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Rivota sat across the table and talked in between chewing. Theoris would never have thought it possible, but Rivota could talk and breathe simultaneously. The woman just wouldn’t shut up. On and on and on she talked, through the lunch, through four cups of coffee, right down to desert. Then Rivota said, “So, how are you and Hypatia doing?”
Theoris, at first, wanted..."

2025-01-25T03:34:35Z

Created page with "{{TplBlessedLandsEgyptChapter|title=Chapter 22|chapter text=<center>Chapter 22</center> Rivota sat across the table and talked in between chewing. Theoris would never have thought it possible, but Rivota could talk and breathe simultaneously. The woman just wouldn’t shut up. On and on and on she talked, through the lunch, through four cups of coffee, right down to desert. Then Rivota said, “So, how are you and Hypatia doing?” Theoris, at first, wanted..."

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{{TplBlessedLandsEgyptChapter|title=Chapter 22|chapter text=<center>Chapter 22</center> 
 
Rivota sat across the table and talked in between chewing. Theoris would never have thought it possible, but Rivota could talk and breathe simultaneously. The woman just wouldn’t shut up. On and on and on she talked, through the lunch, through four cups of coffee, right down to desert. Then Rivota said, “So, how are you and Hypatia doing?” 
Theoris, at first, wanted to choke her. She decided not. She’d never get away with it. Too many witnessed. She sipped at her own cup of coffee. “What do you mean?” 
Rivota laughed and her whole body shook. “It is okay. Half the facility knows and the other half doesn’t care. Except for Dr. Funutsu, he’s had a crush on Dr. Hypatia for months now. It nearly tore his heart out when he found out.” 
Theoris definitely wanted to choke her out. She wondered if she could bribe everyone in the cafeteria. Then she remembered the cameras. She could yell fire and in the ensuing stampede she could yank Rivota’s vocal cord out. “Again I ask you, what do you mean?” She took another sip. 
Rivota studied Theoris’ face for a moment. She nodded and smile. “I like you Theoris. You got a nice poker face. No more questions about that then. But I should tell you that Dr. Hypatia had been visiting one of my interns for some time. About a week ago she suddenly stopped. He was concerned and that made me wonder. For about three months she would find her way down to the medical area to visit. Sometimes they both would disappear for a few hours, sometimes it was for only a few minutes. Her suddenly stopping meant that that yummy husband of hers was back in action or she found someone else. I really hate being left in the dark about things. So I just sat back and watched.” She let Theoris think about that one. 
Theoris sipped at her coffee and blinked. 
Rivota smiled ago and sat back. “Can you get into shorter older women?” 
“Pardon?” 
“I may look fat, but I’m pretty solid. I can bench nearly two hundred and I jog about three miles a day.” When Theoris still didn’t get it Rivota said, “So, I guess I’m asking if you’d like to go out to dinner sometime?” 
Theoris nearly choked on the coffee, but she caught it and squelched the cough in time. She sipped again and blinked at Rivota. What an interesting turn of events happening she thought. “You’ve placed me in an unexpected position. I don’t know how to answer that question.” 
Rivota drank a mouth full of coffee and nodded. “That’s okay. No need to answer now, but if you do decide give me a call. You have my number?” 
Theoris nodded. She had everyone’s home number who was involved in the project. 
Rivota looked at her timepiece. “Time to go. Dr. Ohyutri is guest speaker. He’s made some pioneering work in biotechnology. Do you want me to have the session taped?” 
Theoris nodded and said “Thanks, I would appreciate it.” Damn this woman she thought. She knew she had a weakness for biotech. ‘Curse you!’ was what she wanted to say. Instead, she mustered up a very believable “Okay, you enjoy it and give me all the good details.” 
Rivota smiled, got up, and left. 
Theoris sipped the last drop out of the cup and thought. ‘A very most interesting turn of events.’ 
 
Honute tried to settle himself as best as he could. He was strapped down and inclined in the middle of several scary looking pieces of equipment. Theoris explained that the devices would be measuring the magnetic field around him. They would only detect changes. He still worried because they vaguely reminded him of something from his past. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but the entire arrangement made his stomach knot up. 
Akila sat in the monitoring room watching all the equipment recorders. The Physics department turned one of the storage rooms into a makeshift sensory deprivation chamber. She watched Honute on one of the monitors and wished she could be there. She could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable. She watched a line on one of the screens jump erratically. She flipped the microphone switch on. "Honute, how are you feeling?" And on a whim she said, “Honute, do you hear my voice?” 
Honute felt terrible. This was the first time in a long time he could remember where he didn't feel in control of himself. He tried to compose himself but it was like the machines were caving in on him. The last thing he wanted was to panic, but he was balanced on the edge and he couldn't stop. Then he heard Akila's voice. It was like a goddess calling to him. He felt the panic subside and it was no longer crowded. "I'm doing fine." He released the breath he had been holding. 
Theoris was standing behind Akila when one of the recorders went trippy. She watched with an intellectual eye as the squiggly line straightened out. 
Ayruyi sat in the corner waiting patiently for everyone to finish. She was thinking about what to cook for dinner and was torn between a traditional meal of mutton and lamb, and one of those dishes she learned to make in the Far East. High Priest Ferruk had made her learn how to prepare a specialty dish of sliced raw fish and rice balls. She was reluctant to admit it but she enjoyed the dish and she found herself wondering if Master Honute would enjoy it. She let herself daydream while everyone else worked – she was beginning to enjoy being Master Honute’s servant. Her thoughts stopped just short of wanting to rid herself of Master Ferruk. Servants are dealt with harshly and slowly for killing a master, regardless on whether it is in self-defense or not. 
Akila said, “Relax. This is going to take a few minutes.” 
Honute’s image on the monitor nodded. 
Theoris noted everything and was about to settle down for a few seconds when she noticed Honute frowning. 
Honute suddenly smelt a fragrance he hadn’t smelled in a week or so. It was unmistakably. It was Hypatia’s perfume. 
Akila noticed the recorders squiggle wildly. An alarm went off. 
Hypatia stood in the door way. She froze when she heard the alarm. Moments later the alarm stopped. 
Theoris turned around. “Dr. Hypatia. Nice of you to join us.” 
Hypatia nodded. “Am I in the way?” 
Theoris walked over and flipped the on switch to the mike. She shook her head. “Not at all.” 
 
