Tempest Court. Jan Walters

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      Chapter 9

      A line of cars led up to the Art Center. If the number of people filing into the building was any indication, then it looked like Layla’s opening night was bound to be a success.

      Brett adjusted his tie as he and Lisa entered the crowded lobby. Lisa squeezed his arm.

      “I can’t believe that Layla organized all of this.” Lisa’s wide eyes took in every detail in the atrium.

      “Do you know what section her exhibit is in?” Brett asked.

      “Let’s follow the line of people. When is Kevin supposed to be here?”

      “I don’t know. I’m guessing Kevin is somewhere in this crowd.”

      As they turned a corridor, the entire crowd gasped. A large pyramid filled the gallery. Although it was nowhere near the size of a real pyramid, the stonework looked authentic and the massive scale was true to size. Huge colorful posters provided details about the monument, indicating it represented the tomb of Ramses the Great. Although the exhibit was not exclusively about Ramses, it offered details and scope of what a powerful ruler he had been.

      Winding their way through the gallery, they accepted a glass of wine from a passing waiter. Lisa pointed to the poster. “I didn’t know that Nefertari was one of Ramses’ wives. Can you believe the man had eight wives? How long did the guy live?”

      “Too long,” Brett murmured. He jumped as Lisa’s elbow jabbed his side. “It says here, ‘Recent excavations bring the number of discovered corridors and tomb chambers to 150.’”

      “Really? Did you see he had an estimated fifty-two sons? No wonder he had so many wives.”

      Throughout the gallery, various sacred Egyptian symbols and artifacts with explanations under each decorated the walls. Brett shook his head. He had no idea there were so many antiquities related to death. He sipped the wine, patiently waiting as Lisa read a poster. The room was filling quickly. People stood shoulder to shoulder.

      Loud laughter drew his attention. Layla excused herself from another group and walked toward them. Dressed in white from head to toe, she wore her long dark hair loose. The starkness of her clothing emphasized her dark, exotic features.

      “Hi, guys. Thank you for coming tonight.”

      Layla’s cheeks were flushed, probably from the excitement.

      Lisa pressed a light kiss on her friend’s cheek. “I can’t believe all of this. Layla, how did you manage to pull all of this together?”

      “Believe me it wasn’t easy. I have a wonderful staff who know Egyptian history as well as I do.”

      While the women visited, Brett’s mind wandered. All these tombs and symbols related to death was puzzling. “So what’s up with this eternal life stuff?”

      Layla pointed to a symbol that looked like a cross with a loop at the top. “This is the Ankh, which represents eternal life. It’s common to see the gods holding the Ankh to someone’s lips, offering them the Breath of Life, the breath you need for the afterlife.”

      Brett tried to wrap his mind around all of this. “So everyone gets eternal life?”

      Layla shook her head. A serious look filled her eyes. “No, immortality is not guaranteed. In ancient Egypt, you had to prove yourself worthy of living in the land of Osiris. Supposedly, if you weren’t worthy, you were eaten by the Devourer of Nonexistence.”

      Lisa shivered, running her hands up her arms. “Good lord! The Devourer of Nonexistence sounds creepy.”

      “Not someone I want to hang out with,” Brett muttered while glancing around the room. “What does this Devourer look like?”

      “There are various ideas based on ancient texts. It’s one of those subjects that people preferred not to discuss or write about.” Layla turned away to greet a passing guest.

      Brett involuntarily shivered as he took in the array of Egyptian artifacts surrounding him.

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