The population was divided—slaves to build the pyramid and slaves to serve the increasingly erratic whims of Pharaoh. There was much dissatisfaction. The bitterness became a quarrel and then open rebellion. From the rebellion two factions emerged— Pharaoh and his inner circle of advisers to which he, Danielson and Stockbridge belonged, as well as the newly formed security force called the Incarnates. The other faction was led by supporters of Nefron, at that point a young woman of fourteen.
“The rebellion turned from words into a week of bloodshed, murder and assassination attempts,” Danielson stated. “At the end of that week, the revolution was crushed—ruthlessly. Over twenty people sympathetic to Nefron died, including one of my wives and two of my children.”
Danielson shuddered and his eyes were wet. He dried them with a frayed sleeve. “Despite that, I was still in Pharaoh’s favor, since my only son was killed while trying to assassinate me. But I had begun to doubt.”
He touched the ankh amulet. “I had this made by one of our craftsmen who knew it blocked Pharaoh’s power. Most of the rebels had worn them, acting on Nefron’s advice. When construction on the pyramid began, I decided I had had my fill of Aten. About a year ago I came back here, to Fort Fubar, where it all began.”
He glanced over at Krysty. “I don’t know why the Incarnates should be looking for you, young woman. Unless Pharaoh thinks you’re his true, predestined consort. If that’s the case, my advice to all of you is to put as much distance between yourselves and Aten as you can before another search party is sent out.”
“How long will that be?” J.B. asked.
“Dawn tomorrow, at the earliest. The chariots can’t travel very far at night.”
“How far to city?” Jak inquired.
“Thirty miles or so. About an hour by chariot.”
“How many people are there?” Ryan demanded.
“Three hundred and fifty or so, counting the kids.”
J.B. extended a metauh rod. “Tell us about this.”
Danielson scowled. “What part of me advising you to run didn’t you understand, Dix? You got no time for this—”
“Tell us.” Ryan bit out the words.
The old man ran a hand through his hair. “They operate on some kind of ancient principle about channeling the sekhem—the ‘life-force.’ You got to be trained in how to use them. My amulet keeps my body helix from being warped.”
“How?” Mildred asked.
With a forefinger, Danielson traced a line along his arms, head and chest. “The shape of the amulet is a closed double-helix energy pattern. It protects my bioaural field from the resonating mena energies. Get it?”
“No,” Jak growled.
Danielson ignored him. “That’s why Pharaoh is building a pyramid—to increase the power of his bioaural field, to saturate him and his queen completely with the sekhem, so they’ll be immortal.”
Krysty looked at him skeptically. “Pharaoh told you that?”
“Not exactly,” Danielson admitted. “Stockbridge said it. He said once the pyramid was built, the capstone put in place, it would draw power from the energy field of the planet, even other planets. Anybody standing inside the pyramid would be made immortal.”
“The old pyramid-power theory,” Doc interjected. “In my day it was called electromotivism. A pseudoscience.”
“By my day,” Mildred said, “the theory had gained some respectability. With the translations of ancient Egyptian texts and codices, reputable scientists performed experiments and came up with empirical evidence that the old Egyptians had a kind of energy-transference technology.”
Ryan had completed reassembling his SIG-Sauer. He tested the action, then slid a clip into the butt. “We’ve got plenty of ammo. J.B., you have any other surprises you rat-holed from the commune?”
The Armorer shook his head. “Sorry. That gren I used on Poseidon’s sec men was my last surprise.”
Ryan turned his attention to the Steyr. “We’ve gotten by with just our blasters on many an occasion. Guess they’ll have to do this time.”
“‘Do?” Danielson echoed. “Do for what?”
“We’re going to the city.”
“What are you, a jolt-brain?” Danielson exploded incredulously. “Boost them chariots and get back to where you came from!”
“We came from the redoubt. It’s a door that opens only one way, at present. Your pharaoh saw to that. And there’s a good reason why this region is called the Barrens, right?”