Honute sat in his silent box and waited. He still smelled Hypatia’s perfume. He loved that smell. He had been thinking about buying Akila a bottle. Then he heard, “Not at all. Sit over here.” He thought it odd, but figured either Theoris or Akila didn’t want him to feel lonely. He was just at the edge of falling asleep when he heard Hypatia’s voice. Something in him burned and he felt warm. 
 
Hypatia sat in one of the chairs behind a monitor. She watched Honute’s image. Her heart thum-rumped and she sighed. “How is everything working out? Is he working out?” 
Theoris pulled a chair beside her, to the left. She could see Honute’s image and the one of the monitors with the squiggly activity. She looked over to Akila and gave her the “don’t say anything” gesture – index finger to lips. 
Akila nodded and hoped Theoris knew what she was doing. 
A knock at the door had everyone turn. Ferruk, a bodyguard and an old man stood in the doorway. 
Ayruyi jumped up and approached Ferruk. “Master Ferruk. Master Honute has treated me well. I am here waiting to serve him as you have instructed.” 
Ferruk smiled. “My lovely Ayruyi, I do hope you have missed me. I am glad he is treating you well.” 
Ayruyi felt guilty and blushed. Ferruk decided the blush an affirmative to her missing him. Ayruyi knew it to be guilt and shame. Guilt that she should have missed Ferruk, and shame that she would miss Honute instead. She bowed her head deep, “Of course Master Ferruk. I have missed you terribly.” 
Ferruk puffed out his chest and walked up to Theoris. “How goes everything, Theoris. Any progress yet?” 
Theoris forced a smile and doubled her effort to make her voice sound congenial. “We just started to run some tests.” She pointed to the monitors. “We’re testing for any changes to the electromagnetic field around him.” 
Ferruk frowned. “Electromagnetic field? Explain in simpler terms.” He commanded. 
Theoris bit her lip until it bleed. “The aura around us. We want to measure that.” 
Ferruk said, “Ahhh, that I understand. Simpler terms are better.” He looked around the room and rested his eyes on Hypatia. He smoothly walked over to her. 
Theoris near rage decided choking him would not be in her best interest. She added his name to the list of people who further pissed her off. She introduced the two. “This is Dr. Hypatia. Honute’s wife.” 
Ferruk paused and thought for a moment. “And what a lovely creature you are – Hypatia, if you don’t mind me calling you that?” 
Hypatia smiled and nearly gushed. “Not at all, High Priest Ferruk.” 
“Please, call me Ferruk. I am at your service.” 
Theoris winced. “She is in charge of the Astrophysics department.” 
Ferruk chuckled, “And brilliant, too.” He decided not to touch this one. Not in respect of a fellow priest, but that smart women turned him off. He looked around noting everything and everyone. “So, when do we see something?” 
Akila smiled as she watched the squiggly lines jerk up and down, squiggle and bounce all over the paper. 
Hypatia looked at the monitor. “High . . . Ferruk, my husband is but a humble and simple priest. I don’t think he could be anything more important than performing his daily tasks.” 
Ferruk raised an eyebrow. He looked Hypatia in the eyes and blinked everyone else in the room out. “I can hear it in your voice. You don’t approve of daily chores?” 
She smiled and stared back, “If you have no ambition then I suppose one would be made perfectly for the job.” She turned to see Honute’s image on a nearby monitor. “I do hope that the project works out and that it is not sabotaged by Honute’s passivity.” 
“Sabotaged?!? By passivity? Really?” Ferruk asked. 
Theoris almost gasped. 
Hypatia wondered how Theoris would feel if she maneuvered her way into Ferruk’s heart. He was no Honute and she was sure he could only put out a little bit as best. “Honute doesn’t like confrontation. That is one of the most damaging flaw of his personality. I’m afraid small birds and kids would be better suited for this project. 
Ferruk and Hypatia laughed. 
Everyone else was silent. Then an alarm went off. Then another and another. A few seconds later all the alarms went off. 
Hypatia looked at Honute’s image and swore he flashed a scowl at her. 
Ferruk said loudly, “What is going on?” 
Theoris hid her smile and felt elated that Honute was provoked into a response. She figured his ability was connected to his emotions. She let the scene play out. Theoris turned to Akila and nodded. 
Akila leaned over to the mike and said. “Honute, can you hear me?” 
A second later the room went silent and everyone turned to Akila. 
She blocked them out of her mind and continued, “Honute. You can relax now.” 
All the squiggly lines went straight. 
That fact did not escape Ferruk. He smiled and said, “Interesting. When can you give me a report?” 
Theoris almost pouted. “We’d have to collect and analyze all the data.” 
Ferruk shot her an exasperated look. “How about I make it easy on you. I’ll be contacting Pharaoh in four hours. You have three to do what you people do to come up with at least some type of answer.” He didn’t wait for Theoris to respond. Ferruk turned on his heels and walked out. The body guard and old man followed. 
Hypatia remained silent for a moment. She decided to say as little as possible. “I’ll meet with you later. If you need anything don’t hesitate to call.” She turned and walked out before Theoris’ obvious cloudy mood erupted into a storm. 
 
 
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Blessed Lands Egypt Chapter Twenty Two - Revision history