods and the universe, I believe this temple was built for Ra.

The overwhelming abundance of depictions of him crossing the sky in the daylight, and crossing through the underworld in the night, along with the creation of the others, indicates to me that this is a temple of Ra.

This temple is the Temple of Ra. This throne you see behind me, isn’t a chair for a Pharaoh, or a King, it is the throne of Ra. ”

Applause thundered through the auditorium. Ra threw his head back and let out a shrill ululation.

Dr. Neti Weaver, aka Neith, walked out onto the stage and stood on Azi’s left, clapping for as long as the audience did. “Well done, Dr. Clement. Well, done.”

“Thank you, Dr. Weaver.”

Ra stood to the side, chafing at the bit. He didn’t like that Neith was so close to Azi without him there to intercede.

Dr. Weaver placed her right arm across Azi’s back, and her left hand resting gently on Azi’s left hand.

That was it. Ra could take no more and strode out onto the stage, quickly snatching up a bottle of water as he went.

He wore a cold smile as he extended the bottle of water to Azi, while encircling her waist and pulling her closer to him and away from Neith.

“What are you doing?” Azi asked, looking nervously toward Dr. Weaver.

“Drink your water,” he said.

Azi flipped up the top of her water bottle and drank down several sips. She closed the bottle and raised it a bit as if to say, ‘needed some water’.

Dr. Weaver stepped forward, raised her hands in the direction of Azi and Ra, and applauded as vigorously as anyone else in the auditorium.

Azi handed the bottle back to Ra, who stepped back a few steps, putting him behind Azi, where he waited with her water in case she might happen to need it again, which seemed to make sense to him.

Then the rumblings started as people began to notice him.

“Who is he?” one woman called out.

“He looks like Ra!” her friend added, pointing at the image still on the white boards.

Azi chuckled and shook her head. “Yes, and no!” she said. “He is my, uh…”

Ra stepped forward and stood beside her. “Significant other,” he supplied, standing proudly beside her. “But tonight is all about her.”

“You know! I think I remember seeing him on social media a couple of days ago. You were pretending to be Ra! Let me find it!” another called out.

“You were right!” Ra exclaimed, nodding at her. “It did gain attention just like you said it would.”

Azi looked at Ra, thoroughly confused, and unnerved at people saying he looked like Ra.

Then suddenly she realized what he was implying.

“Not quite as much attention as I’d hoped for!

” Azi said. “I was hoping to make it a social media frenzy and bring more attention to the Temple of Ra, and the tour I’ll be leading regarding the temple over the next several weeks. ”

“It worked!” the same lady said, holding her phone up. “Can I take a photo and add it to the post? I bet it will get more attention.”

Ra looked at Azi, Azi looked at Dr. Weaver. “This is your night, win or fail,” Dr. Weaver said condescendingly.

Ra’s expression turned just about deadly. “Azi, step aside.”

Azi’s eyes widened as she shuffled to the right. “Ra?” she whispered.

Ra faced the audience. “Are your devices ready?” he asked.

Phones came out of nowhere, all pointed in his direction as excited laughter and talking moved through the crowd.

Ra walked slowly toward the stage. At the last moment he shoved his arms into the air, like he had thousands of times, demanding worship from throngs of humans and attendants under his rule. “I am Ra, god of the sun, creator of all! I cast blessings upon you!” he called out in a deep booming voice.

A roar went up through the crowd as they all reacted to what they thought were theatrics.

“Sit on the throne,” Dr. Weaver said, her head canted just slightly to the side.

He looked at her, unable to determine what her game was.

“No. Don’t. We don’t know…” Azi started, stopping before she said too much, her eyes darting toward Dr. Weaver before shooting back to Ra.

“All will be well, dear Azenath,” he promised, meandering past her, pausing to drop a quick kiss on her lips, before he turned toward the throne. Much to his surprise, a man stood there, holding one end of the velvet rope in his hands, clearing the way for Ra to get to the throne.

“Abasi, what are you doing?” Azi exclaimed, taking a few steps toward him.

“Let me be Ra,” Ra said calmly, seemingly taking control of the entire situation.

“No! What if it sends you back to the others?”

“Then you pretend it was all staged,” Dr. Weaver said, still staring at Ra, daring him to sit on the throne.

Azi’s gaze swung to Dr. Weaver’s, wondering just what she knew.

Ra, still holding his arms in the air, calling for ultimate capitulation, made his way up onto the dais.

Abasi bowed in reverence, holding the pose as Ra paused beside him, dropping his hands as he prepared to step up to the throne.

“If I return to the temple, you will protect Azenath,” Ra ordered.

“Yes, Ra,” Abasi agreed, his eyes glued to the floor, not daring to look him in the face.

Ra stepped up on the dais, and shoved his hands in the air again.

The audience roared with approval.

From the stage it looked like a wall of phones, all documenting every moment.

“You are witness to the new age of the gods! Blessed be Ra!” he shouted, as he locked eyes with Azi and slowly lowered himself to the throne.

For the first time in his life he knew fear.

He didn’t want to go back to the temple to be locked away for an eternity with the other gods.

He didn’t want to give up this second chance at life he’d found.

But even more than that, he didn’t want to give up Azi.

His heart thundered as he came into contact with the throne.

Hesitantly he allowed his body to be supported by it.

His adrenalin began to rush as he realized he hadn’t been flung back to the temple.

He was still sitting in the auditorium with Azi’s gaze glued to his.

Assured by the fact he remained in the auditorium, he leaned into the god he used to be, reclining ever so gracefully, like a cat, seductively draping itself across a window sill as it condescendingly surveyed its world.

The crowd went wild.

Ra stood and gestured to Azi, as the crowd quieted to better hear what he was about to say.

“Thank you, dear Azenath, for finding me, freeing me, and giving me a second chance at life. I am ever grateful, and ever yours.” He bowed to Azi, and Azi blinked her teary eyes as relief flooded her.

She’d really thought he would disappear when he actually touched the throne.

“Well, this is certainly a surprising turn of events, though not an unpleasant one. I dare say the contributions to support our mission of preserving the history of Egypt will be pouring in. Excellent job, Ra. And you, Azenath, not that I ever doubted you ,” Dr. Weaver said just loudly enough for Azi to hear.

“What is going on here?” Azi asked quietly.

“I’m sure Ra will fill you in. He was just demanding a short while ago that you be made aware of all that’s happening around you.”

“I don’t understand. How do you know Ra?” Azi said softly, trying to not alert the audience.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this ends our presentation. We hope you’ve enjoyed it, and please speak of it to everyone you know who is interested in the ancient gods of our people.

Goodnight,” Dr. Weaver said into the microphone, completely ignoring Azi’s question.

The lights in the auditorium came back on, and almost immediately the stage was filled with people with more and more questions, as well as those who wanted to rave about the show, and meet the actor who so perfectly embodied Ra.

Because that’s what her presentation had turned into, a show.

Azi recognized many faces as she introduced Ra — the actor— to everyone who waited to meet him. And she introduced him to many more that she’d never seen before at all.

Azi repeatedly introduced Ra to person after person, and all marveled at his acting abilities and raved about the theatrics added to the end of the academic presentation.

“It was truly a genius touch, Dr. Clement! A wonderful way to connect all those in attendance with the time periods you have the fortune to be blessed to work in daily!” one of the last of the audience said, while shaking her hand enthusiastically.

“Thank you,” Azi said, trying desperately to hold on to some semblance of her historian persona, while doing her best not to be overwhelmed with whatever else was going on behind the scenes that she had absolutely no part in. “I’m so glad you enjoyed the presentation.”

“Enjoyed it?! We were completely captivated. So much so that we’re tripling our contribution from last year.”

“How very generous. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Sure you can! Be sure to bring Ra back for the next one!”

“Or one of the other gods… perhaps they’ll all come back!” Dr. Weaver teased from behind her.

“Oh, dear god… please don’t even say that,” Azi said.

“You know, I’m beginning to think that ‘dear god’ was not spoken in the vein in which I thought it was,” Ra said.

Azi couldn’t even form words to explain to him it most certainly was not. She simply resigned herself to stand beside Dr. Weaver as Dr. Weaver schmoozed the crowd and thanked the department’s benefactors for their healthy donations.

Hours later, when everyone was gone, Ra and Azi stood on the stage as Dr. Weaver turned to look at them.

“I don’t understand,” Azi said.

“I’m sure you will shortly. I, however, will not be here to help enlighten you. I have other things to tend to. I am sure that Ra, the god of all creation…” Dr. Weaver said.

“And the sun,” Ra interrupted.

“Of course, and the sun,” she said sarcastically, “will see to it that you fully understand.” Dr. Weaver turned her back on the lot of them, and regally walked away, disappearing into the curtains hiding the backstage area.

“Where is she going? Why is she leaving? I am so confused,” Azi said.

“There is so much to tell you that I’m not sure where to begin,” Ra confessed stepping closer and taking her hands in his.

“Dr. Clement, if you will allow me, I can explain,” Abasi said, as he walked onto the stage pushing a wheelchair before him.

“And I can help,” Dr. Henry Clement said.

“Father?” Azi said, truly shocked to see her father there. “What are you doing here?”

“Abasi brought me. I felt I needed to be here.”

“What is going on?” Azi demanded, as she pulled her hands free from Ra’s.

“And why did Dr. Weaver leave? How does she know you? She knows you! How does she know you?”

“I’m sure she’s decided she’d rather not be a part of this,” Ra grumbled.

“Do you know Dr. Weaver?” she asked him point-blank.

“I do. Rather well,” Ra said with a sigh. He looked Azi in the eyes as he prepared to deliver the whole truth. “But I’ve always called her Neith.”

“Neith… Ra, stop it! This is not a time for your games,” Azi said irritatedly.

“Is she really?” Azi’s father asked. “All this time, I was dealing with Neith! I had no idea! It does explain a few things, though.”

“She is,” Abasi said steadily.

“How do you know?” Azi demanded of Abasi. “How do I not know?” Azi shouted. “What is happening here?”

“Azi, we’ve all got something rather shameful to tell you. I hope you’ll hear us all out,” her father said.

“I’m tired of being the only person that doesn’t know what the hell is going on here,” Azi said angrily.

“It’s The Scarab Prophecy,” Ra said.

“What the hell is a scarab prophecy?” Azi demanded.